Canopy Seed Banks as Time Capsules of Biodiversity in Pasture-Remnant Tree Crowns

Abstract: Tropical pastures present multiple barriers to tree regeneration and restoration. Relict trees serve as “regeneration foci” because they ameliorate the soil microclimate and serve as safe spots for dispersers. Here, we describe another mechanism by which remnant trees may facilitate pasture regeneration: the presence of seed banks in the canopy soil that accumulates from decomposing epiphytes within the crowns of mature remnant trees in tropical cloud forest pastures. We compared seed banks of canopy soils (histosols derived from fallen leaves, fruits, flower, and twigs of host trees and epiphytes, dead bryophytes, bark, detritus, dead animals, and microorganisms, and dust that accumulate on trunks and the upper surfaces of large branches) in pastures, canopy soils in primary forest trees, and soil on the forest floor in Monteverde, Costa Rica. There were 5211 epiphytic and terrestrial plant seeds in the three habitats. All habitats were dominated by seeds in a relatively small number of plant families, most of which were primarily woody, animal pollinated, and animal dispersed. The density of seeds on the forest floor was greater than seed density in either pasture‐canopy or forest‐canopy soils; the latter two did not differ. Eight species in 44 families and 61 genera from all of the habitats were tallied. There were 37 species in the pasture‐canopy soil, 33 in the forest‐canopy soil, and 57 on the forest floor. Eleven species were common to all habitats. The mean species richness in the pasture canopy was significantly higher than the forest canopy (F =83.38; p < 0.02). Nonmetric multidimensional scaling ordination revealed that the communities were distinct. Greenhouse experiments verified that many of these seeds were viable, with 29 taxa germinating (23 taxa in pruned mats [mimic of exposed conditions] and 16 taxa in control mats [intact conditions]) within 2 months of observation. Nearly half the species that germinated were characteristic of primary forests (primary forest samples, 19%; pasture samples, 29%). This supports the idea that canopy seed banks of pasture trees can function as time capsules by providing propagules that are removed in both space and time from the primary forest. Their presence may enhance the ability of pastures to regenerate more quickly, reinforcing the importance of trees in agricultural settings.     

Rainwater composition as a function of the cloud type

The influence of the type of clouds that produce precipitation in the rainwater composition was analyzed. Logroño, a remote station in the North of Spain was chosen for the analyses. Results prove that the rainwater composition from Cumulonimbus is different to the composition of the rainwater from the other clouds. In addition, the source of NO₃ ^? and SO₄ ^2? is studied in the different types of clouds. It is shown that the source is the soil except Stratocumulus formed from Cumulus in which the source is the gas‐particle conversion.     

基于变权灰色云模型的江苏省水环境系统脆弱性评价

水环境系统脆弱性是水资源利用与生态环境研究的热点问题,通过研究水环境系统的内在机理,综合考虑影响水环境系统脆弱性的资源、环境、经济、社会等因素,借助驱动力-压力-状态-影响-响应-管理（DPSIRM）框架构建水环境系统脆弱性评价指标体系。在此基础上,构建基于变权灰色云模型的评价方法,对2004~2014年江苏省水环境系统脆弱性进行评价。结果表明：2004~2014年水环境系统脆弱性指数由47.056提高到63.210,脆弱性等级由“重度脆弱”演化为“中度脆弱”,并长期维持在“中度脆弱的”等级,2014年出现了向“轻度脆弱”状态转变的趋势。分析各个子系统对水环境系统脆弱性影响程度可知,影响子系统和响应子系统对江苏省水环境脆弱性系统的影响程度逐年增加;而压力子系统和管理子系统对水环境系统脆弱性的影响程度逐年下降;其它子系统对水环境系统脆弱性的影响维持在一定水平小幅度波动。     

硫酸介质中高锰酸钾氧化降解非离子表面活性剂Tween-80动力学研究

应用光谱法研究了硫酸介质中,高锰酸钾氧化降解非离子表面活性剂Tween-80(聚氧乙烯山梨糖醇酐单油酸酯)的动力学性质,探讨了高锰酸钾和硫酸浓度,以及反应温度对氧化降解过程的影响,结果表明,氧化降解反应的速率常数(k)随着硫酸浓度的增大而增大,但却随着高锰酸钾浓度的增大而减小;温度对反应速率常数的影响,较好地遵循阿累尼乌斯公式.通过对反应混合物浊点变化的分析,说明了非离子表面活性剂Tween-80分子中存在活性较高的氧乙烯结构单元,是其被高锰酸钾氧化降解的根本原因.     

多云天气异戊二烯排放通量的计算

根据2002和2003年夏季内蒙古草原的实测资料,发现多云天气下,云通过可见光辐射对异戊二烯排放带来明显影响.研究和提高云量较大条件下异戊二烯排放通量计算的准确性是非常必要和重要的,它将有助于全面了解和准确估算不同天气、所有时段异戊二烯的排放通量.研究表明,对于云量≥6的时段,可以将经验公式中的大气质量(m)取为1,并使用原计算系数来计算异戊二烯的排放通量,其计算值与观测值相对偏差的平均值可降为72%,该方法可以明显降低多云天气下排放通量计算值的不确定性.      

南昌前湖区域夏季降水中低分子有机酸的分布与来源

2020年5—9月,共采集南昌前湖区域20个降水事件的88个分段降水样品,测定降水中3种低分子有机酸（甲酸、乙酸、草酸）和4种无机阴离子（Cl⁻、${rm{NO}}_2^{-} $、${rm{NO}}_3^{-} $、${rm{SO}}_4^{2-} $）浓度,分析讨论降水有机酸的分布、来源,定量解析云下冲刷、云水对降水有机酸的贡献。结果表明,降水中甲酸、乙酸、草酸占所测定阴离子总量的16%,降水有机酸与无机酸总量的月变化呈相反趋势;长降水事件的降水有机酸浓度在降水进程中呈现先逐渐降低,到降雨末期趋于平稳或稍稍反升的变化特征;降水进程中,云下冲刷对降水中3种有机酸的贡献率逐渐减小,而云水对其贡献率逐渐增大,降雨前期,云下冲刷为降水中有机酸根的主要来源,降雨后期,以云水贡献为主;前期降水中3种有机酸两两之间的相关性比末期降水中的弱,降水中草酸与${rm{SO}}_4^{2-} $的相关性较甲、乙酸与${rm{SO}}_4^{2-} $的相关性强,反映降水中草酸受二次污染影响大;基于甲酸/乙酸比值（F/A）分析,南昌地区5、9月降水有机酸受二次有机物影响较大,6—8月降水有机酸主要来源于植物直接排放;因子分析结果表明降水有机酸受酸性气溶胶、燃烧源、植物排放源的影响;PMF分析结果表明燃烧源、二次颗粒的冲刷和植被排放源对降水有机酸的影响。     

Using the expert model PERPEST to translate measured and predicted pesticide exposure data into ecological risks

An important topic in the registration of pesticides and the interpretation of monitoring data is the estimation of the consequences of a certain concentration of a pesticide for the ecology of aquatic ecosystems. Solving these problems requires predictions of the expected response of the ecosystem to chemical stress. Up until now, a dominant approach to come up with such a prediction is the use of simulation models or safety factors. The disadvantage of the use of safety factors is a crude method that does not provide any insight into the concentration–response relationships at the ecosystem level. On the other hand, simulation models also have serious drawbacks like that they are often very complex, lack transparency, their implementation is expensive and there may be a compilation of errors, due to uncertainties in parameters and processes. In this paper, we present the expert model prediction of the ecological risks of pesticides (PERPEST) that overcomes these problems. It predicts the effects of a given concentration of a pesticide based on the outcome of already performed experiments using experimental ecosystems. This has the great advantage that the outcome is more realistic. The paper especially discusses how this model can be used to translate measured and predicted concentrations of pesticides into ecological risks, by taking data on measured and predicted concentrations of atrazine as an example. It is argued that this model can be of great use to evaluate the outcome of chemical monitoring programmes (e.g. performed in the light of the Water Framework Directive) and can even be used to evaluate the effects of mixtures.     

基于CRITIC-有限区间云模型的边坡稳定性评价

针对岩质边坡危险性分级的不确定性,选取坡高、坡角岩体结构特征、岩石单轴抗压强度等12项定量评价指标构建评价体系。根据有限区间云模型的相关概念和计算模型,求出露天采场边坡实测数据的云模型特征参数,利用正向云发生器生成云滴图进行量性概念的转化,通过改进的CRITIC法确定指标权重,进而求出不同采场隶属于不同危险等级的综合隶属度,实现边坡稳定性等级的划分。研究结果表明:评价结果与实际相符,利用CRITIC算法求取的权重值,可以考虑各评价指标的综合信息量以及指标间的相关性系数,使评判结果更具有准确性;同时可以快速准确判断出边坡稳定性分级,进行安全预测,为评价边坡的稳定性提供了新思路。     

Emergency resources demand prediction using case-based reasoning

The demand prediction on emergency resources is the premise and basis of optimal allocation of emergency resources. Nowadays, there are only few researches on this aspect in China and abroad. For this reason, the paper aims at the characteristics of emergency resource demand prediction and presents a method for emergency resource demand prediction using case-based reasoning (CBR), which is also a method based on risk analysis. This prediction method cannot only provide a basis for emergency resource reserve and allocation in future, but also provide a method and model support for the emergency resources allocation decision-making system to be constructed in future.