Leaf nutrient dynamics and nutrient resorption: a comparison between larch plantations and adjacent secondary forests in Northeast China

Aims Conversion of secondary forests to pure larch plantations is a common management practice driven by the increasing demand for timber production in Northeast China, resulting in a reduction in soil nutrient availability after a certain number of years following conversion. Nutrient resorption prior to leaf senescence was related to soil fertility, an important nutrient conservation strategy for plants, being especially significant in nutrient-poor habitats. However, the seasonal dynamics of leaf nutrients and nutrient resorption in response to secondary forest conversion to larch plantations is not well understood.Methods A comparative experiment between larch plantations (Larix spp.) and adjacent secondary forests (dominant tree species including Quercus mongolica, Acer mono, Juglans mandshurica and Fraxinus rhynchophylla) was conducted. We examined the variations in leaf nutrient (macronutrients: N, P, K, Ca and Mg; micronutrients: Cu and Zn) concentrations of these tree species during the growing season from May to October in 2013. Nutrient resorption efficiency and proficiency were compared between Larix spp. and the broadleaved species in the secondary forests.Important findings Results show that the seasonal variation of nutrient concentrations in leaves generally exhibited two trends, one was a downward trend for N, P, K, Cu and Zn, and another was an upward trend for Ca and Mg. The variations in foliar nutrient concentrations were mainly controlled by the developmental stage of leaves rather than by tree species. Resorption of the observed seven elements varied among the five tree species during leaf senescence. Nutrient resorption efficiency varied 6–75% of N, P, K, Mg, Cu and Zn, while Ca was not retranslocated in the senescing leaves of all species, and Mg was not retranslocated in Larix spp. Generally, Larix spp. tended to be more efficient and proficient (higher than 6–30% and 2–271% of nutrient resorption efficiency and resorption proficiency, respectively) in resorbing nutrients than the broadleaved species in the secondary forests, indicating that larch plantations had higher leaf nutrient resorption and thus nutrient use efficiency. Compared with Larix spp., more nutrients would remain in the leaf litter of the secondary forests, indicating an advantage of secondary forests in sustaining soil fertility. In contrast, the larch plantation would reuse internal nutrients rather than lose nutrients with litter fall and thus produce a positive feedback to soil nutrient availability. In summary, our results suggest that conversion from secondary forests to pure larch plantations would alter nutrient cycling through a plant-mediated pathway.     

The effects of simulated nitrogen deposition on extracellular enzyme activities of litter and soil among different-aged stands of larch

Aims Nitrogen (N) addition could affect the rate of forest litter and soil organic matter decomposition by regulating extracellular enzyme activity (EEA). The impact of N addition on EEA may differ across different age stands with different organic matter quality. We were interested in whether the impact of N addition on EEA in litter and mineral soil during the growing season was dependent on stand age of a larch plantation in North China.Methods We added three levels of N (0, 20 and 50kg N ha^-1 year^-1) in three age stands (11, 20 and 45 years old) of Larix principis-rupprechtii plantation in North China. We measured potential activities of β-1,4-glucosidase (BG), cellobiohydrolase (CB), β-1,4-N-acetyl-glucosaminidase (NAG) and phenol oxidase (PO) in litter (organic horizon) and mineral soil (0–10cm) during the second growing season after N amendment. We also measured C and N concentrations, microbial biomass C and N, and KCl-extractable ammonium and nitrate in both litter and mineral soil.Important findings We observed unimodal patterns of EEA during the growing season in all three stands, consistent with the seasonal variations of soil temperature. Stand age had a strong effect on EEA in both litter and mineral soil, and this effect differed between litter and mineral soil as well as between different enzymes. N addition did not significantly affect the activities of BG or CB but significantly suppressed the activity of NAG in litter. We also found stand age-specific responses of PO activity to N addition in both litter and mineral soil. N addition suppressed PO activity of the high C:N ratio litters in 20- and 45-year-old stands but had no significant effect on PO activity of the low C:N ratio litter in 11-year-old stand. Moreover, N addition inhibited PO activity of the high C:N ratio soil in 20-year-old stand but had no significant impact on PO activity of the low C:N ratio soils in 11- and 45-year-old stands. Overall, stand age had a greater effect on EEA in litter and mineral soil compared to 2 years of N addition. Moreover, the effect of N addition on PO activity is stand age dependent, which may affect the long-term soil carbon storage in this forest.     

去叶对水曲柳和落叶松苗木当年生长及细根动态的影响

叶片被取食会导致树木生长发育和生理代谢发生显著的变化。目前对细根动态如何对叶片损失做出响应的了解仍然有限。以生物量分配和高生长策略不同的水曲柳(Fraxinus mandschurica)和落叶松(Larix gmelinii)苗木为研究对象, 进行了不同强度的人为去叶处理(叶面积去除0% (对照)、40%和80%), 采用微根管技术对细根(直径≤2 mm)生产和死亡的季节动态进行了定量观测, 同期测定了地上部分(苗高和地径)的生长。结果表明: 1)去叶降低了两树种苗高(统计上均不显著)和地径的生长, 但是对苗高生长的影响小于地径。随着去叶强度的提高, 苗木地上生长受到的影响加大, 生长季末期水曲柳苗高比对照降低3.3%-12.1%, 地径降低5.7%-23.1%; 而落叶松苗高和地径降低相对较少(< 12%)。2)去叶显著地减少了水曲柳和落叶松细根现存量(p< 0.001), 其相对增长量((去叶后现存量高峰-去叶当日现存量)/去叶当日现存量)随着去叶强度的加大而降低。3)与对照相比, 去叶后两树种细根生产量显著减少(p< 0.05), 而细根死亡量在不同处理间没有显著差异。综合来看, 去叶对水曲柳地上部分(特别是地径)生长影响较大, 而对落叶松地下部分(主要是新根)生长影响较大。研究结果为理解冠层碳供应对根系动态影响的种间差异及其机制提供了必要的理论依据。     

大兴安岭兴安落叶松(Larix gmelinii)天然林分级木转换特征

通过调查样地,作树干解析,分析了不同结构兴安落叶松天然林分级木（优势木、平均木和被压木）转换特征。研究表明：（1）不同结构的兴安落叶松天然林分级木转换年龄、方向和转换率均不同。兴安落叶松分级木转换率29.4%。分级木中,优势木、平均木和被压木转换率分别35.3%、41.2%、11.8%。分级木转换中,优势木与平均木相互转换比例较高,优势木转平均木占83.3%,平均木转优势木占85.7%;优势木向被压木转换比例仅为16.7%;被压木不能转换成优势木,只能转换成平均木,被压木中无转换占88.2%,在森林经营和抚育采伐中应考虑伐除这些被压木。（2）在林分年龄36～65a范围内,随着林分年龄增大,其转换率呈增加趋势。林分年龄30～39a、50～59a和60～69a时,其转换率分别0、33.3%和46.7%。（3）随着林分密度增加,分级木转换率呈增高趋势。当林分密度小于2500株.hm^-2时,主要于优势木与平均木间转换。当林分密度大于2500株.hm^-2时,才出现其它分级木与被压木相互转换现象。（4）不同林型分级木转换率和转换方向不同。草类-落叶松和杜香-落叶松林分级木转换率分别50%和9.5%。（5）不同水平格局林分分级木转换率不同。聚集分布和随机分布时,其转换率分别61.1%和13.3%。     

太白红杉小孢子的发生和雄配子体的发育

太白红杉(Larix chinensis Beissn)的雄球花7月初开始分化。小孢子囊壁一般包括5～6层细胞：表皮、药室内壁、2～3层中层和绒毡层。绒毡层属于周原质团型。造孢细胞在7月下旬形成,8月上旬形成小孢子母细胞,8月下旬开始减数分裂,于10月上旬进入双线期,并以双线期渡过休眠。翌年3月下旬解除休眠继续进行减数分裂,4月中旬形成四分体,4月下旬到5月初小孢子从四分体内释放出来,小孢子经过连续4次有丝分裂后,于5月中旬形成5-细胞型的成熟花粉粒(雄配子体)并开始散粉。小孢子母细胞发育表现出不同步现象,部分小孢子母细胞在发育过程中出现退化,在小孢子囊内形成空腔。     

太白红杉群落优势种的生态位研究

应用Levins和Shannon-Wiener生态位宽度指数及Pianka生态位重叠指数,研究了太白红杉群落12个优势种的生态位宽度和生态位重叠。结果表明,乔木层中太白红杉的生态位宽度最大,对高海拔地区的环境适应能力较强,巴山冷杉对的低海拔地区的环境适应能力较强;灌木层中香柏的生态位宽度最大,华西忍冬、华西银腊梅、太白忍冬次之,头花杜鹃的生态位宽度最小。乔木层中太白红杉与巴山冷杉的生态位重叠较大,但二者只在低海拔分布范围有重叠;灌木层头花杜鹃的分布范围较大,与其它3个种的生态位重叠也最大,另外3个种的生态位重叠较小;草本层中毛状苔草、羊茅和嵩草的生态位重叠较大,而大叶碎米荠和太白银莲花的生态位重叠较小。     

Cryo-scanning electron microscopic study on freezing behaviors of tissue cells in dormant buds of larch (Larix kaempferi)

The freezing behavior of dormant buds in larch, especially at the cellular level, was examined by a Cryo-SEM. The dormant buds exhibited typical extraorgan freezing. Extracellular ice crystals accumulated only in basal areas of scales and beneath crown tissues, areas in which only these living cells had thick walls unlike other tissue cells. By slow cooling (5 °C/day) of dormant buds to −50 °C, all living cells in bud tissues exhibited distinct shrinkage without intracellular ice formation detectable by Cryo-SEM. However, the recrystallization experiment of these slowly cooled tissue cells, which was done by further freezing of slowly cooled buds with LN and then rewarming to −20 °C, confirmed that some of the cells in the leaf primordia, shoot primordia and apical meristem, areas in which cells had thin walls and in which no extracellular ice accumulated, lost freezable water with slow cooling to −30 °C, indicating ability of these cells to adapt by extracellular freezing, whereas other cells in these tissues retained freezable water with slow cooling even to −50 °C, indicating adaptation of these cells by deep supercooling. On the other hand, all cells in crown tissues and in basal areas of scales, areas in which cells had thick walls and in which large masses of ice accumulated, had the ability to adapt by extracellular freezing. It is thought that the presence of two types of cells exhibiting different freezing adaptation abilities within a bud tissue is quite unique and may reflect sophisticated freezing adaptation mechanisms in dormant buds.     

关帝山华北落叶松天然更新种群结构与空间格局研究

华北落叶松（Larix principis—rupprechtii）是分布于华北山地半湿润地区针叶林的主要建群种之一。从种群的大小级结构、空间分布格局及动态等方面,研究了关帝山采伐迹地上华北落叶松天然更新种群的数量特征与空间格局。结果表明：（1）华北落叶松幼苗幼树缺乏,2．5cm〈DBH≤17．5cm的个体数量丰富,DBH〉17．5cm个体数量稀少,种群表现为衰退型,但华北落叶松较长的生命周期、数量丰富的中小径级个体和客观存在的林冠干扰,使得其依然可发展成为稳定的种群;（2）采伐迹地上华北落叶松幼苗幼树多为集群分布;2．5cm〈DBH≤7．5cm的林木在2m×2m的尺度下呈显著的集群分布,而随取样尺度增大,聚集性减弱,趋于随机分布;7．5cm〈DBH≤17．5cm的林木在各个取样尺度基本上呈随机分布,这与其自身的生物学特性和环境光照条件密切相关。     

国内植物环境胁迫研究应注意的几个基本问题

根据作者多年从事植物逆境研究和教学的经验以及在近几年接触到的国内有关研究工作中发现的问题,为了提高今后研究工作的基础水平和学术期刊稿件的科学水平,特提出几个植物逆境研究中常见到的缺憾和对概念理解上的偏差予以讨论和澄清。问题包括：环境胁迫的定义和定量,植物对环境胁迫的“直接感受”,抗逆性和敏感性,耐逆性和避逆性,适应、驯化和锻炼,环境胁迫的剂量效应关系,伤害和死亡的判定,植物细胞膜的透性和植物自由基清除系统对环境胁迫的反应。