Root overlap and allocation of above- and belowground growth of European beech in pure and mixed stands of Douglas fir and Norway spruce

Site conditions and species identity have a combined effect on fine root growth of trees in pure and mixed stands.However,mechanisms that may contribute to this effect are rarely studied,even though they are essential to assess the potential of species to cope with climate change.This study examined fine root overlap and the linkage between fine root and stem growth of European beech(Fagus sylvatica)growing in pure and mixed stands with Douglas fir(Pseudotsuga menziesii)or Norway spruce(Picea abies)at two different study sites in northwestern Germany.The study sites represented substantially different soil and climate conditions.At each site,three stands,and at each stand,three pairs of trees were studied.In the pure beech stand,the pairs consisted of two beech trees,while in the mixed stands each pair was composed of a beech tree and a conifer.Between each pair,three evenly spaced soil cores were taken monthly throughout the growing season.In the pure beech stands,microsatellite markers were used to assign the fine roots to individual trees.Changes in stem diameter of beech were quantified and then upscaled to aboveground wood productivity with automatic high-resolution circumference dendrometers.We found that fine root overlap between neighboring trees varied independently of the distance between the paired trees or the stand types(pure versus mixed stands),indicating that there was no territorial competition.Aboveground wood productivity(wood NPP)and fine root productivity(root NPP)showed similar unimodal seasonal patterns,peaking in June.However,this pattern was more distinct for root NPP,and root NPP started earlier and lasted longer than wood NPP.The influence of site conditions on the variation in wood and root NPP of beech was stronger than that of stand type.Wood NPP was,as expected,higher at the richer site than at the poorer site.In contrast,root NPP was higher at the poorer than at the richer site.We concluded that beech can respond to limited resources not only above-but also belowground and that the negative relationship between above-and belowground growth across the study sites suggests an‘optimal partitioning’of growth under stress.

Unpacking the‘supply-utilization-demand’interplay:Keys to multifunctional sustainability in rural China

Sustainable rural development is predicated on a delicate balance between rural territorial functions and eco-logical constraints.While various functions can catalyze economic growth in rural settings,aligning them with inherent ecological variables is essential.An exhaustive analysis of Beijing’s Pinggu District elucidated specific supply-demand thresholds and evaluated the adaptability of current utilization within these boundaries,culmi-nating in a novel optimization strategy.Notably,while locals place significant emphasis on production functions,the area’s topography and soil characteristics present palpable challenges to achieving these goals.We discov-ered that‘shackle type’predominantly characterize individual rural territorial functions,while‘diversified weak function optimization type’define multifunctional aspects,showcasing varied development paths and uncov-ering potential strategies for sustainable improvement.This study contributes a groundbreaking perspective to sustainable rural development,offering key insights and strategic recommendations for policy formulation.

Life cycle assessment as a prospective tool for sustainable agriculture and food planning at a local level

Owing to the far-reaching environmental consequences of agriculture and food systems,such as their contribution to climate change,there is an urgent need to reduce their impact.International and national governments set sustainability targets and implement corresponding measures.Nevertheless,critics of the globalized system claim that a territorial administrative scale is better suited to address sustainability issues.Yet,at the subnational level,local authorities rarely apply a systemic environmental assessment to enhance their action plans.This paper employs a territorial life cycle assessment methodology to improve local environmental agri-food planning.The objective is to identify significant direct and indirect environmental hotspots,their origins,and formulate effective mitigation strategies.The methodology is applied to the administrative department of Finistere,a strategic agricultural region in North-Western France.Multiple environmental criteria including climate change,fossil resource scarcity,toxicity,and land use are modeled.The findings reveal that the primary environmental hotspots of the studied local food system arise from indirect sources,such as livestock feed or diesel consumption.Livestock reduction and organic farming conversion emerge as the most environmentally efficient strategies,resulting in a 25%decrease in the climate change indicator.However,the overall modeled impact reduction is insufficient following national objectives and remains limited for the land use indicator.These results highlight the innovative application of life cycle assessment led at a local level,offering insights for the further advancement of systematic and prospective local agri-food assessment.Additionally,they provide guidance for local authorities to enhance the sustainability of planning strategies.

Extreme rain event highlights the lack of governance to face climate change in the Southeastern coast of Brazil

New rainfall records were registered in the southeastern region of Brazil during February 2023.The amount of rain in the north coast region of the State of São Paulo was more than 650 mm in less than two days.Landslides and tragedies with a socioeconomically vulnerable population marked this climatic extreme.The country has a regulatory system that suggests the elaboration and implementation of municipal public policies aimed at territorial organization,environmental conservation,and the prevention of disasters induced by natural hazards.In addition,both federal and state funds earmarked for such hazard's prevention have been underutilized over the last decade.In addition to this current devastating climate episode,other events were registered in this decade,reinforcing that financial governance is a key challenge to face the climate crisis in Brazil.The predicted future extreme events in different regions of Brazil will require a different governance system to minimize social inequality,seek sustainable alternatives for urban environments and manage to adapt cities for the challenges posed by climate change.

Addressing inclusion,innovation,and sustainability challenges through the lens of economic geography:Introducing the hierarchical regional innovation system

The world is facing dramatic challenges related to environmental sustainability at an accelerating pace.In this context,the field of economic geography(EG)has been playing an important role in understanding both the socioeconomic and technological dimensions of these challenges,as it deals with a variety of complementary notions and perspectives.Departing from this lens,our aim is to explore a conceptual framework that can help us to understand environmental changes relating to multi-dimensional territorial development,notably in eco-nomic contexts where inequality is high,and stratification based on hierarchies regulate social and economic life.Based on the territory concept,we propose the original notion of a hierarchical regional innovation system(HRIS)that emphasises the pervasive role of hierarchies(powers)in regional innovation systems and illustrate its value with evidence and case studies from extant literature on sustainability transitions.The HRIS can help us understand and promote development paths considering the contribution of inclusive eco-innovations(another original conceptual amalgam).Through some empirical cases from other studies in low-carbon transitions,we show the application of the HRIS(and inclusive eco-innovation)framework.In conclusion,we provide incen-tives to explore new regional innovation systems,alongside the HRIS,adapted to different regions worldwide and centred on the inclusiveness of people and places.

Grid System Mapping of Ferula tadshikorum Pimenov (Apiaceae) Distributed in Uzbekistan

This article presents information on the distribution of Ferula tadshikorum Pimenov species in the botanical—geographical region of Uzbekistan, based on data collected from available resources, including international sites, and databases, completed papers and directly conducted field studies. At the same time, under the circumstance that the natural area is directly getting smaller, the necessity and relevance of the thesis work on the evaluation of species’ natural reserves and the evaluation of the modern situations are demonstrated through examples. The Surkhandarya region is considered to have the largest number of plant species in Uzbekistan, and it is also distinguished by the variety of species. According to the location of the botanical-geographical regions of Uzbekistan, the territory of the Surkhandarya region is divided into five botanical-geographical regions (BGR). The 5 × 5 km2 grid system map includes 882 cells. Surkhan-Sherabod (BGR), Baisun (BGR), Sangardak-Topalang (BGR), Babatag (BGR), and Kuhitang (BGR) corresponded to these. Simultaneously, the 5 × 5 km2 grid system map of Uzbekistan’s flora in the Surkhandarya region revealed the presence of F. tadshikorum in 109 indices. On the territory of the region, the botanic-geographic region mainly includes the F. tadshikorum, Babatag (BGR), Baisun (BGR), and Kohitang (BGR) indices. The natural resources of F. tadshikorum in these areas were also analyzed.

Frontier Progress of Landscape Character Assessment in China

The role of Landscape Character Assessment(LCA)at the level of territorial landscape governance spans both natural and social sciences.By analyzing the development history,research distribution,methods and applications of cutting-edge cases of LCA in China,the following conclusions are drawn:①the LCA research in China originated earlier than that in Europe,but has not yet been systematically applied to the implementation of urban and rural planning at all levels;②the fundamental theory of LCA in China has been well constructed,with three main research directions:technologyled,assessment-led,and assessment combined with other theories;③the development of LCA in rural areas is more mature than in urban areas,but the progress of research is uneven across regions;④the current research presents significant“bottom-up”academic characteristics,and there is an urgent need for government decision-making authorities and academia to jointly promote a“top-down”standardized governance mechanism to comprehensively promote the modernization of territorial landscape governance.

Exploration of Detailed Planning Practice of Chemical Industrial Parks under the Background of Territorial Space Planning

With the gradual completion of the overall planning of city and county land space,the detailed planning will be prepared according to the requirements of transmitting and refining the upper planning.Industrial parks are one of the“main forces”of local economic development,and the preparation of their detailed planning will escort their development.The key points of the Control Indicators of Construction Land in Industrial Projectsissued in 2008 and 2023 were compared,and the new requirements for detailed planning under the background of territorial space and the contradictions between the detailed planning of industrial parks and the overall planning of the upper territorial space were sorted out based on the summary of the existing problems in the development of chemical parks.It provides some ideas for the practice of detailed planning of chemical industrial parks under the background of territorial space.

Agriculture Development in Agriculture Oriented County Based on Territorial Function ——A Case Study of Long’an County in GuangXi Zhuang Autonomous Region

[Objective] The aim was to research development plan of major agriculture-oriented county （MAOA or MAOC hereafter） based on territorial function. [Method] The relationship between Major Function Oriented Zoning （MFOZ hereafter） and agricultural development is explored with the case of Long＇an County in Guangxi. [Result] In the research, agricultural function, featured by composition and diversification, is considered one of territorial function typs, contributed by ecology, land, industries and population. With Long＇an as a study case, it can be concluded that the plan of major agriculture-oriented counties is as follows： With guidance of territorial function, the counties should formulate the strategies of major function oriented zones, strive for more social and economic resources for agricultural development, extend agricultural functions, enhance the role of agricultural additional functions, strengthen ecological conservation, improve agricultural productivity and transportation, reinforce exchange of countryside with other regions. In addition, attention should be paid to reconstruction of population and industry pattern for redistribution on the basis of evaluation on bearing capacity of resources and environment. [Conclusion] In future, major agriculture oriented county should coordinate relationship among agriculture, industries, ecology and population with rational distribution of territorial function in county to guarantee stable and sustainable agricultural development.

Enlightenment of Modern Interior Design from the Interior Decoration of Ancient Huizhou Vernacular Dwellings

Through analyzing the basic structure of ancient Huizhou vernacular dwellings and the spatial order of interior decoration,this study rethought profoundly about modern interior design and put forward the inheritance of traditional methods in interior decoration.

Use of display platforms of Common Coots (Fulica atra) compared with the use of nests during breeding seasons

We investigated a breeding population of Common Coots (Fulica atra) from April to June in 2008 and 2009.We found that each pair of coots built display platforms beside their nest in their territory during the breeding season.On average,3.1 (range 2-7) platforms were built by each pair of coots.Display platforms were simpler with less coverage and were significantly lower above the water surface than nests; however,their depth below the water surface was not significantly different.Platforms were primarily used for roosting,preening and mating in the breeding season,but they were also used to store animal food.In the breeding season,nest was usually built later than platforms,the use ratio (total and daily frequency) of platforms decreased after nest was built,and more mating behavior was performed on the nest than on the platform.We compared the use ratio of both sexes to the nest and platforms in different breeding phases; the results show that females used the nest more than the platforms,while males used the platforms more than the females,suggesting that females pay more attention to breeding,while males put more energy in territorial defense.Since coots are territorial during the breeding season,the platforms may play an important role in confirming and recognizing territorial boundaries.

Geopolitical Strategy for the Territorialism of Oceans and Seas

In the current international economic situation, the oceans and seas started to play a key role in the geopolitical balance of power between the coastal States. This article explores the concept of geopolitics, establishing a discussed relationship between such a concept and the considerations of coastal State and their territorialism policies. The concept of geopolitics cannot be simply understood as a condition of the position of a state in the international arena or its territorial ambition. The novel global ocean concept encompasses economic conditions facing the systemic combination of contemporary forces. Issues to be considered are maybe beyond the Convention on International Law of the Sea scenario in a dynamic economic and political international ocean.

宋元环珠江口的县域变迁与土地开发--以香山县为中心

香山县是古代、近代珠江三角洲最大的沙田县。它具备珠江三角洲发育的各种形式,如沿岛屿发育,沿海岸边发育,沿激流之中的洲心发育,使大大小小的平地分布在海上。它的耕地形成是自然冲积和人工围垦结合的过程。文献所载香山的土地开发,汉唐时期初见端倪,北宋已有雏形。香山在南宋绍兴年间建县,建县后到元朝的沙田开发,使沙洲之间的“海”已经变小很多,这是明清以前沙田开发的一个新起点。关于这一问题尚未见专论,本文试对此加以阐述。

The scientific foundation of Major Function Oriented Zoning in China

Major function oriented zoning （MFOZ hereafter） is the guideline for optimizing the spatial pattern of regional development in China, which entails both theoretical and methodological innovation in the academic field of economic geography. This study analyzes the basic features of territorial function and puts forward a spatial equilibrium model for regional development for the first time. It argues that there exists a trend of regional convergence in the average value which indicates the comprehensive development status of any region. Based on this finding, the study illustrates that the formation of functional zone should be conducive to the narrowing of regional gap and that free flow of resources between regions is the prerequisite to spatial equilibrium. It also investigates the impact of territorial functional evolution on the process of spatial equilibrium and suggests that the maximization of benefits derived from zoning proposal is interrelative with the method of regional division and the degree of understanding towards the temporal changes of territorial function. Furthermore, this study goes on to examine the scientific foundation of several issues concerning the reconciliation between contradictory functions of development and protection, the selection of indicators and the spatial and temporal features of MFOZ. It is then probes into the rationality of achieving dual goals of efficiency and equality simultaneously through three-dimensional flow and spatial equilibrium. The paper ends with discussions on the position, implementation and coordination of MFOZ from the perspective of institutional arrangements of spatial governance including law, planning and government policy.

Territory and territorial behavior of migrating Common Coot (Fulica atra)

Territory and territorial behavior of the Common Coot（Fulica atra） were studied in two breeding sites,Anbanghe Nature Reserve and Daqing Longfeng wetland,in Heilongjiang Province,China from April to October in 2008 and 2009.In the breeding season,the breeding pairs occupied an area and protected it throughout the reproduction,and both interspecific and intraspecific conflicts were observed.Territory activities became severe since early May,the peak of territory behaviors appeared at late May,and then declined gradually.The territorial activities level was higher than that in the nest building period than in the laying and incubation periods.The most adopted behavioral model was expelling,which was the least energy cost.The degree of territorial behavior tended to be descended since the development of breeding phase.The territory size differed from 1 333 m2 to above 5 000 m2.Wintering population was observed in Poyang Lake of Jiangxi Province.The coots gathered in the open water;however,there was no territory behavior both in the interspecies and intraspecies in wintering sites.The hypotheses why there was territory behaviors for coots both in the interspecies and intraspecies were also discussed.

Territorial suitability assessment and function zoning in the Jiuzhaigou earthquake-stricken area

An earthquake in the Jiuzhaigou area caused numerous secondary disasters, such as rolling stones, land collapse, landslides and debris flow, which badly affected the safety of human settlements and influenced the spatial layout of the post-disaster reconstruction. Therefore, carrying out assessments of land and identifying a suitable zone for human habitats were very important. This research creates the territorial suitability assessment and function zoning conceptual model in the earthquake-stricken area, and the new methods of the territorial suitability evaluation system were used to divide the spatial functional zones of the earthquake stricken area, which provide a theoretical guidance and decisionmaking basis for the reconstruction of the disaster area. The results showed that:(1) The Jiuzhaigou earthquake-stricken area comprises of an ecological area that has a high level of importance to the ecosystem. In the earthquake-stricken area, 65% of national land is at an altitude of 3000-4000 m, and therefore not suitable for a high level of intensive reconstruction, but reconstructed in an eco-friendly manner.(2) The zone suitable for reconstruction comprises mainly of the river valley and the flat terrain of western parts. The land with low suitability is mainly located on steep terrain, such as highmountains and low gullies. The geographic and geomorphic conditions limit the spread of a suitable reconstruction zone.(3) The earthquake-stricken area mainly comprises of a tourism industry gathering area, population gathering area, agriculture and animal husbandry development area, and ecological preservation area with areas of 76 km^2, 44 km^2, 1591 km^2 and 7512 km^2, respectively. Scientifically zoning the reconstruction areas using scientific evaluation may provide guidance for the location of reconstruction sites.

Global Longitudinal Strain at Rest for Detection of Coronary Artery Disease in Patients without Diabetes Mellitus

Global longitudinal strain （GLS） at rest on two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography （2D STE） was demonstrated to help detect coronary artery disease （CAD）. However, the optimal cut-off point of GLS and its diagnostic power for detecting critical CAD in non-diabetes mellitus （DM） patients are unknown. In the present study, 211 patients with suspected CAD were prospectively included, with DM patients excluded. All patients underwent echocardiography and subsequently coronary angiography within 3 days. Left ventricular （LV） GLSs were quantified by 2D STE. Territorial peak systolic longitudinal strains （TLSs） were calculated based on the perfusion territories of the 3-epicardial coronary arteries in a 17-segment LV model. Critical CAD was defined as an area stenosis _〉70% in _〉1 epicardial coronary artery （_〉50% in left main coronary artery）. Totally 145 patients were diagnosed as having critical CAD by coronary angiography. Significant differences were observed in all strain parameters between patients with and without critical CAD. The area under the receiver operating charcteristic （ROC） curve （AUC） for GLS in the detection of left main （LM） or threevessel CAD was 0.875 at a cut-off value of-19.05% with sensitivity of 78.1% and specificity of 72.7%, which increased to 0.926 after exclusion of apical segments （cut-off value -18.66%; sensitivity 84.4% and specificity 81.8%）. The values of TLSs were significantly lower in regions supplied by stenotic arteries than in those by non-stenotic arteries. The AUC for the TLSs to identify critical stenosis of left circumflex （LCX） artery, left anterior descending （LAD） artery and right coronary artery （RCA）, in order of diagnostic accuracy, was 0.818 for LCX, 0.764 for LAD and 0.723 for RCA, respectively. In conclusion, in non-DM patients with suspected CAD, GLS assessed by 2D STE is an excellent predictor for LM or three-vessel CAD with high diagnostic accuracy, and a higher cut-off point than reported before should be used. Excluding apical segments in the calculation of GLS can further improve the predictive accuracy of GLS. It is unsatisfactory for TLSs to be used to identify stenotic coronary arteries.

Arterial spin labeling in neuroimaging

Arterial spin labeling(ASL) is a magnetic resonance imaging technique for measuring tissue perfusion using a freely diffusible intrinsic tracer.As compared with other perfusion techniques,ASL offers several advantages and is now available for routine clinical practice in many institutions.Its noninvasive nature and ability to quantitatively measure tissue perfusion make ASL ideal for research and clinical studies.Recent technical advances have increased its sensitivity and also extended its potential applications.This review focuses on some basic knowledge of ASL perfusion,emerging techniques and clinical applications in neuroimaging.

The importance of willow to the Chinese Grouse:evidence from analysis on their breeding territories at Lianhuashan,China

Background: The habitat features of breeding territory have important adaptive significance for the survival and reproduction of territory holders.The Chinese Grouse(Tetrastes sewerzowi) is a rare and endemic species with rela?tively small distribution range and decreasing population trend.It is important to elucidate breeding territory habitat requirements of the Chinese Grouse for habitat management and conservation actions.Methods: Using radio?telemetry and field observations,we determined the core areas of 65 breeding territories of males.Two to three samples were selected in each core breeding territory as used sites and compared with nearby sites with no grouse occurrence using logistic regression.Results: Our model showed a high accuracy in prediction of core breeding territory used by males,which preferred stands with more small deciduous trees(0.5 m ≤ height < 5 m),more small willow trees(Salix spp.,0.5 m infl≤ height < 5 m),greater willow cover,and greater herb cover.The number of small willow trees had the great?estuence on males' core breeding territory selection.Dense shrubs were also chosen compared with unused sites Tall conifer trees was an important determinant in the distribution of Chinese Grouse at the landscape scale,and was relatively important in the univariate model,but not included in our final multivariable model.Conclusions: Male Chinese Grouse established territories at sites with abundant food resources.At the landscape scale,the Chinese Grouse occurred in alpine conifer forest.At the territory scale,small willow trees had the most important effect on males' core breeding territory selection.We suggest that the forest gaps in dense conifer for?est are important for improving the occurrence of willows and facilitating breeding territory establishment for the Chinese Grouse.

Urbanization has opposite effects on the territory size of two passerine birds

Background:Urban expansion has been identified as one of the leading drivers of biodiversity change or loss.For birds,urbanization is specifically related to survival,breeding success,and territory size.Understanding how different birds adjust territory size in response to urbanization is essential for their conservation in urban environments and to better understand why some species are lost and others persist under this condition.We evaluated the effect of urbanization on the territory size of an urban avoider species,White-eared Ground-Sparrow(Melozone leucotis),and an urban adapter species,House Wren(Troglodytes aedon),at five Costa Rican sites.Methods:We measured the size of 30 ground-sparrow and 28 wren territories using a total of 296 h of observation.We followed each individual for at least 1 h per day for at least 2 days of two consecutive years,and geo-referenced their locations.Territory size was estimated using the minimum convex polygon method.We measured the urban surfaces(roads,buildings,any other paved area,soccer fields,lawns,and gardens with short grass)within territories.Results:Ground-sparrow territories were larger at the highly urbanized site than at the non-urbanized site.Wren territories were larger at the low urbanized site than at the highly urbanized site.We found a positive relationship between urban surface and territory size for the ground-sparrow,but not for the wren.Conclusions:Our results showed that not all birds adjust territory size in the same way in response to urbaniza-tion.We showed that urban avoiders probably need to defend larger territories in urban environments to find all the resources required to survive because urban environments may provide insufficient resources such as food or shelter.Urban adapters on the other hand defend smaller territories in urban environments because even small territories may provide sufficient resources.These results suggest specific behavioral adaptations developed by Neotropical birds inhabiting urban environments.