Fractal features of soil particle size distribution and the implication for indicating desertification

Some of the effects of land desertification on soil properties are manifested by the coarsening of the soil particlesize distribution (PSD) and the losses in organic C and nutrients. The changes and characteristics of PSD and selected chemical properties in soils at the 0-15 cm plough layer from different degrees of desertified croplands are analyzed in the semiarid Horqin Sandy Land, northern China. The fractal dimension of the PSD is emanated to characterize the patterns of PSD. The relationships between the fractal dimension of the PSD and selected soil properties are discussed. The results show that: (1) in the transformation from potential desertified cropland to extremely desertified cropland, the sand content at the 0-15 cm soil increased from 69% to 93%, organic C and total N contents decreased by 65% and 69%, respectively; (2) the fractal dimension of PSD ranged from 2.179 to 2.611, the more the contents of sand, the lower the fractal dimension and the higher the desertified degree of farmland. In the desertification process within the studied area, the mean fractal dimension decreased from 2.555 for the potential desertified soils to 2.298 for extremely desertified soils; (3) there existed considerable linear relationships between fractal dimension and soil properties. It was shown that fractal dimensions of PSD are useful parameters able to monitor soil degradation and to estimate the degree of soil desertification.     

Validating the use of Cs measurements to estimate rates of soil redistribution by wind

Wind erosion has degraded over one-half billion hectares of land worldwide. ¹³⁷Cesium (¹³⁷Cs) has been used as a tracer to study long-term rates of soil redistribution by water and, to a lesser extent, by wind. Early studies assumed that the decline in ¹³⁷Cs activity for a potentially eroded soil relative to that for an uneroded soil was linearly proportional to soil loss. More recently, models have emerged that consider the effects of soil cultivation and the particle surface area-dependent partitioning of ¹³⁷Cs on soils. We investigated the partitioning of ¹³⁷Cs in wind-eroded sediments and with soil surface samples sieved into contiguous ranges of particle sizes. We also compared the ¹³⁷Cs activities and stratification of several adjacent soils with known wind erosion and deposition histories. Finally, we tested ¹³⁷Cs-based soil loss models with measured data from sites with documented histories. ¹³⁷Cs activities and mean particle diameters of aeolian samples agreed well with the ¹³⁷Cs activities and respective mean diameters of the sieved surface soil samples. Good agreement between model estimations and measured data indicated that ¹³⁷Cs models developed to estimate soil redistribution by water were also applicable to soil redistribution by wind provided that the models contained an appropriate particle size correction parameter.     

西安草滩渭河古河漫滩沉积与洪水变化

根据野外调查、历史文献记录和106个样品的粒度分析,对草滩渭河沉积剖面的洪水变化进行了研究。结果表明,渭河300年来洪水沉积分层明显,对洪水的发生和短期降水量变化反映清楚,分辨率高,能够作为很好地指示洪水和降水量变化的指标。CT剖面厚度约4.5 m,为古洪水沉积层,剖面随深度变化具有明显的粗细变化节律。共分为21个沉积层,指示了21次较大规模的洪水。CT剖面反映的21个阶段的洪水深度和规模由大到小的变化顺序为:第13阶段>第5阶段>第17阶段>第14阶段>第12阶段>第6阶段>第2阶段>第1阶段>第18阶段>第4阶段>第3阶段>第10阶段>第11阶段>第8阶段>第21阶段>第9阶段>第15阶段>第20阶段>第19阶段>第16阶段>第7阶段,其中第13,5,17,14,12,6,2,1阶段为特大洪水阶段,第18,4,3,10,11,8,21,9,15,20,19,16,7阶段为大洪水阶段。CT剖面粒度成分显著大于120年来的洪水沉积,反映了草滩剖面洪水发生时,水动力强,流量大,指示当时降水量应当较多。西安草滩CT剖面第1,2,5,6,12,13,14,17层沉积时,高出河床之上的洪水深度大于6.5 m,其余15个阶段的洪水深度等于或小于6.5 m。     

不同风沙土壤颗粒的分形特征

应用土壤颗粒的重量与粒径分布原理来描述了古尔班通古特沙漠地风沙土壤颗粒的分形特征。通过对10种样品颗粒的机械组成进行分析,分别计算出了它们的分形维数(D=2.3237～2.9347),并分析了其与流动风沙土、半固定风沙土和固定风沙土之间的关系。分析结果表明,风沙土壤结构具有明显的分形特征,其粒径分布分形维数为2～3。土粒表面分形维数与2～0.2mm间的土粒含量存在显著的负相关;而与0.02～0.002mm和<0.002mm的颗粒含量存在显著的正相关,表现为随着土壤质地从流动风沙土、半固定风沙土到固定风沙土的变化,其土粒表面的平均分形维数呈依次增高。土粒表面分形维数与三种典型风沙土壤有机质含量为极显著正相关,而与其硬度为显著负相关。     

大白菜2n配子发生的细胞学机制研究

研究了大白菜(BP058株系等)2n配子发生的细胞学机制。结果表明,由于中期II纺锤体定位方向变异,导致二极体和三极体形成,最终形成2n雄配子。其中三极体为2n雄配子形成的主要途径,比率高达86·5%。2n雌配子遗传传递率65·18%,远高于2n雄配子的传递率(23·29%)。二、四倍体杂交2n卵(2x=20)×n花粉(2x=20),其杂交胚乳和杂种胚能正常发育;而二倍体n配子与四倍体n配子杂交,虽能受精形成三倍体杂种合子,但授粉后15d胚乳完全解体,致使胚乳败育不能形成种子。     

紫色土光谱特征及其碱解氮的预测研究

文章分析探索了应用可见近红外光谱技术快速、高效、便捷测定土壤营养参数的可能性。采集蓬莱镇组紫色土样本,比对分析了不同肥力水平、土壤厚度和土壤粒径条件下采集土壤光谱对可见近红外光谱特征的影响,筛选出不同厚度、粒径土壤条件下的碱解氮含量预测模型。研究结果表明,土壤样本厚度为30mm时具有最大的光谱反射率,建立的氮含量预测模型效果最佳,校正集和验证集的相关系数分别为0.84和0.83,均方根误差分别为1.79和1.87。土样粒径在0.25-0.85mm时氮含量的预测效果最佳,校正集和验证集的相关系数均超过0.8,且均方根误差较小;但当土样粒径<0.25mm时,氮含量预测模型效果明显下降。采用20目（<0.85mm）过筛、30mm厚度土壤样本采集可见近红外光谱和偏最小二乘法（PLS）模型预测,可以实现对蓬莱镇组紫色土碱解氮含量的较好光谱预测。     

臭氧水防治草莓二斑叶螨的效果评价

臭氧水具有强氧化性,能有效杀灭环境中的病菌和害虫。本研究采用草莓上的二斑叶螨体表观察和田间防效试验评价了臭氧水对二斑叶螨的防治效果。试验结果显示,4.0-4.5 mg·L-1和1.0-1.5 mg·L-1的臭氧水均能够显著降低二斑叶螨的虫口密度,防效高达95.46%和91.28%,且显著提升二斑叶螨的死亡率,但臭氧水浓度过高会抑制草莓植株的生长,破坏草莓的叶片。通过对二斑叶螨体表的观察发现,利用臭氧水的强氧化性,有效破坏了二斑叶螨的体表组织,因此在二斑叶螨发生期连续使用臭氧水可以有效控制螨的为害。本研究综合防效和安全性评价表明,1.0-1.5 mg·L-1的臭氧水对二斑叶螨具有良好的防效,对草莓和授粉的蜜蜂也具有安全性,为二斑叶螨的防治提供了一种理想的方式,具有较高推广价值。     

优质脆李新品种‘中李5号’的选育

‘中李5号’李是以‘青脆李’为母本经自然实生选育而成。该品种生长势较强,树姿半开张;在河南省郑州市观察,3月上旬进入初花期,3月中旬进入盛花期,花期持续约10 d;果实发育期约120 d,于7月中旬成熟;果实近圆形,果顶扁平,缝合线浅,平均单果重46.8 g,果皮呈黄绿色,不着红色,果面有明显果粉层;果肉呈浅黄色,肉质细腻、硬脆,汁液多,纤维少,风味酸甜,无香气;果实可溶性固形物含量15.8%,维生素C含量6.82 mg/100 g,可溶性糖含量9.62%,可滴定酸含量0.82%,可食率97.9%;该品种5年生树的株产可达32 kg以上,丰产能力较强,在河南及周边省市李树适生区均可栽植。     

Chronic otitis externa with heat shock protein 70-positive intranuclear inclusion bodies in the ceruminous gland epithelium of a Chihuahua dog

A Chihuahua dog showed persistent itching in the right ear canal. Anti-inflammatory medicines and prednisolone were ineffective and total ear canal ablation was performed. Histological diagnosis was chronic otitis externa. Eosinophilic intranuclear inclusion bodies (Cowdry type A and full-type) were occasionally observed in the ceruminous gland epithelium. The inclusion bodies were negative for nucleic acid and ultrastructurally composed of fibrous structures (approximately 10 nm in width). Viral infection was initially suspected, but polymelase chain reaction tests did not detect the expected viral genes. Immunohistochemistry revealed that the inclusion bodies were positive for heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), suggesting that these bodies could be protein aggregates including HSP70. The etiology of this lesion has not been elucidated, but chronic inflammation may influence the cytoplasm-to-nuclear transportation of HSP70. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of canine chronic otitis externa with HSP70-positive intranuclear inclusion bodies.     

Improving wood volume predictions in dry tropical forest in the semi-arid Brazil

The volumetric variability of dry tropical forests in Brazil and the scarcity of studies on the subject show the need for the development of techniques that make it possible to obtain adequate and accurate wood volume estimates. In this study, we analyzed a database of thinning trees from a forest management plan in the Contendas de Sincorá National Forest, southwestern Bahia State, Brazil. The data set included a total of 300 trees with a trunk diameter ranging from 5 to 52 cm. Adjustments, validation and statistical selection of four volumetric models were performed. Due to the difference in height values for the same diameter and the low correlation between both variables, we do not suggest models which only use the diameter at breast height (DBH) variable as a predictor because they accommodate the largest estimation errors. In comparing the best single entry model (Hohenald-Krenn) with the Spurr model (best fit model), it is noted that the exclusion of height as a predictor causes the values of 136.44 and 0.93 for Akaike information criterion (AIC) and adjusted determination coefficient (R2 adj), which are poorer than the second best model (Schumacher-Hall). Regarding the minimum sample size, errors in estimation (root mean square error (RMSE) and bias) of the best model decrease as the sample size increases, especially when a larger number of trees with DBH≥15.0 cm are randomly sampled. Stratified sampling by diameter class produces smaller volume prediction errors than random sampling, especially when considering all trees. In summary, the Spurr and Schumacher-Hall models perform better. These models suggest that the total variance explained in the estimates is not less than 95%, producing reliable forecasts of the total volume with shell. Our estimates indicate that the bias around the average is not greater than 7%. Our results support the decision to use regression methods to build models and estimate their parameters, seeking stratification strategies in diameter classes for the sample trees. Volume estimates with valid confidence intervals can be obtained using the Spurr model for the studied dry forest. Stratified sampling of the data set for model adjustment and selection is necessary, since we find significant results with mean error square root values and bias of up to 70% of the total database.