天津沼泽湿地芦苇叶片的碳稳定同位素比值分布特征及其环境影响因素

天津芦苇(Phragmites australis)沼泽具有重要的生态功能。目前天津地区水体咸化、氮污染和水资源短缺问题严重, 显著影响了芦苇湿地的植物生理生态过程。植物稳定碳同位素组成(碳稳定同位素比值(δ¹³C))能够记录与植物生长过程相关联的环境变化信息, 反映植物对环境变化的生理生态适应特性。该研究调查了天津七里海、北大港和大黄堡湿地芦苇叶片的δ¹³C分布特征, 探讨了影响该地区叶片δ¹³C值变化的主要因素。研究表明: 1)天津芦苇湿地植物叶片δ¹³C的变化范围在-26.3‰ - -23.6 ‰之间, 平均值为-25.8‰; 2)芦苇叶片δ¹³C与底泥相对含水量呈显著负相关关系, 与底泥有效氮和全氮含量呈显著正相关关系, 而与底泥盐度和磷含量没有显著相关关系; 水分条件和底泥氮营养状况是影响叶片的δ¹³C值变化的主要因素; 3)淹水条件下, 芦苇叶片δ¹³C与叶片质量氮含量呈显著正相关关系, 与叶碳氮比呈显著负相关关系, 8月份七里海湿地干涸打破了此相关关系。当前环境压力下, 天津沼泽湿地干涸极大地改变了芦苇的氮、水平衡和植物对水、氮资源的利用策略, 而湿地干涸对该过程的影响要高于盐度和氮负荷增加。     

通过稳定同位素分析云南大阴洞遗址先民的生业经济方式

农业的起源和传播是人类历史上最重要的变革之一。本文通过对云南省文山州广南县大阴洞遗址出土的17例人骨标本的C、N稳定同位素分析,探索新石器时代晚期至青铜时代,滇东南地区先民的食物结构和生业经济。结果显示,大阴洞遗址居民的δ¹³C值范围为-20.2‰ ~ -17.5‰,主要以C₃类食物为主;δ¹⁵N值范围为9.2‰ ~ 10.7‰,所处的营养级别较高;两性之间存在食谱差异,大部分男性比女性摄入更多的动物蛋白。结合相关考古发现,大阴洞遗址居民可能主要经营稻作农业,兼营狩猎;对动物资源的利用可能具有多样性,并通过采集、渔猎及家畜饲养补充食物来源。考虑到云南作为农业向中南半岛传播的重要通道,进一步对云南地区新石器-青铜时代先民的生业策略选择的梳理发现,云南地区新石器时代不同区域的人群有不同的农业经营策略。到青铜时代,随着小麦的传入,农业经济的选择更为多元化,动物资源的获取技术也更加成熟多样。不同的农业策略选择除了受到自然条件的影响,也是与相邻地区文化互动的结果。     

鼎湖山森林演替序列植物-土壤碳氮同位素特征

植物群落对水分利用和养分利用的优化策略, 土壤碳周转和氮循环过程对演替变化如何响应, 森林土壤有机碳积累机制等都是森林生态学需要解决的关键问题。然而, 这些生态学过程的变化在短时间内通过传统的研究手段难以被精确观测, 碳氮同位素(¹³C、¹⁵N)技术的应用或许能提供更多有价值的信息。该文通过对鼎湖山森林演替序列代表性群落——马尾松(Pinus massoniana)针叶林(PF)、针阔叶混交林(MF)和季风常绿阔叶林(BF)植物-土壤碳氮同位素自然丰度的测定, 分析了叶片稳定碳同位素比率(δ¹³C)和稳定氮同位素比率(δ¹⁵N)与其叶片元素含量的关系, 以及叶片-凋落物-土壤δ¹³C、δ¹⁵N在演替水平和垂直方向上的变化特征。结果显示: 1)主要优势树种叶片δ¹³C与其C:N极显著正相关(p < 0.01), 凋落物和各层土壤δ¹³C均表现为PF > MF > BF, 沿演替方向逐渐降低; 2)叶片δ¹⁵N与叶片N含量正相关(p = 0.05), 凋落物和表层土壤(0-10 cm) δ¹⁵N沿演替方向逐渐增大; 3)不同演替阶段土壤δ¹³C、δ¹⁵N均沿垂直剖面呈现增大的趋势。结果表明: 南亚热带地区植物群落的发展并不一定受水分利用和氮素利用的补偿制约; δ¹³C自然丰度法的应用有助于森林土壤有机碳积累机制, 尤其有助于成熟森林土壤“碳汇”机制的阐释; 植物-土壤δ¹⁵N值可作为评估土壤氮素有效性和生态系统“氮饱和”状态的潜在指标。     

黑河中游春玉米叶片水δD和δ18O的富集过程和影响因素

植物水的稳定同位素分馏过程是水在土壤-植物-大气连续体中循环的重要环节。以往研究由于叶片水¹⁸O同位素比值(δ¹⁸O _l,b)和氘(D)同位素比值(δD_l,b)(合称δ_l,b)实测数量少只能作为模型验证数据, 导致δ_l,b富集机制研究多集中于模型研究, 缺乏基于野外试验条件的δ_l,b富集的控制机制研究。叶片水δD_l,b和δ¹⁸O _l,b的富集程度(ΔD_l,b和Δ¹⁸O _l,b, 合称Δ_l,b)通常表示为δ_l,b与茎秆水D同位素比值(δD_x)和¹⁸O同位素比值(δ¹⁸O_x) (合称δ_x)之差, 即Δ_l,b = δ_l,b - δ_x。该研究以黑河中游沙漠绿洲春玉米(Zea mays)生态系统为研究对象, 重点采集和分析了季节和日尺度δ_l,b和δ_x数据, 配套开展了大气水汽δ¹⁸O和δD (合称δ_v)等辅助变量的原位连续观测, 探讨了季节和日尺度上的δ_l,b富集特征及其影响因素。结果表明: 叶片水δ_l,b和Δ_l,b的季节变化趋势不明显, 而受蒸腾作用影响表现出白天富集夜间贫化的单峰日变化特征。对于D来说, 无论季节尺度上还是日尺度上, 大气水汽δ_v和相对湿度是δD_l,b和ΔD_l,b的主要环境控制因素; 而对于¹⁸O来说, 无论季节尺度上还是日尺度上, 相对湿度是δ¹⁸O _l,b和Δ¹⁸O _l,b的主要环境控制因素。由于D和¹⁸O在热力学平衡分馏上有约8倍差异, 直接分析叶片水ΔD_l,b和Δ¹⁸O_l,b与影响因素的差异性, 有助于理解叶片水δD和δ¹⁸O富集过程以及对模型发展有一定的指导意义。     

贵州荔波玉屏洞穴陆生动物食物来源及营养级

洞穴是“极端地下生物多样性”的聚集地, 为了揭示洞穴陆生动物的食物来源以及营养级关系, 本文于2016年10月对贵州荔波玉屏镇的3个代表性洞穴内的陆生动物进行调查, 应用¹³C和¹⁵N稳定同位素方法, 分析了洞内陆生动物和基础碳源的δ¹³C、δ¹⁵N值变化特征, 探究了各动物类群的营养级位置以及不同的基础碳源对动物的食物源的贡献率。结果表明: 洞穴植物的δ¹³C值范围为-38.25‰ ± 0.95‰至-29.44‰ ± 0.49‰, 土壤有机质δ¹³C值范围为-32.73‰ ± 0.03‰至-24.68‰ ± 0.41‰, 大部分不在洞穴植物的δ¹³C变化范围内。洞穴动物δ¹³C、δ¹⁵N值范围分别为-34.22‰ ± 0.39‰至-14.83‰ ± 0.78‰、1.86‰ ± 0.20‰至16.43‰ ± 0.05‰, 表现出较大的种(或类群)间差异。IsoSource软件估算结果表明, 洞穴土壤有机质对78.3%动物类群的食物源的贡献率高于植物。荔波玉屏洞穴消费者的营养级范围为1.01-5.32, 其中, 巨蚓科、螺类、潮虫科、马陆、大蚊科、夜蛾科主要处于第2营养层次; 蚰蜒科、蚁蛉科(幼虫)、蝙蝠处于第3营养层次; 蜚蠊科处于第2-3营养层次; 驼螽科、蠼螋科处于第2-4营养层次; 蜘蛛处于第2-5营养层次, 跨3个营养级。综上认为, 洞穴土壤有机质是洞穴消费者的主要食物基础。大部分同一类群的动物在洞穴中所处的营养级位置较稳定, 少部分同属于一个类群的动物在不同洞穴或同一洞穴不同光带所处的营养级位置有差异。     

长白山阔叶红松林生态系统光能利用率的动态变化及其主控因子

生态系统光能利用率(LUE)反映了植被通过光合作用利用光能吸收和固定大气中CO₂的能力, 是表征生态系统生产力的重要指标。选取长白山温带阔叶红松(Pinus koraiensis)林生态系统为研究对象, 利用涡度相关通量观测数据, 采用直角双曲线方程获取了生态系统光合作用的表观量子效率(ε); 基于总生态系统初级生产力(GEP)与下垫面入射光合有效辐射(Q)的比值得到生态光能利用率(LUE_eco)。研究表明: 在季节尺度上, ε与LUE_eco均表现出显著的单峰变化特征, 并主要受到土壤温度和归一化植被指数(NDVI)的调控, 同时, ε和LUE_eco都受到GEP的显著影响, 而与Q的相关性较弱或无显著相关关系, 但散射辐射的增加在一定程度上有助于提高生态系统的LUE。ε与LUE_eco存在显著的线性正相关关系, 但ε明显高于LUE_eco。2003-2005年, ε与LUE_eco每年最大值的平均值分别为(0.087 ± 0.003)和(0.040 ± 0.002) μmol CO₂·μmol photon^-1, 年际间变异度分别为4.17%和4.25%, 而不同年份之间最大差异均达到8%或8%以上, 从而对模型模拟结果产生明显影响。因此, 在基于光能利用率模型的模拟研究中, 最大LUE的年际变异需要在参数反演和优化中给予重要考虑。     

氢同位素在内蒙古小叶锦鸡儿灌丛水分来源研究中的应用

小叶锦鸡儿(Caragana microphylla)是我国内蒙古草原广泛分布的优势灌木, 目前国内外有关小叶锦鸡儿水分利用来源的定量研究较少。该文运用氢稳定同位素法, 分析了内蒙古小叶锦鸡儿木质部水和潜在水源(夏季降雨、冬季降雪和土壤水)的氢稳定同位素比率(δD)的季节变化, 发现小叶锦鸡儿在遮雨处理和自然状态下δD季节变化差异不明显, 分别为-101.36‰ ± 13.02‰和-101.18‰ ± 12.71‰。在遮雨处理条件下, 小叶锦鸡儿主要利用0-20 cm土壤层水分, 占其所利用水分的73.30% ± 16.14%; 自然状态下, 小叶锦鸡儿对0-20、20-60和60-100 cm不同土壤层土壤的水分利用较为均衡, 分别为34.66% ± 7.83%、32.44% ± 7.42%和32.90% ± 4.14%。该结果表明不同生境下灌木与草本的水分竞争可能是小叶锦鸡儿对不同土层水分利用差异的原因。结合两源模型分析了降雨对各土壤层的贡献率, 并用IsoSource多源混合模型分析了各土壤层对小叶锦鸡儿用水的贡献率, 发现降雨对小叶锦鸡儿的贡献率为42.65%-63.92%。该结果反映了小叶锦鸡儿对夏季降雨和冬季融雪的利用情况。     

体育专业大学生指长比及其波动性不对称的特征

为探讨体育专业大学生指长比及其波动性不对称的特征,进而为体质人类学和优秀运动员身体形态特征的研究积累基础资料,本研究特招募374名18~25岁发育正常的汉族在校大学生为研究对象,按照专业和性别分为男生体育组（n=60）、男生普系组（n=143）、女生体育组（n=61）和女生普系组（n=110）,计算各个指长比及两侧指长比的波动不对称值并进行检验。结果显示男生体育组与男生普系组之间的指长比（R）存在统计学差异（P<0.05）,差异主要表现在R_2/5、R_3/5和R_4/5上,而女生体育组与女生普系组之间的指长比不存在统计学差异（P>0.05）。结果还显示男生体育组与男生普系组之间的偏差(σ)存在统计学差异（P<0.05）,差异主要表现在σ_2/3和σ_2/3上。而女生的指长比偏差在体育组与普系组之间不存在统计学差异（P>0.05）。通过分析讨论提示出大学生指长比及指长比偏差与性别和运动能力有关,R_3/5及σ_3/5可能与早期生长发育过程中的性激素的暴露水平有关,而且有望成为运动员选材的新生物标记。     

草菇不同菌株RT-qPCR参考基因筛选

适合的参考基因是应用实时荧光定量PCR (RT-qPCR)技术进行基因表达分析的前提。本研究以7个食用菌常用参考基因(β-TUB 1、GPD、ACTB、Ras、α-TUB、β-TUB 2和SPRYp)为候选基因,利用RT-qPCR检测其在草菇常用生产菌株(CPS)V844、V5、V971和V844继代退化菌株(SDS) T8、T12、T16、T20中的表达;用Genorm、NormFinder和BestKeeper 3种软件分析候选基因的表达稳定性,并结合几何平均数法筛选出最佳参考基因。结果表明,SPRYp、α-TUB和β-TUB 2基因适用于草菇常用生产菌株检测,SPRYp、GPD和α-TUB基因适用于草菇继代退化检测,SPRYp基因适用于两种条件的检测。两两差异分析表明,草菇常用生产菌株的最佳参考基因组合为SPRYp、α-TUB和β-TUB 2,继代退化菌株的最佳参考基因组合为SPRYp和GPD,两种条件混合菌株的最佳参考基因组合为SPRYp和α-TUB。     

金针菇淀粉酶家族基因鉴定及其表达特性分析

本研究对金针菇淀粉酶家族基因进行了信息分析,并选用金针菇双核菌株H1123作为实验材料,分析了菌丝生长过程中淀粉酶活性和淀粉酶基因表达特性之间的关系。结果表明,金针菇淀粉酶家族包含6个α淀粉酶和1个γ淀粉酶。7个淀粉酶基因的表达量均在菌丝接种后第10天出现峰值,并与胞外淀粉酶活性呈同步变化,说明基质中淀粉的分解和利用是淀粉酶家族各成员之间相互协调的结果。其中α-Amy-1、α-Amy-4、α-Amy-5的上调幅度最大,为淀粉降解和代谢过程的主效基因。值得注意的是胞内淀粉酶基因α-Amy-1在第10天时达到约90倍的上调表达水平。我们推测：金针菇胞外淀粉酶将淀粉分解为小分子单糖的同时,其胞内淀粉酶也参与了这些糖类的吸收和运输过程。     

Foliar stable carbon isotope ratios of Phragmites australis and the relevant environmental factors in marsh wetlands in Tianjin

Aims Phragmites australis marshes in Tianjin play an important role in ecosystem functioning. Wetlands of Tianjin municipality have been suffering from serious nitrogen loading, salinization and water shortage. The foliar stable carbon isotope ratio (δ¹³C) is a good parameter which records environmental change information associated with the plant growth process, and reflects physiological and ecological responses of plants to environment changes. The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of environment stress on the leaf δ¹³C of P. australis in marsh wetlands in Tianjin municipality.Methods This study was conducted in Qilihai, Beidagang, and Dahuangpu marsh wetlands. We investigated the foliar δ¹³C of P. australis and sediment properties, and evaluated the relationships between the foliar δ¹³C and sediment environmental factors. Important findings 1) Foliar δ¹³C ranged from -26.3‰ to -23.6‰, with an average value of -25.8‰. 2) Sediment water and nitrogen status were the important factors affecting reed foliar δ¹³C. Foliar δ¹³C was negatively correlated to sediment relative water content, and positively correlated to sediment total nitrogen and available nitrogen content. In contrast, foliar δ¹³C was not significantly correlated to sediment salinity and phosphorus content. 3) Leaf δ¹³C were significantly positively correlated with leaf nitrogen content, and negatively correlated with leaf carbon and nitrogen ratio across all site. However, these relationships were not detected due to the wetland drainage at Qilihai site in August. Wetland drainage changed the plant water and nitrogen balance, and further affected water and nitrogen utilization strategies of P. australis. Moreover, wetland drainage had stronger effects on these processes than nitrogen loading and salinization.     

哈民忙哈遗址人和动物骨骼的C、N稳定同位素分析

哈民忙哈遗址是迄今为止内蒙古乃至东北地区发现面积最大的一处史前聚落遗址,为重建当时的生产和生活情况、文化习俗甚至思想观念等都提供了弥足珍贵的实物资料。其中,重建该遗址先民的食物结构和生业经济,有助于揭示哈民忙哈遗址产生和兴盛的动因及科尔沁沙地史前文化的变迁过程。目前,多学科的研究成果已经初步显示哈民忙哈遗址先民的生业经济具有多样性,但各种生业模式的比重以及是否存在家畜饲养等问题还缺乏相应的了解。本文对该遗址87例人骨与18例动物骨骼进行了C、N稳定同位素分析,还原了人和动物的食物结构及生业经济面貌。结果显示,陆生野生动物的食物结构主要基于C₃植物类食物和少量的C₄农作物,而犬科动物则体现出家养动物的食谱特性：食物主要依赖C₄食物和人类食物残羹。C₄类粟黍农作物和以此饲喂的动物是该遗址先民的主要食物来源,其中粟黍农作物在食物结构中的地位尤其重要。在该遗址中,女性摄入相对较多的粟黍和相对较少的肉类,与男性在食物结构上存在显著差异。农耕、家畜饲养是先民最重要的经济行为,狩猎、渔猎和采集是生业的重要补充。     

Stable isotopic variations in modern herbivore tooth enamel, plants and water on the Tibetan Plateau: Implications for paleoclimate and paleoelevation reconstructions

Stable isotope analyses of fossil teeth and other authigenic minerals have been used to reconstruct the paleoenvironment and paleoelevation of the Tibetan Plateau. The accuracy of such reconstructions is limited by the lack of a comprehensive modern comparative database from the region. We analyzed the carbon and oxygen isotopic compositions (δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O values) of tooth enamel from modern herbivores, the δ¹³C values of grasses and the δ¹⁸O values of water samples collected from various elevations within the Tibetan Plateau to examine their relationships with modern environment/elevation. The δ¹³C values of enamel samples from horses, yaks and goats display a narrow range of variation, with a mean of − 10.7 ± 1.4‰ (n = 301), indicating that these modern herbivores were feeding predominantly on C3 plants, consistent with the current dominance of C3 vegetation in the region. Some of the samples have δ¹³C values between − 7.3 and − 10‰. Although these higher δ¹³C values could suggest consumption of some C4 plants by the animals, the lack of significant seasonal δ¹³C variations within individual teeth indicates that these higher enamel δ¹³C values are due to consumption of C3 plants experiencing water stress and/or some CAM plants rather than C4 plants. Our data show that the conservative “cut-off” δ¹³C value for a pure C3 diet within the Tibetan Plateau should be − 8‰ for modern herbivores and − 7‰ (or even − 6.5‰) for fossils if the region was as arid in the past as today. In contrast to the small intra-tooth δ¹³C variations within individual teeth, serial enamel samples display large intra-tooth δ¹⁸O variations, reflecting seasonal variations in the δ¹⁸O of meteoric water. The mean δ¹⁸O values of tooth enamel from yaks and horses show a strong correlation with water δ¹⁸O values, confirming that the δ¹⁸O of tooth enamel from obligate drinker generally tracks the δ¹⁸O of meteoric water. Unfortunately, elevation alone cannot explain most of the variance in the δ¹⁸O of precipitation and tooth enamel, suggesting that quantitative reconstruction of the paleoelevation of the Tibetan Plateau using re-constructed δ¹⁸O values of paleo-meteoric water from fossil enamel or other oxygen-bearing minerals is not warranted. For a given environment, horses have the lowest enamel–δ¹⁸O values while goats display the highest enamel–δ¹⁸O values among the species studied. The large inter-species δ¹⁸O variations are likely due to differences in physiology and diet/drinking behavior of the animals. This underscores the importance of species-specific studies when interpreting δ¹⁸O data of fossil mammalian teeth in a stratigraphic sequence as a record of paleoclimate changes.     

Charophyte growth in small temperate water bodies: Extreme isotopic disequilibrium and implications for the palaeoecology of shallow marl lakes

A small pond containing the charophyte Chara hispida was monitored over a one-year period for changes in growth, water chemistry, water level and stable isotopic composition. Chara growth was found to be seasonal, with maximum growth occurring from late April to July. During this period, pH rose to > 10 while the dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and calcium fell as a result of photosynthesis and calcification. Large gradients in pH, water temperature and irradiance were found within the Chara sward and measurements showed that most growth and photosynthesis occurred within the upper 20 cm of the water column. Chara oospore formation was also found to be seasonal but dependent upon environmental conditions.

δ¹⁸O_w rose rapidly during summer as evaporation progressed and this was correlated with the δ¹⁸O_DIC, and to some extent with δ¹⁸O_c of the Chara encrusted calcite. However, extreme isotopic disequilibrium was observed between the δ¹⁸O_c and the δ¹⁸O_w and also between the δ¹³C_c and the δ¹³C_DIC. This arose from the high pH allowing atmospheric CO₂ to enter the water and combine directly with OH⁻.

It is concluded that, within shallow eutrophic lakes containing Chara swards, inferences of climate (e.g. air temperature) cannot be made from observations of the isotopic composition of Chara carbonates. However in combination with other geochemical data, disequilibrium events may be identifiable in ancient lake basins and taken as evidence for lake shallowing and/or eutrophication.     

Temporal and spatial variability of the oxygen isotopic composition of massive corals from the South China Sea: Influence of the Asian monsoon

Coral colonies of Porites lutea and P. lobata were collected from areas to the east and south offshore of Hainan Island, South China Sea. Oxygen isotope ratios, ¹⁸O/¹⁶O, were analyzed along the major axis of growth at a resolution of 25–28 samples within an annual band from three colonies, giving data series lengths of 15, 20 and 30 years. Coral δ¹⁸O correlates well with sea surface temperature (SST) throughout most years, particularly when the Asian winter monsoon prevails over the region. Due to the same seasonal phases of SST and sea surface salinity (SSS), it is estimated that most of the seasonal features of coral δ¹⁸O are controlled by changes in SST with a significant contribution of SSS. This indicates the importance of temperature, as determined by the Asian winter monsoon, as a control on seasonal coral δ¹⁸O variations in the South China Sea. Given the fact that annual SSS maxima show minor inter-annual changes, the inter-annual change of annual coral δ¹⁸O maximum mainly reflects the SST induced by the winter monsoon. While the coral δ¹⁸O is mainly controlled by SST, deviations of the δ¹⁸O from SST correlate statistically with sea surface salinity, particularly for summer extreme events when SST reaches its annual maximum with minor inter-annual change. Therefore, we suggest that the inter-annual variation of the annual coral δ¹⁸O minima is mainly controlled by seawater composition. Seawater composition analysis indicates that its δ¹⁸O and salinity are simultaneously affected by freshwater inputs primarily from precipitation, which is mainly supplied by the Asian summer monsoon. Thus seasonal alternations of the winter and summer monsoon mainly control the coral δ¹⁸O, thereby allowing reconstruction of these monsoonal variables. The three coral records consistently reveal clear inter-decadal trends in δ¹⁸O — a gradual increase from 1968 to 1987, and a subsequent decrease from 1987 to 2003. These inter-decadal trends are roughly consistent with salinity changes — but not with temperature and precipitation, suggesting that seawater composition controlled by freshwater inputs from distant source areas, rather than from local precipitation, is responsible for the trends in seawater composition and coral δ¹⁸O over the last 30 years. Comparison of the three coral records indicates that spatial variations in coral δ¹⁸O coincide with variations in seawater salinity and local precipitation, but not with temperature. This confirms the dominant role of seawater composition, mainly controlled by monsoonal precipitation, on the spatial variability of coral δ¹⁸O in the South China Sea.     

Transformation of steroids by Bacillus strains isolated from the foregut of water beetles (Coleoptera:Dytiscidae): I. Metabolism of androst-4-en-3,17-dione (AD)

Two Bacillus strains were isolated from the foregut of the water beetle Agabus affinis (Payk.) and tested for their steroid transforming ability. After incubation with androst-4-en-3,17-dione (AD), 13 different transformation products were detected. AD was hydroxylated at C₆, C₇, C₁₁ and C₁₄, resulting in formation of 6β-, 7-, 11- and 14-hydroxy-AD. One strain also produced small amounts of 6β,14-dihydroxy-AD. Partly, the 6β-hydroxy group was further oxidized to the corresponding 6-oxo steroids. In addition, a specific reduction of the Δ⁴-double bond was observed, leading to the formation of 5-androstane derivatives. In minor yields the carbonyl functions at C₃ and C₁₇ were reduced leading to the formation of 3ξ-OH or 17β-OH steroids. EI mass spectra of the trimethylsilyl and O-methyloxime trimethylsilyl ether derivatives of some transformation products are presented for the first time.     

13C and 15N isotopic signatures of plant-soil continuum along a successional gradient in Dinghushan Biosphere Reserve

Aims The optimal patterns of plant community for water use and nutrient utilization, the responses of soil carbon and nitrogen turnover processes to forest succession, and the mechanisms of soil organic carbon accumulation, are three critical issues in forest ecosystem study. It is difficult to accurately detect these ecological processes with conventional methodologies in the short term, yet the application of ¹³C and ¹⁵N natural abundance technique may yield important information about these processes.Methods This study was conducted in Dinghushan Biosphere Reserve. We investigated the natural isotopic abundance of both ¹³C and ¹⁵N of plant-soil continuum along a successional gradient from Pinus massoniana forest (PF) to coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest (MF), and monsoon evergreen broad-leaved forest (BF). We also analyzed the correlations of foliar stable carbon isotope ratio (δ¹³C) and stable nitrogen isotope ratio (δ¹⁵N) with foliar elemental contents and the variations of soil δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N along soil profiles at different successional stages.Important findings A significant positive correlation between foliar δ¹³C and foliar C:N was observed. In both litter and soil, the δ¹³C values tended to decrease along the forest succession, with the order as PF > MF > BF. Foliar δ¹⁵N was positively correlated with foliar N content. The δ¹⁵N values of litter and upper soil (0-10 cm) increased with successional status. Both soil δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values increased with increasing soil depth at all three forests. Our results imply that 1) trade-off between water use efficiency and nitrogen use efficiency did not necessarily exist in subtropical forests of China; 2) the application of isotopic technique could assist understanding of the mechanisms of soil carbon accumulation in subtropical forests, especially in old-grow forests; 3) the ¹⁵N natural abundance of plant-soil continuum could be a potential indicator of soil nitrogen availability and ecosystem nitrogen saturation status.