Productivity and persistence of perennial grass mixtures under competition from annual weeds in the alpine region of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

In the alpine region of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau four indigenous perennial grass species Bromus inermis (BI), Elymus sibiricus (ES), Elymus nutans (EN) and Agropyron cristatum (AC) were cultivated as three mixtures with different compositions and seeding rates, BI + EN, BI + ES + AC and BI + ES + EN + AC. From 1998 to 2001 there were three different weeding treatments: never weeded (CK); weeded on three occasions in the first year (1-y) and weeded on three occasions in both the first and second year (2-y) and their effect of grass combination and interactions on sward productivity and persistence was measured. Intense competitive interference by weedy annuals reduced dry matter (DM) yield of the swards. Grass combination significantly affected sward DM yields, leaf area index (LAI) and foliar canopy cover and also species composition DM and LAI, and species plant cover. Interaction between weeding treatments and grass combination was significant for sward DM yield, LAI and canopy cover, but not on species composition for DM, LAI or species plant cover. Grass mixture BI + ES + EN + AC gave the highest sward DM yield and LAI for both weeding and non-weeding treatments. Species ES and EN were competitively superior to the others. Annual weedy forbs must be controlled to obtain productive and stable mixtures of perennial grasses, and germination/emergence is the most important time for removal. Weeding three times (late May, late June and mid-July) in the establishment year is enough to maintain the production and persistence of perennial grass mixtures in the following growing seasons. Extra weeding three times in the second growing year makes only a slight improvement in productivity.

Influence of grazing intensity on performance of perennial grass mixtures in the alpine region of the Tibetan Plateau

Effects of grazing intensity on leaf photosynthetic rate (Pn), specific leaf area (SLA), individual tiller density, sward leaf area index (LAI), harvested herbage DM, and species composition in grass mixtures (Clinelymus nutans + Bromus inermis, Elymus nutans + Bromus inermis + Agropyron cristatum and Elymus nutans + Clinelymus nutans + Bromus inermis + Agropyron cristatum) were studied in the alpine region of the Tibetan Plateau. Four grazing intensities (GI), expressed as feed utilisation rates (UR) by Tibetan lambs were imposed as follows: (1) no grazing; (2) 30% UR as light grazing; (3) 50% UR as medium grazing; and (4) 70% UR as high grazing. Leaf Pn rate and tiller density of grasses increased (P < 0.05), while sward LAI and harvested herbage DM declined (P < 0.05) with the increments of GI, although no effect of GI on SLA was observed. With increasing GI, Elymus nutans and Clinelymus nutans increased but Bromus inermis and Agropyron cristatum decreased in swards, LAI and DM contribution. Whether being grazed or not, Elymus nutans + Clinelymus nutans + Bromus inermis + Agropyron cristatum was the most productive sward among the grass mixtures. Thus, two well-performed grass species (Elymus nutans and Clinelymus nutans) and the most productive mixture of four species should be investigated further as the new feed resources in the alpine grazing system of the Tibetan Plateau. Light grazing intensity of 30% UR was recommended for these grass mixtures when swards, LAI, herbage DM harvested, and species compatibility were taken into account.

蒙古国宗巴音凹陷沉积相研究及优质储层预测

Abstract:Little fundamental work on petroleum exploration and production of Zuunbayan Subbasin, Mongolia has been done before because of the backward economy and petroleum industry techniques in this country, which also results in our little knowledge of reservoir characteristics of this area. This paper focused on the sedimentary system, sedimentary facies, reservoir characteristics and their genesis distribution of Zuunbayan subbasin with various drilling, well logging, seismic, coring and outcrop data, aiming at providing significant guidances for the petroleum exploration and production of Zuunbayan area. Therefore, several conclusions have been achieved as follows: ①In Zuunbayan Subbasin, there are two chief source areas with Tarkhyata and Totoshan Uplifts in the southeast and Saykhandulaan Uplift in the west, respectively, while two subsidiary ones in the northeast and southwest of this subbasin. The sedimentary system of alluvial fan-fan delta is formed in the southeast highland, meanwhile braided river-braided river delta develops in the western ramp region and fan delta in the southern palaeohigh. ②There are middle to high permeability reservoirs in the upper Zuunbayan Formation and the upper member of lower Zuunbayan Formation meanwhile low-porosity and permeability to ultra-low permeability ones in Tsagaan Tsav Formation and the middle and lower members of lower Zuunbayan Formation. Combing with sedimentary facies belt, oil sources conditions and tectonic settings, favorable reservoir belts have been proved to be existing in the fan delta front reservoirs of lower Zuunbayan – Tsagaan Tsav Formation in the central uplift faulted zone as well as the braided river front ones of lower Zuunbayan-Tsagaan Tsav Formation in Zuunbayan nose anticlinal structural belts. ③The reservoir lithologic composition is complex and also related to volcanic activities. Generally, the types of lithologic composition in Zuunbayan Subbasin are chiefly feldspathic litharenites with low compositional maturity and high-middle textural maturity. The rock constituents from upper Cretaceous to lower Zuunbayan Formation are mainly metamorphic rocks including cleaving stone, phyllite, quartzite and schist while volcanic tuffs and acidic extrusive rocks are the secondary; and in the Tsagaan Tsav Formation are mainly volcanic tuffs with subsidiary cleaving stone, phyllite, quartzite and schist. ④In this paper, high-quality reservoirs in the upper member of lower Zuunbayan Formation have been discovered in the drilled high production wells of favorable reservoir facies through sedimentary system and sedimentary facies research, which benefits the prospect and also will bring a new life for petroleum exploration and production of Zuunbayan Subbasin. Key words: sedimentary system, sedimentary facies, superior quality reservoir, Zuunbayan Subbasin, lower Zuunbayan Formation

A Quantitative Study on Paleo—River Environment During Late Jurassic on yaojie Region,Minhe Basin

Fluvial Sedimentation of alluvial facies prevailed during the Late Jrassic in the Minhe Basin.On the basis of the study of sedimentary facies of the Upper Jurassic series.this paper focuses on the river types suing the "Architecture Element" analysis method proposed by Miall,and calculated all the quantitative parameters to reflect the characteristics of the stream channel geometry and hydrodynamic conditions of paleo-rivers with the equations of ethrideg,schumm et al.Finally,we discussed the characteristics of environmental evolution of palsorivers on the quantitative basis.Our conclusion indicates that the evolution of paleo-rivers during the Late Jurassic,from early to late,shows such a tendency as alluvial fan river→ braid river→alluvial fan river→mid-sinuoisty river→ high-sinuosity river.

Phase transformation in the surface region of zirconia detected by UV Raman spectroscopy

The phase transformation of zirconia from tetragonal to monoclinic is characterized by UV Raman spectroscopy, visible Raman spectroscopy, and XRD. Electronic absorption Of ZrO2 in the UV region makes UV Raman spectroscopy more sensitive at the surface region than XRD or visible Raman spectroscopy. Zirconia changes from the tetragonal phase to the monoclinic phase with calcination temperatures elevated and monoclinic phase is always detected first by UV Raman spectroscopy for the samples calcined at lower temperatures than that by XRD and visible Raman spectroscopy. When the phase of zirconia changes from tetragonal to monoclinic, the slight changes of the phase at very beginning can be detected by UV Raman spectroscopy. UV Raman spectra clearly indicate that the phase transition takes place initially at the surface regions. It is found that the phase change from tetragonal to monoclinic is significantly retarded when amorphous Zr(OH)(4) was agglomerated to bigger particles and the particle agglomeration of amorphous zirconium hydroxide is beneficial to the stabilization of t-ZrO2 phase.