Terrestrial Arthropods in the Initial Restoration Stages of Anthracite Coal Mine Spoil Heaps in Northwestern Spain: Potential Usefulness of Higher Taxa as Restoration Indicators

An “edaphic‐landscape” restoration was performed in two anthracite coal mine spoil heaps located in NW Spain as a demonstration and pilot program for the restoration of coal mine spoils. Terrestrial arthropods were used to monitor the process as an alternative to the use of secondary succession of plants or physico‐chemical indicators of soils. This study analyzes the usefulness of the terrestrial arthropods at different taxonomic levels (orders of Arthropoda, families of Coleoptera, and species of Carabidae) as restoration indicators in the initial restoration stages. The terrestrial arthropods respond rapidly to restoration, and the results may be explained by short‐term increase in abiotic factors resulting from the applied techniques, mainly the animal origin of the organic matter added and the biodegradable coconut geotextile. Carabidae is of relatively low value as a short‐term restoration indicator at a specific level. Coleoptera provided the best information for interpreting the ecological results over the short term and had the best relationship with the cost of identification. Likewise, the results showed that the edaphic‐landscape restoration leads to an abnormal arthropod assemblage in the short term because of an excessive abundance of isopods and polydesmids. No clear convergence appeared toward any of the terrestrial arthropod communities present in the grassland, scrubland, or woodland semi‐natural areas, which were used as reference end point. The restoration indicator value produced by the higher taxonomic levels of the studied terrestrial arthropods may be useful and cost‐effective for assessing short‐term changes caused by environmental restorations performed to recover ecosystems affected by mining activities. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Long‐term effects of fertilization on some soil properties under rainfed soybean‐wheat cropping in the Indian Himalayas

This study aims to examine the effects of long‐term fertilization and cropping on some chemical and microbiological properties of the soil in a 32 y old long‐term fertility experiment at Almora (Himalayan region, India) under rainfed soybean‐wheat rotation. Continuous annual application of recommended doses of chemical fertilizer and 10 Mg ha^–1 FYM on fresh‐weight basis (NPK + FYM) to soybean (Glycine max L.) sustained not only higher productivity of soybean and residual wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) crop, but also resulted in build‐up of total soil organic C (SOC), total soil N, P, and K. Concentration of SOC increased by 40% and 70% in the NPK + FYM–treated plots as compared to NPK (43.1 Mg C ha^–1) and unfertilized control plots (35.5 Mg C ha^–1), respectively. Average annual contribution of C input from soybean was 29% and that from wheat was 24% of the harvestable aboveground biomass yield. Annual gross C input and annual rate of total SOC enrichment from initial soil in the 0–15 cm layer were 4362 and 333 kg C ha^–1, respectively, for the plots under NPK + FYM. It was observed that the soils under the unfertilized control, NK and N + FYM treatments, suffered a net annual loss of 5.1, 5.2, and 15.8 kg P ha^–1, respectively, whereas the soils under NP, NPK, and NPK + FYM had net annual gains of 25.3, 18.8, and 16.4 kg P ha^–1, respectively. There was net negative K balance in all the treatments ranging from 6.9 kg ha^–1 y^–1 in NK to 82.4 kg ha^–1 y^–1 in N + FYM–treated plots. The application of NPK + FYM also recorded the highest levels of soil microbial‐biomass C, soil microbial‐biomass N, populations of viable and culturable soil microbes.     

随机环境下多目标设计优化问题的交互式算法

从通信网络和运输安排等工程问题中提出了一类多目标随机优化模型,该模型含有一个随机线性和随机二次目标函数,还含有随机线性约束.基于决策者的期望水平将多目标优化模型转化为单目标优化问题;利用新的方差期望综合法研究了此类优化问题的确定型等价类,并设计了求解这类问题的基于决策者偏好的交互式算法.数值实验表明:方差期望综合优于已有方法,它既能够反映决策者的满意度,又能够得到更稳健的最优解.     

Yields nutrient intake and soil fertilizing in 40 years fertilizer trials

The set of twenty long‐term field nutrition trials starting from 1957 at five sites. The sites differed by their altitude (from 180 m to 620 m) with average daily temperatures (from 6,8°C m to 9°C m) and soil type (from chernozem to brown podsolic soil) Provided mainly the following results:

? The geonomic division to the fertile sugarbeet region and less fertile potato region did not strictly differentiate the influence of fertilizer and climatic effects to the crop yields.

? The effect of fertilizing was dependent on the nutrient content and on the conditions of releasing and binding of the nutrients in soil.

? The precipitation regime has a strong influence on the effect of the nitrogen escalated doses.

? The facts concerning the nutrient intake are very precious knowledge. These facts have not been examined yet during the long‐term trials.

? The site effect, particularly its climatic conditions, on the nutrient intake is often more obvious compared to the fertilizing effect.

? Very interesting impulses for further research monitoring during the long‐term trials was contributed by “mapping”; of soil capacity to provide nutrients to plants at various sites and under different climate.     

The optimal nutrition of maize in the hungarian national long‐term field experimental network

In Hungary, maize is grown on 1 million ha and occupies more than 20% of the arable land. The rich assortment of maize cultivars of different vegetation periods and different responses to nutritional effects, water supply etc. gives the growers the possibility to choose the cultivars suiting best the site characteristics (Jolânkai et al. 1999). Among the cereals maize has the highest genetical potential. To utilize its yield and quality potential, soil types of high nutrient content and regular nutrient supply are required (Gyõrffy, 1979). Both over‐ and under‐fertilization have an unfavourable effect on the yield and quality of maize (Debreczeni, 1985). Crops can be supplied with the appropriate nutrient amounts only with the knowledge of soil characteristics in the different agro‐ecological regions (nutrient content, water supply, soil compactness, pH, nutrient supplying capacity etc.). In Hungary, a network of long‐term field fertilization trials with uniform fertilizer treatments has been maintained at nine experimental sites representing different agro‐ecological regions of the country. This experimental network gives a basis to test the nutrient responses of our main crops and calibrate their optimal nutrient supply (Kismányoky, 1991).     

THE INFLUENCE OF TYLOSES ON THE MANUFACTURE OF MATCHES

This article deals with the results of time studies of pruning P. radiata from 22 ft. to 35 ft. with pole saws. The influence on pruning time of mean diameter and number of branches removed in the pruning operation, number of cones removed and time of day is investigated and a multiple regression equation, expressing the relationship between pruning time and these variables, is computed. A taper table is prepared and used to investigate the effect of pruning on the formation of knot-free timber. The economics of high-pruning is discussed.     

Technical efficiency of carp production in India: a stochastic frontier production function analysis

This paper aims to examine the levels and determinants of technical efficiency in carp pond culture in India. The stochastic production frontier technique involving the model for technical inefficiency effects is applied separately to samples of semi‐intensive/intensive and extensive carp producers interviewed during 1994–95. The results showed significant technical inefficiencies in carp production in India, especially among extensive farms. The mean technical efficiencies for semi‐intensive/intensive and extensive sample farms were estimated to be 0.805 and 0.658 respectively. By operating at full technical efficiency levels, the semi‐intensive/intensive farms could, on average, increase their production from about 3.4 Mt ha^?1 to 4.1 Mt ha^?1. Likewise, the extensive farms could increase their production from 1.3 Mt ha^?1 to 1.9 Mt ha^?1. Much of these efficiency gains would come from improvement in the adoption of recommended fish, water and feed management and monitoring practices. Besides expanding production area, the results indicated several other possibilities for increasing carp production in India by increasing yields per hectare, such as: (1) increased intensification of carp culture (i.e. moving from extensive to semi‐intensive or intensive systems); (2) improvement in technical efficiency at the farm level; and (3) technological progress. However, the realization of these potentials will depend on continuous efforts by the government in ensuring an adequate supply of inputs, technology transfer and development and adequate provision of research, extension and credit services in aquaculture.     

建立健全科技人员服务企业行动长效机制的探讨

随着世界经济形势继续好转,我国经济也逐渐企稳回升。科技人员在使企业减轻危机,甚至摆脱经济危机中具有重要的作用。该文通过分析影响科技人员服务企业的各个主要因素,探讨建立健全科技人员服务企业的长效机制的一些做法。     

短期NaHCO3胁迫对3种冷季型草坪草生理生态特征的影响

土壤盐渍化严重威胁草坪草的可持续发展,选育和种植耐盐草坪草可改良和利用大面积盐渍土壤。以3种冷季型草坪草黑麦草(Lolium perenne L.)、高羊茅(Festuca arundinacea L.)和早熟禾(Poa pratensis L.)为试验材料,采用盆栽法研究不同浓度NaHCO3胁迫(0,0.2%,0.4%,0.6%,0.8%,1.0%)对3种冷季型草坪草生理生态特征的影响。结果表明:不同浓度NaHCO3胁迫下3种冷季型草坪草草坪外观质量、叶片萎蔫系数、叶片相对含水量、叶片叶绿素含量和K+含量均随着NaHCO3浓度的增加而逐渐降低,且浓度越高,下降越明显;0.4%～1.0%NaHCO3胁迫降低了3种冷季型草坪草的地上部分和根系干重,且随着NaHCO3浓度的增加,生长受到胁迫的抑制程度显著增大,根系部分的受抑制程度比地上部分更明显;不同浓度NaHCO3胁迫下3种冷季型草坪草叶片相对电导率、脯氨酸含量、丙二醛含量和Na+含量随着NaHCO3胁迫浓度的升高呈上升趋势,且浓度越高上升越明显;NaHCO3浓度0.4%时,3种冷季型草坪草已受到伤害;黑麦草、高羊茅和早熟禾在不同浓度NaHCO3胁迫下的隶属函数平均值均表现为早熟禾黑麦草高羊茅,说明3种冷季型草坪草抗NaHCO3胁迫的能力均为早熟禾强于黑麦草和高羊茅。     

Performance of a photo‐heterotrophic,hypersaline system for intensive cultivation of white leg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) with minimal water replacement in lined ponds using a stochastic approach

The aim of the study was to evaluate the performance of Litopenaeus vannamei in an intensive photo‐heterotrophic hypersaline system with minimal seawater replacement, and establish relationships between parameters of a stochastic production model and relevant water quality variables. Six experimental 1000 m² lined ponds were stocked at a density of 120 shrimp m^?2 for a 105‐day trial. Salinity increased from 37 to 45 ± 2 g/L, and the water level was maintained with the weekly addition of filtered seawater, equivalent to 1.6% per day. The stochastic model predicted that, at harvest, there is 95% confidence that the system produces between 12.1 and 14.7 t/ha with a mean final individual weight of 13.1 g and a mean survival of 84.2%. Sensitivity analyses showed that dissolved oxygen and individual final weight of shrimp were the main variables influencing yield variance. Nitrogenous compounds were maintained between optimal cultivation levels (NH₃–NH₄⁺ = 0.73 ± 0.43 mg/L, N–NO₂^? = 0.09 ± 0.05 mg/L, N–NO₃^? = 3.22 ± 0.11 mg/L). Heterotrophic bacteria (6.6 ± 3.4 × 10⁵ CFU/ml) and chlorophyll‐α concentration (108.5 ± 80.2 μg/L) showed a similar development pattern, indicating a strong relationship between bacteria and microalgae during cultivation. Vibrio spp. concentrations were low (1.24 ± 1.42 × 10³ CFU/ml). It was shown that the photo‐heterotrophic system could be used in hypersaline conditions, typical of semi‐arid regions, to consistently produce between 12.1 and 14.7 t/ha in 15 weeks.