Contrasting effects of fire frequency on plant traits of three dominant perennial herbs from Chaco Serrano

Fire frequencies are currently increasing in many regions across the world as a result of anthropic activities, affecting ecological processes and plant population dynamics. Fire can generate important changes in soil properties, altering nutrient dynamics and thereby plant growth. Here we analyse fire frequency effects on soil quality and plant traits of three native perennial herbaceous plants (Cologania broussonetii, Desmodium uncinatum and Rhynchosia edulis; Fabaceae) with the capacity for biological N₂ fixation that resprouts and are abundant after fire in Chaco Serrano forests. Based on 22‐year fire history, we assessed plant traits in sites with low and high fire frequencies along with unburned scenarios. We found significantly lower water content, nitrates and electrical conductivity in frequently burned soils. As a result, the three species showed consistently lower leaf area and specific leaf area in both fire frequencies, implying lower growth rates in comparison to unburned sites. However, total leaf biomass was not affected by fire, leaf phosphorus concentration was higher in R. edulis in high fire frequency and leaf N concentration was twice as large in plants growing in sites of high fire frequency in C. broussonetii and R. edulis. Such an increase in N and phosphorus concentrations is likely a result of both their conservative use of resources and their biological N₂ fixation capacity. To our knowledge, this is the first record of such contrasting fire effects observed consistently in three co‐occurring species: while plant growth decreased with fire frequency, leaf nutritional traits remain unchanged or increased in frequently burned sites. Quality‐depleted and drier soils that result from increased fire frequencies may not only affect trait variation at the intraspecific level but can also drive to a homogenization of the plant community, selecting species with particular combinations of morphological and functional traits.     

Bridging factorial and gradient concepts of resource co‐limitation: towards a general framework applied to consumers

Organism growth can be limited either by a single resource or by multiple resources simultaneously (co‐limitation). Efforts to characterise co‐limitation have generated two influential approaches. One approach uses limitation scenarios of factorial growth assays to distinguish specific types of co‐limitation; the other uses growth responses spanned over a continuous, multi‐dimensional resource space to characterise different types of response surfaces. Both approaches have been useful in investigating particular aspects of co‐limitation, but a synthesis is needed to stimulate development of this recent research area. We address this gap by integrating the two approaches, thereby presenting a more general framework of co‐limitation. We found that various factorial (co‐)limitation scenarios can emerge in different response surface types based on continuous availabilities of essential or substitutable resources. We tested our conceptual co‐limitation framework on data sets of published and unpublished studies examining the limitation of two herbivorous consumers in a two‐dimensional resource space. The experimental data corroborate the predictions, suggesting a general applicability of our co‐limitation framework to generalist consumers and potentially also to other organisms. The presented framework might give insight into mechanisms that underlie co‐limitation responses and thus can be a seminal starting point for evaluating co‐limitation patterns in experiments and nature.     

Taxonomic identity determines N2 fixation by canopy trees across lowland tropical forests

Legumes capable of fixing atmospheric N₂ are abundant and diverse in many tropical forests, but the factors determining ecological patterns in fixation are unresolved. A long‐standing idea is that fixation depends on soil nutrients (N, P or Mo), but recent evidence shows that fixation may also differ among N₂‐fixing species. We sampled canopy‐height trees across five species and one species group of N₂‐fixers along a landscape P gradient, and manipulated P and Mo to seedlings in a shadehouse. Our results identify taxonomy as the major determinant of fixation, with P (and possibly Mo) only influencing fixation following tree‐fall disturbances. While 44% of trees did not fix N₂, other trees fixed at high rates, with two species functioning as superfixers across the landscape. Our results raise the possibility that fixation is determined by biodiversity, evolutionary history and species–specific traits (tree growth rate, canopy stature and response to disturbance) in the tropical biome.     

Nutrient loading alters the performance of key nutrient exchange mutualisms

Nutrient exchange mutualisms between phototrophs and heterotrophs, such as plants and mycorrhizal fungi or symbiotic algae and corals, underpin the functioning of many ecosystems. These relationships structure communities, promote biodiversity and help maintain food security. Nutrient loading may destabilise these mutualisms by altering the costs and benefits each partner incurs from interacting. Using meta‐analyses, we show a near ubiquitous decoupling in mutualism performance across terrestrial and marine environments in which phototrophs benefit from enrichment at the expense of their heterotrophic partners. Importantly, heterotroph identity, their dependence on phototroph‐derived C and the type of nutrient enrichment (e.g. nitrogen vs. phosphorus) mediated the responses of different mutualisms to enrichment. Nutrient‐driven changes in mutualism performance may alter community organisation and ecosystem processes and increase costs of food production. Consequently, the decoupling of nutrient exchange mutualisms via alterations of the world's nitrogen and phosphorus cycles may represent an emerging threat of global change.     

Element distribution and iron speciation in mature wheat grains (Triticum aestivum L.) using synchrotron X‐ray fluorescence microscopy mapping and X‐ray absorption near‐edge structure (XANES) imaging

Several studies have suggested that the majority of iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) in wheat grains are associated with phytate, but a nuanced approach to unravel important tissue‐level variation in element speciation within the grain is lacking. Here, we present spatially resolved Fe‐speciation data obtained directly from different grain tissues using the newly developed synchrotron‐based technique of X‐ray absorption near‐edge spectroscopy imaging, coupling this with high‐definition μ‐X‐ray fluorescence microscopy to map the co‐localization of essential elements. In the aleurone, phosphorus (P) is co‐localized with Fe and Zn, and X‐ray absorption near‐edge structure imaging confirmed that Fe is chelated by phytate in this tissue layer. In the crease tissues, Zn is also positively related to P distribution, albeit less so than in the aleurone. Speciation analysis suggests that Fe is bound to nicotianamine rather than phytate in the nucellar projection, and that more complex Fe structures may also be present. In the embryo, high Zn concentrations are present in the root and shoot primordium, co‐occurring with sulfur and presumably bound to thiol groups. Overall, Fe is mainly concentrated in the scutellum and co‐localized with P. This high resolution imaging and speciation analysis reveals the complexity of the physiological processes responsible for element accumulation and bioaccessibility.     

食物营养对黑腹果蝇中肠干细胞的影响

【目的】研究市场上常见的几种儿童、青少年较为喜爱的小食品的主要营养成分,及其对黑腹果蝇Drosophila melanogaster的体重、发育等的影响,进而探讨膳食中营养均衡的重要性。【方法】采用双缩脲法、苏丹Ⅲ染色法及碘酒染色法分别对食物中的蛋白质、脂肪及淀粉含量进行测定。分别用基础培养基或实验用食品配制的培养基培养黑腹果蝇,待果蝇卵孵化后,取一定数量果蝇个体进行称重,并对果蝇中肠进行解剖和免疫荧光染色,观察果蝇肠道发育情况。【结果】基础食物(培养基)中的蛋白质、脂肪及淀粉含量配比较为均衡,而实验用零食有些脂肪含量较高,有些蛋白质含量较高,有些淀粉含量较高,配比严重失衡。淀粉及脂肪含量均较高的食物能引起果蝇体重超重;同时果蝇肠道细胞Arm/Pros的染色显著增加,显示肠道干细胞数目显著增加,另外果蝇肠壁明显加厚;而食物中淀粉或蛋白质严重缺失的食物则引起果蝇发育障碍。其中,在高碳水化合物但几乎没有蛋白质存在的食物中,果蝇干细胞数目同样增加很多,肠壁加厚,但其体重显著降低,同时发育迟缓。在高蛋白高脂肪低碳水化合物的食物中,中肠干细胞数目明显减少,果蝇肠壁变薄,发育受到影响。将几种实验组食物按照基础食物的蛋白质、脂肪及淀粉含量进行配比混合,模拟营养的均衡配比,喂养果蝇后发现,营养成分配比均衡极大地缓解配比失衡后所造成的中肠损伤,并使果蝇的个体发育恢复均衡。【结论】食物中的营养失衡会显著影响果蝇的体重以及肠壁和肠道干细胞的数目,导致果蝇体重下降或上升,肠道细胞增殖功能紊乱,对果蝇发育产生严重影响。这些结果提示了儿童偏好零食引起的营养不良和过度肥胖及肠道功能障碍,因此建议青少年儿童不能偏好零食,要做到合理膳食,营养均衡。     

氮肥对夏秋季茶树吸收根生物量和养分储量的影响

以12年生龙井43茶树为研究对象,在7月至翌年1月利用土钻法对连续5a施用不同氮肥处理后的茶树吸收根生物量和养分含量进行了研究。结果表明茶树吸收根生物量在0.34-0.72 mg/dm3之间,碳、氮、磷、钾和镁储量变异范围分别为12.6-25.2 mg/dm~3、4.55-11.2 mg/dm~3、0.47-1.19 mg/dm~3、1.31-4.05 mg/dm~3、0.30-1.19 mg/dm~3。茶树吸收根生物量和各养分含量随月份变化呈现双峰型,峰值分别在8月和翌年1月,而7月和11月生物量和养分储量均较低。与不施肥对照相比,施用氮肥影响茶树吸收根生物量,氮肥施用对茶树吸收根生物量的影响因氮肥施用时间而异。不同氮肥施用水平下茶树吸收根总碳浓度和总碳含量均不存在显著差异。受氮肥施用时间影响,施氮对茶树吸收根氮浓度的影响不同月份间存在差异,其中7月、8月和1月施氮处理下氮浓度较高,而9月、10月和11月不施氮处理下氮浓度较高。氮肥施用对各月份茶树吸收根氮养分储量均没有显著影响。氮肥施用降低了部分月份茶树吸收根磷、钾和镁的浓度和储量。施用中等用量的氮肥能缩小茶树吸收根夏秋季氮磷钾镁养分储量的月份间差异。     

轮作模式对植烟土壤酶活性及真菌群落的影响

种植模式显著影响土壤理化生物学性质,并与作物土传真菌病害的发生密切相关。试验选择云南省具有代表性的红壤,设置烤烟-休闲-玉米(T-B-M)、烤烟-油菜-玉米(T-C-M)、烤烟-油菜-水稻(T-C-R)和烤烟-苕子-水稻(T-V-R)等4种轮作模式,利用化学、酶学分析及454高通量测序技术,研究了土壤养分、酶活性及真菌群落结构,旨在为烤烟的合理轮作提供科学依据。经16a的不同轮作种植后,土壤p H变化于5.6—6.4之间,仍然适合种植水稻、玉米、油菜和烤烟等多种作物。在T-V-R处理的土壤中,烤烟产量、烟叶产值和上中等烟比例最高,有机质比原初提高45.11%,碱解氮、有效磷和微生物量碳氮显著增加,蔗糖酶、脱氢酶、脲酶、磷酸酶和过氧化氢酶活性也显著高于其它轮作模式,说明T-V-R改善了土壤生态环境,促进了微生物繁衍,数量增加,活性增强。土壤真菌的18S r DNA读数依次为13097(T-B-M)、11345(T-C-M)、12939(T-C-R)和13763(T-V-R),分别代表530、378、395和581种(类)的真菌,由子囊菌门、担子菌门、接合菌门、壶菌门和尚待鉴定的真菌等构成,其中尚待鉴定的真菌属种和子囊菌门占绝大部分。在不同轮作处理的土壤中,前15种优势真菌的丰富度变化于29.46%—62.86%之间,优势菌株的相似性极低,说明土壤真菌的种群结构因轮作模式不同而异。T-V-R处理土壤中的真菌多样性指数最高,优势度指数最低,说明T-V-R轮作的土壤适合多种真菌的繁殖生长,种群数量增加。多种真菌共同存在,互相制约,可防止病原真菌过度繁殖,降低作物发生真菌病害几率。从作物产量和产值、土壤有机质、养分和真菌种群结构看,T-V-R优于其它3种轮作模式,值得推广应用。     

放牧强度对高寒嵩草草甸土壤养分特性的影响

植物-土壤系统是草地生态和生产服务价值实现的基础,放牧是草地植物群落演替的重要因素。植物、土壤亚系统对放牧的敏感性是评价草地稳定性和提高草地恢复力的重要依据。以不同放牧强度下的高寒嵩草(Kobresia)草甸为研究对象,探讨土壤养分特征对放牧强度的响应及作用位点,结果表明:改变放牧强度可以明显改变植物群落数量特征,但没有明显改变土壤层次分类特征,说明土壤养分特征对一定范围内放牧强度具有自我稳定维持功能;但放牧干扰强度不同时,土壤剖面过渡层养分含量存在差异,说明长期放牧强度的差异会对土壤剖面养分性质产生影响,且这种影响起源于土壤剖面过渡层。在放牧高寒嵩草草甸植物-土壤系统中土壤剖面养分特征较植物群落数量特征更稳定;土壤剖面过渡层养分特征是土壤亚系统中对放牧的敏感因素;而放牧引起土壤剖面养分特征的改变主要表现在各过渡层上,并构成土壤发生层迁移的风险,因此推测,更为持久和更高强度的放牧干扰将最终改变土壤剖面特征及养分性质。