Paradoxical evidence integration in rapid decision processes

Decisions about noisy stimuli require evidence integration over time. Traditionally, evidence integration and decision making are described as a one-stage process: a decision is made when evidence for the presence of a stimulus crosses a threshold. Here, we show that one-stage models cannot explain psychophysical experiments on feature fusion, where two visual stimuli are presented in rapid succession. Paradoxically, the second stimulus biases decisions more strongly than the first one, contrary to predictions of one-stage models and intuition. We present a two-stage model where sensory information is integrated and buffered before it is fed into a drift diffusion process. The model is tested in a series of psychophysical experiments and explains both accuracy and reaction time distributions. © 2012 Rüter et al.

Forecasting Daily Chlorophyll a Concentration during the Spring Phytoplankton Bloom Period in Xiangxi Bay of the Three-Gorges Reservoir by Means of a Recurrent Artificial Neural Network

A recurrent artificial neural network was used for 0-and 7-days-ahead forecasting of daily spring phytoplankton bloom dynamics in Xiangxi Bay of Three-Gorges Reservoir with meteorological, hydrological, and limnological parameters as input variables. Daily data from the depth of 0.5 m was used to train the model, and data from the depth of 2.0 m was used to validate the calibrated model. The trained model achieved reasonable accuracy in predicting the daily dynamics of chlorophyll a both in 0-and 7-days-ahead forecasting. In 0-day-ahead forecasting, the R-2 values of observed and predicted data were 0.85 for training and 0.89 for validating. In 7-days-ahead forecasting, the R-2 values of training and validating were 0.68 and 0.66, respectively. Sensitivity analysis indicated that most ecological relationships between chlorophyll a and input environmental variables in 0-and 7-days-ahead models were reasonable. In the 0-day model, Secchi depth, water temperature, and dissolved silicate were the most important factors influencing the daily dynamics of chlorophyll a. And in 7-days-ahead predicting model, chlorophyll a was sensitive to most environmental variables except water level, DO, and NH3N.

Temporal and Spatial Distributions of Rotifers in Xiangxi Bay of the Three Gorges Reservoir, China

From July 2003 to June 2005, investigations of rotifer temporal and spatial distributions were carried out in a bay of the Three Gorges Reservoir, Xiangxi Bay, which is the downstream segment of the Xiangxi River and the nearest bay to the Three Gorges Reservoir dam in Hubei Province, China. Thirteen sampling sites were selected. The results revealed a high species diversity, with 76 species, and 14 dominant species; i.e., Polyarthra vulgaris, Keratella cochlearis, Keratella valga, Synchaeta tremula, Synchaeta stylata, Trichocerca lophoessa, Trichocerca pusilla, Brachionus angularis, Brachionus calyciflorus, Brachionus forficula forficula, Ascomorpha ovalis, Conochilus unicornis, Ploesoma truncatum and Anuraeopsis fissa. After the first year of the reservoir impoundment, the rotifer community was dominated by ten species; one year later it was dominated by eight species. The community in 2003/2004 was dissimilar to that in 2004/2005, which resulted from the succession of the dominant species. The rotifer community exhibited a patchy distribution, with significant heterogeneity observed along the longitudinal axis. All rotifer communities could be divided into three groups, corresponding to the riverine, the transition and the lacustrine zone, respectively.

Spring Diatom Blooming Phases in a Representative Eutrophic Bay of the Three-Gorges Reservoir, China

We investigated dynamics of the phytoplankton community and abiotic factors in Xiangxi Bay of the Three-Gorge Reservoir, China, by daily sampling, a specific site during a spring algal bloom (February 23-April 28, 2005). Among the 76 taxa observed, Asterionella formosa and Cyclotella spp. were the dominants, accounting for 47.2% and 29.9% of the total abundance, respectively. We determined the five distinct developing phases of the bloom by analyzing the dissimilarity of physicochemical parameters. Simultaneously, six phytoplankton community groups were distinguished by TWINSPAN classifications. The pattern for algal community succession was similar to that for the bloom phase shift, and the structural complexity of communities significantly decreased over time. Water temperature and silicate were the main factors that related to the development of the bloom and the shifts of the phytoplankton community.

Microcystin-RR induces physiological stress and cell death in the cyanobacterium Aphanizomenon sp DC01 isolated from Lake Dianchi, China

The phytoplankton community in Lake Dianchi (Yunnan Province, Southwestern China) is dominated in April by a bloom of Aphanizomenon, that disappears Suddenly and is displaced by a Microcystis bloom in May. The reasons for the rapid bloom disappearance phenomenon and the temporal variability in the composition of phytoplankton assemblages are poorly understood. Cell growth, ultrastructure and physiological changes were examined in cultures of Aphanizomenon sp. DC01 isolated from Lake Dianchi exposed to different closes of rnicrocystin-RR (MC-RR) produced by the Microcystis bloom. MC-RR concentrations above 100 mu g L-1 markedly inhibited the pigment (chlorophyll-a, phycocyanin) synthesis and caused an increase of soluble carbohydrate and protein contents and nitrate reductase activity of toxin-treated blue-green algae. A drastic. reduction in photochemical efficiency of PSII (Fv/Fm) was also found. Morphological examinationn showed that the Aphanizomenon filaments disintegrated and file cells lysed gradually after 48 h Of toxin exposure. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that cellular inclusions of stressed cells almost leaked out completely and the cell membranes were grossly damaged. These findings demonstrate the allelopathic activity of Microcystis aeruginosa inducing physiological stress and cell death of Aphanizomenon sp. DC01 Although the active concentrations of microcystin were rather high, we propose that microcystin may function as allelopathic Substance due to inhomogeneous toxin concentrations close to Microcystis cells. Hence, it may play a role in species Succession of Aphanizomenon and Microcystis in Lake Dianchi.

In situ studies on physiological and biochemical responses of four fishes with different trophic levels to toxic cyanobacterial blooms in a large Chinese lake

Physiological and biochemical responses of four fishes with different trophic levels to toxic cyanobacterial blooms were studied in a large net cage in Meiliang Bay, a hypereutrophic region of Lake Taihu. We sampled four fishes: the phytoplanktivorous Hypophthalmichthys molitrix and Aristichthys nobilis, the omnivorous Carassius auratus, and the carnivorous Culter ilishaeformis. Alterations of the antioxidant (GSH) and the major antioxidant enzymes (CAT, SOD, GPx, GST) in livers were monitored monthly, and the ultrastructures of livers were compared between the bloom and post-bloom periods. During the cyanobacterial blooms, the phytoplanktivorous fishes displayed only slight ultrastructural changes in liver, while the carnivorous fish presented the most serious injury as swollen endomembrane system and morphologically altered nuclei in hepatocytes. Biochemically, the phytoplanktivorous fishes possessed higher basal GSH concentrations and better correlations between the major antioxidant enzymes in liver, which might be responsible for their powerful resistance to MCs. This article provided physiological and toxicological evidences for the possible succession of fish communities following occurrence of toxic cyanobacterial blooms and also for the applicability of using phytoplanktivorous fish to counteract toxic cyanobacterial blooms in natural waters. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modeling phytoplankton dynamics in the River Darling (Australia) using the radial basis function neural network

A radial basis function neural network was employed to model the abundance of cyanobacteria. The trained network could predict the populations of two bloom forming algal taxa with high accuracy, Nostocales spp. and Anabaena spp., in the River Darling, Australia. To elucidate the population dynamics for both Nostocales spp. and Anabaena spp., sensitivity analysis was performed with the following results. Total Kjeldahl nitrogen had a very strong influence on the abundance of the two algal taxa, electrical conductivity had a very strong negative relationship with the population of the two algal species, and flow was identified as one dominant factor influencing algal blooms after a scatter plot revealed that high flow could significantly reduce the algal biomass for both Nostocales spp. and Anabaena spp. Other variables such as turbidity, color, and pH were less important in determining the abundance and succession of the algal blooms.

Biological mechanisms driving the seasonal changes in the internal loading of phosphorus in shallow lakes

Because of the obvious importance of P as a nutrient that often accelerates growth of phytoplankton (including toxic cyanobacteria) and therefore worsens water quality, much interest has been devoted to P exchange across the sediment-water interface. Generally, the release mode of P from the sediment differed greatly between shallow and deep lakes, and much of the effort has been focused on iron and oxygen, and also on the relevant environmental factors, for example, turbulence and decomposition, but a large part of the P variation in shallow lakes remains unexplained. This paper reviews experimental and field studies on the mechanisms of P release from the sediment in the shallow temperate (in Europe) and subtropical (in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in China) lakes, and it is suggested that pH rather than DO might be more important in driving the seasonal dynamics of internal P loading in these shallow lakes, i.e., intense photosynthesis of phytoplankton increases pH of the lake water and thus may increase pH of the surface sediment, leading to enhanced release of P (especially iron-bound P) from the sediment. Based on the selective pump of P (but not N) from the sediment by algal blooms, it is concluded that photosynthesis which is closely related to eutrophication level is the driving force for the seasonal variation of internal P loading in shallow lakes. This is a new finding. Additionally, the selective pump of P from the sediment by algal blooms not only explains satisfactorily why both TP and PO4-P in the hypereutrophic Lake Donghu declined significantly since the mid-1980s when heavy cyanobacterial blooms were eliminated by the nontraditional biomanipulation (massive stocking of the filter-feeding silver and bighead carps), but also explains why TP in European lakes decreased remarkably in the spring clear-water phase with less phytoplankton during the seasonal succession of aquatic communities or when phytoplankton biomass was decreased by traditional biomanipulation. Compared with deep lakes, wax and wane of phytoplankton due to alternations in the ecosystem structure is also able to exert significant influences on the P exchange at the sediment-water interface in shallow lakes. In other words, biological activities are also able to drive P release from sediments, and such a static P release process is especially more prominent in eutrophic shallow lakes with dense phytoplankton.

Benthic algae of the Xiangxi River, China

From June 2000 to June 2002, four sites on the mainstem of the Xiangxi River and one site on each of its major tributaries were sampled 16 times each for benthic algae. All total, 223 taxa (most to species and variety levels) were found (193 Bacillariophyta, 20 Chlorophyta, nine Cyanophyta and one Xanthophyta). The diatoms Cocconeis placentula, Achnanthes linearis, and Diatoma vulgare dominated the system, with relative abundance of 33.3%, 18.8%, and 6.4%, respectively. The abundances of all the other taxa were under 5%, and 210 taxa collectively contributed less than 1% of the total abundance. Taxa diversity peaked in winter and reached a minimum in summer. Species richness varied considerably but was not significantly different over time. Maximum algal density occurred in later winter/spring (1.4 x 10(9) ind./m(2)) but was not significantly different from the minimum density, which occurred in August. Chlorophyll a showed similar seasonal fluctuation but also was not significantly different over time. Canonical correspondence analysis demonstrated that water hardness, depth, conductivity, and alkalinity had important influences on variation of epilithic algae in the Xiangxi River system.

Research progress on algae of the microbial crusts in and and semiarid regions

Microbial crusts are attracting much interest in view of their possible uses in environmental conservation and ecological restoration of the and and semiarid regions. Because algae play an irreplaceable important role in the early formation and the strengthening of microbial crusts, they are paid much more attention to than other cryptogams. In this paper, an overview of the current knowledge on the fine structure and development of microbial crust, focusing on the algal biomass, vertical distribution, succession, influential factors on algae, cohesion of soil stabilization, cementing mechanism for soil particles and the microalgal extracellular polymers is given, with particular emphasis on the authors' researches, and some prospects are put forward as well.

种子形态特征对植被恢复演替的影响

种子形态特征不仅表达了一定量较为稳定的遗传信息,而且与种子的生产、脱落、传播、贮备、萌发与定植等过程密切相关,从而影响植被的恢复与演替。本文分析了种子形态特征与种子生产的关系,及其对植物散布能力、种子库与萌发定植产生的影响,及进而又对植被更新、演替与分布的影响。认为目前关于植物种子的形态特征及其对地下土壤种子库与地上植被恢复演替的影响研究较少,且没有把种子形态、种子传播、土壤种子库及其持久性、种子萌芽对策有机地结合起来。因此,有必要把种子形态特征与植被演替的关系作为种子生态学、植物学、植被生态学的基础学科进行全面研究,以阐明研究区植物种子形态特征对土壤种子库的更新过程、速率、大小等的影响,及种子形态对环境干扰的适应性,进而为植被更新、恢复与调控提供生态依据。

土丘陵沟壑区植被恢复过程中的土壤抗蚀与细沟侵蚀演变

对黄土丘陵沟壑区安塞纸坊沟和县南沟、延安燕沟3个流域不同恢复年限的植物群落的土壤抗蚀性和侵蚀程度进行了研究。对12个土壤抗蚀性指标进行主成分分析表明,土壤抗蚀性(主成分综合指数)强弱为灌木群落阶段>多年生草本和蒿类群落阶段>一二年生草本群落阶段,与一二年生草本群落阶段相比,灌木群落阶段与多年生草本和蒿类群落阶段的土壤抗蚀性分别增加了362.29%～673.33%和574.71%～930.00%;野外调查结果分析表明,随着植被的恢复演替,土壤侵蚀量呈现明显的下降趋势,灌木群落阶段的土壤侵蚀量仅为演替初期的1.42%～5.59%;通过回归分析,土壤侵蚀量和水稳性团聚类因子,以及有机质含量之间分别存在极显著与显著相关关系,鉴于土壤分析的易获性,可选择>0.5mm水稳性团聚体与有机质含量作为反映土壤侵蚀程度的指标。

黄土高原地区植被生态修复策略与对策

根据近年来黄土高原地区实施植被生态修复的经验和黄土高原生态安全考察成果,论述植被生态修复的特点和功能,提出植被生态修复的核心内涵是将人为促进群落演替的人力与天然群落演替的自然力结合起来,实现区域生态系统整体恢复与局部快速恢复相结合的有效途径。黄土高原植被生态修复的目标是:区域内植物群落物种多样性平均增加10%~15%;地带性植被的代表种盖度在群落中占到20%~25%;植被总覆盖度75%~85%;水土流失强度有显著性减少。目前植被生态修复的关键问题是有关基础理论研究和技术措施积累不足,方法简单,效益不高。未来应采取正确生态修复思路,尽快解决生态修复中关键技术理论;科学规划,在典型地区黄龙森林区和安塞森林草原区建立示范点,实施综合的植被生态修复措施,建立法律保障体系,为黄土高原植被生态修复奠定基础。

长期施用氮、磷和有机肥对不同种植体系土壤有效硫累积的影响

以22年定位试验为基础,研究了长期施用氮、磷和有机肥(NPM)对不同种植体系土壤有效硫在剖面上分布与累积状况。结果表明,在60—80 cm土层各处理出现第一个累积峰,累积峰值为粮饲轮作31.3,玉米连作29.2,小麦连作27.9,粮豆轮作25.6,苜蓿连作24.0 mg/kg;在140—180 cm土层各处理又出现有效硫的第二个累积峰,累积峰值为粮饲轮作44.7,粮豆轮作43.1,小麦连作41.0,玉米连作39.7,苜蓿连作36.5 mg/kg。第二累积峰值均大于第一累积峰值。0—200 cm土层有效硫总累积量粮饲轮作高达746.3 kg/hm~2,其次为玉米连作640.6,粮豆轮作为638.3,小麦连作为622.4,苜蓿连作最小为557.3 kg/hm~2。长期施用磷肥和有机肥是有效硫在土壤中累积的主要因素,有效硫在土壤剖面上有向深层迁移的趋势。不同作物对硫的吸收利用差异和不同种植方式对有效硫的累积与分布产生影响。

黄土高原长期种植苜蓿对土壤硫、钙、镁的影响

以22年定位试验为基础,研究黄土高原长期种植紫花苜蓿(Medicago sativaL.)情况下土壤硫、钙、镁组分的变化。结果表明:长期施P使苜蓿连作耕层土壤总硫、有效硫、水溶性硫、吸附性硫、HCl可溶性硫、总无机硫和有机硫含量分别增加9.41%、62.41%、47.51%、30.07%、2.25%、5.38%和17.54%;长期施NPM使苜蓿连作耕层土壤总硫、有效硫、水溶性硫、吸附性硫、HCl可溶性硫、总无机硫和有机硫含量分别增加20.89%、98.31%、68.44%、57.34%、8.07%、12.54%和37.69%。长期施P使苜蓿连作耕层土壤全钙、有效钙、水溶态钙、交换态钙和酸溶态钙含量增加分别增加4.64%、4.27%、11.66%、4.05%和8.59%,但残余态钙含量降低2.21%;长期施NPM使苜蓿连作耕层土壤全钙、有效钙、水溶态钙、交换态钙和酸溶态钙含量增加分别增加8.69%、8.30%、51.59%、6.73%和27.77%,但残余态钙含量降低26.23%。长期施NPM使苜蓿连作耕层土壤全镁、有效镁、水溶态镁、交换态镁、酸溶态镁和残余态镁含量分别增加7.38%、61.98%、63.16%...