A variance-covariance structure to take into account repeated measurements and heteroscedasticity in growth modeling

This study proposes a within-subject variance-covariance (VC) structure to take into account repeated measurements and heteroscedasticity in a context of growth modeling. The VC structure integrates a variance function and a continuous autoregressive covariance structure. It was tested on a nonlinear growth model parameterized with data from permanent sample plots. Using a stand-level approach, basal area growth was independently modeled for red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) and balsam fir [Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.] in mixed stands. For both species, the implementation of the VC structure significantly improved the maximum likelihood of the model. In both cases, it efficiently accounted for heteroscedasticity and autocorrelation, since the normalized residuals no longer exhibited departures from the assumptions of independent error terms with homogeneous variances. Moreover, compared with traditional nonlinear least squares (NLS) models, models parameterized with this VC structure may generate more accurate predictions when prior information is available. This case study demonstrates that the implementation of a VC structure may provide parameter estimates that are consistent with asymptotically unbiased variances in a context of nonlinear growth modeling using a stand-level approach. Since the variances are no longer biased, the hypothesis tests performed on the estimates are valid when the number of observations is large.     

Newly recorded species of the genus Isohypsibius （Tardigrada; Hypsibiidae） from China

This paper reports two newly recorded species, lsohypsibius lunulatus Iharos, 1966 and lsohypsibiusprosostomus Thulin, 1928, of the genus lsohypsibius （Tardigrada; Hypsibiidae） from China. The specimens of lsohysibius lunulatus were collected from Taibai Mt （34°18′N, 107°42′E） at 2,500 m a.s.1, and those oflsohypsibius prosostomus from Taibai Mt （34°10′N, 107°35′E） at 2,000 m above sea level. All specimens are deposited at the College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, China. A key to the Chinese species of lsohypsibius was also given.     

Dielectric properties of copper-ethanolamine treated Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata Hook.)

In order to clarify the interaction between copper and wood substances in wood treated with copper containing water-borne wood preservatives, the dielectric constant ε′ and dielectric loss factor ε″ of untreated wood and wood treated with four concentration levels of copper-ethanolamine (Cu-EA) solutions were determined within a temperature range from –100 to 40°C and a frequency range from 100 to 1 MHz. Three dielectric relaxation processes were observed in the ε″ spectrum; among them R-I is based on the reorientation of methylol groups in the amorphous region of wood cell walls and R-II is related to wood extractives. R-III appeared in Cu-EA treated wood, and its magnitude decreases with the concentration of Cu-EA solutions used in this experiment. This relaxation process was considered to be based on the reorientation of copper-ethanolamine-wood complexes in wood cell walls. At low copper retention, the hydrogen in the complex can form hydrogen bonding with adjacent hydroxyl groups, which results in a strong bonding state between copper and wood; at high copper retention, the numerous copper-ethanolamine complexes not only hinder them from forming hydrogen bonding with adjacent wood molecules due to steric hindrance, but also weaken the interaction between wood molecules themselves, which corresponds to reducing ε″ values of both R-I and R-III processes. The results explain the fact of in-creasing copper leaching in wood treated with high concentration copper-based water-borne preservatives.     

哈茨木霉天冬氨酸蛋白酶基因SA76的3＇RACE扩增和序列分析

由EST获得全长cDNA对于结构基因组学和功能基因组学都是至关重要的,cDNA末端快速扩增技术RACE是该领域中的重要研究方法.利用BD SMART RACE技术扩增编码分泌天冬氨酸蛋白酶SA76基因的3＇末端,将其与哈茨木霉cDNA文库中的SA76基因的EST序列进行序列拼接,获得2019bp的全长cDNA序列,其开放读码框长1593bp,5＇非编码区266bp,3＇非编码区201bp,编码530个氨基酸,有信号肽.哈茨木霉天冬氨酸蛋白酶基因与玉蜀黍赤霉、粗糙脉孢菌、球毛壳菌天冬氨酸蛋白酶基因的同源性分别为53%, 37%, 36%.利用BD SMART RACE技术首次从哈茨木霉中克隆天冬氨酸蛋白酶基因,为验证SA76基因的功能奠定基础,为进一步研究蛋白酶的作用机制及生物防治功能提供依据.     

Socio-economic significance of reed forests in a rural community: A case study from the greater Sylhet Region of Bangladesh

The reed forests that are the subject of this study are scattered over five thanas of the Sunamganj and Sylhet Districts of the Sylhet Division of Bangladesh. Their total area is 23,590 ha and they have great ecological, economic, commercial and socio-economic importance due to the diversified resources they supply. However, the forests are commonly encroached on by local people who are perceived to be seriously depleting the resource. This paper deals with the socio-economic status of the people residing near these reed forests, and examines their dependency on the resources provided by the reed forests. A socio-economic survey, participatory rural appraisal and interviews were used to obtain baseline data of the reed forest resource and the local communities. The study reveals that the communities in the study region have higher income than other areas of Bangladesh. Most survey respondents have other occupations in addition to farming. The literacy rate is 28.8%. Among the illiterate, 68% engage in collecting reeds. Although the Forest Department has a management plan for sustainable use of the reed forests, encroachers receive backing from political leaders and local elites, so their eviction is difficult. In order to achieve long-term productivity and sustainability from the reed forests, this study recommends a strategy of developing an integrated joint management plan between the Forest Department and the local people.     

The use of compensatory and non-compensatory multi-criteria analysis for small-scale forestry

Small-scale farm forestry has the potential to offer many benefits both to landholders and the wider community. As with all changes in land-use practices, there are associated benefits and costs and these are not uniformly distributed. They have varying impacts on the different values, aspirations, goals and objectives that exist within the community. Furthermore, the community does not consider these values, aspirations, goals and objectives of equal importance. The degree of concern can vary from minor to high and overriding all other considerations. When evaluating farm forestry options it is necessary to address all of these concerns. This paper examines the combined use compensatory and non-compensatory multi-criteria analyses to evaluate forestry options, in a case study for the Darling Downs region of Queensland, Australia. These aggregation techniques are found to be highly complementary and together provide a comprehensive analysis. The compensatory technique provides a sound measure of overall performance of a forestry system, whereas the non-compensatory technique alerts decision-makers to presence of particularly poor performance with respect to individual criteria. The compensatory technique used is simple and understandable even for those with non-mathematical backgrounds. This analysis can identify and aid communication of the relative benefits and costs, and trade-offs, between economic, environmental and social considerations.     

Predicting moisture content and density distribution of Scots pine by microwave scanning of sawn timber

This study was carried out to investigate the possibility of calibrating a prediction model for the moisture content and density distribution of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) using microwave sensors. The material was initially of green moisture content and was thereafter dried in several steps to zero moisture content. At each step, all the pieces were weighed, scanned with a microwave sensor (Satimo 9,4GHz), and computed tomography (CT)-scanned with a medical CT scanner (Siemens Somatom AR.T.). The output variables from the microwave sensor were used as predictors, and CT images that correlated with known moisture content were used as response variables. Multivariate models to predict average moisture content and density were calibrated using the partial least squares (PLS) regression. The models for average moisture content and density were applied at the pixel level, and the distribution was visualized. The results show that it is possible to predict both moisture content distribution and density distribution with high accuracy using microwave sensors.     

The method for designing the profile of forest roads supported by genetic algorithm

This study examines a method for designing an optimum profile of a forest road in a short matter of time. In this method, a genetic algorithm (GA) searches for points where the gradient changes and dynamic programing (DP) designs the longitudinal slope. This method can be applied to the ground heights of an actual forest road. The evaluation function of the DP assesses the total expenditure. The inverse of this function is the fitness function. Crossover and mutation are operators of an evolution simulation of a GA. They are each repeated 20 times and 420 profiles are designed and assessed, all within about 10 min. A comparison of the profile designed by the GA with that of an actual forest road shows only one section where the formation level differed substantially. Overall, both profiles seem to show a high degree of correspondence. From this result, we believe that the profile designed by the GA is best, or the one of the best. A conventional method takes about 65 h to calculate all changing points of gradients. However, by using the GA, the calculation time was reduced to about 1/389 that of the coventional method, showing that the method which uses the GA through the profile design is very useful.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinus halepensis</Emphasis> somatic embryogenesis is affected by the physical and chemical conditions at the initial stages of the process

Pinus halepensis has been described as a drought-tolerant species with high plasticity to growth in different environments. Its eco-physiological characteristics could facilitate the use of this species in large afforestations in the future scenery of climate change. Somatic embryogenesis is a biotechnological tool with potential for large-scale clonal propagation. In order to establish an improved regeneration protocol for Pinus halepensis, the effects of different temperatures (18, 23, and 28 °C) and water availability conditions (2, 3, and 4 g L^?1 Gelrite^®), during initiation of embryonal masses on the rate of initiation, proliferation, maturation, and the number of embryos developed, were evaluated. It was found that environmental conditions during the initiation stage of Pinus halepensis somatic embryogenesis influence the success of initiation and proliferation. In contrast, there was no effect of these conditions on the maturation rates and the number of somatic embryos. Somatic embryos were obtained in all treatments tested, indicating that plants can be produced from extreme conditions of induction, such as high temperatures (28 °C) and low water availability conditions (4 g L^?1).     

Establishment of a high-frequency regeneration system in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cerasus humilis</Emphasis>, an important economic shrub

Cerasus humilis is a species of small, perennial, drought-resistant and multipurpose deciduous shrub grown in arid and semi-arid conditions in northern China. In this study, an efficient protocol for the rapid micropropagation of C. humilis has been standardized using stem and/or leaf explants. Direct multiple shoot induction was observed when the stem explants were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with different plant growth regulators. The highest shoot induction was obtained when stem explants from adult trees were cultured on MS medium supplemented with 2.0 mg L^?1 6-benzyladenine (6-BA) and 0.9 mg L^?1 α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA). The leaf and stem explants cultured on MS medium with 1.0 mg L^?1 6-BA and 0.6 mg L^?1 NAA, and 0.5 mg L^?1 6-BA and 0.8 mg L^?1 NAA, respectively, produced the highest induction frequency of callus. Maximum proliferation of callus was observed on MS medium containing a combination of 0.5 mg L^?1 6-BA with 0.6 mg L^?1 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-d). Optimal shoots differentiated from callus were obtained on MS medium supplemented with 5.0mg L^?1 6-BA and 0.9 mg L^?1 NAA. In vitro rooting was achieved on half-strength (1/2) MS medium containing 0.5 mg L^?1 NAA. Rooted plantlets were hardened under control conditions and successfully acclimatized under field conditions.