中国菱属(菱科)植物的分类研究

菱科(Trapaceae)仅菱属(Trapa L.)1属,该属是典型的水生多型植物,中国乃至全球以往的分类处理分歧很大。基于文献查阅、野外采集、标本鉴定和栽培观察,对菱属植物分类的主要形态性状作了系统评价。果体大小和果冠变异稳定,可以用于属内种的划分,果喙大小和角的数目则可以用于种下变种的划分。在此基础上,对中国菱属作了分类处理,承认了细果野菱(T. incisa)和欧菱(T. natans)2个种,并将欧菱划分为6个变种,对其中4个变种作了新的组合。将10个种名和12个变种名处理为异名,并对5个名称(Trapa amurensis,T. bispinosa,T. dimorphocarpa,T. japonica,T. manchurica)作了后选模式标定。     

Natural Enemies ofTrapaspp. in Northeast Asia and Europe

Trapa natansis an aquatic plant native to the Old World. In the late 1880s this plant was found to be naturalized in the eastern United States where it has become an important weed. To evaluate the potential of biological control to reduce this weed, surveys for natural enemies ofTrapaspp. were made in Northeast Asia and Europe. In addition, populations ofTrapa japonicain South Korea were monitored for one season to evaluate the occurrence and impact of insect natural enemies. Among the insects found, the leaf beetleGalerucella birmanicawas the most common and damaging species in Asia. It can cause complete defoliation of whole populations of plants. Nymphuline pyralid moths were also common and at times damaging. Both the beetle and the moths feed and develop on unrelated plants and so have no potential as biological control agents ofT. natansin North America. TwoNanophyesweevils were found in Asia which feed in petiole floats of the leaves. They are thought to be specific toTrapabut were not observed to be damaging. Low level populations of polyphagous Homoptera were common. Chironomid midges were also frequently associated with the plants, but for the most part were filter feeders, not herbivores. The greatest impact on the monitored plants in South Korea was by the leaf beetleG. birmanicawhich defoliated most of the plants, causing the mats of plants to sink. In Europe, a similar and related insect fauna was found, but none of the insects was very damaging to the plants. One Italian weevil,Bagous rufimanus,feeds within the fruit stems and might be more damaging at higher than observed population levels. Some diseases were seen on some plants in both regions. European populations ofT. natanshave declined significantly, stimulating conservation efforts. Literature records ofTrapainsects from warm areas are presented. These could be of interest ifT. natansspreads into warmer areas of North America.     

Floating-leaved macrophyte (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Trapa japonica</Emphasis>) drastically changes seasonal dynamics of a temperate lake ecosystem

Water chestnut (genus Trapa) is an annual floating-leaved macrophyte that produces dense beds known to drastically modify freshwater ecosystems. Although Trapa displays a distinct phenology that should alter the innate seasonal dynamics of ecosystems, the seasonality of these effects has rarely been investigated. Therefore, we examined seasonal changes in physicochemical conditions and assemblages of zoobenthos and zooplankton, and whether these changes were correlated with the rise and decline of dense beds of Trapa japonica in Lake Mikata, a temperate shallow lake in central Japan. Our results suggested that the formation of dense Trapa beds during summer resulted in hypoxia, which significantly decreased the abundance of Chironomidae and Oligochaeta in the benthic community, as well as that of Calanoida among zooplankton. When dense Trapa beds formed, we also detected growth of other taxa that were resistant to hypoxia, including Cladocera, Cyclopoida, Ostracoda, and Nematoda. Chlorophyll a concentration declined across the lake during summer, when dense Trapa beds formed. The decline in Trapa beds from autumn to spring resulted in increased dissolved oxygen concentration, chlorophyll a concentration, and invertebrate abundance (Chironomidae, Oligochaeta and Calanoida), as well as a decrease in taxa utilizing the dense Trapa beds. Our results suggest that the phenology of dense Trapa beds can drastically change the seasonal dynamics of physicochemical conditions and the lower components of the food web in a shallow lake ecosystem.     

Galerucella birmanica (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), a promising potential biological control agent of water chestnut,Trapa natans

Water chestnut, Trapa natans, has become a major invasive plant in shallow water bodies in the northeastern United States. The failure of chemical and mechanical means to provide long-term and economically sustainable suppression of the species resulted in interest in the development of biological control. Field surveys in Asia and Europe identified a number of potential biological control agents in the native range of T. natans. The most promising species appeared to be the leaf beetle Galerucella birmanica, which is considered a pest of farmed T. natans in China. However, initial attempts to develop biological control faltered when field observations in China suggested that G. birmanica may not be host specific. Of particular concern was attack on water shield, Brasenia schreberi, a species native to China and North America. We conducted a number of laboratory and field investigations in China to assess preference and performance of G. birmanica on T. natans and B. schreberi. Initial no-choice experiments using 19 different plant species in 13 different families demonstrated that G. birmanica oviposited and was able to complete development only on Trapa spp. and B. schreberi. In larval no-choice tests G. birmanica was able to complete development on B. schreberi, however, larvae showed a 20% increase in mortality and longer development time compared to larvae developing on T. natans. In laboratory and field choice tests adults strongly preferred T. natans and in the field only occasionally laid eggs on B. schreberi. In addition, adults emerging from larvae reared on B. schreberi were less fit with reduced feeding and a declining oviposition rate. Their strong preference for T. natans was maintained in the field, even when T. natans was completely defoliated and adults were forced to migrate. We found only occasional “spill-over” of beetles onto B. schreberi and our data indicate that G. birmanica is a more promising biological control agent of T. natans than previously thought, although additional host specificity tests with many more North American plant species need to be completed.     

Invertebrate communities associated with a native (Vallisneria americana) and an alien (Trapa natans) macrophyte in a large river

1. We used a corer and a Downing box sampler to sample macroinvertebrates living on and beneath the introduced Trapa natans and the native Vallisneria americana in the freshwater tidal Hudson River, New York. 2. Densities of macroinvertebrates were higher in Trapa than in Vallisneria, and higher in the interior of plant beds than at their edges. These effects were largely a result of high plant biomass in Trapa beds and in bed interiors (the plants have similar surface area per unit mass). 3. The composition of both epiphytic and benthic macroinvertebrates differed distinctly between Trapa and Vallisneria, and also seasonally. 4. These compositional differences were not easily interpretable as rising from possible differences in oxygen concentrations, fish predation, or water circulation in the two macrophytes. 5. Sida crystallina (Cladocera) collected from Trapa contained more haemoglobin than those collected from Vallisneria. 6. The replacement of Vallisneria by Trapa in the Hudson probably increased system‐wide biodiversity and food for fish, although macroinvertebrates in Trapa beds may not be readily available to fish because of low oxygen concentration there.     

Taxonomic and size structures of phytophilous macroinvertebrate communities in Vallisneria and Trapa beds of the Hudson River, New York

Phytophilous macroinvertebrates (PMI) were sampled from the surfaces and surrounding water of two aquatic plant species, Vallisneria americana and Trapa natans, which have substantially different morphologies. It was expected that the plants would harbor invertebrate communities of different structure. Total density of PMI was consistently greater in Vallisneria than inTrapa, e.g. 6× greater per m³ water and 21× greater per m² leaf surface in August. Each macrophyte harbored taxa that were either significantly more abundant or present only with that macrophyte; the herbivore Galerucella nymphaceae (Coleptera: Chrysomelidae) was abundant on Trapa. Vallisneria harbored 34 taxa vs. 40 taxa in Trapa, but similarity was low (Morisita's C=0.55–0.66). Predaceous invertebrates were more prevalent in Trapa than in Vallisneria, as were larger individuals. Both PMI communities exhibited shifts in size distribution between July and August. Standing crop of Trapa was 3× greater than forVallisneria. These two macrophyte beds clearly support PMI communities of different taxonomic and size structure, which is believed to be related to the differences in macrophyte morphology.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pyrola japonica</Emphasis>, a partially mycoheterotrophic Ericaceae,has mycorrhizal preference for russulacean fungi in central Japan

Mycorrhizal symbiosis often displays low specificity, except for mycoheterotrophic plants that obtain carbon from their mycorrhizal fungi and often have higher specificity to certain fungal taxa. Partially mycoheterotrophic (or mixotrophic, MX) plant species tend to have a larger diversity of fungal partners, e.g., in the genus Pyrola (Monotropoideae, Ericaceae). Preliminary evidence however showed that the Japanese Pyrola japonica has preference for russulacean fungi based on direct sequencing of the fungal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region from a single site. The present study challenges this conclusion using (1) sampling of P. japonica in different Japanese regions and forest types and (2) fungal identification by ITS cloning. Plants were sampled from eight sites in three regions, in one of which the fungal community on tree ectomycorrhizal (ECM) tips surrounding P. japonica was also analyzed. In all, 1512 clone sequences were obtained successfully from 35 P. japonica plants and 137 sequences from ECM communities. These sequences were collectively divided into 74 molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs) (51 and 33 MOTUs, respectively). MOTUs from P. japonica involved 36 ECM taxa (96 % of all clones), and 17 of these were Russula spp. (76.2 % of all clones), which colonized 33 of the 35 sampled plants. The MOTU composition significantly differed between P. japonica and ECM tips, although shared species represented 26.3 % of the ECM tips community in abundance. This suggests that P. japonica has a preference for russulacean fungi.     

The ecology of the seed in Trapa natans var. Japonica in a eutrophic lake

The production, density and environment of buried seeds and the temperature response of germinating seeds in Trapa natans var. japonica Nakai were ascertained. The mechanism of high reproductivity, tolerance of the plant for eutrophication and the stability of the stand in an eutrophic lake are discussed. The mean fresh weight of seeds was about 7.2 g, and the density of liver and dead seeds in April ranged 66.7 to 80.0 m^-2 and 26.7 to 97.8 m^-2, respectively. The threshold temperature that breaks dormancy and promotes germination in the lake was the low temperature, 8°C. The dormancy of buried seeds was almost broken under the field condition in January. The rate of germination obtained by the field experiment, and the estimation from the density of buried seed and the number of seeds germinated at the stand, were 87% and 60%, respectively. It was estimated that about 30% of the seedlings died before the floating leaf reached water surface. A rosette produced less than three seeds a year, which were fewer than for another Trapa, but the size of the former was larger. The number of seeds changed year by year, but the size-distribution pattern of seeds did not change with years, nor was it affected by the density of rosettes. The reason why T. natans var. japonica could succeed in eutrophic waters was attributed to reproductive strategy. The stand could recover by increasing the number of rosettes through the great branching ability of the main stem, even when the density of buried seeds was greatly decreased in the previous year.     

The antagonistic relationship between chlorophyll a concentrations and the growth areas of Trapa during summer in a shallow eutrophic lake

The relationship between concentrations of chlorophyll a in an open water area and growing areas of the macrophytes Trapa spp. and Nelumbo nucifera was investigated to clarify the role of macrophytes in phytoplankton growth in summer in a eutrophic shallow sand lake, Lake Honsagata, Japan. The chlorophyll a concentrations formed peaks in June 2007 and July 2008 in summer with cyanobacterial blooms composed of mainly Microcystis, Anabaena, Phormidium, and Oscillatoria, which decreased toward August and were maintained at different annual levels. The decline of blooms in August was caused by the rapid growth of macrophytes. The composition of phytoplankton and the level of bloom development in summertime differed characteristically from year to year. Also the total vegetation area of N. nucifera and Trapa spp. showed annually marked changes. A significant negative correlation between the concentrations of chlorophyll a and the growth areas of Trapa spp. in August was detected, indicating that the floating-leaved plants, Trapa spp., produced irregular, clear and turbid water states in this shallow eutrophicated lake. These antagonistic relations are explained based on a likely scenario of allelopathic effects on the development of cyanobacteria by Trapa spp. vegetation and the nutrient absorption competition among them. Our study demonstrated the potential of Trapa spp. to control cyanobacterial blooms producing harmful toxins.     

苦草生长对沉积物中磷迁移转化的影响

构建了不同营养盐负荷的沉积物环境"水-苦草-沉积物"生态系统,监测分析了沉积物中总磷(TP)、生物可获得磷及其环境因子的垂直分布及变化,以苦草为例,研究了沉水植物生长对沉积物中磷迁移转化的影响,结果表明:生长期的苦草通过改变沉积物环境因子或自身的生理活动,直接或间接地对沉积物中不同形态磷的迁移转化产生了影响,并随着深度的增加而出现不同的变化。具体表现在,低(L)、中(M)、高(H)营养负荷的沉积物总磷(TP),相对于初始值均有不同程度的下降,但苦草组下降的幅度大,分别比对照组多下降了11.63、18.50和46.25 mg/kg;在垂直方向上均表现出随深度的增加TP呈减少趋势,苦草对沉积物影响的深度随根系的活动范围变化而变化,根系增长最长(比试验初始增加了9.2 cm)的低营养负荷苦草组(LV),可影响到6 cm以下的沉积物;中营养负荷苦草组(MV)、高营养负荷苦草组(HV)根系增加不明显(分别为2.60和2.10 cm),影响深度主要在6 cm以内;检验发现,苦草组与对照组差异显著(P0.05)。交换态磷(Ex-P)、铝磷(Al-P)随深度增加而升高,苦草组小于对照组;铁磷(Fe-P),随深度的增加而降低,苦草组大于对照组,其中,在L、M、H中,苦草组的Ex-P分别比对照组下降了0.065、0.215和1.483 mg/kg,Al-P分别为1.198、2.040和2.390 mg/kg;LV中苦草的影响深度可达到10 cm的深,而MV、HV中主要集中在6 cm以内;苦草组中的Fe-P分别比对照组高8.135、16.689和8.598 mg/kg,在垂直方向上的变化幅度亦大于对照组。检验发现,L中苦草组Ex-P与对照组有极显著差异(P0.01),M、H苦草组与对照组无显著差异(P0.05);L、M、H中Al-P、FeP苦草组与对照组均无显著差异(P0.05)。     

Cyanidin glycosides in flowers of genus Corydalis (Fumariaceae)

Nine taxa of Corydalis were surveyed for their floral anthocyanins. Five cyanidin glycosides: cyanidin 3-glucoside, cyanidin 3-sambubioside, cyanidin 3-rutinoside, cyanidin 3-(2^G-xylosylrutinoside) and cyanidin 3-(2^G-xylosylrutinoside)-7-glucoside were isolated from these taxa and identified by chemical and spectroscopic techniques. A novel anthocyanin was found in the flowers of Corydalis elata and Corydalis flexuosa cultivars, and identified to be cyanidin 3-(2^G-xylosylrutinoside)-7-glucoside. Two anthocyanins, cyanidin 3-sambubioside and cyanidin 3-(2^G-xylosylrutinoside), were also found for the first time in Corydalis flowers. Furthermore, the major anthocyanin constituent of the flowers was cyanidin 3-sambubioside in the outer petals of Corydalis ambigua and Corydalis lineariloba, and cyanidin 3-rutinoside in those of Corydalis decumbens, Corydalis curvicalcarata and Corydalis speciosa. Similarly, Corydalis incisa contained cyanidin 3-(2^G-xylosylrutinoside), and C. flexuosa ‘China Blue’ and ‘Blue Panda’, and C. elata contained the most complex structural pigment, cyanidin 3-(2^G-xylosylrutinoside)-7-glucoside, as their dominant anthocyanin in their outer petals. According to the results of anthocyanin analyses, these nine plants were classified into four groups: groups A (three taxa), B (two taxa), C (one taxa) and D (three taxa). On the other hand, the anthocyanin constituent of their inner petals was composed of cyanidin 3-rutinoside as only one dominant anthocyanin.     

Plasticity in carbon acquisition of the heterophyllous Luronium natans: An endangered freshwater species in Europe

Luronium natans (L.) Raf. (Floating Water-plantain) is an endangered amphibious freshwater species endemic to Europe. We examined the plasticity in carbon acquisition and photosynthesis in L. natans to assess if lack of plasticity could contribute to explain the low competitive ability of the species. The plasticity of photosynthesis in submerged leaves towards inorganic carbon availability was examined and the photosynthesis of submerged, floating and aerial leaves was contrasted. L. natans was shown to be plastic in inorganic carbon uptake, as it was able to effectively acclimate to changed concentrations of free-CO₂. The photosynthetic apparatus was down-regulated in plants grown at high CO₂. Chlorophyll concentration, Rubisco activity and maximum photosynthesis were significantly lower in submerged leaves of plants grown at high CO₂ (200 μM free-CO₂) compared to plants grown at low CO₂ (18 μM free-CO₂). Furthermore, bicarbonate utilization was down-regulated in response to high CO₂. Carbon acquisition of submerged, floating and aerial leaves of L. natans differed significantly. The aerial leaves were superior in photosynthesising in air and, surprisingly, the floating leaves had the highest rates of photosynthesis in water. The study did not support the hypothesis that the low competitive ability of L. natans is caused by inefficient photosynthesis or a lack of plasticity in photosynthesis. However, the somewhat low photosynthetic performance of the submerged leaves may be a contributing factor.     

Sublethal effects of spirodiclofen,abamectin and pyridaben on life-history traits and life-table parameters of two-spotted spider mite, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tetranychus urticae</Emphasis> (Acari: Tetranychidae)

Tuckerella japonica Ehara (Acari: Tetranychoidea: Tuckerellidae) was found on stems of seedling plants of Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze (Theaceae) in the continental USA. This mite is able to pierce exposed green periderm tissue with its paired stylets on 1- to 3- or 4-year-old stems where the outer bark had split longitudinally. The mite was not found on branches older than 3 or 4 years, where splitting diminished and, eventually, a uniform covering of bark was formed. The mouthparts of T. japonica were examined under scanning electron microscopy and their external morphology was compared with known Tetranychoidea. There were usually one or two feeding holes in an area where the female subsequently deposited one or more eggs. Females were observed defending the areas where their eggs and/or young occurred. This behavior along with potentially limited access to exposed periderm or availability of shoots in the rows of plants may restrict higher populations of T. japonica from becoming established. The potential of T. japonica as an economic pest remains unknown at this time.     

The Japanese knotweed invasion viewed as a vast unintentional hybridisation experiment

Chromosome counts of plants grown from open-pollinated seed from Japanese knotweed around the world have revealed the presence of extensive hybridisation with both native and other introduced taxa. These hybrids fit into three categories: inter- and intraspecific hybrids involving the taxa of Fallopia section Reynoutria (giant knotweeds), hybrids between Japanese knotweed and F. baldschuanica (Regel) Holub and hybrids between Japanese knotweed and the Australasian endemics of the genus Muehlenbeckia. In this minireview, the viability of the different classes of hybrid and the potential threats they pose are discussed in the context of recent examples of allopolyploid speciation, which generally involve hybridisation between a native and an alien species. Such wide hybridisations also challenge accepted taxonomic classifications. Japanese knotweed s.l. provides a fascinating example of the interplay between ploidy level, hybridisation and alien plant invasion. The octoploid (2n=88) Fallopia japonica var. japonica (Houtt.) Ronse Decraene is a single female clone throughout much of its adventive range, and provides an ideal system for investigating the potential for wide hybridisation.     

UV-B辐射胁迫对杨桐幼苗生长及光合生理的影响

通过对UV-B辐射胁迫下亚热带典型木本杨桐幼苗的生长及光合生理的研究,探讨植物对于UV-B辐射胁迫的生理响应及适应性机理,进而揭示UV-B辐射变化对亚热带森林树种的影响.实验设置UV-B辐射滤光组、自然光对照组以及辐射增强组,选择亚热带典型树种杨桐(Cleyera japonica Thunb.)幼苗为实验材料.研究结果表明:(1)增强UV-B辐射会降低杨桐幼苗的叶绿素含量,而降低辐射则会显著促进叶绿素的增加,且这种胁迫在时间上具有积累性.(2)增强或降低辐射强度都会抑制杨桐地径的生长,增强辐射会产生更显著的抑制;降低辐射强度会对杨桐幼苗的株高生长产生促进作用,反之,则会抑制其生长.3个测定期数据综合分析显示随着处理时间的加长,这种胁迫作用有减小的趋势.(3)对光响应曲线的分析表明相对于自然光条件下的UV-B辐射,降低其强度对杨桐幼苗光合作用有显著的促进作用,反之则会抑制,不过抑制作用并不显著;对于光合特征参数的分析表明增强或降低UV-B辐射会显著降低杨桐幼苗的光饱和点(LSP)和光补偿点(LcP),而对最大净光合速率(Amax)、表观光合量子效率(AQY)、暗呼吸速率(Rd)影响均不显著,表明辐射胁迫对杨桐幼苗利用光能的效率影响不大,从而也并未对杨桐的光合作用产生显著性的伤害,但是由于森林树种的多年生特性,这种影响将是积累性的或延迟的,UV-B所造成的光合作用或光能利用率的微小变化都可能会积累成长期影响.因此,对森林树种进行长期研究是必要的.     

Variation inTaraxacum bessarabicum and allied taxa of the sectionPiesis (Compositae): allozyme diversity,karyotypes and breeding behaviour

Allozyme techniques, karyotype analyses and cultivation experiments were carried out on 20 population samples ofTaraxacum sect.Piesis (Compositae), viz.T. bessarabicum (17 samples from W. and C. Europe, Ukraine and Crimea, Central Asia and the Altai),T. salsum from Crimea,T. x mesohalobium from Crimea, andT. stenolepium from the Causasus. The taxa studied share a primitive, symmetrical karyotype. All taxa studied are sexual,T. bessarabicum mostly autogamous. Sexuality at the tetraploid level (T. stenolepium) and occasional male sterility in a sexual (T. bessarabicum in Moravia) were recorded for the first time in the genus. Selfing, diploidy and the highly predictable habitat may account for the mostly low level within population allozyme variation inT. bessarabicum. W. and C. European samples ofT. bessarabicum are almost invariable allozymically and, as a group, have no unique alleles. The Crimean and Asian group of populations shows higher levels of allozyme variation and has 15 alleles not found in the former group at 13 loci studied. Recent migration from one source region is suggested to account for the homogeneity of the western group, refugial persistence of alleles and possible introgression from sympatric species may have resulted in allele richness in the eastern group. Hybridization betweenT. bessarabicum andT. salsum was documented by allozyme patterns in a few plants in Crimea. Some aberrant allozyme or karyotypic features of two populations are discussed as well.     

Reynoutria niche modelling and protected area prioritization for restoration and protection from invasion: A Southeastern Europe case study

An important step in managing invasive species is determining the factors responsible for their current and potential distribution, especially when species distribution is climatically determined like in Reynoutria taxa case. The main aim of this paper was to integrate all available distribution data of the Reynoutria taxa in SE Europe and to predict in which habitats and along which corridors its future spread can be expected. Distribution data of the Reynoutria taxa were obtained from extensive field studies in the period from 2006 to 2016, as well as from the literature and herbarium sources. A total of 4081 localities in Serbia and the Kosovo region, Montenegro, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria and Romania have been recorded, most frequently in riparian and human-made habitats. Ecologically suitable ranges for the Reynoutria taxa were predicted using the MaxEnt program and 19 bioclimatic variables which were derived from the WorldClim data set. Results of this study showed that the most frequent Reynoutria taxa in SE Europe are R. japonica var. japonica and hybrid R. × bohemica. The most suitable geographical areas for R. japonica and R. sachalinensis are mostly located in the north, while for R. × bohemica the central part of SE Europe is suitable. The precipitation of the warmest quarter had a high influence on the potential distribution modelling of these closely related species. Potential distribution modelling revealed R. × bohemica’s high temperature tolerance in different seasons with high durability of drought (up to 60 mm per year less precipitation than parental species). Moreover, this research predicts which areas are most likely to be invaded, and makes suggestions where to focus management efforts for survey and removal of these invaders, especially in protected areas. According to the future climate analysis R. japonica and R. × bohemica could expand their range in riparian habitats up to 30–40%. Consequently, invasion in Slovenia’s and Croatia’s rivers requires urgent preventative measures. This study provides empirical evidence that these plants could become widespread throughout SE Europe within 25 years under the current trend and emphasizes that regionally specific management plans should be implemented to prevent further spread of these taxa.     

Sphaerotilus natans,a Neutrophilic Iron-Related Sheath-Forming Bacterium: Perspectives for Metal Remediation Strategies

Sphaerotilus natans is a neutrophilic sheath-forming microorganism from the Sphaerotilus-Leptothrix group of iron-related bacteria, known to form bacteriogenic iron oxides (BIOS) frequently deposited on cell surfaces as well as on sheaths and extracellular polymeric substances. S. natans has been reported to be an excellent sorbent for inorganic pollutants, either due to direct sorption onto biological surfaces or due to sorption onto BIOS. However, its filaments can cause bulking problems in wastewater treatment plants. This article promotes the potential applications of Sphaerotilus natans in bioremediation by reviewing its physiology and the fundamental understanding of sheath-forming mechanisms as well as iron biomineralization processes.     

Photosynthetic response of Vallisneria natans (Lour.) Hara (Hydrocharitaceae) to increasing nutrient loadings

To explore the effects of water column nutrient loading on photosynthesis of the submerged macrophyte Vallisneria natans (Lour.) Hara during the growth season (June to October), we determined the diurnal and seasonal variation in rapid light curves of plants cultivated under 4 different nutrient concentrations (N-P [mg L^?1]: (1) 0.5, 0.05; (2) 1.0, 0.1; (3) 5.0, 0.5; (4) 10.0, 1.0). Nutrient concentration significantly affected the magnitude of the rapid light curves of V. natans, but not the direction of their diurnal variations. At low nutrient conditions (N-P 1 [mg L^?1]: 0.5, 0.05), the maximum relative electron transport rate (rETR_max) and minimum saturating irradiance (E_k) derived from rapid light curves were significantly lower than those of other treatments, and their seasonal variations were suppressed. These results indicated that photosynthesis of V. natans was inhibited by the lack of nutrients in water column. At high nutrient conditions (N-P 4, [mg L^?1]: 10.0, 1.0), there was an increase in photosynthetic rate in the light-limited region of rapid light curve (??), and a decrease in rETR_max and E_k, relative to moderate nutrient conditions (N-P 2, [mg L^?1]: 1.0, 0.1). In addition, at high nutrient concentrations, the rapid light curves of V. natans reached a plateau, and then markedly declined compared with those at the lower nutrient levels, especially in July and August. These results suggested that V. natans were adapted to low-light environments in the high-nutrient loading treatment.