Quantifying patch distribution at multiple spatial scales: Applications to wildlife-habitat models

Multiscale analyses are widely employed for wildlife-habitat studies. In most cases, however, each scale is considered discrete and little emphasis is placed on incorporating or measuring the responses of wildlife to resources across multiple scales. We modeled the responses of three Arctic wildlife species to vegetative resources distributed at two spatial scales: patches and collections of patches aggregated across a regional area. We defined a patch as a single or homogeneous collection of pixels representing 1 of 10 unique vegetation types. We employed a spatial pattern technique, three-term local quadrat variance, to quantify the distribution of patches at a larger regional scale. We used the distance at which the variance for each of 10 vegetation types peaked to define a moving window for calculating the density of patches. When measures of vegetation patch and density were applied to resource selection functions, the most parsimonious models for wolves and grizzly bears included covariates recorded at both scales. Seasonal resource selection by caribou was best described using a model consisting of only regional scale covariates. Our results suggest that for some species and environments simple patch-scale models may not capture the full range of spatial variation in resources to which wildlife may respond. For mobile animals that range across heterogeneous areas we recommend selection models that integrate resources occurring at a number of spatial scales. Patch density is a simple technique for representing such higher-order spatial patterns.     

Changes in the density and growth of brown trout (Salmo trutta) after intensive removal of sympatric Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) in the sub‐Arctic lake Møkkelandsvatn,Norway

This study tests the basic hypothesis that the removal of charr, Salvelinus alpinus (L.), would cause an increase in both the growth and density of a sympatric trout population, Salmo trutta L. The charr population was characterised by slow‐growing individuals, with a high proportion of mature fish, that is typical for so‐called overpopulated populations. A total of 31,000 charr was removed from the lake in the period 1990–1992, and the density of younger trout (1+, 2+), but not older trout (3+, 4+), increased. The growth of older trout (3+, 4+) increased, but the evidence for similar growth increases of younger trout (1+, 2+) was limited. From 1989 to 1990, the proportion of trout increased from 30 to only 40% of the total catch, but from 1991 to 1994, it was significantly higher (60–80%) than that of charr. Total trout biomass increased to a maximum in 1992 and then decreased so that the biomass of 1994 was nearly similar to that of 1989, that is before the start of the charr removal. Back‐calculated lengths of trout from otoliths showed that 2+ and 3+ trout caught in the pelagic were growing consistently faster over previous years than those caught in the littoral, while this was not the case for the 4+ fish. Therefore, the hypothesis was partially supported; the growth rate of trout increased (age groups 1+ to 4+), while the density of juvenile trout (1+, 2+), but not the older trout (3+, 4+), increased after the removal of charr.     

利用自制骨炭除氟剂处理农村高氟地下水研究

在不同实验条件下将家畜骨制成骨炭除氟剂,通过除氟效果的比较筛选出最佳除氟剂制备方法。利用所制得的骨炭进行除氟静态吸附实验,研究了骨炭对氟的吸附效果以及温度、pH和地下水中常见阴阳离子等不同影响因素对骨炭除氟效果的影响。实验结果表明温度对骨炭除氟效果影响不大;低pH条件有利于骨炭对氟的去除;地下水常见阴阳离子中,Ca2＋和Mg2＋对骨炭除氟有一定的促进作用,而阴离子则起到不同程度的抑制作用。除氟后的骨炭可以利用NaOH浸泡方法进行再生,经三次再生后其吸附容量仍可达原来的94.3%,说明骨炭除氟剂具有良好的再生能力且可反复用于水中除氟。     

Effects of Lactic Acid Bacteria and Fructooligosaccharides on Growth Performance,Nutrient Digestibility and Serum Biochemical Indices of Arctic Foxes (Alopex lagopus) during Early Growth Period北大核心CSCD

This experiment was conducted to study the effects of dietary lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and fructooligosaccharides (FOS) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and serum biochemical indices of Arctic foxes (Alopex lagopus) during early growth period. Sixty male post-litter Arctic foxes with the average body weight of (1.16±0.15) kg and at the age of (45±3) days were randomly assigned to 4 groups with 3 replicates per group and 5 foxes per replicate. The foxes were fed the following diets, respectively: basal diet (control group), basal diet+3×109 CFU / kg LAB (LAB group), basal diet+5 g / kg FOS (FOS group) and basal diet+3×109 CFU / kg LAB+5 g / kg FOS (LAB+FOS group). The experiment lasted for 30 days. The results showed as follows: 1) on the days 1 to 15, the diarrhea rate of foxes in the LAB group and LAB+FOS group was significantly lower than that in the control group and FOS group (P<0.05). On the days 16 to 30, the average daily gain of foxes in the LAB+FOS group was significantly higher than that in the control group and FOS group (P<0.05), but had no significant difference with LAB group (P>0.05); the diarrhea rate of foxes in the LAB+FOS group was significantly lower than that in the control group and FOS group (P<0.05), but had no significant difference with LAB group (P>0.05); compared with the FOS group, the feed to gain ratio of foxes in the LAB+FOS group was significantly decreased (P<0.05). 2) The dry matter digestibility of foxes in the LAB + FOS group was significantly higher than that in the control group and FOS group (P < 0.05), but had no significant difference with LAB group (P>0.05). There were no significant differences in nitrogen intake, fecal nitrogen, urine nitrogen, nitrogen deposition, net protein utilization and protein biological value among all groups (P>0.05). 3) Serum total protein (TP) content of foxes in the LAB+FOS group was significantly higher than that in the FOS group (P<0.05), but had no significant difference with control group and LAB group (P>0.05). Serum albumin (ALB) content of foxes in the LAB group was significantly higher than that in the control group and FOS group (P<0.05), but had no significant difference with LAB+ FOS group (P>0.05). Serum urea nitrogen (UN) content of foxes in the LAB+FOS group was significantly decreased compared with the control group (P < 0. 05). In conclusion, the combined supplementation of 3 × 109 CFU / kg LAB and 5 g / kg FOS in the diet is beneficial to reduce diarrhea rate, improve dry matter digestibility, improve body immune level, and promote the growth of Arctic foxes during early growth period. © 2023 Chinese Journal of Urology. All rights reserved.     

Littoral spawning habitats of three southern Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus L.) populations

Abstract Arctic charr populations in southern latitudes are nonmigratory, with all life‐stages limited to freshwater lakes and in‐ or out‐flowing tributaries. Although many of these populations are reported to also spawn in lake littorals, little is known about the physical characteristics of putative spawning grounds. A total of 23 discrete spawning sites within three Irish lakes were located by fyke netting of spawning adults and snorkelling in littoral habitats. Spawning sites were found to be long, narrow strips running parallel to the shore at a maximum depth of 124 cm. Spawning sites were limited to areas of coarse mineral substrate with an adequate (c. 8 cm) depth of clean interstitial spaces. In individual lakes, combined areas of spawning sites made up 0.4–0.7% of available littoral. Egg densities varied considerably between sites (33–900·eggs m^?2) and were significantly correlated with gradient and width of spawning sites. No evidence of redd digging was found. The shallow, localised and restricted nature of spawning grounds makes such populations vulnerable to anthropogenically induced postoviposition changes in surface water level, eutrophication processes such as increased lake sedimentation and elevated nutrient status.     

The Kinetic Study of Adsorption of Methane on Anthracite and Its Char

The adsorption quantities of methane on anthracite and its char at different tem-perature and time were measured by using volumetric niethod. The corresponding adsorption formula-is presented. The experimental results have shown that the diffusion acti-vation energies of methane in the anthracite and its char are 14.3 kJ/mol and 26. 3 kJ/mol.It issuggested that the diffusion process of methane could be the flow through the micropores in the an-thracite and its char.     

微波辅助生物质焦炭诱导甲苯裂解和重整试验

选用甲苯模拟焦油芳香环物质,研究微波辅助生物质焦炭诱导甲苯裂解和重整反应规律、产物特性和焦炭变化。试验结果表明,焦炭对甲苯裂解有催化作用,微波环境易于甲苯裂解。甲苯裂解率和氢气选择性与温度正相关,750℃是适宜的温度选项,此温度下裂解率与氢气选择性分别为92.77%和91.94%,此后无明显变化。通入CO2促使甲苯重整制备合成气,700℃最高转化率92.03%和最大合成气收率91.30%均在CO2流量为80 m L/min时实现,H2/CO值随CO2流量的加大而降低直至0.22。通入CO2导致焦炭碳质量变化率增加,700℃最高达5.42%,此部分碳转化合成气,对合成气产率的贡献率最高可达15.40%。通入CO2可减缓积碳对甲苯转化的不利影响。     

生物质气化尾气CO_2联合微波重整甲苯制备合成气

该文以甲苯为焦油模型化合物,利用生物质焦炭诱导其转化合成气,探讨加热方式和通入CO2对甲苯转化的影响。结果表明:同等工况下,微波加热(microwave heating,MH)下甲苯转化率高于常规加热(electrical heating,EH),甲苯转化率最大差值为15.58%。通入CO2可促进甲苯转化,MH和EH下分别在CO2流量为80和40 m L/min达到最高转化率93.73%和82.13%。引入CO2可调控甲苯定向制备合成气,且对生物质焦炭造成碳损耗。损耗碳可转化合成气,且CO2通入量越高,其贡献越大。MH下合成气最大产率为173.66 m L/min,为裂解反应的5.68倍。甲苯裂解率持续降至49.0%,之后趋于稳定。甲苯重整转化率维持较高水平,140 min后开始减弱,同时合成气收率平缓降低。该文研究结果对高效利用焦油和减排CO2有借鉴意义。     

Antipredator behaviour of naïve Arctic charr young in the presence of predator odours and conspecific alarm cues

Abstract –  We investigated how Arctic charr young respond behaviourally to olfactory cues from skin-damaged conspecifics, charr-fed pikeperch, and the combination of food-deprived pikeperch and skin-damaged conspecific cues in a two-channel Y-maze fluviarium test arena. Significant antipredator responses were found to skin-damaged conspecifics in three behavioural traits, to charr-fed pikeperch in two traits and to the combination of pikeperch and skin-damaged conspecific cues in all six behaviours investigated. The combination of predator and conspecific cues significantly increased spatial avoidance and cautiousness to approach the source of scent compared with odours from charr-fed predators. The results suggest that damage-released alarm cues exist in charr, and they strengthen the antipredator responses in conspecifics. As the charr used different behaviours and levels of response in the presence of different cues, they seem to have sophisticated skills to distinguish between different odour combinations and be able to adjust their behaviour according to the current predation risk level.