Plant–soil feedback during biological invasions: effect of litter decomposition from an invasive plant (Sphagneticola trilobata) on its native congener (S. calendulacea)

生物入侵过程中的植物-土壤反馈：一种入侵植物的凋落物分解对其本地近缘植物的影响 植物入侵可通过正或负的植物-土壤反馈效应改变土壤的生物和非生物性质,从而影响入侵栖息地的土壤理化性质。许多入侵物种的凋落物分解可增加土壤养分,降低本地植物多样性,并导致进一步的植物入侵。关于入侵植物凋落物在不同土壤类型及深度分解及反馈效应的研究依然很少。本研究旨在明确入侵植物南美蟛蜞菊(Sphagneticola trilobata)凋落物在不同土壤类型和不同土壤深度条件下的分解情 况及其对本地近缘植物蟛蜞菊(S. calendulacea)生理生长的影响。将装有南美蟛蜞菊凋落物的尼龙袋加入到不同深度(即0、2、4 和6 cm)的砂土、营养土和粘土中,经6个月的分解后,回收凋落物袋并计算分解速率,随后在凋落物分解处理后的土壤中种植本地蟛蜞菊,并在生长期结束时测量其生理生态指标。研究结果表明,所有处理土壤类型中,凋落物在土壤深度为2和4 cm处分解后显著增加了土壤养分,而对本 地蟛蜞菊的叶片叶绿素、叶氮含量等生长指标表现为负效应。因此,入侵植物南美蟛蜞菊凋落物分解对土壤养分表现为正的反馈效应,而对本地植物蟛蜞菊的生长表现为负效应。我们的研究结果还表明,入侵植物的凋落物分解对土壤和本地物种的影响还因凋落物分解所在的土壤深度而显著不同。未来的研究应侧重于入侵栖息地中更多本地和入侵物种的植物-土壤反馈效应,以及更多土壤类型和土壤深度的入侵植物凋落物效应。     

贵州山区3种木本植物无机碳利用特性的比较

以生长在喀斯特高原地区玉舍国家森林公园内的成熟银鹊树(Tapiscia sinensis)、白栎(Quercus fabri)和亮叶桦(Betula luminifera)为实验材料,通过对光合作用、叶绿素含量、叶绿素荧光参数、羧化效率(CE)、呼吸速率(Resp)、碳酸酐酶活性(WA)以及稳定碳同位素组成(δ13 C)等指标的测定,分析3种植物不同的无机碳利用特性,为该区生态环境修复选择合适的建群植物种提供依据。结果显示:(1)银鹊树、白栎和亮叶桦分布都较为广泛,银鹊树生长的最佳土壤pH是4.5~5.5,而白栎更倾向于中性到弱酸性土壤,肥沃的酸性土壤则更有益亮叶桦生长;白栎和亮叶桦都能忍受干旱和贫瘠,但是银鹊树不能忍受干旱和高温。(2)银鹊树叶片的Pn、Tr和Gs显著大于白栎和亮叶桦,亮叶桦和白栎的Pn、Tr和Gs分别是银鹊树的69.5%、48.2%、66.7%和28.6%、21.7%、22.2%;亮叶桦叶绿素含量均为银鹊树和白栎的2倍,但3种植物间的WUE则无显著差异。(3)3个树种叶片净光合速率均随着CO2浓度升高呈持续上升的趋势,但它们之间的CO2补偿点和饱和点明显不同。其中,银鹊树和亮叶桦的CO2补偿点均低于50μmol·mol-1,而白栎的则在250~300μmol·mol-1之间;银鹊树的CO2饱和点在1 200μmol·mol-1左右,亮叶桦则在2 300μmol·mol-1左右,而白栎的CO2饱和点明显高于2 300μmol·mol-1。(4)3个树种的CE、Resp和WA均为银鹊树>亮叶桦>白栎;而δ13 C值则以银鹊树最低,亮叶桦和白栎较高。其中,白栎和亮叶桦的CE、Resp、WA分别为银鹊树的5.1%、25.7%、4.0%和45.3%、54.6%、6.8%,且树种间差异显著;白栎和亮叶桦的δ13 C值显著高于银鹊树。研究表明,银鹊树能够吸收大气中的CO2或者在高活性碳酸酐酶作用下转化利用细胞内的HCO3-,它拥有较高的CO2利用能力及无机碳同化效率,因而能够拥有较高的产能;亮叶桦只能获取大气中的CO2作为无机碳源,但它对CO2的利用能力也较高,其产能仅次于银鹊树;白栎同样只能获取大气中的CO2作为无机碳源,同时它对大气中CO2的捕获、利用能力均低于银鹊树和亮叶桦,因而白栎生长非常缓慢,造成其本身对无机碳的需求也最低,所以其产能最低。     

Pollen morphology of the genus Euphrasia L. (Orobanchaceae) from Pakistan and Kashmir and its taxonomic significance

Pollen morphology of 25 species of the genus Euphrasia L., belonging to the family Orobanchaceae from Pakistan has been examined by light and scanning electron microscope. It is a stenopalynous genus. Pollen grains are usually radially symmetrical, isopolar, tricolpate, sub-prolate to prolate-spheroidal rarely oblate-spheroidal. Sexine slightly thinner than nexine or as thick as nexine. Tectum coarse to fine retipilate or rugulate–retipilate. On the basis of exine ornamentation three distinct pollen types viz., Euphrasia foliosa, Euphrasia multiflora, and Euphrasia incisa are recognized. Pollen morphology is significantly helpful at specific level within the pollen type.     

Bone loss: Therapeutic approaches for preventing bone loss in inflammatory arthritis

Inflammatory arthritides are commonly characterized by localized and generalized bone loss. Localized bone loss in the form of joint erosions and periarticular osteopenia is a hallmark of rheumatoid arthritis, the prototype of inflammatory arthritis. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL)-dependent osteoclast activation by inflammatory cells and subsequent bone loss. In this article, we review the pathogenesis of inflammatory bone loss and explore the possible therapeutic interventions to prevent it.     

Successful phytoremediation of crude-oil contaminated soil at an oil exploration and production company by plants-bacterial synergism

Phytoremediation is a promising approach for the cleanup of soil contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons. This study aimed to develop plant-bacterial synergism for the successful remediation of crude oil-contaminated soil. A consortia of three endophytic bacteria was augmented to two grasses, Leptochloa fusca and Brachiaria mutica, grown in oil-contaminated soil (46.8 g oil kg^?1 soil) in the vicinity of an oil exploration and production company. Endophytes augmentation improved plant growth, crude oil degradation, and soil health. Maximum oil degradation (80%) was achieved with B. mutica plants augmented with the endophytes and it was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than the use of plants or bacteria individually. Moreover, endophytes showed more persistence, the abundance and expression of alkB gene in the rhizosphere as well as in the endosphere of the tested plants than in unvegetated soil. A positive relationship (r = 0.70) observed between gene expression and crude oil reduction indicates that catabolic gene expression is important for hydrocarbon mineralization. This investigation showed that the use of endophytes with appropriate plant is an effective strategy for the cleanup of oil-contaminated soil under field conditions.     

Isolation and Characterization of Bacteria from Coal Mines of Dara Adam Khel,Pakistan

The coal fields of Pakistan and their microbiology have not been fully explored. Therefore, a study was conducted on the coal mines of Dara Adam Khel located in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. For this purpose, sampling was done from nine different mines with varying depths. A total of 32 bacterial strains were isolated and their colony size, form, texture, color, margin, elevation and opacity were noted. The majority of the strains (75%) were found Gram negative. The bacterial strains were then characterized in detail by different biochemical tests including catalase, citrate, oxidase, indole, triple sugar iron, motility, methyl red-Vogues Proskeur, nitrate reduction and phenylalanine deaminase, and an enormous physiological diversity was observed. The Gram positive strains were further characterized on molecular level using 16S rRNA gene amplification and sequence analysis. Based on molecular analysis, seven strains were identified as Bacillus tequilensis, B. cereus, Janibacter melonis, Kocuria atrinae, B. anthracis, K. rosea and B. simplex. The other two strains (strains 6 and 41) had molecular similarity of only 98% and 97% with Brachybacterium spp. and Arthrobacter spp. respectively. The phylogenetic analysis further suggested that the strains 6 and 41 may be potential candidates for novel species; however, further work is needed for confirmation.     

Decline in topsoil microbial quotient, fungal abundance and C utilization efficiency of rice paddies under heavy metal pollution across South China

Agricultural soils have been increasingly subject to heavy metal pollution worldwide. However, the impacts on soil microbial community structure and activity of field soils have been not yet well characterized. Topsoil samples were collected from heavy metal polluted (PS) and their background (BGS) fields of rice paddies in four sites across South China in 2009. Changes with metal pollution relative to the BGS in the size and community structure of soil microorganisms were examined with multiple microbiological assays of biomass carbon (MBC) and nitrogen (MBN) measurement, plate counting of culturable colonies and phospholipids fatty acids (PLFAs) analysis along with denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) profile of 16S rRNA and 18S rRNA gene and real-time PCR assay. In addition, a 7-day lab incubation under constantly 25°C was conducted to further track the changes in metabolic activity. While the decrease under metal pollution in MBC and MBN, as well as in culturable population size, total PLFA contents and DGGE band numbers of bacteria were not significantly and consistently seen, a significant reduction was indeed observed under metal pollution in microbial quotient, in culturable fungal population size and in ratio of fungal to bacterial PLFAs consistently across the sites by an extent ranging from 6% to 74%. Moreover, a consistently significant increase in metabolic quotient was observed by up to 68% under pollution across the sites. These observations supported a shift of microbial community with decline in its abundance, decrease in fungal proportion and thus in C utilization efficiency under pollution in the soils. In addition, ratios of microbial quotient, of fungal to bacterial and qCO(2) are proved better indicative of heavy metal impacts on microbial community structure and activity. The potential effects of these changes on C cycling and CO(2) production in the polluted rice paddies deserve further field studies.