Simulating farming practices within a region using a stochastic bio-decisional model: Application to irrigated maize in south-western France

Agricultural is a major contributor to environmental resource management problems. Modelling the distribution of agricultural land use to evaluate current situations or scenarios is an important issue for policy-makers and natural resource managers. A promising approach is the use of bio-decisional models based on decision rules. However, at the regional scale, the large number of farmers makes it difficult to identify decision rules, and the diversity of farmers' decisions is rarely considered. To this end, we developed SIMITKO, a spatialised and stochastic bio-decisional model, able to simulate the spatial and temporal variability in farming practices. We focused on the choice of varietal earliness and sowing practices of maize (Zea mays L.) in the Baïse sector (south-western France). Model development was based on statistical analyses of surveys of farmers’ practices to identify their current strategies, the best variables to describe the practices and the probabilities associated with the values of the variables for each strategy. We tested SIMITKO by simulating the dynamics of areas sown with maize. Comparing model predictions of practices to observed data showed generally good predictions of sowing dynamics but less satisfactory predictions of varietal earliness choices. Possible improvements are suggested.     

Soil organic carbon stock variability in the Northern Gangetic Plains of India: interaction between agro‐ecological characteristics and cropping systems

Soil organic carbon (SOC) content and its spatial distribution in the Northern Gangetic Plain (NGP) Zone of India were determined to establish the cause–effect relationship between agro‐ecological characteristics, prevailing crop management practices and SOC stock. Area Spread Index (ASI) approach was used to collect soil samples from the NGP areas supporting predominant cropping systems. Exponential ordinary kriging was found most suitable geo‐statistical model for developing SOC surface maps of the NGP. Predicted surface maps indicated that 43.7% area of NGP had 0.5–0.6% SOC, while the rest of the area was equally distributed with high (0.61–0.75%) and low (< 0.5%) SOC content levels. Averaged across cropping systems, maximum SOC content was recorded in Bhabar and Tarai Zone (BTZ), followed by Central Plain Zone (CPZ), Mid‐Western Plain Zone (MWPZ), Western Plain Zone (WPZ) and South‐Western Plain Zone (SWPZ) of the NGP. The SOC stock was above the optimum threshold (> 12.5 Mg/ha) in 97.8, 57.6 and 46.4% areas of BTZ, CPZ and MWPZ, respectively. Only 9.8 and 0.4% area of WPZ and SWPZ, respectively, had SOC stock above the threshold value. The variation in SOC stock was attributed largely to carbon addition through recycling of organic sources, cropping systems, tillage intensity, crop or residue cover and land‐use efficiency, nutrient‐use pattern, soil texture and prevailing ecosystem. Adoption of conservation agriculture, balanced use of nutrients, inclusion of legumes in cropping systems and agro‐forestry were suggested for enhancing SOC stock in the region.     

Evidence for genetic distinction among sympatric ecotypes of Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) in south‐western Alaskan lakes

Resource polymorphism may play an important role in the process of speciation. The Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) exhibits great phenotypic and genetic diversity across its range, making it an ideal species for studies of resource polymorphism and divergence. Here, we investigated genetic variation at 11 microsatellite loci among 287 Arctic char from five isolated yet proximate postglacial lakes in south‐western Alaska that were previously examined for resource polymorphism. Significant differences in pairwise F_ST were detected among all lakes (range from 0.05 to 0.28, all P < 0.02). In one lake (Lower Tazimina Lake), we found evidence for two genetic groups of char and for significant differences in the distribution of microsatellite variability among at least two of the three previously described body size morphotypes (‘large’‐, ‘medium’‐, and ‘small’‐bodied char; maximum F_ST = 0.09; differences in admixture proportions). We also found a significant association between genetic admixture proportions and gill raker counts among body size morphs (r = ?0.73, P < 0.001). Our data represent the first record of genetically distinct sympatric morphs of Arctic char in Alaska and provide further evidence that differences in morphology associated with feeding (gill rakers) and growth trajectories reflect niche diversification and promote genetic divergence in Holarctic populations of Arctic char.     

黄河三角洲台田间渗水池塘的水质变动规律分析

以黄河三角洲地区台田间渗水池塘为研究对象,分析了渗水池塘的水质因子变动规律。结果表明:不同池塘间水质因子差异较大,但均表现出水体盐度较高、氮磷等营养物质含量较低、K+离子含量相对较低、Ca2+离子和Na+离子含量相对较高及K+/Na+显著低于正常海水等特点。结果说明,黄河三角洲地区台田间渗水池塘的水质条件不适合直接进行水产养殖,应对水质调整后才可做养殖之用。     

Spatial Distribution of Surface Soil Acidity,Electrical Conductivity,Soil Organic Carbon Content and Exchangeable Potassium,Calcium and Magnesium in Some Cropped Acid Soils of India

Land degradation is a global problem. Best management of degraded land can be done by evaluating the spatial variability of soil properties including chemical properties of degraded land and mapping such variations. Since, a significant portion of arable land in India is chemically degraded due to soil acidity; the present study was conducted to study the spatial variability of soil acidity (pH), electrical conductivity (EC), soil organic carbon (OC) content, exchangeable potassium (K⁺), calcium (Ca²⁺) and magnesium (Mg²⁺) contents in some cropped acid soils of India. A total of four hundred (one hundred from each series) representative surface (0–0.15 m depth) soil samples were collected from arable soils representing four soil series namely Hariharapur, Debatoli, Rajpora and Neeleswaram situated in Orissa, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh and Kerala states of India, respectively, and were analyzed. Soil acidity (pH between 3.90 and 6.45) showed a low variability, in contrast to other soil properties, which showed moderate variability. The coefficients of variation varied from 32.4 to 74.3, 31.2 to 50.9, 45.6 to 100, 71.9 to 93.0 and 59.0 to 79.8% for EC (mean between 0.05 and 0.09 dS m⁻¹), OC (mean between 0.29 to 1.86%), exchangeable K⁺ (mean between 39.1 and 77.7 mg kg⁻¹), Ca²⁺ (mean between 148 and 293 mg kg⁻¹) and Mg²⁺ (mean between 111 and 191 mg kg⁻¹), respectively. Soil pH and OC content were positively and significantly correlated with exchangeable K⁺, Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ content. Geostatistical analysis revealed that the best fit models were gaussian, exponential and spherical for different soil properties with moderate to strong spatial dependency. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

强度参数统计特性对边坡稳定可靠性的影响

由于对边坡强度参数统计特性考虑不全面,使得边坡可靠性指标计算值偏小,对应的失效概率偏大,常常超过10%,设计中难以采纳,造成地基可靠度规范的制定和执行进展缓慢。以某高速公路全风化花岗岩土质高边坡为工程背景,在分析土质参数统计特性的基础上,采用极限平衡理论和蒙特卡罗模拟法,系统地分析了土质强度参数的均值不定性、变异性、相关性、区间特性和空间变化性等对边坡稳定可靠性的影响。结果表明：土性参数的各种统计特性对边坡稳定可靠性均具有不同程度的影响。可靠性指标计算值随抽样距离的减小而增加,随c或φ均值的增大而增加,随c和φ的变异系数的增大而减小,随c和φ相关系数绝对值的增大而增加,考虑区间性后可靠性指标计算值也明显变大。即变异性对边坡稳定不利,而相关性、区间性和空间变化性对边坡稳定有利。因此,准确而全面地考虑土质参数的统计特性,尤其是在参数变异性和相关性的基础上加以考虑土性参数空间变化性和区间性会更加符合工程实际,且计算结果趋于安全,有利于地基可靠度规范的推广运用和边坡工程的安全评价。     

横向出流陡坡消能塘体型设计与试验研究

陡坡消能塘水流在塘末端转向 90°进入下游渠道是一种特殊的布置形式。通过对一实际工程消能塘的水力计算与物理模型试验验证 ,提出了此类消能塘体型的设计方法并对设计计算中的几个问题进行了讨论     

Transpiration response of two bread wheat lines differing in drought resilience and their backcross parent under dry-down conditions

Improving wheat productivity in drylands largely depends on how plants manage limited water resources. Using fraction of transpirable soil water threshold (FTSW_Th) and drought stress response function, we characterized the water conservation traits of two wheat multiple synthetic derivative lines (MSD53 and MSD345) which both contain introgressed segments from Aegilops tauschii but differ in drought resilience. The lines and their backcross parent, ‘Norin 61’, were subjected to dry-down conditions. MSD53 had a higher FTSW_Th for transpiration decrease than ‘Norin 61’ and MSD345. In terms of drought stress response function, MSD53 had the lowest threshold suction, suggesting a lower drought resilience capacity compared with MSD345. However, MSD53 exhibited an effective-water-use trait whereas MSD345 exhibited a water-saving trait under dry-down conditions. These results are consistent with the reported higher yield of MSD53 in comparison with MSD345 under drought stress in Sudan, and demonstrate that high FTSW_Th supports effective water use for improved agricultural productivity in drylands. The differences in water conservation traits between the two MSD lines may be attributed to variation in introgressed segments, which can be further explored for drought resilience breeding.     

锯缘青蟹苗池微生态环境影响因素的初步探讨

通过对锯缘青蟹苗池微生态环境和水质环境的全过程检测,探讨了总菌数、弧菌数及弧菌数/总菌数的消长规律,并对苗种培育阶段涉及的各种外源因素及控制苗池微生态环境的相关手段的有效性作了初步的探讨。结果表明:苗池水体中总菌数在Z1~Z2少量添加水不换水阶段,呈相对稳定状态,进入Z3后总菌数逐渐增加,最高达3.5×106cfu/m l;弧菌数在Z1培育阶段出现2×102cfu/m l激增至5×104cfu/m l的峰值,第二峰值出现在Z5阶段,达6×105cfu/m l;弧菌数/总菌数比值在育苗起始时仅为0.4%,之后迅速升至30%~40%,在Z5阶段,由于弧菌数量急剧上升,达到50%的高比值;NH4-N与COD检测值在育苗过程中变动较大,两者与弧菌数/总菌数比值呈正相关关系。现行育苗方式中对苗池微生态环境产生影响的主要因素是苗种培育密度,海水、饵料的处理方式和抗生素;净化功能菌和蛭弧菌应用于育苗水体具有抑制弧菌繁殖的效果。