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Pseudosasa amabilis (McClure) (Poales: Gramineae) is a typical bamboo species naturally distributed in large area of south China and famous for its culm strength. Although bamboos were found to share the same development rule, the detailed internode morphology of bamboo culm was actually not fully expressed. We explored internode morphology of P. amabilis using 11 different physical parameters in different dimensions (1-4). As Taylor's power law ( TPL) is generally applicable to describe relationship between mean and variance of population density, here we used TPL to evaluate the differences between internodes, and further, the relationship between dimension and TPL. Results showed that length (L), hollow radius ( HR), hollow area ( HA), hollow cylinder volume ( HCV), total cylinder volume ( TCV), density (De), and weight (W) all presented positive skewed distribution in varying degrees. For the basic one-dimensional parameters, the 9th internode was the longest, the 7th the heaviest, while thickness (T) decreased with internodes. Diameter (D) decreased in general but with an inconspicuous local mode at the 5-6th internodes, potentially due to the rapid height growth. The longest (9th) internode was the 'turning point' for T-D and HR-D relationships. Scatter plot changing trends of W to the one-dimensional parameters after the heaviest (7th) internode were reversed, indicating a deceleration of growth speed. TPL was not holding well in one-dimensional parameters ( R2: 0.5413-0.8125), but keep increasing as the parameter's dimension increasing ( R2 > 0.92 for two-dimensional, R2 > 0.97 for three-dimensional, and R2 > 0.99 for four-dimensional parameters.), suggesting an emergence mechanism of TPL related to both the physical dimensions of morphological measures and the allometric growth of bamboo. From the physical fundamental level, all existences are the expression of energy distribution in different dimensions, implying a more general rule that energy distribution holds better TPL in higher dimension level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between spatial density and size of plants is an important topic in plant ecology. The self-thinning rule suggests a −3/2 power between average biomass and density or a −1/2 power between stand yield and density. However, the self-thinning rule based on total leaf area per plant and density of plants has been neglected presumably because of the lack of a method that can accurately estimate the total leaf area per plant. We aimed to find the relationship between spatial density of plants and total leaf area per plant. We also attempted to provide a novel model for accurately describing the leaf shape of bamboos. We proposed a simplified Gielis equation with only two parameters to describe the leaf shape of bamboos one model parameter represented the overall ratio of leaf width to leaf length. Using this method, we compared some leaf parameters (leaf shape, number of leaves per plant, ratio of total leaf weight to aboveground weight per plant, and total leaf area per plant) of four bamboo species of genus Indocalamus Nakai ( I. pedalis (Keng) P.C. Keng, I. pumilus Q.H. Dai and C.F. Keng, I. barbatus McClure, and I. victorialis P.C. Keng). We also explored the possible correlation between spatial density and total leaf area per plant using log-linear regression. We found that the simplified Gielis equation fit the leaf shape of four bamboo species very well. Although all these four species belonged to the same genus, there were still significant differences in leaf shape. Significant differences also existed in leaf area per plant, ratio of leaf weight to aboveground weight per plant, and leaf length. In addition, we found that the total leaf area per plant decreased with increased spatial density. Therefore, we directly demonstrated the self-thinning rule to improve light interception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moso bamboos ( Phyllostachys edulis) are important forestry plants in southern China, with substantial roles to play in regional economic and ecological systems. Mixing broad-leaved forests and moso bamboos is a common management practice in China, and it is fundamental to elucidate the interactions between broad-leaved trees and moso bamboos for ensuring the sustainable provision of ecosystem services. We examine how the proportion of broad-leaved forest in a mixed managed zone, topology, and soil profile affects the effective productivity of moso bamboos (i.e., those with significant economic value), using linear regression and generalized additive models. Bamboo's diameter at breast height follows a Weibull distribution. The importance of these variables to bamboo productivity is, respectively, slope (25.9%), the proportion of broad-leaved forest (24.8%), elevation (23.3%), gravel content by volume (16.6%), slope location (8.3%), and soil layer thickness (1.2%). Highest productivity is found on the 25° slope, with a 600-m elevation, and 30% broad-leaved forest. As such, broad-leaved forest in the upper slope can have a strong influence on the effective productivity of moso bamboo, ranking only after slope and before elevation. These factors can be considered in future management practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding drivers of population fluctuation, especially for agricultural pests, is central to the provision of agro-ecosystem services. Here, we examine the role of endogenous density dependence and exogenous factors of climate and human activity in regulating the 37-year population dynamics of an important agricultural insect pest, the cotton bollworm ( Helicoverpa armigera), in North China from 1975 to 2011. Quantitative time-series analysis provided strong evidence explaining long-term population dynamics of the cotton bollworm and its driving factors. Rising temperature and declining rainfall exacerbated the effect of agricultural intensification on continuously weakening the negative density dependence in regulating the population dynamics of cotton bollworms. Consequently, ongoing climate change and agricultural intensification unleashed the tightly regulated pest population and triggered the regional outbreak of H. armigera in 1992. Although the negative density dependence can effectively regulate the population change rate to fluctuate around zero at stable equilibrium levels before and after outbreak in the 1992, the population equilibrium jumped to a higher density level with apparently larger amplitudes after the outbreak. The results highlight the possibility for exogenous factors to induce pest outbreaks and alter the population regulating mechanism of negative density dependence and, thus, the stable equilibrium of the pest population, often to a higher level, posing considerable risks to the provision of agro-ecosystem services and regional food security. Efficient and timely measures of pest management in the era of Anthropocene should target the strengthening and revival of weakening density dependence caused by climate change and human activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]