Effects of an Exotic Plant Invasion on Native Understory Plants in a Tropical Dry Forest

Abstract: The dry forests of southern India, which are endangered tropical ecosystems and among the world's most important tiger (Panthera tigris) habitats, are extensively invaded by exotic plants. Yet, experimental studies exploring the impacts of these invasions on native plants in these forests are scarce. Consequently, little is known about associated implications for the long‐term conservation of tigers and other biodiversity in these habitats. I studied the impacts of the exotic plant Lantana camara on understory vegetation in a dry‐forest tiger habitat in southern India. I compared the richness, composition, and abundance of tree seedlings, herbs, and shrubs and the abundance of grass among plots in which Lantana was cleared or left standing. These plots were distributed across two blocks—livestock free and livestock grazed. Removal of Lantana had an immediate positive effect on herb–shrub richness in the livestock‐free block, but had no effect on that of tree seedlings in either livestock block. Tree‐seedling and herb–shrub composition differed significantly between Lantana treatment and livestock block, and Lantana removal significantly decreased survival of tree seedlings. Nevertheless, the absence of trees, in any stage between seedling and adult, indicates that Lantana may stall tree regeneration. Lantana removal decreased the abundance of all understory strata, probably because forage plants beneath Lantana are less accessible to herbivores, and plants in Lantana‐free open plots experienced greater herbivory. Reduced access to forage in invaded habitats could negatively affect ungulate populations and ultimately compromise the ability of these forests to sustain prey‐dependent large carnivores. Additional research focused on understanding and mitigating threats posed by exotic plants may be crucial to the long‐term protection of these forests as viable tiger habitats.     

Incorporating Social and Cultural Significance of Large Old Trees in Conservation Policy

In addition to providing key ecological functions, large old trees are a part of a social realm and as such provide numerous social‐cultural benefits to people. However, their social and cultural values are often neglected when designing conservation policies and management guidelines. We believe that awareness of large old trees as a part of human identity and cultural heritage is essential when addressing the issue of their decline worldwide. Large old trees provide humans with aesthetic, symbolic, religious, and historic values, as well as concrete tangible benefits, such as leaves, branches, or nuts. In many cultures particularly large trees are treated with reverence. Also, contemporary popular culture utilizes the image of trees as sentient beings and builds on the ancient myths that attribute great powers to large trees. Although the social and cultural role of large old trees is usually not taken into account in conservation, accounting for human‐related values of these trees is an important part of conservation policy because it may strengthen conservation by highlighting the potential synergies in protecting ecological and social values. Incorporación del Significado Social y Cultural de Árboles Añejos a Políticas de Conservación     

对由制定抗震救灾工作预案引起地震误传的平息与启示

本文概述了在制定和部署抗震救灾工作预案时，所引起地震误传事件的经过、对社会造成的影响，以及采取的对策和所汲取的教训。     

大型公共活动风险控制研究与分析

大型公共活动人口密度大、流动性强,极易引发安全事故,造成大量人员伤亡和恶劣社会影响。笔者从风险管理角度,提出大型公共活动的风险控制程序,通过方案评估、静态评估、管控能力及应急能力等几方面对大型公共活动进行动态分析。明确划分大型公共活动场所的重点部位;将大型公共活动的管控能力预警分为4个等级,界定相应人群容量特征,并针对不同级别提出相应安全管理措施;强调整体容量,重点部位容量的确定应与项目目标协同一致,形成大型公共活动风险管理控制的新思路,对大型公共活动风险管理具有重要意义,值得在一般大型公共活动风险评估中广泛应用。     

火灾模拟结果误差分析的函数分析法

火灾试验结果和模拟预测结果常能表达成关于时间变化的曲线,为定量描述两种随时间变化曲线间相符合的程度,引入误差分析的函数分析法。采用适合于低Mach数流修正的N-S方程描述烟气的输运过程,使用大涡模拟和Smagorinsky亚格子模型,对封闭空间内的火灾过程进行数值模拟;对其计算结果的分析表明,函数分析法能定量对模拟预测曲线与试验曲线间的差别进行描述,模是两曲线值大小的相对误差的度量,余弦是两曲线形状相似程度的度量。     

Does Riparian Forest Restoration Thinning Enhance Biodiversity? The Ecological Importance of Large Wood

Intact riparian ecosystems are rich in biological diversity, but throughout the world, many have been degraded. Biodiversity declines, particularly of vertebrates, have led to experimental efforts to restore riparian forests by thinning young stands to accelerate creation of large diameter live trees. However, many vertebrates depend on large diameter deadwood that is standing as snags or fallen to the forest floor or fallen into streams. Therefore, we reviewed the sizes of deadwood and live trees used by different vertebrate species to understand which species are likely to benefit from different thinning treatments. We then examined how riparian thinning affects the long‐term development of both large diameter live trees and deadwood. To this end, we used a forest growth model to examine how different forest thinning intensities might affect the long‐term production and abundance of live trees and deadwood. Our results suggest that there are long‐term habitat tradeoffs associated with different thinning intensities. Species that utilize large diameter live trees will benefit most from heavy thinning, whereas species that utilize large diameter deadwood will benefit most from light or no thinning. Because far more vertebrate species utilize large deadwood rather than large live trees, allowing riparian forests to naturally develop may result in the most rapid and sustained development of structural features important to most terrestrial and aquatic vertebrates.     

大型气候实验室气流组织仿真分析

目的对大型气候实验室气流组织进行仿真分析,获得合理的气流组织设计方案。方法首先通过分析旋流风口的特性,建立旋流风口CFD简化模型,然后设计大型气候实验室气流组织形式,最后对极端低温和极端高温工况下不同温度、送风量和送风角度时的气流组织进行CFD仿真分析。结果低温工况时,地面温度升高将导致室内温度和温度不均匀度整体上升;高温工况时,气流难以抵达地面,且地面温度对高度5 m以下区域有显著影响,对5 m以上空间影响不显著,应增大送风角度,使送风射流方向尽可能向下,以改善地面附近温度均匀性。结论气流组织仿真分析方法和气流组织设计方案适用于大型气候实验室设计。     

大型电子设备机架气流分解方法研究

目的研究分析一种分解大型电子设备机架风冷气流条件的方法。方法以温差和Nu数作为描述传热效果的参数,使用相似对流的方法,使分解夹具中模块两侧的气流传热效果等效于大型机架中模块两侧的气流传热效果。结果气流在分解后,其在分解夹具中的冷却效果等效于分解前其在大型机架中的冷却效果。结论该分解方法能够有效地进行风冷气流条件分解,可以应用于实际工程。     

从世界大河流域开发实践构想长江开发模式

通过分析世界大河流域开发的多种模式，研究可遵循的客观规律和存在问题。借鉴其经验教训，探讨充分有效开发长江流域的模式。提出“突出重点，综合利用，高效运作，协调发展”的战略思想，力争把长江流域建成我国的一级经济轴线和世界规模最大的现代化沿江产业带。     

连续起伏管道投产过程中的气相运移研究*

为应对山区液体管道在投产过程中可能出现的气阻、超压问题,从气相运移角度出发,建立液顶气模型,研究在1个U型单元内积气形成、压缩和破碎的全过程,在此基础上,提出连接各个U型单元的气相的传递函数,探讨背压累积因素下,连续起伏管道投产过程中各个U型管段的积气情况和压力的变化,进行动态的建模和计算。以国内某原油管道的现场投产数据与模型结果进行比对。结果表明:可以更加准确地预测山区液体管道投产过程中的气相传递和压力变化过程,能为未来连续起伏大落差液体管道投产的安全稳定运行提供理论指导和技术支持。