Annualized diameter and height growth equations for Pacific Northwest plantation-grown Douglas-fir, western hemlock, and red alder

Simulating the influence of intensive management and annual weather fluctuations on tree growth requires a shorter time step than currently employed by most regional growth models. High-quality data sets are available for several plantation species in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, but the growth periods ranged from 2 to 12 years in length. Measurement periods of varying length complicate efforts to fit growth models because observed growth rates must be interpolated to a common length growth period or those growth periods longer or shorter than the desired model time step must be discarded. A variation of the iterative technique suggested by Cao [Cao, Q.V., 2000. Prediction of annual diameter growth and survival for individual trees from periodic measurements. Forest Sci. 46, 127–131] was applied to estimate annualized diameter and height growth equations for pure plantations of Douglas-fir, western hemlock, and red alder. Using this technique, fits were significantly improved for all three species by embedding a multi-level nonlinear mixed-effects framework (likelihood ratio test: p < 0.0001). The final models were consistent with expected biological behavior of diameter and height growth over tree, stand, and site variables. The random effects showed some correlation with key physiographic variables such as slope and aspect for Douglas-fir and red alder, but these relationships were not observed for western hemlock. Further, the random effects were more correlated with physiographic variables than actual climate or soils information. Long-term simulations (12–16 years) on an independent dataset using these annualized equations showed that the multi-level mixed effects models were more accurate and precise than those fitted without random effects as mean square error (MSE) was reduced by 13 and 21% for diameter and height growth prediction, respectively. The level of prediction error was also smaller than an existing similar growth model with a longer time step (ORGANON v8) as the annualized equations reduced MSE by 17 and 38% for diameter and height growth prediction, respectively. These models will prove to be quite useful for understanding the interaction of weather and silviculture in the Pacific Northwest and refining the precision of future growth model projections.     

Evaluating a multi-level subsurface drainage system for improved drainage water quality

This paper describes a multi-level drainage system, designed to improve drainage water quality. Results are presented from a field scale land reclamation experiment implemented in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area of New South Wales, Australia. A traditional single level drainage system and a multi-level drainage system were compared in the experiment in an irrigated field setting. The single level drainage system consisted of 1.8 m deep drains at 20 m spacing. This configuration is typical of subsurface drainage system design used in the area. The multi-level drainage system consisted of shallow closely spaced drains (3.3 m spacing at 0.75 m depth) underlain by deeper widely spaced drains (20 m spacing at 1.8 m depth). Data on drainage flows and salinity, water table regime and soil salinity were collected over a 2-year period.     

多层次灰色评价法在土地评价中的应用

阳泉市郊区是山西省乃至全国的主要产煤区之一,但是随着近年来采煤行为的扩张,人地关系处于一种紧张对立的局面。为了客观准确地掌握全区土地利用水平,运用多层次灰色评价法进行了评价,发现经济的过快增长给全区生态环境的破坏及恶化带来了潜在的危机,这是土地利用决策者应该注意的一个问题。     

基于多级路由的ZigBee无线温室监测系统设计

针对目前国内众多ZigBee温室监控系统方案基本只限于小面积温控系统应用,没有应用ZigBee自身的路由功能扩展到大面积应用等问题,提出了基于多级路由的ZigBee无线温室监测系统的方案设计,以解决农用大面积温室监测问题。介绍了系统方案设计,节点的软硬设计,阐述了ZigBee多级路由原理及实现。实验数据测试表明,基于ZigBee多级路由的无线温室监测系统,基本能够满足现代大面积的温室监测系统的需求,有效改善了当前ZigBee温室监测系统应用面积小的不足,推进了温室系统技术的发展。     

基于AHP-FCE模型的土地整理项目后综合效益评价——以武汉市江夏区为例

以湖北省武汉市江夏区某土地整理项目为依托,构建科学合理的评价指标体系,并根据土地整理相关法律法规及行业标准,确定各指标分等标准,采用多层次模糊综合评价方法对该项目进行土地整理项目后的综合效益进行评价。结果表明,项目区开展土地整理后,过程评价达到了"良好"水平,经济效益评价达到了"优秀"水平,社会效益达到了"良好"水平,生态效益达到了"良好"水平,综合效益达到了"优秀"水平,达到了过程效益、经济效益、社会效益、生态效益的协调统一,符合土地整理的预期目标。     

以发展创新为主线的农业高校多层次《仪器分析》教学改革探索

针对农业高校《仪器分析》课程教学中存在的问题,以发展创新为主线,进行了多层次的教学改革探索。提出了在教学理念、教学内容、教学方法和手段等方面的一系列改革思路和具体措施,取得了较好的教学效果。     

面向对象的最优分割尺度下多层次森林植被分类

对福建省将乐国有林场地物进行分析,结合QuickBird高分辨率影像及其重采样低分辨率影像进行多层次分割,同时结合ESP分割尺度评价工具获取最优分割尺度参数,以实现影像地物最佳分割效果。对不同分割层次下对象光谱特征、纹理特征等进行提取,应用专家知识及统计特征选取影像对象特征和确定阈值,实现研究区域森林地物及树种的分类。对森林植被等分类总精度达到80．53％。     

Scaling Local Species-habitat Relations to the Larger Landscape with a Hierarchical Spatial Count Model

Much of what is known about avian species-habitat relations has been derived from studies of birds at local scales. It is entirely unclear whether the relations observed at these scales translate to the larger landscape in a predictable linear fashion. We derived habitat models and mapped predicted abundances for three forest bird species of eastern North America using bird counts, environmental variables, and hierarchical models applied at three spatial scales. Our purpose was to understand habitat associations at multiple spatial scales and create predictive abundance maps for purposes of conservation planning at a landscape scale given the constraint that the variables used in this exercise were derived from local-level studies. Our models indicated a substantial influence of landscape context for all species, many of which were counter to reported associations at finer spatial extents. We found land cover composition provided the greatest contribution to the relative explained variance in counts for all three species; spatial structure was second in importance. No single spatial scale dominated any model, indicating that these species are responding to factors at multiple spatial scales. For purposes of conservation planning, areas of predicted high abundance should be investigated to evaluate the conservation potential of the landscape in their general vicinity. In addition, the models and spatial patterns of abundance among species suggest locations where conservation actions may benefit more than one species.     

南方红豆杉优树自由授粉家系苗期生长变异

为提高南方红豆杉遗传品质,对23个材用型南方红豆杉家系（含对照）在福建明溪进行苗期试验。结果表明：南方红豆杉的苗高、地径、最长侧枝长度在家系间均存在显著性差异;家系间在苗高、地径、最长侧枝长度等性状存在显著性正相关;22个南方红豆杉优树自由授粉家系在苗高、地径、最长侧枝长度等性状方面均显著性优于对照;南方红豆杉苗期苗高、地径、最长侧枝长度等性状均有较高的遗传力,中等的变异系数和较高的遗传增益;采用22个优树自由授粉家系进行繁育苗木可以达到遗传改良目的。     

The cross-level impact of landscape patterns on housing premiums in micro-neighborhoods

This paper attempts to examine the impacts of the spatial structure of landscape on housing premiums in Austin, TX through the years of 2009–2011. Dissimilar to previous studies, this paper highlighted three points. First, landscape patterns was observed—not only the composition but also the configuration in terms of shape, fragmentation, isolation, and connectivity. Second, the definition of neighborhood in this study was closely matched to the nature of a residential neighborhood, which was represented by a residential subdivision that has a name and a high level of homogeneous characteristics (i.e., development age, appraised value, lot size, and housing size). This approach specifically helps understand the impact of landscape configuration at the micro-level neighborhoods. Third, the hierarchical nature of neighborhoods and embedded parcels—nested parcels within the same neighborhood posit a certain level of identity as a whole—was given attention so that multi-level modeling could be employed. Conceptually and theoretically, multi-level modeling is a better approach to examine phenomenon that occur in multi-level units that show a clear hierarchy. The findings indicated that home buyers are willing to pay more to live in neighborhoods with the high ratio of tree cover. This is a finding consistent with previous studies. Meanwhile, the detailed spatial configuration of landscape does not play an important role at the residential neighborhood level. This result urges policy makers to be more scale-sensitive when planning landscape and indicates that micro neighborhoods are not the correct spatial level to discuss the spatial configuration of landscape, greenways, and green network.