Reproduction in three species of rainbowfish (Melanotaeniidae) from rainforest streams in northern Queensland, Australia

Abstract – The reproductive biology of three species of rainbowfish (Melanotaeniidae) in northeastern Australian rainforest streams was investigated. Two species, Melanotaenia eachamensis and Cairnsichthys rhombosomoides are endemic to the area, whereas the third, M. splendida splendida, is more widespread. The species were all highly fecund, producing many hundreds of eggs between 1.10 and 1.24 mm in diameter. Melanotaenia eachamensis was the most fecund, produced the largest eggs of the three species, and consequently exhibited the greatest maternal investment (as measured by gonadosomatic index). The majority of reproductive effort occurred during the dry season, although reproductively active fish were present year-round for each of the species, but particularly so for M. s. splendida and C. rhombosomoides. No evidence for a role by temperature or photoperiod as environmental cues for reproduction was found, and it was suggested that gonad development was strongly tied to somatic growth. The concentration of reproduction to the dry season ensures that larvae are produced during a period of relatively stable and benign physical conditions. Comparison of temporal changes in gonadosomatic index values suggest that the spawning season of M. eachamensis , which occurs in high-elevation streams, is more restricted and commences about 1 month earlier than either other species. A similar phenology was observed for the M. s. splendida population found at high elevation and highlights the potential for spatial differences in stream productivity to influence life history. ^Note     

海洋养殖柔性网衣结构水动力特性研究进展

发展深水网箱养殖是保障我国粮食及食品安全的长远战略,也是缓解近海网箱养殖环境胁迫力、拓展食物生产空间的必然选择。发展深水网箱养殖首先需要面对的突出挑战是养殖设施在外海恶劣海况下的安全性问题。网衣是深水网箱的主体结构,由于其自身具有高柔性、小尺度的特点,在波浪和水流作用下易出现大位移和大变形的极端响应。当前,网衣结构分析技术已成为我国深水网箱养殖工程技术的薄弱环节,一定程度上制约当前海上养殖网箱向大型化和深水化发展。因此,网衣水动力特性研究对于深远海网箱养殖的发展具有重要意义。本研究系统介绍了计算网衣水动力荷载的主要方法及其适用范围。同时,对网衣动态响应数值计算中的主流建模技术进行了总结和分析。最后,根据目前网衣水动力特性研究中存在的热点问题,提出了网衣流固耦合分析、生物污损分析、数字孪生技术等前沿发展方向,为网衣水动力学分析向数字化、精准化发展提供参考。     

Presettlement and modern disturbance regimes in coast redwood forests: Implications for the conservation of old-growth stands

Coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), a western North American conifer of ancient lineage, has a paradoxical combination of late-successional characteristics and strong adaptations to disturbance. Despite its shade tolerance and heavy dominance of the canopy on many sites, redwood saplings are uncommon in upland old-growth stands. Information needed to ensure the conservation of old-growth redwood forests has been limited. In this review paper, we integrate evidence on redwood biology with data on the historic and modern disturbance regimes to help clarify the degree to which key attributes of redwood forests may have been dependent upon periodic disturbance. Available evidence suggests that episodes of fire, flooding, and slope failure prior to European settlement were frequent but predominantly of low to moderate severity and extent, resulting in broadly uneven-aged forests. The majority of fires prior to European settlement were apparently of human origin. Frequency and severity of the major disturbance agents have been radically changed in modern times. Fires have been largely excluded, and flooding has been altered in ways that have often been detrimental to old-growth redwoods on alluvial terraces. However, because of the apparent anthropogenic origin of most presettlement fires, the long-term evolutionary role of fire for coast redwood is ecologically ambiguous. With fire exclusion, redwood possibly could be displaced to some extent on upland sites by increasing abundance of fire-sensitive competitors. Alternatively, redwood may be able to maintain dominance by vegetative sprouting and new seedling establishment on root-wad mounds, fallen logs, and on soil exposed by slope failure. Future research priorities are suggested that will help resolve some of the current ambiguities.     

杉木采伐对集水区土壤热状况的影响

土壤作为森林生态系统的子体系 ,是林木扎根并赖以生存的基础 ,也是土壤微生物一切生命活动的场所。因此 ,有关土壤养分、水分及其土壤物理结构特征等方面的研究报告颇多 (王政权等 ,2 0 0 0 ;张合平等 ,1 997)。但是有关森林土壤的热状况 ,以及林木采伐后对土壤热状况影响的研究报导很少 (康文星等 ,1 989;刘煊景等 ,1 993)。本文在获得采伐前连续 3年和采伐后连续 3年的观测数据的基础上 ,就杉木人工林生态系统土壤的热状况各因子之间 ,土壤各组成成分对热状况的单一或组合效应 ,以及皆伐这种人为强烈干扰对土壤热状况的影响进行了剖析。…     

Effects of Deficit Drip Irrigation Ratios on Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) Yield and Fibre Quality

Increasing irrigation costs and declining water availability compel producers to adapt irrigation strategies for maximum crop yield and water use efficiency. A field trial was conducted to observe the effects of various drip irrigation ratios (IR-0, IR-25, IR-50, IR-75 and IR-100) on water use efficiency (WUE), the irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE), lint yield, yield components and fibre quality at two upland cotton varieties during 2004 and 2005. WUE was found to increase from 0.62 to 0.71 kg m⁻³ as the irrigation water applied was reduced from 100 % to 75 % of soil water depletion. Deficit irrigation of cotton with drip irrigation at 75 % treatment level (IR-75) did not decrease seed cotton yield and yield components during 2 years, with the exception of the number of bolls in 2005. Among fibre quality parameters, no significant differences in fibre length, fineness, uniformity index and elongation were detected between the 100 % and 75 % irrigation levels in 2005. The results revealed that irrigation of cotton with a drip irrigation method at 75 % level had significant benefits in terms of saved irrigation water without reducing yield, and high WUE indicated a definitive advantage of employing deficit irrigation under limited water supply conditions.     

闸坝工程建设对北运河水量水质影响研究

北运河流域闸坝工程修建,在一定程度上改变了河流的水文情势和水环境状况。以北运河重要水文站通县站1931—1990年流量资料为研究对象,对于闸坝修建前后水文情势变化进行了对比分析,同时对北运河干流关键控制性闸坝断面2004—2009年实测监测资料进行了水质评价,并对水质时空变化进行了分析。结果表明,北运河闸坝工程拦蓄导致流量减少,其中4月份流量减少最明显,非汛期较汛期下降明显;北运河水体环境质量整体上较差,基本上均为超V类水体,上游和下游水质相对优于中游水质情况,其中水质指标氨态氮、高锰酸盐指数影响较大。     

Exogenous glycinebetaine application improves yield under water-limited conditions in hybrid sunflower

Limited water availability is a severe threat to the sustainability of crop production. Exogenous application of glycinebetaine (GB) has been found very effective in reducing the adverse affects of water scarcity. This study was conducted to examine the role of exogenous GB application in improving the yield of hybrid sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) under different irrigation regimes. There were three levels of irrigation: Control (four irrigations), three irrigations (irrigation missing at budding stage) and two irrigations (irrigation missing at budding and grain formation stage) in the experiment. While GB was applied exogenously at 100 mM GB each at budding and grain formation stages, the Control treatment did not receive any GB application. Data regarding yield, yield components and quality parameters showed that water stress reduced the head diameter, number of achene per head, 1000-achene weight and yield. Nonetheless, it was significantly improved by the exogenous GB application. Among the qualitative characteristics, protein contents were significantly increased by water stress at different growth stages but were reduced by exogenous GB application. Whilst oil contents were reduced by drought at different stages, GB application, however, did not ameliorate the negative effect of drought stress on achene oil contents. The effects of water stress and foliar application of GB were more pronounced when applied at vegetative stage than at the reproductive stage. Moreover, exogenous GB application was only advantageous under stress conditions.     

Water Use and Seed Yield of Horsegram Under Different Moisture Regimes and Mulches in Semi-Arid Region of Eastern India

In a two years field study on effect of irrigation at vegetative and flowering stages occurring at 40 and 60 days after sowing, respectively alongwith straw mulch ca. 5 t/ha were found to have beneficial effect on growth, yield attributes and seed yield of horsegram ( Dolichos biflorus Roxb.). Application of mulches significantly increased pods/plants, seeds/pod, test weight and seed yield and maintained better soil moisture during crop growth in semi-arid lateritic region of Indian sub-tropics. Mulches proved useful to conserve more moisture in soil profile and thereby increased the water use efficiency of the crop; straw mulch was found superior to leaf mulch.     

流体性质对刮膜式分子蒸馏器上液膜形态的影响

利用高速摄像机对刮膜式分子蒸馏器壁面上的液膜形态进行了研究,实验发现随着进料率和转速的增加,不同物料在蒸发壁面上主要存在4种流动形态：液滴状、股状、不连续液膜和连续均匀液膜,同时测得水、乙醇、质量分数为12%乙二醇溶液、质量分数为50%乙二醇溶液和质量分数为50%丙三醇溶液在不同转速下出现连续均匀薄膜的临界流率。利用高斯过程进行数据预测表明：在一定转速下,临界流率随表面张力的增大而增大,随粘度的增大而减小。     

Effect of pruning intensities of three woody leguminous species grown in alley cropping with maize and cowpea on an alfisol

Field trials were carried out on an Oxic Paleustalf in the humid zone of southwestern Nigeria withLeucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit,Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Steud. andSesbania grandiflora (L.) Pers. alley cropped with maize and cowpea. The three leguminous woody species were grown in hedgerows spaced at 2 m. Trials were carried out one year after establishment of the hedgerows using a split-plot design with four replications. TheLeucaena trial had twenty pruning combinations consisting of five pruning heights (25, 50, 75, 100 and 150 cm) and four pruning frequencies (monthly, bi-, tri- and six-monthly). TheGliricidia andSesbania hedgerows were subjected to nine pruning intensities consisting of three pruning heights (25, 50 and 100 cm) and three pruning intensities (monthly, tri- and six-monthly).For the three woody species, biomass, dry wood and nitrogen yield from the hedgerow prunings increased with decreasing pruning frequency and increasing pruning height. Biomass, dry wood and nitrogen yields were in the following orderLeucaena >Gliricidia >Sesbania.The various pruning intensities had no effect on survival ofLeucaena plants. Pruning frequency had a larger effect than pruning height on survival ofGliricidia andSesbania plants. With monthly pruning, about 25 percent of theGliricidia and all of theSesbania plants died within six months of repeated pruning. Even with lower pruning frequencySesbania plants showed lower survival rates thanGliricidia orLeucaena.The various pruning intensities of all the hedgerow species had more pronounced effects on the grain yield of the alley cropped cowpea than on maize grain yield. Higher maize and cowpea yields were obtained with increasing pruning frequency and decreasing pruning height.IITA Journal paper number 335