Habitat use by wintering Ruddy Shelduck at Lashihai Lake, Lijiang, China

Habitat use by wintering Ruddy Shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea) in Lijiang Lashihai Lake of southwest China was studied from 1 November 1999 to 29 April 2000. We divided habitats into five types-deep water, shallow water, mudflat, grassland and farmland. Shallow water and grassland, with rich food and easily accessible water, were preferred by wintering Ruddy Shelducks, Farmland was preferred in mid-winter but avoided in early winter and late winter. Even in mid-winter, the feeding Ruddy Shelduck on farmland were not equally distributed in fields and preferred wet fields (just irrigated) and avoided dry fields. In dry fields, the distances to water sources had great impact on the feeding distribution. Mudflats were only selected in later winter, coinciding with the growth of water-weeds. Deep-water areas were always avoided. Prohibition of human disturbance and retaining shallow water areas and grassland are important measures to mitigate conflict between Ruddy Sheldruck and local people.

Mitigation of lake eutrophication: Loosen nitrogen control and focus on phosphorus abatement

w Traditionally, nitrogen control is generally considered an important component of reducing lake eutrophication and cyanobacteria blooms. However, this viewpoint is refuted recently by researchers in China and North America. In the present paper, the traditional viewpoint of nitrogen control is pointed out to lack a scientific basis: the N/P hypothesis is just a subjective assumption; bottle bioassay experiments fail to simulate the natural process of nitrogen fixation. Our multi-year comparative research in more than 40 Yangtze lakes indicates that phosphorus is the key factor determining phytoplankton growth regardless of nitrogen concentrations and that total phytoplankton biomass is determined by total phosphorus and not by total nitrogen concentrations. These results imply that, in the field, nitrogen control will not decrease phytoplankton biomass. This finding is supported by a long-term whole-lake experiment from North America. These outcomes can be generalized in terms that a reduction in nitrogen loading may not decrease the biomass of total phytoplankton as it can stimulate blooms of nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria. To mitigate eutrophication, it is not nitrogen but phosphorus that should be reduced, unless nitrogen concentrations are too high to induce direct toxic impacts on human beings or other organisms. Finally, details are provided on how to reduce controls on nitrogen and how to mitigate eutrophication. (C) 2009 National Natural Science Foundation of China and Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier Limited and Science in China Press. All rights reserved.

High average power and short pulse duration continuous wave mode-locked Nd : GdVO4 laser with a semiconductor absorber mirror

Passive mode locking of a solid-state Nd:GdVO4 laser is demonstrated. The laser is mode locked by use of a semiconductor absorber mirror (SAM). A low Nd3+ doped Nd:GdVO4 crystal is used to mitigate the thermal lens effect of the laser crystal at a high pump power. The maximum average output power is up to 6.5 W, and the pulse duration is as short as 6.2 ps. The optic-to-optic conversion efficiency is 32.5% and the repetition rate is about 110 MHz.

滇杨(Populus yunnanensis)对增强紫外辐射、干旱和喷施脱落酸的生态生理响应

目前，随着全球气候变化的加剧，水分短缺更加明显。在干旱与半干旱地区，水分胁迫是影响植物存活和生长的主要限制因子。同时，随着大气平流层中臭氧浓度的减少，过量的紫外辐射(UV-B)到达地球表面，一些地区的植物不可避免地受到增强UV-B 和水分胁迫的共同作用。文献表明在UV-B 增强的情况下，干旱表现为减弱或增强UV-B 对植物的影响，这与种、品种有一定的相关性。另外，脱落酸(ABA)是近年来研究报道最多的信息调控物质，与植物抗旱性途径有较大的关系，但其对植株抗UV-B 的影响还有待于研究。本论文以滇杨(Populus yunnanensis)为模式植物，从形态和生理方面研究了增强UV-B、干旱和脱落酸对它的影响，并探讨了UV-B 与干旱的互作效应以及喷施脱落酸对植株抗旱性和抗UV-B 能力的影响。主要研究结果如下：1. 增强的UV-B 和干旱胁迫都影响了滇杨的形态生长和生理生化反应。它们都导致了滇杨植株的株高、基茎、整株叶面积、平均叶面积、总生物量和净光合速率的显著降低，使得叶片增厚，过氧化物酶(GPX)活性升高，脯氨酸和花色素苷含量增加，膜脂过氧化程度增大。不同的是干旱显著降低了植株叶片数目，增大了根/冠比(Rs)、细根/总根比(Ft)、提高了内源ABA 含量、碳同位素(δ13C)以及紫外吸收物质含量和超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)的活性，而UV-B 对它们没有影响。干旱与UV-B 的复合作用加剧了任一单独胁迫对植株的抑制，表现为更小的株高、基茎、整株叶面积、平均叶面积、总生物量，更低的光合作用和更高的MDA 含量。而且UV-B 辐射降低了干旱胁迫下生物量分配的可塑性，表现为降低了干旱情况下的Rs 和Ft，ABA 的含量也显著下降，复合胁迫下脯氨酸含量和过氧化氢酶(CAT)的活性比任一单独胁迫时都要低。这些实验结果表明，增强的UV-B 与干旱的复合胁迫加剧了对植株的抑制作用。II2. 干旱情况下同时施加外源ABA 提高了植株的根/冠比、细根/总根比和单位面积叶重，即提高了干旱胁迫下植株对生物量分配的可塑性。而且外源ABA 使干旱胁迫下的长期用水效率、ABA 含量、脯氨酸含量、GPX 活性进一步增加，并有效调节了活性氧代谢的平衡，抑制了受旱植株MDA 的增加。结果表明，外源ABA 的喷施提高了滇杨植株的抗旱性。3. 在增强的UV-B 情况下，外源ABA 加剧了UV-B 对滇杨形态生长的抑制效果，表现为进一步降低了滇杨植株的整株叶面积、平均叶面积、单位面积叶重和总生物量，而且ABA 还降低了UV-B 胁迫下的净光合速率和脯氨酸的含量，增大了MDA 的含量。通过以上的数据我们可以看出，外源ABA 虽然提高了滇杨植株的抗旱性，但却加剧了UV-B 胁迫对植株的抑制作用。Currently, drought is one of the most serious environmental stresses. In arid and semi-aridregions, drought is a major constraint imposed on tree survival and growth. The decrease ofozone layer leads to a significant increase in ultraviolet-B (UV-B, 280-320 nm) radiationreaching the earth surface. In some places, plants suffer both UV-B and water stresssimultaneously. Their combination will increase or decrease the sensitivity of plants to UV-Bstress which lies on the species. On the other hand, abscisic acid (ABA), as a plant homoneand growth regulator, is better for plants resistant to drought stress, but it is uncleared aboutthe relationship between exogenous ABA and supplemental UV-B. In the present study, weemployed Populus yunnanensis Dode as a model species to characterize the growth andecophysiological responses of woody plants to supplemental UV-B, drought and exogenous ABA. The results are as follows:1. Both supplemental UV-B and drought affected the morphological, physiological andbiochemical responses of P. yunnanensis. They decreased the plant height, basal diameter,total leaf area, average leaf area, biomass and photosynthesis, and increased specific leaf mass,the activity of guaiacol peroxidase (GPX), the content of proline, anthocyanins andmalondialdehyde (MDA). However, drought decreased the leaf number and increasedroot/shoot ratio, fine root/total ratio, the activity of superoxide dimutase (SOD) and thecontents of ABA, carbon isotope composition (δ13C), UV-absorbing compounds. Whilesupplemental UV-B had no effects on them. The combination of drought and UV-Baugmented the growth inhibtion acting as further lower plant height and smaller basaldiameter, leaf area, biomass and higher MDA content. And compared with drought stress,root/shoot ratio and fine root/total root ratio decreased under the combination stresses. The photosynthesis, proline content and Catalase (CAT) activity became lower under combinationstresses than that of either stress lonely. According to these results, we suggested that,compared with the effect of stress lonely, the combination of supplemental UV-B and droughtdid not mitigate the harmful effect, but augmented it.2. Under drought conditions, exogenous ABA increased root/shoot ratio, fine root/total rootratio and the specific leaf mass. That was to say exogenous ABA increased plant plasticityunder drought conditions. Also ABA content, proline content, activity of GPX and δ13C wereenhanced further. In addition the enhancement of MDA was restrained. So the resultssuggested that exogenous ABA increased the seedling capacity of resistance to drought.3. Under supplemental UV-B conditions, exogenous ABA augmented the growth restrain ofUV-B to seedlings, which acted as further decreased leaf area, specific leaf mass and biomass.Compared with UV-B stress alone, proline content and photosynthesis were decreased andMDA content was increased under the combination of UV-B and ABA. These resultssuggested that although exogenous ABA increased the seedling capacity of resistance todrought, it augmented the growth restrain of supplemental UV-B to P. yunnanensis.

Development of rRNA and rDNA-targeted probes for fluorescence in situ hybridization to detect Heterosigma akashiwo (Raphidophyceae)

Heterosigma akashiwo (Hada) is a fragile, fish-killing alga. Efforts to understand and prevent blooms due to this harmful species to mitigate the impact on aquaculture require the development of methods for rapid and precise identification and quantification, so that adequate warning of a harmful algal bloom may be given. Here, we report the development and application of rRNA and rDNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes for fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to aid in the detection and enumeration of H. akashiwo. The designed probes were species specific, showing no cross-reactivity with four common HAB causative species: Prorocentrum micans Ehrenberg, P. minimum (Pavillard) Schiller, Alexandrium tarmarense (Lebour) Balech, and Skeletonema costatum (Greville) Cleve, or with four other microalgae, including Gymnodinium sp. Stein, Platy-monas cordiformis (Karter) Korsch, Skeletonema sp.1 Greville and Skeletonema sp.2. The rRNA-targeted probe hybridized to cytoplasmic rRNA, showing strong green fluorescence throughout the whole cell, while cells labeled by rDNA-targeted probe exhibited exclusively fluorescent nucleus. The detection protocols were optimized and could be completed within an hour. For rRNA and rDNA probes, about a corresponding 80% and 70% of targeted cells could be identified and quantified during the whole growth circle, despite the inapparent variability in the average probe reactivity. The established FISH was proved promising for specific, rapid, precise, and quantitative detection of H. akashiwo. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An analysis of the recent severe storm surge disaster events in China

The economic loss caused by the storm surge disasters is much higher than that caused by any other marine disaster in China, the loss from the severe storm surge disaster being the highest. Statistics show that there were 62 typhoon landings over the east-southeast coast of China since 1990, three of which, occurring in 1992, 1994 and 1997, respectively, caused the most severe damage. The direct economic losses due to these events are 9.3, 17.0 and 30 billion yuan (RMB, or about 1.7, 2.6 and 3.8 billion USD, respectively), which is much greater than the loss of 5.5 billion yuan (RMB) on an average every year during the 1989-1991 period. This paper makes a comparative analysis of the damage caused by the three events and presents an overview of progress of precautions against storm surge disaster in China. The suggested counter measures to mitigate the loss from the severe storm surge disasters in China is as follows: (1) Raise the whole society awareness of precaution against severe storm surge disaster; (2) Work out a new plan for building sea walls; (3) Improve and perfect the available warning and disaster relief command system; (4) Develop the insurance service in order to promptly mitigate the loss caused by severe storm surge disaster event.

Experimental warming, not grazing, decreases rangeland quality on the Tibetan Plateau

We investigated experimental warming and simulated grazing ( clipping) effects on rangeland quality, as indicated by vegetation production and nutritive quality, in winter-grazed meadows and summer- grazed shrublands on the Tibetan Plateau, a rangeland system experiencing climatic and pastoral land use changes. Warming decreased total aboveground net primary productivity ( ANPP) by 40 g . m(-2) . yr(-1) at the meadow habitats and decreased palatable ANPP ( total ANPP minus non- palatable forb ANPP) by 10 g . m(-2) . yr(-1) at both habitats. The decreased production of the medicinal forb Gentiana straminea and the increased production of the non- palatable forb Stellera chamaejasme with warming also reduced rangeland quality. At the shrubland habitats, warming resulted in less digestible shrubs, whose foliage contains 25% digestible dry matter ( DDM), replacing more digestible graminoids, whose foliage contains 60% DDM. This shift from graminoids to shrubs not only results in lower- quality forage, but could also have important consequences for future domestic herd composition. Although warming extended the growing season in non- clipped plots, the reduced rangeland quality due to decreased vegetative production and nutritive quality will likely overwhelm the improved rangeland quality associated with an extended growing season.Grazing maintained or improved rangeland quality by increasing total ANPP by 20 - 40 g . m(-2) . yr(-1) with no effect on palatable ANPP. Grazing effects on forage nutritive quality, as measured by foliar nitrogen and carbon content and by shifts in plant group ANPP, resulted in improved forage quality. Grazing extended the growing season at both habitats, and it advanced the growing season at the meadows. Synergistic interactions between warming and grazing were present, such that grazing mediated the warming- induced declines in vegetation production and nutritive quality. Moreover, combined treatment effects were nonadditive, suggesting that we cannot predict the combined effect of global changes and human activities from single- factor studies.Our findings suggest that the rangelands on the Tibetan Plateau, and the pastoralists who depend on them, may be vulnerable to future climate changes. Grazing can mitigate the negative warming effects on rangeland quality. For example, grazing management may be an important tool to keep warming- induced shrub expansion in check. Moreover, flexible and opportunistic grazing management will be required in a warmer future.

末次盛冰期以来中国陆地生态系统碳储量变化研究

Carbon is an essential element for life, food and energy. It is also a key element in the greenhouse gases and therefore plays a vital role in climatic changes. The rapid increase in atmospheric concentration of CO_2 over the past 150 years, reaching current concentrations of about 370 ppmv, corresponds with combustion of fossii fuels since the beginning of the industrial age. Conversion of forested land to agricultural use has also redistributed carbon from plants and soils to the atmosphere. These human activities have significantly altered the global carbon cycle. Understanding the consequences of these activities in the coming decades is critical for formulating economic, energy, technology, trade, and security policies that will affect civilization for generations. Under the auspices of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP), several large international scientific efforts are focused on elucidating the various aspects of the global carbon cycle of the past decade. It is only possible to balance the global carbon cycle for the 1990s if there is net carbon uptake by terrestrial ecosystems of around 2 Pg C/a. There are now some independent, direct evidences for the existence of such a sink. Policymarkers involved in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UN-FCCC) are striving to reach consensuses on a 'safe path' for future emissions, the credible predictions on where and how long the terrestrial sink will either persist at its current level, or grow/decline in the future, are important to advice the policy process. The changes of terrestrial carbon storage depend not only on human activities, but also on biogeochemical and climatological processes and their interaction with the carbon cycles. In this thesis, the climate-induced changes and human-induced changes of carbon storage in China since the past 20,000 years are examined. Based on the data of the soil profiles investigated during China's Second National Soil Survey (1979-1989), the forest biomass measured during China's Fourth National Forest Resource Inventory (1989-1993), the grass biomass investigated during the First National Grassland Resource Survey (1980-1991), and the data collected from a collection of published literatures, the current terrestrial carbon storage in China is estimated to -144.1 Pg C, including -136.8 Pg C in soil and -7.3 Pg C in vegetation. The soil organic (SOC) and inorganic carbon (SIC) storage are -78.2 Pg C and -58.6 Pg C, respectively. In the vegetation reservoir, the forest carbon storage is -5.3 Pg C, and the other of-1.4 Pg C is in the grassland. Under the natural conditions, the SOC, SIC, forest and grassland carbon storage are -85.3 Pg C, -62.6 Pg C, -24.5 Pg C and -5.3 Pg C, respectively. Thus, -29.6 Pg C organic carbon has been lost due to land use with a decrease of -20.6%. At the same time, the SIC storage also has been decreased by -4.0 Pg C (-6.4%). These suggest that human activity has caused significant carbon loss in terrestrial carbon storage of China, especially in the forest ecosystem (-76% loss). Using the Paleocarbon Model (PCM) developed by Wu et al. in this paper, total terrestrial organic carbon storage in China in the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) was -114.8 Pg C, including -23.1 Pg C in vegetation and -86.7 Pg C in soil. At the Middle Holocene (MH), the vegetation, soil and total carbon were -37.3 Pg C, -93.9 Pg C and -136.0 Pg C, respectively. This implies a gain of-21.2 Pg C in the terrestrial carbon storage from LGM to HM mainly due to the temperature increase. However, a loss of-14.4 Pg C of terrestrial organic carbon occurred in China under the current condition (before 1850) compared with the MH time, mainly due to the precipitation decrease associated with the weakening of the Asian summer monsoon. These results also suggest that the terrestrial ecosystem in China has a substantial potential in the restoration of carbon storage. This might be expected to provide an efficient way to mitigate the greenhouse warming through land management practices. Assuming that half of the carbon loss in the degraded terrestrial ecosystem in current forest and grass areas are restored during the next 50 years or so, the terrestrial ecosystem in China may sequestrate -12.0 Pg of organic carbon from the atmosphere, which represents a considerable offset to the industry's CO2 emission. If the ' Anthropocene' Era will be another climate optimum like MH due to the greenhouse effect, the sequestration would be increased again by -4.3 - 9.0 Pg C in China.