Structural asymmetry and the stability of diverse food webs

Untangling the influence of human activities on food-web stability and persistence is complex given the large numbers of species and overwhelming number of interactions within ecosystems. Although biodiversity has been associated with stability, the actual structures and processes that confer stability to diverse food webs remain largely unknown. Here we show that real food webs are structured such that top predators act as couplers of distinct energy channels that differ in both productivity and turnover rate. Our theoretical analysis shows that coupled fast and slow channels convey both local and non-local stability to food webs. Alarmingly, the same human actions that have been implicated in the loss of biodiversity also directly erode the very structures and processes that we show to confer stability on food webs.     

Universal scaling relations in food webs

The structure of ecological communities is usually represented by food webs. In these webs, we describe species by means of vertices connected by links representing the predations. We can therefore study different webs by considering the shape (topology) of these networks. Comparing food webs by searching for regularities is of fundamental importance, because universal patterns would reveal common principles underlying the organization of different ecosystems. However, features observed in small food webs are different from those found in large ones. Furthermore, food webs (except in isolated cases) do not share general features with other types of network (including the Internet, the World Wide Web and biological webs). These features are a small-world character and a scale-free (power-law) distribution of the degree (the number of links per vertex). Here we propose to describe food webs as transportation networks by extending to them the concept of allometric scaling (how branching properties change with network size). We then decompose food webs in spanning trees and loop-forming links. We show that, whereas the number of loops varies significantly across real webs, spanning trees are characterized by universal scaling relations.     

Single-species models for many-species food webs

Most species live in species-rich food webs; yet, for a century, most mathematical models for population dynamics have included only one or two species. We ask whether such models are relevant to the real world. Two-species population models of an interacting consumer and resource collapse to one-species dynamics when recruitment to the resource population is unrelated to resource abundance, thereby weakening the coupling between consumer and resource. We predict that, in nature, generalist consumers that feed on many species should similarly show one-species dynamics. We test this prediction using cyclic populations, in which it is easier to infer underlying mechanisms, and which are widespread in nature. Here we show that one-species cycles can be distinguished from consumer resource cycles by their periods. We then analyse a large number of time series from cyclic populations in nature and show that almost all cycling, generalist consumers examined have periods that are consistent with one-species dynamics. Thus generalist consumers indeed behave as if they were one-species populations, and a one-species model is a valid representation for generalist population dynamics in many-species food webs.     

Simple rules yield complex food webs

Several of the most ambitious theories in ecology describe food webs that document the structure of strong and weak trophic links that is responsible for ecological dynamics among diverse assemblages of species. Early mechanism-based theory asserted that food webs have little omnivory and several properties that are independent of species richness. This theory was overturned by empirical studies that found food webs to be much more complex, but these studies did not provide mechanistic explanations for the complexity. Here we show that a remarkably simple model fills this scientific void by successfully predicting key structural properties of the most complex and comprehensive food webs in the primary literature. These properties include the fractions of species at top, intermediate and basal trophic levels, the means and variabilities of generality, vulnerability and food-chain length, and the degrees of cannibalism, omnivory, looping and trophic similarity. Using only two empirical parameters, species number and connectance, our 'niche model' extends the existing 'cascade model and improves its fit ten-fold by constraining species to consume a contiguous sequence of prey in a one-dimensional trophic niche.     

Nutritional constraints in terrestrial and freshwater food webs

Biological and environmental contrasts between aquatic and terrestrial systems have hindered analyses of community and ecosystem structure across Earth's diverse habitats. Ecological stoichiometry provides an integrative approach for such analyses, as all organisms are composed of the same major elements (C, N, P) whose balance affects production, nutrient cycling, and food-web dynamics. Here we show both similarities and differences in the C:N:P ratios of primary producers (autotrophs) and invertebrate primary consumers (herbivores) across habitats. Terrestrial food webs are built on an extremely nutrient-poor autotroph base with C:P and C:N ratios higher than in lake particulate matter, although the N:P ratios are nearly identical. Terrestrial herbivores (insects) and their freshwater counterparts (zooplankton) are nutrient-rich and indistinguishable in C:N:P stoichiometry. In both lakes and terrestrial systems, herbivores should have low growth efficiencies (10-30%) when consuming autotrophs with typical carbon-to-nutrient ratios. These stoichiometric constraints on herbivore growth appear to be qualitatively similar and widespread in both environments.     

Ecosystem consequences of species richness and composition in pond food webs

Resolving current concerns about the role of biodiversity on ecosystems calls for understanding the separate roles of changes in species numbers and of composition. Recent work shows that primary productivity often, but not always, saturates with species richness within single trophic levels. However, any interpretation of such patterns must consider that variation in biodiversity is necessarily associated with changes in species composition (identity), and that changes in biodiversity often occur across multiple trophic levels. Here we present results from a mesocosm experiment in which we independently manipulated species richness and species composition across multiple trophic levels in pond food webs. In contrast to previous studies that focused on single trophic levels, we found that productivity is either idiosyncratic or increases with respect to species richness, and that richness influences trophic structure. However, the composition of species within richness levels can have equally or more marked effects on ecosystems than average effects of richness per se. Indirect evidence suggests that richness and associated changes in species composition affect ecosystem attributes through indirect effects and trophic interactions among species, features that are highly characteristic of natural, complex ecosystems.     

Inhomogeneity, dynamical symmetry, and complexity in high-temperature superconductors: Reconciling a universal phase diagram with rich local disorder

A model for high-temperature superconductors incorporating antiferromagnetism, d-wave superconductivity, and no double latticesite occupancy can give energy surfaces delicately balanced between antiferromagnetic and superconducting order for specific ranges of doping and temperature. The resulting properties can reconcile a universal cuprate phase diagram with rich inhomogeneity, relate that inhomogeneity to pseudogaps, give a fundamental rationale for giant proximity effects and other emergent behavior, and provide an objective framework to separate essential from peripheral in the superconducting mechanism. high-temperature superconductivity, pseudogap, critical dynamical symmetry, inhomogeneity, complexity, emergent behavior     

Inhomogeneity,dynamical symmetry,and complexity in high-temperature superconductors:Reconciling a universal phase diagram with rich local disorder

A model for high-temperature superconductors incorporating antiferromagnetism,d-wave superconductivity,and no double lattice-site occupancy can give energy surfaces delicately balanced between antiferromagnetic and superconducting order for specific ranges of doping and temperature. The resulting properties can reconcile a universal cuprate phase diagram with rich inhomogeneity,relate that inhomogeneity to pseudogaps,give a fundamental rationale for giant proximity eects and other emergent behavior,and provide an objective framework to separate essential from peripheral in the superconducting mechanism.     

Whole-lake carbon-13 additions reveal terrestrial support of aquatic food webs

Ecosystems are supported by organic carbon from two distinct sources. Endogenous carbon is produced by photosynthesis within an ecosystem by autotrophic organisms. Exogenous carbon is produced elsewhere and transported into ecosystems. Consumers may use exogenous carbon with consequent influences on population dynamics, predator-prey relationships and ecosystem processes. For example, exogenous inputs provide resources that may enhance consumer abundance beyond levels supported by within-system primary production. Exogenous fluxes of organic carbon to ecosystems are often large, but this material is recalcitrant and difficult to assimilate, in contrast to endogenously produced organic matter, which is used more easily. Here we show, by the experimental manipulation of dissolved inorganic (13)C in two lakes, that internal primary production is insufficient to support the food webs of these ecosystems. Additions of NaH(13)CO(3) enriched the (13)C content of dissolved inorganic carbon, particulate organic carbon, zooplankton and fish. Dynamics of (13)C indicate that 40-55% of particulate organic carbon and 22-50% of zooplankton carbon are derived from terrestrial sources, showing that there is significant subsidy of these ecosystems by organic carbon produced outside their boundaries.     

波形钢腹板箱梁考虑腹板局部纵向刚度影响的扭转效应分析

为了更加合理地分析波形钢腹板组合箱梁的约束扭转效应,考虑了顶底板对波形钢腹板的约束作用,引入波形钢腹板共同抗弯区的概念,同时考虑波形钢腹板的手风琴效应,提出一种分析约束扭转效应的解析法.通过引入新的广义扇性坐标分布模式,在乌曼斯基第二理论的基础上推导了约束扭转翘曲应力的计算公式.结合数值算例对比分析了所提方法与传统方法...     

平钢腹板－混凝土组合拱桥试设计研究

平钢腹板-混凝土组合拱是由平钢腹板和混凝土顶底板组合而成的新型结构.以主跨160 m的岭兜大桥为原型进行该新桥型的试设计研究.结果表明,试设计满足规范要求.与原桥相比,试设计桥梁可减轻拱圈自重约37%,并方便施工;与波形钢腹板-混凝土组合拱桥相比,能发挥钢腹板的抗压与抗拉作用,提高腹板的材料利用率,拱圈自重减少约6%,是一种具有应用前景的新桥型.     

食品中叶酸分析方法及稳定性研究进展

通过优化样品前处理体系,建立精确的叶酸分析检测方法,对促进叶酸的多方面、深层次研究具有迫切的现实意义。介绍了叶酸的分子结构及其主要存在形式,以及常见食品中叶酸的含量。阐述了化学法和酶解法等样品前处理方法,分析表明在测定富含淀粉、蛋白质的豆类、谷物等食品中的叶酸时,更适合采用与淀粉酶、蛋白酶等联合使用的酶解法。综述了微生物法、荧光分析法、液相色谱法等常见叶酸检测方法,指出高效液相色谱-质谱联用法可快速测定不同形式的叶酸,且具有高效、精确等特点。探讨了影响叶酸稳定性的因素,以及提高叶酸摄入量和稳定性的措施,认为可通过在主粮作物中添加叶酸、蛋白质胶囊包裹叶酸、促进叶酸与蛋白质结合等方式来提高叶酸的摄入量及其稳定性。     

波纹钢腹板预应力混凝土组合箱梁抗扭性能

根据乌氏第二理论对波纹钢腹板预应力混凝土箱梁的扭转性能进行了研究,分析了箱梁截面在偏心荷载作用下的约束扭转和畸变特性,建立了空间有限元模型,并对理论分析进行了验证.分析结果表明:在偏心荷载作用下,由约束扭转产生的翘曲正应力为弯曲应力的5.9%,跨中截面钢腹板剪应力为弯曲剪应力的14.8%,由畸变引起的翘曲正应力为弯曲正应力的29%;针对跨径较小的简支梁,畸变产生的翘曲正应力约为约束扭转产生的翘曲正应力的5倍;偏载引起的效应在整体效应中所占的比重较大,在计算过程中不可忽略.     

Chemostat 中单营养食物链模型的全局稳定性分析

目的研究一类单营养食物链模型的全局稳定性。方法通过解常微分方程讨论模型平衡点的存在性,应用Hurwitz判别法和特征方程法对模型平衡点的稳定性进行分析。结果得到了该模型的3个平衡点的稳定性的充分条件,并且得到了围绕平衡点E_2(x_1~*,x_2~*)至少存在一个极限环的条件。结论单营养食物链的Chemostat系统不仅可以达到生态平衡,而且还存在达到生态平衡的相对弱化的条件。     

波形钢腹板箱梁畸变应力分析

在箱梁理论的基础上,根据波形钢腹板箱梁的力学特性,对波形钢腹板箱梁由畸变引起的翘曲正应力进行了研究.考虑到波形钢腹板具有褶皱效应,把波形钢腹板看作正交异性板,利用波形钢腹板箱梁中各板元平面力系的平衡关系,推导出波形钢腹板箱梁的畸变控制微分方程.采用弹性地基梁法解出波形钢腹板箱梁的畸变角和畸变双力矩,最终得到纵向畸变正应...