Postcards from the past: charting the landscape-scale conversion of tropical Australian savanna to closed forest during the 20th century

Repeated sequences of digitised and geo-referenced historical aerial photography provide a powerful means of understanding landscape change. We use this method to demonstrate a landscape wide expansion of closed forest (42% increase in total coverage) in the Australian monsoon tropics over the past five decades. Retrospective habitat suitability models (HSI) of closed forest derived using four landscape measures (drainage distance, slope angle, aspect and elevation) for imagery taken in 1947 correctly forecast the subsequent spatial distribution of the expansion, with topographic fire protection primarily determining the closed-forest distribution. The dynamics of the closed forest-savanna boundary were predicted accurately by generalised linear models, with closed-forest expansion in fire-protected sites along forest edges and regression in the more fire-prone areas. Two factors may plausibly explain the expansion of closed forests. First, eco-ethnographic records stress the skilful use of fire by Aboriginal people in protecting isolated and locally resource-rich closed-forest patches. Second, the recent global increase in atmospheric CO₂ may be changing the competitive balance between savanna and forest by enabling C₃ trees to grow fast enough to escape the fire trap presented by flammable C₄ grasses.     

Characterization of citrus germplasm including unknown variants by inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers

Inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers were used to study phylogenetic relationships among 33 citrus genotypes including several undefined local or native varieties as well as some known varieties in the Fars Province of Iran.     

Higher than optimum temperature under CO2 enrichment influences stomata anatomical characters in rose (Rosa hybrida)

There is little available information on the effects of temperature and CO₂ enrichment on stomata anatomical characteristics of plants. Effect of these two microclimates was studied on five rose (Rosa spp.) cultivars, viz. ‘First Red’ (used as check), ‘Arjun’, ‘Raktima’, ‘Raktagandha’ and ‘Pusa Pitamber’. Budded, single-stemmed rose cultivars having five lateral buds were grown in controlled environment growth cabinets under enriched CO₂ (1000 μmol mol⁻¹) and optimum (28/18 °C, T₀) or high (35/25 °C, T₁) temperature for 50 days. All observations were made on the abaxial leaf surface. Significant increases in stomatal density (68.7%), index (29.6%) and epidermal cell density (37.3%) were recorded in plants grown at high temperature over control with CO₂ enrichment. The cultivars responded differently in terms of length and width of guard cell and stoma (pore) under high temperature, however, the values averaged over treatments showed a significant reduction in these parameters. Further, number of stomata per leaf was higher (28.3%) in plants grown at high temperature, except First Red. A reduction in mean leaf area (26.7%) and dry mass (32.0%) was recorded at high rather than optimum temperature. The specific leaf area was maximum in Arjun (87%) while in First Red, a 14% reduction was noted at high temperature.     

晋大62×诱处4号杂交后代群体遗传多样性分析

选用晋大62×诱处4号杂交亲本和后代群体为试验材料,通过微卫星(SSR)标记分析,利用SPSS软件对其进行了聚类分析,探讨了亲本及后代群体间的遗传特性和亲缘关系,研究了大豆群体的遗传多样性,为大豆杂交育种亲本的选配、杂交后代的筛选、种质创新及大豆遗传多样性研究提供了理论和实践依据。结果表明,以亲本的基因组DNA为模板,选用40对不同的引物进行电泳共筛选出23对位于多条染色体上的差异引物,其多态性比例为55.0%。通过聚类分析所有材料可聚类为以下几类:母本晋大62(CK1)和后代6~13号材料聚为第一大类,父本诱处4号(CK2)和后代25~31号材料聚为第二大类,而1~5、14~20聚为第一小类,21~24、32~35聚为第二小类,这两小类材料与亲本的亲缘关系较远。     

Tolerance of four spring barley (Hordeum vulgare) varieties to weed harrowing

We investigated the tolerance to weed harrowing of four spring barley varieties and examined the possible interactions between varietal weed suppressive ability and two nutrient levels. Tolerance was defined as the combined effect of crop resistance (ability to resist soil covering) and crop recovery (the ability to recover in terms of yield). The weed harrowing strategy was a combination of one pre‐ and one post‐emergence weed harrowing. In terms of yield, the four varieties responded significantly differently to weed harrowing and the response depended on nutrient level. At the lower nutrient level, weed harrowing caused an increase in yield of 4.4 hkg ha⁻¹ for a strong competitor (cv. Otira), while there was no effect on yield at the higher nutrient level. For a weaker competitor (cv. Brazil), weed harrowing caused no change in yield at the lower nutrient level, whereas yield decreased by 6.0 hkg ha⁻¹ at the higher nutrient level. There were marked differences between the weed suppressive ability of the four varieties when not harrowed, with less pronounced but significant differences when harrowed. Weed harrowing did not change the weed suppressive ability of a variety. Varieties that are tall at post‐emergence harrowing and have increased density after pre‐emergence harrowing, are the ones that benefit most from weed harrowing.     

三大区域村庄类型分布的刻画：历史移民解读

中国农村存在巨大的区域差异,从社会结构上看,可以分为华南宗族团结型地区、中部原子化分散型地区和华北小亲族分裂型地区三大区域.通过数据挖掘和分析,发现我国出生性别比的分布极具规律性,显示出区域上的差异.结合中国南方方言形成及南方宗族型文化发育的共同历史移民根源,笔者将南方方言分布图与出生性别比地图及三大区域划分进行比较研究,具体分析了三者间高度关联性的共同历史移民根源.     

从中全新世古森林探讨生物多样性变化

本文从历史植物地理学的角度、根据川西南山地冕宁县沉黄沼泽地层中发掘出中全新世以来保存完好的大量古森林遗迹资料，通过多学科综合性研究证实，中全新世“沉黄古森林”距今约７０００多年，是由４４科、５５属、７３种森林植物组成，以铁杉为主要建群种，林内混生有多种常绿和落叶针阔叶树种。从该森林的演变和种类组成变化得知，在距今４５００年～２８００年间，铁杉和阔叶树种数量减少，云南松数量增加，杉木已从森林中消失；距今２８００年后铁杉进一步减少，云南松显著增加，黄杉、华山松、油杉、桦木、木荷、桤木逐渐从森林中消失；距今２０００年左右，铁杉和雪松从森林中消失。目前该地区森林已演变成云南松林或松栎混交林。森林生态环境演变大致分为４个阶段：（１）温暖多雨阶段（距今７０００年以前）；（２）温暖湿润阶段（距今７０００年～４５００年）；（３）温暖潮润阶段（距今４５００年～２８００年）；（４）温暖干燥阶段（距今２８００年以来）。由上可见，沉黄中全新世古森林及生态环境的演变，提供了这一森林生态系统在时间和空间上物种多样性变化的实例。     

鄂豫陕接壤区山楂品种选优研究

在对鄂豫陕接壤区引种栽培的26个山楂品种进行品比试验和调查分析的基础上,对其中13个引种时间较长,栽培面积较大的品种,采用合理——满意度和多维价值理论的并合规则,进行了综合评价。结果表明,晋京南1号、山东大敞口、大红袍釉山西798202性状表现最佳,可以大力推广;山东大金星和豫北红等次之,可适当发展;北京小金星和朱砂红表现欠佳,应考虑及时淘汰。     

梅花品种抗寒性的比较分析

用电导法和生长法测定了梅花38个主要代表品种的抗寒性,并对梅花的系统、类、型的抗寒性进行了比较。结果表明,杏梅系统比真梅系统抗寒,真梅系统的直脚梅类和垂枝梅类比龙游梅类抗寒。在直脚梅类的六个型中,玉蝶型和绿萼型抗寒性较强,朱砂型抗寒弱。垂枝梅类的‘骨红垂枝’同直脚梅类的朱砂型抗寒性相似。对梅花品种抗寒性的季节性变化、同型及同品种在不同栽培地区的差异及其枝条脱水等也进行了一些讨论。提出了在北京地区引种栽培梅花的几点意见。     

抗寒梅切花优良品种选育研究

青岛梅园通过多年对梅花的研究实践,选育出4个可作切花且抗寒性强的优良梅品种,并就其选育技术进行了探讨。