Diet and feeding behavior of Rhinopithecus bieti at Xiaochangdu, Tibet: Adaptations to a marginal environment

The diet and feeding ecology of a wild subpopulation of black-and-white snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus bieti) were studied at Xiaochangdu in Honglaxueshan Nature Reserve, Tibet. This region is climatologically harsher than any other inhabited by non-human primates. Black-and-white snub-nosed monkeys fed on 48 parts of 25 plant species, at least three species of lichens and seven species of invertebrates. The number of food items exploited varied markedly among seasons, with dietary diversity being greatest in spring and summer. In winter, black-and-white snub-nosed monkeys had to subsist on fallback foods such as dried grass and bark. Ubiquitous lichens formed a major dietary constituent throughout the year, contributing about 75% of feeding records. Even though lichens act as a staple, our findings signify that the monkeys at Xiaochangdu prefer feeding on foliage, which is higher in protein content than the former. We provide evidence that black-and-white snub-nosed monkeys are able to cope with an array of food items other than lichens and hence can be regarded as feeding generalists. We discuss the results with reference to previous studies on other subpopulations living in habitats that are floristically more diverse and offer more plant food items than the marginal habitat at Xiaochangdu.

A method for individual identification of echolocation signals in free-ranging finless porpoises carrying data loggers

Echolocation click events of a free-ranging juvenile and an adult finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides) were recorded with an acoustic data logger. Additionally, dive depth and swim speed of the juvenile were recorded with a behavior data logger. Echoes of echolocation signals from the water surface were clearly detected in shallow dives approximately less than 2 m. The delay time between a surface echo and a direct signal corresponded with the two-way transmission time for the animal's depth, indicating that the signals originated from the animal wearing the data loggers. The finless porpoises produced echolocation signals frequently and were thought to be able to detect their depth by listening to echoes from the water surface. (C) 2000 Acoustical Society of America. [S0001-4966(00)01609-X].

Raman scattering from an individual tubular graphite cone

　

Electrical transport through individual DNA molecules

A theoretical model is presented to describe electrical transport through individual DNA molecules. By contacting the proposed model with the experimentally measured data, a variety of valuable quantities are identified. The partially decoherent nature on the guanine-cytosine (GC) pairs of DNA is also elaborated in contrast to the completely incoherent hopping mechanism discussed in the context of charge transfer experiments. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.

Random telegraph noise in the photoluminescence of individual GaxIn1-xAs quantum dots in GaAs

We have investigated random telegraph noise in the photoluminescence from InGaAs quantum dots in GaAs. Dots switching among two and three levels have been measured. The experiments show that the switching InGaAs dots behave very similarly to switching InP dots in GaInP. but differently from the more commonly investigated colloidal dots. The switching is attributed to defects, and we show that the switching can be used as a monitor of the defect.

Observation of the resonant Raman behavior of individual single-walled carbon nanotubes

The different resonant Raman scattering process of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) has been found between the Stokes and anti-Stokes sides of the radial breathing modes (RBMs), and this provides strong evidence that Raman spectra of some special diametric SWNTs are in resonance with their electronic transitions between the singularities in the one-dimensional electronic density of states in the valence and conduction bands, and other SWNTs axe beyond the resonant condition. Because of the coexistence of resonant and non-resonant Raman scattering processes for different diametric SWNTs, the relative intensity of each RBM does not reflect the proportion of a particular SWNT.

Mid-Holocene climate variations recorded by palaeolake in marginal area of east Asian monsoon: A multi-proxy study

IEECAS SKLLQG

Summer monsoon intensity controls C-4/C-3 plant abundance during the last 35 ka in the Chinese Loess Plateau: Carbon isotope evidence from bulk organic matter and individual leaf waxes

IEECAS SKLLQG

Changes in individual plant traits and biomass allocation in alpine meadow with elevation variation on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Plant traits and individual plant biomass allocation of 57 perennial herbaceous species, belonging to three common functional groups (forbs, grasses and sedges) at subalpine (3700 m ASL), alpine (4300 m ASL) and subnival (>= 5000 m ASL) sites were examined to test the hypothesis that at high altitudes, plants reduce the proportion of aboveground parts and allocate more biomass to belowground parts, especially storage organs, as altitude increases, so as to geminate and resist environmental stress. However, results indicate that some divergence in biomass allocation exists among organs. With increasing altitude, the mean fractions of total biomass allocated to aboveground parts decreased. The mean fractions of total biomass allocation to storage organs at the subalpine site (7%+/- 2% S.E.) were distinct from those at the alpine (23%+/- 6%) and subnival (21%+/- 6%) sites, while the proportions of green leaves at all altitudes remained almost constant. At 4300 m and 5000 m, the mean fractions of flower stems decreased by 45% and 41%, respectively, while fine roots increased by 86% and 102%, respectively. Specific leaf areas and leaf areas of forbs and grasses deceased with rising elevation, while sedges showed opposite trends. For all three functional groups, leaf area ratio and leaf area root mass ratio decreased, while fine root biomass increased at higher altitudes. Biomass allocation patterns of alpine plants were characterized by a reduction in aboveground reproductive organs and enlargement of fine roots, while the proportion of leaves remained stable. It was beneficial for high altitude plants to compensate carbon gain and nutrient uptake under low temperature and limited nutrients by stabilizing biomass investment to photosynthetic structures and increasing the absorption surface area of fine roots. In contrast to forbs and grasses that had high mycorrhizal infection, sedges had higher single leaf area and more root fraction, especially fine roots.

Individual dispersion of synthetic imogolite nanotubes via droplet evaporation

Morphology of synthetic imogolite nanotubes formed in droplet evaporation was investigated by transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction. The nanotubes form a dense entangled network at higher concentrations, while at lower concentrations the nanotubes are liable to form oriented bundles. Under enthanol atmosphere, individual dispersion of nanotubes was observed for the first time, which reveals the length polydispersity of synthetic imogolite nanotubes.