Abundance and sizes of European oak species (Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl., Quercus robur L.) in dependence of neighborhood and environmental factors

Quercus robur L. (pedunculate oak) and Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl. (sessile oak) are two European oak species of great economic and ecological importance. Even though both oaks have wide ecological amplitudes of suitable growing conditions, forests dominated by oaks often fail to regenerate naturally. The regeneration performance of both oak species is assumed to be subject to a variety of variables that interact with one another in complex ways. The novel approach of this research was to study the effect of many ecological variables on the regeneration performance of both oak species together and identify key variables and interactions for different development stages of the oak regeneration on a large scale in the field. For this purpose, overstory and regeneration inventories were conducted in oak dominated forests throughout southern Germany and paired with data on browsing, soil, and light availability. The study was able to verify the assumption that the occurrence of oak regeneration depends on a set of variables and their interactions. Specifically, combinations of site and stand specific variables such as light availability, soil pH and iron content on the one hand, and basal area and species composition of the overstory on the other hand. Also browsing pressure was related to oak abundance. The results also show that the importance of variables and their combinations differs among the development stages of the regeneration. Light availability becomes more important during later development stages, whereas the number of oaks in the overstory is important during early development stages. We conclude that successful natural oak regeneration is more likely to be achieved on sites with lower fertility and requires constantly controlling overstory density. Initially sufficient mature oaks in the overstory should be ensured. In later stages, overstory density should be reduced continuously to meet the increasing light demand of oak seedlings and saplings.

Temperature dependence of CO2-enhanced primary production in the European Arctic Ocean

The Arctic Ocean is warming at two to three times the global rate and is perceived to be a bellwether for ocean acidification. Increased CO2 concentrations are expected to have a fertilization effect on marine autotrophs, and higher temperatures should lead to increased rates of planktonic primary production. Yet, simultaneous assessment of warming and increased CO2 on primary production in the Arctic has not been conducted. Here we test the expectation that CO2-enhanced gross primary production (GPP) may be temperature dependent, using data from several oceanographic cruises and experiments from both spring and summer in the European sector of the Arctic Ocean. Results confirm that CO2 enhances GPP (by a factor of up to ten) over a range of 145-2,099?µatm; however, the greatest effects are observed only at lower temperatures and are constrained by nutrient and light availability to the spring period. The temperature dependence of CO2-enhanced primary production has significant implications for metabolic balance in a warmer, CO2-enriched Arctic Ocean in the future. In particular, it indicates that a twofold increase in primary production during the spring is likely in the Arctic.

Formation energy of vacancies in FeCr alloys: Dependence on Cr concentration

A modified version of the concentration-dependent model (CDM) potential (A. Caro et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 95 (2005) 075702) [1] has been developed to study defects in Fe–Cr for different Crconcentrations. A comparison between this new potential and DFT results for a variety of point defect configurations is performed in order to test its reliability for radiation damage studies. The effect of Crconcentration on the vacancyformationenergy in Fe–Cr alloys is analyzed in detail. This study shows a linear dependence of the vacancyformationenergy on Crconcentration for values above 6% of Cr. However, the formationenergy deviates from the linear interpolation in the region below 6% Crconcentration. In order to understand this behavior, the influence of the relative positions between Cr atoms and vacant sites on the vacancyformationenergy has been studied.

Thickness dependence of critical temperature in Mo/Au bilayers

We report on the sensitivity of the superconducting critical temperature (TC) to layer thickness, as well as on TC reproducibility in Mo/Au bilayers. Resistivity measurements on samples with a fixed Au thickness (dAu) and Mo thickness (dMo) ranging from 50 to 250 nm, and with a fixed dMo and different dAu thickness are shown. Experimental data are discussed in the framework of Martinis model, whose application to samples with dAu above their coherence length is analysed in detail. Results show a good coupling between normal and superconducting layers and excellent TC reproducibility, allowing to accurately correlate Mo layer thickness and bilayer TC.

Determination of variable dependence information through abstract interpretation

Traditional schemes for abstract interpretation-based global analysis of logic programs generally focus on obtaining procedure argument mode and type information. Variable sharing information is often given only the attention needed to preserve the correctness of the analysis. However, such sharing information can be very useful. In particular, it can be used for predicting run-time goal independence, which can eliminate costly run-time checks in and-parallel execution. In this paper, a new algorithm for doing abstract interpretation in logic programs is described which infers the dependencies of the terms bound to program variables with increased precisión and at all points in the execution of the program, rather than just at a procedure level. Algorithms are presented for computing abstract entry and success substitutions which extensively keep track of variable aliasing and term dependence information. The algorithms are illustrated with examples.

Stopping power dependence of nitrogen sputtering yields in copper nitride films under swift-ion irradiation: Exciton model approach

Nitrogen sputtering yields as high as 104 atoms/ion, are obtained by irradiating N-rich-Cu3N films (N concentration: 33 ± 2 at.%) with Cu ions at energies in the range 10?42 MeV. The kinetics of N sputtering as a function of ion fluence is determined at several energies (stopping powers) for films deposited on both, glass and silicon substrates. The kinetic curves show that the amount of nitrogen release strongly increases with rising irradiation fluence up to reaching a saturation level at a low remaining nitrogen fraction (5?10%), in which no further nitrogen reduction is observed. The sputtering rate for nitrogen depletion is found to be independent of the substrate and to linearly increase with electronic stopping power (Se). A stopping power (Sth) threshold of ?3.5 keV/nm for nitrogen depletion has been estimated from extrapolation of the data. Experimental kinetic data have been analyzed within a bulk molecular recombination model. The microscopic mechanisms of the nitrogen depletion process are discussed in terms of a non-radiative exciton decay model. In particular, the estimated threshold is related to a minimum exciton density which is required to achieve efficient sputtering rates.

Stability of vacancy clusters in FeCr alloys: A study of the Cr concentration dependence

Fe–Cr based alloys are the leading structural material candidates in the design of next generation reactors due to their high resistance to swelling and corrosion. Despite these good properties there are others, such as embrittlement, which require a higher level of understanding in order to improve aspects such as safety or lifetime of the reactors. The addition of Cr improves the behavior of the steels under irradiation, but not in a monotonic way. Therefore, understanding the changes in the Fe–Cr based alloys microstructure induced by irradiation and the role played by the alloying element (Cr) is needed in order to predict the response of these materials under the extreme conditions they are going to support. In this work we perform a study of the effect of Cr concentration in a bcc Fe–Cr matrix on formation and binding energies of vacancy clusters up to 5 units. The dependence of the calculated formation and binding energy is investigated with two empirical interatomic potentials specially developed to study radiation damage in Fe–Cr alloys. Results are very similar for both potentials showing an increase of the defect stability with the cluster size and no real dependence on Cr concentration for the binding energy.

On the loading-rate dependence of the Al 7017-T73 fracture-initiation toughness

While static fracture toughness is a widely studied and standardised parameter, its dynamic counterpart has not been exhaustively examined. Therefore, in this research a series of quasi-static and different loading-rate dynamic tests were carried out to determine the evolution of fracture toughness with the velocity of the application of the load on aluminium 7017-T73 alloy. Three-point bending tests of pre-fatigued standard specimens (ASTM E399) at four loading-rates were carried out. The experiments were conducted by employing the subsequent apparatus ordered from lowest to highest load application velocity: a servo-hydraulic universal testing machine, a free-drop tower, a modified Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar and an explosive load testing device. In order to perform the dynamic fracture toughness tests, it was necessary to design and develop some experimental devices. The fracture-initiation toughness of the aluminium 7017-T73 alloy did not exhibit a significant variation for the studied cases. As a conclusion, the research showed that fracture-initiation toughness remained constant regardless of the velocity at which the load was applied.

Runup variability due to time dependence and stochasticity in the beach profiles: two extreme cases of the Spanish coast

Equations for extreme runup worked out from several experimental studies are compared. Infragraviatory oscillations dominate the swash in a dissipative state but not in intermediate - reflective states. Therefore two kinds of equation depending on either significant wave height, H-0, or the Iribarren number, xi(0), should be used. Through a sand bed physical model with a uniform sand bed slope, equations are proposed for both beach states, and results are compared with precedent field and physical model experiments. Once the equations are chosen, the time-longshore variability in a medium - long term time scale of the foreshore slope is evaluated in two extreme cases relating to the Spanish coast. The Salinas beach on the North coast (Bay of Biscay) displayed a permanent dissipative beach state with small variations in the beach foreshore slope both along the shore and in time, so foreshore slope deviations in a medium-long term period were irrelevant and extreme runup is predicted with the wave height worked out from the design return period. Peniscola beach on the East coast (Mediterranean sea) displayed an intermediate state. If only time variations are analysed, variations in determining extreme runup are irrelevant. In contrast, significant differences were found when the longshore variations were studied in this Mediterranean beach.

Negative density dependence and environmental heterogeneity effects on tree ferns across succession in a tropical montane forest.

Although tree ferns are an important component of temperate and tropical forests, very little is known about their ecology. Their peculiar biology (e.g., dispersal by spores and two-phase life cycle) makes it difficult to extrapolate current knowledge on the ecology of other tree species to tree ferns. In this paper, we studied the effects of negative density dependence (NDD) and environmental heterogeneity on populations of two abundant tree fern species, Cyathea caracasana and Alsophila engelii, and how these effects change across a successional gradient. Species patterns harbor information on processes such as competition that can be easily revealed using point pattern analysis techniques. However, its detection may be difficult due to the confounded effects of habitat heterogeneity. Here, we mapped three forest plots along a successional gradient in the montane forests of Southern Ecuador. We employed homogeneous and inhomogeneous K and pair correlation functions to quantify the change in the spatial pattern of different size classes and a case-control design to study associations between juvenile and adult tree ferns. Using spatial estimates of the biomass of four functional tree types (short- and long-lived pioneer, shade- and partial shade-tolerant) as covariates, we fitted heterogeneous Poisson models to the point pattern of juvenile and adult tree ferns and explored the existence of habitat dependencies on these patterns. Our study revealed NDD effects for C. caracasana and strong environmental filtering underlying the pattern of A. engelii. We found that adult and juvenile populations of both species responded differently to habitat heterogeneity and in most cases this heterogeneity was associated with the spatial distribution of biomass of the four functional tree types. These findings show the effectiveness of factoring out environmental heterogeneity to avoid confounding factors when studying NDD and demonstrate the usefulness of covariate maps derived from mapped communities.

Study of a-Si crystallization dependence on power and irradiation time using a CW green laser

An advantage of laser crystallization over conventional heating methods is its ability to limit rapid heating and cooling to thin surface layers. Laser energy is used to heat the a-Si thin film to change the microstructure to poly-Si. Thin film samples of a-Si were irradiated with a CW-green laser source. Laser irradiated spots were produced by using different laser powers and irradiation times. These parameters are identified as key variables in the crystallization process. The power threshold for crystallization is reduced as the irradiation time is increased. When this threshold is reached the crystalline fraction increases lineally with power for each irradiation time. The experimental results are analysed with the aid of a numerical thermal model and the presence of two crystallization mechanisms are observed: one due to melting and the other due to solid phase transformation.