Partitioning water source and sinking process of a groundwater-dependent desert plant community

Aims

Root-specific responses to stress are not well-known, and have been largely based on indirect measurements of bulk soil water extraction, which limits mechanistic modeling of root function.

Methods

Here, we used neutron radiography to examine in situ root-soil water dynamics of a previously droughted black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa) seedling, contrasting water uptake by the two major components of the root system that differed in initial recovery rate as apparent by ‘new’ (whiter, thinner), or ‘old’ (darker, thicker) parts of the fine root system.

Results

The smaller diameter ‘new’ roots had greater water uptake per unit surface area than the larger diameter ‘old’ roots, but they had less total surface area leading to less total water extraction; rates ranged from 0.0027–0.0116 g cm^?2 h^?1. The finest most-active roots were not visible in the radiographs, indicating the need to include destructive sampling. Analysis based on root-free bulk soil hydraulic properties indicated substantial redistribution of water via saturated/unsaturated flow and capillary wicking across the layers - suggesting water uptake dynamics following an infiltration event may be more complex than approximated by common soil hydraulic or root surface area modeling approaches.

Conclusions

Our results highlight the need for continued exploration of root-trait specific water uptake rates in situ, and impacts of roots on soil hydraulic properties – both critical components for mechanistic modeling of root function.

     

Effects of an invasive plant on a desert sand dune landscape

Given the abundance of non-native species invading wildland habitats, managers need to employ informed triage to focus control efforts on weeds with the greatest potential for negative impacts. Our objective here was to determine the level of threat Sahara mustard, Brassica tournefortii, represents to meeting regional goals for protecting biodiversity. Sahara mustard has spread throughout much of the Mojave and lower Sonoran Deserts. It has occurred in southern California’s Coachella Valley for nearly 80 years, punctuated by years of extremely high abundance following high rainfall. In those years the mustard has clear negative impacts on the native flora. Using mustard removal experiments we identified reductions in native plant reproduction, shifting composition increasingly toward Sahara mustard while decreasing the fraction of native species. High between-year variance in precipitation may be a key to maintaining biodiversity as the mustard is less abundant in drier years. Sahara mustard impacts to the native fauna were much less evident. Of the animal species evaluated, only the Coachella Valley fringe-toed lizard, Uma inornata, demonstrated a negative response to mustard abundance; however the impacts were short-lived, lasting no more than a year after the mustard’s dominance waned. Without control measures the long-term impacts to desert biodiversity may rest on the changing climate. Wetter conditions or increased periodicity of high rainfall years will favor Sahara mustard and result in reduced biodiversity, especially of native annual plants. Drier conditions will keep the mustard from becoming dominant but may have other negative consequences on the native flora and fauna.     

荒漠景观拟步甲科昆虫多样性及其对生境的指示作用

本研究在宁夏灵武白芨滩国家级自然保护区北部荒漠景观下的磁窑堡地区,选取典型荒漠草原区(DS)、人工柠条林种植区(CCL1,CCL2)及流沙人工封育区(SDE1,SDE2,SDE3)3类生境共6块样地,于2010年4月至8月以巴氏罐诱法采集该地区拟步甲科昆虫,研究该地区拟步甲科昆虫多样性及其对生境的指示作用。结果共获得标本3406头,计12属22种,其中东鳖甲属Anatolica和小鳖甲属Microdera为优势属,波氏东鳖甲Anatolica potanini Reitter、阿小鳖甲Microdera kraatz alashanica Skopin、小丽东鳖甲Anatolica amoenula Reitter和尖尾东鳖甲Anatolic amucronata Reitter为优势种。在流沙人工封育区的SDE1样地物种丰富度指数、均匀度指数和多样性指数最高,SDE3样地个体数量和优势度指数最高;人工柠条林种植区的CCL1样地个体数量最低。聚类分析结果表明流沙人工封育区与荒漠草原区、人工柠条种植区在物种组成及生境相似性方面差异较大。利用指示值法确定不同生境的特征指示种类,结果显示波氏东鳖甲、谢氏宽漠王Mantichorula semenowiReitter、尖尾东鳖甲可作为流沙封育区特征指示种;突角漠甲Trigonocnera pseudopimelia(Reitter)、中华砚甲Cyphogenia chinensis(Faldermann)和纳氏东鳖甲AnatolicanuretiSchusteretReymond可作为荒漠草原特征指示种;蒙古漠王Platyope mongolica Faldermann、多毛宽漠甲Sternoplax setosa setosa(Bates)、克小鳖甲Microdera kraatzi(Reitter)是生境恢复的监测种;小丽东鳖甲Anatolica amoenula Reitter等种类可作为生境退化的监测种。     

Patterns of water potential and photosynthesis of desert sand dune plants,Eureka Valley,California

Summary This study examined the mode of photosynthesis (C₃ or C₄), daily and seasonal patterns of xylem water potential, seasonal patterns of field photosynthesis, and the laboratory gas exchange characterisitcs of plants which grow on or in the vicinity of Eureka Dunes, Inyo County, California. The perennial duneendemic Swallenia alexandrae was found to possess the C₄ pathway while all other taxa surveyed were C₃. Plants which grew on the dunes exhibited: 1) significantly less negative xylem water potentials, 2) dampened seasonal changes in predawn water potentials, and 3) smaller seasonal amplitudes of water potential than plants of the adjoining flats. The minimum water potentials experienced by Swallenia during the hot summer months were a third of those endured by adjacent non-dune Larrea. Non-endemics growing on the dune had more negative xylem water potentals than dune endemics, but still never approached the low values of non-dune plants. The poor moisture retention properties of sand may have selected for moisture-conserving traits (stomatal closure at relatively high water potentials, high water use efficiency) rather than moisture-expending ones (osmoregulation, high leaf conductances) in the endemic perennials. Field measurements of photosynthesis showed that dune-restricted (but not necessarily endemic) plants had high photosynthetic capacities and sustained summer carbon assimilation, the latter being protracted months beyond the last pulse of precipitation. The C₃ annual Dicoria canescens ssp. clarkae maintained photosynthetic rates well exceeding those of the C₄ Swallenia throughout the summer and may represent a previously undescribed physiological life form in desert plants. Laboratory measurements supplemented the field data and compared the water use efficiencies of two dune endemics. It is suggested that high photosynthetic productivity, high water use efficiency, and carbon allocation to the longitudinal growth of roots and shoots are important physiological adaptations to shifting sand and substrate moisture depletion at Eureka Dunes.     

Reed bed soil stripping as wetland management method: implications for water beetles

Wetlands Ecology and Management - Reed bed management is one of the main wetland related issues in Europe and among the diverse approaches developed for that purpose, some restoration methods are...     

Environmental tuning of an insect ensemble: The tenebrionid beetles inhabiting a Mediterranean coastal dune zonation

Few studies have investigated insect ensembles, i.e. phylogenetically bounded groups of species that use a similar set of resources within a community. The zonation of dune vegetation makes these ecosystems ideal for the study of insect ensembles in a short space. In this study, we investigated if the tenebrionid beetles forming an ensemble on a dune zonation showed variations in community organization (relative abundances and species diversity) in different but spatially associated biotopes defined by different plant communities. Three biotopes (corresponding to European Commission habitat 2110, 2120 and 2230) of a well-preserved Mediterranean dune were sampled using square plots of 2 × 2 m at three places. To investigate if there was some association between species and habitat we applied a χ² test. Variations in community structure parameters were investigated using Shannon index. The three biotopes host tenebrionid communities with similar species composition and overall abundances, confirming that they form a single ensemble. However, tenebrionid species are differently associated with different biotopes along the zonation, with some species occurring with different proportions among the biotopes. A local selection process can be postulated as a mechanism responsible for these differences.     

Beaver creates early successional hotspots for water beetles

Biodiversity and Conservation - Beavers (Castor spp.) are ecosystem engineers that induce local disturbance and ecological succession, which turns terrestrial into aquatic ecosystems and creates...     

Importance of permafrost as a source of water for plants in east Siberian taiga

Stable oxygen isotope ratios of plant water (sap water) were observed at Spasskaya Pad experimental forest near Yakutsk, Russia in 1997–1999. The ¹⁸O of sap water in larch trees (Larix gmelinii) decreased soon after leaf unfolding every year, indicating that snowmelt water was used in the beginning of summer. During mid to late summer, a clear difference in the water source used by plants was observed between wet summers and severe drought summers. The ¹⁸O values of water in larch trees were high (–17.8 to –16.1) in August 1999 (wet summer), but low (–20.4 to –19.7) in August 1998 (drought summer). These results indicated that plants used rainwater during a wet summer, but meltwater from permafrost was used by plants during a drought summer. One important role of permafrost is to provide a direct source of water for plants in a severe drought summer; another role is to keep surplus water in the soil until the next summer. If this permafrost system is disturbed by future global warming, unique monotypic stands of deciduous larch trees in east Siberia might be seriously damaged in a severe drought summer.     

Plants as indicators of wetland water source

At the local scale, plant species distribution is determined primarily by the environmental characteristics of a site. In a wetland, water chemistry and hydroperiod are two of the most important of these environmental characteristics. Both are functions of water source. In central Pennsylvania, groundwater input tends to be continuous, while surface water may be permanent or seasonal. The chemistry of groundwater and surface water differs since groundwater is influenced by the substrate through which it flows. Because of these differences, and because of their effects on plant species distribution, it is possible to use vegetation as an indicator of the dominant water source of a site. Plots within 28 wetlands in central Pennsylvania were sampled, and the plots were classified by water source. The three hydrologic categories were groundwater, seasonal surface water, and permanent surface water. The core of the study was the analysis of half of the plots to identify species that were associated with a particular water source. Several groups of indicator species were identified. Some species, including Nyssa sylvatica, were strongly associated with the presence of groundwater. Others, such as Symplocarpus foetidus, were strongly associated with the presence of seasonal surface water. Several aquatic species were associated with permanent surface water. The remainder of the plots were used to test the predictive ability of the indicator species identified. The vegetation of a wetland plot predicted its hydrologic category with 72% accuracy. The identification of more indicator species could lead to the development of a useful tool for wetland research and management, since monitoring hydrology is often both expensive and time-consuming.     

小尺度下柠条林破碎化生境对地表甲虫多样性的影响

一般认为,景观斑块面积和破碎化对物种丰富度和分布格局有重要的影响。在宁夏中部荒漠地区,天然柠条林和人工柠条林地交错排列,形成点、片、带状等大小不等的斑块性分布,表现为典型的破碎化斑块格局生境特征。本文采用巴氏罐诱法调查了在小尺度下荒漠景观人工柠条林破碎化生境不同斑块内地表甲虫的物种多样性。结果共获得10科20属29种地表甲虫,其中拟步甲科昆虫占绝对优势,阿小鳖甲Microdera kraatzi alashanica Skopin、克小鳖甲Microdera kraatzi kraatzi(Reitter)为优势种。Rarefaction曲线显示较大面积的斑块有较多的物种多样性,但群落多样性指数各斑间块差异不显著。利用斑块面积对物种数-个体数进行回归分析表明,地表甲虫的物种多样性受斑块面积的影响,生境破碎化会导致地表甲虫多样性下降。     

Degradation of seed mucilage by soil microflora promotes early seedling growth of a desert sand dune plant

In contrast to the extensive understanding of seed mucilage biosynthesis, much less is known about how mucilage is biodegraded and what role it plays in the soil where seeds germinate. We studied seed mucilage biodegradation by a natural microbial community. High‐performance anion‐exchange chromatography (HPAEC) was used to determine monosaccharide composition in achene mucilage of Artemisia sphaerocephala. Mucilage degradation by the soil microbial community from natural habitats was examined by monosaccharide utilization tests using Biolog plates, chemical assays and phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis. Glucose (29.4%), mannose (20.3%) and arabinose (19.5%) were found to be the main components of achene mucilage. The mucilage was biodegraded to CO₂ and soluble sugars, and an increase in soil microbial biomass was observed during biodegradation. Fluorescence microscopy showed the presence of mucilage (or its derivatives) in seedling tissues after growth with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)‐labelled mucilage. The biodegradation also promoted early seedling growth in barren sand dunes, which was associated with a large soil microbial community that supplies substances promoting seedling establishment. We conclude that biodegradation of seed mucilage can play an ecologically important role in the life cycles of plants especially in harsh desert environments to which A. sphaerocephala is well‐adapted.     

Bodies of liquid water as a source of water gain for Ixodes ricinus ticks (Acari: Ixodidae)

It is well established that free-living unfed ticks can compensate for their inevitable body water losses by active water vapour absorption in periods of ambient relative humidity (RH) of greater than 75-90%. Whilst many species of terrestrial arthropods are known to be capable of locating liquid water and drinking when in need, the existing knowledge concerning the ecological significance of bulk water for rehydration in ticks is scarce. In the present laboratory study batches of unfed Ixodes ricinus (larvae, nymphs, and adults) in varying states of (de)hydration were supplied with tapwater either as droplets for 45 min in a Petri dish or in a small trough for 24 h. The body mass of each tick was gravimetrically determined before and after exposure. Though fully hydrated ticks were not usually attracted to liquid water, the response became increasingly positive with a growing body water deficit (p > 0.05). No tick was ever found with its mouthparts inserted into the water, nor had any tick residues of orange G in its alimentary tract when supplied with orange G-coloured water. Linear regression analysis demonstrated that water intake took place in a regulated manner in adult ticks, i.e. the more severely the ticks had been dehydrated the more net water they subsequently gained (p > 0.01). The maximum uptake rates were <20% of the original body mass per day. These findings indicate that unfed I. ricinus do not drink liquid water but are well able to use the high RH in the immediate vicinity of bulk water to actively take up vapour.     

UV-B resistance as a criterion for the selection of desert microalgae to be utilized for inoculating desert soils

The adaption capability of microalgae species to intense UV-B radiation is an important feature for their survival under the harsh growth conditions they have to face when used for inoculating unconsolidated sand soils in desert areas. In this study, the responses of photosynthetic activity, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and DNA strand breaks to UV-B radiation in four microalgae isolated from artificially induced biological soil crusts were investigated. It was found that low UV-B doses easily inhibited the photosynthetic activity and induced serious DNA damage in Chlorella vulgaris. Microcoleus vaginatus showed the capability to withstand only moderate doses of UV-B, while Nostoc was capable of facing high doses of UV-B due to its lower generation of ROS and higher capability to repair photosystem II (PSII) and DNA damages. On the other hand, Scytonema javanicum showed additional strategies to survive UV-B irradiance, namely the closure of PSII when ROS generation increased rapidly, in addition to a high repair ability of PSII and DNA damage. The results obtained point out different resistance and defense mechanisms of the four microalgae in response to UV-B irradiance and suggest that the strain of Nostoc sp. tested is the most suitable for surviving under the high UV irradiation levels typical of desertified areas.     

Extremophiles as a source for novel enzymes

Microbial life does not seem to be limited to specific environments. During the past few decades it has become clear that microbial communities can be found in the most diverse conditions, including extremes of temperature, pressure, salinity and pH. These microorganisms, called extremophiles, produce biocatalysts that are functional under extreme conditions. Consequently, the unique properties of these biocatalysts have resulted in several novel applications of enzymes in industrial processes. At present, only a minor fraction of the microorganisms on Earth have been exploited. Novel developments in the cultivation and production of extremophiles, but also developments related to the cloning and expression of their genes in heterologous hosts, will increase the number of enzyme-driven transformations in chemical, food, pharmaceutical and other industrial applications.     

Sediments as a source for contaminants?

This review article covers the processes affecting trace metals in deposited sediments. The sediment-water system can be divided in three parts: the oxic layer, the anoxic layer and the oxic-anoxic interface. Available data show that trace metals like Cu, Zn and Cd occur as sulphides in marine and estuarine anoxic sediments. Calculations show that organic complexation is unlikely and the dominant species are sulphide and bisulphide complexes. Chromium and arsenic are probably present as adsorbed species on the sediments; their concentrations in the pore waters, therefore depend on the concentrations in the sediments. The oxic-anoxic interface plays the major role in the potential flux of trace metals from the sediments, however this interface is not well studied at present. Changes from an anoxic to an oxic environment as occurs during dredging and land disposal of contaminanted sediments may cause a remobilization of some trace metals.     

开发木本油料植物作为生物柴油原料的研究

本文根据德国、欧盟和美国制定的生物柴油标准制定了以碘值、十六烷值和脂肪酸组成等参数作为植物油质量的评价体系。通过四条标准,即51<十六烷值<65、碘值<115、亚麻酸<12%和十八碳四烯酸<1%、碳链长度为C12-C22,对国产118种种子含油量超过30%的木本油料植物进行评估,共筛选出53种木本油料植物的种子油可作为发展生物柴油最适合的原料。其中油茶、杏、无患子、臭椿、白檀、海州常山分布广,是值得推广种植的生物柴油植物。富油大科山茶科和无患子科植物的种子油一般都适合发展生物柴油,而富油大科樟科、松科和卫矛科植物的种子油不适合作生物柴油原料。我国各省区可因地制宜选择合适的能源树种,发展生物柴油产业。