The construction of ϵ\epsilon-splitting map

For a geodesic ball with non-negative Ricci curvature and almost maximal volume, without using compactness argument, we construct an $\epsilon$-splitting map on a concentric geodesic ball with uniformly small radius. There are two new technical points in our proof. The first one is the way of finding $n$ directional points by induction and stratified almost Gou-Gu Theorem. The other one is the error estimates of projections, which guarantee the $n$ directional points we find really determine $n$ different directions.Comment: to appear in Calculus of Variations and Partial Differential Equation

Optimum design of new high strength electrodynamic shaker in broad work frequency range

The purpose of the present study is to improve the performance of conventional high strength electrodynamic shaker. With dual armature structure, the shaker can produce strong output force. But both experimental modal analyses and finite element analyses carried out in this study indicate the structure leads to undesirable hump in its work frequency range. Hence a new shaker with single-skeleton dual coils is proposed whose shape is further optimized. The optimization adopts auxiliary boundary shape method to simulate the skeleton boundary and targets at achieving minimum weight while satisfying the first order elastic natural frequency. Then the optimized shaker is put to frequency response analyses which indicate that while maintaining the high output force of conventional shaker, the new shaker eliminates steep hump in frequency response, expands work frequency range and reduces the influence of additional mass loading of the shaker on the test object. Hence it effectively solves the flaws of the conventional high strength electrodynamic shaker

Effects of experimental nitrogen additions on plant diversity in an old-growth tropical forest

Response of plant biodiversity to increased availability of nitrogen (N) has been investigated in temperate and boreal forests, which are typically N-limited, but little is known in tropical forests. We examined the effects of artificial N additions on plant diversity (species richness, density and cover) of the understory layer in an N saturated old-growth tropical forest in southern China to test the following hypothesis: N additions decrease plant diversity in N saturated tropical forests primarily from N-mediated changes in soil properties. Experimental additions of N were administered at the following levels from July 2003 to July 2008: no addition (Control); 50 kg N ha−1 yr−1 (Low-N); 100 kg N ha−1 yr−1 (Medium-N), and 150 kg N ha−1 yr−1 (High-N). Results showed that no understory species exhibited positive growth response to any level of N addition during the study period. Although low-to-medium levels of N addition (≤100 kg N ha−1 yr−1) generally did not alter plant diversity through time, high levels of N addition significantly reduced species diversity. This decrease was most closely related to declines within tree seedling and fern functional groups, as well as to significant increases in soil acidity and Al mobility, and decreases in Ca availability and fine-root biomass. This mechanism for loss of biodiversity provides sharp contrast to competition-based mechanisms suggested in studies of understory communities in other forests. Our results suggest that high-N additions can decrease plant diversity in tropical forests, but that this response may vary with rate of N addition

Responses of soil respiration and its temperature/moisture sensitivity to precipitation in three subtropical forests in southern China

Both long-term observation data and model simulations suggest an increasing chance of serious drought in the dry season and extreme flood in the wet season in southern China, yet little is known about how changes in precipitation pattern will affect soil respiration in the region. We conducted a field experiment to study the responses of soil respiration to precipitation manipulations – precipitation exclusion to mimic drought, double precipitation to simulate flood, and ambient precipitation as control (abbr. EP, DP and AP, respectively) – in three subtropical forests in southern China. The three forest sites include Masson pine forest (PF), coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest (MF) and monsoon evergreen broad-leaved forest (BF). Our observations showed that altered precipitation strongly influenced soil respiration, not only through the well-known direct effects of soil moisture on plant and microbial activities, but also by modification of both moisture and temperature sensitivity of soil respiration. In the dry season, soil respiration and its temperature sensitivity, as well as fine root and soil microbial biomass, showed rising trends with precipitation increases in the three forest sites. Contrarily, the moisture sensitivity of soil respiration decreased with precipitation increases. In the wet season, different treatments showed different effects in three forest sites. The EP treatment decreased fine root biomass, soil microbial biomass, soil respiration and its temperature sensitivity, but enhanced soil moisture sensitivity in all three forest sites. The DP treatment significantly increased soil respiration, fine root and soil microbial biomass in the PF only, and no significant change was found for the soil temperature sensitivity. However, the DP treatment in the MF and BF reduced soil temperature sensitivity significantly in the wet season. Our results indicated that soil respiration would decrease in the three subtropical forests if soil moisture continues to decrease in the future. More rainfall in the wet season could have limited effect on the response of soil respiration to the rising of temperature in the BF and MF

Carbon, Nitrogen and Phosphorus Stoichiometry in Natural and Plantation Forests in China

Ecological stoichiometry is essential for understanding the biogeochemical cycle in forest ecosystems. However, previous studies of ecological stoichiometry have rarely considered the impacts of forest origins, which could help explain why to date so much uncertainty has been reported on this subject. In this study, we tried to reduce this uncertainty by examining carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in roots, litter and soil in both natural and plantation forests throughout China. The sampled forest sites were divided into three groups according to the identified succession stages: early (ES), middle (MS) and late (LS) stages. Our results show that soil C, N and P concentrations were significantly higher in natural (NF) than in plantation (PL) forests. As succession/growth proceeded, P concentrations significantly increased in litter, roots and soil in NF, while the opposite occurred in PL. These results indicate that NF are able to use P more efficiently than PL, especially in the LS. Furthermore, the higher root N:P ratio indicates that the growth of PL was limited by P in both MS and LS. Our results also suggest that geographical and climatic factors are not the dominant factors in the differences in P between NF and PL, and, even more clearly and importantly, that native forests with native species are more capable of conserving P than planted forests, which are frequently less diverse and dominated by fast-growing non-site native species. These results will help improve biogeochemical models and forest management throughout the world

Water balance of tropical eucalypt plantations in south-eastern

Abstract Monthly, seasonal and annual water balances of Eucalyptus urophylla plantations on the Leizhou Peninsula, southeastern China were estimated in 40 m × 40 m plots at two sites with contrasting soil types. The Jijia site is located on basalt-derived clay rich soils, while the Hetou site is characterised by coarse textured soils formed on Quaternary sediments. Observations of evaporative processes (overstorey canopy interception and transpiration, and soil evaporation), soil moisture dynamics, and climate variables were collected at both sites over 2 years. Canopy interception was measured by throughfall troughs and stemflow collectors, daily transpiration was measured by the heat pulse technique in year 1 and estimated from regressions with potential evapotranspiration and available soil water in year 2, soil evaporation was measured by periodic microlysimetry and used to derive a daily soil surface resistance-matric potential relationship for estimation of daily soil evaporation throughout the study period. Soil moisture storage was measured to 4 m depth and drainage estimated as the residual term in a water balance equation. Total annual evapotranspiration (E t ) was similar at 1118 and 1150 mm at Jijia and 969 and 1024 mm at Hetou for years 1 and 2, respectively, despite 20-30% higher rainfall in year 2. These values represent 71 and 66% of annual rainfall in year 1, and 54 and 50% in year 2. Transpiration did not exceed 600 mm in either year and annual soil evaporation was 15-26% of E t , with the higher values from Jijia. The higher rainfall in year 2 was predicted to produce an increase in drainage and runoff rather than tree water use. Dry season water balances showed E t exceeded or approached rainfall, indicating water use from deep soil or ground water storages following soil water depletion, particularly at Hetou. However, storages were replenished by high wet season recharge. The differences in soil properties between the sites resulted in a three-fold greater soil water store at Jijia that provided a supply for E s , and the sandier Hetou soils with poor water holding capacity had greater wet season drainage and higher dry season abstraction from deep storages. The water use of the eucalypts does not appear to be seriously deleterious for water supply in this area

Identification of Plk4 interacting partners and establishment of Plk4 stable cell lines.

<p>Each error bar is one standard error. CK, control; NN, ambient CO₂ with N fertilizer; CC, elevated CO₂ without N fertilizer; CN, elevated CO₂ with N fertilizer. (a-c) <i>A</i>. <i>acuminatissima</i>; (d-f) <i>S</i>. <i>hancei</i>; (g-i) <i>C</i>. <i>hystrix</i>; (j-l) <i>O</i>. <i>pinnata</i>; (m-o) <i>S</i>. <i>superba</i>.</p

Global divergent responses of primary productivity to water, energy, and CO2

The directionality of the response of gross primary productivity (GPP) to climate has been shown to vary across the globe. This effect has been hypothesized to be the result of the interaction between multiple bioclimatic factors, including environmental energy (i.e., temperature and radiation) and water availability. This is due to the tight coupling between water and carbon cycling in plants and the fact that temperature often drives plant water demand. Using GPP data extracted from 188 sites of FLUXNET2015 and observation-driven terrestrial biosphere models, we disentangled the confounding effects of temperature, precipitation and carbon dioxide on GPP, and examined their long-term effects on productivity across the globe. Based on the FLUXNET2015 data, we observed a decline in the positive effect of temperature on GPP, while the positive effects of precipitation and CO2 were becoming stronger during 2000-2014. Using data derived from terrestrial biosphere models between 1980 and 2010 we found similar effects globally. The modeled data allowed us to investigate these effects more thoroughly over space and time. In arid regions, the modeled response to precipitation increased since 1950, approximately 30 years earlier than in humid regions. We further observed the negative effects of summer temperature on GPP in arid regions, suggesting greater aridity stress on productivity under global warming. Our results imply that aridity stress, triggered by rising temperatures, has reduced the positive influence of temperature on GPP, while increased precipitation and elevated CO2 may alleviate negative aridity impacts.Peer reviewe