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Table of Content

    08 April 2011, Volume 30 Issue 04
    Articles
    Vegetation spatiotemporal variation in Southeast Asia based on MODIS remote sensing monitoring.
    2011, 30(04):  629-635. 
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    By using the 2000-2008 MODIS land information MOD15A2 (fPAR) and the TRMM data of air temperature and precipitation in tropics, this paper studied the vegetations spatiotemporal variation in Southeast Asia, with the focus on the inter-annual and seasonal variations of fPAR in evergreen broadleaf forests, woody savannas, grasslands, and croplands, and the correlations of these variations with climate conditions. In 2000-2008, the vegetations fPAR in Southeast Asia was averagely 47.58%, being increased from northwest to southeast and from coastal area to inland. In 87.34% of the study area, the fPAR had no significant variation. The fPAR could well reflect the vegetation seasonal variation in Southeast Asia, and had good responses to climate change. The variations of the fPAR suggested that the inter-annual variation of vegetation growth differed with regions, and the variation degree under the effects of air temperature and precipitation also varied.
    Vegetations spatial distribution in Lianjiang River Basin of China.
    2011, 30(04):  636-642. 
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    Based on the 1973, 1988, and 2006 remote sensing data, and with the model of pixel dichotomy and normalized vegetation index, the vegetation coverage in the Lianjiang River Basin of China was calculated. In meantime, DEM terrain elevation data and regression and correlation analysis methods were adopted to analyze the relations of vegetation coverage with altitude, aspect, and slope. The results showed that at altitude 200-1600 m, aspect 90°-160°, and slope 10°-30°, the vegetation coverage was high and had good quality, due to few human activities and good water and temperature conditions. The spatial distribution of the vegetation coverage was mainly affected by altitude, lesser by aspect, and least by slope. In recent 33 years, the vegetation coverage in the river basin was mainly centered in the fast increasing and stable vegetation areas, mostly distributing in the forest farm, natural reserve, and plantation areas with good habitat conditions.
    Water potential of Populus euphratica in a ‘foison forest&rsquo|at south edge of Junngar Basin.
    2011, 30(04):  643-649. 
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    Taking the Populus euphratica in Corps 150 ‘foison forest’ at south edge of Junngar Basin as test object, and by comparing it with Haloxylon ammodendron and Tamarix ramosissima, this paper studied the change characteristics of water potential of P. euphratica in arid environment, and analyzed the relationships of these change characteristics with soil moisture and air temperature and humidity. The diurnal variations of P. euphratica  leaf  and stem water potential presented “V” type, while those of H. ammodendron and T. ramosissima’s were in “W” type. For elder P. euphratica , its leaf- and stem water potential was significantly negatively correlated with air temperature (r=-0.839 and -0.818, respectively); for young P. euphratica , its leaf water potential was positively correlated with air humidity (r=0.786), and its stem water potential was significantly negatively correlated with air temperature (r=-0.650). In the morning, the water potential of elder P. euphratica  leaves and stems at height 2 m was significantly different from that of the leaves and stems at heights 5 m and 10 m (P<0.05), but no significant difference was observed for the leaves and stems at heights 5 m and 10 m (P>0.05). At noon, the water potential of elder P. euphratica  leaves and stems at heights 2 m, 5 m, and 10 m all had significant differences (P<0.05); at 20:00, the water potential of the leaves at all heights had significant differences (P<0.05).
    Effects of air temperature in growth season on Masson pine (Pinus massoniana) radial growth in north subtropical region of China.
    2011, 30(04):  650-655. 
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    Longer growth season has been confirmed due to the elevated temperature in recent decades. Though the changes in the duration of growth season could affect tree productivity, it’s unclear how the growth season with different initiating temperature affects the radial growth of tree. In order to investigate the effects of growth season’s variability in temperature to the radial growth of Masson pine (Pinus massoniana) and search for the sensitive temperature to the growth, old Masson pine stands in Hanzhong, the northwest margin of north subtropical region, were chosen as test objects, with their tree ring width index chronology from 1945 to 2009 measured by dendrochronology method. The air temperatures on the first day, last day, and in the whole growth season as well as the active accumulative temperature during growth season were determined based on the daily mean temperature of Hanzhong, and the relationships between the temperatures and chronology were analyzed. The results showed that the growth season with initiating temperature 6.0 ℃-7.5 ℃ had negative effects on the tree ring width index chronology, with 6.0 ℃ being most significant. 10.5 ℃ on the last day had significant positive effects on tree ring growth. 10.0 ℃ and 10.5 ℃ in growth season were significantly positively correlated with the tree ring growth, and the active accumulative temperature during growth season was also significantly positively correlated with the growth. These sensitive temperatures were respectively corresponding to the onset of photosynthesis, needle emergence in spring, and shutting down of cambium activity in autumn. Our study suggested that elevated temperature led to the changes in phenophase, and thereby, affected the radial growth of P. massoniana in Hanzhong.
    Eco-physiological responses of pot-planted Aegiceras corniculatum to different shade levels.
    2011, 30(04):  656-663. 
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    One-year-old Aegiceras corniculatum seedlings were planted in pots under 3 light intensities, i.e., full sunlight, 45% sunlight, and 25% sunlight, aimed to study the eco-physiological responses of the seedlings to different shade levels after irrigated with fresh water and artificial seawater. After treated for 360 d, the annual increment of height growth at the same water salinities increased significantly with increasing light intensity, and had significant differences among the three light intensity treatments. On the contrary, the annual increment of stem diameter decreased significantly. The average branch number, leaf number, leaf area, and leaf thickness all existed significant differences among the treatments. At the same water salinities, the leaf chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and total chlorophyll contents had no significant differences under 25% and 45% sunlight but were significantly higher than those under full sunlight, while the chlorophyll a/b ratio had less difference among all the treatments. The net photosynthetic rate, soluble sugar content, nitrate reductase activity, and root vigor at same water salinities decreased significantly with the reduction of light intensity. Under the same light intensities, the seedlings irrigated with fresh water had lower soluble sugar content, nitrate reductase activity, and root vigor, compared with those irrigated with sea water. Our results indicated that shading had significant effects on the eco-physiology of pot-planted A. corniculatum.
    Changes of Cyclobalanopsis glauca water parameters under drought stress in karst environment.
    2011, 30(04):  664-669. 
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    By using a water supply device with epikarst water-limestone-soil columniation to simulate karst environment, and adopting press-volume (P-V) technique, a water-controlled experiment was conducted to study the changes of Cyclobalanopsis glaucawater parameters including daily water potential (P), water potential at saturated point (ψsats), water potential at turgor loss point (ψtlps), relative osmotic water content at turgor loss point (ROWCtlp), relative water content at turgor loss point (RWCtlp), relative content of apoplastic water (AWC), and the difference between ψsats and ψtlps(ΔP) under drought stress. In treatment no-epikarst water-limestone-soil, the ROWCtlp, RWCtlp, ψsats, and ψtlps decreased and the AWC increased with intensifying soil drought; while in treatment epikarst water-limestone-soil, these water parameters had no significant changes along with soil water variation. Under no-epikarst water condition, the water parameters of C. glauca were predominantly affected by soil water content, and the drought tolerance of C. glauca was enhanced with increasing soil drought in a certain range of drought stress.
    Ecosystem services value of converting cropland to forestland in Heigou watershed in Three Gorges Reservoir area based on AnnAGNPS model.
    2011, 30(04):  670-676. 
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    Based on the long-term site-specific observed data and AnnAGNPS model, this paper valuated the changes of ecosystem services in Heigou forested watershed in Three Gorges Reservoir area under the scenarios A-J of Converting Cropland to Forestland Project (CCFP). It was found that the quality of the ecosystem services in the watershed varied with the scenarios. The annual outputs of runoff, sediment yield, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and total organic carbon from Heigou watershed were the highest under scenario B, being 455 mm, 56.8 t·hm-2, 132 kg·hm-2, 33 kg·hm-2, and 678 kg·hm-2, and the lowest under scenario J, being 303 mm, 4.8 t·hm-2, 75 kg·hm-2, 18 kg·hm-2, and 383 kg·hm-2, with a reduce of 33.4%, 91.5%, 43.1%, 45.4%, and 43.5%, respectively. The ecosystem services value in the watershed also varied with CCTP implementation stages, which was the lowest (225×104yuan) under scenario B and the highest (291×104 yuan) under scenario J, and increased by 29.3% under scenario J at the stages before and after CCTP. The method of using observed data and AnnAGNPS model was relatively objective, which reduced the uncertainty of the quantity of ecosystem services. However, this method not only needs a large amount of data, but also has a very complicated process, which might limit its application in assessing the ecosystem services value in some other places.
    Competitiveness of invasive plant Flaveria bidentis with native weed plants.
    2011, 30(04):  677-681. 
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    Greenhouse and field experiments were conducted to study the competitiveness of invasive plant Flaveria bidentis with native weed plants Digitaria sanguinalis, Eleusine indica, Amaranthus retroflexus, and Abutilon theophrasti. The greenhouse experiment showed that the height growth of F. bidentis was obviously inhibited when the invasive plant was grown at low proportion with D. sanguinalis or E. indica, but not inhibited at equal or high proportion. When F. bidentis was grown with A. retroflexus or A. theophrast, the height growth of the invasive plant was inhibited significantly, but that of the two native weed species was not inhibited. When F. bidentis was grown with the four native weed species, the sum of their relative yields was nearly equal to 1. The relative yield of F. bidentis was nearly to 1 when grown at high proportion with D. sanguinalis, but less than 1 when at equal or low proportion. The relative yield of the invasive weed was significantly less than 1 when it was grown with E. indica or A. retroflexus or A. theophrast. The competitive aggressivity coefficient of F. bidentis was all less than 0 when the invasive weed was grown with any of the four native species. Field experiment showed the same results as the greenhouse experiment did. The findings from this study suggested that F. bidentis and the native weed species utilized the same nutrient resources, and the invasive species was less competitive than the native species when they grew together.
    Regulation effects of bioorganic fertilizer on sunflower seedlings growth and leaf physiological indices under salt-alkali stress.
    2011, 30(04):  682-688. 
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    A pot experiment was conducted to study the effects of different dosages (0%, 2%, 4%, and 8%) bioorganic fertilizer on the seed germination, emergence rate, seedling growth, and leaf physiological indices of sunflower under salt-alkali stress. As compared with the control, after 7-28 days under salt-alkali stress (T0), the seed germination rate and emergence rate decreased markedly, seed emergence delayed for 3 days, seedlings shoot- and root length, shoot- and root fresh weight, and leaf chlorophyll and soluble protein contents decreased significantly (P<0.05), and the roots were much more sensitive than the shoots. As compared with T0, after the application of 2% (T1), 4% (T2), and 8% (T3) bioorganic fertilizer, the seed emergence rate increased by 564% (P<0.05), 643% (P<0.05), and 857% (P<0.05), respectively, and the seed emergence advanced by 2-3 days. After 7 days under salt-alkali stress, the seedling growth in treatments T1, T2, and T3 had an obvious increase, leaf chlorophyll content increased by 24.4% (P<0.05), 27.2% (P<0.05), and 33.2% (P<0.05), and leaf soluble protein content increased by 34.4% (P<0.05), 43.6% (P<0.05) and 48.8% (P<0.05), respectively. When the treated duration prolonged from 7 to 28 days, the inhibitory effects of salt-alkali stress on the seedling growth and the leaf chlorophyll and soluble protein contents in treatments T1, T2, and T3 decreased to some extent. These results indicated that applying 2%-8% bioorganic fertilizer could obviously alleviate the inhibitory effects of salt-alkali stress on the seed emergence, seedling growth, and leaf physiological indices of sunflower.
    Effects of soil moisture, light, and air humidity on stomatal conductance of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz).
    2011, 30(04):  689-693. 
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    To assess the combined effects of soil moisture, light, and other environmental factors on the stomatal conductance of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz), and to construct the mathematical models of stomatal conductance and related environmental factors, a gradient of soil moisture content at an interval of 10% within the range of 20%-80% was installed for the cassava cultivar SC-8 in a pot culture experiment, with the net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, air humidity, and several other parameters measured. There was a significant positive correlation between air humidity and stomatal conductance. Photosynthetically active radiation and soil moisture content had significant positive correlations with stomatal conductance, but their affecting magnitude varied with soil moisture content. When the soil moisture content was low, it was the dominant factor affecting stomatal conductance; when the soil moisture content was high, photosynthetically active radiation became the dominant affecting factor. The relationships of stomatal conductance with soil moisture content, photosynthetically active radiation, and air humidity could be expressed with exponential model. Using the constructed model, we found that the lowest threshold of appropriate soil moisture content for cassava cultivar SC-8 was 52%.
    Temporal changes of Grus japonensis suitable wintering habitat in coastal zone of Yancheng, Jiangsu.
    2011, 30(04):  694-699. 
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    Based on the 1987, 1997, and 2007 distribution maps of wetland landscape in coastal zone of Yancheng, and with the support of GIS technology, the temporal changes of Grus japonensis suitable wintering habitat in the zone were analyzed, taking the food richness, water resources, shelter condition, human activities, least-patch area, and distance of daily activities as the assessment factors of habitat suitability, and the habitat evaluation model as the assessment procedure. In 1987-2007, due to the great changes of habitat type and the landscape fragmentation, the total area of wetlands in the zone reduced by 27.6%, and the habitat quality suitable for G. japonensis declined significantly. The habitat area condition suitable for G. japonensis reduced from 2354.36 km2 in 1987 to 1100.13 km2 in 2007, accounting for 51.6% and 24.1% of the total habitat area, respectively. With increasing human disturbance and wetland landscape fragmentation, the proportion of suitable habitat for G. japonensis decreased from 28.2% in 1987 to 13.5% in 2007, and its area decreased from 1286.05 km2 to 614.95 km2.
    Niche dynamics of plant community succession and grassland quality index on zokor mounds.
    2011, 30(04):  700-706. 
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    By using “space instead of time” approach, this paper studied the niche dynamics of plant populations and the changes of plant functional types along a successional series on zokor mounds. Twenty main plant species were chosen to analyze their niche breadth and overlap by using the Shannon and Pianka indices. The results showed that larger niche breadth was often accompanied with larger niche overlap, but some plant species with smaller niche breadth also had larger niche overlap. The niche overlap among plant species was generally large. With the succession, the annual or biennial forbs first decreased rapidly and then slowly increased but overall decreased, the perennial forbs decreased after an initial increase, while the perennial grasses increased linearly, reflecting that perennial grasses finally dominated the climax communities. The grassland quality index was used to analyze the vegetation cover on the mounds, and the results indicated that with the succession, the grassland quality index increased significantly.
    Macrobenthos diversity in intertidal zone of Dazhuyu Island, Dongtou County of Zhejiang Province.
    2011, 30(04):  707-716. 
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    Investigations were made on the macrobenthos diversity in intertidal zone of Dazhuyu Island in April 2009 (spring), July 2009 (summer), October 2009 (autumn), and January 2010 (winter). A total of 125 macrobenthos species were collected, including 57 mollusca, 24 crustacea, 6 coelenterates, 6 other animals, and 32 macroalgae, accounting for 45.6%, 19.2%, 4.8%, 4.8%, and 25.6% of the total, respectively. The dominant species in high, mid, and low tidal zones were Nodilittorina exigua and Littorina brevicula, Tetraclita japonica and Septifer virgatus, and Hydroides sp., Sargassum thunbergii, and Lithophaga curta, respectively. The macrobenthos abundance was averagely 1637 ind·m-2, and the biomass was 2851.63g·m-2 on average. The Shannon index, Margalef index, and Pielou evenness index were 1.63, 3.36, and 0.35, respectively. There was a consistency between the results of hierarchical clustering and non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis. The abundance/biomass curve showed that the community structure of macrobenthos in the intertidal zone of Dazhuyu Island had been disturbed, but the community was relatively steady.
    Ontogeny in sexual dimorphism and female reproduction of rice frog Fejervarya limnocharis.
    2011, 30(04):  717-723. 
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    From late March to early July 2010, a total of 680 Fejervarya limnocharis individuals from a population in Fuyang of Zhejiang (East China) were collected to study the sexual dimorphism of the adults and juveniles in body size and other morphological traits. In the meantime, independent samples of adult females (n=29) were anatomized to examine the relationship between fecundity (clutch size) and maternal body size. Thirteen pairs of frogs were measured to examine the relationship of body size between paired individuals. Among the individuals collected, the smallest snout-urostyle length (SUL) of sexually matured females and males were 33 mm and 30 mm, respectively. Adult males (n=310) outnumbered adult females (n=219), whereas juvenile males (n=87) and females (n=64) did not differ significantly from equality. The increasing rates of head length, head width, fore-limb length, and hind-limb length with SUL did not differ between the sexes, whereas those of eye diameter and body mass increased with SUL differed between the sexes. The mean SUL was significantly greater for adult females than for adult males. When removing the influence of variation in SUL, we found that all other examined morphological traits except eye diameter were significantly greater for adult females than for adult males. In juveniles, the mean body mass was greater for females than for males of the same SUL, whereas other examined morphological traits all did not differ between the sexes. Clutch size was positively correlated with maternal SUL. In paired frogs, female SUL was not correlated with male SUL, and adult males were smaller than adult females. Such a pattern of sexual size dimorphism presumably resulted from the relatively weak driving force for increased body size in males and, on the other hand, from the relatively strong driving force for increased body size in females where there was a positive correlation between reproductive output and body size. Sexual dimorphism in body mass could be detected in juveniles, whereas other examined morphological traits were sexually dimorphic only in adults.
    Electroantennographic and behavioral responses of Dendroctonus armandi (Coleoptera: Ipidae) to host plant volatiles.
    2011, 30(04):  724-729. 
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    In order to screen attractive chemicals for trapping male and female Dendroctonus armandi, electroantennography and Y-tube olfactometer were used to test the electroantennographic (EAG) and behavioral responses of D. armandi adults to the main components of the volatiles from Pinus armandii. At the dosages 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10, and 100 μg, seven test chemicals at their proper dosages all induced clear EAG responses. At the dosage 10 μg, myrcene, (+)-3-carene, and β-caryophyllene all elicited the highest EAG values to both the female and the male D. armandi adults, and (+)-α-pinene and limonene elicited the highest EAG values to the male D. armandi adults. Also at the dosage 10 μg, (+)-α-pinene, β-pinene, and (+)-3-carene induced an obvious correct taxis response of the females, with the correct response percentages of the females being significantly higher (>72%) than those of the males. At the dosage 1 μg, only (+)-3-carene was attractive to the males. At the dosage 100 μg, (-)-α-pinene had definite repellent effect to the female and male D. armandi adults. This study could provide a basis for developing attractive chemicals to the D. armandi in P. armandii forest.
    Habitat selection of Lyrurus tetrix at its late wintering stage in Honghuaerji Nature Reserve, Inner Mongolia.
    2011, 30(04):  730-733. 
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    By the methods of fixed-spot observation, GPS positioning, plot sampling measurement, factor analysis, and χ2 test, an investigation was made in early March, 2006-2009 on the habitat selection of black grouse (Lyrurus tetrix) at its late wintering stage in Honghuaerji National Nature Reserve, Inner Mongolia. The key elements for the habitat selection were food and concealment. The habitat selection had two levels (macro-habitat and micro-habitat) and two processes (habitat type choice and habitat site choice). The habitat type choice had the characters of universality and particularity, with the Mongolian pine, blackberry-Mongolian pine, and white birch-Mongolian pine forests as the main objects (80.3%). As for habitat site choice, terrain factor and human disturbance factor were most important. The sites with low altitude (800-900 m), low gradient (<20°), mid and lower slope, and far away from village (>12 km), road (1-2 km), and forest edge (>600 m) were more preferred by the black grouse.
    Winter habitat selection of wild boar (Sus scrofa ussuricus) in Huangnihe Nature Reserve.
    2011, 30(04):  734-738. 
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    From November 2009 to January 2010, an investigation was conducted to study the winter time habitat selection of wild boar (Sus scrofa ussuricus) in Huangnihe Nature Reserve. Based on the biological characters of wild boar and the landform characteristics of Huangnihe Nature Reserve, 47 line transects were installed, and the ecological factors for the selection by wild boar, including altitude, slope position, aspect, slope gradient, vegetable type, crown density, tree height, tree diameter, food abundance, sheltering class, distance from water source, and distance from human disturbance, were investigated. In winter time, the wild boar in the reserve preferred the broadleaf forest and broadleaf-conifer mixed forest at altitude ≤1000 m and lower southern slope position, with high food abundance and sheltering class and normal crown density, near water source, and far away from human disturbance. Principal component analysis showed that the first 4 principal components of test habitat site variables explained 77.5% of the total variance. The primary factors determining the habitat selection of wild boar were altitude, slope gradient, and distance from human disturbance, and the secondary factors were tree diameter, sheltering class, and distance from water source.
    Community structure and its dynamics of planktonic ciliate in controlled low salinity enclosure environment.
    2011, 30(04):  739-746. 
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    In order to understand the effects of fertilization and water quality control on the planktons in farming waters, an investigation from June to October 2008 was made on the community structure and population dynamics of planktonic ciliate in controlled low salinity enclosure environment. Through living body observation and stained specimen observation, a total of 48 planktonic ciliate species were detected, belonging to 3 classes, 11 orders, and 37 genera, of which, 8 species were of Oligotrichida, 7 species were  peritrichida, and 6 species were of hypotrichida and scuticociliatida. The dominant species mostly enjoyed living in eutrophic water or were pollution-resistant species, e.g., Tintinnopsis cylindrata, Stranbidium globosaneum, Pleuronema marinum, Mesodinium pulex, Coleps hirtus, and Cyclidium citrullus, etc. Different fertilization treatments had significant effects on the community composition and population dynamics of planktonic ciliate. In investigation period, the highest species number of planktonic ciliate in the enclosure environment was averagely 9, and the lowest one was averagely 4. In the test 10 control enclosures, the highest density of planktonic ciliate was averagely 112.30 cells·ml-1, and the lowest one was averagely 19.50 cells·ml-1. The average species number and density of planktonic ciliate were 6-7 and 52.56 cells·ml-1, respectively. In the enclosures applied with organic fertilizer, the ciliates addicted to entrophic water were the dominant species. There was a close relationship between the population dynamics of planktonic ciliates and planktonic algae. Their densities were lower in early and late periods and higher in intermediate period, and the diversity of planktonic ciliates of early and late periods was lower intermediate period while that of planktonic algae was.
    Impacts of ocean acidification on the development of Pinctada martensii embryo and early larva.
    2011, 30(04):  747-751. 
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    This study examined the impacts of ocean acidification projected to occur by the year 2100 on the development of Pinctada martensii embryo and early larva. Artificially fertilized eggs were cultured in the seawater with pH 7.70 (acidified by CO2, acidified group) and pH 8.10 (control group). After treated for 8 h, no obvious difference was observed in the quantitative distribution of embryo in its different development stages between acidified group and control group. After 24 h, 16.6%±12.0% of the embryo in acidified group developed into D-shaped veliger larvae, and the percentage of teratogenic larvae was 48.2%±9.1%, as compared 44.8%±7.4% and 18.6%±11.5% in control group, respectively. After 48 h, 23.0%±9.6% of the embryo in acidified group developed into D-shaped veliger larvae, and the percentage of teratogenic larvae was 63.2%±14.1%, while the corresponding values in control group were 59.4%±13.0% and 26.6%±14.5%, respectively. Comparing with those in control group, the shell length and height of D-larvae in acidified group were obviously lesser, and the development of the larvae was much slower. This study indicated that ocean acidification in the future would give negative effects on the larval development of  calcifying marine organisms, such as P. martensii.
    Spatiotemporal distribution of nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria with related to environmental factors in Xiangshan Bay.
    2011, 30(04):  752-762. 
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    In July (summer) and October (autumn) 2007 and in January (winter) and April (spring) 2008, an investigation was made on the spatiotemporal distribution of nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria in the surface seawater, overlying water, and sediment in Xiangshan Bay. A cylindrical high-fidelity gravity sampler instead of conventional grab sampler was used for collecting samples, and principal component analysis and multivariate linear stepwise regression analysis were adopted to analyze the relationships between bacterial abundance and environmental parameters. The abundance of nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria in the water and sediment in July and October 2007 and in January and April 2008 ranged from 30×104-2.4×104 cells·ml-1 and 30×104-2.4×104 cells·g-1, with the mean values in surface water, overlying water, and sediment being 2.24×103 cells·ml-1, 3.61×103 cells·ml-1, and 6.45×103 cells·g-1, respectively for nitrifying bacteria, and 4.84×103 cells·ml-1, 5.31×103 cells·ml-1, and 3.12×103 cells·g-1, respectively for denitrifying bacteria. The abundance of nitrifying bacteria in surface seawater and overlying water was significantly higher in winter, compared to other three seasons, and that in sediment was higher in autumn and winter, compared to the other two seasons. For denitrifying bacteria, its abundance was higher in autumn and summer than in spring and winter. In investigation period, there was an apparent spatial distribution of nitrifying and denitrifying bacterial abundance in the Bay. Vertically, the abundance of denitrifying bacteria was higher in surface water than in overlying water and sediment, but that of nitrifying bacteria was in adverse; horizontally, the abundance of both nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria was significantly higher in the middle part of the Bay and in the junction of branch and main ports. Such a spatial distribution pattern of nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria in the Bay demonstrated that the coastal land pollution from human industrial and agricultural activities and mariculture played key roles. Multivariate statistical analysis demonstrated that nutrients N and P, dissolved oxygen, water temperature, salinity, organic pollution, and primary productivity were the main factors affecting the spatiotemporal distribution of nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria in Xiangshan Bay.
    Computation model for the relationship between environmental pollution and economic growth in Beijing.
    2011, 30(04):  763-770. 
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    Taking the discharge amount of main pollutants as the index of environmental pollution level, and with GDP per capita as the index of economic growth, this paper analyzed the relationship between these two indices in Beijing during 1992-2008, and established a computation model to approach the effects of economic growth in Beijing on the environmental quality of the city. The results showed that the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) could be used for describing the relationship between the GDP per capita and the discharge amount of main pollutants in Beijing during 1992-2008. At present, the discharge amount of the pollutants such as industrial wastes, industrial COD, oils, and industrial dusts, etc. in Beijing had a significant decreasing trend with the growth of GDP per capita, indicating that the discharge of major pollutants in the city had crossed the inflection point, possibly owing to the efficient environmental policy and huge environmental investment by the central and municipal governments. It was suggested that at the time of developing economy, it should be stressed to further adjust industrial structure, reduce industrial pollutants discharge, and strengthen the formulation and implementation of environmental management policies. Only by doing these, the economic growth and environmental quality in Beijing could be cooperatively and sustainably improved.
    Eutrophication in Zhoushan sea area: Spatiotemporal distribution and its relations with environmental factors.
    2011, 30(04):  771-777. 
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    Based on the survey data of Zhoushan sea area in spring (May) and summer (August) 2008, and by using modified nutrient status index in combining with the assessment method of potential eutrophication (N/P mass ratio), the eutrophication level of the sea area in spring and summer was assessed, with the spatiotemporal distribution of the eutrophication and the relationships between eutrophication index and environmental factors analyzed. Meanwhile, the assessment results of using nutrient status index and N/P mass ratio were compared. The results based on nutrient status index showed that the Zhoushan sea area had a lower eutrophication level, and the values of the eutrophication index at the stations surveyed were all lower than the thresholds of corresponding N/P mass ratios. The eutrophication level was higher in spring than in summer. The eutrophication index decreased from the alongshore to the open sea. In spring, the mean N/P mass ratio of the sea area was 17.35, being higher than Redfield value; in summer, this mass ratio was 56.34, with the characteristics of obvious imbalance in the nutrients ratio. The results based on N/P mass ratio indicated that spring could be the season of N-limited potential eutrophication, while summer could be the season of P-limited potential eutrophication. No significant correlations were observed between the eutrophication index and the water salinity, dissolved oxygen, and pH. The spatiotemporal distribution of the eutrophication in the sea area was mainly co-effected by the ground surface runoff, phytoplankton, and ocean current of open sea.
    Variation of soil labile organic carbon in different age Chinese fir plantations in south Jiangsu.
    2011, 30(04):  778-783. 
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    An investigation was made on the soil total organic carbon (TOC), water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC), readily oxidizable carbon (ROC), and their correlations with soil basic physicochemical properties in different age Chinese fir plantations in south Jiangsu. With the increasing age of the plantations, soil TOC content increased after an initial decrease, being the highest in over-mature stand and the lowest in middle-age stand. Soil WSOC and ROC contents had the same variation trend as soil TOC, and the WSOC/TOC and ROC/TOC ratios had no stable variation. There existed significant correlations between WSOC and ROC and among these two labile organic carbons and TOC, TN, and C/N, but no significant correlations between the labile organic carbons and soil total S, moisture content, pH, and bulk density. However, the correlations were not identical in the different age plantations. The soil organic carbon in different age Chinese fir plantations might play different roles in the carbon cycling of the forest ecosystem.
    Spatiotemporal variation of soil microbial biomass N under different vegetations along an altitude gradient in Wuyi Mountains of Southeast China.
    2011, 30(04):  784-789. 
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    In order to understand the spatiotemporal variation of soil microbial biomass N and its main controlling factors in subtropical forest regions in China, 0-10, 10-25, and 25-40 cm soil samples were collected from the evergreen broadleaf forest (EBF, 500 m a.s.l.), coniferous forest (CF, 1200 m a.s.l.), subalpine dwarf forest (DF, 1800 m a.s.l.), and alpine meadow (AM, 2100 m a.s.l.) along an altitude gradient in the Wuyi Mountains National Nature Reserve, Fujian Province from April 2006 to January 2007. With increasing altitude, the soil microbial biomass N increased significantly, being 106.7, 140.8, 254.9 and 355.8 mg·kg-1 in 0-10 cm soil layer under EBF, CF, SDF, and AM, respectively, and there was a significant difference (P<0.05)among different altitudes. Soil microbial biomass N was the highest in 0-10 cm layer, and decreased gradually with soil depth. In the four ecosystems, there was a consistent seasonal variation of soil microbial biomass N, i.e., the highest in winter, tended to decrease in spring, and the lowest in summer. Correlation analysis showed that in 0-10 cm soil layer, the main factors controlling the spatial variation of soil microbial biomass N along the altitude gradient were soil moisture, organic matter, and total N, while the main factors regulating the temporal variation of soil microbial biomass N were soil moisture and temperature.
    nifH gene diversity and community structure of soil nitrogen-fixing bacteria in Hulunbeier grassland, Inner Mongolia.
    2011, 30(04):  790-797. 
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    Polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and sequence analysis were adopted to assess the nifH gene diversity and community structure of soil nitrogen-fixing bacteria in five types of grassland (Filifolium sibiricum steppe, Stipa baicalensis steppe, Leymus chinensis steppe, S. grandis steppe, and S. kryrowi steppe) in Hulunbeier. The nifH gene diversity of nitrogen-fixing bacteria was the highest in L. chinensis steppe, followed by in S. kryrowi, S. grandis, S. baicalensis, and F. sibiricum steppes. The community composition of nitrogen-fixing bacteria differed significantly with grassland type. In L. chinensis steppe, the community composition of nitrogen-fixing bacteria had high similarity with that in S. grandis steppe, but the similarity among other three grassland types was lower than 60%. Phylogenetic analysis showed that most nitrogen-fixing bacteria were  Alpha-proteobacteria of Proteobacteria, belonging to Bradyrhizobium, Mesorhizobium, Rhodopseudomonas, and Azospirillum, respectively. In the 5 grassland types, free-living nitrogen-fixing bacteria and associative nitrogen-fixer were the major ecotypes in S. kryrowi steppe, while symbiotic nitrogen-fixer was the dominant ecotype in other four grassland types.
    Soil enzyme activities in Poyang Lake wetlands with typical hygrophilous vegetations.
    2011, 30(04):  798-803. 
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    An investigation was conducted on the surface (0-10 cm) soil nutrient contents and enzyme activities in the wetlands with typical hygrophilous vegetation communities in Poyang Lake. There existed distinct differences in the soil nutrient contents and enzyme activities among the wetlands. The contents of soil organic matter, total and available nitrogen, and total and available phosphorous were higher in the wetlands with Carex cinerascens community and Polygonum hydropiper community, but obviously lower in the wetland with Phragmites communis community. Also, in the wetlands with C. cinerascens community and P. hydropiper community, the activities of soil sucrase and proteinase were higher, and the soil urease and acidic phosphatase activities were the highest, which suggested that the transformation rates of soil carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus in the two wetlands were higher than those in the others. On the contrary, the wetlands with P. communis+Miscanthus sacchariflor community and P. communis community had the lowest activities of soil sucrase, proteinase, urease, and acidic phosphatase. Comparatively, soil polyphenol oxidase activity was the highest in the wetland with P. communis community, followed by in that with C. argi community, P. hydropiper community, C. cinerascens community, and Typha angustifolia community. Correlation analysis showed that there were no significant correlations between soil polyphenol oxidase activity and soil nutrient contents, but significant positive correlations were observed between the activities of soil sucrase, urease, proteinase, and acidic phosphatase and the contents of soil organic matter, total nitrogen, and available nitrogen, suggesting that the activities of these soil enzymes could indicate the evolution dynamics of soil quality in wetland.
    Assessment and spatial analysis of ecosystem service importance in karst area of Northwest Guangxi.
    2011, 30(04):  804-809. 
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    The assessment of ecosystem service importance is of significance for understanding the spatial distribution pattern of regional ecosystem services and carrying out ecosystem service regionalization. Based on the primary ecosystem services in Hechi of Northwest Guangxi, five basic ecosystem services (biodiversity protection, soil conservation, water resources conservation, rocky desertification control, and products supply) were selected, and an indices system was established by using analytic hierarchy process and multi-factor comprehensive evaluation. With the support of GIS technology, the importance and spatial distribution pattern of the five main ecosystem services were comprehensively assessed. In the study area, the importance of ecosystem services was at a higher level. About 25.2% and 33.4% of the total area had high and medium levels of ecosystem service importance, respectively. In the area, soil conservation and rock desertification control acted as the crucial functions in environmental protection, and the regions with these services were the key regions for ecological protection and restoration. The importance degree and spatial distribution pattern of biodiversity protection, water resources conservation, and products supply were also confirmed. This study could provide reasonable references for ecosystem management and ecological function regionalization in karst areas.
    Assessment of urban forest economic benefits based on i-Tree model: Research progress.
    2011, 30(04):  810-817. 
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    Urban forest provides numerous benefits in improving the environmental quality in and around urban areas. To quantify the ecosystem services of urban forest is an important prerequisite to make the maximum use of the services. With the advancement of research work, the methods for evaluation urban forest economic benefits have developed from CLTA method, Burnley method, carbon duty method, and reforestation cost method to model calculation method. In this paper, the i-Tree model developed by the USDA Forest Service in 2006 was introduced. Comparing with other models such as CITYgreen model, the i-Tree model has many irreplaceable advantages, and been widely used in international urban forest research but not in China. Here, the research and application progress of this model were described and evaluated from the aspects of the benefits quantified by the UFORE and STRATUM modules in the model, and, based on our domestic practices, the prospects and main questions in using this model in China were discussed.
    Green space pattern and ecosystem services value of the sub-regions in Beijing plain area.
    2011, 30(04):  818-823. 
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    Based on the urban development features and green space planning, the plain area of Beijing from the urban center to the fringe was divided into five sub-regions, i.e., central urban area, first green belt, extended urban region, second green belt, and fringe area. The land use pattern and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) were interpreted with multi-period remote sensing images, and on this basis, the ecosystem services values of the sub-regions in 1999 and 2007 were calculated. From 1999 to 2007, the total amount of ecosystem services value in the central urban area and first green belt had somewhat increase, but that in the whole plain area had a greater decrease. From the urban center to the fringe, the proportion of the ecosystem services contributed by farmland and orchard increased gradually. The 58.8% loss of the ecosystem services value of the whole plain area was due to the change of land use, mainly the construction land sprawling farmland and woody land. Another 41.2% loss was due to the degrading of landscape quality, mainly the degrading of agricultural landscape, especially in the fringe area. With the scarceness of present land resources and the increasing pressure of construction land enlargement, it would be a promising way to bring good quality farmland into green space planning and to improve the quality and ecosystem services of the farmland to enhance the overall ecosystem services of Beijing green space.
    Non-use value of wetland ecosystem in Beijing.
    2011, 30(04):  824-830. 
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    Non-use value is an inherent attribute of ecosystem. To scientifically and rationally evaluate this value is of significance in managing and properly allocating ecological resources. By adopting contingent valuation method (CVM) and via the investigation of habitants’ willingness to pay (WTP), this paper quantitatively evaluated the non-use value of wetland ecosystem in Beijing. Because of the socio-economic differences, Beijing was divided into two sub-regions, i.e., urban sub-region and suburb sub-region. According to the populations in the regions, 600 questionnaires in urban region and 300 questionnaires in suburb region were handed out in October 2008, and, by using modified random sampling model and taking family as a unit, the questionnaires fed back from the two sub-regions were analyzed respectively. As for the habitants in urban sub-region, the non-use value of the wetland ecosystem was 199 million Yuan per year; and for those in rural sub-region, the non-use value was 66 million Yuan per year. The analysis on the relationships between society features and WTP showed that habitants’ educational background and age were the main factors affecting the WTP, and monthly income had significant effects on the WTP in suburb sub-region but no significant effects in urban sub-region.
    Impacts of ambient noise on bird song and adaptation strategies of birds.
    2011, 30(04):  831-836. 
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    For the animals living in the areas with high level ambient noise, their call signals could be overlapped with the frequency, amplitude, and temporal characters of the noise, making the spread efficiency of the animals acoustic signals decreased. Birds mainly rely on their songs for communication. The lower level spread efficiency of their acoustic signal will impact their individual recognition, mate selection, territorial defense, population density, community structure, and so on. This paper summarized the impacts of ambient noise, including urban noise and natural noise, on bird song and the adaptation strategies of birds, pointed out the concerns of these impacts in urbanization, and prospected the possible hotspots in the future research.
    Remote sensing estimation models for land surface evapotranspiration and their applications in agricultural drought monitoring.
    2011, 30(04):  837-844. 
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    Evapotranspiration (ET) is the major process of Earth’s surface water and heat exchange, and has obvious spatial variation. The development and application of remote sensing technology make the regional estimation of ET realistic. This paper reviewed the research progress in the remote sensing regional ET estimation models, including single and two-layer models based on land surface energy balance, with the focus on the algorithm and characteristics of the Atmosphere-Land Exchange Inverse model (ALEXI) developed in recent years. To overcome the limitation of meteorological data, the ALEXI was coupled with Two-Source Energy Balance model (TSEB) and simplified atmospheric boundary layer model, and thereby, improved the estimation accuracy. Substantial studies showed that the ALEXI evaporative stress index (ESI) had strong capacity in regional drought monitoring. In order to give a better operational drought monitoring service, the combination of multi-source remote sensing data fusion technology, land surface data assimilation system, and remote sensing ET estimation models could be an important research field in the future.