Beaver dams,streamflow complexity,and the distribution of a rare minnow,Lepidomeda copei

Freshwater fishes are threatened globally, and often too little is known about threatened species to effectively guide their conservation. Habitat complexity is linked to fish species diversity and persistence, and degraded streams often lack habitat complexity. Beaver Castor spp., in turn, have been used to restore streams and increase habitat complexity. The northern leatherside chub Lepidomeda copei is a rare, small‐bodied, drift‐feeding minnow that has anecdotally been observed to use complex habitats associated with beaver dams in the western United States. To investigate this anecdote, we conducted fish and habitat surveys, the latter focusing on quantifying habitat complexity, in a sub‐basin of the Upper Snake River Basin in the USA. Complementary generalised linear model and path analyses revealed that northern leatherside chub occurred more often at sites with complex streamflows, and streamflows were more complex when beaver dams were present and pools were deeper. Northern leatherside chubs were also more likely to occur when temperatures were warmer, aquatic macrophytes were abundant and stream channels were narrow and deep. The linkage between chubs, complex streamflows and beaver dams needs to be evaluated more broadly to completely understand its role in the rangewide status of the species. However, it does suggests that increased use of beaver reintroductions and dam analogues for stream restoration could be a boon for the northern leatherside chub, but such efforts should be monitored to determine their effectiveness to help adapt beaver‐based restoration approaches to best benefit the species.     

Sacred sites as habitats of culturally important plant species in an Indian megacity

Cultural ecosystem services related to urban green spaces contribute significantly to liveable cities. While previous studies highlight the intersection of cultural ecosystem services with societal values, spiritual or religious values associated with urban nature have received less attention. In India, as in other parts of the world, sacred sites are known for their biological richness, but analyses from urban sacred sites are largely missing. Based on a stratified random sampling approach, we analysed the cultivated and wild plant species assemblages of 69 sacred sites in the megacity of Bengaluru, India, in relation to biological and cultural features, and parameters related to the urban matrix and type of sacred sites (temple vs. katte). Unlike other urban studies, we found a dominance of native species in the cultivated and spontaneous species pools (121 species in total), with Ficus religiosa and Azadirachta indica as most frequently planted species. Culturally relevant species prevailed in the species pool (89%), with overlaps between religious (36%), medicinal (50%) and ornamental (62%) plants; only 11% of species were weeds. Urban matrix parameters (age of development, housing density) and size and type of sacred sites were related to differences in species assemblages. We identified key species for different classes of age and housing density, and for types of sacred sites. Our study demonstrates that urban sacred sites have an important potential in harbouring both native and culturally significant species that can support urban livelihoods in developing countries by a range of cultural and provisioning ecosystem services, including medicinal uses. As such sites are conserved by communities for spiritual or cultural beliefs, local biodiversity can be enhanced, e.g. by adapting management practices through community participation. This would strengthen the important contribution of sacred sites within the green infrastructure of rapidly growing megacities.     

Cohort‐specific variation in juvenile coho salmon habitat use

In this study, we examined summer and fall freshwater rearing habitat use by juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) in the quickly urbanising Big Lake drainage in south‐central Alaska. Habitat use was assessed by regressing fish count data against habitat survey information across thirty study sites using generalised linear mixed models. Habitat associations were examined by age‐0 and age‐1+ cohorts separately, providing an opportunity to compare habitat use across different juvenile coho salmon life stages during freshwater rearing. Regression results indicated that the age‐0 cohorts were strongly associated with shallow, wide stream reaches with in‐stream vegetation, whereas age‐1+ cohorts were associated with deeper stream reaches. Furthermore, associations between fork length and habitat characteristics suggest cohort‐specific habitat use patterns are distinct from those attributable to fish size. Habitat use information generated from this study is being used to guide optimal fish passage restoration planning in the Big Lake drainage. Evidence for habitat use partitioning by age cohort during freshwater juvenile rearing indicates that pooling age cohorts into a single “juvenile” stage for the purposes of watershed management may mask important habitat use dynamics.     

A test for interaction between brown trout (Salmo trutta) and inanga (Galaxias maculatus) in an artificial stream

Abstract –  The interaction between brown trout ( Salmo trutta ; fork length (FL) range 255–390 mm) and inanga ( Galaxias maculatus ; FL range 55–115 mm) was tested during summer through autumn in an artificial stream consisting of a single run-riffle-pool sequence with a natural food supply. Each experimental trial lasted for 15 days, and consisted of two brown trout and 50 inanga collected fresh from a nearby stream, with each species given prior residence in four replicate tests, totalling eight trials in all. In addition, two control trials (each 10 days), with 50 inanga in each, were run. Brown trout almost exclusively occupied the pool, whereas inanga occupied all habitat types, although in different proportions, when tested with and without brown trout. The proportion of inanga in the pool was appreciably lower in the experimental trials with brown trout than in the control trials with no brown trout; prior residence had no significant effect on inanga habitat use. Mortality of inanga attributable to predation by brown trout ranged from 0 to 40% with a mean of 14.5 ± 4.7%. The results suggest that habitat use and survival of inanga populations in small streams can be adversely affected by brown trout.     

人工培植羊体羊黄的研究

本试验以外科手术方法在北京农户所养绵羊胆囊内放人异物网核和注入致黄菌(SEBF8,50亿/ml),诱发羊黄,均获成功.其间,对术前术后血清胆红质、胆固醇、谷草转氨酶和GROS反应等项进行测定.结果表明:上述各项指标在术后8天内与术前比,均有降低,差异显著,但以后逐渐恢复正常.而体重、临床表现,以及饲养指标本出现异常.预示着,人工培植羊体羊黄可行.同时,本试验还为进一步提高人工培植羊黄的产黄量,提供了参考数据.     

系统耦合与荒漠─绿洲草地农业系统─—以祁连山一临泽剖面为例

生态系统内部自由能的积累，使系统失去平衡并趋于同其它生态系统结合，自由能驱使两个或两个以上的生态系统或亚生态系统，通过会聚，超循环和耦合而联合，从而形成具有特殊结构一功能的更高一级的新系统。系统耦合可以多途径解放生态系统中的自由能而增加农业生态系统的生产力，亦即从催化潜势，位差潜势，多稳定潜势及管理潜势中取得能输出。上述过程可作用于农业系统中的四个子系统，这四个子系统各有自己的产品：前植物生产，植物生产，动物生产，外生物生产，从而大幅度提高其生产力。在荒漠─绿洲草地农业生态系统中，本文分别计量了各个子系统的能流单位及其流程，证明它的子系统也可以成功的发生系统耦合，其中绿洲子系统应居关键地位。     

大豆叶面积变化对田间微气象条件及产量的影响

作者通过1977～1981年和1987～1989年,分别在绥化、哈尔滨和合江地区的田间试验和生产调查,发现大豆叶面积指数的大小可造成不同的田间微气象环境条件,叶面积指数6左右时,植株似倒非倒,株间采光量和CO_2分布较为合理,光合效率高,大豆单株生育良好,群体产量高;在生产上可依据当地土地条件、施肥水平、不同品种和不同种植方式用叶面积动态变化方程式计算出适宜的密度,以使大豆群体最大叶面积指数保持在6左右,创造较理想的田间微气象效应。     

景观植物信息查询系统(LPIIS)的构建

近年来，我国的景观植物产业得到了很大发展，但仍存在很多问题，为了解决这些问题，我们开发了景观植物信息查询系统(简称LPIIS)。LPIIS的构建包括后台数据库和管理系统2部分，以Microsoft Access开发后台景观植物数据库，实现各种零散的景观植物数据资料的数字化；采用面向对象的开发语言VB进行信息系统的界面设计和系统集成，实现了人性化的界面，操作更为方便。LPIIS的出现改变了过去景观植物信息管理的手工方式，具有可视化人性化的界面、提供多媒体信息、数据的维护和更新具有继承性、后台数据库可方便的移植于网络等特点。     

甜菜不同种植方式的研究

通过试验明确了覆膜移栽纸筒苗栽培方法具有覆盖地膜和育苗移栽双重效应，促进甜菜早发棵，早封垄。提早进入叶丛快速生长期和块根糖分积累期；改善了甜菜光合性能，增加了光合势、净光合率和光合产物经济系数，比不覆膜移栽纸筒苗的增产31％，产糖量增加27．12％，投入产出比大幅度增加。     

Estimating dispersibility of Acer,Fraxinus and Tilia in fragmented landscapes from patterns of seedling establishment

Relative dispersibility of Tilia americana L., Acer saccharum Marsh. and Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marsh, was inferred from the ratio among species-specific regression coefficients () computed from seedling density-distance plots. Density counts were made in spatially-uniform old fields adjacent to single seed sources or monotypic fencerows. Resultant seedling shadow curves approximate the negative exponential form expected for many seeds (log y=a–X). This basic curve shape fit species of differing dispersibility, dispersal under a range of wind directions and one-year-old or all-aged cohorts. The ratios of were 1:2.6:3.2 for Tilia, Acer and Fraxinus, respectively, in order of increasing dispersibility. Vegetation patches isolated from seed sources by several hundred meters or more should have extremely low input of seeds, especially Tilia and Acer.The finding that Fraxinus disperses farther than Acer was unexpected, since the samaras of the former have faster terminal velocities. The relationship can be explained by better performance of Fraxinus samaras in the stronger winds experienced by trees in open landscapes, poorer formation of the samara abscission layer, and release of samaras following leaf abscission and during the winter when winds are the strongest. Both the samara plan and dispersal phenology need to be considered in estimating relative dispersibility among species.