模拟升温和放牧对高寒草甸土壤有机碳氮组分和微生物生物量的影响

土壤活性、惰性有机质库和微生物生物量在数量和分配上的变化是陆地生态系统土壤有机质贮存和动态变化的决定性因素。采用OTCs(Open top chambers)升温以及刈割+粪便归还的方法,对青藏高原东部高寒草甸土壤有机碳氮组分和微生物生物量对气候变暖和放牧的响应进行了研究。结果表明,模拟升温在短期内显著降低土壤活性有机碳Ⅰ、活性有机氮Ⅰ和惰性有机碳的含量,而由于粪便归还作用,放牧明显增加土壤活性有机碳、氮Ⅰ的含量。模拟升温和放牧对有机碳、氮组分的作用效应相互抵消,两者共同作用下有机碳、氮组分仅略有降低。单一的模拟升温或放牧没有显著改变微生物生物量碳,但是两者共同作用却能够大大增加微生物生物量碳。放牧和取样时间存在着明显的交互作用,放牧效应随时间递减。本研究表明,气候变暖对放牧草甸有机碳、氮组分影响不大;放牧过程中的牲畜粪便归还作用不容忽视。     

有机物料还田对双季稻田土壤有机碳及其活性组分的影响

有机物料还田是提升农田土壤有机碳、培肥土壤的重要措施。为探讨不同有机物料的还田效果,采用室外培养方法,研究了在等碳输入条件下,施用水稻秸秆、紫云英、生物有机肥、猪粪和水稻秸秆生物炭对洞庭湖双季稻区潮土有机碳和活性有机碳组分含量的影响。结果表明: 经过180 d的培养试验,与不施用有机物料相比,施用有机物料提高了土壤活性有机碳含量。生物有机肥、猪粪和水稻秸秆生物炭处理分别使土壤有机碳含量显著提升了26.1%、9.7%和30.7%,水稻秸秆和紫云英对土壤有机碳含量的提升效应在试验期间并不显著。水稻秸秆和紫云英还田更有利于土壤可溶性有机碳和微生物生物量碳的积累,猪粪更有利于土壤可溶性有机碳的积累,生物有机肥更有利于土壤微生物生物量碳和易氧化有机碳的积累,水稻秸秆生物炭则更有利于土壤微生物生物量碳和轻组有机碳的积累。与水稻秸秆还田相比,紫云英、生物有机肥、猪粪和水稻秸秆生物炭还田使土壤碳库管理指数分别提高了31.8%、111.6%、62.2%和50.7%。从土壤固碳和土壤碳库管理指数来看,生物有机肥、猪粪和水稻秸秆生物炭的还田效果优于水稻秸秆和紫云英还田。     

林火干扰对森林生态系统土壤有机碳的影响研究进展

林火干扰是森林生态系统特殊而重要的生态因子,可改变生态系统的养分循环与能量传递。研究林火干扰对森林生态系统土壤有机碳的影响,有助于理解森林生态系统中土壤碳固持和碳循环过程,为制定科学合理的旨在减缓全球变化的林火管理策略具有重要意义。从4个方面阐述了林火干扰对森林生态系统土壤有机碳的影响及内在机制:分别从大尺度和小尺度两个方面阐述了林火干扰对土壤有机碳的影响及对森林生态系统碳循环与碳平衡的作用机制;探讨了不同林火干扰类型和林火干扰强度下,土壤活性有机碳对林火干扰的响应机制;阐明了林火干扰对土壤惰性有机碳的影响及作用机制;论述了林火干扰主要通过改变土壤有机碳的输入和输出过程进而影响土壤有机碳的稳定性及内在机制。最后提出了提高林火干扰对森林生态系统土壤有机碳影响定量化研究的4种路径选择:(1)全面比较研究不同林火干扰类型对土壤有机碳循环及其碳素再分配过程的功能特征;(2)进一步阐明林火干扰通过改变植被结构进而影响土壤生物群落结构,剖析土壤碳库循环的内在机制;(3)完善不同时空尺度下林火干扰对森林生态系统土壤碳库周转过程的定量化研究;(4)加强不同林火干扰类型土壤碳库稳定性差异的研究。     

增温对南亚热带季风常绿阔叶林土壤有机碳及其组分的影响

全球变暖是当前全球气候变化的主要现象,影响着陆地生态系统的碳循环。森林土壤是陆地生态系统中最大的碳库,森林土壤有机碳及其不同组分的积累受到气候变暖的影响,许多研究普遍发现短期增温减少土壤有机碳及其活性碳组分,但尚不清楚这种负效应在长期增温下是否仍存在和有机碳组分是否变化。以鼎湖山季风常绿阔叶林为研究对象,采用红外辐射模拟增温,探究长期增温对南亚热带森林土壤有机碳及其组分的影响。2017—2021年的连续增温观测结果表明:与对照相比,在表层土壤中,增温处理下土壤有机碳含量显著增加4.5%,其中土壤重组有机碳库显著降低9.1%,轻组有机碳库显著增加9.8%,易氧化有机碳含量显著增加5.8%,但微生物生物量碳、可溶性有机碳、惰性有机碳和络合态碳含量不变。增温持续时间显著影响土壤有机碳、微生物生物量碳、易氧化有机碳、可溶性有机碳、轻组有机碳库、重组有机碳库、惰性有机碳和络合态碳。增温处理与增温持续时间的交互作用显著影响微生物生物量碳、易氧化有机碳和重组有机碳库,但对土壤有机碳、土壤可溶性有机碳、惰性有机碳、络合态碳和轻组有机碳库无显著影响。综上所述,长期增温背景下南亚热带季风林的土壤有机碳因土壤活性有机碳组分的增加而增加,使总有机碳增加的生物调控作用可能比矿物保护作用强,但减少的惰性碳组分和增加的活性碳组分可能会使土壤有机碳稳定性下降。本研究结果探讨了南亚热带森林表层土壤有机碳及其组分对长期增温的响应,与大多数研究所发现的短期增温使表层土壤有机碳含量减少形成对比,结果可为预测未来该地区土壤碳库的变化特征提供科学依据和理论支持。     

广州市常绿阔叶林土壤有机碳组分特征分析

选取广州市(龙眼洞、天鹿湖、大夫山、龙头山、滴水岩、王子山、石门)的7个常绿阔叶林为样地,分析城市化对广州森林土壤有机碳组分的影响。研究发现:(1)7个森林土壤总有机碳、易氧化有机碳和不易氧化有机碳含量的差异显著(p<0.05),均呈随样地距市中心距离增加而增加;(2)森林土壤的碳库活度和活度指数距离市中心越近数值越高,碳库指数和碳库管理指数距离市中心越近数值越低;(3)土壤总有机碳与易氧化有机碳、不易氧化有机碳、碳库指数、碳库管理指数、全氮、C:N和样地距城中心距离均呈显著正相关。结果表明城市化改变了常绿阔叶林土壤的有机碳组分,使土壤有机碳的稳定性下降。     

垦殖对新疆绿洲农田土壤有机碳组分及团聚体稳定性的影响

土壤有机碳是土壤质量变化的重要指标,土壤活性有机碳组分在土壤质量变化方面发挥重要作用。采用有机碳分组技术,研究了干旱荒漠区自然土壤开垦对绿洲农田土壤有机碳活性组分及团聚体稳定性的影响。结果表明:低有机碳含量的自然土壤垦殖后,有利于干旱荒漠区绿洲棉田土壤有机碳的积累,且垦殖(0-5a)增加显著,年均增加在0.65gkg-1以上,上升幅度为76%-286%,5a后维持在相对平衡的水平;土壤活性有机碳、轻组有机碳在垦殖0-5a显著增加,平均增加72%和99%,5a后下降;颗粒有机碳则表现出垦殖0-10a明显增加,增加在275%以上,10a后下降;土壤水稳性团聚体含量随垦殖年限的延长显著增加,0-20a内较自然土壤提高了75%。垦殖可能是干旱区绿洲农田潜在碳汇的重要影响因素;但随垦殖年限延长,土壤有机碳活性组分下降,土壤质量又存在一定的退化风险。     

滇南地区桃树种植模式对土壤有机碳组分及碳库管理指数的影响

经果林种植可改变土壤质量、改善生态环境,同时具有较高的经济效益。合理的种植模式可通过物种间的互补性提高资源利用效率,改善土壤碳库质量并提高综合效益。为探讨桃树种植模式对土壤有机碳组分及碳库管理指数的影响,以云南省开远市不同桃树种植模式(桃树单种-SP和桃树南瓜套种-PP)为研究对象,以毗邻的天然林地(CK)为对照,分析不同种植模式下活性碳库,即高锰酸钾氧化有机碳(POXC)、颗粒有机碳(POC),惰性有机碳库即矿物结合态有机碳(MAOC)在0—40 cm土层的分布情况,明确土壤有机碳组分与土壤理化性质的关系;计算碳库活度指数(CPAI)、碳库指数(CPI)以及碳库管理指数(CPMI),明确不同桃树种植模式的碳库变化情况。结果表明：桃树种植模式和对照的土壤有机碳组分的含量均随着土层深度的增加而减少,平均土壤有机碳(SOC)含量为：14.68 g/kg(CK)>9.57 g/kg(PP)>8.58 g/kg(SP)。平均活性有机碳组分所占比例与POC/MAOC均表现为：SP>CK>PP,PP的活性有机碳比例较低,具有较高的有机碳稳定性。两种桃树种植模式的CPMI在1...     

林冠氮添加和林下植被去除对杉木林土壤有机碳组分的影响

为探讨氮添加和林下植被管理对杉木人工林土壤有机碳组分的影响,以福建沙县官庄国有林场杉木人工林为对象,设置对照（CK）、林冠氮添加（CN）、林下植被去除（UR）、林冠氮添加和林下植被去除（CNUR）4个处理的野外控制实验,研究林冠氮添加和林下植被去除对土壤总有机碳、惰性有机碳、易氧化有机碳、颗粒有机碳、微生物生物量碳和水溶性有机碳的影响。结果表明：5年CN添加处理显著降低易氧化有机碳（10—20 cm）和微生物生物量碳（20—40 cm）含量,增加表层土壤颗粒有机碳占总有机碳的比例。UR处理对土壤有机碳组分的作用不显著,而CNUR处理显著降低表层土壤水溶性有机碳含量及其比例。土壤各有机碳组分均与土壤含水量、可溶性有机氮、微生物生物量氮和铵态氮呈显著正相关。研究表明,土壤活性有机碳比惰性有机碳对林冠氮添加（5年）的响应更敏感,且表现为中下层土壤响应大于表层土壤,短期氮添加能促进土壤活性有机碳的分解,而林下植被去除在短时间内可能通过改变土壤含水量和可利用氮减缓有机碳的分解与转化,从而补偿由于氮添加引起的土壤活性有机碳下降,未来需要通过长期氮添加实验进一步研究土壤有机碳动态变化的响应机制。     

氮肥减量配施生物炭对黄壤稻田土壤有机碳活性组分和矿化的影响

化肥减施增效有助于农业的可持续发展。本研究用等氮量生物炭替代化肥氮,设置0、10%、20%、30%、40%(CK,T₁～T₄) 5个替代比例,在水稻收获后采集土壤样品进行室内分析,研究氮肥减量配施生物炭对黄壤稻田土壤有机碳活性组分和矿化的影响。结果表明: 氮肥减量配施生物炭均可显著提高土壤有机碳(SOC)含量,且与生物炭配施量呈正比。氮肥减施20%条件下,土壤微生物生物量碳(MBC)和易氧化碳(ROC)含量均最高,分别为293.68和250.00 mg·kg^-1,土壤可溶性碳(DOC)含量最低。SOC矿化速率在培养的第3天达到最高,前期(第3~6天)迅速下降,中期(第6~18天)缓慢下降,后期(第18~30天)趋于稳定,矿化速率随时间的动态变化符合对数函数;SOC累积矿化量和累积矿化率分别为0.66～0.86 g·kg^-1和2.9%～4.0%,均以T₂处理最低。稻谷产量随氮肥减施比例的增加呈先增加后下降趋势,T₂处理最高,比CK显著增加了13.4%。本试验条件下,化学氮肥减量20%配施适量生物炭(5 t·hm^-2)可有效提高SOC、MBC、ROC含量和水稻产量,降低SOC累积矿化量和累积矿化率,增强土壤固碳能力,是贵州黄壤稻田土壤固碳培肥的较好选择。     

农业土地利用方式对华北平原土壤有机碳组分和团聚体稳定性的影响

作为土壤质量的重要指标,土壤有机碳及其组分在土壤许多物理、化学和生物特性中发挥着重要作用。以在华北平原具有代表性的禹城市作为研究区域,系统研究和分析了该地区不同农业土地利用对土壤有机碳组分和团聚体稳定性的影响。结果表明：与传统小麦．玉米轮作的粮田相比,果树和苜蓿栽培明显增加了土壤总有机碳（TOC）和总氯（TN）含量,同时也显著提高了土壤易氧化有机碳（EOC）、颗粒有机碳（POC）、轻组有机碳（LFOC）和水溶性有机碳（WSOC）含量和分配比例。果园土壤微生物生物量C（MBC）和可矿化碳（MNC）较传统粮田的土壤分别增加了34．0．5％和66．3％。果树栽培还明显增加了土壤〉250μm水稳性团聚体（WSA）的含量,同时减少了土壤粘粒分散率（CDR）。苜蓿栽培也显著提高了土壤MBC和MNC含量以及团聚体稳定性。温室大棚栽培前期（2-3a）的土壤TOC和TN较传统粮田略有增加,但随着耕作历史的增加,土壤TOC和TN呈现逐年下降的趋势。与传统粮田相比,温室大棚内的土壤LOC,POC,LFOC和WSOC含量与比例均有明显下降,这种下降幅度随栽培历史的延长而明显增加。7-10a温室大棚栽培的土壤EOC,POC,LFOC和WSOC含量较传统粮田分别下降了31．3％,41．7％,35．6％和42．1％。温室大棚栽培的土壤MBC和MNC较传统粮田的土壤平均分别低15．9％和10．1％。温室大棚栽培,特别是长期栽培降低了土壤中〉250μm水稳性团聚体的含量和粘粒的稳定性。相关分析表明,土壤〉250vm水稳性团聚体的含量与所测定的有机碳组分含量皆成明显的正相关,特别是POC,LFOC和MBC与WSA达到极显著相关,相关系数分别为0．912,0．893,0．856。这表明,土壤POC,LFOC和MBC对维持土壤团聚体稳定性具有更为重要意义。     

互花米草盐沼土壤有机碳库组分及结构特征

在江苏盐城互花米草(Spartina alterniflora)盐沼建立以下样地:光滩(Mudflat)、互花米草建群1a(S.alterniflora flat 2011)、5a(S.alterniflora flat 2007)、12a(S.alterniflora flat 2000)、23a(S.alterniflora flat 1989)以及碱蓬(Suaeda salsa flat 1989),采集表层土壤样品,分析土壤中的活性有机碳(可溶性有机碳、微生物量碳)特征,并利用核磁共振波谱法测定土壤总有机碳的结构图谱,研究互花米草盐沼土壤有机碳库组分及结构特征。结果表明:(1)互花米草建群后,盐沼表层土壤有机碳含量显著增加(P0.05),在0.82—7.6 g/kg之间,各样地表层土壤有机碳含量为:互花米草滩(5.57 g/kg)碱蓬滩(2.4 g/kg)光滩(1.05 g/kg);可溶性有机碳含量为:互花米草滩(36.08 mg/kg)碱蓬滩(17.43 mg/kg)光滩(6.92 mg/kg);微生物量碳含量为:互花米草滩(52.51 mg/kg)碱蓬滩(18.27 mg/kg)光滩(13.56 mg/kg)。互花米草建群后,土壤中活性碳库含量显著增加(P0.05)。(2)土壤有机碳结构以烷氧碳和芳香碳为主,其中芳香碳的平均比例(35.85%)最高,其次为烷氧碳(32.83%)和羧基碳(20.62%),烷基碳的平均比例(10.36%)最低,其中建群5a的互花米草样地(SAF2007)土壤芳香碳、烷氧碳、烷基碳含量最高,建群23a的互花米草样地(SAF1989)土壤羧基碳含量最高。(3)互花米草盐沼土壤中烷基碳/烷氧碳为:SAF2007(0.44)SSF1989(0.43)SAF2000(0.28)SAF2011(0.27)SAF1989(0.22);疏水碳/亲水碳为:SAF2007(0.97)SSF1989(0.87)SAF2000(0.85)SAF2011(0.83)SAF1989(0.81)。烷基碳/烷氧碳在建群5a后达到最高值0.44,烷基化程度最高;疏水碳/亲水碳达到最高值0.97,土壤碳库稳定性高于其它样地。     

Spartina alterniflora invasions and effects on crab communities in a western Pacific estuary

We investigated Spartina alterniflora invasions, their relationship with shoreline dynamics and effects on crab communities in the Yellow River estuary, China, where shoreline dynamics have been accelerated due to human-mediated estuarine sediment deposition and sea-level rise. We determined the distribution of Spartina with extensive ground surveys, and quantified shoreline dynamics between 2001 and 2009 by interpreting satellite images. We used pitfall traps to sample crab populations in Spartina-invaded habitats and non-invaded mudflats in 2009 and 2010. Large areas (>0.5 km²) of Spartina plants were found at three locations in the estuary. The seaward limit of Spartina at each location generally coincided with the present shoreline, regardless of historical shoreline advance or retreat. Crab communities in Spartina-invaded habitats significantly differed from those in non-invaded habitats. The total number and biomass of crabs caught per trap were much higher in Spartina-invaded habitats than in non-invaded habitats, however, species richness and Shannon diversity were much lower. These results suggest that Spartina invasions are likely to keep pace with shoreline dynamics accelerated by global change and have significant ecological consequences for crab communities. These issues should be taken into account to improve the use and management of Spartina, especially in rapidly accreting estuaries with large-area mudflats that are important habitats but prone to Spartina invasions.     

Clonal integration enhances flood tolerance of Spartina alterniflora daughter ramets

Recently, considerable attention has been paid to the invasion of the clonal plant Spartina alterniflora into coastal wetlands at lower elevations. In this experiment, we tested whether clonal integration improved flood tolerance in S. alterniflora daughter ramets. Daughter ramets at two growth stages (young and old ramets) were flooded to water levels of 0, 9 and 18 cm above the soil surface, and the rhizomes between mother and daughter ramets were either severed or left intact. Biomasses of connected ramets grown in controls or in shallow and deep water treatments were 119%, 108% and 149% higher in the old ramet group than those of severed ramets, respectively, whereas they were 3.0, 3.3 and 11.2 times higher in the young ramet group, respectively. At the end of the experimental period, the shoot height, connected with young ramets, in shallow and deep water treatments increased by 19% and 26%, respectively, over that in the control treatments, whereas the old ramets increased by 11% and 39%, respectively. In contrast, the shoot height of the severed young ramets was 27% and 26% lower in shallow and deep water treatments than in the control treatment, respectively. However, the shoot height of the severed old ramets remained constant with increasing water depth. We conclude that clonal integration enhances the flood tolerance of S. alterniflora daughter ramets, and the trait of clonal integration plays more important roles in severe flooding stress conditions and at early growth stages.     

Seasonal and within-plant gradients in the intramolecular carbon isotopic composition of amino acids of Spartina alterniflora

Autotrophy and heterotrophy create different patterns of carbon flux through the central metabolic pathway. One consequence of these different fluxes is that the α-carboxyl carbon of amino acids is derived from different carbon sources and has a different isotopic composition under autotrophic and heterotrophic conditions. In Spartina alterniflora, a C4 grass and a common and ecologically important component of coastal ecosystems, the isotopic composition of bulk acid hydrolyzable carbon and total amino acid carboxyl carbon were compared over a seasonal cycle. The isotopic composition of plants varied significantly between aboveground and below ground tissues, and the δ¹³C of both hydrolyzable organic carbon and total amino acid carboxyl carbon showed significant variation among seasons. The isotopic heterogeneity within amino acids was used to infer seasonal changes in source/sink relationships for amino acid carbon among plant organs. Comparison of the intramolecular isotope data for Spartina and C3 freshwater marsh plants indicates that the patterns and processes inferred for Spartina are not unique to this taxon.     

苏北海滨湿地互花米草种群繁殖方式

在江苏盐城新洋港滩涂由海向陆建立样地:光滩(Mudflat)、零星米草斑块(SAP)、稳定米草滩下边缘(SAFI)、2003年米草定居处(SAF03)、1989年米草定居处(SAF89)、碱蓬滩(SS)及禾草滩(Grass flat),在每个样地分别建立6个样方,构建原地栽培系统(长1 m×宽1 m×深0.7 m),其中3个用于无性繁殖体栽培,3个用于有性繁殖体栽培,对互花米草的种子萌发、无性分株及实生苗的定居、生长、繁殖进行了研究。结果表明:(1)受海浪物理冲刷、淹水胁迫、受潮浸频率及土壤水分的影响,实验系统各样地种子萌发率均较低,只有样地SAFI处互花米草种子萌发率为17.8%,显著高于其他样地(P0.01)。SAP、SAFI、SAF03、SAF89和Grass flat处实验最初栽培的互花米草无性分株植株存活率较高(大于60.0%)且样地间差异性不显著(P0.05);Mudflat处无性分株存活率极低(7.8±2.2)%,SS处无性分株全部死亡(0.0%)。无性分株和实生苗相比较,除Mudflat和SS样地二者存活率接近,其余样地的无性分株成活率均远高于有性分株。(2)互花米草无性分株在SAP、SAFI和SAF89样地中的株高、叶长、叶数、叶宽和叶厚均较高;实生苗在SAFI处长势较好,其他样地植株矮小、基径细或者死亡。无性分株生长指标显著高于实生苗。(3)各样地成功定居的无性分株均有结实植株,而实生苗只有Mudflat和SAFI处结实。样地Mudflat、SAP、SAFI、SAF03、SAF89和Grass flat无性分株分蘖数分别为21.7、23.0、25.5、6.8、9.0和4.1,实生苗的分蘖数除在Mudflat处达到14.0外,在其他样地均未分蘖。(4)各样地互花米草的无性分株单株生物量显著大于实生苗。两种繁殖方式地上生物量分配都呈现出向海陆两边递减的趋势,而地下生物量分配表现出相反的情况。综合对比各项指标,可以看出,在研究区内互花米草无性繁殖方式的定居成功率、生长、繁殖等指标均优于有性繁殖方式。研究区内互花米草种群的维持和扩张以无性繁殖方式为主。     

氮、硫互作对克隆植物互花米草繁殖和生物量累积与分配的影响

氮、硫均是影响入侵植物互花米草（Spartina alterniflora Loisel.）生长与繁殖的重要营养元素,研究其交互作用可能有助于揭示互花米草成功入侵机制。本文在人工控制条件下,以河沙为栽培基质,研究了氮、硫互作对互花米草繁殖和生物量积累与分配的影响。实验结果表明：中氮和高氮处理下的互花米草分支强度、初级分株数、次级分株数、根状茎数及其总长要显著高于低氮,不同硫水平及氮硫互作对互花米草无性繁殖没有显著影响;互花米草的种子数和种子生物量受硫以及氮硫交互作用的影响显著,在高氮水平下,中硫处理的互花米草种子数和种子生物量要远远高于其他处理。中氮和高氮处理下的互花米草叶、茎、根、根状茎和总生物量显著高于低氮处理;只有在高氮水平下,高硫处理的生物量才显著低于其他处理。在中氮和高氮营养条件下,高硫处理会促使互花米草对地上部分投入更多的生物量。中硫-高氮作用对互花米草有性繁殖的促进,使互花米草能在硫浓度较高的滩地保持高有性繁殖率;虽然过高的硫会抑制互花米草的有性繁殖,但却能促进根状茎数目的增加,从而加速其向外短距离扩张;这些特性均有利于互花米草对滨海盐沼的入侵。     

Effects of salinity and temperature stress on Ecophysiological characteristics of exotic cordgrass, Spartina alterniflora

Salintiy and temperature are two important ecological factors which affect the distribution and abundance of Spartina alerniflora Loisel. To find out how cordgrass adapts to the environmental conditions in the introduced range, we studied the dynamics of a series of important physiological components including superoxide dismutase (SOD), guaiacol peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), malondialdehyde (MDA), soluble sugar and free proline under different salinity and temperature stresses. The results showed that low NaCl concentration (lower than 100 mmol·L⁻¹) enhanced the growth of S. alterniflora. On the contrary, high NaCl concentration (higher than 100 mmol·L⁻¹) inhibited the growth of S. alterniflora. To a certain extent, S. alterniflora was able to be acclimated to the osmotic pressure created by external solution concentration by adjusting the activities of POD, SOD and CAT, and the contents of free proline and soluble sugar. S. alterniflora varied in its responses to environment in different parts of the plant under 5°C and 38°C temperature stress. Compared with roots, leaves accumulated more soluble sugar, and CAT activities in leaves were higher, whereas SOD and POD activities in leaves were much lower than those in roots.     

The effect of sediment redox potential on nitrogen uptake,anaerobic root respiration and growth of Spartina alterniflora loisel

A system developed for growing plants in estuarine sediment at controlled redox potential (Eh) was used to study the effect of Eh on anaerobic root respiration, uptake of added labelled nitrogen and photosynthetic rates of Spartina alterniflora Loisel. Plant growth, estimated by CO₂ fixation and nitrogen uptake, was not affected by sediment redox potential ranging from oxidized (+500 mV) to strongly reducing (?200 mV). Anaerobic root respiration, evident by alcohol dehydrogenase activity, increased with decreasing sediment redox potential. The results suggest that neither redox potential per se nor anaerobic root respiration can account for the growth differences of S. alterniflora observed in Louisiana's coastal marshes.     

Adsorptive removal of Pb(II) by activated carbon prepared from Spartina alterniflora: Equilibrium,kinetics and thermodynamics

Low-cost activated carbon was prepared from Spartina alterniflora by phosphoric acid activation for the removal of Pb(II) from dilute aqueous solution. The effect of experimental parameters such as pH, initial concentration, contact time and temperature on the adsorption was studied. The obtained data were fitted with the Langmuir and Freundlich equations to describe the equilibrium isotherms. The kinetic data were fitted with the Lagergren-first-order, pseudo-second-order and Elovich models. It was found that pH played a major role in the adsorption process. The maximum adsorption capacity for Pb(II) on S. alterniflora activated carbon (SAAC) calculated from Langmuir isotherm was more than 99 mg g⁻¹. The optimum pH range for the removal of Pb(II) was 4.8–5.6. The Freundlich isotherm model was found to best describe the experimental data. The kinetic rates were best fitted to the pseudo-second-order model. Thermodynamic study showed the adsorption was a spontaneous exothermic process.     

Body temperature and desiccation constrain the activity of Littoraria irrorata within the Spartina alterniflora canopy

Behavioral patterns of motile ectotherms are often constrained by their microclimate conditions. For intertidal ectotherms, thermal and desiccation stresses are primary limiting factors. In this study, we developed and tested a steady-state heat budget model to calculate the duration of time that the salt marsh snail, Littoraria irrorata (Say), would maintain active behaviors (crawling or attached on stalks of marsh grass Spartina alterniflora) before switching to an inactive state (retracted and glued with a mucus holdfast on the stalks) due to desiccation. The snails' water loss tolerance limit was found to be 43.6±16.0 mg in a laboratory experiment using 5 temperature treatments (25-45 °C in 5 °C increments) with a vapor density (VD) deficit of ∼15 g/m³ (saturated VD-air VD). We found that snails attached to S. alterniflora at lower heights in the canopy had higher body temperatures during daytime hours but lower water loss rates. Furthermore, we found that calculated activity times generally matched daily and seasonal patterns of life history behaviors reported in the literature. If tidal emersion began at night (∼20:00-4:00 h), calculated activity times were much higher than if emersion began in the daytime. The total monthly activity times for 2005-2010 were the highest in May, the lowest in July, and increased from July to September. Therefore, L. irrorata's behaviors appear to be constrained by microclimate conditions within the S. alterniflora canopy as predicted by the heat budget model. The extent to which the snails' life history traits are controlled by environmental conditions will have important implications for their population dynamics as climate change progresses, and heat budget models can help to predict future changes in behavioral responses.