Changing course of secondary succession in abandoned sandy fields

The vegetation of abandoned arable fields on dry sandy soils was investigated in 1986 and again in 2000. Comparison of the two data sets by ordination, calibration based on indicator values, and statistical modelling revealed that the vegetation in 2000 differed significantly from the vegetation in 1986. Part of this difference could be explained by field age, but significant difference remained after correction for age. The analysis showed that species indicating nutrient-rich and acidic conditions were more abundant in the 2000 samples than expected from the age of the fields. Possible causes for the observed differences are discussed, and the role of airborne nitrogen deposition and landscape changes is emphasised. Changing course of successional processes may place serious constraints on future habitat restoration.     

农业机械自动导航技术研究进展

农业机械自动导航是精准农业技术体系中的一项核心关键技术,广泛应用于耕作、播种、施肥、喷药、收获等农业生产过程。农机位置测量方法、农机模型与导航路径跟踪控制方法是农业机械自动导航技术的研究重点,受到国内外科研人员的广泛关注。农机位置测量主要有相对测量和绝对测量二类方法,前者以基于机器视觉的测量方法为代表,主要利用图像处理技术识别作物行,进而确定导航基准线,实现农机与作物的相对位置与航向信息的测量;后者则以基于全球导航卫星系统的测量方法为代表,利用卫星定位技术实现农机位置的高精度测量,在农业生产中应用最为广泛;而面对复杂的田间环境变化,在位置测量中应用多传感器数据融合技术通常可以得到更好的测量结果。导航路径跟踪控制通常以农机运动学模型或动力学模型为核心,多采用最优控制、最优估计、自适应控制、人工神经网络、模糊控制、鲁棒控制等现代控制理论与方法;而无模型控制方法则可以避免建模不准确或者模型参数剧烈变化对农机路径跟踪控制性能所产生的负面影响。该文从上述2个方面综述分析了农业机械自动导航技术的研究现状及存在的问题,并对未来农机导航技术的发展做出了展望,指出采用卫星导航技术,开展农机地头自动转向控制、障碍物探测及主动避障、多机协同导航等高级导航技术研究,以及引入先进的物联网技术,是现代农机自动导航技术发展的主要趋势。     

Comparison of approaches for estimating carbon sequestration at the regional scale

Abstract. Many former estimates of regional scale C sequestration potential have made use of linear regressions based on long-term experimental data, whilst some have used dynamic soil organic matter (SOM) models linked to spatial databases. Few studies have compared the two methods. We present a case study in which the potential of different land management practices to sequester carbon in soil in arable land is estimated by different methods. Two dynamic SOM models were chosen for this study, RothC (a soil process model) and CENTURY (a whole ecosystem model with a SOM module). RothC and CENTURY are the two most widely used and validated SOM models worldwide. A Geographic Information System (GIS) containing soil, land use and climate layers, was assembled for a case study in central Hungary. GIS interfaces were developed for the RothC and CENTURY models, thus linking them to the spatial datasets at the regional level. This allowed a comparison of estimates of the C sequestration potential of different land management practices obtained using the two models and using regression based approaches. Although estimates obtained by the different approaches were of the same order of magnitude, differences were observed. Some of the land management scenarios studied here showed sufficient C mitigation potential to meet Hungarian CO₂ reduction commitments. For example, afforestation of 12% current arable land could sequester 0.042–0.092 Tg yr^–1 in the soil alone, or 0.285–0.588 Tg C yr^–1 in both soil and biomass; 1990 level CO₂ emissions for the study area were 4.7 Tg C with a corresponding reduction commitment of 0.282 Tg C. It is not, however, suggested that this is the only, or the most favourable way, in which to meet the commitments.     

Dynamics of harvested populations of the tropical understory herb Aechmea magdalenae in old-growth versus secondary forests

The prevalence of secondary forests is increasing across tropical landscapes, but the effects of these environments on the population dynamics of understory species and on their capacity to regenerate after harvest remains poorly documented. We compare the population dynamics of the understory bromeliad, Aechmea magdalenae, between old-growth and secondary rainforests in Southeast Mexico. A. magdalenae is a non-timber forest product (NTFP), the ramets of which are harvested from wild populations to make forest plantations. The fates of 600 rosettes in the two forest types were monitored over 3 years to build annual transition matrices. Population projections using the matrices show that secondary forest populations have finite rates of growth significantly higher than those of old-growth populations under both ramet-harvest and no-harvest conditions. Life table response experiments indicate that differences in the capacity for re-growth after harvest was due to greater vegetative reproduction of the largest secondary forest rosettes and faster growth of their ramets. For understory NTFP such as A. magdalenae, secondary forests may offer more economic incentive and greater potential for forest conservation than old-growth forests.     

Critical thresholds of disturbance by people and raptors in foraging wading birds

Intertidal areas support during the non-breeding season many wading birds Charadrii that may often take flight in response to the presence of people or of birds of prey on their intertidal feeding and roosting grounds. Disturbance can cause birds to spend energy flying away and to lose feeding time while relocating to different feeding areas, where the increased bird densities may intensify competition from interference and, if of sufficient duration, from prey depletion. Until now, there has been no method for establishing how frequently birds can be put to flight before their fitness is reduced. We show how individual-based behavioural models can establish critical thresholds for the frequency with which wading birds can be disturbed before they die of starvation. It uses oystercatchers Haematopus ostralegus in the baie de Somme, France where birds were put to flight by disturbance up to 1.73 times/daylight hour. Modelling shows that the birds can be disturbed up to 1.0-1.5 times/h before their fitness is reduced in winters with good feeding conditions (abundant cockles Cerastoderma edule and mild weather) but only up to 0.2-0.5 times/h when feeding conditions are poor (scarce cockles and severe winter weather). Individual-based behavioural models enable critical disturbance thresholds to be established for the first time.     

磁力泵冷却循环回路的设计及数值模拟

为避免磁力泵温升过高导致永磁体退磁及隔离套损坏,该文对磁力泵冷却循环回路的设计方法进行了探讨,采用ANSYS-APDL软件计算出了隔离套的涡流发热,根据热平衡确定冷却循环流量并设计了冷却循环回路。基于SIMPLEC算法和标准k-ε湍流模型,通过求解三维N-S方程及能量方程,对冷却循环回路内部流场及温度场进行了数值分析。从数值模拟可以看出,冷却循环回路内部流动为圆周运动和直线运动合成的螺旋运动。对比内循环、外循环2种方式表明,内循环方式隔离套底部温升最高、压力较低;外循环方式温度场分布较均匀,最高温升小于10 K,满足设计要求。在冷却循环流量相同的情况下,轴孔孔径在设计尺寸一定范围内波动对外循环方式的冷却效果影响不大,轴孔分别为3、4、5 mm,其最高温升分别为9.2、9.3、9.4 K并且分布基本相同。通过分析不同转速下冷却循环回路的流场、温度场,发现当内磁转子不转动时,流场最高温度达到了386 K,而随着转速的增加最高温度逐步降低,表明增加泵的转速能够促进不同流体层间的热量交换,改善冷却循环回路的冷却效果。该研究可为磁力泵冷却循环回路的设计提供参考。     

Genetic and statistical models for estimating genetic parameters of maize seedling resistance to Fusarium graminearum Schwabe root rot

Root lodging is an important problem in corn fields. Fungi recovered from roots include seedling blight and stalk rot pathogens. The objective of this work was to study the inheritance of maize seedling resistance to pathogens causing maize lodging. The Fusarium graminearum strain, 241 Fr1, was isolated from maize lodged plants and identified as the most pathogenic isolate for root rotting. Nine inbred lines of maize and their diallel F₁ crosses plus control genotypes were studied. Seedlings were inoculated at the stage of four-leaves. Disease severity was measured as percentage of the root rotted area. Highly significant differences between inoculated and non-inoculated genotypes were found. Four genetic models and two statistical approaches—the mixed model for the best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) and the general linear model (GLM)—were used for the analysis. Favorable heterosis of resistance of hybrids over inbreds was the most important effect detected. The general combining ability (GCA) effects were significant for all genetic models and statistical methods studied, and a good agreement existed among the GCA estimates by the different methods. The type of gene action, either additive or dominance, showed a large variation among the parental inbreds and hybrids. Selection of additive effects based exclusively on inbred lines is not sufficient to confer resistance to hybrids, additional selection should be practiced on hybrids to look for favorable dominance effects. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

CropSyst, a cropping systems simulation model

CropSyst is a multi-year, multi-crop, daily time step cropping systems simulation model developed to serve as an analytical tool to study the effect of climate, soils, and management on cropping systems productivity and the environment. CropSyst simulates the soil water and nitrogen budgets, crop growth and development, crop yield, residue production and decomposition, soil erosion by water, and salinity. The development of CropSyst started in the early 1990s, evolving to a suite of programs including a cropping systems simulator (CropSyst), a weather generator (ClimGen), GIS-CropSyst cooperator program (ArcCS), a watershed model (CropSyst Watershed), and several miscellaneous utility programs. CropSyst and associated programs can be downloaded free of charge over the Internet. One key feature of CropSyst is the implementation of a generic crop simulator that enables the simulation of both yearly and multi-year crops and crop rotations via a single set of parameters. Simulations can last a fraction of a year to hundreds of years. The model has been evaluated in many world locations by comparing model estimates to data collected in field experiments. CropSyst has been applied to perform risk and economic analyses of scenarios involving different cropping systems, management options, and soil and climatic conditions. An extensive list of references related to model development, evaluation, and application is provided.     

Factors affecting performance response of pigs exposed to different challenge models: a multivariate approach

Factors associated with the severity with which different challenge models (CMs) compromise growth performance in pigs were investigated using hierarchical clustering on principal components (HCPC) analysis. One hundred seventy-eight studies reporting growth performance variables (average daily gain [ADG], average daily feed intake [ADFI], gain:feed [GF], and final body weight [FBW]) of a Control (Ct) vs. a Challenged (Ch) group of pigs using different CMs (enteric [ENT], environmental [ENV], lipopolysaccharide [LPS], respiratory [RES], or sanitary condition [SAN] challenges) were included. Studies were grouped by similarity in performance in three clusters (C1, C2, and C3) by HCPC. The effects of CM, cluster, and sex (males [M], females [F], mixed [Mi]) were investigated. Linear (LRP) and quadratic (QRP) response plateau models were fitted to assess the interrelationships between the change in ADG (∆ADG) and ADFI (∆ADFI) and the duration of challenge. All variables increased from C1 through C3, except for GF, which decreased (P < 0.05). LPS was more detrimental to ADG than ENV, RES, and SAN models (P < 0.05). Furthermore, LPS also lowered GF more than all the other CMs (P < 0.05). The ∆ADG independent of ∆ADFI was significant in LPS and SAN (P < 0.05), showed a trend toward the significance in ENT and RES (P < 0.10), and was not significant in ENV (P > 0.10), while the ∆ADG dependent on ∆ADFI was significant in ENT, ENV, and LPS only (P < 0.05). The critical value of ∆ADFI influencing the ∆ADG was significant in pigs belonging to C1 (P < 0.05) but not C2 or C3 (P > 0.10). The ∆ADG independent of duration post-Ch (irreparable portion of growth) was significant in C1 and C2 pigs, whereas the ∆ADFI independent of duration post-Ch (irreparable portion of feed intake) was significant in C1 pigs only (P < 0.05). Moreover, the time for recovery of ADG and ADFI after Ch was significant in pigs belonging to C1 and C2 (P < 0.05). Control F showed reduced ADG compared with Ct-M, and Ch-F showed reduced ADFI compared with Ch-M (P < 0.05). Moreover, the irreparable portion of ΔADG was 4.8 higher in F (−187.7; P < 0.05) compared with M (−39.1; P < 0.05). There are significant differences in growth performance response to CM based on cluster and sex. Furthermore, bacterial lipopolysaccharide appears to be an appropriate noninfectious model for immune stimulation and growth impairment in pigs.