NH4 : NO3 nutrition influence on biomass productivity and root respiration of poplar and willow clones

Nitrogen fertilization often improves the yield of intensively managed, short‐rotation coppices. However, information of N nutrition form on the growth of common species and clones used for biomass production is limited. Thus, this study aims at evaluating N form effects on the growth of two Salicaceae clones. Cuttings of the poplar clone Max 4 (Populus maximovizcii × P. nigra) and the willow clone Inger (Salix triandra × S. viminialis) were fertilized in a pot experiment with four ratios of nitrate (NO₃^?) to ammonium (50%, 62.5%, 75% and 87.5% NO₃^? balanced with ammonium (NH₄⁺) to constant total N) for one growing season and under stable soil pH. Plants were harvested for analysis of biomass and morphology of leaves, stem and roots. Respiration of fine and coarse roots (RR) was determined and related to biomass growth. Salix cv. Inger accumulated more total dry matter than Populus cv. Max 4. In both Salicaceae clones, the total biomass was significantly influenced by the nitrate ratio and greatest in plants fertilized with 50% NO₃^? of the total N supply. Both clones possess a different leaf and root morphology, but no significant influence of the NO₃^? ratio on the morphology was found. Fine RR rates differed significantly between clones, with significantly greater fine RR in Max 4; 87.5% NO₃^? fertilization increased the fine RR. Fine RR and total accumulated plant biomass were closely related. Our study is the first to show the tremendous influence of fine root respiration, especially including the carbon‐intensive reduction of NO₃^? to NH₄⁺, on the aboveground growth of Salicaceae clones. Ways to improve yield in SRC are thus to lower the assimilate consumption by fine roots and to match fertilization regimes to the used clones or vice versa.     

Invasions by alien plant species of the agro-pastoral ecotone in northern China: Species-specific and environmental determinants

The establishment, reproduction, dispersal, and distribution of alien plants are affected by various factors during the transition from being newly introduced in a habitat to being invasive. In the agro-pastoral ecotone of northern China, comprising farmlands and natural grasslands, the biological characteristics of alien plant species were the key intrinsic factors (propagation characteristics and competitive ability), followed by such extrinsic factors as human interference and environmental heterogeneity. Among biological characteristics, the life form may be an important and useful indicator of the invasive ability of a species, and the risk of invasion is greater from alien species that are poisonous, inedible, and have traits that facilitate wide dispersal. Farmlands may serve as initial shelters for alien species, from which they spread into neighbouring habitats, whereas natural grassland may act as a barrier to plant invasions. Management practices detrimental to grasslands, including overgrazing, reclamation, and road construction, often facilitate the invasions; therefore, counter measures such as reseeding and a ban on grazing need special attention. Environmental factors including precipitation, nutrients, prevailing winds, fires, and topography may be other factors that promote or block the process of invasion. In studying ways of preventing or controlling such invasions, alien plants with short life cycle, prolific seed production, and strong competitiveness, deserve particular attention and so do human activities that may damage the environment and fragile habitats.     

RNA approaches the B‐form in stacked single strand dinucleotide contexts

Duplex RNA adopts an A‐form structure, while duplex DNA interconverts between the A‐ and B‐forms depending on the environment. The C2′‐endo sugar pucker seen in B‐form DNA can occur infrequently in ribose sugars as well, but RNA is not understood to assume B‐form conformations. Through analysis of over 45,000 stacked single strand dinucleotide (SSD) crystal structure conformations, this study demonstrates that RNA is capable of adopting a wide conformational range between the canonical A‐ and B‐forms at the localized SSD level, including many B‐form‐like conformations. It does so through C2′‐endo ribose conformations in one or both nucleotides, and B‐form‐like neighboring base stacking patterns. As chemical reactions on nucleic acids involve localized changes in chemical bonds, the understanding of how enzymes distinguish between DNA and RNA nucleotides is altered by the energetic accessibility of these rare B‐form‐like RNA SSD conformations. The existence of these conformations also has direct implications in parametrization of molecular mechanics energy functions used extensively to model nucleic acid behavior., 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 105: 65–82, 2016     

Carbon emission along a eutrophication gradient in temperate riverine wetlands: effect of primary productivity and plant community composition

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Two new reversible naphthalimide‐based fluorescent chemosensors for Hg2+

Naphthalimide‐based fluorescent probes 1 and 2 were synthesized, and were designed to form probe–Hg complexes through Hg²⁺ ions coordinated to the amide group and imidazole group. They showed high sensitivity and were selective ‘naked‐eye’ chemosensors for Hg²⁺ in phosphate buffer. The fluorescence of compounds 1 and 2 could be quenched up to 90% by the addition of Hg²⁺. Reversible probes can detect Hg²⁺ ions over a wide pH range (7.0–10.0). Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Redrawing the map: mtDNA provides new insight into the distribution and diversity of short‐finned pilot whales in the Pacific Ocean

Correlations between morphological and genetic data provide evidence to delineate species or evolutionarily significant units, which then become the units to conserve in management plans. Here, we examine the distribution and genetic differentiation of two morphotypes of short‐finned pilot whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus) in the Pacific Ocean. Mitochondrial control region sequences from 333 samples were combined with 152 previously published sequences to describe genetic variability globally and population structure in the Pacific. Although genetic variability is low, we found strong differentiation at both broad and local levels across the Pacific. Based on genetics, two types are distributed throughout the Pacific, one predominantly in the eastern Pacific and the other in the western and central Pacific. In the eastern Pacific Ocean, no correlation was found between distribution and sea surface temperature. The two types have broad latitudinal ranges, suggesting their distributions are likely driven by more complex factors, such as prey distribution, rather than sea surface temperature.     

不同施肥处理对甜菊生长及糖苷含量和积累量的影响

采用盆栽法,以甜菊( Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni)品种‘中山4号'(‘Zhongshan No.4')当年生扦插苗为研究对象,研究不同形态氮肥(硫酸铵、硝酸钠和尿素)及不同施氮量(纯氮)、施磷量( P2 O5)和施钾量( K2 O)对幼苗生长及糖苷含量和单株积累量的影响。结果显示：随氮肥、磷肥和钾肥施用量的提高,甜菊幼苗的株高、茎粗、叶长、叶宽、单株叶干质量和单株茎干质量均呈先升后降的变化趋势,且总体上与对照无显著差异,仅施磷量300 mg·kg-1处理组的叶长显著高于对照;根据施肥量与单株叶干质量的回归方程,确定硫酸铵、硝酸钠、尿素、磷肥和钾肥的施用量分别为64.87、660.21、735.84、211.54和775.92 mg·kg-1时,幼苗单株叶干质量最高。在硫酸铵处理组中,300 mg·kg-1处理组甜菊叶片中的莱鲍迪苷A( R-A)含量及甜菊苷( St)、R-A和总苷的单株积累量以及600 mg·kg-1处理组的St单株积累量高于对照,多数处理组的St、R-A和总苷含量及单株积累量均低于对照;在硝酸钠处理组中,1200 mg·kg-1处理组的R-A和总苷含量、600和900 mg·kg-1处理组的St单株积累量以及300~900 mg·kg-1处理组的R-A和总苷单株积累量高于对照,其他处理组的St、R-A和总苷含量及单株积累量均低于对照;在尿素处理组中,1500 mg·kg-1处理组的R-A和总苷的含量和单株积累量以及600和900 mg·kg-1处理组的R-A和总苷单株积累量高于对照,其他处理组的St、R-A和总苷含量及单株积累量均低于对照;各施氮处理组中,仅1500 mg·kg-1处理组的R-A含量与对照差异显著,其他指标均与对照无显著差异。在施磷处理组中,100 mg·kg-1处理组的R-A含量以及100和200 mg·kg-1处理组的St、R-A和总苷的单株积累量高于对照,多数处理组的St、R-A和总苷含量及单株积累量低于对照且与对照均无显著差异。在施钾处理组中,各处理组的St、R-A和总苷含量及单株积累量均高于对照,其中仅900 mg·kg-1处理组的St、R-A和总苷含量与对照显著差异。各施肥处理组的St含量占总苷含量的百分率均低于对照、R-A含量占总苷含量的百分率均高于对照,且总体上与对照无显著差异。经过综合分析,建议在甜菊生育期内的施肥量为纯氮600~900 mg·kg-1、P2 O5200~300 mg·kg-1和K2 O 600~900 mg·kg-1,其中氮肥以尿素为宜。     

海洋酸化条件下Cd2+和Hg2+对斧文蛤幼贝急性毒性效应

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