Shifts in priming partly explain impacts of long‐term nitrogen input in different chemical forms on soil organic carbon storage

Input of labile organic carbon can enhance decomposition of extant soil organic carbon (SOC) through priming. We hypothesized that long‐term nitrogen (N) input in different chemical forms alters SOC pools by altering priming effects associated with N‐mediated changes in plants and soil microbes. The hypothesis was tested by integrating field experimental data of plants, soil microbes and two incubation experiments with soils that had experienced 10 years of N enrichment with three chemical forms (ammonium, nitrate and both ammonium and nitrate) in an alpine meadow on the Tibetan Plateau. Incubations with glucose–¹³C addition at three rates were used to quantify effects of exogenous organic carbon input on the priming of SOC. Incubations with microbial inocula extracted from soils that had experienced different long‐term N treatments were conducted to detect effects of N‐mediated changes in soil microbes on priming effects. We found strong evidence and a mechanistic explanation for alteration of SOC pools following 10 years of N enrichment with different chemical forms. We detected significant negative priming effects both in soils collected from ammonium‐addition plots and in sterilized soils inoculated with soil microbes extracted from ammonium‐addition plots. In contrast, significant positive priming effects were found both in soils collected from nitrate‐addition plots and in sterilized soils inoculated with soil microbes extracted from nitrate‐addition plots. Meanwhile, the abundance and richness of graminoids were higher and the abundance of soil microbes was lower in ammonium‐addition than in nitrate‐addition plots. Our findings provide evidence that shifts toward higher graminoid abundance and changes in soil microbial abundance mediated by N chemical forms are key drivers for priming effects and SOC pool changes, thereby linking human interference with the N cycle to climate change.     

低温等离子髓核消融术治疗高原地区椎间盘源性下腰痛的疗效及对患者生活质量的影响

目的:研究低温等离子髓核消融术(LTPNPA)治疗高原地区椎间盘源性下腰痛(DLBP)的疗效及对患者生活质量的影响。方法:选择从2015年9月到2017年1月在我院接受治疗的高原地区DLBP患者,随机分为对照组(n=59)和观察组(n=59),对照组患者给予常规腰椎牵引治疗,观察组患者则予以LTPNPA术式治疗,对所有患者进行为期6个月的随访,并对比两组疗效、临床指标(疼痛缓解时间和住院时间)、治疗前后的椎间隙高度R值和Oswestry功能障碍指数(ODI)评分以及不同时期的日常生活能力量表(ADL)评分。结果:观察组的优良率是98.31%,高于对照组的88.14%(P0.05)。观察组的疼痛缓解时间及住院时间均少于对照组(P0.05)。治疗后两组的ODI评分均低于治疗前,且观察组较对照组偏低(P0.05)。治疗后两组的椎间隙高度R值相比差异无统计学意义(P0.05)。治疗后1个月、3个月、6个月两组的ADL评分均高于治疗前,治疗后3个月和6个月高于治疗后1个月,治疗后6个月高于治疗后3个月,且观察组均较对照组偏高(P0.05)。结论:对高原地区DLBP患者应用LTPNPA术式治疗,具有明显疗效,还可提升其生活质量,临床上可考虑在高原地区推广LTPNPA术式,从而使患者获得最佳疗效。     

Benthic species of the Kerguelen Plateau show contrasting distribution shifts in response to environmental changes

Marine life of the Southern Ocean has been facing environmental changes and the direct impact of human activities during the past decades. Benthic communities have particularly been affected by such changes although we only slowly understand the effect of environmental changes on species physiology, biogeography, and distribution. Species distribution models (SDM) can help explore species geographic responses to main environmental changes. In this work, we modeled the distribution of four echinoid species with contrasting ecological niches. Models developed for [2005–2012] were projected to different time periods, and the magnitude of distribution range shifts was assessed for recent‐past conditions [1955–1974] and for the future, under scenario RCP 8.5 for [2050–2099]. Our results suggest that species distribution shifts are expected to be more important in a near future compared to the past. The geographic response of species may vary between poleward shift, latitudinal reduction, and local extinction. Species with broad ecological niches and not limited by biogeographic barriers would be the least affected by environmental changes, in contrast to endemic species, restricted to coastal areas, which are predicted to be more sensitive.     

Fossil leaves of Buxus (Buxaceae) from the Upper Pliocene of Yunnan,SW China

A new species, Buxus pliosinica H.S. Huang, T. Su et Z.K. Zhou n. sp. (Buxaceae) is designated based on leaf architecture and cuticular features of five compressed fossil leaves from the Upper Pliocene Sanying Formation of Yunnan, SW China. Leaves of B. pliosinica are elliptic and small, with entire margin, retuse tip, intramarginal vein, and exmedially ramified tertiary veins. The leaves are hypostomatic with anomocytic stomatal apparatuses and giant stomata. Based on comparisons of leaf morphological and cuticular features, B. sempervirens Linnaeus is considered as the nearest living relative of B. pliosinica. Morphologically, these species share similar elliptic shape and size, cuneate base, retuse tip, similar ranges of petiole length, angles of 2° vein to midvein, and distance from the intramarginal vein to the margin. In terms of cuticular features, they are similar in type of stomatal apparatus, maximum length of giant stomata and range of stomatal length, but differ in the presence of indumentum. This discovery represents the first fossil record of Buxus from the SE margin of the Tibetan Plateau, and confirms the existence of Buxus in this region by the late Pliocene. Meanwhile, the newly described fossil species contributes to our understanding of the evolution of extant Buxus.     

Effects of plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae) on alpine meadow phytocoenosium and analysis of the strategy it uses to expand habitat

High-density plateau pikas (Ochotona curzoniae) disturbance is one of the main causes of alpine meadow degradation. The response of phytocoenosium to the disturbance of plateau pika may reflect its habitat expanding strategy. We used quadrat sampling method to investigate vegetation height, coverage, and aboveground biomass of non-pika area (NA), transition area (TA), and pika-active area (AA) distributed continuously in alpine meadow located in Guoluo Tibetan Autonomous County of Qinghai Province in 2011 and 2012. The results showed that, from NA to AA (i) vegetation coverage, height, and above-ground biomass decreased (P < 0.01). (ii) While the number of plant species decreased from 41 to 30, and species diversity decreased significantly (P < 0.05), evenness of the alpine meadow showed no significant variations. (iii) Dominant species changed from grasses to weeds. (iv) While plants in TA showed no obvious difference in height between 2011 and 2012, coverage reduced significantly (P < 0.05). These results demonstrate that (i) plateau pikas disturbance on alpine meadow will change plant community structure and composition, directly leading to degeneration of alpine meadow. Additionally, (ii) plateau pikas expand their habitat by altering plant coverage firstly.     

Vegetation succession of abandoned croplands in Ruanliang and Yingliang in the Ordos Plateau

Shrub encroachment has been a key phenomenon in arid and semi-arid grasslands over the last century. However, little research has been dedicated to vegetation dynamics in the abandoned croplands, which are surrounded by shrub-encroached grasslands. In this study, several abandoned croplands in Ruanliang and Yingliang in the Ordos Plateau were selected, and the biomass, coverage, density, root pattern, and plant litter dynamics were studied. The results showed that: (1) The abandoned croplands in Ruanliang experienced three community types, including weeds community, the subshrub Artemisia ordosica community, and the perennial grass community, while the abandoned croplands in Yingliang experienced three community types, including weeds community, perennial Stipa bungeana with Artemisia frigida community, and S. bungeana community. (2) The important value for the annual or biennial grass in abandoned croplands in Ruanliang declined during the restoration process, for the perennial grass it increased, and for the subshrub it first increased and then went down to zero. In Yingliang abandoned croplands, however, the perennial grass remained dominant during the succession process. (3) The root of A. ordosica in Ruanliang abandoned croplands was mainly distributed in soil depths of 0–30?cm; the root of the perennial grass was mainly in the 0–20?cm range, and S. bungeana was found at soil depths of 0–5?cm. To restore to a natural vegetation state, about 20?years would be needed to recover the total biomass, and 10?years would be needed to restore the vegetation coverage in Ruanliang abandoned croplands. For Yingliang abandoned croplands, about 15 and 20?years would be needed to restore the total biomass and vegetation coverage, respectively, to a state of natural vegetation.     

CRYPTOENDOLITHIC ALGAL COMMUNITIES OF THE COLORADO PLATEAU1

Eighteen taxa, including representatives of both eukaryotic and prokaryotic genera, were isolated from below the surface of eight sandstones in four semi-desert and cold temperate biomes of northern Arizona, southern Utah and Western New Mexico. The algae occurred as uniform well defined bands in light-colored sandstones and also as scattered patches in dark sandstones. The algal communities varied in generic composition, chlorophyll a content, and location within the different sandstones. Biomass, estimated by chlorophyll a content, was approximately two to twenty-fold greater than reported for cryptoendolithic algal bands in a cold desert habitat. The widespread distribution of certain algae in endolithic habitats of the Colorado Plateau and their presence in rocks at quite distant locations suggests that the endolithic habitat may he utilized by algae whenever it provides more favorable conditions than the surrounding surfaces.     

Spatial patterns of leaf nutrient traits of the plants in the Loess Plateau of China

The spatial patterns of leaf nutrient traits of plants in seven sites, Yangling, Yongshou, Tongchuan, Fuxian, Ansai, Mizhi and Shenmu, standing from south to north in the Loess Plateau of China, were studied. The results showed that of the 126 plant samples in the Loess Plateau, the mean leaf organic carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) were 43.8, 2.41, 0.16 and 1.67%, respectively, and ranked in the order of C > N > K > P. Leaf C, N, P and K ranged from 32.6 to 54.8%, 0.82 to 4.58%, 0.06 to 0.35%, and 0.24 to 4.21%, respectively. The mean leaf C/N, C/P and N/P ratios were 21.2, 312 and 15.4, respectively. It is indicated that leaf N in the Loess Plateau was significantly higher than those in Chinese and global flora, but leaf P was significantly lower than that in global flora, which resulted in a higher N/P ratio in the Loess Plateau. The results also showed that leaf C, N, P, K, C/N and C/P ratios varied significantly among the seven life-form groups, which were trees, shrubs, herbages, evergreen trees, deciduous trees, C₃ and C₄ herbages, but leaf N/P ratio differed little among the seven life-forms. In the sampled species in the Loess Plateau, leaf C was negatively correlated with leaf N, P and K, while leaf N, P and K were positively correlated with one another. In general, leaf N/P ratio increased as the latitude and annual solar radiation increased and the mean annual rainfall and mean annual temperature decreased.     

土壤干旱对黄土高原3个常见树种幼苗水分代谢及生长的影响

应用盆栽试验,在人工控制土壤水分条件下对黄土高原3个常见树种丁香(Syringa oblata)、杠柳(Perip-loca sepium)和连翘(Forsythia suspensa)幼苗的生长及水分生理代谢进行了研究.结果表明,随干旱胁迫程度加剧,各树种耗水量明显减少;不同树种单株耗水量差异明显,表现为:连翘>杠柳>丁香.3树种新生枝条生长和叶面积扩展速率明显受土壤含水量影响,均表现为适宜水分>中度干旱>严重干旱,且在同一胁迫水平下,连翘>杠柳>丁香.随干旱胁迫程度的加剧和干旱时间的延长,丁香、杠柳和连翘叶片的含水量、游离脯氨酸以及叶绿素含量均有不同程度的变化,连翘和杠柳的叶片含水量在3种水分条件下均明显高于丁香,杠柳叶片游离脯氨酸含量明显高于丁香和连翘,连翘体内脯氨酸含量最低,丁香和连翘的叶绿素a/b值随土壤含水量的减少逐渐降低,杠柳则表现出相反趋势.不同树种对土壤干旱和高温的响应机制不同,但它们都具有较强的抗旱能力,适应黄土高原干旱的自然条件.     

Reproductive biology of the threatened golden galaxias Galaxias auratus Johnston and the influence of lake hydrology

Golden galaxias Galaxias auratus (31–235 mm fork length, L _F) were collected monthly from littoral habitats in Lakes Crescent and Sorell, Tasmania, Australia, between July 2000 and December 2002. Spawning habitats were identified and monitored in both lakes, and surveyed in Lake Crescent. Trends in gonado-somatic indices and reproductive stages of development indicated that gonad development in both sexes begins in midsummer and peaks in late autumn to early winter. Males mature at smaller sizes (50% at 52 mm L _F) than females (50% at 76 mm L _F), larger individuals are predominately females (95% of fish ≥138 mm L _F), and overall male to female ratios are female biased ( c . 1:2). Spawning occurs late autumn to early spring (water temperatures = 1·4–9·7° C) with peaks in spawning activity in winter (mean water temperatures <5° C). Demersal adhesive eggs ( c. 1·5 mm diameter) were found on cobble substrata ( c. 20–250 mm diameter) in littoral areas ( c. 0·2–0·6 m deep) and fecundity of fish 71–181 mm L _F ranged from 619 to 14 478 eggs. The rate of change in water level over the 20 days prior to monthly sampling was important in explaining the occurrence of spent fish and this accounted for temporal differences in spawning between the populations. Lake hydrology influences the reproductive cycle of G. auratus by possibly providing a stimulus for spawning and it controls the availability of spawning habitat in Lake Crescent. Seasonal hydrological cycles ( i.e. rises during late autumn to winter) and a minimum water level of 802·20 m Australian Height Datum in Lake Crescent during autumn (above which littoral areas of cobble substratum are inundated) are critical to G. auratus populations.