Badger (Taxidea taxus) disturbances increase soil heterogeneity in a degraded shrub-steppe ecosystem     

D.J. Eldridge  W.G. Whitford 《Journal of Arid Environments》2009,73(1):66-73

In the western United States, overgrazing, weed invasion and wildfire have resulted in the conversion of shrub-steppe to annual grasslands, with substantial effects on ecosystem function. In these landscapes, badgers disturb large areas of soil while foraging for fossorial animals. Mounds created by badgers contained the lowest concentrations of total carbon, nitrogen and sulphur, mineral nitrogen and mineralizable nitrogen, inter-mound soils had the highest concentrations, and excavation pits had intermediate levels. Soil C:N ratio and pH were greater, and electrical conductivity and soluble Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺ and K⁺ were lower on mound soils compared with either pit or inter-mound soils. Larger pits generally trapped more litter, and increased litter mass equated with greater concentrations of active carbon, but only at the burned sites. Older mounds supported more vascular plants and cryptogamic crusts. Our results demonstrate reduced levels of nutrients and a higher C:N ratio on the mounds compared with either the pits or inter-mounds. Alteration to the homogeneous post-fire landscape by badgers contributes to patchiness in soils and vegetation, which is critical to the functioning of arid systems. Given their effect on soil C:N ratios, mounds may be important sites for recovery of indigenous shrub-steppe plant species.  相似文献   

Editorial     

《Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Part A: Solid Earth and Geodesy》2000,25(2):107-109

  相似文献   

Uncertainty in marine weather routing     

《Applied Ocean Research》2019

Weather routing methods are essential for planning routes for commercial shipping and recreational craft. This paper provides a methodology for quantifying the significance of numerical error and performance model uncertainty on the predictions returned from a weather routing algorithm. The numerical error of the routing algorithm is estimated by solving the optimum path over different discretizations of the environment. The uncertainty associated with the performance model is linearly varied in order to quantify its significance. The methodology is applied to a sailing craft routing problem: the prediction of the voyaging time for an ethnographic voyaging canoe across long distance voyages in Polynesia. We find that the average numerical error is an order of magnitude smaller than the performance model uncertainty. These results illustrate the significance of considering the influence of numerical error and performance uncertainty when performing a weather routing study.  相似文献   

Energy balance for large thrust sheets and fault-bend folds     

《Journal of Structural Geology》1987,9(3):375-379

Thrust sheet movement over ramps requires energy because of the frictional resistance and deformation within the fault zone, fault-bend folding at the base and top of the ramp, and changes in the gravitational potential energy because of uplift. To model the energy usage, a kinematic model of a foreland thrust sheet is constructed assuming: (1) the ramp is planar and the flats are parallel to bedding; (2) the fault-bend folds are concentric; (3) thickness is preserved for beds that enter the folds parallel to the basal thrust fault and (4) cross-sectional area is preserved for rocks deformed by folding. Equations for the work done within the fault zone, and during uplift and fault-bend folding are derived by combining the kinematic model with stresses that increase in proportion to depth. The relative amounts of energy consumed by friction along the fault, uplift and fault-bend folding are estimated to be 2.7:1.0.25 for a ramp angle of 30°. The energy balance for the movement of large thrust sheets thus depends principally upon friction in the fault zone and changes in the gravitational energy.  相似文献   

High-pressure and ultrahigh-temperature metamorphism at Komateri, northern Madurai Block, southern India   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

Toshiaki Tsunogae  M. Santosh  Hiroyuki Ohyama  Kei Sato 《Journal of Asian Earth Sciences》2008,33(5-6):395-413

We report for the first time the evidence for prograde high-pressure (HP) metamorphism preceding a peak ultrahigh-temperature (UHT) event in the northernmost part of the Madurai Block in southern India. Mg–Al-rich Grt–Ged rocks from Komateri in Karur district contain poikiloblastic garnet with numerous multi-phase inclusions. Although most of the inclusion assemblages are composed of gedrite, quartz, and secondary biotite, rare staurolite + sapphirine and spinel + quartz are also present. The X_Mg (=Mg/[Fe+Mg]) of staurolite (0.45–0.49) is almost consistent with that reported previously from Namakkal district in the Palghat–Cauvery Shear Zone system (X_Mg = 0.51–0.52), north of the Madurai Block. The HP event was followed by peak UHT metamorphism at T = 880–1040 °C and P = 9.8–12.5 kbar as indicated by thermobarometric computations in the Grt–Ged rock and associated mafic granulite. Symplectic intergrowth of spinel (X_Mg = 0.50–0.59, ZnO < 1.7 wt.%) and quartz, a diagnostic indicator of UHT metamorphism, probably formed by decompression at UHT conditions. The rocks subsequently underwent retrograde metamorphism at T = 720–760 °C and P = 4.2–5.1 kbar. The P–T conditions and clockwise exhumation trajectory of the Komateri rocks, comparable to similar features recorded from the Palghat–Cauvery Shear Zone system, suggest that the Madurai Block and the Palghat–Cauvery Shear Zone system underwent similar HP and UHT metamorphic history probably related to the continent–continent collision during the final stage of amalgamation of Gondwana supercontinent.  相似文献   

Identifying spatial heterogeneity of coal resource quality in a multilayer coal deposit by multivariate geostatistics     

Mohamad Nur Heriawan  Katsuaki Koike   《International Journal of Coal Geology》2008,73(3-4):307-330

This study presents a new geostatistical approach to characterization of the geometry and quality of a multilayer coal deposit using the data of seam thickness as a geometric property and the contents of ash, sodium, total sulphur, and the heating value as quality properties. A coal deposit in East Kalimantan (Borneo), Indonesia, which has a synclinal geological structure, was chosen as the study site. Semivariogram analysis clarified the strong dependence of heating value on ash content in the top and bottom parts of each seam and the existence of a strong correlation with sodium content over the sub-seams in the same location. The correlations between the geometry and quality of the seams were generally weak. A linear coregionalization model was used to derive the spatial correlation coefficients of two variables at each scale component from the single- and cross-semivariogram matrices. Because the data were correlated spatially in the same seam or over different seams, multivariate techniques (ordinary cokriging and factorial cokriging) were mainly used and the resultant spatial estimates were compared to those derived using a univariate technique (ordinary kriging). A factorial cokriging was effective to decompose the spatial correlation structures with different scales. Another important characteristic was that the sodium content shows distinct segregation: the low zones are concentrated near the boundary of the sedimentary basin, while the high zones are concentrated in the central part. The main component of sodium originates from the abundance of saline water. Therefore, it can be inferred that seawater had stronger effects on the coal depositional process in the central basin than in the border part. The geostatistical modeling results suggest that the thicknesses of all the major seams were controlled by the syncline structure, while the coal qualities chiefly were originated from the coal depositional and diagenetic processes.  相似文献   

Mineralogy,textures, and whole-rock geochemistry of advanced argillic alteration: Hugo Dummett porphyry Cu–Au deposit,Oyu Tolgoi mineral district,Mongolia     

Bat-Erdene Khashgerel  Imants Kavalieris  Ken-ichiro Hayashi 《Mineralium Deposita》2008,43(8):913-932

Advanced argillic (AA) alteration is developed over a vertical interval of 500 m, above (and enclosing) Late Devonian quartz monzodiorite intrusions that accompany porphyry-style Cu–Au mineralization at the Hugo Dummett deposit. The AA alteration is mainly in basaltic rocks and locally extends into the overlying dacitic ash-flow tuff for about 100 m. The AA zone overprints porphyry-style quartz veins associated with quartz monzodiorite intrusions, but at least partly precedes high-grade porphyry-style bornite mineralization. Mineralogically, it consists of andalusite, corundum, residual quartz, titanium oxides, diaspore, alunite, aluminum phosphate-sulfate (APS) minerals, zunyite, pyrophyllite, topaz, kaolinite, and dickite, as well as anhydrite and gypsum, but is dominated by residual quartz and pyrophyllite. Alteration zonation is not apparent, except for an alunite-bearing zone that occurs approximately at the limit of strong quartz veining. Whole-rock geochemistry shows that the AA alteration removes most major elements except Si, Al, Ti, and P, and removes the trace elements Sc, Cs, and Rb. V, Zr, Hf, Nb, Ta, U, and Th are relatively immobile, whilst light REEs (La to Nd), Sr, Ba, and Ga can be enriched. Middle REEs (Sm to Gd) are moderately depleted; Y and heavy REEs (Tb to Lu) are strongly depleted except in two unusual samples where middle to heavy REEs are enriched.  相似文献   

The first Mesozoic palmetto beetle (Coleoptera: Smicripidae) in Upper Cretaceous Burmese amber     

《Cretaceous Research》2016

Fossil smicripid beetles are very rare. Here we describe and figure the first Mesozoic representative of Smicripidae. Smicrips cretacea sp. nov., a new species belonging to the extant Smicrips LeConte is preserved in the Upper Cretaceous amber from northern Myanmar. Our discovery suggests that Smicrips is an ancient group, originating at least in the earliest Late Cretaceous. Together with other two fossil Smicrips species from the Eocene of Europe, it reinforces the hypothesis that the Recent distribution of Smicripidae is relict, and the family was more widespread in the Mesozoic and early Cenozoic than it is in the Recent.  相似文献   

Scydmobisetia gen. nov., the first definite Glandulariini from Upper Cretaceous Burmese amber (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Scydmaeninae)     

《Cretaceous Research》2016

The Glandulariini (=Cyrtoscydmini) includes about 60 genera comprising over 70% of the extant species of Scydmaeninae. This successful group is today very common and abundant in forests of all continents. However, while extinct representatives of much smaller extant tribes, as Clidicini, Eutheiini and Cephenniini, were described from Cretaceous deposits, named genera and species of Glandulariini were so far known only from much younger Baltic, Sicilian and Dominican ambers. Here we report the first genus and species of definite Glandulariini from the Upper Cretaceous Burmese amber, Scydmobisetia vetutissima Jałoszyński and Yamamoto, gen. and sp. nov. Scydmobisetia is the first known glandulariine beetle with a pair of very long vertexal sensilla chaetica, previously not found in this tribe, but common among unrelated Staphylinidae. The new genus shows similarities to the extant genera Anthicimimus, Sciacharis, Spinosciacharis and Horaeomorphus, but S. vetutissima has protibial modifications typical of males of some extant species of Euconnus. We discuss the apparent disproportion in the oldest fossil record of various tribes of scydmaenines as a result of identification problems, and not the lack of known fossils.  相似文献   

Cretaceous amber inclusions of Spain and Myanmar demonstrate early diversification and wide dispersal of Cephenniitae (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Scydmaeninae)     

《Cretaceous Research》2016

The taxonomic status of previously misplaced species of an ant-like stone beetle from Spanish amber (Albian) is clarified. Specimens of Kachinus magnificus (originally placed as incertae sedis within Scydmaenitae) were re-examined and their characters were found different from those of the type species of Kachinus from Myanmar amber. Consequently, Archeutheia gen. nov. is proposed to accommodate the Spanish species, resulting in Archeutheia magnifica comb. nov. Moreover, in a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis Archeutheia was placed as a sister group to extant Eutheia, within the tribe Eutheiini of Cephenniitae. A specimen of an undetermined genus from Myanmar amber clearly belonging in Cephenniini is also recorded. Both taxa represent the first definite Cretaceous Cephenniitae, a supertribe whose recent members are distributed on all continents but are especially diverse in the Oriental and East Palaearctic regions. This finding demonstrates a diversification of two presently most species-rich tribes of Cephenniitae already in Early Cretaceous. Archeutheia is strikingly similar to the extant species of Eutheia and Veraphis, showing male dimorphic characters (modified protrochanters) and antennal cavities characteristic of Palaearctic Eutheiini. This fact suggests a long morphological stability in the supertribe. A previously proposed hypothesis of an early presence of the Cephenniitae in the Northern Hemisphere is for the first time supported by the fossil record, and the palaeolocalities (western Europe and Southeast Asia) demonstrate a wide distribution of Cephenniitae in the Cretaceous and an early split of its ancestral lineage.  相似文献