Defining and Measuring Forest Health

If forest health is to be approached scientifically, it must be defined and measured. Forest health is a condition of forest ecosystems that sustains their complexity while providing for human needs. We developed this broad definition becaue a wisely acceptable definition is lacking, and forest health is a focal point in discussions of how to sustain forest ecosystems in the United States. Steps for measuring forest health are: (1) select a representative set of indicators for a particular ecosystem; (2) establish baseline data, such as a historical range of variability; (3) develop standards against which to compare current conditions; and (4) establish a monitoring program to assess current conditions and modify baseline data as new trends develop.     

采用CTAB与SDS法提取白术DNA的研究

[目的]获取白术中高质量基因组DNA。[方法]选取新鲜白术叶片,破碎细胞壁,用经改良的CTAB与SDS法进行DNA分离纯化提取。[结果]改良CTAB法提取的DNA OD值为1.8～1.9,较改良SDS法的OD值(1.5～1.6)高。[结论]改良CTAB法提取的DNA浓度和纯度较高,可作为模板用于后续分子标记的研究。     

黄土丘陵区小流域淤地坝纪录的泥沙沉积过程研究

淤地坝是黄土丘陵区小流域水土流失治理的重要工程措施之一,在拦蓄泥沙的同时,也记载了小流域侵蚀产沙的历史变化过程及特征.该研究根据流域历史降雨资料,分析了黄土丘陵区关地沟小流域淤地坝1959～1987年泥沙沉积旋回变化及各旋回层泥沙中、小流域沟间地和沟谷地表层土体中放射性同位素137Cs含量,研究了小流域侵蚀产沙变化过程及泥沙主要来源.结果表明:该小流域在淤地坝建设初期,侵蚀产沙强度很大,其后产沙强度由强变弱,呈显著降低趋势,淤地坝内沉积泥沙的70%来源于沟间地;微小流域与较大流域在泥沙来源方面存在较大差异.     

秸秆成型燃料生产应用的关键问题探讨

秸秆成型燃料(straw densification briquetting fuel,SDBF)的研究在中国已有二十多年的历史,但中国SDBF现有的年产量仅有十多万吨,是中国原料年产量的万分之一,是世界年产量的2.5%,形成这种局面的主要原因是生产中的几个关键问题一直没有受到重视.通过十余年的潜心研究,作者认为:要在中国实现SDBF规模化生产,必须认真解决好四个问题:一是资源收集和储运的高成本问题;二是成型机快速磨损问题;三是燃烧设备中受热面飞灰沉积和腐蚀问题;四是原材料脱水问题.该文在分析SDBF成型机理和实际应用案例的基础上,对四个问题的影响因素和成因进行了探讨,提出了解决这些技术难题的办法和中国生物质成型燃料规模化发展的模式和建议.     

Evidence of sedimentation inequality along riparian areas colonised by Impatiens glandulifera (Himalayan balsam)

Soil loss from riparian areas supporting the annual invasive weed, Impatiens glandulifera (Himalayan balsam), was measured and compared with equivalent values recorded at nearby, topographically similar areas supporting perennial vegetation over a cumulative seven-year period, along sections of two separate river systems; one in Switzerland, and one in the UK. Soil loss from colonised locations was significantly greater than from reference locations in four of the seven measurement periods. Despite contrasting results, standard deviations, based on soil losses and gains, were predominantly higher for colonised areas at both rivers over most monitoring periods. These findings indicated that areas colonised by Himalayan balsam experience higher sediment flux in comparison with areas free of invasion. Here, we test those original interpretations by reinterrogating the datasets using a more robust analysis of inequality. Nine datasets were tested, five of which (i.e. 56%) showed that sediment flux was significantly greater at Himalayan balsam-invaded areas than at reference areas. Three datasets showed no difference in sediment flux between invaded and reference areas (33%), and one (11%) showed higher sediment flux at reference areas. Most results uphold our original interpretations and support our hypothesis that hydrochory probably dictates where colonisation initially occurs, by depositing Himalayan balsam seeds in slack or depressional areas along river margins. Once Himalayan balsam becomes established and sufficient perennial vegetation is displaced, seasonal die-off and depleted vegetation cover may increase the risk that some areas will experience significantly higher sediment flux.     

The Warrumbungle Post‐Fire Recovery Project—raising the profile of soils

The impacts of a wildfire and subsequent rainfall event in 2013 in the Warrumbungle National Park in New South Wales, Australia were examined in a project designed to provide information on post‐fire recovery expectations and options to land managers. A coherent suite of sub‐projects was implemented, including soil mapping, and studies on soil organic carbon (SOC) and nitrogen (N), erosion rates, groundcover recovery and stream responses. It was found that the loss of SOC and N increased with fire severity, with the greatest losses from severely burnt sandstone ridges. Approximately 2.4 million t of SOC and ~74,000 t of N were lost from soil to a depth of 10 cm across the 56,290 ha affected. Soil loss from slopes during the subsequent rainfall event was modelled up to 25 t ha^?1, compared to a long‐term mean annual soil loss of 1.06 t ha^?1 year^?1. Groundcover averages generally increased after the fire until spring 2015, by which time rates of soil loss returned to near pre‐fire levels. Streams were filled with sand to bank full levels after the fire and rainfall. Rainfall events in 2015–2016 shifted creek systems into a major erosive phase, with incision through the post‐fire sandy bedload deposits, an erosive phase likely related to loss of topsoils over much of the catchment. The effectiveness of the research was secured by a close engagement with park managers in issue identification and a communications programme. Management outcomes flowing from the research included installation of erosion control works, redesign of access and monitoring of key mass movement hazard areas.     

Inorganic sediment budget in the mangrove-fringed Fly River Delta,Papua New Guinea

Six oceanographic moorings were maintained for 8 weeks across the mouth of the mangrove-fringed Fly River estuary from April to June 1995 in the southeast trade wind season. A further 4 moorings were deployed for 8 weeks along the estuary channel in 1992, also in the southeast trade wind season. These data were used to estimate net exchange of suspended sediment between the estuary and the Gulf of Papua. A net inflow of fine sediment into the estuary from the coastal ocean was found to be considerable, about 40 tonnes s^-1 or about 10 times the riverine inflow rate, resulting in a calculated, spatially averaged vertical accretion rate of 2 mm year^-1. Mangroves may account for trapping 6% of the riverine sediment inflow or about 1/4 of the riverine clay inflow. If this sediment was distributed only over the observed accumulation zones near islands the local accumulation rates in these zones would reach 4 cm year^-1. Estimates of soft sediment mass accumulation rates (1–10 kg m^-2 year^-1) in the channel from Pb-210 and C-14 measurements from cores of deltaic mangrove mud cannot account for this accumulation rate on a 100–1000 year time scale. The fate of the remaining sediment is unknown, it may be exported from the estuary in the monsoon season.     

Water Conservation Forest Impacts on the Runoff Generation and Sedimentation at Small Watershed Scale in the Miyun Reservoir Watershed

密云水库集水区水源保护林在北京地区饮用水源保护中起着非常重要的作用．本文给出了该区小流域对比实验的初步研究结果,有林小流域和无林小流域对１９９６年７月３０日降雨过程较为一致的径流响应表明,土壤前期含水量对流域产流有较大的影响,在降雨较多土壤含水量较大的情况下该区产流方式可以表现为饱和地表径流．尽管该区以霍顿超渗产流为主,但对于１９９７年７月３１日至８月１日降雨过程,森林流域产流总量为１３９３．８０ｍ３,无林流域为２２０２．４３ｍ３,森林流域减少洪水总量３６．７％,消减洪峰流量达３７３％．然而,１９９７年７月１９日降雨过程森林流域径流洪峰量与洪水泥沙含量均较无林流域高,这表明预处理措施对径流泥沙过程有极为显著的影响     

Variation in seed proteins from mutagen-treated cultivars and selected lines of Vigna unguiculata L. Walp

The storage protein profiles of the seeds of two IITA cowpea cultivars (‘IT84E–124’ and ‘Vita 7’) exposed to three mutagens—sodium azide (NaN₃), ethyl methane sulphonate (EMS) and ⁶⁰Co gamma rays—and those of 18 selected M₃ lines were investigated by sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). The total seed protein, globulin and albumin fractions showed differences in number and intensity of subunit bands, but the least differences were found in the albumin fraction. Both high and low molecular weight bands were observed, the highest being 94.5 kDa and the lowest 12.0 kDa.‘Vita T showed less variability compared with ‘IT84E–124’, as indicated by the relative similarity indices (S.I.) of the two cultivars. The lowest S.I. of 0.200 was found among ‘IT84E–124’ lines while the lowest S.I. among ‘Vita T lines was 0.4706. A number of lines with particular traits were found to be characterized by the presence of specific polypeptide bands. This study demonstrates that induced mutation could create additional variability to supplement existing germplasm and that SDS-PAGE is a useful tool for discriminating and estimating genetic similarities among selections.     

Integrated assessment of catchment suspended sediment budgets: a Zambian example

In many developing countries, the management of sediment‐related environmental problems is severely hampered by a lack of information on sediment mobilization and delivery in river basins. The sediment budget concept represents a valuable framework for assembling such information, which can, in turn, be used to assist with the design and implementation of soil erosion and sediment control policies. However, the information necessary to construct a catchment sediment budget is difficult to assemble. Against this background, an integrated approach to establishing a catchment suspended sediment budget, involving a river monitoring station, the use of ¹³⁷Cs measurements to estimate soil erosion and deposition and floodplain accumulation rates within the catchment, and sediment source fingerprinting, has been developed and tested in the 63 km² catchment of the upper Kaleya River in southern Zambia. The approach developed not only provides detailed information on individual components of the suspended sediment delivery system, but also permits the establishment of the overall catchment sediment budget. A sediment budget for the upper Kaleya catchment is presented and both its key features and its wider implications for catchment management are discussed. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.