A discussion on and alternative to the Penman-Monteith equation

The Penman-Monteith (PMe) equation that estimates evaporation from leaf/canopy surfaces is based on a few approximations. Several authors discussed ensuing errors and suggested improvements. This paper reminds those discussions which ended in the early nineties. It compares linearized PMe− with non-linear iterative solutions and illustrates resulting deviations. It differentiates between deviations for daily and hourly evaporation rate estimates. The latter are found to be higher. It also demonstrates deviations obtained at two different altitudes above sea level. Considering present tendencies to refine evaporation estimates for practical purposes and making use of easily available methods for solving non-linear equations this paper offers a new method to estimate evaporation.In a first step, a simple algebraic term, the surface temperature control sum, is introduced to find approximate differences between air and evaporating surface (leaf, canopy) temperatures. It suggests to concentrate research on the r_s/r_a ratio. A new formula is derived for estimating leaf/canopy surface temperatures for non-water stressed plants.In a second step, the estimates of temperature differences are used to calculate evaporation estimates. This two-step approximation leads to appreciably smaller errors as compared to the PMe-solution over the full range of input parameters of agro-meteorological relevance. It is, however, less accurate than some of methods proposed in literature. The method is meant for practical application in agricultural water management.     

Variability in the composition of lupin (Lupinus angustifolius) meals influences their digestible nutrient and energy value when fed to rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Over a series of seven separate experiments 76 different lupin (Lupinus angustifolius) meals were assessed for their digestible dry matter, protein, amino acid and energy characteristics when fed to rainbow trout. Two reference diets (a common basal diet and a reference lupin meal) were also included in each experiment. Minimal variance in the digestibility parameters of both reference diets was observed among the experiments ensuring that there was a high degree of robustness in the across-experiment evaluations. Using simple and multiple-regression techniques, principal diet and ingredient composition factors affecting diet and ingredient digestibilities and ingredient digestible values were explored within the dataset. Using simple linear regression, it was shown that nitrogen digestibility of the lupin meals was negatively influenced by ingredient lignin content, but positively affected ingredient protein (N × 6.25) content. The energy digestibility of the lupin meals was positively affected by a range of compositional features including protein, sum of amino acids and negatively affected by carbohydrate content. The digestible nutrient and energy content of the meals reflected the combined effects of both ingredient digestibilities and ingredient composition. The digestible nitrogen content of the lupin meals was positively affected by protein (N × 6.25), sum of amino acids and energy content, but was negatively affected by lignin and carbohydrate content. The digestible sum of amino acids was also positively affected by protein, sum of amino acids, but only negatively affected by carbohydrate content, not lignin content. The digestible energy content of the lupin meals was also positively affected by protein, sum of amino acids and their own energy density, but only negatively affected by carbohydrate content. Multiple linear regression modelling supported that together ingredient protein and lignin content were the strongest predictors of digestible protein value, explaining close to 60% of the variability in this parameter. Discrete reassessment of these relationships using non-linear analysis methods provided a stronger interpretation of the ingredient composition effects. In recognition of this, a functional model including terms for ingredient protein and lignin content on the digestible protein value was defined. This study demonstrates that within one raw material type that not only does significant variability in the digestible value of the raw materials exist, but that it is possible to identify compositional features of that raw material that are intrinsically influencing their own digestible value.     

Large-scale experiment shows that nylon leaders reduce shark bycatch and benefit pelagic longline fishers

We assess the performance of wire leaders, which some jurisdictions have banned to reduce shark mortality from pelagic longline fishing. Experiments were conducted off northeastern Australia on commercial vessels that deployed equal numbers of wire and nylon monofilament leaders randomly along their longlines. Catch rates of several species, including sharks, were lower on nylon than on wire leaders, probably because those animals often escape by biting through the nylon leaders. High bite-off rates indicate that as many animals escape from nylon leaders as are caught on nylon leaders. The fate of escaped animals is not known, although large sharks are more likely to survive than are small animals. By contrast, catch rates of valuable bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) were higher on nylon than on wire leaders. Bigeye tuna are probably able to see wire leaders and avoid those hooks. The financial benefits of increased bigeye tuna catches outweigh the costs associated with banning wire leaders, such as increased rates of gear loss. Thus, banning wire leaders is an effective way of reducing shark catches that fishers should be keen to adopt.     

A stochastic surplus production model in continuous time

Surplus production modelling has a long history as a method for managing data‐limited fish stocks. Recent advancements have cast surplus production models as state‐space models that separate random variability of stock dynamics from error in observed indices of biomass. We present a stochastic surplus production model in continuous time (SPiCT), which in addition to stock dynamics also models the dynamics of the fisheries. This enables error in the catch process to be reflected in the uncertainty of estimated model parameters and management quantities. Benefits of the continuous‐time state‐space model formulation include the ability to provide estimates of exploitable biomass and fishing mortality at any point in time from data sampled at arbitrary and possibly irregular intervals. We show in a simulation that the ability to analyse subannual data can increase the effective sample size and improve estimation of reference points relative to discrete‐time analysis of aggregated annual data. Finally, subannual data from five North Sea stocks are analysed with particular focus on using residual analysis to diagnose model insufficiencies and identify necessary model extensions such as robust estimation and incorporation of seasonality. We argue that including all known sources of uncertainty, propagation of that uncertainty to reference points and checking of model assumptions using residuals are critical prerequisites to rigorous fish stock management based on surplus production models.     

pH对鱼类化学感觉的影响

关于硬骨鱼类的嗅、味感觉器官在解剖学和生理学方面的研究成果，许多学者都发表过综述文章(Kleerekoper1969，Bardach和Atema1971，Bardach和Villars1974，Kapoor等1975，Brown和Hara1982，Tucker1983)，最近十几年，对于鱼类化学感觉的电生理研究，主要在于一些天然物质、氨基酸及其衍生物对于嗅、味觉系统的相对刺激效果，刺激物的分子结构与刺激效果的关系，以及刺激物与感受细胞膜上的感受点相互作用的机制，而对于人为因素如捕捞、环境因素pH、污染对鱼类嗅、味觉的影响报导甚少(Hara1976，1978，Konishi等1969，Tucker1973，Silver，1978，Cancolon1980，Hidaka1970)。鱼类的嗅、味觉在鱼类生命活动如摄食、洄游、生殖、逃避敌害、群体的控制等等行为中起重要的作用，当人们利用鱼类嗅、味觉的一些生理活动规律为生产实践服务时，pH是不可忽视的一个因素，本试验以重要的生物信息分子氨基酸为刺激物，研究pH对于鱼类嗅、味觉系统对氨基酸敏感性的影响。     

Fertilizer ammonium : nitrate ratios determine phosphorus uptake by young maize plants

We investigated the interacting effects of inorganic nitrogen and the main inorganic phosphorus form in dairy manure (dicalcium phosphate, CaHPO₄) on growth, nutrient uptake, and rhizosphere pH of young maize plants. In a pot experiment, three levels of CaHPO₄ (0, 167, and 500 mg P pot^?1) were combined with nitrogen (637 mg N pot^?1) applied at five NH₄‐N : NO₃‐N ratios (0 : 100, 25 : 75, 50 : 50, 75 : 25, and 100 : 0) and a nitrification inhibitor in a concentrated layer of a typical acid sandy soil from Denmark. ¹⁵N‐labeled NH₄‐N was applied to differentiate the role of nitrification and to partition nitrogen uptake derived from NH₄‐N. Among treatments including nitrogen, shoot biomass, rooting and phosphorus uptake were significantly higher at the five‐leaf stage when CaHPO₄ was applied with NH₄‐N : NO₃‐N ratios of 50 : 50 and 75 : 25. In these treatments, rhizosphere pH dropped significantly in direct proportion with NH₄‐N uptake. The fertilizers in the concentrated layer had a root‐inhibiting effect in treatments without phosphorus supply and in treatments with pure NO₃‐N or NH₄‐N supply. Increased nitrogen uptake as NH₄‐N instead of NO₃‐N reduced rhizosphere pH and enhanced acquisition of applied CaHPO₄ by young maize plants, which may have positive implications for the enhanced utilization of manure phosphorus.     

Microbial remediation of a pentachloronitrobenzene-contaminated soil under Panax notoginseng: A field experiment

Pentachloronitrobenzene (PCNB) is an organochlorine fungicide that is mainly used in the prevention and control of diseases in crop seedlings. Microbial removal is used as a promising method for in-situ removal of many organic pesticides and pesticide residues. A short-term field experiment (1 year) was conducted to explore the potential role of a PCNB-degrading bacterial isolate, Cupriavidus sp. YNS-85, in the remediation of a PCNB-contaminated soil on which Panax notoginseng was grown. The following three treatments were used:i) control soil amended with wheat bran but without YNS-85, ii) soil with 0.15 kg m^-2 of solid bacterial inoculum (A), and iii) soil with 0.30 kg m^-2 of solid bacterial inoculum (B). The removal of soil PCNB during the microbial remediation was monitored using gas chromatography. Soil catalase and fluorescein diacetate (FDA) esterase activities were determined using spectrophotometry. In addition, cultivable bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes were counted by plating serial dilutions, and the microbial biodiversity of the soil was analyzed using BIOLOG. After 1 year of in-situ remediation, the soil PCNB concentrations decreased significantly by 50.3% and 74.2% in treatments A and B, respectively, when compared with the uninoculated control. The soil catalase activity decreased in the presence of the bacterial isolate, the FDA esterase activity decreased in treatment A, but increased in treatment B. No significant changes in plant biomass, diversity of the soil microbial community, or physicochemical properties of the soil were observed between the control and inoculated groups (P<0.05). The results indicate that Cupriavidus sp. YNS-85 is a potential candidate for the remediation of PCNB-contaminated soils under P. notoginseng.     

Roughness of biopores and cracks in Bt‐horizons assessed by confocal laser scanning microscopy

In structured soils, water and reactive solutes can preferentially move through larger inter‐aggregate pores, cracks, and biopores. The surface roughness of such macropores is crucial for describing microbial habitats and the exchange of water and solutes between macropores and the soil matrix together with other properties. The objective of this study was to compare the roughness of intact structural surfaces from the Bt‐horizons of five Luvisols developed on loess and glacial till and to test the applicability of confocal laser scanning microscopy. Samples of 5 to 10 cm edge length with intact structural surfaces including cracks with and without clay‐organic coatings, earthworm burrow walls, and root channels were prepared manually. The surface roughness of these structures was determined with a confocal laser scanning microscope of the type Keyence VK‐X100K. The root‐mean‐squared roughness (R_q) the curvature (R_cu) and the ratio between surface area and base area (R_A) were calculated from selected surface regions of interest of 0.342 mm² with an elevation resolution of 0.02 µm. The roughness was smaller for coated as compared to uncoated cracks and earthworm burrows of the Bt‐horizons. This reduction of roughness by the illuviation of clayey material was similar for the structural surfaces of the coarser textured till‐Bt and the finer‐textured loess‐Bt. This similarity suggested a dominant effect of pedogenesis and a minor effect of the parent material on the roughness levels of structural surfaces in the Bt‐horizons. An expected “smoothing” effect of burrow wall surfaces by earthworm activity was not reflected in the roughness values compared to those of uncoated cracks at the chosen spatial scale. However, for root channel walls from one loess‐Bt, the roughness was reduced as compared to that of other structures. These results suggest that the surface roughness of the structural surface types should separately be considered when describing preferential flow and macropore‐matrix exchange or analysing root growth, microbial habitats, and colloidal transport in structured soils. The confocal laser scanning microscopy technique was found useful for characterizing the roughness of intact structural surfaces.     

Short‐term degradation of semiarid grasslands—results from a controlled‐grazing experiment in Northern China

The assessment of grassland degradation due to overgrazing is a global challenge in semiarid environments. In particular, investigations of beginning steppe degradation after a change or intensification of the land use are needed in order to detect and adjust detrimental land‐use management rapidly and thus prevent severe damages in these sensitive ecosystems. A controlled‐grazing experiment was established in Inner Mongolia (China) in 2005 that included ungrazed (UG) and heavily grazed plots with grazing intensities of 4.5 (HG4.5) and 7.5 (HG7.5) sheep per hectare. Several soil and vegetation parameters were investigated at all sites before the start of the experiment. Topsoil samples were analyzed for soil organic C (SOC), total N (N_tot), total S (S_tot), and bulk density (BD). As vegetation parameters, aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP), tiller density (TD), and leaf‐area index (LAI) were determined. After 3 y of the grazing experiment, BD increased and SOC, N_tot, S_tot, ANPP, and LAI significantly decreased with increasing grazing intensity. These sensitive parameters can be regarded as early‐warning indicators for degradation of semiarid grasslands. Vegetation parameters were, however, more sensitive not only to grazing but also to temporal variation of precipitation between 2006 and 2008. Contrary, soil parameters were primarily affected by grazing and resistant against climatic variations. The assessment of starting conditions in the study area and the application of defined grazing intensities is essential for the investigation of short‐term degradation in semiarid environments.