Waterlogging and fire impacts on nitrogen availability and utilization in a subtropical wet heathland (wallum)

Protein, amino acids and ammonium were the main forms of soluble soil nitrogen in the soil solution of a subtropical heathland (wallum). After fire, soil ammonium and nitrate increased 90- and 60-fold, respectively. Despite this increase in nitrate availability after fire, wallum species exhibited uniformly low nitrate reductase activities and low leaf and xylem nitrate. During waterlogging soil amino acids increased, particularly γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) which accounted for over 50% of amino nitrogen. Non-mycorrhizal wallum species were significantly (P < 0.05) ¹⁵N-enriched (0.3–4.3‰) compared to species with mycorrhizal associations (ericoid-type, ecto-, va-mycorrhizal) which were strongly depleted in ¹⁵N (-6.3 to -1.8‰). Lignotubers and roots had δ¹⁵N signatures similar to that of the leaves of respective species. The exceptions were fine roots of ecto-, ecto/va-, and ericoid type mycorrhizal species which were enriched in ¹⁵N (0.1–2.4‰). The 5¹⁵N signatures of δ¹⁵N_{total soil N} and δ¹⁵N_{soil NH4+} were in the range 3.7–4.5‰, whereas δ¹⁵N_{soil NO3?} was significantly (P < 0.05) more enriched in ¹⁵N (9.2–9.8‰). It is proposed that there is discrimination against ¹⁵N during transfer of nitrogen from fungal to plant partner. Roots of selected species incorporated nitrogen sources in the order of preference: ammonium > glycine > nitrate. The exception were proteoid roots of Hakea (Proteaceae) which incorporated equal amounts of glycine and ammonium.     

The influence of local elevation on the effects of secondary salinity in remnant eucalypt woodlands: Changes in understorey communities

Increasing land salinization in Australia is predicted to lead to severe declines in species diversity in affected areas, and perhaps significant numbers of species extinctions. Much of the diversity that will be lost consists of understorey and mid-storey species, yet the overwhelming majority of research has focussed on salinity tolerance in tree species. We investigated how the presence of a shallow, saline water table affected the understorey species composition, species richness and species diversity in two remnant Eucalyptus wandoo Blakely woodlands in the Western Australian wheatbelt. Species richness and species diversity were significantly lower in areas with a shallow water table at elevations < 0.5 m above the lowest local elevation, compared with both higher elevations and with areas of low elevation without a shallow water table. Species composition (Bray-Curtis similarities) was also significantly different in low elevation, saline areas. At one site, saline areas were colonized by native and alien species that were not present in the surrounding vegetation, yet the community that has developed does not contain either the species or structural diversity of the surrounding system. At the other site, no colonisation of saline areas by new species occurred. Even though small differences in elevation (< 0.5 m) at our study sites were important in moderating the impacts of salinity in areas with a shallow water table, the loss of species diversity, species richness and structural complexity in low-lying elevations indicated that the ecological risk from secondary salinity to species associated only with drainage lines, seasonally wet flats and other low-lying areas is severe. The priority is to identify those vegetation communities that are restricted to only low relative elevations within the landscape and that only occur in remnants predicted to be at a high risk of developing a shallow and saline water table.     

长期淹水对河竹鞭根养分化学计量特征的影响

以长期淹水环境下能生长更新的河竹为材料,调查测定了人工喷灌供水(CK)、淹水6个月(TR)的河竹一年生竹鞭的根生物量和主要养分元素含量,分析长期淹水对河竹鞭根养分化学计量特征的影响,为河竹在水湿地和消落带植被恢复中的应用提供理论依据。结果显示:(1)与CK相比,TR处理下的河竹土中根的N、P、Mg和Ca含量显著降低,Fe含量显著升高,且N、K和Ca含量显著低于TR处理下水中根的含量,而Fe含量显著高于水中根。(2)TR处理的河竹土中根的C/N、C/P、C/K和P/K较CK显著升高,且C/K、N/K和P/K显著高于TR处理的水中根。(3)TR处理的河竹水中根的C-N、C-P、N-P均呈极显著正相关关系,土中根的C-P、C-K、P-K均呈极显著正相关关系;CK河竹土中根的C-P、C-K呈极显著正相关关系,且N-P显著相关;从相关系数看,TR处理下土中根的C-N、N-P和N-K相关性减弱,C-P、C-K和P-K相关性增强,而C-N、C-P、N-P和N-K相关性较水中根减弱,C-K和P-K相关性较水中根增强。(4)TR处理下鞭根生物量和C、N、P、K、Mg、Ca积累量较CK分别显著降低19.46%、42.04%、36.55%、41.39%、60.06%和38.46%,而Fe积累量显著升高,为CK的5.5倍;TR处理下土中根养分积累量显著高于水中根。研究表明,长期淹水虽阻碍了河竹鞭根的养分平衡吸收,但能够提高养分利用效率,并且土中根和水中根具有克隆分工特征,水中根主要起到氧气吸收应对缺氧环境胁迫的功能,是河竹适应长期淹水环境的重要生态对策。     

长期淹水环境下河竹鞭根系统形态、生物量和养分的适应性调节

为揭示长期淹水环境下基于形态、生物量和养分的河竹鞭根系统的生长策略,为河竹在水湿地和江河湖库消落带植被恢复中的应用提供参考,调查测定了人工喷灌供水和淹水处理3、6、12个月的河竹一年生竹鞭及其根系的形态和生理生化指标,分析了河竹鞭和鞭根形态特征和生物量分配及鞭根系统的养分吸收与平衡.结果表明: 长期淹水对河竹鞭节长、鞭径和土中根根径并无明显影响.淹水3个月整体上对鞭的形态特征影响小,水中翘鞭较少,但一定程度上抑制了根的生长.随着淹水时间的延长,水中鞭、根大量生长,同时促进了土中鞭、根的生长,但土中、水中鞭生物量和土中根生物量占总生物量的比例变化并不明显,而水中根生物量/总生物量和水中根生物量/土中根生物量显著升高,体现出河竹可以通过鞭根系统的生长调节和生物量合理分配来逐步适应淹水环境.长期淹水整体上降低了河竹土中根的根系活力,抑制了土中根对养分的吸收,但对土中根养分化学计量比的影响较小,而使水中根的根系活力显著增强,养分化学计量比产生明显的适应性调节,N/P升高,N/K和P/K降低.水中根不仅起到氧气吸收功能,还具有较强的养分吸收功能.这是河竹有效适应淹水环境的生长策略之一.     

Tasmanian lentic wetland lawns are maintained by grazing rather than inundation

Vertebrate grazers have been shown to be a critical element in maintaining lawns, although lawns can also form in places without such herbivores. In Tasmania lawns are widespread in lentic wetlands. We used environmental observations and exclosure experiments at two altitudinally contrasting lentic wetland lawns, and waterlogging experiments, to test the hypotheses that their structure is maintained (i) periodic inundation; and (ii) grazing. Waterlogging experiments and field observations demonstrated that the two main invading shrubs were indifferent to immersion for several months and that the distribution of the lawns was independent of inundation period, results inconsistent with the first hypothesis. The exclosure experiments showed that both woody and non‐woody plants became taller in the lawns when marsupial grazers and rabbits were excluded. It therefore seems that the lawn structure is maintained by grazing and that alternative structural states result from exclusion of grazing pressure in less than 2 years.     

基于景观地形的小流域单元减灾调控评价研究

近年来,中国诸多大中城市内涝灾害频发。武汉市作为城市内涝频发的典型城市,其建成区地表高度（20.0~24.0 m）大多低于外江常年所处的洪水位高度（23.9 m）,在区域性暴雨条件下,极易引发内涝灾害。武汉由于其内涝典型性,2013年被列为全国31个重点防洪城市之一,2015年被列入首批海绵城市试点城市之一。从城市内涝发生机理出发,以水文角度的小流域单元作为内涝风险区划的基本单元,利用小流域单元分析武汉市景观地形要素（地表高程、地表起伏度、地表粗糙度）与城市内涝积水密度的相关性及其影响程度,量算统计出小流域单元的内涝风险等级。基于此,提出武汉市小流域单元减灾地形调控评价。以武汉市作为城市内涝问题的研究案例,以期为武汉市内涝缓解提供新的思考路径,具有典型性和必要性。     

水位调控措施治理互花米草对大型底栖动物群落的影响

采用物理控制措施治理崇明东滩自然保护区外来入侵植物互花米草(Spartina alterniflora)的蔓延和扩散,对保护该地区的生物多样性具有重要的意义.研究跟踪了崇明东滩治理互花米草示范样地内水位调控措施对大型底栖动物群落的影响.结果显示,潮间带大型底栖动物的密度和生物量具有显著的季节性波动,实施持续水位调控措施样地中大型底栖动物的密度、生物量和丰富度指数均显著低于同时期对照样地.破堤排水后的恢复样地中,随着恢复时间延长,大型底栖动物密度、生物量和丰富度指数均有不同程度的恢复.应用DCA排序方法有助于进一步分析大型底栖动物群落与水位调控措施强度之间的相互关系.研究结果表明,水位调控措施会对盐沼植被中大型底栖动物的密度、生物量和多样性产生负面影响,但这种影响在治理互花米草水位调控措施结束后可逐渐自然恢复.     

Oxygen distribution and movement,respiration and nutrient loading in banana roots (Musa spp. L.) subjected to aerated and oxygen-depleted environments

Excessive soil wetness is a common feature where bananas (Musa spp.) evolved. Under O₂ deficiency, a property of wet soils, root growth and functions will be influenced by the respiratory demand for O₂ in root tissues, the transport of O₂ from the shoot to root and the supply of O₂ from the medium. In laboratory experiments with nodal roots of banana, we examined how these features influenced the longitudinal and radial distributions of O₂ within roots, radial O₂ loss, solute accumulation in the xylem, root hydraulic conductivity, root elongation and root tip survival. In aerated roots, the stele respired about 6 times faster than the cortex on a volume basis. Respiratory O₂ consumption decreased substantially with distance from the root apex and at 300–500 mm it was 80% lower than at the apex. Respiration of lateral roots constituted a sink for O₂ supplied via aerenchyma, and reduced O₂ flow towards the tip of the supporting root. Stelar anoxia could be induced either by lowering the O₂ partial pressure in the bathing medium from 21 to 4 kPa (excised roots) or, in the case of intact roots, by reducing the O₂ concentration around the shoot. The root hair zone sometimes extended to 1.0 mm from the root surface and contributed up to a 60% drop in O₂ concentration from a free-flowing aerated solution to the root surface. There was a steep decline in O₂ concentration across the epidermal-hypodermal cylinder and some evidence of a decline in the O₂ permeability of the epidermal-hypodermal cylinder with increasing distance from the root apex. The differences in O₂ concentration between cortex and stele were smaller than reported for maize and possibly indicated a substantial transfer rate of dissolved O₂ from cortex to stele in banana, mediated by a convective water flow component. An O₂ partial pressure of 4 kPa in the medium reduced net nutrient transfer into the vascular tissue in the stele within 1 or 2 h. Hypoxia also caused a temporary decrease in radial root hydraulic conductivity by an order of magnitude. In O₂ deficient environments, the stele would be among the first tissues to suffer anoxia and O₂ consumption within the root hair zone might be a major contributor to root anoxia/hypoxia in banana growing in temporarily flooded soils.