Soil organic matter,nutrient distribution,fungal and microbial biomass and enzyme activities in a forest beech stand on the Apennines of southern Italy

The aim of this study was to analyse the amount and qualitative characteristics of organic matter (OM) in the litter horizon (considering leaf litter at different decomposition stages) and underlying soil to a 30-cm depth in a beech stand on the Apennines in southern Italy. Distribution of major nutrients as well as fungal and microbial biomass were also evaluated, in addition to beech leaf nutrient content monitor from full expansion to abscission in order to estimate annual nutrient input to soil from litterfall and nutrient retranslocation before abscission. OM was significantly higher in leaf litter. C/N ratio and the Na, Mn, Fe levels also decreased along the decomposition continuum, whereas N and S contents slowly decreased with soil depth. Generally, leaf nutrient content was also significantly lower in dead leaves, indicating efficient retranslocation to persistent organs. Fungal biomass was the highest in leaf layers, with no significant changes between spring and autumn samplings. Enzyme activities did not differ significantly along the decomposition continuum but marked decreases were found in the upper soil layer; these remained relatively constant, with the exception of laccase, at deeper soil depths. No seasonal effect on enzyme activities and OM content was found.     

Bidirectional Propagation of Signals and Nutrients in Fungal Networks via Specialized Hyphae

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神农架常绿落叶阔叶混交林凋落物养分特征

凋落物是联结陆地生态系统植物与土壤养分的重要媒介,了解凋落物养分特征有助于理解陆地生态系统物质循环的机理。该研究于2015年收集了神农架地区常绿落叶阔叶混交林的新鲜凋落物及现存凋落物,测定其不同器官中大量元素(C、N、P、K、Ca、Mg)的含量,据此分析其养分含量、养分归还量、养分储量及化学计量比的特征。结果发现:该常绿落叶阔叶混交林新鲜凋落物的C、K养分含量显著高于现存凋落物,N、P、Ca、Mg养分含量显著低于现存凋落物;其凋落物大量元素的养分归还量及养分储量大小顺序均为C Ca N Mg K P,分别为1569.84、52.44、34.82、6.24、5.24、1.30 kg hm~(-2) a~(-1)及1835.29、87.87、51.17、12.12、3.90、1.95 kg hm~(-2) a~(-1);其新鲜凋落物及现存凋落物的C∶N∶P分别为1307.33∶27.73∶1及976.48∶26.77∶1,新鲜凋落物的C∶N、C∶P显著高于现存凋落物,N∶P无显著区别。研究表明,新鲜凋落物与现存凋落物养分含量之间的差异与不同元素在分解过程中的可淋溶性及生物固持等因素有关。该地区常绿落叶阔叶混交林凋落物养分归还量及养分储量相对于亚热带阔叶林平均水平较低;且显著低于喀斯特地区同类型森林,主要与其凋落物产量、降水量及植被类型有关。该森林生态系统新鲜凋落叶与中国及全球范围内阔叶树种凋落叶相比C∶N较低,C∶P、N∶P较高,这可能是由于该地区N沉降及P限制现象较为严重所致。     

高温和干旱胁迫对西红柿幼苗生长、养分含量及元素利用效率的影响

全球气候变化将增加未来高温与干旱的发生频率和强度,然而高温与干旱的交互作用对农作物生长、养分含量及其利用效率的影响还不甚清楚。因此,研究高温与干旱交互作用对农作物生理生态的影响将为准确评价农作物对未来极端气候条件的响应提供科学依据。选取全球第四大经济作物——西红柿为研究对象,在人工智能气候箱中模拟高温和干旱环境。共设置两个水分处理(正常浇水;干旱)与两个温度处理(常温-26℃/19℃(白天/夜间);高温-42℃/35℃(白天/夜间)(7d))。主要测定指标包括生物量以及生物量分配、比叶面积、养分含量(全氮、全磷)、光合元素利用效率(光合氮素利用效率、光合磷素利用效率)。研究表明,高温、干旱单独作用以及交互作用均显著降低了根、茎、叶生物量以及总生物量,并且高温干旱交互作用使总生物量降低最多。在生物量分配方面,高温单独作用显著降低了根质量分数以及根冠比,而干旱单独作用增加了根质量分数、茎质量分数以及根冠比,但降低了叶质量分数。在养分含量方面,高温单独作用导致叶片全氮、全磷含量显著降低、茎全磷含量显著增加、根全磷含量显著降低。干旱单独作用导致叶片、茎全磷含量显著降低、根全氮含量显著升高。高温与干旱交互作用对生物量分配及养分含量的影响与干旱胁迫单独作用类似。在光合元素利用效率方面,高温、干旱单独作用均降低了幼苗光合氮素利用效率、光合磷素利用效率,并且高温加剧了干旱对光合磷素利用效率的影响。因此,在未来气候变化情况下,高温与干旱交互作用可能会对农作物产生更大威胁。     

不同林龄油茶人工林土壤酶化学计量及其影响因素

土壤酶化学计量比是揭示微生物生长代谢过程及评价土壤养分资源限制状况的重要指标。油茶是中国南方主要的木本油料作物,近年来愈来愈受关注,但鲜有从生态化学计量学的角度深入理解人工经济林的土壤微生物养分限制状况。本文以亚热带地区不同林龄油茶人工林土壤为研究对象,采用时空互代法在区域尺度上随机选取32个不同林龄油茶人工林并将其分为四个林龄组(9年幼龄林;9—20年近熟林;21—60年成熟林; 60年过熟林),通过测定土壤碳(C)、氮(N)、磷(P)转化酶活性(β-葡糖苷酶(BG)、α-纤维素酶(CBH)、β-乙酰葡糖胺糖苷酶(NAG)、亮氨酸氨基肽酶(LAP)、酸性磷酸酶(AP))及土壤理化因子,探讨不同林龄油茶人工林土壤C、N、P转化酶化学计量特征及其与土壤理化因子的关系。结果表明:五种C、N、P转化酶活性均有随林龄增大而增加的趋势,且AP活性显著高于其它四种酶活性。相关分析结果表明,五种土壤C、N、P转化酶活性均与土壤有机碳和总氮显著相关,与土壤总磷和速效磷含量不相关。土壤酶化学计量比ln(CBH+BG)∶ln(NAG+LAP)、ln(CBH+BG)∶ln(AP)和ln(NAG+LAP)∶ln(AP)均随林龄增大而一定程度增加。亚热带区油茶人工林土壤酶C∶N∶P化学计量比为1∶1∶1.5,这与全球生态系统土壤酶C∶N∶P化学计量比1∶1∶1相偏离,表明亚热带地区油茶人工林土壤微生物生长受磷素限制。冗余分析(RDA)进一步揭示土壤有机碳含量是影响土壤酶活性和酶化学计量比的主要因子。因此,在油茶人工林经营管理中应考虑磷和外源碳的投入,提高土壤微生物酶活性,缓解油茶人工林生态系统的磷限制。研究结果可为亚热带区油茶人工林土壤养分管理和可持续利用提供基础理论支撑。     

西藏东南部色季拉山主要类型森林叶片和枯落物养分含量特征

为阐明不同生长年限森林叶片和不同分解程度枯落物养分含量特征,为植物-土壤养分循环研究提供科学依据。以藏东南色季拉山几种典型森林植被(雪山杜鹃(Rhododendron aganniphum)、海拔4000 m和3900 m区域急尖长苞冷杉(Abies georgei var. smithii)、川滇高山栎(Quercus aquifolioides))为研究对象,分析了1年生和2年生植物叶片及不同分解程度枯落物有机碳(OC)、全氮(TN)、全磷(TP)和全钾(TK)含量。结果表明:色季拉山森林叶片和枯落物OC含量表现为2年生叶片1年生叶片未分解枯落物(ND)半分解枯落物(SD)完全分解枯落物(CD),即老叶片以C积累为主,而枯落物OC含量随分解程度的增加而下降,叶片OC平均含量(68.5%)显著高于中国平均水平(45.5%);叶片N、P、K含量表现为1年生2年生,即新叶以N、P、K等营养物质的吸收积累为主。枯落物TN含量低于中国森林的平均水平(12.03 g/kg),而TP含量显著高于中国森林平均水平(0.74 g/kg),枯落物TN和TP以SD最高,即分解初期表现为净固定,而后期则呈净释放,TK含量随分解程度的增加而增加,表现为K的净固定;叶片C∶N,C∶P和C∶K表现为2年生1年生,枯落物C∶N,C∶P和C∶K随着分解程度的增加而显著降低;叶片N∶P处于较低水平(6.08),显著低于全球平均水平(16.0),表现出明显的N限制营养型;研究结果为科学阐明藏东南森林生态系统植被-土壤养分循环研究提供了数据支撑。     

ENSO and NAO affect long‐term leaf litter dynamics and stoichiometry of Scots pine and European beech mixedwoods

Litterfall dynamics (production, seasonality and nutrient composition) are key factors influencing nutrient cycling. Leaf litter characteristics are modified by species composition, site conditions and water availability. However, significant evidence on how large‐scale, global circulation patterns affect ecophysiological processes at tree and ecosystem level remains scarce due to the difficulty in separating the combined influence of different factors on local climate and tree phenology. To fill this gap, we studied links between leaf litter dynamics with climate and other forest processes, such as tree‐ring width (TRW) and intrinsic water‐use efficiency (iWUE) in two mixtures of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) in the south‐western Pyrenees. Temporal series (18 years) of litterfall production and elemental chemical composition were decomposed following the ensemble empirical mode decomposition method and relationships with local climate, large‐scale climatic indices, TRW and Scots pine's iWUE were assessed. Temporal trends in N:P ratios indicated increasing P limitation of soil microbes, thus affecting nutrient availability, as the ecological succession from a pine‐dominated to a beech‐dominated forest took place. A significant influence of large‐scale patterns on tree‐level ecophysiology was explained through the impact of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on water availability. Positive NAO and negative ENSO were related to dry conditions and, consequently, to early needle shedding and increased N:P ratio of both species. Autumn storm activity appears to be related to premature leaf abscission of European beech. Significant cascading effects from large‐scale patterns on local weather influenced pine TRW and iWUE. These variables also responded to leaf stoichiometry fallen 3 years prior to tree‐ring formation. Our results provide evidence of the cascading effect that variability in global climate circulation patterns can have on ecophysiological processes and stand dynamics in mixed forests.