Effect of land use conversion on soil organic carbon sequestration in the loess hilly area, loess plateau of China

Changes in land use may alter land cover, which results in carbon stock changes in biomass as well as in the soil. In China’s loess plateau, vegetation restoration has been conducted since 1950s to control soil erosion and improve the ecosystem, with significant investment of money and manpower. Despite these efforts, soil erosion has still been severe. To reduce soil erosion and improve land quality, China initiated another state-funded project, Grain-for-Green, in 1999 in the loess plateau. However, it is not clear how effective this newly initiated project will be. In this study, we evaluated the effect of land-use conversion on soil organic carbon (SOC) and the potential effect of the current project on SOC sequestration in the Anjiapo catchment area of the loess hilly area of the loess plateau in China. This evaluation is based on SOC measurements in cropland versus in other converted land use types. We found that SOC sequestration mainly occurred in the surface soil after land use conversion took place. Land use conversion from cropland to shrubland or wild grassland (i.e. undisturbed land) was better for SOC sequestration than tree plantation in the semi-arid loess hilly area. By using the land use change in the study area as a scenario, the potential contribution of land use change on SOC sequestration due to the Grain-for-Green project was estimated. It was found that this project in the loess plateau of China would be helpful for SOC sequestration if successfully implemented.     

Can network metrics predict vulnerability and species roles in bird‐dispersed plant communities? Not without behaviour

Network metrics are widely used to infer the roles of mutualistic animals in plant communities and to predict the effect of species' loss. However, their empirical validation is scarce. Here we parameterized a joint species model of frugivory and seed dispersal with bird movement and foraging data from tropical and temperate communities. With this model, we investigate the effect of frugivore loss on seed rain, and compare our predictions to those of standard coextinction models and network metrics. Topological coextinction models underestimated species loss after the removal of highly linked frugivores with unique foraging behaviours. Network metrics informed about changes in seed rain quantity after frugivore loss. However, changes in seed rain composition were only predicted by partner diversity. Nestedness, closeness, and d’ specialisation could not anticipate the effects of rearrangements in plant–frugivore communities following species loss. Accounting for behavioural differences among mutualists is critical to improve predictions from network models.     

退耕对民勤绿洲土壤碳氮循环关键微生物及功能基因的影响

采用时空互代法,以巴丹吉林沙漠东南缘民勤绿洲不同退耕年限样地土壤为研究对象,利用微生物宏基因组测序技术,以KEGG数据库碳固定、氮代谢途径为工具,研究长期退耕对参与区域土壤碳固定和氮代谢途径的主要微生物群落组成及其功能基因变化的影响。试验共设置9个退耕年限梯度样地：未退耕耕地、退耕1年样地、退耕2年样地、退耕4年样地、退耕8年样地、退耕13年样地、退耕20年样地、退耕30年样地和退耕40年样地。结果表明：退耕明显改变了碳固定、氮代谢土壤微生物和功能基因丰度,细菌在碳固定和氮代谢两个过程中均起到主导作用;还原三羧酸循环途径、还原乙酰辅酶A途径以及3-羟基丙酸/4-羟基丁酸循环途径等为研究区土壤微生物主要碳固定途径,厌氧氨氧化途径、硝酸盐异化还原途径、硝酸盐同化还原途径、反硝化途径以及硝化途径等为研究区土壤微生物主要氮代谢途径;芽单胞菌属（Gemmatimonas）、未分类绿弯菌属（unclassified_Chloroflexi）和链霉菌属（Streptomyces）等是区域土壤微生物碳固定主要菌属,氮代谢则以腈基降解菌属（Nitriliruptor）、芽单胞菌属（Gemmatimonas）、土壤红杆菌属（Solirubrobacter）、未分类绿弯菌属（unclassified_Chloroflexi）和链霉菌属（Streptomyces）等为主;Gemmatirosa、未分类绿弯菌属（unclassified_Conexibacter）、未分类念珠菌门（unclassified_Candidatus Rokubacteria）、Gaiella和Geminicoccus等5个属分类土壤微生物可作为研究区退耕地碳固定途径标记性微生物种群,coxL.cutL和ACO.acnA等是研究区退耕地土壤微生物碳固定途径主要响应功能基因;腈基降解菌属（Nitriliruptor）、未分类念珠菌门（unclassified_Candidatus Rokubacteria）、Geminicoccus、未分类绿弯菌属（unclassified_Conexibacter）、土壤红杆菌属（Solirubrobacter）、未分类酸杆菌门（unclassified_Acidobacteria）和红色杆菌属（Rubrobacter）等7个属分类土壤微生物可作为研究区退耕地氮代谢途径标记性微生物种群,GDH2和E1.4.7.1是研究区退耕地土壤微生物氮代谢途径主要响应功能基因。该结果对于明确退耕影响下民勤绿洲土壤碳氮循环过程具有重要意义。     

不同疏伐强度下黄土丘陵区刺槐林的水分利用特征

造林是生态恢复的重要措施,但由于种植密度过高,导致土壤干燥化,林木生长衰退,严重制约其生态功能的提升。疏伐是人工林改造的重要手段,水分利用特征是确定适宜疏伐密度的关键因素,但目前缺少疏伐对人工林水分利用特征影响的系统研究。基于此,以黄土丘陵区刺槐林为研究对象,设置疏伐55%(P1)、28%(P2)、16%(P3)和对照(P4)四个处理,通过0—500 cm深度的土壤水与茎秆水δ²H和δ¹⁸O、叶片δ¹³C的采样分析并利用MixSIAR模型,比较了不同疏伐强度下刺槐林水分来源和水分利用效率的差异,建立了水分来源比例与叶片δ¹³C的定量关系。结果表明：(1)疏伐样地在不同深度的土壤含水量均高于对照样地,表明疏伐对缓解土壤水分胁迫具有重要作用。(2)随着疏伐强度的增大,浅、中层(0—100 cm、100—300 cm)土壤水对刺槐的贡献比例呈增加趋势(P1:80.4%;P2:78.1%;P3:76.3%;P4:67.8%),而深层土壤水分(300—500 cm)的贡献比例相对降低,表明疏伐促进了刺槐对浅层...     

喀左县笨蝗生长与温湿度关系及长期预测的研究

8年来,土蝗(小车蝗、笨蝗)在喀左部分山地、草场、农田暴发成灾,造成几百公顷农田毁种,每年直接经济损失可达20—30万元;更为严重的是,现已蔓延到建昌县岭龙塔乡为害。关于土蝗的研究,国内进展较慢,它与气     

Involvement of sulfhydryl groups in the activation mechanism of the ATPase activity of chloroplast coupling factor 1

Activation of the ATPase activity and the exposition of a new adenine nucleotide binding site of chloroplast coupling factor 1 (CF1) by dithioerythritol at 25 degrees C were reversed by oxidants. The ATPase activity elicited by heat (63 degrees C, 4 min) was slightly inhibited by oxidants and was partially additive with the activity induced by dithioerythritol. Titration of the thiols of CF1 and determination of their subunit distribution before and after activation by dithioerythritol show an increase of the free groups from 8 to 10 with the appearance of the 2 new thiols on the gamma subunit. These thiols were available to reagents in nondenatured enzyme and were reoxidized to a disulfide bond by iodosobenzoate or CuCl2. It is concluded that the mechanisms of CF1 activation by dithioerythritol and by heat are different and that the former involves a net reduction of a disulfide bond of the gamma subunit.     

Role of hydrogen peroxide in loss of culturability mediated by visible light in Escherichia coli in a freshwater ecosystem.

A study was made of the mechanisms by which visible light produces cell dormancy in Escherichia coli, resulting in loss of culturability. Visible light may act directly on the cells or generate photoproducts with a negative effect on the cells. In nonilluminated microcosms the addition of increasing concentrations of hydrogen peroxide, one of the photoproducts formed in natural aquatic systems, gave rise to the formation of nonculturable cells and injured culturable cells, and this negative effect depended on the concentration of peroxide. On the other hand, in illuminated microcosms the addition of compounds which eliminate hydrogen peroxide (i.e., catalase, sodium pyruvate, and thioglycolate) had a protective effect on the E. coli cells, as the CFU counts on minimal medium and on recuperation medium were significantly higher (P < 0.05) than those detected in the absence of these compounds. Furthermore, when hydrogen peroxide was eliminated, the CFU counts on recuperation medium did not fall significantly, indicating that nonculturable cells did not form. These results rule out the direct effect of visible light on the cells and show that hydrogen peroxide, generated photochemically, may be the cause of the loss of culturability of E. coli in illuminated systems.     

Histology, ultrastructure and prevalence of Henneguya piaractus (Myxosporea) infecting the gills of Piaractus mesopotamicus (Characidae) cultivated in Brazil

The histopathological and ultrastructural characteristics of Henneguya piaractus, a parasite of the gill lamellae of Piaractus mesopotamicus, are reported here. Histological analysis showed that the plasmodia were of the intralamellar type. The development of the plasmodia resulted in marked dilatation of the infected lamellae, with the neighbouring lamellae being displaced laterally. Discreet epithelial hyperplasia was observed, but there was no inflammatory reaction. Ultrastructural analysis showed that the plasmodium had a single thin wall that was in direct contact with the host cells. Pinocytic canals and points of phagocytosis were observed in the wall. The prevalence of the parasite varied according to host size, with the lowest prevalence occurring in hosts up to 10 cm long.     

erbb3 and erbb2 are essential for schwann cell migration and myelination in zebrafish

BACKGROUND: Myelin is critical for efficient axonal conduction in the vertebrate nervous system. Neuregulin (Nrg) ligands and their ErbB receptors are required for the development of Schwann cells, the glial cells that form myelin in the peripheral nervous system. Previous studies have not determined whether Nrg-ErbB signaling is essential in vivo for Schwann cell fate specification, proliferation, survival, migration, or the onset of myelination. RESULTS: In genetic screens for mutants with disruptions in myelinated nerves, we identified mutations in erbb3 and erbb2, which together encode a heteromeric tyrosine kinase receptor for Neuregulin ligands. Phenotypic analysis shows that both genes are essential for development of Schwann cells. BrdU-incorporation studies and time-lapse analysis reveal that Schwann cell proliferation and migration, but not survival, are disrupted in erbb3 mutants. We show that Schwann cells can migrate in the absence of DNA replication. This uncoupling of proliferation and migration indicates that erbb gene function is required independently for these two processes. Pharmacological inhibition of ErbB signaling at different stages reveals a continuing requirement for ErbB function during migration and also provides evidence that ErbB signaling is required after migration for proliferation and the terminal differentiation of myelinating Schwann cells. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide in vivo evidence that Neuregulin-ErbB signaling is essential for directed Schwann cell migration and demonstrate that this pathway is also required for the onset of myelination in postmigratory Schwann cells.