不同干旱水平下蚯蚓对番茄抗旱能力的影响

土壤无脊椎动物可能会通过促进土壤持水能力和增加土壤肥力而缓解植物的干旱胁迫。本研究采用蚯蚓和干旱水平的双因子完全交互设计, 模拟了干旱胁迫条件下蚯蚓对土壤性质及番茄抗旱性的影响。结果表明, 在高干旱胁迫时, 蚯蚓通过增加番茄茎叶抗氧化能力提高了植物抗旱性, 上调番茄茎叶脱落酸和茉莉酸生物合成过程的基因表达(NCED、NSY、OPR、AOS和LOX), 促进脱落酸和茉莉酸含量分别增加43.2%和33.6%, 过氧化氢酶、过氧化物酶和超氧化物歧化酶含量分别增加12.9%、8.4%和47.3%。在低干旱胁迫时, 蚯蚓上调茉莉酸合成通路基因表达, 但降低了脱落酸含量, 对转录因子ABF4、MYC2基因表达和植物抗氧化能力无明显影响。干旱导致的土壤水分和养分条件变化影响着蚯蚓介导的植物抗旱性响应。本研究证明了土壤动物对植物抗旱的重要作用, 如蚯蚓对植物激素合成、信号传导和抗氧化能力的影响。了解土壤动物影响植物抗旱的内在机制, 有助于深挖和利用土壤动物的多样化生态功能。     

蚯蚓对土壤微生物及生物肥力的影响研究进展

蚯蚓被称为“生态系统工程师”,可以通过改善微生境(排粪、作穴、搅动)、提高有机物的表面积、直接取食、携带传播微生物等方式影响土壤微生物结构、组成和功能.蚯蚓活动形成的大孔隙(洞穴)、中、微空隙(排泄物)可以增加土壤孔隙度和通气性,有助于改善微生物微环境,促进其生长和繁殖.蚯蚓还通过取食、粉碎、混合等活动使复杂有机质转变为微生物可利用的形式,增加土壤微生物与有机质的接触面积,促进微生物对有机质的矿化作用,对土壤中碳、氮、磷养分循环等关键过程产生影响,最终促进土壤养分循环和周转速率,提高土壤生物肥力.     

接种蚯蚓对秸秆还田土壤碳、氮动态和作物产量的影响

通过为期 2年的小区 (2 .8m× 1.0m)试验 ,研究了旱作水稻 小麦轮作条件下接种蚯蚓对施用玉米秸秆 (第一季用量 15 0 0g·m-2 ,以后各季为 75 0g·m-2 )农田土壤碳、氮动态和作物产量的影响 .结果表明 ,接种 10条·m-2 或 2 0条·m-2 环毛蚓 (Pheretimasp .)对土壤有机碳和全氮含量无显著影响 ,蚯蚓活动未造成土壤C库的衰减 ,土壤碳、氮基本维持平衡 .接种蚯蚓处理土壤N的矿化作用增强 ,矿质N含量提高 ,NO3 - N含量增加 ,而且稻季比麦季增加更为明显 .接种蚯蚓在稻、麦季均能提高微生物量碳、氮含量 ,蚯蚓具有扩大土壤微生物量N库和促进有机N矿化的双重作用 .这种作用在有效C源供应丰富的作物生长发育旺盛期更为明显 .接种蚯蚓对旱作水稻和小麦有一定的增产作用 ,其中水稻的增产幅度达 9.3% ,小麦为 5 .1% .接种蚯蚓后土壤容重明显降低 ,孔隙度显著增加 .蚯蚓在保持土壤C库平衡的同时 ,对于促进秸秆有机肥N素养分的再循环和作物生产力的提高具有重要的生态学意义 .     

接种内生降解菌Stenotrophomonas pavanii DJL-M3对多菌灵胁迫下水稻根际微生态的影响

内生降解菌定殖可促进水稻中农药等有机污染物的降解代谢,研究功能内生菌对农药暴露下水稻根际微生态的影响,可为利用植物-微生物互作调控农作物农药残留及修复农田生态环境污染提供科学依据。以水稻根际土壤中的蚯蚓、土壤酶和微生物群落为研究对象,分析接种内生菌Stenotrophomonas pavanii DJL-M3对水稻根际微生态响应多菌灵胁迫的影响。结果表明：多菌灵暴露导致水稻根际土壤过氧化氢酶活性增强,脲酶和蔗糖酶活性被抑制;多菌灵污染可对水稻根际周围的蚯蚓造成氧化损伤,致使其体内丙二醛累积并诱导超氧化物歧化酶和乙酰胆碱酯酶过表达;多菌灵残留显著降低水稻根际土壤微生物群落的多样性与碳源代谢活性。接种内生降解菌S.pavanii DJL-M3促进了水稻根际残留多菌灵的降解,缓解根际土壤微生物与蚯蚓所受胁迫压力,显著提高了土壤脲酶、蔗糖酶活力以及蚯蚓的存活率,并有效提升了水稻根际微生物群落的代谢活性与多样性。因此,接种内生降解菌S.pavanii DJL-M3有助于多菌灵残留污染下稻田土壤生态环境的恢复。     

蚯蚓在我国南方土壤修复中的应用

蚯蚓作为生物量最大的土壤动物, 对土壤生态系统和环境质量影响深远。本研究介绍了华南地区主要应用的皮质远盲蚓(Amynthas corticis)、毛利远盲蚓(A. morrisi)、壮伟远盲蚓(A. robustus)、参状远盲蚓(A. aspergillum)、南美岸蚓(Pontoscolex corethrurus)和赤子爱胜蚓(Eisenia fetida)的生态特征, 阐述了它们与土壤pH值、酶活性、金属富集和有效性改变、孔道和微团聚体形成之间的紧密关系: (1)蚯蚓生存的土壤酸碱性范围较广(pH为3.8-7.9), 其存活率与土壤类型、有机质含量和成分、土壤污染程度和蚯蚓种类相关; (2)肠道内、蚓粪和蚓触圈的酶活性分别表征了蚯蚓取食喜好、土壤养分循环及微生物种群特征; (3)蚯蚓能够富集不同种类的金属并改变其有效性, 这些变化具有蚓种间、金属种类间和土壤类型之间的差异; (4)蚯蚓活动及其生产的蚓粪能改变土体结构、产生孔道、影响土壤团聚体数量、大小和分布。蚯蚓的上述作用使其在解决中国南方红壤酸化、土壤金属污染、茶园土壤养分不平衡、高速公路建设临时用地土壤损毁等方面具有广阔的应用前景。目前, 由于华南远盲蚓的生理特征差异研究较少, 远盲蚓繁育技术的缺乏一定程度上限制了这些蚯蚓在中型和大型尺度下应用技术的研究和推广。有必要进一步挖掘蚯蚓在土壤修复中的潜力, 进行蚯蚓主导的相关技术研发, 深入探讨其影响机制。     

豆科植物修复土壤重金属污染研究进展

随着经济的发展, 生态环境污染日趋严重, 其中土壤重金属污染成为一个突出问题。利用植物修复土壤重金属污染是当前环境科学和生态学领域的研究热点之一。采用根瘤菌-豆科植物共生体系修复土壤重金属污染是一种有效的植物修复方法, 它不仅可以利用根瘤菌与豆科植物互利共生的优势来抵抗重金属胁迫, 而且其固氮作用有助于提高土壤养分。通过文献检索分析, 收集整理了我国现已发现的具有土壤重金属污染修复潜力的豆科植物, 并对根瘤菌修复土壤重金属污染的机理以及根瘤菌-豆科植物共生体系修复土壤重金属污染的研究进展进行了综述, 以期为今后利用根瘤菌-豆科植物共生体系修复土壤重金属污染的研究和实践提供参考。     

八种针阔叶幼树清晨叶水势与土壤含水量的关系及其抗旱性研究

一、前言土壤是植物根系的生活环境,是供给植物赖以生存的水分和养分的源泉。干旱区的植物尤其是树木常常由于土壤供水不足而限制其自然分布和生长。根据土壤-植物-大气连续体系     

土壤微食物网生物和土壤微生物对小星穗薹草生长和土壤养分的影响差异

土壤微食物网生物是影响土壤养分循环的重要驱动因素,其对植物生长和土壤养分的影响大于广受关注的土壤微生物。通过土壤生物添加实验,对比分析了在土壤微食物网生物添加、土壤微生物添加和灭菌土壤三种处理条件下,湿生草本植物小星穗薹草的生物量、形态和生理性状以及土壤养分含量等指标,以探究土壤微食物网生物和土壤微生物对植物生长和土壤养分的差异性影响。结果表明,土壤微食物网生物对植物的促进作用显著大于土壤微生物的作用。土壤微食物网生物未改变植物的根系性状,而土壤微生物使植物的根系形态发生明显改变。不同土壤生物添加处理的土壤有效养分含量也存在显著差异。该研究证明了土壤微食物网生物更有利于植物生长。研究结果为深入认识土壤微食物网生物对植物生长和土壤养分周转的重要性、推动植物与土壤生物相互作用过程和影响机制研究提供了新视角和可靠数据。     

放牧强度对高寒嵩草草甸土壤养分特性的影响

植物-土壤系统是草地生态和生产服务价值实现的基础,放牧是草地植物群落演替的重要因素。植物、土壤亚系统对放牧的敏感性是评价草地稳定性和提高草地恢复力的重要依据。以不同放牧强度下的高寒嵩草(Kobresia)草甸为研究对象,探讨土壤养分特征对放牧强度的响应及作用位点,结果表明:改变放牧强度可以明显改变植物群落数量特征,但没有明显改变土壤层次分类特征,说明土壤养分特征对一定范围内放牧强度具有自我稳定维持功能;但放牧干扰强度不同时,土壤剖面过渡层养分含量存在差异,说明长期放牧强度的差异会对土壤剖面养分性质产生影响,且这种影响起源于土壤剖面过渡层。在放牧高寒嵩草草甸植物-土壤系统中土壤剖面养分特征较植物群落数量特征更稳定;土壤剖面过渡层养分特征是土壤亚系统中对放牧的敏感因素;而放牧引起土壤剖面养分特征的改变主要表现在各过渡层上,并构成土壤发生层迁移的风险,因此推测,更为持久和更高强度的放牧干扰将最终改变土壤剖面特征及养分性质。     

赤子爱胜蚓和毛利远盲蚓对添加造纸污泥土壤的化学和生物学特征的影响

将赤子爱胜蚓(Eisenia foetida)和毛利远盲蚓(Amynthas morrisi)接种于混合15%造纸污泥的旱地土和水稻土中,研究不同蚯蚓对不同混合污泥土壤的化学和生物学性状的作用。主成分分析结果显示蚯蚓对混合污泥土壤化学和生物学性质影响与土壤类型和蚯蚓种间差异密切相关(P0.05)。方差分析结果显示:(1)在混合污泥旱地土处理中,与对照相比,E.foetida处理的混合污泥土壤pH和Eh分别显著降低了0.22和13个单位(P0.05),有机碳和微生物量碳含量,以及过氧化氢酶,N-乙酰-氨基葡萄糖苷酶、脲酶和酸性磷酸酶活性分别降低了22.8%、43.8%、12.4%、48.4%、44.0%和40.7%(P0.05),而荧光素二乙酸酯酶活性增加了57.4%(P0.05);A.morrisi处理的混合污泥土壤碱解氮含量、过氧化氢酶、N-乙酰-氨基葡萄糖苷酶和脲酶活性分别明显下降了16.5%,12.4%、33.9%和45.5%(P0.05)。另外,两种蚯蚓相比较,E.foetida活动后混合污泥旱地土壤pH和Eh值、有机碳含量和碳氮比分别比A.morrisi活动后土壤降低0.17和10个单位、24.9%和2.26个单位,而代谢熵和荧光素二乙酸酯酶活性显著增高(P0.05)。(2)在混合污泥水稻土处理中,与对照相比,E.foetida处理的混合土壤有机碳含量和碳氮比显著提高20.9%和1.02个单位(P0.05),全钾含量和呼吸速率明显降低6.11%和33.8%(P0.05);而与对照相比,A.morrisi处理的混合土壤的速效钾含量和过氧化氢酶活性显著提高13.2%和10.8%(P0.05),但β-葡萄糖苷酶和荧光素二乙酸酯酶活性分别下降46.7%和34.4%(P0.05)。两种蚯蚓相比较,E.foetida处理后混合污泥水稻土的有机碳含量比A.morrisi处理显著增加了15.7%,碳氮比增加0.84个单位,速效钾、呼吸速率和过氧化氢酶活性减少11.4%、36.5%和5.51%(P0.05)。综上所述,蚯蚓能显著影响混合造纸污泥土壤的化学和生物学特征。蚯蚓在高有机碳和低粘粒含量旱地土壤中活动,能够加速有机碳的分解和释放,降低与土壤有机质分解和养分转化相关的酶活性和微生物量,但增加微生物总体活性;而蚯蚓在低有机碳和高粘粒含量水稻土壤中活动,则能够有助于土壤有机碳储存,对养分和微生物活性的影响相对较小。与A.morrisi相比较,E.foetida对混合污泥旱地土有机碳的分解和释放、微生物活性的提高,以及混合污泥水稻土有机碳的储存等方面的能力均较强,而对混合污泥水稻土钾素转化能力相对较弱。由于造纸污泥具有高有机碳和低养分含量特征,因此污泥农用仍需考虑按一定比例配施高养分含量有机物料。同时,进一步根据土壤类型和选择适宜的蚯蚓品种进行较长期的小区和大田试验,将能够为污泥农用提供更多科学参考。     

Interaction between Earthworms and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi in Plants: A Review

Different kinds of soil animals and microorganisms inhabit the plant rhizosphere, which function closely to plant roots. Of them, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and earthworms play a critical role in sustaining the soil-plant health. Earthworms and AMF belong to the soil community and are soil beneficial organisms at different trophic levels. Both of them improve soil fertility and structural development, collectively promoting plant growth and nutrient acquisition capacity. Earthworm activities redistribute mycorrhizal fungi spores and give diversified effects on root mycorrhizal fungal colonization. Dual inoculation with both earthworms and AMF strongly magnifies the response on plant growth through increased soil enzyme activities and changes in soil nutrient availability, collectively mitigating the negative effects of heavy metal pollution in plants and soils. This thus enhances phytoremediation and plant disease resistance. This review simply outlines the effects of earthworms and AMF on the soil-plant relationship. The effects of earthworms on root AMF colonization and activities are also analyzed. This paper also summarizes the interaction between earthworms and AMF on plants along with suggested future research.     

Earthworms,Collembola and residue management change wheat (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Triticum aestivum</Emphasis>) and herbivore pest performance (Aphidina: <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rhophalosiphum padi</Emphasis>)

Management practices of arable systems determine the distribution of soil organic matter thereby changing decomposer animal activity and their impact on nutrient mineralization, plant growth and plant-herbivore interactions. Decomposer-mediated changes in plant growth and insect pest performance were investigated in wheat-aphid model systems in the greenhouse. Three types of litter distribution were established: litter patch at the soil surface (simulating mulching), litter patch deeper in soil (simulating ploughing) and litter homogeneously mixed into soil (simulating disk cultivation). The litter was labelled with (15)N to follow the mineralization and uptake of nutrients by the plants. Earthworms (Aporrectodea caliginosa) and Collembola (Protaphorura armata) were included as representatives of major functional groups of decomposers. Wheat (Triticum aestivum) was planted and aphids (Rhophalosiphum padi) were introduced to leaves as one of the most important pests. Earthworms, Collembola and litter distribution affected plant growth, N acquisition and aphid development in an interactive way. Earthworms and Collembola increased biomass of seeds, shoots and roots of wheat. Increased plant growth by earthworms and Collembola was mainly due to increased transfer of N from soil (rather than litter) into plants. Despite increasing plant growth, earthworms reduced aphid reproduction. Aphid reproduction was not correlated closely with plant N concentrations, but rather with the concentration of litter N in wheat. Unexpectedly, both Collembola and earthworms predominantly affected the mobilization of N from soil organic matter, and by altering the distribution of litter earthworms reduced infestation of crops by aphids via reducing plant capture of litter N, in particular if the litter was concentrated deeper in soil. The results suggest that management practices stimulating a continuous moderate increase in nutrient mobilization from soil organic matter rather than nutrient flushes from decomposing fresh organic matter result in maximum plant growth with minimum plant pest infestation.     

Effects of soil decomposer invertebrates (protozoa and earthworms) on an above-ground phytophagous insect (cereal aphid) mediated through changes in the host plant

We investigated if the activity of soil invertebrates (protozoa and earthworms) affected the performance of barley and if effects propagated higher up the above-ground food chain into herbivores (cereal aphid, Sitobion avenae ). Barley plants were grown individually in microcosms containing defaunated soil and grass residues. Plants were grown in soil containing: a) no added fauna, b) protozoa, c) earthworms, or d) protozoa and earthworms. After 7 weeks growth at 20°C three adult cereal aphids were added to each plant on separate leaves. The aphids were allowed to grow and reproduce for another 2 weeks before the experiment was destructively sampled. Amounts of mineral N in the soil and leached from the microcosms were significantly reduced by the presence of soil animals. Correspondingly plant biomass and total plant N content were increased significantly by soil animals, protozoa in particular. The different mechanisms responsible for changes in nutrient turnover in presence of protozoa and earthworms are discussed. Aphid performance was strongly influenced by the presence of protozoa, but not by earthworms. In the presence of protozoa the numbers and biomass of adult and juvenile aphids were significantly increased. These effects are likely due to an increased N content in barley plants and consequently increased nitrogen availability to aphids. The results underline that the detritivore and herbivore systems are intimately linked.     

Effects of Soil Nutrient Heterogeneity and Earthworms on Aboveground Biomass of Experimental Plant Communities

Soil nutrients are commonly heterogeneously distributed and earthworms are one of the most common soil organisms. While effects of both soil nutrient heterogeneity and earthworms have been well studied, their interactive effect on plant community productivity has rarely been tested. In a greenhouse experiment, we constructed experimental plant communities by sowing seed mixtures of four grasses, two legumes and two forbs in either a heterogeneous soil consisting of low and high nutrient soil patches or a homogeneous soil where the low and high nutrient soil patches were evenly mixed. The earthworm Eisenia fetida was either added to these soils or not. Aboveground biomass of the whole communities, grasses and legumes did not differ between the homogeneous and heterogeneous soils or between the soils with and without earthworms. However, soil nutrient heterogeneity reduced aboveground biomass of forbs, and such an effect did not interact with earthworms. In response to soil heterogeneity and earthworms, biomass ratio of the three functional groups showed similar patterns as that of their biomass. At the patch level, aboveground biomass of the whole community, grasses and legumes were greater in the high than in the low nutrient soil patches within the heterogeneous soil. A similar pattern was found for the forbs, but this was only true in the absence of earthworms. Our results suggest that soil nutrient heterogeneity and earthworms may not influence aboveground biomass of plant communities, despite the fact that they may modify the growth of certain plant functional groups within the community.     

Do endogeic earthworms change plant competition? A microcosm study

Plants compete for limited resources. Although nutrient availability for plants is affected by resource distribution and soil organisms, surprisingly few studies investigate their combined effects on plant growth and competition. Effects of endogeic earthworms (Aporrectodea jassyensis), root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne incognita) and the spatial distribution of ¹⁵N labelled grass litter on the competition between a grass (Lolium perenne), a forb (Plantago lanceolata) and a legume (Trifolium repens) were investigated in the greenhouse. Earthworms promoted N uptake and growth of L. perenne. Contrastingly, shoot biomass and N uptake of T. repens decreased in the presence of earthworms. P. lanceolata was not affected by the earthworms. We suggest that earthworms enhanced the competitive ability of L. perenne against T. repens. Nematodes increased the proportion of litter N in each of the plant species. Litter distribution (homogeneous vs. patch) did not affect the biomass of any plant species. However, P. lanceolata took up more ¹⁵N, when the litter was homogeneously mixed into the soil. The results suggest that endogeic earthworms may affect plant competition by promoting individual plant species. More studies including decomposers are necessary to understand their role in determining plant community structure.     

Colonization of Tanacetum vulgare by aphids is reduced by earthworms

Soil organisms affect plant growth and chemistry and have subsequent effects on aboveground herbivore performance. However, whether herbivores discriminate between plants exposed to different soil organisms when colonizing their host plants is largely unexplored. In a greenhouse study, Tanacetum vulgare L. (Asteraceae) growing in a ruderal plant community in the presence and absence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and earthworms [Aporrectodea spp. (Haplotaxida: Lumbricidae)] was colonized by aphids [Myzus persicae Sulzer (Hemiptera: Aphididae)]. The aphids preferred to colonize plants without earthworms in the soil, and the numbers of aphids remained lower on the plants with earthworms, irrespective of the presence of AMF. Although the N, C, and P concentrations of the shoots were not affected by the soil organisms, AMF increased total aboveground biomass, total N, C, and P content, and photosynthetic activity (measured as electron transport rate) in the leaves under high light intensity. These results suggest that earthworms affect chemical cues that are used by aphids to judge host quality prior to feeding. Discrimination between plants with and without exposure to earthworms by aboveground herbivores is a novel aspect of plant‐mediated interactions between below‐ and aboveground organisms.     

Earthworms and soil fertility

Summary Earthworms redistribute organic materials within the soil, increase soil penetrability and, und certain conditions, influence ion transport in soils. Root distribution may be modified and microbial activity increased by their burrowing and feeding activities. Earthworms influence the supply of nutrients in several ways. Not only is earthworm tissue and cast material enriched in certain nutrients, relative to the soil matrix, but ingestion of organic material increases the rate of cycling. Certain farm-management practices, such as cultuvation and the use of acidic fertilizers, reduce the ability of earthworm to improve plant growth. Where other inorganic fertilizers increase the growth of plants, an increase in earthworm numbers can be expected because of the increased food supply. Lime, in particular, and possibly drainage also increase earthworm activity. Further research is required on the physical and biological effects of earthworms on nutrient supply, so that suitable management practices can be developed to optimise the beneficial effects of earthworms on soil fertility.Introductory lecture     

施氮水平影响蚯蚓介导的番茄生长及抗虫性

过量施用氮肥不仅导致严重的生态环境问题, 还会限制土壤生物驱动的生态系统服务功能。蚯蚓的取食和掘穴等活动可以促进土壤肥力和植物生长, 进而影响植物与病虫害的关系。了解氮肥与害虫作用下蚯蚓对植物抗虫性的影响, 有助于揭示土壤动物的生态功能调控机制。采用蚯蚓(威廉腔环蚓Metaphire guillelmi)、西花蓟马(Frankliniella occidentalis)和氮肥用量的三因子完全交互设计, 利用番茄(Lycopersicon esculentum)盆栽实验探索了不同氮水平下蚯蚓对番茄生长及对植食者抗性的影响。结果表明, 在低氮条件下蚯蚓显著降低了番茄茎叶干生物量、根系干生物量及茎叶可溶性糖含量, 而茎叶的茉莉酸和水杨酸含量分别是无蚯蚓对照的6倍和3倍, 且伴随着西花蓟马数量下降了58%。在高氮水平时, 蚯蚓未影响番茄茎叶茉莉酸、茎叶水杨酸含量及西花蓟马数量。蚯蚓介导的番茄营养物质(茎叶可溶性糖和茎叶全氮)和防御信号物质(茎叶茉莉酸和茎叶水杨酸)含量分别与西花蓟马数量呈显著的正相关和负相关。总之, 氮肥施用改变的土壤氮有效性通过改变植物资源和防御物质含量转变了蚯蚓介导的植物抗虫性响应; 全面了解土壤生物对植物生长的影响需要综合考虑土壤管理-土壤动物-植物病原物三者之间的关系。     

疏叶骆驼刺根系对土壤异质性和种间竞争的响应

近年来, 植物根系对土壤异质性的响应和植物根系之间的相互作用一直是研究的热点。过去的研究主要是针对一年生短命植物进行的, 而且多是在人工控制的温室条件下进行的。而对于多年生植物根系对养分异质性和竞争的综合作用研究很少。该文对塔里木盆地南缘多年生植物疏叶骆驼刺(Alhagi sparsifolia)根系生长对养分异质性和竞争条件的响应途径与适应策略进行了研究, 结果表明: (1)在无竞争的条件下, 疏叶骆驼刺根系优先向空间大的地方生长, 即使另一侧有养分斑块存在, 其根系也向着空间大的一侧生长; (2)在有竞争的条件下, 疏叶骆驼刺根系生长依然是优先占领空间大的一侧, 但是竞争者的存在抑制了疏叶骆驼刺的生长, 导致其枝叶生物量和根系生物量都明显减少(p < 0.01), 而养分斑块的存在促进了疏叶骆驼刺根系的生长; (3)疏叶骆驼刺根系的生长不仅需要养分, 也需要足够的空间, 空间比养分更重要; (4)有竞争者存在的时候, 两株植物的根系都先长向靠近竞争者一侧的空间, 即先占据“共有空间”。研究结果对理解植物根系觅食行为和植物对环境的适应策略有重要意义。     

Drought stress in rice (Oryza sativa L.) is enhanced in the presence of the compacting earthworm Millsonia anomala

Earthworms increase growth of most plant species through a number of poorly investigated mechanisms. We tested the hypothesis that earthworm modifications of soil structure and the resulting changes in water availability to plants explain this positive effect. Addition of endogeic earthworms Millsonia anomala induced a 40% increase in shoot biomass production and a 13% increase in CO₂ assimilation rate of well watered rice plants grown in pots. Conversely, when plants were subjected to water deficit, presence of earthworms had no effect on shoot biomass production and a negative impact on CO₂ assimilation rate (−21%). Early stomatal closure in presence of earthworms indicated lower water availability. The hypothesis that earthworms improve plant biomass production through soil physical structure modification was thus rejected. Three hypotheses were tested to explain this decrease in water availability: (i) a decrease in soil water retention capacity, (ii) an increase in evaporation from the soil or/and (iii) an increase in plant transpiration. Results showed that earthworms significantly reduced soil water retention capacity by more than 6%, but had no effect on evaporation rate. Water losses through transpiration were greater in the presence of earthworms when the soil was maintained at field capacity, but this was not the case under drought conditions. This experiment showed that the endogeic compacting earthworm M. anomala significantly increased plant photosynthesis by an undetermined mechanism under well-watered conditions. However, photosynthesis was reduced under drought conditions due to reduced soil water retention capacity.