土壤病毒生态学研究方法

病毒是地球上最丰富的生物实体,每克土壤中可包含数以亿计的病毒,它不仅影响土壤中其它微生物的群落组成、土壤元素的生物地球化学循环,还会影响土壤微生物的物种进化,甚至影响植物、动物和人体健康。目前人们对土壤中病毒的种类及丰度、分布特征以及功能引起的生态环境效应还知之甚少。在概述病毒生态学研究方法的基础上,对土壤病毒的提取、纯化、定量及分子生态学方法等基本流程进行了比较分析,以期建立一套快速简便、高效稳定的适用于土壤病毒研究的方法,并用于研究土壤病毒的多样性及分布特征,探讨病毒在环境中的生存和传播机制,为土壤病毒的防控及开发利用提供支撑。     

松嫩平原苏打盐渍化旱田土壤表观电导率空间变异

在松嫩平原西部吉林省大安市乐胜乡,于2013年4月20日选择盐碱程度不均一的典型盐渍化旱田地块,面积为4.8 hm~2作为研究样地。利用EM38大地电导率仪测定结合田间定点采样,并通过经典统计和地统计相结合的方法研究了盐渍化旱田土壤表观电导率空间变异特征,分析了土壤表观电导率与土壤盐碱指标之间的关系。结果表明,盐渍化旱田土壤水平方向表观电导率(EC_h)经对数转换后具有强空间自相关,其变异特征主要是与地形地貌和水文状况等结构性因素有关。垂直方向表观电导率(EC_v)经对数转换后具有中等空间自相关性,其变异特征受结构性因素和随机因素共同作用。EC_h和EC_v半方差模拟的最优模型分别为球状模型和指数模型。Pearson分析表明土壤表观电导率(EC_h和EC_v)与土壤盐碱指标EC_(1∶5)、pH_(1∶5)、SAR、SC、Na~+、CO_3~(2-)、HCO_3~-呈正相关关系(P0.05),EC_h与土壤盐碱指标相关系数均大于EC_v。在实际应用中可以用EC_h来指示土壤的盐碱程度。回归分析表明土壤表观电导率(EC_h和EC_v)与土壤盐碱指标呈线性相关,且EC_h回归模型的决定系数均大于EC_v回归模型的决定系数,可用水平方向土壤表观电导率(EC_h)来计算土壤盐碱指标,进行土壤盐渍化的快速评估。     

Analysis and assessment of heavy metals pollution in soils around a Pb and Zn smelter in Baoji City,Northwest China

Soil heavy metal pollution from mining activities is potentially harmful to human health through the food chain. In this study, a total of 43 soil samples were collected from a depth of 0–20 cm from fields close to a Pb and Zn smelter. The samples were used to: 1) analyze the pollution level of heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Cr, and Cu) and spatial distribution pattern; 2) evaluate the degree of accumulation and enrichment, potential ecological risk, and human health risk; and 3) perform source apportionment in Fengxiang County, Shaanxi Province of China. The results showed that the concentration ranged from 43.67 to 189.55, 131.43 to 239.53, 74.77 to 112.25, and 24.69 to 37.71 mg·kg^?1 for Pb, Zn, Cr, and Cu, respectively, and the mean concentration for Pb, Zn, Cr, and Cu was 129.46, 192.85, 91.98 and 31.67 mg·kg^?1, respectively. The concentrations were greater than the Shaanxi Province background values, while they were lower than the second-level limits of Environmental Quality Standard for Soils of China (EQSS). The spatial distribution of heavy metal contents showed a banded in soil except Cu. The spatial distribution pattern and pollution assessment indexes (I_geo, EF) indicated that the investigated metals had been accumulated in the study areas, and implied significant influences from anthropogenic activities, local meteorological situation, and soil properties. The ecological risk assessment showed that the risks were relatively low (RI<150). Compared with the exposure risk for adults, that for children was significantly greater. The ingestion of heavy metals in the soils by humans was the main exposure pathway compared with the dermal exposure. There may be a risk of noncarcinogenic adverse health effects (HQ < 1, 0.377 ≤ HI≤1.553) on children, but the adults were unlikely to experience obvious adverse health effects (HQ < 1, HI < 1). The carcinogenic risk of Cr for adults and children was at an unacceptable level. The carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic risks were in the order of children > adults. The correlation analysis showed that Pb, Cr, and Cu have identical anthropogenic and natural sources, while Zn has another identical source. This study could provide a basis for the sustainable management of this region by reducing metal inputs and to protect soils from long-term heavy metal accumulation.     

Catastrophic disturbance, logging and the ecology of mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla King): grounds for listing a major tropical timber species in CITES

Recent debate on whether or not mahogany ( Swietenia macrophylla King) is threatened by the international timber trade has focused on the breadth of its range and estimates of the remaining stock of mahogany trees. These data are inadequate to reveal the status of mahogany populations, both because they are incomplete in areal extent and because they do not reveal population parameters such as the existence or density of young trees smaller than commercial size. However, there is sufficient information on the regeneration ecology of mahogany to indicate that under natural conditions this species regenerates in essentially even-aged stands after catastrophic disturbances destroy many or most trees, and, in the case of fires and flooding, saplings and seedlings as well. Adult mahoganies tend to survive these events, and regenerate by shedding seed onto the resulting gaps or clearings. This ecological strategy makes mahogany vulnerable to logging, first because juvenile mahoganies are not found in the understorey, and secondly because logging operations shortcircuit mahogany regeneration processes by selectively removing almost all mahogany seed sources while leaving standing competing vegetation of other species. Listing of mahogany in CITES Appendix II could provide both a mechanism to fill in gaps in information and an incentive to change current practices in favour of silvicultural management to provide for regeneration of this valuable timber species in forests subjected to logging.     

Individualistic responses of forest herb traits to environmental change

• Intraspecific trait variation (ITV; i.e. variability in mean and/or distribution of plant attribute values within species) can occur in response to multiple drivers. Environmental change and land‐use legacies could directly alter trait values within species but could also affect them indirectly through changes in vegetation cover. Increasing variability in environmental conditions could lead to more ITV, but responses might differ among species. Disentangling these drivers on ITV is necessary to accurately predict plant community responses to global change.
• We planted herb communities into forest soils with and without a recent history of agriculture. Soils were collected across temperate European regions, while the 15 selected herb species had different colonizing abilities and affinities to forest habitat. These mesocosms (384) were exposed to two‐level full‐factorial treatments of warming, nitrogen addition and illumination. We measured plant height and specific leaf area (SLA).
• For the majority of species, mean plant height increased as vegetation cover increased in response to light addition, warming and agricultural legacy. The coefficient of variation (CV) for height was larger in fast‐colonizing species. Mean SLA for vernal species increased with warming, while light addition generally decreased mean SLA for shade‐tolerant species. Interactions between treatments were not important predictors.
• Environmental change treatments influenced ITV, either via increasing vegetation cover or by affecting trait values directly. Species’ ITV was individualistic, i.e. species responded to different single resource and condition manipulations that benefited their growth in the short term. These individual responses could be important for altered community organization after a prolonged period.