A case study for late Archean and Proterozoic biogeochemical iron‐ and sulphur cycling in a modern habitat—the Arvadi Spring

As a consequence of Earth's surface oxygenation, ocean geochemistry changed from ferruginous (iron(II)‐rich) into more complex ferro‐euxinic (iron(II)‐sulphide‐rich) conditions during the Paleoproterozoic. This transition must have had profound implications for the Proterozoic microbial community that existed within the ocean water and bottom sediment; in particular, iron‐oxidizing bacteria likely had to compete with emerging sulphur‐metabolizers. However, the nature of their coexistence and interaction remains speculative. Here, we present geochemical and microbiological data from the Arvadi Spring in the eastern Swiss Alps, a modern model habitat for ferro‐euxinic transition zones in late Archean and Proterozoic oceans during high‐oxygen intervals, which enables us to reconstruct the microbial community structure in respective settings for this geological era. The spring water is oxygen‐saturated but still contains relatively elevated concentrations of dissolved iron(II) (17.2 ± 2.8 μM) and sulphide (2.5 ± 0.2 μM) with simultaneously high concentrations of sulphate (8.3 ± 0.04 mM). Solids consisting of quartz, calcite, dolomite and iron(III) oxyhydroxide minerals as well as sulphur‐containing particles, presumably elemental S⁰, cover the spring sediment. Cultivation‐based most probable number counts revealed microaerophilic iron(II)‐oxidizers and sulphide‐oxidizers to represent the largest fraction of iron‐ and sulphur‐metabolizers in the spring, coexisting with less abundant iron(III)‐reducers, sulphate‐reducers and phototrophic and nitrate‐reducing iron(II)‐oxidizers. 16S rRNA gene 454 pyrosequencing showed sulphide‐oxidizing Thiothrix species to be the dominating genus, supporting the results from our cultivation‐based assessment. Collectively, our results suggest that anaerobic and microaerophilic iron‐ and sulphur‐metabolizers could have coexisted in oxygenated ferro‐sulphidic transition zones of late Archean and Proterozoic oceans, where they would have sustained continuous cycling of iron and sulphur compounds.     

Isolation and Identification of Halophilic and Halotolerant Bacteria From Badab-e Surt Travertine Spring,Kiasar, Iran,and Investigation of Calcite Biomineralization Induction

Badab-e Surt spring is a travertine spring that has low to moderate levels of salt, so it is a good model for isolating moderately halophilic bacteria and investigating the relationship between microbe and environment. For isolating bacterial strains, water and sediment samples were collected from different springheads of the Badab-e Surt spring. Among the 171 bacterial isolates, 110 strains were halophiles. According to comparative partial 16S rRNA sequence analysis, the selected halophilic gram-positive and gram-negative strains were identified as members of the genera: Roseovarius, Labrenzia, Erythrobacter, Erythromicrobium, Massilia, Marinobacter, Halomonas, Shewanella, Pseudomonas, Flavobacterium, Bacillus, Brevibacterium, Staphylococcus, Microbacterium, Kocuria, and Streptomyces. To investigate mineralization, potential strains were screened by the culturing method, and then analyzed with a polarizing and scanning microscope. Five strains, Bss-11a, Bss-3, Bsw-1c1, Bsw-28d, and Bsw-39b, had potential for the mineralization of calcite that very closely resembled species Bacillus cohenii DSM 6307^T, Labrenzia aggregate IAM 12614^T, Bacillus safensis FO-036b^T, Marinobacter flavimaris SW-145^T, and Marinobater adhaerens HP15^T, respectively.     

Annual Abundances, Diversity and Growth Potential of Gymnamoebae in a Shallow Freshwater Pond

ABSTRACT. Abundance and diversity of gymnamoebae were assessed at monthly intervals for one year in the sediment surface layer of a shallow, highly productive, freshwater pond located in northeastern United States using laboratory culture enumeration techniques. The range in total abundance was 81/ml in January to 1,568/ml in June (spring peak) and 1,813/ml in October (autumn peak). The latter is equivalent to over 1.8 million per liter, one of the highest values reported for gymnamoebae from a freshwater pond. Maximum diversity (H = 3.3) occurred in April, July, and August. The growth potential of the gymnamoebae was determined in laboratory cultures (20° C) containing only the pond water (control culture) and pond water emended with malt-yeast extract and glucose (nutrient culture) using pond water collected in December. The total abundance of gymanmoebae increased from 363/ml in the initial pond water sample to approximately 1,800/ml in each of the culture conditions in the first week. Therafter, abundances reached 5,678/ml (control culture) and 8,016/ml (nutrient culture) by the third week indicating the vigorous growth potential from winter standing stock.     

Phenology model from surface meteorology does not capture satellite-based greenup estimations

Seasonal temperature change in temperate forests is known to trigger the start of spring growth, and both interannual and spatial variations in spring onset have been tied to climatic variability. Satellite dates are increasingly being used in phenology studies, but to date that has been little effort to link remotely sensed phenology to surface climate records. In this research, we use a two‐parameter spring warming phenology model to explore the relationship between climate and satellite‐based phenology. We employ daily air temperature records between 2000 and 2005 for 171 National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration weather stations located throughout New England to construct spring warming models predicting the onset of spring, as defined by the date of half‐maximum greenness (D₅₀) in deciduous forests as detected from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer. The best spring warming model starts accumulating temperatures after March 20th and when average daily temperatures exceed 5°C. The accumulated heat sums [heating degree day (HDD)] required to reach D₅₀ range from 150 to 300 degree days over New England, with the highest requirements to the south and in coastal regions. We test the ability of the spring warming model to predict phenology against a null photoperiod model (average date of onset). The spring warming model offers little improvement on the null model when predicting D₅₀. Differences between the efficacies of the two models are expressed as the ‘climate sensitivity ratio’ (CSR), which displays coherent spatial patterns. Our results suggest that northern (beech‐maple‐birch) and central (oak‐hickory) hardwood forests respond to climate differently, particularly with disparate requirements for the minimum temperature necessary to begin spring growth (3 and 6°C, respectively). We conclude that spatial location and species composition are critical factors for predicting the phenological response to climate change: satellite observations cannot be linked directly to temperature variability if species or community compositions are unknown.     

Composition of leaf surface waxes of Triticum species: Variation with age and tissue

The composition of cuticular wax from plants of spring wheat (varieties Selkirk and Manitou) and of durum wheat (variety Stewart 63) at various stages of growth, and of wax from different parts of the plants varies considerably. Wax was analysed, without preliminary separation, by GLC using Dexsil 300 as liquid phase. Alcohols are major components of wax from leaf blades and β-diketones are major components of wax from leaf sheaths, especially the flag leaf sheath. Glaucousness of the leaf sheath is due to the high β-diketone content. In the first 50 days after germination, before sheaths and flag leaf are completely developed, the major component is octacosanol (> 50%). At 66 days, when sheath development is complete, β-diketone content is greatest. Hydrocarbon composition differs for wax from leaf blade and leaf sheath and also for different leaf blades and between adaxial and abaxial sides of the flag leaf. From 66 to 100 days ester content of wax increases, especially in Selkirk wheat, apparently due to formation of wax containing high proportions of esters of trans-α,β-unsaturated C₂₂ and C₂₄ acids. The content of these acids in the free fatty acids and of diesters based on these acids also increases during this period.     

半干旱区膜上覆土穴播对春小麦旗叶光合作用和水分利用的影响

在甘肃定西大田定位试验的基础上,2012—2013年连续2年比较了全膜覆土穴播(PMS)、覆膜穴播(PM)和露地穴播(CK)春小麦旗叶的SPAD值、叶绿素荧光参数、光合气体交换参数以及叶面积指数(LAI)、产量、耗水量和水分利用效率.结果表明: PMS提高了小麦旗叶SPAD值,扬花后显著高于PM,增加了10.0%～21.5%,较CK增加了3.2%～21.6%.PMS的旗叶最大光化学效率(F_v/F_m)、PSⅡ实际光化学效率(Φ_PSⅡ)和光化学猝灭系数高于PM和CK,较PM最高分别提高了6.1%、9.6%和30.9%,并在灌浆期达到显著差异;而PMS的非光化学猝灭系数(q_N)值最低,并在抽穗期与PM达显著差异水平,2012和2013年分别降低了23.8%和15.4%.PMS的气孔导度(g_s)较PM和CK高,在灌浆期与PM达到显著差异,2012和2013年分别提高了17.1%和21.1%;PMS的蒸腾速率(T_r)较PM提高了5.4%～16.7%,光合速率(P_n)增加了11.2%～23.7%,旗叶瞬时水分利用效率(WUE_i)提高了5.6%～7.2%(除2013年抽穗期外),并在2012年扬花期达到显著差异.PMS的LAI高于PM和CK,尤其在季节性干旱的2013年达到显著差异.因此,PMS提高了叶片SPAD值,增强了旗叶对光合能量的同化能力和气体交换强度,使更多的光合能量进入光化学同化方向,降低了热耗散,使P_n增加,提高了旗叶WUE_i,基于较高的光合速率和群体LAI,最终提高小麦产量和水分利用效率.     

水氮互作对固定道垄作栽培春小麦根系生长及产量的影响

为探讨固定道小麦栽培方式下适宜的水氮组合,以低水1200 (W₁)、中水2400 (W₂)、高水3600 m³·hm^-2 (W₃)为主处理,0 (N₀)、低氮90(N₁)、中氮180 (N₂)、高氮270 kg·hm^-2 (N₃)为副处理,采用裂区设计,对固定道垄作栽培方式下水氮互作对春小麦根系生长及产量的影响进行了研究.结果表明:水氮互作能显著影响春小麦根干质量密度(RWD),RWD随着小麦生育期的进程表现为先增大后减小的趋势,在灌浆期达最大;RWD对施氮量的响应取决于灌溉量,在W₁下,RWD在N₁处理下最大,在W₂下,RWD随着施氮量的增加在N₂处理下最大,在W₃下,RWD随着施氮量的增加在N₃ 处理下最大;不同灌溉处理下RWD表现为W₂>W₃>W₁;施氮与灌水显著影响RWD,表现为灌水>氮肥>水氮互作,在W₂N₂处理下最大.根冠比随着灌水量与施氮量的增加逐渐减小,在W₁N₀处理下根冠比最大;85%以上的小麦根系分布于0～40 cm土层,产量与0～40 cm土层RWD呈显著抛物线回归关系,与40～60 cm土层RWD呈显著线性正回归关系.W₂灌溉条件可以促进小麦根系向中下层(40～60 cm)分布;灌水施氮能显著影响春小麦籽粒产量与生物产量,生物产量随着施氮量和灌水量的增加而增加,籽粒产量在W₂N₂最大;灌水生产力随灌水量的增加逐渐降低,氮肥农学利用率随施氮量的增加而减小.因此,在固定道垄作栽培方式下,施肥量与灌水量控制在N₂ (180 kg·hm^-2)与W₂(2400 m³·hm^-2)条件下有利于促进根系生长,进而提高春小麦籽粒产量及水氮利用效率,是河西灌区固定道小麦栽培方式下适宜的水氮组合.     

不同耕作方式下长期秸秆还田对旱作春玉米田土壤碳、氮、水含量及产量的影响

为了探索渭北旱塬春玉米田保护性轮耕模式的土壤培肥效果和增产增收效应,于2007—2014年在陕西合阳实施了秸秆覆盖或还田条件下免耕/深松(NT/ST)、深松/翻耕(ST/CT)、翻耕/免耕(CT/NT)、连续免耕(NT)、连续深松(ST)和连续翻耕(CT)等6种耕作处理田间定位试验,测定并分析了2010—2014年玉米收获期各耕作处理下0～60 cm土壤有机碳、氮储量,0～200 cm土层土壤含水量变化及春玉米产量差异.结果表明: 6种耕作处理中以NT/ST处理增加土壤有机碳和全氮储量最为明显.与2007年试验前相比,6种耕作处理均增加了0～60 cm土层土壤有机碳储量,5年平均值增幅为12.3%～28.3%,5种保护性耕作处理土壤有机碳储量5年平均值较CT对照处理显著增加7.1%～13.2%.NT/ST、ST/CT、CT/NT等3种轮耕处理和NT处理0～60 cm土层土壤氮储量5年平均值较试验前增加2.5%～7.3%.NT/ST、ST/CT、CT/NT、NT和ST处理土壤氮储量5年平均值比连续翻耕增加3.6%～11.1%.5种保护性耕作处理土壤含水量较CT处理依次增加5.7%、2.3%、2.0%、5.5%和4.4%,以NT/ST处理土壤含水量最高.6种耕作处理春玉米平均产量表现为NT/ST>ST/CT>ST >NT>CT/NT>CT,以NT/ST处理最高,分别较其他5种处理显著增产4.2%、13.0%、11.3%、4.7%和13.8%;经济效益平均表现为NT/ST>ST/CT>ST>NT>CT/NT>CT.在6种耕作处理中,免耕/深松轮耕处理在改善土壤环境质量、提升土壤肥力和增产增收方面都表现出优越性,为旱作春玉米田较适宜的土壤轮耕模式.