Effects of burning on soil macrofauna in a savanna-woodland under different experimental fuel load treatments

In West African savanna-woodland, the use of prescribed burning as a management tool has ecological implications for the soil biota. Yet, the effects of fire on soil inhabiting organisms are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to examine the responses of soil macro-invertebrates to early fires in a Sudanian savanna-woodland on a set of experimental plots subject to different fuel load treatments. The abundance of major macro-invertebrate taxa and functional groups, and taxon richness were quantified in soil cores collected from three different soil layers before and immediately after burning. The results indicated that, overall, there was substantial spatial and temporal variation in the composition of macro-invertebrate assemblages. The immediate effects of fire were to reduce total invertebrate numbers and numbers of many invertebrate groups dramatically. This is probably due to the fact that many of the surface-dwelling macrofauna perished as a result of less favorable microclimate due to fire, diminished resources, or migrate to safer environments. Fuel load treatment did not affect the community taxonomic richness or abundance of the soil-dwelling fauna. Furthermore, annual changes in community composition were more pronounced at the burnt site than in the control. This could be related to the inter-annual difference in precipitation pattern recorded during the two-year study period at our site. Since soil macrofauna population declines in fire-disturbed areas, increasing fire prevalence may jeopardize the long-term conservation of fire sensitive macrofauna groups. Special fire management attention is therefore recommended with due consideration to the type of burning and fuel properties to avoid the detrimental effects of intense fire affecting the resilience of savanna soil macrofauna species.     

2011-2020年夏季全国草原净初级生产力时空变化及其气象影响评估

为评估2011—2020年夏季全国草地净初级生产力时空变化以及气象条件对净初级生产力的影响,本研究依据气象站逐日气象观测资料以及中分辨率成像光谱(Moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer,MODIS)系列卫星资料遥感数据,分析了近10年夏季全国草地净初级生产力变化。结果表明:2011—2020年夏季全国草原净初级生产力总体呈现增加趋势,平均每年增加0.2 gC·m^-2·a^-1,内蒙古中部、甘肃东部、青海东部、西藏东部等地近10年草原净初级生产力明显增加。近10年全国大部草原区平均气温和降水量均呈增加趋势,较好的气象条件利于夏季牧草生长。2020年夏季全国草原区的气温和降水量也较常年偏高,北方草原区草地平均净初级生产力为121.3 gC·m^-2·夏季^-1,为近10年偏好年份。2011—2020年夏季全国草原净初级生产力呈增加趋势,较好的气象条件对其贡献较大。     

地理信息系统在环境影响评价中的应用

为了研究地理信息系统（GIS）在环境影响评价中的应用，在介绍地理信息系统的组成、类型、功能和应用领域的基础上，分析了GIS技术在环境影响评价中的优势，并结合实例，探讨了地理信息系统在水环境影响评价中的具体应用过程。     

弧型往复双动式采茶切割器优化与试验

针对往复双动式采茶切割器碎茶率高的问题,该研究对切割器进行了优化。首先,分析了切割器的结构及工作原理,通过切割图分析得到影响采摘质量的主因子为机速、刀机速比、刀齿高度、往复运动行程。并基于设计的轨道式采茶试验台,进行了采摘质量因素二次回归正交旋转中心组合试验,建立了以芽叶完整率、漏采率、割茬不平度为评价指标的参数优化模型。运用遗传算法解得最佳参数分别约为机速0.4 m/s,刀机速比1.2,行程23 mm,齿高25 mm,芽叶完整率模型的估计值为86.895%。根据优化结果设计刀具,试验验证得：芽叶完整率82.6%,漏采率0.24%,割茬不平度2.8 mm,与优化结果相符合。优化后采摘芽叶完整率提高了20%以上,提升了茶叶采摘质量,为“机采+分级”的名、优质茶叶高效采收技术奠定了基础。     

Evaluating a multi-level subsurface drainage system for improved drainage water quality

This paper describes a multi-level drainage system, designed to improve drainage water quality. Results are presented from a field scale land reclamation experiment implemented in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area of New South Wales, Australia. A traditional single level drainage system and a multi-level drainage system were compared in the experiment in an irrigated field setting. The single level drainage system consisted of 1.8 m deep drains at 20 m spacing. This configuration is typical of subsurface drainage system design used in the area. The multi-level drainage system consisted of shallow closely spaced drains (3.3 m spacing at 0.75 m depth) underlain by deeper widely spaced drains (20 m spacing at 1.8 m depth). Data on drainage flows and salinity, water table regime and soil salinity were collected over a 2-year period.     

采摘机器人视觉伺服控制系统设计

分析了采摘机器人目标位置与机器人关节角度之间的运动学关系,给出了两者之间的坐标变换公式.根据伺服控制特点,在机器人伺服控制中引入模糊PID控制方法,利用模糊控制策略在线自适应整定PID参数,提高了控制系统的动、静态性能.仿真和实验结果验证了设计的合理性和有效性.     

Comparison of sympatric freshwater turtle populations from an urbanized Sydney catchment

• 1. Australian freshwater turtles are widely distributed throughout the continent, and in each river catchment there are at least two taxa. In south‐eastern Australia Chelodina longicollis and forms of Emydura macquarii co‐habit within a waterway, although they have been shown to partition habitat within the water column in non‐urban bodies of water. Limited comparative data are available for the urban populations.
• 2. Within urban Sydney C. longicollis (eastern long‐necked turtle) and Emydura macquarii dharuk (Sydney short‐necked turtle) share habitat. However, in contrast with non‐urban studies of C. longicollis and other sympatric E. macquarii taxa, it was observed that the population profile of the two species was similar at all sites, and that C. longicollis were present in greater numbers than E. m. dharuk.
• 3. The continued degradation of preferred habitat, low recruitment, and potential competition from introduced turtles place both species in a precarious position.
• 4. The shallow, impounded waterways of the regulated urban bodies of water align more closely with the preferred habitat of C. longicollis than with that of forms of E. macquarii, which prefer deeper flowing waters or large wetlands adjacent to rivers. Emydura m. dharuk may be at greatest risk of extinction in urban areas.
• 5. Across urban Sydney, the low numbers of E. m. dharuk compared with C. longicollis may be due to the lack of mobility of E. m. dharuk such that individuals tend to be stranded in sub‐optimal habitat. In contrast, C. longicollis has a greater propensity for overland movement, and a preference for the ‘new habitat’ resulting from urban impacts on the associated waterways, and thus appears to be able to utilize these modified urban waters more successfully.

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Repeated physical disturbances and the stability of sub‐tropical coral communities in Hong Kong,China

• 1. This paper reports on the dynamics of the coral community structure at A Ma Wan (AMW) and A Ye Wan (AYW) in Tung Ping Chau, Hong Kong, focusing on data collected before and after the summer typhoon seasons in 1997 to 1999. This period (1999) experienced the highest frequency of severe tropical cyclones to hit Hong Kong with one cyclone being the strongest to hit in the last 23 years (1984 to 2006).
• 2. This is part of a long‐term monitoring programme of subtropical coral communities that has been set up in AMW since May 1997 and AYW since May 1998 with nine fixed position 40 m long transects and 0.5 m × 0.5 m permanent quadrats laid at 5 m intervals along each transect. A total of 45 scleractinian coral species from 21 genera (12 families) was recorded, with 40 species in AMW and 32 species in AYW recorded at the beginning of the study.
• 3. Multidimensional scaling ordinations showed distinct spatial variations in the coral communities within and between sites. These variations were probably a result of the differential effects of the repeated cyclone impacts on the communities. Cyphastrea serailia, Goniopora lobata, Montipora peltiformis and Pavona decussata were the dominant species most strongly affected by cyclone impacts at AMW, experiencing a 6.2–16.2% loss of mean area cover during the study period. Some dominant species (e.g. P. decussata) in AYW also experienced a 6.5–14.3% loss of mean area cover within the same period.
• 4. Overall, these coral community structures appeared relatively stable and resistant to repeated physical disturbances. However, they may have low resilience towards more severe disturbances in the future. Preserving the resilience of coral communities/species in Tung Ping Chau should be one of the main goals of coral conservation strategies for the island.

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Assessing the efficacy and impact of management of an invasive species in a protected area: Poa annua on sub‐Antarctic Macquarie Island

Plant eradication is difficult, particularly in remote, protected areas. The Southern Ocean Islands are very isolated and highly protected, but the flora contains many alien plants. Small restricted populations have been eradicated, but eradication of established species has proven difficult. A better understanding of the efficacy of control methods at sub‐Antarctic temperatures and their off‐target impacts may increase eradication success. With interest in controlling non‐native Poa annua in the region, we aimed to determine if physical and chemical methods can control P. annua (the sub‐Antarctic biotype) in sub‐Antarctic conditions and examined their impact on native plants. We quantified the effectiveness of physical control methods on P. annua in situ on sub‐Antarctic Macquarie Island through field‐based experiments and assessed their selectivity on P. annua compared with native grasses. We also quantified the effectiveness of several herbicides on P. annua at sub‐Antarctic temperatures and assessed their selectivity on native grasses. Of the four physical disturbance methods tested, none effectively reduced P. annua cover as one‐off treatments. Of the herbicide treatments, glyphosate and trifloxysulfuron sodium were effective and were less damaging to native grass species, indicating potential selectivity. Physical control was of limited effectiveness, but did not affect native species richness. An integrated weed management programme utilising the strategic use of selective herbicides with follow‐up chemical and physical intervention may balance control and biodiversity outcomes. This research highlights the importance of site‐specific testing of control methods and understanding off‐target impacts of control when managing alien plant species in protected areas.     

基于YUV颜色模型的番茄收获机器人图像分割方法

在研究番茄收获机器人对目标图像分割识别时,经常由于采集的图像受光照影响以及分割识别算法的计算复杂性而影响到识别的准确性和实时性.通过比较RGB、HSI、YUV等颜色模型的特点,从理论上分析了YUV颜色模型应用于收获机器人视觉系统的可行性,提出了一种基于YUV颜色模型的成熟番茄分割方法.同时综合实验及经验确定了成熟的红色番茄在RGB、HSI、YUV颜色模型中阈值范围,采用直接确定色差阈值的双阈值分割算法识别成熟番茄,并对3种颜色模型在不同的光照条件下的分割识别效果进行实验对比.实验结果证实,将基于YUV颜色模型成熟番茄分割方法应用于番茄收获机器人视觉识别系统,能很好地解决其鲁棒性和实时性问题.