Determination and potential importance of diterpene (kaur-16-ene) emitted from dominant coniferous trees in Japan

Reactive volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are known to affect atmospheric chemistry. Biogenic VOCs (BVOCs) have a significant impact on regional air quality due to their large emission rates and high reactivities. Diterpenes (most particularly, kaur-16-ene) were detected in all of the 205 enclosure air samples collected over multiple seasons at two different sites from Cryptomeria japonica and Chamaecyparis obtusa trees, the dominant coniferous trees in Japan,. The emission rate of kaur-16-ene, was determined to be from 0.01 to 7.1 μg dwg⁻¹ h⁻¹ (average: 0.61 μg dwg⁻¹ h⁻¹) employing branch enclosure measurements using adsorbent sampling followed by solid phase-liquid extraction techniques. The emission rate was comparable to that of monoterpenes, which is known major BVOC emissions, collected from the same branches. In addition, total emission of kaur-16-ene at 30 °C was estimated to exceed that of total anthropogenic VOC emissions.     

Wild tomato leaf extracts for spider mite and cowpea aphid control

Glandular trichomes on the leaves of wild tomato, L. hirsutum f. hirsutum Mull, also known as Solanum habrochaites (Solanaceae), synthesize and accumulate high levels of methyl ketones (MKs). L. hirsutum accession LA 407, having high concentration of MKs, was grown from seeds under greenhouse conditions. Four MKs (2-undecanone, 2-dodecanone, 2-tridecanone, and 2-pentadecanone) were screened for their toxicity to spider mites, Tetranychus urticae Koch and cowpea aphids, Aphis craccivora Koch. The objectives of this investigation were to: (1) develop a bioassay for testing MKs on spider mite and cowpea aphid mortality and (2) compare the efficacies of wild tomato leaf crude extracts and pure standard materials of MKs against spider mite and cowpea aphid mortality. Our results revealed that spider mites are most sensitive to 2-tridecanone (LC₅₀ = 0.08 μmole cm^?2 of treated leaf surface) and least sensitive to 2-undecanone (LC₅₀ = 1.5 μmole cm^?2 of treated leaf surface) 4 h after treatment. Similarly, 2-tridecanone caused greatest mortality (LC₅₀ = 0.2 μmole cm^?2 of treated leaf surface), whereas 2-undecanone caused the lowest morality (LC₅₀ = 0.48 μmole cm^?2 of treated surface) of cowpea aphid. We concluded that all MKs tested in this investigation are toxic to spider mites and aphids. 2-Tridecanone is more effective in killing mites and aphids compared to other MKs. Toxicity of crude extracts, prepared from the leaves of L. hirsutum accession LA 407, to spider mites and cowpea aphids revealed greater mortality compared to a combined mixture of MKs standard material (used at the same concentration as found on LA 407 leaves). This indicates that in addition to MKs, other unidentified compounds in LA 407 leaf extract also have pesticidal properties. Accordingly, leaf extracts of LA 407 could be explored in crop protection, and they might open a new area of MK formulations and discovery of biorational alternatives for pest control in agricultural fields.     

新疆奎屯市17种落叶树种的滞尘能力研究

对奎屯市17种落叶树种进行了滞尘能力测定。结果表明,不同类型植物滞尘能力差异显著,灌木滞尘能力大于乔木。在11种落叶乔木中,滞尘能力最强的是圆冠榆,平均滞尘能力达3．6894g／m^2;在5种落叶灌木中,滞尘能力最强的是玫瑰,平均滞尘量可达3．6581g／m^2。     

建筑物消防系统可靠性分析

为评估建筑物消防系统的可靠性,首先将系统分为探测报警系统和灭火系统等部分,再用事件树法分析事故发生时消防系统不同部分的反应情况.通过贝叶斯理论及历史统计数据得到系统失效率的不确定性概率分布,建立消防系统可靠性随时间变化的数学模型; 用蒙特卡罗方法模拟求得系统可靠性的时间函数并对模型的不确定性参数进行敏感性分析.该方法将统计数据与经验公式、理论方法相结合,并利用蒙特卡罗方法处理模型中的不确定性,不仅能够有效估计消防系统的可靠性,还可对其他类似系统的可靠性进行分析,并通过敏感性分析为进一步减少估计的不确定性提出合理建议.     

桫椤群落内主要乔木种群的种间联结性

在相邻格子抽样调查的基础上,采用X^2检验、联结系数（Ac)和种间共出现百分率（Pc)等指标,分析了福建省永定桫椤群落内主要乔木种群的种间联结性。结果表明：除少数种对外,绝大多数种群间的联结性不显著,在联结性显著的种对中,下述7个种对之间有较高的正联结性：朴树－野鸦椿、青冈－黄瑞木、青冈－油柿、翻白叶树－拉氏栲、黄瑞木－油柿、 青冈－香叶树和Song木－盐肤木,就桫椤群落而言,桫椤与猴欢喜、水团花之间有一定的正联结,与广东润楠、黄瑞木、柳叶山 茶、朴树和野鸦椿有较紧密的负联结。图3参11     

论园林树木栽培学(各论)的精讲教学法

园林树木栽培学是一门实践性很强的有关园林绿化领域的专业课、必修课.1995年以来,本人在园林树木栽培学各论教学中尝试重点讲解、课堂点评的教学方法,取得了较好的教学效果.     

决策树模型在水环境监测网络中选取代表性样点的应用

地表水体中的硝酸盐污染已经成为全球关注的热点环境问题之一。现今,国内外均建立了相关的监测网络对地表水体的水质实施长期监测,但是却导致大量的监测数据累积,给后续的科学研究工作带来了不便,尤其是在庞大的监测网络中如何选取有代表性样点的研究点则成为急需解决的问题之一。以比利时弗拉芒地区地表水的长期监测物理化学指标为例,利用决策树模型评估地表水样点的硝酸盐污染来源专家分类的有效性,为点位优化提供理论依据。原有监测点位的污染源专家分类和模型输出的可匹配率为80%,优化后监测点位从原有47个点降低到30个点,提高了监测工作效率。     

A Contemporary,Sex‐Limited Change in Body Size of an Estuarine Turtle in Response to Commercial Fishing

Abstract: Juvenile growth rate and adult body size are important components of life‐history strategies because of their direct impact on fitness. The diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) is a sexually dimorphic, long‐lived turtle inhabiting brackish waters throughout the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. In parts of its range, terrapins face anthropogenically imposed mortality: juveniles of both sexes inadvertently enter commercial crab traps and drown. For adult females, the carapace eventually grows large enough that they cannot enter traps, whereas males almost never reach that critical size. We compared age structure, carapace dimensions, growth curves, and indices of sexual dimorphism for a Chesapeake Bay population of terrapins (where mortality of turtles is high due to crab traps) with contemporary terrapins from Long Island Sound and museum specimens from Chesapeake Bay (neither group subject to commercial crab traps). We also calculated the allochronic and synchronic rates of evolutionary change (haldanes) for males and females to measure the rate of trait change in a population or between populations, respectively. We found a dramatic shift to a younger male age structure, a decrease in the length of time to terminal female carapace size, a 15% increase in female carapace width, and an increase in sexual dimorphism in Chesapeake Bay. In a new twist, our results implicate a fishery in the selective increase in size of a reptilian bycatch species. These sex‐specific changes in life history and demography have implications for population viability that need to be considered when addressing conservation of this threatened turtle.     

Millennial‐Length Records of Streamflow From Three Major Upper Colorado River Tributaries1

Gray, Stephen T., Jeffrey J. Lukas, and Connie A. Woodhouse, 2011. Millennial‐Length Records of Streamflow From Three Major Upper Colorado River Tributaries. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 47(4):702‐712. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752‐1688.2011.00535.x Abstract: Drought, climate change, and shifting consumptive use are prompting a widespread reassessment of water availability in the Upper Colorado River basin. Here, we present millennial‐length records of water year (October‐September) streamflow for key Upper Colorado tributaries: the White, Yampa, and Little Snake Rivers. Based on tree rings, these records represent the first paleohydrological reconstructions from these subbasins to overlap with a series of Medieval droughts (∼ad 800 to 1300). The reconstructions show marked interannual variability imbedded in nonstationary behavior over decadal to multidecadal time scales. These reconstructions suggest that, even in a millennial context, gaged flows from a handful of years (e.g., 1977 and 2002) were extremely dry. However, droughts of much greater duration and magnitude than any in the instrumental record were regular features prior to 1900. Likewise these reconstructions point to the unusual wetness of the gage period, and the potential for recent observations to paint an overly optimistic picture of regional water supplies. The future of the Upper Colorado River will be determined by a combination of inherent hydroclimatic variability and a broad range of human‐induced changes. It is then essential that regional water managers, water users, and policy makers alike consider a broader range of hydroclimatic scenarios than is offered by the gage record alone.     

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.