Defoliation, nitrogen, and competition: effects on plant growth and resource allocation of Cleistogenes squarrosa and Artemisia frigida

Two species, Artemisia frigida Willd. (C-3, semishrub, and dominant on overgrazed sites) and Cleistogenes squarrosa (Trin.) Keng (C-4, perennial bunchgrass, and dominant or codominant on moderately grazed sites) were studied to determine the effects of defoliation, nitrogen (N) availability, competition, and their interactions on growth, biomass, and N allocation in a greenhouse experiment. The main treatments were: two nitrogen levels (NO = 0 mg N pot(-1), N1 = 60 mg N pot(-1)), two defoliation intensities (removing 60% of total aboveground biomass and no defoliation), and three competitive replacement series (monocultures of each species and mixtures at 0.5:0.5). Our results were inconsistent with our hypothesis on the adaptive mechanisms of A. frigida regarding the interactive effects of herbivory, N, and competition in determining its dominant position on overgrazed sites. Cleistogenes squarrosa will be replaced by A. frigida on over-grazed sites, although C. squarrosa had higher tolerance to defoliation than did A. frigida. Total biomass and N yield and N-15 recovery of C. squarrosa in mixed culture were consistently lower than in monocultures, whereas those of A. frigida grown in mixtures were consistently higher than in monocultures, suggesting higher competitive ability of A. frigida. Our results suggest that interspecific competitive ability may be of equal or greater importance than herbivory tolerance in determining herbivore-induced species replacement in semi-arid Inner Mongolian steppe. In addition, the dominance of A. frigida on overgrazed sites has been attributed to its ability to shift plant-plant interactions through (lap colonization, root niche differentiation, and higher resistance to water stress.

Energy Dissipation In Fracture Of Bulk Metallic Glasses Via Inherent Competition Between Local Softening And Quasi-Cleavage

Compression, tension and high-velocity plate impact experiments were performed on a typical tough Zr41.2Ti13.8Cu10Ni12.5Be22.5 (Vit 1) bulk metallic glass (BMG) over a wide range of strain rates from similar to 10(-4) to 10(6) s(-1). Surprisingly, fine dimples and periodic corrugations on a nanoscale were also observed on dynamic mode I fracture surfaces of this tough Vit 1. Taking a broad overview of the fracture patterning of specimens, we proposed a criterion to assess whether the fracture of BMGs is essentially brittle or plastic. If the curvature radius of the crack tip is greater than the critical wavelength of meniscus instability [F. Spaepen, Acta Metall. 23 615 (1975); A.S. Argon and M. Salama, Mater. Sci. Eng. 23 219 (1976)], microscale vein patterns and nanoscale dimples appear on crack surfaces. However, in the opposite case, the local quasi-cleavage/separation through local atomic clusters with local softening in the background ahead of the crack tip dominates, producing nanoscale periodic corrugations. At the atomic cluster level, energy dissipation in fracture of BMGs is, therefore, determined by two competing elementary processes, viz. conventional shear transformation zones (STZs) and envisioned tension transformation zones (TTZs) ahead of the crack tip. Finally, the mechanism for the formation of nanoscale periodic corrugation is quantitatively discussed by applying the present energy dissipation mechanism.

Inherent Shear-Dilatation Coexistence In Metallic Glass

Shear deformation can induce normal stress or hydrostatic stress in metallic glasses [ Nature Mater. 2 ( 2003) 449, Intermetallics 14 ( 2006) 1033]. We perform the bulk deformation of three-dimensional Cu46Zr54 metallic glass (MG) and Cu single crystal model systems using molecular dynamics simulation. The results indicate that hydrostatic stress can incur shear stress in MG, but not in crystal. The resultant pronounced asymmetry between tension and compression originates from this inherent shear-dilatation coexistence in MG.

Study of oscillatory behavior of recording process arising from electron-hole competition in strongly oxidized LiNbO3 : Ce : Cu

We have investigated ultraviolet (UV) photorefractive effect of lithium niobate doubly doped with Ce and Cu. It is found the diffraction efficiency shows oscillating behavior Under UV-1ight-recording. A model in which electrons and holes can be excited from impurity centers in the UV region is proposed to study the oscillatory behavior of the diffraction efficiency. Oil the basis of the material equations and the coupled-wave equations, we found that the oscillatory behavior is due to the oscillation of the relative spatial phase shift Phi. And the electron-hole competition may cause the oscillation of the relative spatial phase shift. A switch point from electron grating to hole grating is chosen to realize nonvolatile readout by a red light with high sensitivity (0.4 cm/J). (c) 2005 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Mode competition in acousto-optically Q-switched planar waveguide lasers

Multi-mode rate equations have been developed to investigate mode competition in high-power acousto-optically Q-switched planar waveguide lasers. The mode competition arises from coupling effects and temporal losses in the transform between guided modes and free-space propagation. Pulse-to-pulse instability and temporal beam distortions are enlarged by mode competition when the laser works in the multi-mode regime. The influence of parasitic oscillation is also discussed. A Nd:YAG planar waveguide laser has been established with a folded hybrid/unstable resonator. A maximum average power of 83 W with a beam propagation factor M-x(2) x M-y(2) = 1.2 x 1.4 is obtained. The theoretical simulation agrees well with the experimental observation. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

中国暖温带辽东栎林主要树种共存机制的研究

物种共存是植物群落生态学的一个重要问题。对物种共存的研究可以促进人们对生态系统结构与功能的认识，并为生物多样性保护及恢复提供理论指导。在本论文中，通过对辽东栎－棘皮桦林主要树种空间格局及空间关系、竞争作用和繁殖策略的研究，初步确定本地区辽东栎林主要树种共存的机制。 空间点格局分析表明辽东栎、棘皮桦和五角枫的幼苗、幼树和大树均呈聚集分布。辽东栎幼苗和幼树的分布与同种大树个体正相关，与棘皮桦的大树个体负相关，而与死树个体无显著的相关关系。这些结果说明种子散播和萌生繁殖过程影响辽东栎树木个体的空间格局。棘皮桦幼苗和幼树的分布在小的空间尺度上与同种活树和死树个体正相关，而与其它树种的活树及死树个体的分布呈负相关，说明萌生是该物种繁殖的一个重要途径。五角枫的幼苗和幼树呈聚集分布，并与同种大树个体的分布有关，说明其种子有限的散播范围影响其分布。辽东栎大树个体的分布与棘皮桦大树个体在小尺度上呈负相关，表明这两个树种之间可能存在竞争关系。 离散模型（the diffusion model）和生长动态模型（the growth dynamics model）分析表明在一些树种之间存在单向的种间竞争，例如，黄花柳对白桦和棘皮桦的竞争作用，棘皮桦对辽东栎，辽东栎对五角枫，和五角枫对山杨的竞争作用。这些单向竞争主要是林冠层的大树个体对林下层小个体的竞争。在这些树种中没有发现种内竞争。但是，各树种的生长率（G (t, x)）与生长率方差（ ）呈直线相关，而且样地中树木的死亡率较低，说明树种间的竞争强度很小。因此我们推测非对称的种间竞争在塑造该森林群落结构和物种共存过程中的作用不大。 五角枫、辽东栎、糠椴和山杨的幼苗和幼树在森林的林下层占优势，密度和出现频率均较高，可以形成稳定的幼苗库。五角枫、辽东栎和糠椴的幼苗大小级结构呈倒J形，山杨幼苗的大小结构呈单峰形。棘皮桦幼苗很少，但幼树相对较多，说明该树种可以形成幼树库。辽东栎幼苗在林窗中密度较大，而幼树的密度与林窗的出现与否无明显的相关关系，说明林窗的形成对新更新苗有显著影响，而林窗内的幼树可能是由林窗形成前已经建立的幼苗发展而来。林冠下的辽东栎幼苗多数为萌生起源，寿命较长，一旦上层大树死亡，可以迅速生长，进入林冠层。因此，林冠层下的幼苗库和林窗更新对辽东栎种群动态至关重要。五角枫幼苗和幼树的耐荫性或避荫性较强，可以形成巨大的长期存在的幼苗库和幼树库，以维持其种群的更新。糠椴和山杨的幼苗，主要起源于根的萌蘖。由于母树提供营养，幼苗生长速度较其它三个树种快。但它们对土壤湿度和营养的要求较高，这限制了它们很难占据其它生境。 虽然，在所研究的处于不同演替阶段的群落中，树种的组成有所不同，但辽东栎、大叶白腊和五角枫的幼苗均非常丰富，可以形成幼苗库。辽东栎的幼苗库大部分为萌生苗，而大叶白腊的幼苗库主要由实生苗构成。大叶白腊的幼苗种群中小个体丰富，它们生长速度很慢，在林下采取一种“坐－等”（sit-and-wait）的策略。在三个树种中，五角枫幼苗主枝的伸长生长率最高，而且生长率与幼苗的基径和生境的光照强度正相关。 通过以上研究，我们初步得出结论：竞争作用在研究的辽东栎－棘皮桦林主要树种共存中起的作用很小;形成稳定长久的幼苗库是这些树种的主要繁殖策略。因此，理解这些树种共存机制的关键在于这些树种幼苗库或幼树库的不同起源，及幼苗和幼树对生境因子的不同生态响应所创造的丰富的更新生态位。