Effects of plateau zokors (Myospalax Fontanierii) on plant community and soil in an alpine meadow

Effects of plateau zokors (Myospalax fontanierii) on seasonal above- and belowground plant biomass, plant species diversity, and soil moisture and organic matter were examined at an alpine meadow site in Qinghai Province, People's Republic of China. Above- and belowground biomass increased significantly in areas where zokors were removed or burrow systems were abandoned for 5 years compared with areas that zokors had occupied for >10 years. Biomass of monocotyledons was reduced greatly, but biomass of nonpalatable dicotyledons increased significantly, in occupied areas. Diversity of dicotyledons, monocotyledons, and total plants in unoccupied areas was significantly greater than in occupied or abandoned areas. Vegetation cover and height in occupied areas were significantly less than in unoccupied and abandoned areas. No consistent effect by zokors on soil moisture and organic matter was observed.

Molecular phylogeny and biogeography of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau endemic Nannoglottis (Asteraceae)

All taxa endemic to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau are hypothesized to have originated in situ or from immediately adjacent areas because of the relatively recent formation of the plateau since the Pliocene, followed by the large-scaled biota extinction and recession caused by the Quaternary ice sheet. However, identification of specific progenitors remains difficult for some endemics, especially some endemic genera. Nannoglottis, with about eight species endemic to this region, is one such genus. Past taxonomic treatments have suggested its relationships with four different tribes of Asteraceae. We intend to identify the closest relatives of Nannoglottis by evaluating the level of monophyly, tribal delimitation, and systematic position of the genus by using molecular data from ndhF gene, trnL-F, and ITS region sequences. We find that all sampled species of Nannoglottis are a well-defined monophyly. This supports all recent taxonomic treatments of Nannoglottis, in which all sampled species were placed in one broadly re-circumscribed genus. Nannoglottis is most closely related to the Astereae, but stands as an isolated genus as the first diverging lineage of the tribe, without close relatives. A tentative relationship was suggested for Nannoglottis and the next lineage of the tribe was based on the ITS topology, the "basal group," which consists of seven genera from the Southern Hemisphere. Such a relationship is supported by some commonly shared plesiomorphic morphological characters. Despite the very early divergence of Nannoglottis in the Astereae, the tribe must be regarded to have its origin in Southern Hemisphere rather than in Asia, because based on all morphological, molecular, biogeographical, and fossil data, the Asteraceae and its major lineages (tribes) are supposed to have originated in the former area. Long-distance dispersal using Southeast Asia as a steppingstone from Southern Hemisphere to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is the most likely explanation for this unusual biogeographic link of Nannoglottis. The 23-32-million-year divergence time between Nannoglottis and the other Astereae estimated by DNA sequences predated the formation of the plateau. This estimation is further favored by the fossil record of the Asteraceae and the possible time of origin of the Astereae. Nannoglottis seems to have reached the Qinghai-Tibet area in the Oligocene-Eocene and then re-diversified with the uplift of the plateau. The molecular infragenetic phylogeny of the genus identifies two distinct clades, which reject the earlier infrageneric classification based on the arrangement of the involucral bracts and the length of the ligules, but agree well with the habits and ecological preferences of its current species. The "alpine shrub" vs. "coniferous forest" divergence within Nannoglottis was estimated at about 3.4 million years ago when the plateau began its first large-scale uplifting and the coniferous vegetation began to appear. Most of the current species at the "coniferous forest" clade of the genus are estimated to have originated from 1.02 to 1.94 million years ago, when the second and third uprisings of the plateau occurred, the climate oscillated and the habitats were strongly changed. The assumed evolution, speciation diversity, and radiation of Nannoglottis based on molecular phylogeny and divergence times agree well with the known geological and paleobotanical histories of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.

Social and ecological influences on dispersal and philopatry in the plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae)

Benefits and costs of dispersal and philopatry of the social plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae) were studied on the Tibetan plateau for 3 years. Although short-lived, plateau pikas live in cohesive family groups that occupy burrow systems in sedge meadow habitat Most (57.8%) plateau pikas were philopatric, and dispersal movements were extremely restricted. No juvenile females or adult pikas moved more than two family ranges between years; the greatest observed dispersal distances were by two juvenile males that moved five family ranges from the family of their birth. Traversing unfamiliar habitat was not a cost of pika dispersal because most dispersers settled in families that they could easily visit before dispersal. Dispersal movements appeared to result in equalization of density among pika families, an expected result if competition for environmental resources influenced dispersal. Males did not disperse to gain advantages in competition for mates, as evidenced by their moving to families with significantly fewer females. Females, however, moved to families with significantly more males. Males provide abundant paternal care, and significantly more offspring per female survived to become adults from families with more adult males per adult female. Evidence concerning the influence of inbreeding avoidance on natal dispersal was indirect. Some males exhibited natal philopatry; thus some families had opportunity for close inbreeding. Males and females that dispersed had no opposite-sex relatives in their new families. Philopatric pikas may have benefited by remaining in families that exhibited low local densities, and philopatric females might have benefited from social cooperation with relatives.

陆相砂泥岩层序的高精度检测方法研究及应用

Ordos Basin is a typical cratonic petroliferous basin with 40 oil-gas bearing bed sets. It is featured as stable multicycle sedimentation, gentle formation, and less structures. The reservoir beds in Upper Paleozoic and Mesozoicare are mainly low density, low permeability, strong lateral change, and strong vertical heterogeneous. The well-known Loess Plateau in the southern area and Maowusu Desert, Kubuqi Desert and Ordos Grasslands in the northern area cover the basin, so seismic data acquisition in this area is very difficult and the data often takes on inadequate precision, strong interference, low signal-noise ratio, and low resolution. Because of the complicated condition of the surface and the underground, it is very difficult to distinguish the thin beds and study the land facies high-resolution lithologic sequence stratigraphy according to routine seismic profile. Therefore, a method, which have clearly physical significance, based on advanced mathematical physics theory and algorithmic and can improve the precision of the detection on the thin sand-peat interbed configurations of land facies, is in demand to put forward.Generalized S Transform (GST) processing method provides a new method of phase space analysis for seismic data. Compared with wavelet transform, both of them have very good localization characteristics; however, directly related to the Fourier spectra, GST has clearer physical significance, moreover, GST adopts a technology to best approach seismic wavelets and transforms the seismic data into time-scale domain, and breaks through the limit of the fixed wavelet in S transform, so GST has extensive adaptability. Based on tracing the development of the ideas and theories from wavelet transform, S transform to GST, we studied how to improve the precision of the detection on the thin stratum by GST.Noise has strong influence on sequence detecting in GST, especially in the low signal-noise ratio data. We studied the distribution rule of colored noise in GST domain, and proposed a technology to distinguish the signal and noise in GST domain. We discussed two types of noises: white noise and red noise, in which noise satisfy statistical autoregression model. For these two model, the noise-signal detection technology based on GST all get good result. It proved that the GST domain noise-signal detection technology could be used to real seismic data, and could effectively avoid noise influence on seismic sequence detecting.On the seismic profile after GST processing, high amplitude energy intensive zone, schollen, strip and lentoid dead zone and disarray zone maybe represent specifically geologic meanings according to given geologic background. Using seismic sequence detection profile and combining other seismic interpretation technologies, we can elaborate depict the shape of palaeo-geomorphology, effectively estimate sand stretch, distinguish sedimentary facies, determine target area, and directly guide oil-gas exploration.In the lateral reservoir prediction in XF oilfield of Ordos Basin, it played very important role in the estimation of sand stretch that the study of palaeo-geomorphology of Triassic System and the partition of inner sequence of the stratum group. According to the high-resolution seismic profile after GST processing, we pointed out that the C8 Member of Yanchang Formation in DZ area and C8 Member in BM area are the same deposit. It provided the foundation for getting 430 million tons predicting reserves and unite building 3 million tons off-take potential.In tackling key problem study for SLG gas-field, according to the high-resolution seismic sequence profile, we determined that the deposit direction of H8 member is approximately N-S or NNE-SS W. Using the seismic sequence profile, combining with layer-level profile, we can interpret the shape of entrenched stream. The sunken lenticle indicates the high-energy stream channel, which has stronger hydropower. By this way we drew out three high-energy stream channels' outline, and determined the target areas for exploitation. Finding high-energy braided river by high-resolution sequence processing is the key technology in SLG area.In ZZ area, we studied the distribution of the main reservoir bed-S23, which is shallow delta thin sand bed, by GST processing. From the seismic sequence profile, we discovered that the schollen thick sand beds are only local distributed, and most of them are distributary channel sand and distributary bar deposit. Then we determined that the S23 sand deposit direction is NW-SE in west, N-S in central and NE-SW in east. The high detecting seismic sequence interpretation profiles have been tested by 14 wells, 2 wells mismatch and the coincidence rate is 85.7%. Based on the profiles we suggested 3 predicted wells, one well (Yu54) completed and the other two is still drilling. The completed on Is coincident with the forecastThe paper testified that GST is a effective technology to get high- resolution seismic sequence profile, compartmentalize deposit microfacies, confirm strike direction of sandstone and make sure of the distribution range of oil-gas bearing sandstone, and is the gordian technique for the exploration of lithologic gas-oil pool in complicated areas.

Pre-empting Plateau: the nature of topological transitions in foam

Hutzler, S., Weaire, D., Cox, S.J., Van der Net, A. and Janiaud, E. (2007) Pre-empting Plateau: the nature of topological transitions in foam. Europhys. Lett. 77: 28002 Sponsorship: EPSRC / ESA / ESTEC / Science Foundation Ireland/ Gulbenkian Foundation

Steady drainage in emulsions: corrections for surface Plateau borders and a model for high aqueous volume fraction

Peron, N., Cox, S.J., Hutzler, S. and Weaire, D. (2007) Steady drainage in emulsions: corrections for surface Plateau borders and a model for high aqueous volume fraction. The European Physical Journal E - Soft Matter. 22: 341-351. Sponsorship: This research was supported by the European Space Agency (14914/02/NL/SH, 14308/00/NL/SG) (AO-99-031) CCN 002 MAP Project AO-99-075) and Science Foundation Ireland (RFP 05/RFP/PHY0016). SJC acknowledges support from EPSRC (EP/D071127/1).