Bacterial Associations with Weathering Minerals at the Regolith-Bedrock Interface,Luquillo Experimental Forest,Puerto Rico

Microbe-mineral associations in regolith overlying granodiorite bedrock (4.6–4.9 m depth) from the Luquillo Experimental Forest, Puerto Rico, were imaged with confocal scanning laser microscopy at a novel scale of 400X magnification. After adding BacLight? stain, proportionally more surface area of minerals (quartz, biotite, and mixed opaque kaolinite/goethite) emitted fluorescence from cell-impermeant propidium iodide than from cell-permeant SYTO 9, which suggested greater coverage of minerals by extracellular DNA or DNA in non-intact cells than by intact cells. Microscopic observations of predominantly non-intact cell material in deep saprolite were consistent with the abundance of rRNA sequences related to heterotrophic bacteria in clone libraries prepared from community DNA. A few sequences were affiliated with bacteria recognized to produce siderophores, oxidize Fe(II), or fix N₂. Bacterial DNA in deep regolith from two boreholes 1.5 m apart yielded libraries with high diversity and taxa specific for each borehole. Supplemental materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Geomicrobiology Journal to view the free supplemental files.     

Assessment of Bacterial Communities in Auriferous and Non-Auriferous Soils Using Genetic and Functional Fingerprinting

Understanding the microbial processes affecting the mobility of Au is important in the development of biogeochemical models describing the formation of secondary anomalies and Au grains in soils and deeper regolith materials. This study characterizes bacterial activity in auriferous soils that is linked to the microbially mediated solubilization of Au, as a result of production and consumption of free amino acids, which can form stable complexes with Au. Through the application of 16S rDNA fingerprinting and community level physiological profiling (CLPP), concurrently with Au mobility data, microcosm experiments have demonstrated the role that mobile Au plays in determining the structure and function of bacterial communities in auriferous soils. The bacterial community of auriferous soils displayed genetic differences compared to non-auriferous (background) soils associated with the appearance of Methylocella sp., Arthrobacter sp. and Bacillus sp., as well as functional differences in the utilization of D-Cellobiose, L-Serine, L-Phenylalanine, L-Arginine and N-Acetyl-D-Glucosamine. These results suggest that soil bacterial communities are linked to biogeochemical Au cycling, and that microbial fingerprinting analyses may be used as a screening tool in Au exploration to differentiate auriferous from background terrains.     

流域风化层雨洪调蓄生态机理

风化层是陆地表面经各种风化作用而形成的疏松堆积层,是雨洪调蓄的天然场所,对流域水资源管理有着重要意义。从复杂开放系统论的观点出发,结合近年来国内外对风化层雨洪调蓄特征的研究,分析了风化层在流域雨洪调蓄中的生态机理。主要研究了风化层的概念、风化层雨洪调蓄的组成与时空结构;解释了风化层集水、蓄水、净水、养水、供水功能等方面的雨洪调蓄功能;分析了风化层与地形地貌、生境、地质、土壤、大气、能量以及人类活动等流域环境要素的生态关系。研究表明:(1)流域风化层具有重要的雨洪调蓄特征,是由其特有的物质组成与时空结构特征决定的,正常发挥风化层的雨洪调蓄功能,流域中的水为健康的"活水",不同流域风化层的物质组成和结构的时空变化极大,其雨洪调蓄功能的发挥机制也极其复杂,采用常规定量研究方法几乎不可能掌握其机理,应采用复杂开放系统理论和方法开展研究;(2)风化层是流域系统的一个子系统,与其它流域环境要素之间是相互联系和相互作用的,过去我们通常采用的"排水范式"解决局部问题以期改善整个流域系统问题的治理思路是行不通的,已不适应今后的风化层雨洪调蓄生态学研究,还极可能衍生新的系统问题;(3)将流域视为一个复杂开放系统,国外流域生态学家提出了生态结构(Ecostructures)的概念,强调流域系统自身生态能力的发挥,将土壤-植被-大气连续体(SVA)研究扩展到风化层-生境-能量连续体(RHE)的生态耦合研究。因此建议,采取"边学边做"(Learning by Doing)的流域适应性管理,应当是今后流域风化层雨洪调蓄管理的重要方向。     

黄土区土质道路浮土侵蚀过程

基于野外原位调查采样、室内人工模拟降雨试验研究道路浮土侵蚀规律.结果表明:浮土产流起始时间和路面侵蚀起始时间随雨强和坡度增大呈递减趋势.路面侵蚀起始时间随浮土厚度增大滞后2～5 min.浮土厚度≤0.5 cm时径流率在产流后2 min趋于稳定,平均径流率随雨强增大而递增,随坡度增大而递减;浮土厚度≥1.0 cm时,径流率在产流后3 min趋于相对稳定,平均径流率随雨强增大呈线性递增,随坡度增大而先递增后递减.侵蚀临界点随坡度和雨强增大呈递减趋势.浮土厚度≤0.5 cm时,侵蚀速率随雨强增大而递增幅度达24.5％～434.4％,坡度8°和16°可达2°和4°的2.4倍;浮土厚度≥1.0 cm时,侵蚀速率在产流开始后9min左右趋于相对稳定,且随雨强和坡度增大而递增,随坡度增大侵蚀形式发生由“片蚀-细沟侵蚀-溯源侵蚀”的转变.浮土厚度≥1.0 cm时,平均10 min次降雨侵蚀量可达浮土厚度≤0.5cm的1.3倍,而单独浮土侵蚀时段侵蚀量前者是后者的2.7倍.浮土厚度≤0.5 cm时,侵蚀量与雨强的相关性显著,产流量与坡度的相关性显著;浮土厚度≥1.0 cm时,10 min次降雨产流、产沙与雨强呈显著相关.随浮土厚度增大,浮土侵蚀量在组合侵蚀中所占比例增大,而薄层时主要以道路侵蚀占主导.