Resource allocation varies with parental sex and brood size in the asynchronously hatching green-rumped parrotlet (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Forpus passerinus</Emphasis>)

When eggs hatch asynchronously, offspring arising from last-hatched eggs often exhibit a competitive disadvantage compared with their older, larger nestmates. Strong sibling competition might result in a pattern of resource allocation favoring larger nestlings, but active food allocation towards smaller offspring may compensate for the negative effects of asynchronous hatching. We examined patterns of resource allocation by green-rumped parrotlet parents to small and large broods under control and food-supplemented conditions. There was no difference between parents and among brood sizes in visit rate or number of feeds delivered, although females spent marginally more time in the nest than males. Both male and female parents preferentially fed offspring that had a higher begging effort than the remainder of the brood. Mean begging levels did not differ between small and large broods, but smaller offspring begged more than their older nestmates in large broods. Male parents fed small offspring less often in both brood sizes. Female parents fed offspring evenly in small broods, while in large broods they fed smaller offspring more frequently, with the exception of the very last hatched individual. These data suggest male parrotlets exhibit a feeding preference for larger offspring—possibly arising from the outcome of sibling competition—but that females practice active food allocation, particularly in larger brood sizes. These differential patterns of resource allocation between the sexes are consistent with other studies of parrots and may reflect some level of female compensation for the limitations imposed on smaller offspring by hatching asynchrony.     

异质环境下入侵植物薇甘菊的适应性与繁殖特性

薇甘菊（Mikaniamicrantha H.B.Kunth）为世界上最具有入侵性和危害性的外来入侵物种之一,对其控制与管理已成为长期以来世界性难题。了解入侵植物薇甘菊在异质环境下的适应性与繁殖特性对安全有效预警、监测和防治该入侵物种具有重要意义。本文于薇甘菊盛花期,根据薇甘菊入侵生境的光照条件、群落结构和生长方式差异,在薇甘菊常见的4种入侵生境（林地、荒地、农田和和河边）选取10个样地,调查研究了不同生境条件下薇甘菊的开花结实和繁殖分配,并运用植物叶片功能性状的研究方法研究了不同生境条件下薇甘菊的比叶面积（SLA）、叶干物质比例（LMF）和茎干物质比例（SMF）的3种叶片功能性状。研究结果表明,生境条件对薇甘菊的开花结实和繁殖分配具有显著影响。其中抛荒农田（样地Ⅷ）和河流边缘（样地Ⅸ和Ⅹ）薇甘菊的总花数、种子量、生殖枝茎生物量分配和花生物量分配均显著大于其他生境,显示在有利于其生长的条件下,薇甘菊种群倾向于有性繁殖;而在不利于薇甘菊生长的低光照林地（样地Ⅰ）和种间竞争强的农田红薯地（样地Ⅵ）生境条件下,薇甘菊的总花数和种子量明显小于其他生境,但营养枝叶生物量分配显著大于其他样地,而茎生物量分配值则处于中间值,表明在不利于其生长的生境条件下,薇甘菊通过提高营养枝茎的生物量分配和叶的生物量分配来适应,其种群则更倾向于克隆繁殖。通过分析不同生境条件下薇甘菊的叶片功能性状,结果表明,在不利于薇甘菊生长的低光照林地（样地Ⅰ）和种间竞争强的农田红薯地（样地Ⅵ）生境条件下,薇甘菊的叶面积和茎干物质比例（SMF）显著小于其他样地,且彼此差异不显著;但比叶面积（SLA）和叶干物质比例（LMF）则显著大于其他样地,显示薇甘?     

中国农地经营规模对农业劳动生产率的影响及其区域差异

农业劳动生产率偏低依旧是中国农业发展的瓶颈,它关系着农民增收和农业发展,提高劳动生产率迫在眉睫。在土地规模不断集中已成为顶层设计基本共识的前提下,理清农地经营规模与劳动生产率之间的关系尤为重要。基于此,论文利用2000-2013年中国大陆31个省份的面板数据,通过理论推断与实证检验,对劳动生产率与农地经营规模的关系进行了定量分析。结果表明：从全国、不同地貌及三大经济带来看,劳动生产率与农地经营规模之间均存在鲜明的“倒L型”关系,即初始阶段,扩大农地经营规模能显著提高劳动生产率,但区域间差异明显,后期劳动生产率会稳定在某一状态。当前,农地规模远小于人均农地的最优经营规模,农地规模的集中是提高劳动生产率的重要举措,推进发展适度规模经营的政策仍有较大的操作空间。政府需要做的是,降低土地流转的交易成本,推动实现多种形式的农地适度规模经营,并兼顾不同区域的差异。     

人因脆弱性对安全注意力衰减的SEM研究

为深入研究人因脆弱性影响因素对安全注意力衰减的深层次作用关系,基于复杂系统脆弱性（CSV）理论,采用因子分析法对人因脆弱性进行主成分分析,提取8个人因脆弱性因子;然后,引入安全注意力配置作为中介变量,借助结构方程模型技术建立人因脆弱性对安全注意力衰减的SEM。结果表明:安全注意力配置与安全素质、安全意识、受教育程度、工作年限、安全知识、工作倦怠、安全心理等因子显著相关;安全注意力衰减与安全意识、安全自制力、工作倦怠、安全心理等因子显著相关;安全注意力配置与安全自制力的关系不显著;安全注意力衰减与安全素质、受教育程度、工作年限、安全知识的关系不显著。     

珠江三角洲大气排放源清单与时空分配模型建立

收集整理2012年珠江三角洲地区(简称“珠江三角洲”)各种大气人为源及天然源基础活动数据,以排放因子法“自下而上”为主计算多污染物排放量,并建立本地化污染物空间分配方案及基于行业排污特征的时间分配谱,构建了具备时空分布属性的区域性网格化大气源排放清单.清单结果显示,2012年珠江三角洲SO2、NOx、CO、PM10、PM2.5、VOCs和NH3排放总量分别为55.2万t、102.9万t、349.2万t、95.2万t、38.5万t、153.9万t和17.7万t. 固定燃烧源是珠江三角洲SO2和NOx的最大排放贡献源,其中电厂和锅炉分别贡献了35.0%和41.8%的SO2排放,以及28.2%和16.2%的NOx排放;VOCs的最大贡献源是过程源,其中家具制造、石油精炼、油气码头排放量总和占比为52.4%;扬尘源是颗粒物的主要来源之一,对PM2.5的排放贡献达42.3%;NH3的主要排放源为畜禽养殖和化肥施用源,两者排放量占比分别为50.7%和26.8%.珠江三角洲大气污染物空间与时间分布结果显示,高排放污染源主要集中于“东莞-广州-佛山”一带,呈半环带状结构分布;白天时段(9:00~20:00)的排放强度明显高于夜晚时段(21:00~次日8:00);夏秋季节(4~10月)的排放强度略高于冬春季节(11月~次年3月).     

Ranked set sample design for environmental investigations

Ranked set sampling can provide an efficient basis for estimating parameters of environmental variables, particularly when sampling costs are intrinsically high. Various ranked set estimators are considered for the population mean and contrasted in terms of their efficiencies and useful- ness, with special concern for sample design considerations. Specifically, we consider the effects of the form of the underlying random variable, optimisation of efficiency and how to allocate sampling effort for best effect (e.g. one large sample or several smaller ones of the same total size). The various prospects are explored for two important positively skew random variables (lognormal and extreme value) and explicit results are given for these cases. Whilst it turns out that the best approach is to use the largest possible single sample and the optimal ranked set best linear estimator (ranked set BLUE), we find some interesting qualitatively different conclusions for the two skew distributions     

Sex allocation and local mate competition in Old World non-pollinating fig wasps

The populations of many species are structured such that mating is not random and occurs between members of local patches. When patches are founded by a single female and all matings occur between siblings, brothers may compete with each other for matings with their sisters. This local mate competition (LMC) selects for a female-biased sex ratio, especially in species where females have control over offspring sex, as in the parasitic Hymenoptera. Two factors are predicted to decrease the degree of female bias: (1) an increase in the number of foundress females in the patch and (2) an increase in the fraction of individuals mating after dispersal from the natal patch. Pollinating fig wasps are well known as classic examples of species where all matings occur in the local patch. We studied non-pollinating fig wasps, which are more diverse than the pollinating fig wasps and also provide natural experimental groups of species with different male morphologies that are linked to different mating structures. In this group of wasps, species with wingless males mate in the local patch (i.e. the fig fruit) while winged male species mate after dispersal. Species with both kinds of male have a mixture of local and non-local mating. Data from 44 species show that sex ratios (defined as the proportion of males) are in accordance with theoretical predictions: wingless male species<wing-dimorphic male species<winged male species. These results are also supported by a formal comparative analysis that controls for phylogeny. The foundress number is difficult to estimate directly for non-pollinating fig wasps but a robust indirect method leads to the prediction that foundress number, and hence sex ratio, should increase with the proportion of patches occupied in a crop. This result is supported strongly across 19 species with wingless males, but not across 8 species with winged males. The mean sex ratios for species with winged males are not significantly different from 0.5, and the absence of the correlation observed across species with wingless males may reflect weak selection to adjust the sex ratio in species whose population mating structure tends not to be subdivided. The same relationship is also predicted to occur within species if individual females adjust their sex ratios facultatively. This final prediction was not supported by data from a wingless male species, a male wing-dimorphic species or a winged male species. Received: 27 July 1998 / Received in revised form: 11 January 1999 / Accepted: 16 January 1999     

Stress and team performance: principles and challenges for intelligent decision aids

Advances in computer technology and artificial intelligence are providing powerful capabilities for developing intelligent decision aids (IDAs) to support operating teams in managing complex systems. Early system designs, which acted as independent computer advisors, constrained human decision making, were brittle and encountered problems of user acceptance. As a result, there has been a shift towards making IDAs more cooperative in assisting users to make decisions under stress. Although there is a growing body of research on how to design IDAs as collaborate team players, this article provides additional insights by focusing on the competencies manifested by efficient teams in adapting to stress. To this extent, a survey of how teams adapt their decision-making strategies, cooperation patterns and team structure has provided a good basis for proposing design principles for collaborative IDAs. The article concludes with some challenges for further developments in information technology and research needs in the area of teamwork under stress.     

Tracking Chinese newspaper coverage of elephant ivory through topic modeling

Mass media worldwide has contributed to increasing awareness of the illegal wildlife trade and its significant impact on wildlife conservation. We used mass media coverage as a proxy for macro-level public opinion to analyze the media framing of elephant ivory in 6394 Chinese newspaper articles published from 2000 to 2021 and thus determine the effects of wildlife policies on public opinion. We focused on 2 events: the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) approval of China as a trading partner in the purchase and import of ivory stockpiles from Africa in July 2008 and the Chinese government's announcement of a domestic ivory ban in December 2016. Using latent Dirichlet allocation topic modeling, we identified 8 topics about elephant ivory and grouped them into 3 frames: ivory arts and culture, ivory crimes, and elephant conservation. Over the last 2 decades, topics related to ivory crimes remained the most prevalent in news articles. Topics about ivory arts and culture showed a significant shift in media salience before and after the 2 events (from 0.44 to 0.19 and from 0.08 to 0.15, respectively, p < 0.05), whereas the other 2 frames did not change significantly. Contrary to popular belief, our results indicated that Chinese macro-level public opinion on ivory had become more negative following the CITES approval of ivory importation and less negative after the ivory ban announcement, at least for certain periods. The relationship between mass media, public opinion, and wildlife trade policies is complex and requires further examination of the sociopolitical dynamics that influence media narratives. Our results showed the value of topic modeling in monitoring and assessing media representations of wildlife issues in the era of big data. Conservationists should remain vigilant of mass media coverage and collaborate with media practitioners to produce comprehensive narratives on wildlife issues if resources permit.     

Relationship between conservation biology and ecology shown through machine reading of 32,000 articles

Conservation biology was founded on the idea that efforts to save nature depend on a scientific understanding of how it works. It sought to apply ecological principles to conservation problems. We investigated whether the relationship between these fields has changed over time through machine reading the full texts of 32,000 research articles published in 16 ecology and conservation biology journals. We examined changes in research topics in both fields and how the fields have evolved from 2000 to 2014. As conservation biology matured, its focus shifted from ecology to social and political aspects of conservation. The 2 fields diverged and now occupy distinct niches in modern science. We hypothesize this pattern resulted from increasing recognition that social, economic, and political factors are critical for successful conservation and possibly from rising skepticism about the relevance of contemporary ecological theory to practical conservation.