Efficiency of fisheries is increasing at the ecosystem level

Managing fisheries presents trade‐offs between objectives, for example yields, profits, minimizing ecosystem impact, that have to be weighed against one another. These trade‐offs are compounded by interacting species and fisheries at the ecosystem level. Weighing objectives becomes increasingly challenging when managers have to consider opposing objectives from different stakeholders. An alternative to weighing incomparable and conflicting objectives is to focus on win–wins until Pareto efficiency is achieved: a state from which it is impossible to improve with respect to any objective without regressing at least one other. We investigate the ecosystem‐level efficiency of fisheries in five large marine ecosystems (LMEs) with respect to yield and an aggregate measure of ecosystem impact using a novel calibration of size‐based ecosystem models. We estimate that fishing patterns in three LMEs (North Sea, Barents Sea and Benguela Current) are nearly efficient with respect to long‐term yield and ecosystem impact and that efficiency has improved over the last 30 years. In two LMEs (Baltic Sea and North East US Continental Shelf), fishing is inefficient and win–wins remain available. We additionally examine the efficiency of North Sea and Baltic Sea fisheries with respect to economic rent and ecosystem impact, finding both to be inefficient but steadily improving. Our results suggest the following: (i) a broad and encouraging trend towards ecosystem‐level efficiency of fisheries; (ii) that ecosystem‐scale win–wins, especially with respect to conservation and profits, may still be common; and (iii) single‐species assessment approaches may overestimate the availability of win–wins by failing to account for trade‐offs across interacting species.     

运用机载LiDAR数据对橡胶林地上生物量估测的采样尺度效应分析

气候变化下,森林生物量遥感监测是当前研究的热点,机载LiDAR作为重要的遥感信息源,其采样大小对生物量估测精度有着一定的影响。以机载LiDAR数据为信息源,以44块30m×30m的方形橡胶林实测样地数据为基础,对机载激光雷达数据进行不同尺寸采样(共21个采样尺寸,边长从10m至30m,间隔为1m),提取不同采样尺寸下的激光雷达参数,并与橡胶林地上生物量建立PLSR模型,就机载激光雷达采样大小对橡胶林地上生物量估测精度的影响进行研究。研究表明:当采样尺寸小于18m时,估测精度随着采样尺寸的增大而增大;而当采样尺寸大于18m时,估测精度随着采样尺寸的增大而减小,进而趋于平缓。结果虽然呈现出一定的规律性,但是差异并不是很明显。当采样尺寸为18m时估测效果最佳,模型决定系数(R^2)为0.718,均方根误差(RMSE)为17.830 t/hm^2;交叉验证精度P和RMSEcv分别为82.741%和18.874t/hm^2。相较于实际样地(30m)尺寸下的估测结果,18m采样尺寸下的R^2提高了1.989%,RMSEcv降低了2.611%。因此,生物量的估测精度受机载激光雷达数据采样尺寸大小的影响,在生物量估测过程中需结合研究对象和研究区的实际情况对采样尺寸进行选择,从而提高生物量估测精度。     

Interactive effects of family and stocking density on survival and growth of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus intermedius

To investigate the effects of family, stocking density, and their interaction on mortality, growth rate, and size dispersal in the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus intermedius, 1,440 juveniles from six full‐sib families were exposed to three stocking densities, that is, low stocking density (LD), middle stocking density (MD), and high stocking density (HD), and reared for 10 months in sea‐based suspended cages. The results demonstrated significant family effects on cumulative mortality rate (CMR); specific growth rate for test diameter (SGR for TD); specific growth rate for body weight (SGR for BW); coefficient of variation for body weight at the 10th month (CV for BW₁₀); and significant stocking density effects on SGR for TD, SGR for BW, and CV for BW₁₀. Statistically significant family by stocking density interaction was only found in SGR for TD. A certain degree of family‐ranking inversions occurred in SGR for TD. The present study provides evidence for the existence of family by stocking density interaction on the growth rate of test diameter in the family selection for S. intermedius. More attention should be paid to this interaction effect to select correct parents in S. intermedius.     

Improving wood volume predictions in dry tropical forest in the semi-arid Brazil

The volumetric variability of dry tropical forests in Brazil and the scarcity of studies on the subject show the need for the development of techniques that make it possible to obtain adequate and accurate wood volume estimates. In this study, we analyzed a database of thinning trees from a forest management plan in the Contendas de Sincorá National Forest, southwestern Bahia State, Brazil. The data set included a total of 300 trees with a trunk diameter ranging from 5 to 52 cm. Adjustments, validation and statistical selection of four volumetric models were performed. Due to the difference in height values for the same diameter and the low correlation between both variables, we do not suggest models which only use the diameter at breast height (DBH) variable as a predictor because they accommodate the largest estimation errors. In comparing the best single entry model (Hohenald-Krenn) with the Spurr model (best fit model), it is noted that the exclusion of height as a predictor causes the values of 136.44 and 0.93 for Akaike information criterion (AIC) and adjusted determination coefficient (R2 adj), which are poorer than the second best model (Schumacher-Hall). Regarding the minimum sample size, errors in estimation (root mean square error (RMSE) and bias) of the best model decrease as the sample size increases, especially when a larger number of trees with DBH≥15.0 cm are randomly sampled. Stratified sampling by diameter class produces smaller volume prediction errors than random sampling, especially when considering all trees. In summary, the Spurr and Schumacher-Hall models perform better. These models suggest that the total variance explained in the estimates is not less than 95%, producing reliable forecasts of the total volume with shell. Our estimates indicate that the bias around the average is not greater than 7%. Our results support the decision to use regression methods to build models and estimate their parameters, seeking stratification strategies in diameter classes for the sample trees. Volume estimates with valid confidence intervals can be obtained using the Spurr model for the studied dry forest. Stratified sampling of the data set for model adjustment and selection is necessary, since we find significant results with mean error square root values and bias of up to 70% of the total database.     

Effect of soil pore size distribution on plant-available water and least limiting water range as soil physical quality indicators

Soil pore size distribution(SPSD) is one of the most important soil physical properties. This research investigated the relationships of location and shape parameters of the SPSD curves with plant-available water(PAW) and least limiting water range(LLWR) of the light-textured soils at the Torogh Agricultural Research Station in north-eastern Iran. Soil moisture release curve(SMRC), PAW and LLWR in matric heads of 100 and 330 h Pa for the field capacity and location and shape parameters of the SPSD curves of 30 soils with different texture and organic carbon contents were determined, and the variable relationships were statistically analyzed. The results showed that the median equivalent pore diameter(de), mean de, standard deviation(SD*), and skewness of the SPSD curves were significantly correlated with PAW(PAW330) and LLWR(LLWR330) measured in a matric head of 330 h Pa. Decrease in deand increase in the diversity of soil pore size(SD*) increased PAW330 and LLWR330. The SD* values of all the soil samples were lower than the optimal ranges suggested in literature. Neither PAW nor LLWR values were significantly different in the soils with the optimal modal deand those with non-optimal modal de. Optimal values of median and mean equivalent pore diameters and kurtosis of SPSD curves led to a significant improvement of PAW330 and LLWR330 as soil physical quality indicators. It was recommended to revise the optimal ranges for SD* and modal defor future studies.     

Intensive organic vegetable production increases soil organic carbon but with a lower carbon conversion efficiency than integrated management

Intensive vegetable production in greenhouses has rapidly expanded in China since the 1990s and increased to 1.3 million ha of farmland by 2016, which is the highest in the world. We conducted an 11‐year greenhouse vegetable production experiment from 2002 to 2013 to observe soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics under three management systems, i.e., conventional (CON), integrated (ING), and intensive organic (ORG) farming. Soil samples (0–20 and 20–40 cm depth) were collected in 2002 and 2013 and separated into four particle‐size fractions, i.e., coarse sand (> 250 µm), fine sand (250–53 µm), silt (53–2 µm), and clay (< 2 µm). The SOC contents and δ¹³C values of the whole soil and the four particle‐size fractions were analyzed. After 11 years of vegetable farming, ORG and ING significantly increased SOC stocks (0–20 cm) by 4008 ± 36.6 and 2880 ± 365 kg C ha^?1 y^?1, respectively, 8.1‐ and 5.8‐times that of CON (494 ± 42.6 kg C ha^?1 y^?1). The SOC stock increase in ORG at 20–40 cm depth was 245 ± 66.4 kg C ha^?1 y^?1, significantly higher than in ING (66 ± 13.4 kg C ha^?1 y^?1) and CON (109 ± 44.8 kg C ha^?1 y^?1). Analyses of ¹³C revealed a significant increase in newly produced SOC in both soil layers in ORG. However, the carbon conversion efficiency (CE: increased organic carbon in soil divided by organic carbon input) was lower in ORG (14.4%–21.7%) than in ING (18.2%–27.4%). Among the four particle‐sizes in the 0–20 cm layer, the silt fraction exhibited the largest proportion of increase in SOC content (57.8% and 55.4% of the SOC increase in ORG and ING, respectively). A similar trend was detected in the 20–40 cm soil layer. Over all, intensive organic (ORG) vegetable production increases soil organic carbon but with a lower carbon conversion efficiency than integrated (ING) management.     

Realizing the potential of trait‐based approaches to advance fisheries science

Analysing how fish populations and their ecological communities respond to perturbations such as fishing and environmental variation is crucial to fisheries science. Researchers often predict fish population dynamics using species‐level life‐history parameters that are treated as fixed over time, while ignoring the impact of intraspecific variation on ecosystem dynamics. However, there is increasing recognition of the need to include processes operating at ecosystem levels (changes in drivers of productivity) while also accounting for variation over space, time and among individuals. To address similar challenges, community ecologists studying plants, insects and other taxa increasingly measure phenotypic characteristics of individual animals that affect fitness or ecological function (termed “functional traits”). Here, we review the history of trait‐based methods in fish and other taxa, and argue that fisheries science could see benefits by integrating trait‐based approaches within existing fisheries analyses. We argue that measuring and modelling functional traits can improve estimates of population and community dynamics, and rapidly detect responses to fishing and environmental drivers. We support this claim using three concrete examples: how trait‐based approaches could account for time‐varying parameters in population models; improve fisheries management and harvest control rules; and inform size‐based models of marine communities. We then present a step‐by‐step primer for how trait‐based methods could be adapted to complement existing models and analyses in fisheries science. Finally, we call for the creation and expansion of publicly available trait databases to facilitate adapting trait‐based methods in fisheries science, to complement existing public databases of life‐history parameters for marine organisms.     

基于TaqMan qPCR检测凡纳滨对虾样品中虾肝肠胞虫并样检测方法的评价

对山东海阳和潍坊的2个养殖凡纳滨对虾群体取样，采用TaqMan qPCR逐尾检测肝胰腺中的虾肝肠胞虫(Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei, EHP)载量，再将提取的DNA样品按5并1(5∶1)、25并1(25∶1)、50并1(50∶1)、100并1(100∶1)和150并1(150∶1)进行并样，检测并样的EHP载量。设定不同临界循环数为假定灵敏度，定性判断各单尾检测阳性及并样组阳性，比较不同并样模式与检测阳性率、诊断灵敏度、诊断特异性等之间的关系以及定量的准确性。结果表明，检测灵敏度过低，会降低高并样率检测的准确性；阳性率在30%以上时，高并样率的检测结果与单样品检测相符性很好；高载量感染的阳性率不低于6.7%时，50∶1以内的并样能准确得出检测结果；低载量感染的阳性率不低于16%时，25∶1以内的并样能得出较好结果；高载量感染的1.3%阳性率和低载量感染的8%阳性率可能导致所有并样出现假阴性结果；各种并样模式均有很好的诊断特异性，50∶1并样的诊断灵敏度与OIE标准推荐的5∶1并样的接近；各并样检测的EHP载量与单样品检测平均值之比在0.27~2.83范围，二者存在极显著相关性，各种并样模式的定量检测结果在数量级水平能大致反映样品的平均EHP载量。本研究为水生动物疫病诊断和流行病学调查的样品检测提供了参考依据。