松嫩平原草甸三种植物叶片N、P化学计量特征及其与土壤N、P浓度的关系

测定了松嫩平原草甸3种主要植物羊草(Leymus chinensis)、芦苇(Phragmites communis)和尖叶胡枝子(Lespedeza hedysaroides)叶片全氮、全磷浓度,并分析了它们与土壤全氮、全磷浓度的关系.结果表明:3种植物叶片全氮浓度种间差异显著(P＜0.05),而全磷浓度种间差异不显...     

氮磷复合肥添加对高寒草甸金露梅灌丛中豆科植物的影响

以高寒草甸金露梅灌丛为研究对象,通过添加不同量的氮磷复合肥NH₄H₂PO₄(0、40、80、120g·m^-2),测定了花苜蓿(Medicago ruthenica Linn.)、异叶米口袋(Gueldenstae dtiadiversifolia Maxim)、甘肃棘豆(Oxytropis kansuensis Bunge.)的地上生物量、叶片氮磷含量和土壤氮磷含量,探讨了添加氮磷之后豆科植物的叶片氮磷含量、N:P比值在处理间和种间的差异以及它们与土壤养分之间的关系。结果表明,添加氮磷使花苜蓿和异叶米口袋叶片中的磷含量和N:P比值发生显著变化,而对叶片氮含量的影响不显著。氮磷的添加对甘肃棘豆的氮磷含量无显著影响。就总的豆科植物而言,不论种内还是种间,平均可变性都是磷变化最大,氮变化最小,N:P比值居中。植物叶片的氮磷含量以及N:P比值与土壤速效氮磷没有显著相关性。比较不同处理下的数据可知,添加氮磷复合肥主要增加了豆科植物对磷素的养分吸收。三个物种对氮磷的吸收能力不同,叶片的氮磷含量比N:P比值更能反映植物对氮磷的吸收利用情况。一次性施用氮磷复合肥不能提高第二年的氮供应能力,但是会提高土壤的有效磷供应。为保护豆科牧草的产量,对于金露梅灌丛草地施用磷酸二氢铵的量不应超过80g·m^-2。     

Temporal patterns of crop raiding by elephants: a response to changes in forage quality or crop availability?

Temporal patterns of crop raiding by elephants were studied for 13 months in 1996/1997 at Kibale Forest National Park, Uganda. To determine the influence of environmental factors on the timing of raiding, we tested for correlations between crop raiding patterns and the quality of natural forage within the forest as well as crop availability beyond park boundaries. Crop raiding occurred throughout the year with peaks in dry seasons when crop availability was high. Bananas and maize were the main crops raided. Variations in forage quality were moderate with small seasonal fluctuations and peaks in dry seasons. Monthly crop raiding incidences were not influenced by forage quality but by ripening of maize. Comparison of forage quality and temporal distribution of crop raiding between savanna and forest habitats suggests that crop availability is more important in forest habitats, whereas in savanna habitats large seasonal fluctuations in forage quality have a greater influence on temporal patterns of crop raiding.     

Impacts of grazing intensity and increased precipitation on a grasshopper assemblage (Orthoptera: Acrididae) in a meadow steppe

1. Grasshoppers are dominant herbivores in grassland ecosystems, and many studies have examined how grazing by large herbivores and precipitation patterns individually influence the dynamics of grassland grasshopper assemblages, but their combined effects are largely unknown. 2. In this study, grazing intensities (ungrazed, moderate, and heavy) were manipulated and precipitation (ambient and increased amount of rainfall) altered in a field experiment to test the effects of grazing and altered precipitation on a grasshopper community in a meadow steppe in northeastern China. 3. It was found that grasshopper species richness did not change according to different grazing intensities under ambient precipitation, but was significantly higher (by 38.1%) in moderate grazing intensities under increased precipitation. Grasshopper abundance increased considerably with increasing grazing intensities in ambient precipitation treatments; however, grasshopper abundance in heavy grazing intensities was significantly lower (by 32.9%) than in the other two grazing intensities under increased precipitation. Moreover, the responses of grasshopper abundance to grazing under altered precipitation were species‐specific. 4. Grazing effects on grasshopper species diversity were mediated through the species richness and biomass of grasses (food resources), but the effects on grasshopper abundance were mediated through plant height (vegetation structure) under altered precipitation. 5. These results suggest that appropriate grazing by large herbivores would be considered as beneficial management practices for maintaining grasshopper diversity and abundance under conditions of increased precipitation in grassland ecosystems. Additionally, greater attention should be paid to the population dynamics of different grasshopper species to better understand the responses of grasslands to grazing and altered precipitation.     

The Relation Between Unpalatable Species, Nutrients and Plant Species Richness in Swiss Montane Pastures

In agriculturally marginal areas, the control of unpalatable weeds on species rich pastures may become problematic due to agricultural and socio-economic developments. It is unclear how increased dominance of unpalatable species would affect the botanical diversity of these grasslands. We investigated whether there was any relationship between plant species diversity and the abundance of unpalatable species and whether soil conditions affected this relationship. In three species-rich montane pastures in western Switzerland, we related plant species richness to soil attributes, the relative cover of all unpalatable species and the relative cover of the locally dominant, toxic Veratrum album in 25 plots of 4 m². We furthermore determined species richness in small transects through patches of V. album. Species richness was significantly lower in and near (≤ 0.3 m) patches of V. album. At the field scale, plant species richness was best described by total soil N:P ratio (positive relation) in one site and the relative abundance of unpalatable species (negative relation) and soil N:P ratio (positive relation) in a second site. In the third site, species richness was not significantly related to any measured variable. Vegetation diversity (Simpson's D) was negatively related to the relative abundance of unpalatable species in one site and positively related to pH in another site. The results suggest that no single factor can explain plant species richness and diversity in montane pastures. At very high densities unpalatable species can have adverse effects but soil nutrient status appears to be a more general determinant of plant species richness. Conservation efforts should give priority to the prevention of intensification of these pastures.     

Light intensity regulates growth and reproduction of a snail grazer (Gyraulus chinensis) through changes in the quality and biomass of stream periphyton

1. The light : nutrient hypothesis (LNH) proposes that herbivore growth rates are maximised at intermediate light‐to‐nutrient ratios. A reduction to light intensity (i.e. decreased light‐to‐nutrient ratio) should lead to reduced food availability for herbivores while excessive light intensity in oligotrophic environments (i.e. increased light‐to‐nutrient ratios) should increase the C : N and C : P ratios of producers. However, this hypothesis has not yet been supported by studies on stream ecosystems. 2. We tested the LNH by experimental application of controlled natural gradients in light intensity to oligotrophic laboratory channels that included periphyton and the freshwater snail Gyraulus chinensis. 3. The results in this oligotrophic environment indicate that light regulated the flow of matter between trophic levels and grazer reproduction by controlling C : P ratios of the producers.     

贵州高原型喀斯特次生林C、N、P生态化学计量特征与储量

选取贵州高原型喀斯特次生常绿落叶阔叶混交林为对象,对其生态系统各组分碳（C）、氮（N）、磷（P）生态化学计量特征进行了研究,并全面估算了其生态系统C、N、P储量。结果表明,N、P含量在各树种和各器官（干、皮、枝、叶）之间表现出较大的变异,而C含量在各树种和各器官之间变异较小。C/N和C/P表现为叶片最高,树干（乔木）/枝干（灌木）最低,N/P在各器官间差异不显著（P > 0.05）。凋落物和木质残体的N/P显著（P < 0.01）高于植物活体。土壤C、N、P含量均随土壤深度的增加而降低,最表层（0-10 cm）土壤的C、N、P含量及N/P显著（P < 0.05）高于深层土壤;C/N和C/P在各土层间差异不显著（P > 0.05）。高原型喀斯特次生常绿落叶阔叶混交林的生态系统C、N、P储量分别为172.42 Mg/hm²、5.24 Mg/hm²和1.19 Mg/hm²。大部分森林C（54.69%）、N（84.46%）、P（97.26%）存储于土壤中。与非喀斯特森林相比,喀斯特森林植物叶片N、P含量低,土壤C含量高,生态系统C、N、P储量低。     

Rainfall, phycocyanin, and N:P ratios related to cyanobacterial blooms in a Korean large reservoir

Nutrient concentrations and other environmental factors were measured in the Daechung Reservoir for 25 weeks from spring until autumn in 1999. The high irradiance after heavy rainfall provided optimal meteorological conditions for bloom formation during summer, therefore, rain would also appear to forecast imminent bloom. The bloom formation was largely governed by cyanobacteria, in particular, Microcystis spp. and Anabaenaspp. Phycocyanin showed higher correlation with cyanobacteria (r = 0.744, P < 0.001) compared to chlorophyll-a(r = 0.599, P < 0.01). Therefore, phycocyanin was more accurate and useful than chlorophyll-a in quantitatively measuring cyanobacterial blooms. The atomic N:P ratio of the particulate form also showed a high correlation with cyanobacteria (r = 0.541, P < 0.01), increasing from 4.3 to 14.6 during bloom formation, while that of the dissolved form decreased from 25.5 to 8.7. These results indicated that the algae assimilated N significantly without comparable P uptake during the blooming season, which was in sharp contrast to the excessive storage of P during the spring.     

Effects of limiting nutrients and N:P ratios on the phytoplankton growth in a shallow hypertrophic reservoir

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of limiting nutrients and the N:P ratios on the growth of phytoplankton (mainly cyanobacteria) in a shallow hypertrophic reservoir between November 2002 and December 2003. Nutrient enrichment bioassays (NEBs) were conducted, along with analyses of seasonal ambient nutrients and phytoplankton taxa, in the reservoir. The average DIN:TDP and TN:TP mass ratios in the ambient water were 90 (range: 17–187) and 34 (13–60), respectively, during the study period. The dissolved inorganic phosphorus showed seasonal variation, but less than that of inorganic nitrogen. The TN:TP ratios ranged from 13 to 46 (mean: 27 ± 6) during June–December when the cyanobacteria, Microcystis, dominated the phytoplankton composition. The NEBs showed that phytoplankton growth was mainly stimulated by the phosphorus (all of total 17 cases), rather than the nitrogen concentration (8 of 17 cases). The rapid growth rate of cyanobacteria was evident with TN:TP ratios less than 30. According to the results of the NEBs with different N concentrations (0.07, 0.7 and 3.5 mg l⁻¹), but the same N:P ratios and when the nitrogen concentration was highest, the cyanobacterial growth reached a maximum at N:P ratios <1. Overall, the response of cyanobacterial growth was a direct function of added phosphorus in the NEBs, and was greater with increased N concentrations. Thus, cyanobacterial blooms favored relatively low N:P ratios in this hypertrophic reservoir system. An erratum to this article is available at .     

Plasticity in latitudinal patterns of leaf N and P of Oryza rufipogon in China

Characterising the adaptability in nature of plant stoichiometric patterns across geographic or environmental gradients is important in advancing our understanding of the organisation of plant–nutrient relationships. We examined correlations between plant nutrient traits, latitude, longitude, climate and soil variables in 34 populations of Oryza rufipogon across its range. We further compared the responses of population transplants at two experimental gardens: one beyond its northern natural range and another near the southern limit, to assess the nature of geographic variation in plant nutrients. The study showed that leaf P of O. rufipogon in the field was negatively correlated with latitude and largely depended on temperature and soil P availability. Leaf N was not related to latitude but was significantly correlated with precipitation and soil N concentration. Leaf N:P ratio was largely determined by absorption efficiency of P. Transplantation revealed that there were no significant associations of leaf nutrients with geographic, climatic or soil variables of origin in either of the experimental gardens, indicating phenotypic plasticity. However, examination of relationships between response ratios of leaf nutrients and change ratio of climate and soil environments, as well as norms of reaction in the transplantation experiment, revealed more complexity, suggesting both substantial genotypic diversity and the existence of genotype × environment interactions in these populations of O. rufipogon. These data indicate that adaptive plasticity response of plants to temperature and soil P availability significantly explain the observed shifts in leaf N, P and N:P of O. rufipogon along latitudinal gradients.     

Tissue Nitrogen and Phosphorus in Seaweeds in a Tropical Eutrophic Environment: What a Long-Term Study Tells Us

Percentages of nitrogen and phosphorus in 10 species of seaweeds (6 green and 4 red algae) were monitored from 1997 to 2004 by seasonal sampling in Guanabara Bay, South-eastern Brazil. The species did not show consistent variations in tissue N, P and N:P that related to annual cycles. Throughout this study, higher percentages of tissue N and P were found in Bostrychia radicans and Grateloupia doryphora (red algae) and lower in Cladophora rupestris and Codium decorticatum (green algae). In November 1999, the Icaraí Submarine Sewage Outfall became operational, resulting in a reduction of visual pollution in the area and an improvement in the local quality of seawater for recreational use. Measurements of dissolved nutrients at the sampling site did not indicate significant changes in concentrations after the commissioning of the submarine sewage outfall; however, tissue P and N:P ratio of most of species were significantly lower than in the first two years of this survey. Variations in tissue nitrogen throughout this study were not significant, except for G. doryphora in some comparisons. Results show that seaweeds function very well as monitors of environmental changes in Guanabara Bay. Experimental data are needed to identify possible environmental processes which are promoting changes in chemical composition of the local seaweed populations.     

Temporal and spatial variations in leaf herbivory within a canopy of<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Fagus crenata</Emphasis>

This study investigated spatio-temporal variation in the leaf area consumed by insect herbivores within a canopy of Fagus crenata, with reference to the light conditions of leaf clusters. There was no clear relationship between photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) and consumed leaf area (CLA) in May, immediately after leaf flush, but CLA decreased with an increase in PPFD after June. Leaf mass per area, carbon concentration, C/N ratio, concentration of total phenolics, and condensed tannin concentration were higher in leaves under high light intensity than those of leaves under low light. On the other hand, the nitrogen concentration of leaves decreased as light availability increased. Consequently, within-tree variation in light availability affects the consumption of leaves by insect herbivores through temporal changes in leaf characteristics.     

Root production and tissue quality in a shortgrass steppe exposed to elevated CO<Subscript>2</Subscript>: Using a new ingrowth method

A modified root ingrowth method was developed to minimize destructive sampling in experiments with limited space, and used to estimate belowground net primary production and root tissue quality in a native semiarid grassland exposed to elevated CO₂ for five years. Increases in root production of over 60% were observed with elevated CO₂ during years of intermediate levels of precipitation, with smaller effects in a very wet year and no effects in a very dry year. Aboveground to belowground production ratios, and the depth distribution of root production, did not differ between ambient and elevated CO₂ treatments. Root soluble concentrations increased an average of 11% and lignin concentrations decreased an average of 6% with elevated CO₂, while nitrogen concentrations decreased an average of 21%. However, most tissue quality responses to CO₂ varied greatly among years, and C:N ratios were higher in only one year (22 ambient vs. 33 elevated). Among years, root nitrogen concentrations declined with increasing aboveground plant nitrogen yield, and increased over the study period. Estimates of root production by the ingrowth donut method were much lower than previous estimates in the shortgrass steppe based on ¹⁴C decay. We discuss reasons why all ingrowth methods will always result in relative rather than absolute estimates of root production.     

我国南方红壤区氮磷湿沉降对森林流域氮磷输出及水质的影响

持续高通量的氮、磷输入导致水体富营养化的问题已引起广泛关注。通过对江西省千烟洲香溪流域水样(常规水样,降雨后的地表径流以及雨水水样)的季节性监测,研究大气氮、磷湿沉降对森林流域氮、磷输出动态及水质的影响。结果表明:从2013年6月至2014年5月,香溪流域内氮、磷湿沉降通量分别为11.86 kg/hm~2和0.38 kg/hm~2,其中氮湿沉降主要集中在夏秋两季,占全年输入量的64%,而磷沉降主要集中在夏季,占全年输入量的43%,表现出明显的季节性差异;水体p H值(6.22—8.89)的变化范围较大,而且氮、磷的输出受土地管理(施肥方式)及降雨事件的影响较为明显,尤其在耕作期,总氮的输出量占全年氮输出总量的96.2%,而总磷的输出量占全年磷输出总量的61.4%;对4场不同强度降雨(按降雨强度从大到小)的氮、磷输出动态过程分析,发现不同强度的降雨对水体氮、磷的输出过程影响不同,在径流未形成前以及降雨强度达到暴雨级别时,降雨对流域水体氮、磷的稀释作用明显,而在大雨强度下水体磷的输出量明显高于其他降雨;研究期间,香溪流域内氮湿沉降对水体的贡献量为101.97 kg,磷湿沉降的贡献量为0.60 kg,4场降雨氮对流域水体的贡献量为4.46kg,占流域氮输出负荷的15.22%,磷对水体的贡献量为0.032kg,占流域磷输出负荷的0.85%。同时,根据营养状态指数(EI),发现流域水体全年处于中至富营养状态,而且研究期间水体氮、磷浓度均超过水体富营养化阈值(氮1.5 mg/L,磷0.15 mg/L),存在爆发水体富营养化的威胁。     

Effects of Herbivory,Fire and N<Subscript>2</Subscript>-fixation on Nutrient Limitation in a Humid African Savanna

The quantities and spatial distribution of nutrients in savanna ecosystems are affected by many factors, of which fire, herbivory and symbiotic N₂-fixation are particularly important. We measured soil nitrogen (N) pools and the relative abundance of N and phosphorus (P) in herbaceous vegetation in five vegetation types in a humid savanna in Tanzania. We also performed a factorial fertilization experiment to investigate which nutrients most limit herbaceous production. N pools in the top 10 cm of soil were low at sites where fires were frequent, and higher in areas with woody legume encroachment, or high herbivore excretion. Biomass production was co-limited by N and P at sites that were frequently burnt or heavily grazed by native herbivores. In contrast, aboveground production was limited by N in areas receiving large amounts of excreta from livestock. N₂-fixation by woody legumes did not lead to P-limitation, but did increase the availability of N relative to P. We conclude that the effects of fire, herbivory and N₂-fixation upon soil N pools and N:P-stoichiometry in savanna ecosystems are, to a large extent, predictable. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. Author Contributions  P.C., H.O.V. and P.E. designed the study and wrote the paper. P.C. and T.K. performed the research and analyzed the data.     

In situ litter decomposition and litter quality in a Mojave Desert ecosystem: effects of elevated atmospheric CO2 and interannual climate variability

Rising atmospheric CO₂ has been predicted to reduce litter decomposition as a result of CO₂‐induced reductions in litter quality. However, available data have not supported this hypothesis in mesic ecosystems, and no data are available for desert or semi‐arid ecosystems, which account for more than 35% of the Earth's land area. The objective of our study was to explore controls on litter decomposition in the Mojave Desert using elevated CO₂ and interannual climate variability as driving environmental factors. In particular, we sought to evaluate the extent to which decomposition is modulated by litter chemistry (C:N) and litter species and tissue composition. Naturally senesced litter was collected from each of nine 25 m diameter experimental plots, with six plots exposed to ambient [CO₂] or 367 μL CO₂ L^?1 and three plots continuously fumigated with elevated [CO₂] (550 μL CO₂ L^?1) using FACE technology beginning in April 1997. All litter collected in 1998 (a wet, or El Niño year; 306 mm precipitation) was pooled as was litter collected in 1999 (a dry year; 94 mm). Samples were allowed to decompose for 4 and 12 months starting in May 2001 in mesh litterbags in the locations from which litter was collected. Decomposition of litter produced under elevated CO₂ and ambient CO₂ did not differ. Litter produced in the wetter year showed more rapid initial decomposition (over the first 4 months) than that produced in the drier year (27±2% yr^?1 or 7.8±0.7 g m^?2 yr^?1 for 1998 litter; 18±3% yr^?1 or 2.2±0.4 g m^?2 yr^?1 for 1999 litter). C:N ratios of litter produced under elevated CO₂ (wet year: 37±0.5; dry year: 42±2.5) were higher than those of litter produced under ambient CO₂ (wet year: 34±1.1; dry year: 35±1.4). Litter production in the wet year (amb. CO₂: 25.1±1.1 g m^?2 yr^?1; elev. CO₂: 35.0±1.1 g m^?2 yr^?1) was more than twice as high as that in the dry year (amb. CO₂: 11.6±1.7 g m^?2, elev. CO₂: 13.3±3.4 g m^?2), and contained a greater proportion of Lycium pallidum and a lower proportion of Larrea tridentata than litter produced in the dry year. Decomposition, viewed across all treatments, decreased with increasing C:N ratios, decreased with increasing proportions of Larrea tridentata and increased with increasing proportions of Lycium pallidum and Lycium andersonii. Because litter C:N did not vary by litter production year, and CO₂ did not alter decomposition or litter species/tissue composition, it is likely that the impact of year‐to‐year variation in precipitation on the proportion of key plant species in the litter may be the most important way in which litter decomposition will be modulated in the Mojave Desert under future rising atmospheric CO₂.     

Temporal trends in N2O flux dynamics in a Danish wetland – effects of plant‐mediated gas transport of N2O and O2 following changes in water level and soil mineral‐N availability

Temporal trends of N₂O fluxes across the soil–atmosphere interface were determined using continuous flux chamber measurements over an entire growing season of a subsurface aerating macrophyte (Phalaris arundinacea) in a nonmanaged Danish wetland. Observed N₂O fluxes were linked to changes in subsurface N₂O and O₂ concentrations, water level (WL), light intensity as well as mineral‐N availability. Weekly concentration profiles showed that seasonal variations in N₂O concentrations were directly linked to the position of the WL and O₂ availability at the capillary fringe above the WL. N₂O flux measurements showed surprisingly high temporal variability with marked changes in fluxes and shifts in flux directions from net source to net sink within hours associated with changing light conditions. Systematic diurnal shifts between net N₂O emission during day time and deposition during night time were observed when max subsurface N₂O concentrations were located below the root zone. Correlation (P < 0.001) between diurnal variations in O₂ concentrations and incoming photosynthetically active radiation highlighted the importance of plant‐driven subsoil aeration of the root zone and the associated controls on coupled nitrification/denitrification. Therefore, P. arundinacea played an important role in facilitating N₂O transport from the root zone to the atmosphere, and exclusion of the aboveground biomass in flux chamber measurements may lead to significant underestimations on net ecosystem N₂O emissions. Complex interactions between seasonal changes in O₂ and mineral‐N availability following near‐surface WL fluctuations in combination with plant‐mediated gas transport by P. arundinacea controlled the subsurface N₂O concentrations and gas transport mechanisms responsible for N₂O fluxes across the soil–atmosphere interface. Results demonstrate the necessity for addressing this high temporal variability and potential plant transport of N₂O in future studies of net N₂O exchange across the soil–atmosphere interface.     

Nutrient limitation in boreal plant communities and species influenced by scything

Abstract. The nutrient status was studied in permanent plots of four plant communities, two rich-fen communities and two wooded grassland communities, all formerly used for haymaking. The concentrations of N, P and K in plant material of dominant and subdominant species (above- and below-ground) were measured in plots experimentally scythed annually or biennially for two decades, and in plots unscythed for four decades. Three of the communities had an N:P ratio of 14 or less, indicating N-limitation; the most fertile grassland community had particularly low values for the N:P ratio (6–12), as did a majority of the species, including all tall-herb species. A species-rich community of fen-margin vegetation in the lowest productive rich fen, had an N: P ratio of 17–19 in the above-ground biomass, which indicates P-limitation of nutrients. Molinia caerulea and Thalictrum alpinum were found to be the vascular plants with the highest N:P ratio, indicating P-limitation of nutrients. Calculations of N:K and K:P ratios indicated possible K-limitation in the rich-fen communities, especially for Thalictrum alpinum, the species with the highest N:K value. No expected change from N- to P-limited growth was found; in contrast, a reduction in the N:P ratio was found in the annually scythed plots of the rich fens, suggesting that reduced biomass production is mainly a result of disturbance by scything. As expected, a reduction in the concentration of K was detected in the scythed plots.