Phosphatase activities of the aquatic moss <Emphasis Type="Italic">Warnstorfia fluitans</Emphasis> (Hedw.) Loeske from an acidic stream in North-East England

A study was made of the aquatic environment, tissue nutrient composition and surface phosphatase activities of the aquatic moss Warnstorfia fluitans in Brandon Pithouse Stream, a small acidic stream in N-E England. The water, which originates from an underground spring, had been pH 2.6 for at least 30 years, but about 3.9 during the present study. The moss was by far the most abundant phototroph during all this period. Seasonal changes in aqueous nitrogen and phosphorus fractions were measured over a 2-year period near the source. Most of the filtrable N and P were at times organic, but the very high N:P ratio (even if organic N is excluded) suggests that only organic phosphate is likely to be important for the moss. There was a high peak in organic phosphate in late spring in both study years. Surface phosphomonoesterase (PMEase) and phosphodiesterase (PDEase) activities were highly correlated in the field and in axenic culture, though there were some differences in response to environmental factors. Axenic material showed higher PMEase and PDEase activities when grown with organic P than with inorganic P. Although the data suggest that internal P content is an important factor influencing phosphatase activities, PDEase activity was especially marked when the moss was grown with the diester, DNA, as P source, indicating that at least one of its surface phosphatases can also respond directly to the environment. Handling editor: S. M. Thomaz     

古尔班通古特沙漠生物结皮固氮活性

利用乙炔还原法对新疆古尔班通古特沙漠不同类型的生物结皮(藻结皮、地衣结皮、苔藓结皮)的固氮活性(nmolC2H4m-2h-1)进行了定量研究。结果表明,不仅采样时段和结皮类型对生物结皮的固氮活性具有显著的影响(p<0.05),二者的交互效应同样对生物结皮的固氮活性具有极显著的影响(p<0.01)。各类型生物结皮固氮活性变化趋势表现为:3～5月间,藻结皮(2.26×103)>地衣结皮(6.54×102)>苔藓结皮(6.38×102)。6～10月份,各类型生物结皮的固氮能力显著提高(p<0.05),藻结皮的固氮活性最高(9.81×103),依次为地衣结皮9.06×103、苔藓结皮2.03×103。11月～翌年2月间,月均温都低于0℃,抑制了生物结皮的固氮活性,藻结皮、苔藓结皮的固氮活性降幅极显著(p<0.01),分别低达4.18×102、5.43×102,地衣结皮降低至2.78×103。生物结皮成为古尔班通古特沙漠除豆科植物外重要的氮源,为该沙漠1年生浅根系草本植物的种子萌发与植物体的生长提供丰富的有机质源,从而有利于这些植物种群的繁衍与更新,并与之共同促进对沙面的固定。     

宁夏河东沙地生物土壤结皮对土壤性质及入渗过程的影响

为了揭示沙漠化治理过程中生物土壤结皮覆盖对土壤入渗过程的影响规律,以宁夏河东沙地人工沙漠治理区4种典型地表覆盖类型：裸沙(BS)、藻类结皮(AC)、藓类结皮(MC)、草本-藓类结皮(H-MC)为研究对象,基于野外双环入渗试验与室内模拟,分析了3种生物土壤结皮覆盖下土壤性质的变化与土壤入渗特征。结果表明：(1)与BS相比,3种结皮覆盖下表层土壤砂粒含量减少2.0%-5.1%,粉粒含量增加3.6%-5.8%,有机质含量增加了5-6倍,AC和MC覆盖下土壤总孔隙度与饱和含水量降低,而H-MC与之相反;(2)平均入渗速率表现为BS>H-MC>AC>MC,1h累计入渗量表现为H-MC>BS>AC>MC,与BS相比,AC、MC和H-MC的初渗速率依次减少了14.3%、37.2%、11.8%,AC、MC的稳渗速率分别降低了14.4%和18.3%,H-MC的稳渗速率增加了4.5%;(3)三种模型中,Kostiakov模型最适用于模拟生物土壤结皮覆盖下土壤水分入渗过程。综上,研究区内不同发育程度生物土壤结皮改变了下层土壤的性质以及土壤的入渗特征,MC与AC阻碍水分入渗,H-MC促进水分入渗。     

干旱过程中荒漠生物土壤结皮-土壤系统的硝化作用对温度和湿度的响应——以沙坡头地区为例

以腾格里沙漠东南缘天然植被区由藻类、藓类结皮所覆盖的土壤和流沙为研究对象,采用原状土室内培养法,在15和20 ℃两个温度、10%和25%两个湿度下连续培养20 d,分别在培养后的第1、2、5、8、12、20天连续测定土壤样品中的NO₃^--N含量,探讨不同温度和湿度条件下荒漠土壤的净硝化速率在干旱过程中的变化规律.结果表明： 藓类结皮的NO₃^--N含量（2.29 mg·kg^-1）高于藻类结皮（1.84 mg·kg^-1）和流沙（1.59 mg·kg^-1）,3种类型的土壤净硝化速率介于-3.47～2.97 mg·kg^-1·d^-1之间.10%湿度条件下,藻类和藓类结皮在25 ℃下的净硝化速率比15 ℃分别减少75.1%和0.7%;25%湿度条件下,分别减少99.1%和21.3%;15 ℃、10%湿度条件下藻类和藓类结皮的净硝化速率比25 ℃、25%湿度条件下增加193.4%和107.3%.表明在全球变暖背景下,无论土壤湿度增加或减少,干旱过程中的荒漠生物土壤结皮-土壤系统净硝化速率在一定程度上都会受到抑制.     

The effect of lichen‐dominated biological soil crusts on growth and physiological characteristics of three plant species in a temperate desert of northwest China

Biocrusts (biological soil crusts) cover open spaces between vascular plants in most arid and semi‐arid areas. Information on effects of biocrusts on seedling growth is controversial, and there is little information on their effects on plant growth and physiology. We examined impacts of biocrusts on growth and physiological characteristics of three habitat‐typical plants, Erodium oxyrhynchum, Alyssum linifolium and Hyalea pulchella, growing in the Gurbantunggut Desert, northwest China. The influence of biocrusts on plant biomass, leaf area, leaf relative water content, photosynthesis, maximum quantum efficiency of PSII (F_v/F_m), chlorophyll, osmotic solutes (soluble sugars, protein, proline) and antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase) was investigated on sites with or without biocrust cover. Biomass, leaf area, leaf water content, photosynthesis, F_v/F_m and chlorophyll content in crusted soils were higher than in uncrusted soils during early growth and lower later in the growth period. Soluble sugars, proline and antioxidant enzyme activity were always higher in crusted than in uncrusted soils, while soluble protein content was always lower. These findings indicate that biocrusts have different effects on these three ephemeral species during growth in this desert, primarily via effects on soil moisture, and possibly on soil nutrients. The influence of biocrusts changes during plant development: in early plant growth, biocrusts had either positive or no effect on growth and physiological parameters. However, biocrusts tended to negatively influence plants during later growth. Our results provide insights to explain why previous studies have found different effects of biocrusts on vascular plant growth.     

Pleurozium schreberi as an ecological indicator of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in a heavily industrialized urban area

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are toxic contaminants with a persistent character and adverse effects on humans and wildlife. Therefore, the deposition of these chemicals in vegetation must be carefully controlled. Our objective was to determine PBDE concentrations (BDEs 28, 47, 66, 85, 99, 100, 153, 154, 183 and 209) in Pleurozium schreberi collected in a heavily industrialized urban agglomeration. High PBDE concentrations in the moss confirm the presence of active sources of atmospheric pollution in an area tested. The distribution of these xenobiotics was related to the vegetation cover being lower in sites surrounded by forests which indicates that PBDEs may have a tendency to be trapped from the air by tree leaves and needles. Congener profiles in P. schreberi were dominated by BDE 209 which was for 79% (in case of the coke smelter) to 95% (in case of the chemical plant) part of the total PBDE burden in this moss. The principal component and classification analysis classifying the concentration of PBDEs in P. schreberi allowed us to distinguish the pattern of these compounds characteristic for the origin of pollution. P. schreberi may be used as a bioindicator for PBDEs in areas contaminated with these chemicals.     

喀斯特石漠结皮细尖鳞叶藓的吸水机制及耐旱适应性

生物结皮是由隐花植物和相关土壤微小生物与表层土壤颗粒胶结而形成的复合体,与维管束植物覆盖一样,它是干旱区地表的重要覆盖类型。苔藓是荒漠植被演替过程中常见的一类先锋植物,同时也是生物结皮中生物量最大的2个类群之一。研究了结皮细尖鳞叶藓的吸水机制和耐旱适应性。结果表明:细尖鳞叶藓最大吸水量和持水率分别达到干重的9.74倍和700%以上,动力学总吸水过程的表观Km值和Vmax值分别为21.67g、10.42g·g-·1DW·min-1,外吸水过程为28.91g和8.56g·g-·1DW·min-1,内吸水过程为43.18g和1.76g·g-·1DW·min-1。可溶性糖含量从142.6mg·g-·1DW(CK)上升到344.3mg·g-·1DW,增长近2.4倍,而游离脯氨酸积累微弱。抗氧化酶SOD活性变化不明显,在0.04U·g-·1FW上下浮动;POD活性在PEG6000胁迫浓度在20%之前呈大幅度上升状态,以后趋于缓和,30%时达最高的131U·g-·1min-·1FW,增加近2倍;CAT活性的变化情况与POD变化趋势相同,但变化量较小。膜脂过氧化指标MDA先略有升高又逐步回落,说明细尖鳞叶藓抗氧化酶系统利用提高POD和CAT活性清除SOD在清除超氧阴离子自由基过程中产生的H2O2。因此,在喀斯特石漠化缺少土壤、极度干旱且保水能力弱的环境区域,结皮藓类植物以其特有的吸水特征、持水功能和抗旱机制等生态功能在石漠化治理、退化生态系统的恢复中具有十分重要的作用。