Correction to: Coupling landscape graph modeling and biological data: a review

Landscape Ecology - In the original publication of the article, the sixth author name has been misspelt. The correct name is given in this Correction. The original article has been corrected.     

Angiogenesis: molecular mechanism and related diseases

Angiogenesis is the process of capillary formation from the existing blood vessels, which is regulated by many cytokines. Balance of these cytokines plays an important role in angiogenesis. Unbalance of these cytokines, leading to excessive or insufficient blood vessel, relates to a variety of diseases, such as tumor, ophthalmic diseases and wound healing. Recently, it has been observed that angiogenesis is also involved in Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. This review mainly discusses the molecular mechanism of angiogenesis and related diseases, and emphasizes the value of targeting angiogenesis as a strategy to develop drugs for those diseases.     

我国水果产销现状及其对策

分析了我国水果生产和销售的现状,针对水果面积大、单产低、品质不高、销售不畅的实情,从稳定面积、提高质量、增加效益、开拓市场和依靠科技等方面提出了对策建议。     

Surface metrics: scaling relationships and downscaling behavior

Context

Considerable research has examined scale effects for patch-based metrics with the ultimate goal of predicting values at finer resolutions (i.e., downscaling), but results have been inconsistent. Surface metrics have been suggested as an alternative to patch-based metrics, although far less is known about their scaling relationships and downscaling potential. If successful, downscaling would enable integration of disparate datasets and comparison of landscapes using different resolution datasets.

Objectives

(1) Determine how surface metrics scale as resolution changes and how consistent those scaling relationships are across landscapes. (2) Test whether these scaling relationships can be accurately downscaled to predict metric values for finer resolutions.

Methods

Various scaling functions were fit to 16 surface metrics computed for multiple resolutions for a set of landscapes. Best-fitting functions were then extrapolated to test downscaling behavior (i.e., predict metric value for a finer resolution) for an independent set of validation landscapes. Relative error was assessed between the predicted and true values to determine downscaling robustness.

Results

Seven surface metrics (Sa, Sq, S10z, Sdq, Sds, Sdr, Srwi) fit consistently well (R² > 0.99) with a 3rd order polynomial or power law. Of those, the scaling functions for Sa, Sq, and S10z were able to predict metric values at a finer resolution within 5 %. Three metrics, (Ssk, Sku, Sfd) were also notable in terms of fit and downscaling.

Conclusions

Many metrics exhibit consistent scaling relations across resolution, and several are able to accurately predict values at finer resolutions. However, prediction accuracy is likely related to the amount of information lost during aggregation.

     

Population connectivity: recent advances and new perspectives

Landscape Ecology - Connectivity is a vital component of metapopulation and landscape ecology, influencing fundamental processes such as population dynamics, evolution, and community responses to...     

Corridors and connectivity: when use and function do not equate

Connectivity, or the integration of populations into a single demographic unit, is an often desired, but largely untested aspect of wildlife corridors. Using a corridor system that was established at least 85 years prior, we investigated the extent of connectivity provided. This was undertaken using a combined ecological and genetic approach with connectivity estimated by gene flow. Vegetation within the corridor was found to be comparable in physical structure and species composition to that within the connected patches and the two target species (Melomys cervinipes and Uromys caudimaculatus) were shown to occur along the corridor but not within the surrounding matrix. These factors indicated that the corridor was suitable for use as a model system. The population structure (weights of individuals, sex ratios and the percentage of juveniles) of both species were also similar within the corridor and the connected patches suggesting that the corridor provided the resources necessary to sustain breeding populations along its length. Despite this, populations in patches linked by the corridor were found to show the same significant levels of genetic differentiation as those in isolated habitats. M. cervinipes, but not U. caudimaculatus, also showed population differentiation within the continuous habitat. Although based on only one corridor system, these results clearly demonstrate that connectivity between connected populations will not always be achieved by the construction or retention of a corridor and that connectivity cannot be inferred solely from the presence of individuals, or breeding populations, within the corridor. C. Wilson: deceased     

Quality of cantaloupe muskmelons: Variability and attributes

Sensory evaluations of 2 cultivars of cantaloupe (Cucumis melo var. reticulatus) at the eating-ripeness stage indicated considerable variations in quality. Soluble solids, flesh firmness, rind resistance and volatile flavor components also varied. Mechanical devices for testing tissue texture correlated well with sensory evaluations. There was low correlation between total volatiles determined by gas chromatography and aroma. However, differences were noted in the production of volatile compounds between melons. Statistical analysis of the data indicated low correlation between eating-quality and soluble solids content. Sweetness was the most important attribute in the determination of eating-quality.     

重庆市水果生产现状及发展方向

重庆市水果业发展迅速,1997年水果面积达22万公顷,产量达84.9万吨,产值12亿元以上,在种养殖业中居第4位.本文在分析了重庆水果生产自然条件,品种资源优势及其问题的基础上,对柑桔和伏季水果生产的布局及发展作出了预测,并建议(1)加快品种结构调整和优质水果商品基地建设;(2)加强苗木管理执法和良繁体系建设(3)促进果品加工业和采购员后商品化体系及广告促销意识;(4)增加科技投入并健全科技服务体系;(5)强化宏观控制,推进产业化进程.     

Predicting across scales: Theory development and testing

Landscape ecologists deal with processes that occur at a variety of temporal and spatial scales. The ability to make predictions at more than one level of resolution requires identification of the processes of interest and parameters that affect this process at different scales, the development of rules to translate information across scales, and the ability to test these predictions at the relevant spatial and temporal scales. This paper synthesizes discussions from a workshop on Predicting Across Scales: Theory Development and Testing that was held to discuss current research on scaling and to identify key research issues.     

Landscape conflicts: preferences,identities and rights

Landscape Ecology - Landscapes are public environments in which different communities and individuals dwell and which matter to them in ways which are not always consistent. As such they are open...