Saguaro Distribution under Nurse Plants in Arizona's Sonoran Desert: Directional and Microclimate Influences*     

《The Professional geographer》2013,65(4):505-512

Abstract

The saguaro cactus, an icon of the American southwestern desert, defines the extent of the Sonoran Desert through portions of its range. Saguaros rely upon nurse plants for establishment and survival in the harsh temperature and moisture regime of the desert. Freezing temperatures limit the range of the saguaro to the north in Arizona. However, nurse plants extend the range of saguaros by providing more moderate conditions beneath their canopies. This study focuses on precisely these small, highly localized temperature variations, which, we suggest, are linked to regional-scale patterns of distribution of the species, particularly in marginal, cold-limited locales.

We sampled 291 saguaros over thirty populations in Arizona, in the northern portion of their range. Saguaros establish under the south side of their nurse's canopy in the coldest parts of their range more often than expected, while a significant distributional bias is not observed in those in warmer, more moderate plots. To further investigate air temperature as a possible factor in the directional bias of saguaro establishment, we collected microclimate data under the north and south sides of the canopies of two common nurse plants, Cercidium microphyllum (a tree) and Ambrosia deltoidea (a shrub) in Phoenix, Arizona. South sides of nurses have significantly higher minimum temperatures than do the north sides. Survivorship in the coldest areas appears to be greatest under the south side of a nurse's canopy, where warmer wintertime microclimatic conditions occur. We suggest that within-canopy microclimatic variability under a single nurse plant may be reflected in regional distributional and in the survivorship patterns of saguaros throughout Arizona.  相似文献   

Trading in the dark – The medicinal plants production network in Uttarakhand     

Tim Pauls  Martin Franz 《Singapore journal of tropical geography》2013,34(2):229-243

Medicinal plant cultivation and gathering can play a vital role in the course of livelihood diversification for the marginalized population living in remote areas. However, this requires an integration of the respective production networks that allows the producers a fair and reliable income and does not endanger rare plant species. This paper analyses the situation within the Indian state of Uttarakhand, and identifies structures and entities hindering medical plant cultivation and its potentials. Based on the broad network understanding of the Global Production Network approach, the case study focuses on the middlemen and their hidden embeddedness. It shows how governmental organizations and in particular non‐governmental organizations and farmers' institutions can help to overcome clandestine structures of illegal trade and contribute towards a redesign of the medicinal plant network in a more equitable and transparent way.  相似文献   

Ornamental plants and the production of nature(s) in the Spanish real estate boom and bust: the case of Alicante     

María Hernandez  Alfredo Morales 《Urban geography》2013,34(1):71-85

The Spanish real estate boom and bust of the 2000s caused immense economic, social, and environmental changes across the country. Massive urbanization, however, does not necessarily entail the end of nature and natural processes, instead marking a radical transformation of environments and societies. Through a political ecology approach, we analyze how ornamental species have become a fundamental part of new natures induced by urbanization in the Spanish province of Alicante. We connect the economic and ecological characteristics of ornamental plants like the palm tree to urbanization and real estate trends in Alicante. Our evidence indicates that, in Alicante, economic recession and environmental crises (manifested in the pests affecting palm trees) have mutually reinforced one other, creating a new geography of ecological desolation in many areas.  相似文献   

A SIMPLE SOIL MOISTURE INDEX TO FORECAST CROP YIELDS     

Scott A. Isard  Mark R. Welford  Steven E. Hollinger 《自然地理学》2013,34(6):524-538

Neutron probe soil moisture measurements obtained biweekly during the growing season between 1982 and 1991 from multiple depths under grass-covered plots at 17 Illinois Climate Network sites are used to forecast crop yields. A Soil Moisture Index (SMIX) that combines the effect of intensity, duration, and timing of drought or excessively wet conditions was computed by integrating the quantity of available soil moisture throughout the rooting zone over the growing season. Relationships between the SMIX values and crop yields are evaluated at county, regional, and statewide scales. Coefficients of determination (r ²) for relationships between the SMIX values and maize, soybeans, and hay yields at the statewide level are 0.88, 0.74, and 0.81, respectively, when the period of integration is terminated at the end of the growing season. This new soil index can be employed to forecast yields as early as 12 weeks before harvest for the state of Illinois. However, predictions with RMSE ≤ 10% of the mean yield can be achieved only for SMIX integration periods ending 5, 9, and 6 weeks before harvest for maize, soybeans, and hay, respectively. Nomograms are presented for using the relationships between the SMIX values and crop yields to forecast Illinois's major crops well before harvest.  相似文献   

基于SWAT模型的南四湖流域非点源氮磷污染模拟   总被引：7，自引：2，他引：5  

李爽  张祖陆  孙媛媛 《湖泊科学》2013,25(2):236-242

本文利用SWAT模型结合实测数据,对南四湖流域2001-2010年年均非点源氮磷污染进行模拟,分析了南四湖流域非点源氮磷负荷空间分布特征,计算各河流流域对南四湖湖区污染的贡献率,并对非点源氮磷污染严重的关键区进行识别.研究表明:(1)先模拟湖东和湖西的两个典型小流域的非点源氮磷污染,并将模型推及整个南四湖流域,该方法不仅提高了计算效率,且得到了较好的模拟结果.通过对比发现,湖东的模拟效果要好于湖西,一定程度上说明SWAT模型在起伏较大的地区能取得更高的精度.(2)南四湖流域非点源氮磷污染严重,几乎所有区域的氮负荷超标,40%以上的区域磷负荷超标严重.湖东非点源氮磷污染较湖西严重,其中洸府河流域是南四湖湖区非点源氮磷污染的主要贡献者.(3)通过对径流量、泥沙负荷、氮负荷、磷负荷的相关分析可以得出,南四湖流域非点源氮负荷以溶解态为主,随径流进入水体;非点源磷负荷以吸附态为主,随泥沙进入水体.  相似文献   

运用放射性水化学方法寻找隐伏铀矿体     

辛至秀 《国外铀金地质》2012,(2):92-98

着重介绍了放射性水化学方法寻找隐伏铀矿的过程：即,从找到放射性水化学异常点到放射性水化学异常晕,到初步评价和工程揭露。以放射性水化学找矿2个成果为例,说明放射性水化学方法是寻找隐伏铀矿的有效方法之一。  相似文献   

土壤溶解性有机质对植物吸收-输送-贮存重金属的影响研究现状与进展   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

沈亚婷 《岩矿测试》2012,31(4):571-575

土壤溶解性有机质对重金属生物地球化学循环中的生物可利用性起着重要作用。近年来,在土壤溶解性有机质对植物吸收、输送和贮存重金属过程的影响研究领域,国际上主要聚焦于以下三个探索方向:①土壤溶解性有机质与重金属形成配位体,改变重金属在土壤中的迁移性和植物根际环境的作用机理研究;②土壤溶解性有机质可突破植物细胞内重金属吸附点位的限制,通过控制植物细胞壁-重金属复合体的形态及重金属在细胞壁内外的吸收平衡,来干预重金属穿过细胞壁进入植物体的动力学过程研究;③土壤溶解性有机质-重金属的络合形态影响重金属在植物体内的输送和贮存作用过程与机理研究。本文基于研究溶解性有机质和重金属的植物过程中,水体溶解性有机质研究多而土壤溶解性有机质研究少的现状,针对溶解性有机质异质性的研究难点和溶解性有机质与植物亚细胞结构的配位特征的复杂性与局限性,从极性、官能团、配位结构等角度,分析并评述了土壤溶解性有机质和重金属生物地球化学中,植物吸收、输送和贮存重金属过程的研究现状和未来发展趋势。  相似文献   

欧美地下水有机污染调查评价进展   总被引：11，自引：0，他引：11  

刘菲  王苏明  陈鸿汉 《地质通报》2010,29(6):907-917

1999年中国地质调查局启动了第一个地下水有机污染调查项目,当时检测指标只有20个(包括11个挥发性有机污染物、8种有机氯农药和1种多环芳烃)。"十一五"的地下水有机污染调查必测项目包含了38项(挥发性指标28项、有机氯农药9项和1种多环芳烃),取得了地下水有机污染的基本资料。但从对国外文献的调研来看,地下水中有机污染的种类远远超过38种。为了更全面地掌握中国地下水的质量,有必要对不同地区或不同类型的地下水中典型的有机污染物的种类进行研究,为后续地下水有机污染调查的增项做准备。通过检索美国环保局(USEPA)、美国地质调查局(USGS)和欧盟(EU)近年来的地下水质量年度报告和相关文献,调研了地下水中典型有机污染物的类型,选出最常检出的有机污染物,形成最常检出的有机污染物的检出率排序表,列出了检出率高的前50个污染物的名单。  相似文献   

漓江水系汞的分布和污染研究   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

钱建平  张力  曹超  牛云飞  梁桂莲  江文莹  许明  江沙 《地球化学》2010,39(4):314-325

对漓江水系干流、支流、连体湖泊、较大的孤立湖塘和近岸水井设置40个采样点。水样采样周期为2个水文年,分枯水季和丰水季两次采样,现场测定水温、电导率、pH值等理化参数。系统采集水样112件、底泥样40件、水草样40件、近岸土壤样40件。底泥样用逐步浸提法进行不同形态汞分析。研究结果显示,干流河水、底泥和水草中汞的平均含量分别为0．12μg／L、0．20μg／g和0．032μg／g;主要支流河水、底泥和水草中汞的平均含量高于干流,分别为0．15—0．23μg／L、0．38～1．7μg／g和0．028—0．044μg／g。底泥中汞含量均高于近岸土壤汞含量。无论是干流还是支流,河水汞含量与底泥、水草汞含量有明显的相关关系。由上游至下游,漓江水系干流、主要支流河水样汞含量均不断增高,可高出源头河水汞含量的1．5—5倍。相应地指示重金属离子污染的参考指标——电导率值不断增高,河水的pH值亦逐渐增高。丰水期（5月至6月）河水中的汞含量（0．12—0．28μg／L）明显高于枯水期（9月至11月）河水中的汞含量（0．091—0．28μg／L）。不同断面河水汞含量均高于相应近岸井水汞含量。不同水体底泥中汞的形态分布一般顺序为：残渣态〉难氧化降解有机质结合态〉腐殖酸结合态〉碳酸盐和铁锰氧化物吸附态〉交换态〉易氧化降解有机质结合态〉水溶态。综合各项资料分析,认为漓江干流是桂林城市汞污染最大的汇。根据地表水环境质量标准（GB3838--2002）,仅汞而言,漓江水系均达到Ⅳ类水质标准（河水中汞含量≤1μg／L）。漓江支流汞污染高于干流,对干流存在较大的污染风险。  相似文献   

滇西惠民式铁矿找矿模型及预测   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

许东 《地质与勘探》2010,46(5):765-778

惠民铁矿产于双江陆缘弧带中元古代惠民岩组中部多旋回含铜铁火山-沉积建造中。每个小旋回底部由火山岩始,顶部至铁矿层终,构成明显的火山喷发-沉积韵律,铁矿层的大小、分叉、尖灭等,与火山岩的多寡、厚薄直接有关,受控于火山岩活动及其中心。将其厘定为云南省云县-澜沧一带区域性的中元古代海相火山-沉积型铁矿典型矿床-惠民式铁矿,并将与之成矿条件类似的双江-澜沧地区中元古代火山岩盆地作为惠民式铁矿的预测工作区,以MRAS定位定量方法,基于GIS矿产资源评价系统进行矿产预测,优选最小预测靶区13个,估算铁矿石资源量75亿吨,做为今后寻找与勘查该类型矿床的依据。  相似文献