The Effect of Traffic Density on Lead Contents in Roadside Soils: An Analysis of Published Data

Data from eight published studies were combined to show that the influence of traffic density on Pb contents in roadside soils increases with proximity to the road.     

Localisation of nickel and mineral nutrients Ca,K, Fe,Mg by Scanning Electron Microscopy microanalysis in tissues of the nickel-hyperaccumulator Alyssum bertolonii Desv. and the non-accumulator Alyssum montanum L.

Plants of the nickel-hyperaccumulator Alyssum bertolonii Desv. and of the non-accumulator A. montanum L. growing on a serpentine site in Tuscany, Italy, and plants of A. montanum from a nearby non-serpentine site were analysed for metal concentration and localisation. The leaves of A. bertolonii contained 160 times more nickel than those of A. montanum from the same site, thus demonstrating its hyperaccumulation capacity towards this metal. On the other hand, both species showed an inversion of the Ca/Mg ratio in their organs relative to the soil. Nickel localisation in plant tissues was examined by Scanning Electron Microanalysis (SEM/EDX). In A. bertolonii, a specific pattern of nickel distribution was detected, with the highest concentrations present in parenchyma and sclerenchyma cells for the roots; in the shoots, the highest amounts of nickel were found in the stem epidermis, the leaf epidermal surface, and the leaf trichome base. This particular nickel tissue distribution pattern was not found in the non-accumulator A. montanum growing on serpentine soil. Other mineral nutrients, namely Mg, Ca, K, Fe, instead, had a similar distribution in the two species. The A. montanum plants from the non-serpentine site had very low nickel levels in their tissues, and these were of the same magnitude as those found in A. bertolonii plants grown in a greenhouse on commercial horticultural soil with low nickel concentration. In A. bertolonii plants, the tissue-specific allocation patterns appeared to depend on the degree of nickel hyperaccumulation, which is, in turn, directly linked to the soil characteristics.     

Ecological resources for conservation and development in Wadi Allaqi,Egypt*

PULFORD, I. D., MURPHY, K. J., DICKINSON, G., BRIGGS, J. A. & SPRINGUEL, I., 1992. Ecological resources for conservation and development in Wadi Allaqi, Egypt. The creation of Lake Nasser behind the Aswan High Dam on the River Nile has brought about significant environmental changes in Upper Egypt. A multidisciplinary project was started in 1987 to assess the environmental changes associated with periodic inundation in desert ecosystems. The data presented here provide a baseline for studies aimed at assessing the potential for, and ecological impacts of, sustainable development in the target area, and may act as a blueprint for wider-scale development. Soil, water, vegetation, animal and human resources are being monitored. There has been a major increase in plant communities dominated by riverain species, at the expense of the original desert wadi vegetation. The water has attracted human settlement, with some 200–250 people now living in the wadi. The inherent high fertility of the soil has allowed them to grow a range of crops in small plots, using a system of shifting cultivation dictated by the lake water level. While this degree of development may be sustainable, larger-scale development of the fragile wadi ecosystem demands a full assessment of appropriate management techniques.     

Host effects in high ectomycorrhizal diversity tropical rainforests on ultramafic soils in New Caledonia

Tropical rainforests have been thought to have low prevalence and diversity of ectomycorrhizal symbioses. However, to date, tropical regions have been poorly sampled for ectomycorrhizal fungi. Here, we investigated ectomycorrhizal fungal community diversity and the role of host plants in shaping this diversity in three main ultramafic rainforests in New Caledonia, an archipelago renowned for its exceptional plant diversity and recognized as a biodiversity hotspot. Sampling of ectomycorrhizal root tips and fruit bodies in Nothofagus aequilateralis-dominated, Arillastrum gummiferum-dominated and mixed rainforests showed high fungal diversity with, in total, 28 lineages and 311 operational taxonomic units (OTUs), of which 95% might be endemic. We also found that host preference and host density influenced ectomycorrhizal community composition and contributed to the high fungal diversity of New Caledonian rainforests. Finally, the /cortinarius lineage dominated the below- and above-ground communities, which suggests that this lineage plays a central role in ultramafic ecosystems functioning.     

典型城市单元的土壤重金属溯源方法与实证研究

随着城市化进程的不断深入,土壤中重金属污染现状及其治理情况越来越受到重视,而查明污染源是有效治理污染的前提。源解析技术目前已广泛的应用于环境受体重金属来源解析实践中,总结了近年来土壤重金属成因分析的常用方法及原理,并提出了一种将多种方法相配合使用的方法体系。选取珠三角某市城郊农田作为研究对象,结果表明,Cd、Pb、Cu、Zn、As存在含量超过国家农用地筛选值的情况,其中Cd超标率高达60.1%。农业活动、工业生产、交通源和自然母质均对研究区土壤重金属的累积产生一定的贡献。正定矩阵因子分析法(PMF,Positive Matrix Factorization)模型模拟的Cd、Ni、Zn和Hg预测值与实测值线性拟合r~2均大于90%,其余元素r~2均大于60%,呈现出很好的相关性,满足研究需要。PMF模型和铅同位素比值法计算得到的交通及农业对土壤Pb累积的贡献率之和分别为86.0%和84.8%,PMF模型和物质流分析法计算得到的农业对土壤Cd的贡献率分别为86.7%和79.7%,结果均比较接近。结果表明正定矩阵因子法、同位素比值分析法,物质流分析法能很好的联用应用于土壤重金属源解析研究。     

亚热带人工林下植被根际土壤酶化学计量特征

为探讨林下植被根际土壤酶化学计量特征及其对林分类型和季节的响应, 该研究以江西省泰和县千烟洲试验站典型人工杉木(Cunninghamia lanceolata)、马尾松(Pinus massoniana)和湿地松(Pinus elliottii)林林下优势灌草檵木(Loropetalum chinense)、杨桐(Adinandra millettii)、格药柃(Eurya muricata)、狗脊蕨(Woodwardia japonica)和暗鳞鳞毛蕨(Dryopteris atrata)为对象, 在植被生长初期(4月)和旺盛期(7月)测定优势灌草根际土壤与碳(C)循环相关的β-1,4-葡萄糖苷酶(BG)、与氮(N)循环相关的β-1,4-N-乙酰葡糖氨糖苷酶(NAG)和亮氨酸氨基肽酶(LAP)、与磷(P)循环相关的酸性磷酸酶(AP)活性、酶化学计量比及土壤理化性质。结果发现: (1)根际土壤与C和N循环相关的酶活性以及BG:AP (酶C:P)在不同林下植被之间存在显著差异, 而与P循环相关的酶活性差异不显著。林分类型和取样季节显著影响BG:(NAG+LAP)(酶C:N), 且林下植被类型、林分类型和取样季节交互影响酶C:P。主成分分析表明, 根际土壤酶的活性及计量比在不同林下植被(檵木不同于格药柃, 且二者显著区别于其他物种)、林分类型(杉木林区别于马尾松、湿地松林)和取样季节之间均存在显著差异。土壤硝态氮(NO₃ ^--N)、铵态氮(NH₄ ⁺-N)、可溶性有机碳(DOC)含量和碳氮比(C:N)是影响林下植被根际土壤酶的活性及化学计量比的主要因素。(2)标准主轴回归分析表明, 林下植被根际土壤lg(BG)、lg(NAG+LAP)和lg(AP)之间存在显著线性关系, lgBG:lg(NAG+LAP):lgAP (酶C:N:P)约为1:1:1.3, 酶C:P及(NAG+LAP):AP (酶N:P)分别为0.14和0.15。AP远大于BG和NAG+LAP的活性, 导致lg(BG)和lg(NAG+LAP)与lg(AP)的回归斜率极显著偏离1。说明林下植被根际土壤酶的活性及计量比受植被种类、林分类型及取样季节影响, 且基质有效性在其中发挥重要作用。相较于C循环和N循环, 微生物会分配更多资源用于P循环相关酶的生产, 暗示亚热带人工林林下植被根际土壤微生物生长和活性更易受P限制。