Assessing the utility of topographic variables in predicting structural complexity of tree stands in a reforested urban landscape

The transformation of natural landscapes into impervious built-up surfaces through urbanization is known to significantly interfere with the ecological integrity of urban landscapes and accelerate climate change and associated impacts. Although urban reforestation is widely recognised as an ideal mitigation practice against these impacts, it often has to compete with other lucrative land uses within an urban area. The often limited urban space provided for reforestation therefore necessitates the optimization of the ecological benefits, which demands spatially explicit information. The recent proliferation of tree stands structural complexity (SSC) and topographic data offer great potential for determining the ecological performance of reforested areas across an urban landscape. This study explores the potential of using topographic datasets to predict SSC in a reforested urban landscape and ranks the value of these topographic variables in determining SSC. Tree structural data from a reforested urban area was collected and fed into a tree stand structural complexity index, which was used to indicate ecological performance. Topographic variables (Topographic Wetness Index, slope, Area Solar Radiation and elevation)- were derived from a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and used to predict SSC using the Partial Least Squares (PLS) regression technique. Results show that SSC varied significantly between the topographic variables. Results also show that the topographic variables could be used to reliably predict SSC. As expected, the Topographic Wetness Index and slope were the most important topographic determinants of SSC while elevation was the least valuable. These results provide valuable spatially explicit information about the ecological performance of the reforested areas within an urban landscape. Specifically, the study demonstrates the value of topographic data as aids to urban reforestation planning.     

Optimal dietary carbohydrate‐to‐lipid ratios for silvery‐black porgy (Sparidentex hasta) juveniles

Four isonitrogenous diets containing different carbohydrate:lipid (CHO:L) ratios (0.3, 0.6, 1.1 and 1.8) were tested in triplicate groups (16 fish per replicate) of silvery‐black porgy juveniles for 8 weeks. Growth performance was not affected by different dietary CHO:L ratios (P > 0.05); however, the viscerosomatic index, the intraperitoneal fat, whole‐body lipid, energy and n‐3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids levels increased with decreasing dietary CHO:L ratios (P < 0.05). Fish fed with 1.8 CHO:L diet had the lowest apparent digestibility coefficients of protein and lipid, as well as the lowest plasma haemolytic and lysozyme activities (P < 0.05). Red blood cell counts and plasma glucose levels were higher in fish fed with 1.1 and 1.8 CHO:L ratio diets than in the other groups (P < 0.05). Plasma alkaline phosphatase and alanine aminotransferase, as well as the level of lipid peroxidation and total antioxidant capacity in the liver and plasma increased as dietary CHO:L ratios decreased (P < 0.05). The results of the current study indicated that the diets with CHO:L ratios between 0.6 and 1.1 are optimal for silvery‐black porgy, whereas higher ratios may result in hyperglycaemia and immune suppression, and lower CHO:L ratios may lead to oxidative stress and liver dysfunction.     

Nutritional Qualities of the Low-Value Bivalve Mollusks Paphia malabarica and Villorita cyprinoides at the Estuarine Waters of the Southwestern Coast of India

The bivalve mollusks Paphia malabarica and Villorita cyprinoides collected from the estuarine system located in the southwest coastal waters of India were evaluated for their nutritional composition. A balanced essential to nonessential amino acid ratio (> 1.0) with a greater quantity of sulfur-containing amino acids in these species demonstrated that they could provide well-balanced protein depositions. The n-3/n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid ratio in P. malabarica was found to be greater than 2, and, therefore, can be considered as a healthy diet. The C₂₀–C₂₂ long-chain polyunsaturated n-3 fatty acids (for example, docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid) accounted for more than 23% of the total fatty acid content in P. malabarica as compared to about 7% in V. cyprinoides. P. malabarica showed greater hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic ratio (1.7) and lesser atherogenicity (0.7), thrombogenicity (0.3) indices when contrasted with those in V. cyprinoides, thereby indicating the nutritional superiority of the former. A greater content of vitamin D₃ (> 150 IU), along with significant quantities of calcium and phosphorus (> 500 mg/100 g) in the clams, signified their importance in preventing osteoporosis. This study demonstrated the importance of bivalves, in particular, P. malabarica as a valued species for human consumption.     

Effects of Panax ginseng extract in practical diets for rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) on growth performance,immune response and resistance to Yersinia ruckeri

In a preliminary in vitro study, a Panax ginseng extract exhibited an evident antibacterial activity against Yersinia ruckeri and Lactococcus garvieae and affected the respiratory burst and proliferation of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss leukocytes. Subsequently, the effects of a dietary ginseng extract supplementation on growth, blood biochemical profile, innate immune response and resistance against Y. ruckeri infection were investigated in vivo in rainbow trout juveniles. Four experimental diets were obtained by adding 0.0%, 0.01%, 0.02%, 0.03% of ginseng ethanolic extract to a commercial feed. Each diet was fed to triplicate groups of fish (mean body weight 30.5 ± 0.15 g) at 1% of body weight day^?1 for 10 weeks. The dietary supplementation with ginseng extract did not affect growth performance, feed utilization, biometric traits and fish whole body composition (P > 0.05). No major changes due to graded levels of ginseng extract in the diet were observed in blood biochemical parameters except for increasing plasma triglycerides and non‐esterified fatty acids in fish fed diets including 0.01% and 0.02% of extract (P < 0.05). The innate immune response was barely modulated by the dietary addition of ginseng extract. Serum lysozyme and leukocytes respiratory burst activities were just slightly increased in fish fed all the ginseng extract‐supplemented diets compared with controls, whereas serum antiproteases and leukocyte MPO were not affected (P > 0.05). The dietary administration of ginseng extract induced a reduction in mortality of rainbow trout infected with Y. ruckeri, although no significant differences between treated and control groups were observed (P > 0.05).     

饲料脂肪水平对俄罗斯鲟幼鱼生长、血液生化指标及抗氧化性能的影响

以鱼油、豆油、亚麻籽油等比例混合,配成脂肪含量分别为5.45%(L1)、7.00%(L2)、10.44%(L3)、14.37%(L4)、16.34%(L5)、18.91%(L6)及20.15%(L7)的等氮饲料,饲喂俄罗斯鲟(Acipenser gueldenstaedtii)幼鱼[(6.20±0.02)g]8周。实验结果表明,L3组的终末体质量、增重率最大,但与L2组间无显著差异(P0.05),L3组的蛋白质效率显著高于其它组(P0.05),且饲料系数最低。L6和L7组终末体质量、增重率和蛋白质效率显著低于L2和L3组(P0.05)。将幼鱼的增重率与饲料脂肪水平进行回归分析,得出俄罗斯鲟幼鱼在饲料脂肪水平为10.69%时生长最佳。随着饲料脂肪水平的升高,各组鱼的肝体比和体粗脂肪有上升趋势,其中肝体比在饲料脂肪含量大于14.37%时显著增大(P0.05)。血清中的甘油三酯、胆固醇含量也随脂肪水平升高而显著提高(P0.05),提示脂肪过高会影响俄罗斯鲟幼鱼的生长,降低蛋白质效率,导致脂肪在体内的过量积蓄。L7组鱼血清中高密度脂蛋白胆固醇含量最高,而L1组鱼的低密度脂蛋白胆固醇含量最高。肝脏脂蛋白酯酶活性随饲料脂肪水平的提高而升高,脂肪酸合成酶活性则随脂肪水平升高而降低,提示饲料脂肪水平的提高会促进鱼体脂肪的分解代谢。肝脏丙二醛含量和超氧化物歧化酶活性均随着饲料脂肪水平的提高显著升高(P0.05),表明脂肪含量过高会导致脂质过氧化,引发机体抗氧化酶活性的升高。综合俄罗斯鲟幼鱼的生长、血液指标及抗氧化性能,建议生产中将幼鱼的饲料脂肪水平控制在7.00%~10.69%。     

Broodstock conditioning of the Portuguese oyster (Crassostrea angulata,Lamarck, 1819): influence of different diets

The Portuguese oyster Crassostrea angulata shows great potential in oyster farming. The conservation of pure populations of this species is important for production diversification and biodiversity preservation. In this way, the zootechnological development for seed hatchery production is extremely important. Broodstock conditioning is a key step in the process of rearing bivalves in a hatchery. Many factors regulate the reproductive cycle, being food one of the most important ones. To evaluate the effect of different diets on C. angulata reproductive performance, broodstock were conditioned with different food regimes formulated fundamentally by flagellates (Diet 1 – Pavlova lutheri and Isochrysis galbana clone T‐ISO; Diet 2 – P. lutheri, T‐ISO and Skeletonema costatum) and constituted fundamentally by diatoms (Diet 3 – S. costatum and Chaetoceros calcitrans; Diet 4 – P. lutheri, S. costatum and C. calcitrans). During conditioning, samples of oysters were collected to evaluate condition index, gonadal development and biochemical composition. At the end of the conditioning period, oysters were induced to spawn to evaluate reproductive output (fecundity, fertilization rate and D‐larvae development). The diets had an impact on the gametogenesis process, energy storage and reproductive output performance, being the best results those obtained in broodstock fed with the diatoms‐predominant diets. However, those fed with diets majority flagellates had an unsuccessful performance. Holistic approaches incorporating all results in this study reveal and reinforce the idea that the diatom species used presented the nutritional requirements to C. angulata broodstock, being essential in the conditioning phase.     

山药不同处理方式的保存效果

运用涂抹草木灰、石蜡及自然干燥、吹风机干燥等方法对山药茎段切口进行处理,研究不同切口处理方式对山药外观及品质的影响;比较不同浓度壳聚糖与15%柠檬酸组合对切片的保鲜影响,进行山药茎段切口处理方法及切片表面处理方法的筛选。结果表明:室温下涂抹草木灰对鲜切山药茎段的贮藏效果最好;4℃条件下,15%柠檬酸+0.5%壳聚糖处理对山药切片的保鲜效果最好。     

外源ABA对低温胁迫下小豆幼苗生理及产量的影响

在盆栽条件下，以耐冷性不同的2个小豆(Vigna angularis）品种龙小豆4号（耐冷型）和天津红（冷敏型）为材料，于苗期在人工气候室进行低温（4℃，持续12 h）及预喷施外源脱落酸（abscisic acid，ABA）处理，旨在研究苗期低温胁迫下外源ABA对小豆叶片逆境生理指标（H₂2O₂2、丙二醛（MDA）、抗氧化酶活性、可溶性物质）和产量因子的调控效应。结果表明：幼苗期低温处理12 h后，龙小豆4号和天津红小豆叶片H₂2O₂2含量分别提高34.82%和27.10%；MDA含量分别提高65.56%和83.79%；SOD和POD活性分别提高6.67%和18.48%、45.53%和102.44%；脯氨酸含量分别提高33.12%和24.41%。低温处理导致龙小豆4号百粒重下降2.58%，与喷施清水相比，低温处理12 h后天津红的单株荚数和百粒重分别下降18.55%和10.61%(P＜0.05）。喷施外源ABA具有抵御低温的作用，外源ABA促进龙小豆4号和天津红叶片脯氨酸含量提高9.13%和19.76%；H₂2O₂2含量降低7.63%和8.36%；MDA含量降低10.18%和20.27%；SOD和POD活性分别提高9.06%和13.57%、8.26%和28.51%，同时百粒重分别提高8.56%和8.92%。低温胁迫下，不同品种小豆的生理应激存在显著差异；喷施外源ABA能够有效缓解低温胁迫对小豆的伤害。     

基于MODIS TVDI和模糊数学方法的藏北地区旱情等级遥感监测

为了实现对藏北区域范围内春夏旱情的动态连续监测,基于温度植被干旱指数(TVDI)和模糊数学方法建立了遥感干旱的划分标准,研究时段为1980-2017年。首先利用MODIS产品数据计算TVDI,然后根据气象干旱等级监测结果,采用模糊数学法建立基于MODIS TVDI的干旱等级划分标准,并对监测结果进行精度验证,最后分析了近年来藏北地区旱情的时空变化特征。得到的主要结论:①基于归一化植被指数(NDVI)和增强植被指数(EVI)计算得到的温度植被干旱指数TVDIN和TVDIE,均与20 cm实测土壤水分含量在0.05的水平达到显著相关,TVDIE的决定系数更高;②基于TVDIE将旱情划分为无旱、轻旱、中旱、重旱、特旱5个等级,其中,据此标准获得的藏北地区旱情等级与气象干旱等级监测结果大体一致;③近年来藏北地区旱情整体不太严重,且总体趋缓,其中,2009年最严重,发生中旱及以上旱情的区域面积达24%,年内旱情在6月最严重。就旱情的空间分布特征而言,研究区西南部和中部干旱比较严重,北部和东南部相对较轻。研究成果可为藏北地区干旱监测提供数据支撑,遥感干旱等级的划分方法可为其他地区的干旱研究提供参考。     

基于MODIS数据的河套灌区遥感干旱监测

基于MODIS数据,以河套灌区为研究对象,计算灌区2000—2018年作物主要生育期内(5—8月)4种遥感干旱指数、温度植被干旱指数(TVDI)、植被供水指数(VSWI)、植被状态指数(VCI)、温度状态指数(TCI),并分析了4种干旱指数与0～20cm土壤相对含水量、降水量、灌区引水量相关性以及4种干旱指数之间的相互关系。结果表明:经过相关分析,TVDI与土壤相对含水量的相关性优于其他3种遥感干旱指数;在灌溉水量较多的灌区,遥感干旱指数与降雨量相关性较小而与灌区引水量呈现一定的相关关系。本研究发现TVDI在河套灌区有着良好的适用性。此外,在干旱监测中综合利用多种干旱指数进行分析对提高监测精度,科学合理地预报旱情具有重要意义。