From a tree to a stand in Finnish boreal forests : biomass estimation and comparison of methods

There is an increasing need to compare the results obtained with different methods of estimation of tree biomass in order to reduce the uncertainty in the assessment of forest biomass carbon. In this study, tree biomass was investigated in a 30-year-old Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) (Young-Stand) and a 130-year-old mixed Norway spruce (Picea abies)-Scots pine stand (Mature-Stand) located in southern Finland (61º50' N, 24º22' E). In particular, a comparison of the results of different estimation methods was conducted to assess the reliability and suitability of their applications. For the trees in Mature-Stand, annual stem biomass increment fluctuated following a sigmoid equation, and the fitting curves reached a maximum level (from about 1 kg/yr for understorey spruce to 7 kg/yr for dominant pine) when the trees were 100 years old. Tree biomass was estimated to be about 70 Mg/ha in Young-Stand and about 220 Mg/ha in Mature-Stand. In the region (58.00-62.13 ºN, 14-34 ºE, ≤ 300 m a.s.l.) surrounding the study stands, the tree biomass accumulation in Norway spruce and Scots pine stands followed a sigmoid equation with stand age, with a maximum of 230 Mg/ha at the age of 140 years. In Mature-Stand, lichen biomass on the trees was 1.63 Mg/ha with more than half of the biomass occurring on dead branches, and the standing crop of litter lichen on the ground was about 0.09 Mg/ha. There were substantial differences among the results estimated by different methods in the stands. These results imply that a possible estimation error should be taken into account when calculating tree biomass in a stand with an indirect approach.Erilaisten puuston biomassa-arviointimenetelmien vertailu on yhä tärkeämpää, jotta metsien biomassan hiilimäärää voidaan arvioida entistä luotettavammin. Tässä tutkimuksessa selvitettiin kahden eri-ikäisen havupuumetsikön puuston biomassa Etelä-Suomessa (61°50' N, 24°22' E). Nuorempi metsikkö oli 30-vuotiasta mäntymetsää (Pinus sylvestris) ja vanhempi metsikkö 130-vuotiasta mänty–kuusi (Picea abies) sekametsää. Tutkimuksessa keskityttiin erityisesti vertailemaan erilaisten arviointimenetelmien luotettavuutta ja soveltuvuutta. Vanhan metsikön runkobiomassan vuosittainen kasvu vaihteli sigmoidaalisen yhtälön mukaisesti. Sovitettu käyrä saavutti huipputason puiden ollessa satavuotiaita, jolloin aluskasvustona olevien kuusten biomassa kasvoi 1 kg/v ja valtapuuston muodostavien mäntyjen biomassa 7 kg/v. Nuoren metsikön puuston biomassaksi arvioitiin noin 70 Mg/ha ja vanhan metsikön puuston biomassaksi noin 220 Mg/ha. Tutkimusmetsiköitä ympäröivän alueen (58.00–61.13° N, 14–34° E, 300 m m.p.y.) havupuumetsiköiden puuston biomassakertymä seurasi sigmoidaalisesti metsikön ikää. Korkeimmillaan puustobiomassa oli 140-vuotiaissa metsiköissä 200 Mg/ha. Vanhassa tutkimusmetsikössä puilla kasvavan jäkälän biomassa oli 1.63 Mg/ha, josta yli puolet oli kuolleilla oksilla. Maassa karikkeella jäkälää kasvoi 0.09 Mg/ha. Vertailun mukaan erilaisilla arviointimenetelmillä saatujen biomassatulosten välillä saattaa olla huomattavia eroja. Sen vuoksi puuston biomassa-arviointimenetelmiä käytettäessä onkin syytä kiinnittää huomioita niiden soveltuvuuteen ja virhearviointiin

A Comprehensive Survey on Vector Database: Storage and Retrieval Technique, Challenge

A vector database is used to store high-dimensional data that cannot be characterized by traditional DBMS. Although there are not many articles describing existing or introducing new vector database architectures, the approximate nearest neighbor search problem behind vector databases has been studied for a long time, and considerable related algorithmic articles can be found in the literature. This article attempts to comprehensively review relevant algorithms to provide a general understanding of this booming research area. The basis of our framework categorises these studies by the approach of solving ANNS problem, respectively hash-based, tree-based, graph-based and quantization-based approaches. Then we present an overview of existing challenges for vector databases. Lastly, we sketch how vector databases can be combined with large language models and provide new possibilities

Variation of Oriental Oak (Quercus variabilis) Leaf δ13C across Temperate and Subtropical China: Spatial Patterns and Sensitivity to Precipitation

The concentration of the carbon-13 isotope (leaf δ13C) in leaves is negatively correlated with the mean annual precipitation (MAP) atlarge geographical scales. In this paper, we explain the spatial pattern of leaf δ13C variation for deciduous oriental oak (Quercus variabilis Bl.) across temperate and subtropical biomes and its sensitivity to climate factors such as MAP. There was a 6‰ variation in the leaf δ13C values of oak with a significant positive correlation with latitude and negative correlations with the mean annual temperature (MAT) and MAP. There was no correlation between leaf δ13C and altitude or longitude. Stepwise multiple regression analyses showed that leaf δ13C decreased 0.3‰ per 100 mm increase in MAP. MAP alone could account for 68% of the observed variation in leaf δ13C. These results can be used to improve predictions for plant responses to climate change and particularly lower rainfall

Balance control of grid currents for UPQC under unbalanced loads based on matching-ratio compensation algorithm

Abstract In three-phase four-wire systems, unbalanced loads can cause grid currents to be unbalanced, and this may cause the neutral point potential on the grid side to shift. The neutral point potential shift will worsen the control precision as well as the performance of the three-phase four-wire unified power quality conditioner (UPQC), and it also leads to unbalanced three-phase output voltage, even causing damage to electric equipment. To deal with unbalanced loads, this paper proposes a matching-ratio compensation algorithm (MCA) for the fundamental active component of load currents, and by employing this MCA, balanced three-phase grid currents can be realized under 100% unbalanced loads. The steady-state fluctuation and the transient drop of the DC bus voltage can also be restrained. This paper establishes the mathematical model of the UPQC, analyzes the mechanism of the DC bus voltage fluctuations, and elaborates the interaction between unbalanced grid currents and DC bus voltage fluctuations; two control strategies of UPQC under three-phase stationary coordinate based on the MCA are given, and finally, the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed control strategy are verified by experiment results

Decays of 1−+1^{-+} Charmoniumlike Hybrid

By extracting the transition amplitudes, we give the first lattice QCD prediction of the two-body decay partial widths of the $1^{-+}$ charmoniumlike hybrid $\eta_{c1}$. Given the calculated mass value $m_{\eta_{c1}}=4.329(36)$ GeV, the $\eta_{c1}$ decay is dominated by the open charm modes $D_1\bar{D}$, $D^*\bar{D}$ and $D^*\bar{D}^*$ with partial widths of $258(133)$ MeV, $88(18)$ MeV and $150(118)$ MeV, respectively. The coupling of $\eta_{c1}$ to $\chi_{c1}$ plus a flavor singlet pseudoscalar is not small, but $\chi_{c1}\eta$ decay is suppressed by the small $\eta-\eta'$ mixing angle. The partial width of $\eta_{c1}\to \eta_c\eta'$ is estimated to be around 1 MeV. We suggest experiments to search for $\eta_{c1}$ in the $P$-wave $D^*\bar{D}$ and $D^*\bar{D}^*$ systems. Especially, the polarization of $D^*\bar{D}^*$ can be used to distinguish the $1^{-+}$ product (total spin $S=1$) from $1^{--}$ products ($S=0$).Comment: 16 pages, 8 figure

Comparison of the nutrient resorption stoichiometry of Quercus variabilis Blume growing in two sites contrasting in soil phosphorus content

Key message Foliar phosphorus (P) resorption in Quercus variabilis Blume was significantly lower at a P-rich than at a P-deficient site. Moreover, P resorption strongly decreased, and nitrogen: phosphorus and carbon: phosphorus resorption ratios increased with soil P content. This demonstrates a strong link between foliar P resorption and P content in soils, and emphasizes the importance of P resorption in leaves of trees growing in soils with contrasted P content. Context Subtropical ecosystems are generally characterized by P-deficient soils. However, P-rich soils develop in phosphate rock areas. Aims We compared the patterns of nutrient resorption, in terms of ecological stoichiometry, for two sites naturally varying in soil P content. Methods The resorption efficiency (percentage of a nutrient recovered from senescing leaves) and proficiency (level to which nutrient concentration is reduced in senesced leaves) of 12 elements were determined in two oak (Q. variabilis) populations growing at a P-rich or a P-deficient site in subtropical China. Results P resorption efficiency dominated the intraspecific variation in nutrient resorption between the two sites. Q. variabilis exhibited a low P resorption at the P-rich site and a high P resorption at the P-deficient site. Both P resorption efficiency and proficiency strongly decreased with soil P content only and were positively related to the N:P and C:P ratios in green and senesced leaves. Moreover, resorption efficiency ratios of both N:P and C:P were positively associated with soil P. Conclusion These results revealed a strong link between P resorption and P stoichiometry in response to a P deficiency in the soil, and a single- and limiting-element control pattern of P resorption. Hence, these results provide new insights into the role of P resorption in plant adaptations to geologic variations of P in the subtropics.Peer reviewe

Influence of different sizes of concrete and roller compacted concrete on double-K fracture parameters

Affected by physical properties of various components, characteristics and stress states of junction surface and other multiple factors, concrete, as a kind of multi-phase composite material, has complicated failure mechanism, thus making its fracture mechanism research difficult. But concrete has been widely used in engineering construction, so research on concrete fracture theory is of important realistic significance and construction value. This study discusses influence rule of specimen size and crack-depth ratio (?0/h) on doubleK fracture parameters (initial fracture toughness ini ICK and unstable fracture toughness un ICK ) and its size effects by using fracture test. Different sizes of concretes and roller compacted concrete (RCC) specimens are adopted to explore influence of specimen size on concrete double-K fracture parameters. Results reveal that initial fracture toughness ini ICK and unstable fracture toughness un ICK increase as specimen size enlarges, showing a size effect; besides, subcritical crack extends with the increase of specimen size. With regard to specimens with different crack-depth ratios, its unstable fracture toughness un ICK is unrelated to initial crack-depth ratio when crack-depth ratio is more than or equal to 0.4, while initial fracture toughness ini ICK is correlated with initial crack-depth ratio, which indicate that double-K fracture parameters can be considered as material constants describing concrete initial fracture, stable expansion and whole process of stability failure

Effects of hypoxia on serum hepatic chemistries of Tibet chicken and Shouguang chicken

Hypoxia is a major factor that affects the subsistence and development of multicellular organisms. Tibet chicken, as a unique native chicken breed in altiplano, shows genetic adaptation to hypoxia comparing with the breeds at the low altitude. In the present study, to explore effects of hypoxia on chicken fetal livers, eggs of Tibet chicken and Shouguang chicken were collected and the samples from each breed were divided into two groups, incubated in hypoxia and in normoxia respectively. The blood of embryos on the 16th day of incubation was collected and the serum chemistry  parameters indicating liver metabolism were determined, which included glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (GPT), aspartate aminotransferase (GOT), total bilirubin (TB), direct bilirubin (DB), total bile acid (TBA), gamma glutamyltransferase (GGT), alkaline phosphatease (ALP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine kinase (CK), glucose and creatinine. The results show that biochemical indices varied significantly between hypoxia and normoxia except for GPT and glucose. Moreover, the concentration of ALP and LDH showed significant differences between the breeds and the incubations. The results suggest that the livers of both Shouguang chicken and Tibet chicken suffered damages in hypoxia, but the former was more serious. The results of this study support the opinion that Tibet chicken had better genetic adaptability on hypoxia, and made a good basis for further study of the genetic mechanism of adaptation to hypoxia.Key words: Hypoxia adaptation, liver metabolism, serum chemistry, Tibet chicken, chicken embryo