Currently nine families of tailed amphibians, including 682 species, are recognised in the world. Five of these families, including some 166 species, occur in the Old World （Europe, Asia, and Northern Africa）. The f...Currently nine families of tailed amphibians, including 682 species, are recognised in the world. Five of these families, including some 166 species, occur in the Old World （Europe, Asia, and Northern Africa）. The family of hynobiid salamanders （hynobiidae） is endemic to this region, whereas the other families also are represented in the New World （America）. Salamanders of the Old Worm is a comprehensive monograph authored by Max Sparreboom. With this book, which aims to be an up- date of Robert Thorn＇s book of 1969, the author presents updated information on salamander species diversity in this region. The book is bound to become a classic in its field： it contains descriptions of all five families and 166 salamander species, a taxonomical diagnosis, distribution maps, and a wealth of information on habitat preferences, behaviour, threats, conservation, etc. Every species chapter is followed by a comment by the author and references to technical literature. For many species the biological information comes from the author himself, who made observations of behaviour in aquariums and in the field. This knowledge is supplemented with information from the scientific literature, which is synthesized in a systematic way. What will especially appeal to the reader is the great number of beautiful pictures in the text, showing details of morphological characters, habitat and bebaviour in the different life history stages. These features add to the value of the book, both in scientific and artistic aspects.展开更多
Old world bluestems (Bothriochloa spp.) have been successfully introduced as grasses for livestock forage in the semiarid Texas High Plains. Questions remain, however, on effects of these grasses on soil resources. We...Old world bluestems (Bothriochloa spp.) have been successfully introduced as grasses for livestock forage in the semiarid Texas High Plains. Questions remain, however, on effects of these grasses on soil resources. We tested the hypothesis that differences in grass species produce differences in soil properties important to crop growth and useful in selecting the optimum species for the Southern High Plains of Texas. Three old world bluestem (Bothriochloa) species [C.E. Hubbard ‘Caucasian’, B. caucasica (Trin.);‘WW Spar’, B. ischaemum (L.) Keng.var ischaemum (Hack.);and S.T. Blake ‘WW-B Dahl’, B. bladhii (Retz)] were grown in a randomized complete block design, with three replications, for nine years on a clay loam soil near Lubbock, Texas. Soil samples were collected in the ninth year to determine soil texture, wet aggregate stability, bulk density (BD), soil organic carbon (SOC), particulate organic carbon (POC), and soil strength as measured by the cone pentrometer. The grass species differed in their above-ground biomass and below- ground root production. In the ninth year of production, Bothriochloa caucasica and B. bladhii produced about twice the above-ground biomass with about 25% fewer roots than B. ischaemum. Soils where B. caucasica was grown had the highest BD (1.36 Mg m–3) and B. ischaemum had the lowest (1.31 Mg m–3). The soil in which B. ischaemum was growing had a lower BD, greatest root biomass, organic matter content, and aggregate stability suggesting superior soil quality for agricultural production. The species B. bladhii, however, often exhibited soil properties that were similar to both other species tested. Since Bothriochloa bladhii had superior or similar soil properties for plant growth among the species tested and has been shown to be higher in forage quality, animal performance, and carrying capacity than the other species, it appears to be the best choice among these three species to optimize both animal performance and desirable soil properties.展开更多
Beijing Qianmen Hotel, located in thebustling southern part of the city --Hufangqiao, is one of the eight famousold hotels in Beijing. It was established andopened to business in 1956.
文摘Currently nine families of tailed amphibians, including 682 species, are recognised in the world. Five of these families, including some 166 species, occur in the Old World （Europe, Asia, and Northern Africa）. The family of hynobiid salamanders （hynobiidae） is endemic to this region, whereas the other families also are represented in the New World （America）. Salamanders of the Old Worm is a comprehensive monograph authored by Max Sparreboom. With this book, which aims to be an up- date of Robert Thorn＇s book of 1969, the author presents updated information on salamander species diversity in this region. The book is bound to become a classic in its field： it contains descriptions of all five families and 166 salamander species, a taxonomical diagnosis, distribution maps, and a wealth of information on habitat preferences, behaviour, threats, conservation, etc. Every species chapter is followed by a comment by the author and references to technical literature. For many species the biological information comes from the author himself, who made observations of behaviour in aquariums and in the field. This knowledge is supplemented with information from the scientific literature, which is synthesized in a systematic way. What will especially appeal to the reader is the great number of beautiful pictures in the text, showing details of morphological characters, habitat and bebaviour in the different life history stages. These features add to the value of the book, both in scientific and artistic aspects.
文摘Old world bluestems (Bothriochloa spp.) have been successfully introduced as grasses for livestock forage in the semiarid Texas High Plains. Questions remain, however, on effects of these grasses on soil resources. We tested the hypothesis that differences in grass species produce differences in soil properties important to crop growth and useful in selecting the optimum species for the Southern High Plains of Texas. Three old world bluestem (Bothriochloa) species [C.E. Hubbard ‘Caucasian’, B. caucasica (Trin.);‘WW Spar’, B. ischaemum (L.) Keng.var ischaemum (Hack.);and S.T. Blake ‘WW-B Dahl’, B. bladhii (Retz)] were grown in a randomized complete block design, with three replications, for nine years on a clay loam soil near Lubbock, Texas. Soil samples were collected in the ninth year to determine soil texture, wet aggregate stability, bulk density (BD), soil organic carbon (SOC), particulate organic carbon (POC), and soil strength as measured by the cone pentrometer. The grass species differed in their above-ground biomass and below- ground root production. In the ninth year of production, Bothriochloa caucasica and B. bladhii produced about twice the above-ground biomass with about 25% fewer roots than B. ischaemum. Soils where B. caucasica was grown had the highest BD (1.36 Mg m–3) and B. ischaemum had the lowest (1.31 Mg m–3). The soil in which B. ischaemum was growing had a lower BD, greatest root biomass, organic matter content, and aggregate stability suggesting superior soil quality for agricultural production. The species B. bladhii, however, often exhibited soil properties that were similar to both other species tested. Since Bothriochloa bladhii had superior or similar soil properties for plant growth among the species tested and has been shown to be higher in forage quality, animal performance, and carrying capacity than the other species, it appears to be the best choice among these three species to optimize both animal performance and desirable soil properties.
文摘Beijing Qianmen Hotel, located in thebustling southern part of the city --Hufangqiao, is one of the eight famousold hotels in Beijing. It was established andopened to business in 1956.
