Succession and biodiversity indices in eutrophication process of static landscaping water body in northern China

Many biodiversity indices were used to indicate the biological contamination degree in studies of lake water or seawater. Some were studied on biodiversity comparison for different areas at the same time, or initial structure succession of some aerial lake water systems. The phytoplankton changed with the development of various dominant species. In this study, the dominant species at these stages were Chlorophyta in the beginning stage, Cyanophyta in the second stage, and Xanthophyta in the last stage. Seven of nine biodiversity indices (Margalef's, IE, Shannon-Wiener, Simpson's, McNaughton's, Species and Odds Measure of Diversity) showed their failure to represent the eutrophication trend, and the other two indices (Menhinick's and Monk) exhibited good efficiency to indicate the eutrophication trend for the static landscaping water body.

Community structure and biodiversity in plantations and natural forests of seabuckthorn in southern Ningxia,China

Two types of sampling plots of seabuckthom （Hippophae rhamnoides） communities were investigated in Pengyang County of Ningxia region by a typical sampling method to study the characteristics of community structure and biodiversity. Composition and dominant species of each community were analyzed by the importance value of species as an index. The number of individuals and the importance value, as well as Sorensen＇s similarity coefficient, Shannon-Wiener diversity index, Pielou＇s evenness index and Simpson＇s dominance index, were used as indices to compare characteristics of community structure, similarity and biodiversity between plantations and natural forests of seabuckthom. The results indicate that the importance values of species of natural seabuckthom communities were dispersed and the difference between dominant species was not statistically significant. Diversity indices of natural seabuckthom communities reflected by species richness and evenness were higher than that of plantations. Community structure of natural seabuckthom forests is more complex. We propose that natural forest can be used as sample to guide selection of plant species in silviculture in order to improve biodiversity of plantation.

STUDY ON WETLAND BIODIVERSITY IN CHINA

Wetland biodiversity means mainly the types of wetland ecosystem and biological species diversity.Biodiversity includes all species of plants,animals and microbes,all gene possessed by them and all ecosystems consisting of them and environment.According to the origin and genesis,China's wetlands can be divided into natural wetland ecosystems including mires,lakeshores,bottomland,seashore,wet meadow,etc.,and artificial wetland ecosystem including paddy field.Then based on geomorphological type,these ecosystems can be divided into 15 subsystems,then based on soil substrata and ecological niche conditions,they can be subdivided into 15 classes,finally according to construction species of plants,several types can be divided into.They are not only the expression of ecosystem diversity,but also the base for biological communities subsistence.This peculiar ecological niche provides a complex and perfect special habitat for various animal and plant communities.In this special habitat,there exist various biological types from monomolecular microbes to higher plants and animals, especially some endangered and rare plants and animals.According to the statistics,there are more than 300 species of birds in China's wetlands,making up one-third of the total number of China's birds.Wetlands not only the goodplace for waterbirds living, but also the important environment on which wild animals and plant rely for existence. There are 65 species of mammals,50 species of reptiles,45 species of amphibious animals, 1040 species of fish, 825 species of higher plants, 639 species of angiosperm,10 species of gymnosperm, 12 species of pteridophyte and 164 species of bryophyte investigated in China's wetlands.

The weighted quadratic index of biodiversity for pairs of species: a generalization of Rao’s index

The distribution of biodiversity at multiple sites of a region has been traditionally investigated through the additive partitioning of the regional biodiversity, called γ-diversity, into the average within-site biodiversity or α-diversity, and the biodiversity among sites, or β-diversity. The standard additive partitioning of diversity requires the use of a measure of diversity which is a concave function of the relative abundance of species, like the Shannon entropy or the Gini- Simpson index, for instance. When a phylogenetic distance between species is also taken into account, Rao’s quadratic index has been used as a measure of dissimilarity. Rao’s index, however, is not a concave function of the distribution of relative abundance of either individual species or pairs of species and, consequently, only some nonstandard additive partitionings of diversity have been given using this index. The objective of this paper is to show that the weighted quadratic index of biodiversity, a generalization of the weighted Gini-Simpson index to the pairs of species, is a concave function of the joint distribution of the relative abundance of pairs of species and, therefore, may be used in the standard additive partitioning of diversity instead of Rao’s index. The replication property of this new measure is also discussed.

Effects of Streptomyces <i>Biofertilizer</i>to Soil Fertility and Rhizosphere’s Functional Biodiversity of Agricultural Plants

In the present study, a biofertilizer on the basis of Streptomyces fumanus gn-2 was used for the treatment of wheat and soybean seeds (dose 104 spore/ml) before planting them in soil with low fertility in order to determine the effect of this biological agent on germination rate;the growth of seedlings, shoots, and the maturation phase of plants;the rhizosphere’s functional biodiversity;and the resistance of these plants to pathogens. Seeds were soaked in the suspension for a period of two or three hours. During the growing season of the crop, no additional fertilizing and spraying of a biopesticide against diseases or pests occurred. Despite the soil having low fertility, low quantities of organic matter, and not having been before used for the cultivation of agricultural plants, this biofertilizer showed a strong stimulatory effect on the growth of seeds and seedlings of wheat and soybeans. The average germination and seed vigor increased by 1.5 - 2.0 times, and the phenophases were accelerated to three to five days. In all phases of vegetation, the ammonifying bacteria in the presence of an antagonist (a biological agent) developed rapidly and were constantly present in significant numbers in the rhizosphere. Streptomyces fumanus introduced into non-sterile soil entered into competition with the local soil microflora and had the ability to colonize the rhizosphere system of plants. The use of a formulation of Streptomyces gn-2 has improved the composition of rhizosphere microflora, attracting saprophytic microorganisms: ammonificators and oligotrophs. The presence of the biocontrol microorganism Streptomyces fumanus in the rhizosphere plays an important role in enhancing the growth and development of useful groups, such as nitrogen-fixing bacteria.

The Effect of <i>Miscanthus</i>Cultivation on the Biodiversity of Ground Beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae), Spiders and Harvestmen (Arachnida: Araneae and Opiliones)

In-crop invertebrate biodiversity of the perennial rhizomatous biomass crop Miscanthus was compared to the in-crop invertebrate biodiversity of adjacent agricultural land-uses. Ground beetles and arachnids (spiders and harvestmen) were used as indicators of invertebrate biodiversity and caught using pitfall traps over two years. Biodiversity measurements used were species richness, biomass, abundance, Simpson’s Index, and rarity values. The Miscanthus plantation had a significantly lower ground beetle and arachnid species richness, biomass and abundance than an adjacent mixed-use arable field and a significantly lower ground beetle biomass and abundance than an adjacent grassland. Reduced weed vegetation and lack of insects that feed on Miscanthus are likely to be significant factors. The findings contradict the conclusions of a previous study of Miscanthus impact on butterflies. This is the first major study to assess the in-crop biodiversity of an established plantation and shows that Miscanthus invertebrate biodiversity is poor in established plantations, when compared to adjacent conventional agricultural land-uses.

A Brief Review of 3S Technology Application on Biodiversity Monitoring and Assessment

Remote sensing,geographic information system and GPS(3S)technology have been well recognized as comprehensive,accurate and up-to-date information collection methods,which are increasingly adopted in biodiversity conservation.This review summarizes the application of object-oriented classification methods on biodiversity monitoring projects based on high-resolution remote sensing imagines in China.Biodiversity conservation research based on GIS technology in China is also discussed,with emphasis on the advantages of GIS analysis and modeling function.

Biodiversity in the Republic of Macedonia

Status and trends of biodiversity components in Republic of Macedonia are presented in this article. The monitoring of biodiversity components is conducted according to the criteria of SEBI 2010 （Streamlining European 2010 Biodiversity Indicators） for establishment of consistency at global, regional, EU and national indicator level. Two core segments of the Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan of Republic of Macedonia are presented as well as the draft list of biodiversity indicators. Ecosystems and biotopes （presented with plant communities） are explained from which 30 Corine habitat classes are identified for the Republic of Macedonia. The number of endemic and endangered species from different taxonomic groups of vascular plants, fungi, fauna, and Emerald species with European importance are presented. Agro-biodiversity, structure of agriculture land, autochthonic breeds of domestic animals as well as the network of protected areas in Republic of Macedonia are presented. At the end conclusion remarks are given for future necessary activities at national and international level regarding monitoring and conservation of the biodiversity.

Biodiversity of vespid wasps in spatial and temporal dimensions in northern Zanjan Province of Iran

Vespidae is one of the major families of Hymenoptera with more than 115000 described species. In the present paper, Simpson and Shannon-Wiener diversity indices, Simpson, Camargo, Smith and Wilson, and modified Nee evenness indices, and richness index based on rarefaction method were adopted to study the biodiversity of vespid wasps in spatial and temporal dimensions in northern Zanjan Province of Iran. In spatial dimension, Zanjan and Gilvan showed the highest and the lowest species diversity, evenness, and richness, respectively; while in temporal dimension, 16 July-6 August showed the highest species diversity and richness, and 18 May-27 May and 23 August-2 September showed the highest and the lowest species evenness, respectively. Significant differences in species abundance between localities of study area were observed by Kruskal-Wallis nonparametric test.

Taxonomic Distinctness of Macrofauna as an Ecological Indicator in Laizhou Bay and Adjacent Waters

In this paper, we assessed the ecological and biodiversity status in the Bohai Sea through a quantitative survey on mac-rofaunal community at 25 stations in Laizhou Bay and adjacent waters in the autumn of 2006.We tested the robustness and effectiveness of taxonomic distinctness as an ecological indictor by analyzing its correlation with species richness and natural environmental variables and by analyzing other ecological indicators (Shannon-Wiener H' and W statistics from Abundance Biomass Comparison curve).Results so obtained indicated that the benthic environment of the study waters in general is not under major impact of anthropogenic disturbance, but some stations in Laizhou Bay and along the coast of the Shandong Peninsula and even in the central Bohai Sea might be moderately disturbed and showed signs of ecological degradation.The taxonomic distinctness measures △+ and Λ+ were independent of sampling effort and natural environment factors and were compliant to other ecological indicators.Further application of the taxonomic distinctness indicator to assess marine biodiversity and ecosystem health on a larger regional scale with historical data seems promising.

Evaluation Indicator System of Low-carbon Landscape in Residential Areas: A Case Study of Garden Plant Landscape

Garden plant landscape is one of the main contents of low-carbon landscape design in residential areas. From the basic theory of garden plant landscaping, we put forth five principles and ideas concerning the building of evaluation indicator system of garden plant landscape, to establish the indicator system with ecological quality, recreational function and aesthetic effect as three layers. According to the characteristics of evaluation system, we use qualitative and quantitative integration method, coupled with analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and expert consulting method, to determine the weight of various factors. And we use fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method to test this indicator system, so as to provide a theoretical basis for the research on evaluation indicator system of low-carbon landscape.

Psychosis as an indicator of recurrent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma:a rare presentation

Psychotic manifestations of brain tumours are rare but described in the literature mostly along with other neurological defcits. Memory loss, diffculty in attention and concentration, depression, anxiety, and mood symptoms are commonly described in brain tumours. A schizophrenia-like picture without a defcit in motor or sensory function may land the clinician into a diagnostic dilemma. Primary central nervous system lymphoma （PCNSL） is a highly malignant disease with high mortality and needs immediate attention. Our case which had a unique recurrence in the postoperative period with psychotic symptoms can be an eye-opener to be more vigilant about underlying clinical extension.

基于S变换的临汾水平摆倾斜观测数据年变信息提取及预测指标确定

临汾台水平摆多年来监测能力及资料的映震能力备受关注,为推进长周期破年变分析在临汾台水平摆资料的应用,本文利用一种基于S变换时频分析方法的破年变信息分离提取方法,采用双向非对称阈值策略,结合R值评分及Molchan图表法,构建了临汾水平摆东西测项破年变预测指标,给出了长周期信号变化(ANA)和短周期信号变化(ONA)对于不同震级档的最佳阈值、最佳预报范围、最佳预报时窗,预报效能R值均大于R0值,可信度高。其中ANA指标对于500 km以内的ML≥5级的预报效能最好。

Cesarean Sections according to the Robson’s Classification in Two University Hospitals of Yaoundé: Indications and Maternofetal Outcome

Introduction: Cesarean section is a surgical intervention which consists in the extraction of a fetus from the uterus after its incision. The rate of cesarean section varies depending on the country and the health facility. For this reason, in 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended the use of Robson’s classification to evaluate the practice of cesarean sections in order to identify the groups of women who had abnormally high rates. The objective of our study was to evaluate cesarean sections using the Robson’s classification in CHRACERH and in the Yaoundé Central Hospital (YCH). Methodology: We carried out a retrospective cross sectional and descriptive study in two (02) university hospitals in Yaoundé which took place from December 2017 to May 2018. We included in our study all women who gave birth over a period of two (02) years from January 2016 to December 2017 in these two health facilities. Our sampling was exhaustive over the study period. The parturients’ information was collected using an anonymous and pretested questionnaire. The Robson’s group of every parturient was determined. Descriptive parameters like mean and proportions were calculated. We compared the rates and indications of cesarean sections between the both hospitals using Chi2 test. Results: Out of 330 deliveries realized in CHRACERH, we had 90 cesarean sections;hence, a rate of 27.2%. Out of 1863 deliveries carried out at the YCH, 462 were by cesarean section, hence a rate of 24.8%. The women who belonged to groups 1, 3 and 5 contributed to the highest rates of cesarean sections in both hospitals: in CHRACERH, group 5 (31.1%), group 3 (20%) and group 1 (15.6%), at YCH: group 3 (22.5%), group 1 (21.6%) and group 5 (17.3%). The indications of the cesarean sections varied depending on the Robson’s group and the hospital, the principal indication in group 1 was acute fetal distress (28.6%) in CHRACERH and cephalopelvic disproportion (36.7%) at YCH. Cephalopelvic disproportion was the predominant indication in groups 3 of CHRACERH (44.4%) and YCH (39.2%). In groups 5, CHRACERH and of YCH, a scarred uterus was the principal indication for the cesarean section at 82.4% and 78.4% respectively. At CHRACERH, the maternofetal complications were more frequent in groups 1 and 2 at the YCH, this was the case mostly in groups 1 and 3. Conclusion: The Robson’s classification is an adequate tool for the evaluation and comparison of the rates of cesarean sections. The rates of cesarean section in CHRACERH (27.2%) and at YCH (24.8%) were higher than the rates recommended by WHO. Robson’s groups 1, 3 and 5 were identified as the groups most at risk for cesarean sections in the both hospitals.

Tree structure and diversity shape the biomass of primary temperate mountain forests

Primary forests are spatially diverse terrestrial ecosystems with unique characteristics,being naturally regenerative and heterogeneous,which supports the stability of their carbon storage through the accumulation of live and dead biomass.Yet,little is known about the interactions between biomass stocks,tree genus diversity and structure across a temperate montane primary forest.Here,we investigated the relationship between tree structure(variability in basal area and tree size),genus-level diversity(abundance,tree diversity)and biomass stocks in temperate primary mountain forests across Central and Eastern Europe.We used inventory data from726 permanent sample plots from mixed beech and spruce across the Carpathian Mountains.We used nonlinear regression to analyse the spatial variability in forest biomass,structure,and genus-level diversity and how they interact with plot-level tree age,disturbances,temperature and altitude.We found that the combined effects of genus and structural indices were important for addressing the variability in biomass across different spatial scales.Local processes in disturbance regimes and uneven tree age support forest hete rogeneity and the accumulation of live and dead biomass through the natural regeneration,growth and decay of the forest ecosystem.Structural complexities in basal area index,supporte d by genus-level abundance,positively influence total biomass stocks,which was modulated by tree age and disturbances.Spruce forests showed higher tree density and basal area than mixed beech forests,though mixed beech still contributes significantly to biomass across landscapes.Forest heterogeneity was strongly influenced by complexities in forest composition(tree genus diversity,structure).We addressed the importance of primary forests as stable carbon stores,achieved through structure and diversity.Safeguarding such ecosystems is critical for ensuring the stability of the primary forest,carbon store and biodiversity into the future.

Spatio-temporal Variation Characteristics of Extreme Climate Events and Their Teleconnections to Large-scale Ocean-atmospheric Circulation Patterns in Huaihe River Basin,China During 1959–2019

Huaihe River Basin(HRB) is located in China’s north-south climatic transition zone,which is very sensitive to global climate change.Based on the daily maximum temperature,minimum temperature,and precipitation data of 40 meteorological stations and nine monthly large-scale ocean-atmospheric circulation indices data during 1959–2019,we present an assessment of the spatial and temporal variations of extreme temperature and precipitation events in the HRB using nine extreme climate indices,and analyze the teleconnection relationship between extreme climate indices and large-scale ocean-atmospheric circulation indices.The results show that warm extreme indices show a significant(P < 0.05) increasing trend,while cold extreme indices(except for cold spell duration) and diurnal temperature range(DTR) show a significant decreasing trend.Furthermore,all extreme temperature indices show significant mutations during 1959-2019.Spatially,a stronger warming trend occurs in eastern HRB than western HRB,while maximum 5-d precipitation(Rx5day) and rainstorm days(R25) show an increasing trend in the southern,central,and northwestern regions of HRB.Arctic oscillation(AO),Atlantic multidecadal oscillation(AMO),and East Atlantic/Western Russia(EA/WR) have a stronger correlation with extreme climate indices compared to other circulation indices.AO and AMO(EA/WR) exhibit a significant(P < 0.05) negative(positive)correlation with frost days and diurnal temperature range.Extreme warm events are strongly correlated with the variability of AMO and EA/WR in most parts of HRB,while extreme cold events are closely related to the variability of AO and AMO in eastern HRB.In contrast,AMO,AO,and EA/WR show limited impacts on extreme precipitation events in most parts of HRB.

China’s Major Economic Indicators in April

Industrial production In April,the total value added of the industrial enterprises above designated size was up 17.8 percent year-

Identifying Money Laundering Process Using Indicators： The Case of Albania

The main purpose of this study is to develop a mathematical model for calculating the probability of money laundering process, by monitoring the behavior of the client using 70 indicators of money laundering. The scientific method used in this study （received from the Modern Criminology） has great investigative power and it is widely applicable. Hopefully the practical application of this study will increase greatly the probability of detection and punishment of the clients who are implicated in the process of money laundering. In particular, this study will be useful for banks, Financial Intelligence Unit （FIU） of Albania, Department of Economic Crime at the Ministry of Domestic Affairs and Albanian State Intelligence Service （SIS）. Also, the investigation of money laundering will be a useful tool to detect other crimes, such as drug trafficking, human trafficking, illegal arms trade, etc. The prevention of money laundering is simultaneously a powerful strike against terrorism both on national and international levels.

A Bayesian multi-model inference methodology for imprecise momentindependent global sensitivity analysis of rock structures

Traditional global sensitivity analysis(GSA)neglects the epistemic uncertainties associated with the probabilistic characteristics(i.e.type of distribution type and its parameters)of input rock properties emanating due to the small size of datasets while mapping the relative importance of properties to the model response.This paper proposes an augmented Bayesian multi-model inference(BMMI)coupled with GSA methodology(BMMI-GSA)to address this issue by estimating the imprecision in the momentindependent sensitivity indices of rock structures arising from the small size of input data.The methodology employs BMMI to quantify the epistemic uncertainties associated with model type and parameters of input properties.The estimated uncertainties are propagated in estimating imprecision in moment-independent Borgonovo’s indices by employing a reweighting approach on candidate probabilistic models.The proposed methodology is showcased for a rock slope prone to stress-controlled failure in the Himalayan region of India.The proposed methodology was superior to the conventional GSA(neglects all epistemic uncertainties)and Bayesian coupled GSA(B-GSA)(neglects model uncertainty)due to its capability to incorporate the uncertainties in both model type and parameters of properties.Imprecise Borgonovo’s indices estimated via proposed methodology provide the confidence intervals of the sensitivity indices instead of their fixed-point estimates,which makes the user more informed in the data collection efforts.Analyses performed with the varying sample sizes suggested that the uncertainties in sensitivity indices reduce significantly with the increasing sample sizes.The accurate importance ranking of properties was only possible via samples of large sizes.Further,the impact of the prior knowledge in terms of prior ranges and distributions was significant;hence,any related assumption should be made carefully.

Executive Cotton Update U.S. Macroeconomic Indicators & the Cotton Supply Chain

Macroeconomic Overview:The U.S.dollar has fallen 4%against a broad collection of widely circulated currencies since January.While the magnitude of the decline may not appear large,it does signal an important reversal relative to recent years.Against the same broad collection of currencies,the U.S.dollar had consistently strengthened since 2013。