Graphidessa jinfoensis, a new species of longhorned beetle (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Lamiinae, Desmiphorini) from China

Graphidessa jinfoensis sp. nov. is described from Chongqing and Guizhou in Southwest China. The diagnostic morphological characters of the new species are described and illustrated in color plates. The distribution of all species of the genus Graphidessa Bates, 1884 is mapped and the key to all species of this genus is updated. The COI gene sequence of the new species is also provided

Tree seedling growth allocation of Castanopsis kawakamii is determined by seed-relative positions

Plants allocate growth to different organs as a strategy to obtain limiting resources in different environments. Tree seeds that fall from a mother tree settle on, within, or below the forest floor and litter layer, and their relative positions can determine seedling biomass and nutrient allocation and ultimately affect survival to the sapling stage. However, how emerged seedling biomass and nutrients of each organ are affected by seeds in different positions is not yet completely understood in subtropical forests. Therefore, an experiment was conducted with seeds positioned above the litter layers of different thicknesses, on the forest floor, and beneath the litter layer, and the influences of seed position on biomass allocation and nutrient use efficiency of emerged seedlings of Castanopsis kawakamii was examined. The aim of the study was to determine the optimal seed position to promote regeneration. Allocation strategies were well coordinated in the emerged seedlings from different seed positions. Seedlings from seeds positioned above litter layers of different thicknesses (~40 and 80 g of litter) allocated growth to leaf tissue at the expense of root tissue (lower root mass fraction) and increased nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) accumulation and nutrient use efficiency. Seedlings from seeds positioned beneath a deep litter layer allocated most growth to roots (high root: shoot ratio, root mass fraction) to capture available resources at the expense of leaf growth. Seedlings from seeds positioned on the forest floor allocated most growth to roots to obtain limiting resources. Further, we also found that these traits were clustered into three groups based on trait similarity, and the cumulative interpretation rate was 74.2%. Thus, seed relative positions significantly affected seedling growth by altering the allocation of resources to different organs. The different strategies indicated that root N:P ratios (entropy weight vector was 0.078) and P nutrient use efficiency were essential factors affecting seedling growth in the subtropical forest. Of the seed positions analyzed, beneath a moderate litter layer (~40 g of litter) was the most suitable position for the growth and survival of Castanopsis seedlings. In future studies, field and lab experiments will be combined to reveal the mechanisms underlying forest regeneration

Benefit versus cost trade-offs of masting across seed-to-seedling transition for a dominant subtropical forest species

Masting is a common reproductive strategy regulating seedling regeneration in many perennial plant species. The evolutionary origins and functional benefits of masting have been explained by well-supported hypotheses relating to economies of scale of seed production. Nevertheless, our understanding of the potential costs of masting for the plant seed-to-seedling transitions remains limited. We tracked the seed fate and documented changes in the seed spatial distribution patterns during the seed-to-seedling transition process of Castanopsis fargesii, a dominant species of subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests in China under natural conditions for more than 6 years. Masting resulted in a high proportion of seeds escaping predation by vertebrates and rodents, supporting the predator satiation hypothesis. However, it increased the pre-dispersal seed predation by insects, and decreased the seed germination rate due to a negative effect on seed mass. This resulted in seed-to-seedling transition rates during mast years to be roughly half as much as during non-mast years. In addition, masting negatively affected the spatial rearrangement of seeds, resulting in a spatial aggregative distribution pattern of newly germinated seedlings. The combined negative effects of smaller seeds and spatially aggregated seedlings reduced the survival rate of newly germinated seedlings at seedling establishment stage. Synthesis. Considering the whole seed-to-established seedling transition process, the benefits of masting on seedling recruitment due to the effective seed predator situation by vertebrates and rodents were decreased by the additional costs on seed mass, seed germination, seed spatial arrangement and seedling establishment. Our results highlight the importance of considering both the positive and negative effects of masting at each stage of the seed-to-seedling transition. Inferences based on seed predation and recruitment of newly germinated seedlings alone would lead to an overly optimistic conclusion about the benefits of masting. © 2021 British Ecological Societ

Does higher demand for medicinal plants lead to more harvest? Evidence from the dual trade of Nardostachy jatamansi and Fritillaria cirrhosa and Tibetan people’s harvesting behavior

IntroductionAs the demand for herbal medicines is surging worldwide, regions of medicinal plants are vulnerable to large-scale and unsustainable exploitation for commercial trade and use. Yet, we still lack the understanding about the relationship between indigenous people harvesting and trade practices of medicinal plants and their influencing factors for possible intervention measures.MethodsHere, we combined qualitative and quantitative methods to survey traders (N = 20) and local harvesters (N = 923) from nine Tibetan townships in Hongyuan county, Sichuan Province, on the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan plateau in China. Specifically, we elucidated the local value chain of medicinal plants trade and harvest of Nardostachy jatamansi and Fritillaria cirrhosa, and explored the factors influencing harvester’s willingness to harvest these plants. Furthermore, we empirically tested the constructs of the COM-B model (Capability, Opportunity, Motivation -Behavior) in predicting the sustainable harvesting behavior of medicinal plants.Results and DiscussionOur results revealed that the trade characteristics of N. jatamansi and F. cirrhosa were contrasting, and the sustainability of the former species was largely dependent on the latter one. Importantly, the traders’ practices were affected by the supply, while the harvesters’ willingness to harvest were mainly influenced by harvest incomes, past harvesting experience, and grassland tenure. Finally, though motivation was not directly affecting harvesting behavior, the harvesters’ ecological worldview indirectly affected their harvesting behavior, particularly through the mediation of the level of compliance of village rules and customs. Overall, our results provided crucial insights for the conservation and sustainable management of the valuable wild medicinal plants

The p.V37I Exclusive Genotype Of GJB2: A Genetic Risk-Indicator of Postnatal Permanent Childhood Hearing Impairment

Postnatal permanent childhood hearing impairment (PCHI) is frequent (0.25%–0.99%) and difficult to detect in the early stage, which may impede the speech, language and cognitive development of affected children. Genetic tests of common variants associated with postnatal PCHI in newborns may provide an efficient way to identify those at risk. In this study, we detected a strong association of the p.V37I exclusive genotype of GJB2 with postnatal PCHI in Chinese Hans (P = 1.4×10−10; OR 62.92, 95% CI 21.27–186.12). This common genotype in Eastern Asians was present in a substantial percentage (20%) of postnatal PCHI subjects, and its prevalence was significantly increased in normal-hearing newborns who failed at least one newborn hearing screen. Our results indicated that the p.V37I exclusive genotype of GJB2 may cause subclinical hearing impairment at birth and increases risk for postnatal PCHI. Genetic testing of GJB2 in East Asian newborns will facilitate prompt detection and intervention of postnatal PCHI

Vegetation Activity Trend and Its Relationship with Climate Change in the Three Gorges Area, China

Based on SPOT/VGT NDVI time series images from 1999 to 2009 in the Three Gorges Area (TGA), we detected vegetation activity and trends using two methods, the Mann-Kendall and Slope tests. The relationships between vegetation activity trends and annual average temperature and annual total precipitation were analyzed using observational data in seven typical meteorological stations. Vegetation activity presents a distinctive uptrend during the study period, especially in Fengjie, Yunyang, Wushan, Wuxi, and Badong counties located in the midstream of the Three Gorges Reservoir. However, in the Chongqing major area (CMA) and its surrounding areas and Fuling, Yichang, and part of Wanzhou, vegetation activity shows a decreasing trend as a result of urban expansion. The NDVI has two fluctuation troughs in 2004 and 2006. The annual mean temperature presents a slight overall upward trend, but the annual total precipitation does not present a significant trend. And they almost have no significant correlations with the NDVI. Therefore, temperature and precipitation are not major influences on vegetation activity change. Instead, increasing vegetation cover benefits from a number of environment protection policies and management, and ecological construction is a major factor resulting in the upward trend. In addition, resettlement schemes mitigate the impact of human activity on vegetation activity

Estimating the leaf area index of urban individual trees based on actual path length

The leaf area index (LAI) is an essential biophysical variable of trees and a crucial factor affecting the urban environment. Previous studies on LAI measurements mainly focused on continuous forests, which using the cosine of the observed zenith angle for path length correction is incompatible with individual trees, although individual trees are more common in urban areas. Therefore, we modified the Beer-Lambert law for individual trees and developed a new path length correction factor that considers crown shape and actual path length in this study. Based on the new path length correction factor, we proposed a systematic single-tree LAI estimation method using digital cover photography. Comparisons with measurements showed that the root mean square error (RMSE) and Pearson correlation coefficient (r) are 0.35 and 0.97, respectively. A Python scripted module was compiled to support automated processing of this method. Furthermore, we modeled single-tree crown transmissivity based on the new path length correction factor and provided a simple formula to calculate the transmissivity of the spherical crown using some common assumptions. This study offers a theoretical basis for measuring LAI and calculating the crown transmissivity of individual trees

Incomplete Information Management Using an Improved Belief Entropy in Dempster-Shafer Evidence Theory

Quantifying uncertainty is a hot topic for uncertain information processing in the framework of evidence theory, but there is limited research on belief entropy in the open world assumption. In this paper, an uncertainty measurement method that is based on Deng entropy, named Open Deng entropy (ODE), is proposed. In the open world assumption, the frame of discernment (FOD) may be incomplete, and ODE can reasonably and effectively quantify uncertain incomplete information. On the basis of Deng entropy, the ODE adopts the mass value of the empty set, the cardinality of FOD, and the natural constant e to construct a new uncertainty factor for modeling the uncertainty in the FOD. Numerical example shows that, in the closed world assumption, ODE can be degenerated to Deng entropy. An ODE-based information fusion method for sensor data fusion is proposed in uncertain environments. By applying it to the sensor data fusion experiment, the rationality and effectiveness of ODE and its application in uncertain information fusion are verified

Small hydropower development in China : Growing challenges and transition strategy

With the great successes in improving rural electrification and reducing poverty, China's small hydropower (SHP) development is expected to provide a good example for other developing countries. However, recently, nearly all new SHP development plans have been halted, and many plants have been urged to shut down or even be removed. The SHP industry in China is now in a dilemma. This paper presents a review of the status of SHP development in China and explores the challenges troubling this industry. It was revealed that SHP resources in many provinces have been intensively exploited, with an exploration rate over 0.80, while untapped resources are primarily located in remote western provinces, such as ecologically fragile Tibet. This intensive and disordered SHP development has caused serious dewatering of rivers and affected local agricultural and household water access, which arouses fierce controversy. Moreover, the role of SHP has been gradually weakened by the extension of power grids and diversified electricity sources. Therefore, the transition and upgrade of the SHP industry has become critical to enhance its sustainable development and to provide a solid example for the world. A divergence management strategy for SHP should be adopted to achieve low-impact development, as opposed to blind large-scale development or rigidly discontinuing all projects. Future transition strategies are proposed in this paper that include delicate management of existing plants and construction of new plants with higher standards, as well as pathways for the development benefits to be shared by a wider range of local residents.</p