Thermal biology and locomotor performance in Phymaturus calcogaster: are Patagonian lizards vulnerable to climate change?

Behavioral and physiological traits of ectotherms are especially sensitive to fluctuations of environmental temperature. In particular, niche-specialist lizards are dependent on their physiological plasticity to adjust to changing environmental conditions. Lizards of the genus Phymaturus are viviparous, mainly herbivorous, and inhabit only rock promontories in the steppe environments of Patagonia and the Andes. Herein, we examine the vulnerability of the southernmost Phymaturus species to global warming: the endemic Phymaturus calcogaster, which lives in a mesic environment in eastern Patagonia. We studied body temperatures in the field (T_b), preferred body temperatures in a thermogradient (T_pref), the operative (T_e) and environmental temperatures, and the dependence of running performance on body temperature. P. calcogaster had a mean T_b (27.04°C) and a mean T_e (31.15°C) both lower than their preferred temperature (T_pref = 36.61°C) and the optimal temperature for running performance (T_o = 37.13°C). Lizard activity seems to be restraint during the early afternoon due high environmental temperatures. However, both, the high safety margin and warming tolerance suggest that the expected increase in environmental temperatures due to global warming (IPCC report in 2018) would not threaten, but indeed enhance locomotor performance in this population.     

非充分灌溉条件下水稻生长发育及生理机制研究

本文以水稻非充分灌溉试验的大量实测资料为基础，分析了水分胁迫对水稻主要形态指标、生理机制及产量的影响，对非充分灌溉条件下水稻所持有的生理机制进行了较细致的研究。研究结果对于指导有效、省水的稻田灌溉具有重要意义。     

Changes in Physical Properties of Soils with Land Use Time in the Brazilian Savanna Environment

Soils from central Brazil have been intensively used over the last decades because of the rapid conversion of savannas ( Cerrado ) into corn/soybean fields. The objective of this work is to study modifications in the physical properties of soils in the Rio Verde watershed, as a function of the land use time for agriculture, determined from classification of Landsat satellite images between 1980 and 2010. Soil samples were collected at surface (0–20 cm) and subsurface (20–40 cm) horizons for the different classes of land use time (<10, 10–20, 20–30, and >30 years). The following physical properties were measured: bulk density (BD), air permeability (K_a), penetration resistance (PR), microporosity (MI), macroporosity (MA), and total porosity (TP). Results showed a strong expansion with time of agriculture that occupied 35·3% (1980), 37·4% (1990), 51·3% (2000), and 60·9% (2010) of the watershed area. When properties were compared with those from the reference areas (preserved soils under native vegetation), significant differences were observed for all the physical attributes of soils for a land use time higher than 20 years. Overall, BD and PR increased with land use time, and the opposite was verified for K_a, MA, and TP. Some physical properties presented values (e.g., 1·54 g cm⁻³ for BD and 0.06 cm³ cm⁻³ for MA) close to the critical ones reported to affect crop development, but they were not still impacting on local soybean yield. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Impact of Land Use and Land Cover Changes on Organic Carbon Stocks in Mediterranean Soils (1956–2007)

During the last few decades, land use changes have largely affected the global warming process through emissions of CO₂. However, C sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems could contribute to the decrease of atmospheric CO₂ rates. Although Mediterranean areas show a high potential for C sequestration, only a few studies have been carried out in these systems. In this study, we propose a methodology to assess the impact of land use and land cover change dynamics on soil organic C stocks at different depths. Soil C sequestration rates are provided for different land cover changes and soil types in Andalusia (southern Spain). Our research is based on the analysis of detailed soil databases containing data from 1357 soil profiles, the Soil Map of Andalusia and the Land Use and Land Cover Map of Andalusia. Land use and land cover changes between 1956 and 2007 implied soil organic C losses in all soil groups, resulting in a total loss of 16·8 Tg (approximately 0·33 Tg y⁻¹). Afforestation increased soil organic C mostly in the topsoil, and forest contributed to sequestration of 8·62 Mg ha⁻¹ of soil organic C (25·4 per cent). Deforestation processes implied important C losses, particularly in Cambisols, Luvisols and Vertisols. The information generated in this study will be a useful basis for designing management strategies for stabilizing the increasing atmospheric CO₂ concentrations by preservation of C stocks and C sequestration. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

长株潭城市群土地利用变化现状及策略分析

文章通过对长株潭城市群土地利用现状剖析,结合相关的理论提出相应的策略：以循环经济理念指导土地利用,优化土地利用结构与布局。     

The distributions of Chinese yak breeds in response to climate change over the past 50 years

The effects of prior climate change on yak breed distributions are uncertain. Here, we measured changes in the distributions of 12 yak breeds over the past 50 years in China and examined whether the changes could be attributed to climate change. Long‐term records of yak breed distribution, grey relational analysis, fuzzy sets classification techniques and attribution methods were used. Over the past 50 years, the distributions of several yak breeds have changed in multiple directions, mainly shifting northward or westward, and most of these changes are related to the thermal index. Driven by climate change over the past years, the suitable range and the distribution centers of certain yak breeds have changed with fluctuation and have mainly shifted northward, eastward or southward. The consistency of observed versus predicted changes in distribution boundaries or distribution centers is higher for certain yak breeds. Changes in the eastern distribution boundary of two yak breeds over the past 50 years can be attributed to climate change.     

Herbage intake and ruminal digestion of dairy cows grazed on perennial ryegrass pasture either in the morning or evening

This study aimed to clarify diurnal fluctuations of herbage intake, ruminal fermentation of herbage carbohydrates and proteins, and digesta particulate weight in the rumen of grazing dairy cows. Six ruminally cannulated, non‐lactating dairy cows were grazed on perennial ryegrass/white clover pasture either in the morning (04.00 to 08.00 hours) or the evening (16.00 to 20.00 hours). Cows grazed in the evening spent more time (P < 0.01) and consumed more herbage (P < 0.01) compared with cows grazed in the morning. Higher (P < 0.05) daily mean concentrations of total volatile fatty acid, propionate and n‐butyrate in rumen fluid were observed for cows grazed in the evening compared with cows grazed in the morning. Although cows grazed in the evening ingested more crude protein compared with cows grazed in the morning, no significant difference in NH₃‐N concentration in rumen fluid was observed between them. The ratio of purine‐derivative concentration to creatinine concentrations was higher (P < 0.01) in the urine of cows grazed in the evening than in cows grazed in the morning. These results clearly indicated that evening grazing was advantageous for dairy cows compared with morning grazing, in terms of ruminal fermentable energy intake and nitrogen utilization efficiency.     

基于最大熵模型预测小火蚁在我国的适生区

小火蚁是中国大陆新发现的重要外来入侵害虫, 目前对该虫的传入来源和在我国的适生区范围尚不明确?为明确我国小火蚁适生区范围, 有效防控该虫在我国的扩散和蔓延, 本研究通过该虫全球已有的分布数据, 采用最大熵模型对其适生区进行了预测?研究表明, 最大熵模型预测小火蚁适生区精度较高?预测结果显示, 我国小火蚁的潜在适生区主要分布于南方, 其中, 高适生区分布在台湾?海南?云南南部边境?广西西南局部?福建西南部?广东南部及其沿海地区?预测结果与该物种现有地理范围的生态条件一致?年降水量对小火蚁的适生性影响最大, 理论年降水量为2 040 mm时小火蚁分布的概率最高?随着全球气候变暖, 未来我国小火蚁的适生区有向北扩大的趋势, 但主要适生区还是以南方为主?     

土地利用变化对土壤水补给来源影响研究

为探究不同植被类型深剖面土壤水补给来源,以黄土区长武塬为研究区,采集两种土地利用方式(农地、18 a苹果园、26 a苹果园)下20 m深土壤剖面,测定土壤水及其稳定性和放射性同位素含量,基于同位素方法对不同土地利用类型下不同深度土壤水来源进行溯源分析。研究表明：(1)苹果园土壤水含量明显低于农地,说明果园耗水强度更大,对深层土壤水影响更为显著。(2)农地、18 a和26 a苹果园下降水偏移量分别为-22‰、-20‰和-6‰,说明降水补给土壤水后受到蒸发作用影响,且农地土壤水比果园受到的蒸发效应更强。(3)该区土壤水补给主要以活塞流为主;对于补给不同深度土壤的可能水源,6 m以下补给水的同位素组成(δ²H=-83.8‰,δ¹⁸O=-12.1‰)较0～6 m (δ²H=-68.8‰,δ¹⁸O=-10.1‰)更为贫化,且6 m以下补给水的氢氧稳定同位素组成与日降水量≥50 mm·d^-1的降水更相似。与农地(δ²H=-70.6‰,δ¹⁸O=-...