An evaluation of the pesera soil erosion model and its application to a case study in Zakynthos, Greece

Abstract. The Pan‐European Soil Erosion Risk Assessment (pesera ) model was evaluated using existing soil erosion data collected under various types of climate, vegetation, landscape and soil conditions. The data used represent a variety of typical Mediterranean land uses such as winter wheat, vines, olives and bare, stony land prevailing in hilly areas. Using this data, the model was calibrated for sediment transport by overland flow and results compared to measured soil erosion values from runoff plots and a watershed on a monthly basis. The performance of the model was assessed statistically, showing that it can be satisfactorily used for predicting soil erosion rates under the conditions included in the study. The overall model estimate including all the available experimental data was 0.69 t ha^?1 yr^?1 with a maximum error of 1.49 t ha^?1 yr^?1. After validation, the model was applied to a small watershed (60 ha) of great ecological importance for the sea turtle Caretta caretta. For this purpose, soil and vegetation maps were compiled from all the necessary data for applying the model. The model was run for three years using daily data from an existing nearby meteorological station. The predicted and measured soil erosion rates for a 7‐month period were 0.31 t and 0.18 t, respectively. Application of the model to each mapping unit showed the over‐riding importance of land use for sediment generation under the given climatic conditions. Bare land, occupying 5.5% of the watershed area, generated up to 69% of the total sediments estimated for the watershed. It is concluded that the pesera model can be used as a regional diagnostic tool under a range of soil, topographic and climatic conditions for identifying the best land use type and vegetation cover to protect hilly areas from soil erosion. The calculated overall root mean square error for the model is 0.06 t ha^?1 yr^?1, compared to a soil erosion rate of 0.04 t ha^?1 yr^?1, which can be tolerated for protecting the area for the sea turtle.     

Physiological Basis of Irrigation Scheduling for Seed Production in Egyptian Clover Syn. Berseem (Trifolium alexandrinum L.) Crop

A field experiment was conducted to find out the critical physiological stages of irrigation schedules inducing better growth, physiological efficiency and seed yield potential of berseem ( Trifolium alexandrinum L., Var. S-99-1). For this purpose eight irrigation treatments were made comprised of four treatments of three irrigation (W₁, W₂, W₃ and W₄), three treatments of four irrigation (W₅, W₇ and W₈) and one treatment of five irrigation (W₆) at various physiological stages i. e. regeneration, flower initiation, full bloom, seed initiation and advance seed development stage.
Thus based on the experimental results the physiological role of watering in berseem seed production could be discussed as:
With-holding of irrigation either at regeneration or at full bloom stage developed potential water stress in plants as indicated by high proline content of irrigation treatments — W₄, W₁ and W₇; and further brought out disturbance on the formation of carotene, synthesis of water soluble sugar and translocation of sugar towards reproductive organs during grain development stage. These stresses adversely affected the plant growth and flowering behaviour. The irrigation at seed initiation stage increased the seed yield. Continuous irrigation did not appear to be useful. Thus it can be concluded that irrigation at three critical physiological stages i. e. regeneration, full bloom and seed initiation was found to be essential for obtaining potential seed yield of berseem.     

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.     

沙区五种珍稀濒危植物水分生理指标测定及分析

本文在测定沙区５种珍稀濒危植物的水分生理指标的基础上，分析了其抗旱性，意在探讨适应干旱环境的特性。研究结果表明：矮沙冬青保水能力与吸水能力强，对干燥炎热的环境有很强的适应性；银沙槐蒸腾强度大，失水快，但吸水力强，补偿水分快；裸果木通过强的保水力适应干旱；绵刺以强的吸水力和抗脱水力适应环境；准噶尔无叶豆以体内水分自我调节作用适应大气干旱。     

Some determinants of the spatio-temporal fire cycle in a mediterranean landscape (Corsica,France)

Based on recent needs to accurately understand fire regimes and post-fire vegetation resilience at a supra-level for carbon cycle studies, this article focusses on the coupled history of fire and vegetation pattern for 40 years on a fire-prone area in central Corsica (France). This area has been submitted since the beginning of the 20^th century to land abandonment and the remaining land management has been largely controlled by frequent fires. Our objectives were to rebuild vegetation and fire maps in order to determine the factors which have driven the spatial and temporal distribution of fires on the area, what were the feed backs on the vegetation dynamics, and the long-term consequences of this inter-relationship. The results show a stable but high frequency of small fires, coupled with forest expansion over the study period. The results particularly illustrate the spatial distribution of fires according to topography and vegetation, leading to a strong contrast between areas never burnt and areas which have been burnt up to 7 times. Fires, when occuring, affect on average 9 to 12% of the S, SE and SW facing slopes (compared to only 2 to 5% for the N facing slopes), spread recurrently over ridge tops, affect all the vegetation types but reburn preferentially shrublands and grasslands. As these fire-proning parameters have also been shown to decrease the regeneration capacity of forests, this study highlights the needs in spatial studies (both in terms of fire spread and vegetation dynamic) to accurately apprehend vegetation dynamic and functionning in fire-prone areas.This revised version was published online in May 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

稀土对刺槐苗木生理特性影响的研究

稀土对刺槐苗木生理特性影响的研究赵兰勇，梁玉堂（山东农业大学林学院泰安２７１０１８）王九龄（北京林业大学北京１０００８３）关键词稀土，刺槐，光合速率，叶绿素含量，水分利用效率，矿质元素含量近年来，稀土元素在农业上的应用研究越来越受到人们的重视，并且已...     

Non-target toxicology of a new mosquito larvicide, trypsin modulating oostatic factor

Trypsin modulating oostatic factor (TMOF), a peptide hormone originally isolated from the ovaries of adult Aedes aegypti, is currently under commercial development as a new pesticide chemistry with a novel mode of action for the control of larval mosquitoes. The objective of the current research is to evaluate potential risks of the use of TMOF as an insecticide on non-target organisms. TMOF (YDPAP₆) was degraded in vitro (as determined by HPLC and LC/MS) to DPAP₆, PAP₆, and then AP₆ by leucine aminopeptidase, a pancreatic enzyme found in the digestive system of vertebrates. The rate of degradation of TMOF and PAP₆ was significantly greater than that of DPAP₆, while no metabolism of AP₆ was found. TMOF technical insecticide was produced on a commercial scale by recombinant yeast (heat-killed before application). The technical TMOF when administered in a single dose by gavage to male and female mice at 2000 mg dry weight/kg body weight produced no negative effects as compared to controls up to 12 days after treatment. When male and female mallard ducks were treated by gavage with 1250 mg dry weight of technical TMOF/kg body weight each day for 5 days, again no toxic effects were noted through 35 days after the last treatment. TMOF technical insecticide was also applied to the shaved skin of male and female rabbits at the rate of 2000 mg/kg for 1-2 days, with no effect. The end point observations in these in vivo experiments were mortality; changes in growth rate, behavior, body structure, and color; and possible lesions observed during necropsy. Finally, Daphnia incubated with technical TMOF in rearing water at the level of 1.0 × 10⁶ yeast cells/ml (10 mg/ml) also demonstrated no negative effects on mortality, growth, molting, time to first brood, and production of viable neonates. It appears from these studies that TMOF can be degraded by vertebrate digestive proteases and technical TMOF is not toxic to the non-target organisms examined.     

Concentration variations of several ions in stream after a wildfire

In May 2006, a high intensity wildfire occurred in Songling forest region in Daxing＇an Mountains, China. The concentration changes of eight ions （K^＋, Na^＋, Ca^2＋, Mg^2＋, Cl^-, Br^-, NO3^- and SO4^2-） were measured in burned and tmbumed streams after fire from May to Oct., 2006. Results show that the most ions flux were higher in burned stream than that in unburned stream during the sampling period, and the greatest concentrations of most ions transported from burned stream occurred in July. After fire, the most amplitude chemical ion was Ca^2＋, whose average concentration was 5.50 mg·L^-1 higher than that in unburned stream, and the total concentration of every chemical ion presents a trend Ca^2＋〉SO4^2- 〉Na^＋〉Mg^2＋〉NO3^- . The average concentrations of Ca^2＋, SO4^2- , Na^＋＇Mg^2＋,NO3^- showed an increase trend, but those of K^＋, Cl^- , Br had a decreased trend. SO4^2- had the largest loss among these anions, followed by NO3^-. Overall, the increase degree of cation was greater than that of anion after burning.     

进水流速对圆形循环水养殖池流场特性影响的数值模拟

通过对工厂化循环水养殖进水流速的智能调控,可降低饵料残留,避免水质恶化。为此,本研究采用数值模拟方法探究了进水流速对工厂化循环水养殖池流场特性的影响,并基于该研究设计出一套确定进水流速调控的实验方法。首先,通过对比Standard k-ε、RNG k-ε和Realizable k-ε 3种湍流模型及多种壁面函数的仿真效果,确定RNG k-ε模型和标准壁面函数作为仿真配置。同时,针对多相流模型,对欧拉多相流模型和DPM离散相模型进行对比,为提高计算准确性选用DPM离散相模型,并基于上述模型进行网格无关性验证、制定网格划分方案。其次,以大菱鲆(Scophthalmus maximus)养殖为例,模拟不同进水流速下养殖池流场、排污和水温调节的效果。最后,针对仿真结果提出进水流速调控方案。结果显示,日常采用1.0 m/s的进水流速,可有效提高适宜流速区面积并控制水处理成本;投饵前,采用0.2 m/s的进水流速可以解决循环水养殖中存在的饵料浪费问题;进食结束后,采用1.2 m/s的进水流速可快速排出残饵避免水质恶化;水温异常时,采用15 ℃的水、以1.2 m/s的进水流速注水230 s,可使20 ℃的水下降到正常水平,精准化控制水温。采用本研究提出的方法,可针对不同养殖生物和养殖环境设计进水流速智能调控策略,可用于解决循环水养殖过程中饵料浪费、水质变差和水温异常等问题。     

基于遥感在土地利用与土地覆盖中的应用研究

介绍了遥感技术的发展以及土地利用与土地覆盖遥感信息的获取和应用,为我国土地保护和合理利用提供了新的技术支持。