Mangshan pitviper, Protobothrops mangshanensis （formerly Zhaoermia mangshanensis） is endemic to China. Unfortunately, due to the decreasing size of its wild populations, this snake has been listed as critically enda...Mangshan pitviper, Protobothrops mangshanensis （formerly Zhaoermia mangshanensis） is endemic to China. Unfortunately, due to the decreasing size of its wild populations, this snake has been listed as critically endangered. Re- search carried out on the Mangshan pitviper＇s population ecology and captive reproduction has revealed that the unique head patch patterns of different individuals may potentially be used as a noninvasive recognition biometric character. We collected head patch pattern images of 40 individuals of P. mangshanensis between 1994 and 2011. By comparing each pitviper＇s head patch pattern, we found that the head patch pattern of individual snakes was different and unique. Additionally, we observed and recorded the head patch pattern characters of four adults and five juveniles before and af- ter ecdysis. Our findings confirmed that head patch patterns of Mangshan pitvipers are unique and stable, remaining un- changed after ecdysis. Thus, individuals can be quickly identified by examining the head patch pattern within a specific recognition area on the head. This method may be useful for noninvasive individual recognition in many other species that display color patch pattern variations, especially in studies of endangered species where the use of invasive marking techniques is undesirable.展开更多
Water is the most critical factor for controlling die vegetation pattern in arid and semiarid regions.Using a dye-tracing experiment,we analyzed the infiltration pattern beneath shrub canopy and interspace grass patch...Water is the most critical factor for controlling die vegetation pattern in arid and semiarid regions.Using a dye-tracing experiment,we analyzed the infiltration pattern beneath shrub canopy and interspace grass patches in typical steppe ecosystems.The dye coverage,uniform infiltration depth,maximum infiltration depth,total stained area and heterogeneous infiltration stained area were measured by two indices,the maximum infiltration depth index(MIDI)and heterogeneous infiltration index(HII),which were calculated by processing dye-stained photos.The MIDI and HII of soil under shrubs were 1.41±0.14 and 0.29±0.068,respectively,and larger than those of grass soil,1.26±0.14 and0.20±0.076.Using the MIDI,HII,field soil moisture and rainfall data,the infiltration depth and heterogeneous infiltration amount for 26 nature rainfall events were calculated.The results imply that water can infiltrate to a deeper layer beneath shrub canopy than beneath grass patches and that more water infiltration occurs beneath shrub canopy than beneath grass patches.These results are of prime importance for arid and semiarid ecosystems with a limited water supply due to high evaporation and low precipitation.展开更多
In many arid ecosystems,vegetation frequently occurs in high-cover patches interspersed in a matrix of low plant cover.However,theoretical explanations for shrub patch pattern dynamics along climate gradients remain u...In many arid ecosystems,vegetation frequently occurs in high-cover patches interspersed in a matrix of low plant cover.However,theoretical explanations for shrub patch pattern dynamics along climate gradients remain unclear on a large scale.This context aimed to assess the variance of the Reaumuria soongorica patch structure along the precipitation gradient and the factors that affect patch structure formation in the middle and lower Heihe River Basin(HRB).Field investigations on vegetation patterns and heterogeneity in soil properties were conducted during 2014 and 2015.The results showed that patch height,size and plant-to-patch distance were smaller in high precipitation habitats than in low precipitation sites.Climate,soil and vegetation explained 82.5% of the variance in patch structure.Spatially,R.soongorica shifted from a clumped to a random pattern on the landscape towards the MAP gradient,and heterogeneity in the surface soil properties(the ratio of biological soil crust(BSC) to bare gravels(BG)) determined the R.soongorica population distribution pattern in the middle and lower HRB.A conceptual model,which integrated water availability and plant facilitation and competition effects,was revealed that R.soongorica changed from a flexible water use strategy in high precipitation regions to a consistent water use strategy in low precipitation areas.Our study provides a comprehensive quantification of the variance in shrub patch structure along a precipitation gradient and may improve our understanding of vegetation pattern dynamics in the Gobi Desert under future climate change.展开更多
Ring patch antennas have the characteristics of electrically small size as decreasing the width of the conducting portion compared to those of conventional patch antennas.In the ring patch antenna,using capacitive fee...Ring patch antennas have the characteristics of electrically small size as decreasing the width of the conducting portion compared to those of conventional patch antennas.In the ring patch antenna,using capacitive feed method is suitable for impedance matching.The effect of the size of the feed patch on the input impedance of the square ring patch antennas are analyzed and radiation patterns of the square ring patch antennas are compared to that of a square conventional patch antenna by the simulated results.展开更多
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31071946)the Wild Animal Conservation Fund of the State Forestry Administration of China (2011)the Provincial Natural Science Foundation of Hunan, China (No. 09JJ3030)
文摘Mangshan pitviper, Protobothrops mangshanensis （formerly Zhaoermia mangshanensis） is endemic to China. Unfortunately, due to the decreasing size of its wild populations, this snake has been listed as critically endangered. Re- search carried out on the Mangshan pitviper＇s population ecology and captive reproduction has revealed that the unique head patch patterns of different individuals may potentially be used as a noninvasive recognition biometric character. We collected head patch pattern images of 40 individuals of P. mangshanensis between 1994 and 2011. By comparing each pitviper＇s head patch pattern, we found that the head patch pattern of individual snakes was different and unique. Additionally, we observed and recorded the head patch pattern characters of four adults and five juveniles before and af- ter ecdysis. Our findings confirmed that head patch patterns of Mangshan pitvipers are unique and stable, remaining un- changed after ecdysis. Thus, individuals can be quickly identified by examining the head patch pattern within a specific recognition area on the head. This method may be useful for noninvasive individual recognition in many other species that display color patch pattern variations, especially in studies of endangered species where the use of invasive marking techniques is undesirable.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China （41025001, 41130640 ）We would like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their valuable and constructive comments. The authors also wish to thank the Shuai Guan-yuan and Sun Xiu-min for assistance in the field work.
文摘Water is the most critical factor for controlling die vegetation pattern in arid and semiarid regions.Using a dye-tracing experiment,we analyzed the infiltration pattern beneath shrub canopy and interspace grass patches in typical steppe ecosystems.The dye coverage,uniform infiltration depth,maximum infiltration depth,total stained area and heterogeneous infiltration stained area were measured by two indices,the maximum infiltration depth index(MIDI)and heterogeneous infiltration index(HII),which were calculated by processing dye-stained photos.The MIDI and HII of soil under shrubs were 1.41±0.14 and 0.29±0.068,respectively,and larger than those of grass soil,1.26±0.14 and0.20±0.076.Using the MIDI,HII,field soil moisture and rainfall data,the infiltration depth and heterogeneous infiltration amount for 26 nature rainfall events were calculated.The results imply that water can infiltrate to a deeper layer beneath shrub canopy than beneath grass patches and that more water infiltration occurs beneath shrub canopy than beneath grass patches.These results are of prime importance for arid and semiarid ecosystems with a limited water supply due to high evaporation and low precipitation.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.91425301,No.41730854The PCSIRT,No.IRT-15R06Scientific Research Starting Foundation for Doctors in Hebei GEO University,No.BQ2017003
文摘In many arid ecosystems,vegetation frequently occurs in high-cover patches interspersed in a matrix of low plant cover.However,theoretical explanations for shrub patch pattern dynamics along climate gradients remain unclear on a large scale.This context aimed to assess the variance of the Reaumuria soongorica patch structure along the precipitation gradient and the factors that affect patch structure formation in the middle and lower Heihe River Basin(HRB).Field investigations on vegetation patterns and heterogeneity in soil properties were conducted during 2014 and 2015.The results showed that patch height,size and plant-to-patch distance were smaller in high precipitation habitats than in low precipitation sites.Climate,soil and vegetation explained 82.5% of the variance in patch structure.Spatially,R.soongorica shifted from a clumped to a random pattern on the landscape towards the MAP gradient,and heterogeneity in the surface soil properties(the ratio of biological soil crust(BSC) to bare gravels(BG)) determined the R.soongorica population distribution pattern in the middle and lower HRB.A conceptual model,which integrated water availability and plant facilitation and competition effects,was revealed that R.soongorica changed from a flexible water use strategy in high precipitation regions to a consistent water use strategy in low precipitation areas.Our study provides a comprehensive quantification of the variance in shrub patch structure along a precipitation gradient and may improve our understanding of vegetation pattern dynamics in the Gobi Desert under future climate change.
文摘Ring patch antennas have the characteristics of electrically small size as decreasing the width of the conducting portion compared to those of conventional patch antennas.In the ring patch antenna,using capacitive feed method is suitable for impedance matching.The effect of the size of the feed patch on the input impedance of the square ring patch antennas are analyzed and radiation patterns of the square ring patch antennas are compared to that of a square conventional patch antenna by the simulated results.
