Soil carbon stock impacts following reversion of Miscanthus × giganteus and short rotation coppice willow commercial plantations into arable cropping

There are posited links between the establishment of perennial bioenergy, such as short rotation coppice (SRC) willow and Miscanthus × giganteus, on low carbon soils and enhanced soil C sequestration. Sequestration provides additional climate mitigation, however, few studies have explored impacts on soil C stocks of bioenergy crop removal; thus, the permanence of any sequestered C is unclear. This uncertainty has led some authors to question the handling of soil C stocks with carbon accounting, for example, through life cycle assessments. Here, we provide additional data for this debate, reporting on the soil C impacts of the reversion (removal and return) to arable cropping of commercial SRC willow and Miscanthus across four sites in the UK, two for each bioenergy crop, with eight reversions nested within these sites. Using a paired‐site approach, soil C stocks (0–1 m) were compared between 3 and 7 years after bioenergy crop removal. Impacts on soil C stocks varied, ranging from an increase of 70.16 ± 10.81 Mg C/ha 7 years after reversion of SRC willow to a decrease of 33.38 ± 5.33 Mg C/ha 3 years after reversion of Miscanthus compared to paired arable land. The implications for carbon accounting will depend on the method used to allocate this stock change between current and past land use. However, with published life cycle assessment values for the lifetime C reduction provided by these crops ranging from 29.50 to 138.55 Mg C/ha, the magnitude of these changes in stock are significant. We discuss the potential underlying mechanisms driving variability in soil C stock change, including the age of bioenergy crop at removal, removal methods, and differences in the recalcitrant of the crop residues, and highlight the need to design management methods to limit negative outcomes.     

Effects of several establishment modes of Miscanthus × giganteus and Miscanthus sinensis on yields and yield trends

Miscanthus is a C4 perennial grass originating from East Asia, the yields of which progressively increase in the first years of growth. Several species for bioenergy have been studied since the mid‐1980s in Europe, in particular (Miscanthus × giganteus [M. × giganteus]), due to its high yields. M. × giganteus is mainly cultivated in France and established from rhizomes. Our study aimed to assess, in field conditions, alternative establishment methods combined with an alternative species, Miscanthus sinensis (M. sinensis). We set up a multi‐environment experimental network. On each trial, we tested two treatments with M. × giganteus, established from rhizomes (G_r‐sd) and from plantlets obtained from rhizomes (G_p‐sd), and two treatments with M. sinensis seedlings transplanted in single (S_p‐sd) and double density (S_p‐dd). ANOVA was performed to compare establishment and regrowth rates across treatments, as well as yields across treatments and site‐years. A logistic model was used to describe yield trends and to compare the maximum yield reached and the rate of yield increase of both species. Results showed that miscanthus establishment from plantlets resulted in higher establishment (between 87% and 92%) and regrowth (between 91% and 94%) rates compared to establishment from rhizomes. Treatments with M. × giganteus obtained higher average yields across site‐years than those with M. sinensis, but more variable yields across site‐years. We showed a strong species effect on yields, yield components (shoot weight, shoot density and shoot number per plant) and light interception (through leaf area index). Lastly, to use M. sinensis established from transplanted plantlets as an alternative to M. × giganteus, research would be required on the breeding of M. sinensis sterile seeds to avoid risks of invasiveness.     

Population genetics and evolutionary history of Miscanthus species in China

Miscanthus species have received considerable attention as a potential biomass source for renewable energy production because of their ability to produce high yields of biomass and adapt to a wide range of climates and soils. To explore the genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationship of Miscanthus species in China, we used 24 simple sequence repeat markers to genotype 100 natural populations representing all four Chinese Miscanthus species (M. sinensis Andersson, M. floridulus (Lab.) Warb. ex K. Schum. & Lauterb., M. sacchariflorus (Maxim.) Hack., and M. lutarioriparius L. Liu ex Renvoize & S. L. Chen). Based on phylogenetic, principal coordinate, and Structure analyses, we found that the 100 populations formed two major groups corresponding to sect. Triarrhena and sect. Miscanthus. Group 1 (i.e., sect. Triarrhena) was further subdivided into two subgroups corresponding to M. sacchariflorus and M. lutarioriparius; Group 2 (i.e., sect. Miscanthus) was subdivided into three subgroups, group 2a (M. sinensis populations in southern China), group 2b (M. sinensis populations in northern China), and group 2c (all the M. floridulus populations). Population genetics analyses indicated high levels of the genetic diversity at both population (H_E = 0.468–0.599) and species (H_E = 0.559–0.708) levels, indicative of the potential of these wild resources in future breeding programs. The species distribution modeling showed that M. sacchariflorus and M. lutarioriparius have experienced population reductions during the last glacial maximum and population expansion afterward; in contrast, M. sinensis and M. floridulus both underwent gradual population expansions from the last interglaciation to the present. We also suggest that M. floridulus originated from M. sinensis in southeast China through ecological speciation. The understanding of the evolutionary history and population dynamics of these species not only provides valuable information for further genetic improvement and breeding of this energy crop but also gives important insights into the origin and speciation processes of the Miscanthus species.     

芒属植物重金属耐性及其在矿山废弃地植被恢复中的应用潜力

芒属植物重金属耐性强,并且是重要的能源植物,其在矿山废弃地植被恢复中的应用备受关注.芒属植物对多种重金属耐性强,但不属于重金属超累积植物.目前的研究认为,根系代谢能力强、根际存在多种共生微生物及抗氧化和光合作用能力强是芒属植物重金属耐性强的重要原因,但更为全面的耐性机理需要深入研究.芒属植物在矿山废弃地植被恢复的应用潜力大,可以清除土壤重金属、改善土壤性质和促进生物多样性发展.本文总结分析了芒属植物生物学特性、重金属耐性特点、机理及其在矿山废弃地植被恢复中的应用潜力,提出了应用芒属植物进行矿山废弃地植被恢复的基本思路,并对芒属植物的重金属耐性机理及应用的未来研究方向进行展望,以期为利用芒属植物开展矿山废弃地植被恢复提供借鉴.     

《芒属种质资源描述规范和数据标准》的制定

目前芒属植物被视为最有前景的木质纤维素能源作物,在中国、美国、日本和欧洲国家得到了广泛研究和利用。但截至目前依然没有统一的芒属植物种质资源描述规范,一定程度上阻碍了其信息的共享与交流。鉴于此,本研究通过开展芒属植物种质资源描述和数据制定技术标准研究,旨在为芒属能源作物品种的选育、审定与推广提供科学规范的依据。本文论述了芒属种质资源描述规范、数据标准与数据质量控制规范的制定原则、方法与内容,对于促进整合全国芒属种质资源,规范芒属种质资源的收集、保存、评价具有指导作用。     

Predicting future biomass yield in Miscanthus using the carbohydrate metabolic profile as a biomarker

In perennial energy crop breeding programmes, it can take several years before a mature yield is reached when potential new varieties can be scored. Modern plant breeding technologies have focussed on molecular markers, but for many crop species, this technology is unavailable. Therefore, prematurity predictors of harvestable yield would accelerate the release of new varieties. Metabolic biomarkers are routinely used in medicine, but they have been largely overlooked as predictive tools in plant science. We aimed to identify biomarkers of productivity in the bioenergy crop, Miscanthus, that could be used prognostically to predict future yields. This study identified a metabolic profile reflecting productivity in Miscanthus by correlating the summer carbohydrate composition of multiple genotypes with final yield 6 months later. Consistent and strong, significant correlations were observed between carbohydrate metrics and biomass traits at two separate field sites over 2 years. Machine‐learning feature selection was used to optimize carbohydrate metrics for support vector regression models, which were able to predict interyear biomass traits with a correlation (R) of >0.67 between predicted and actual values. To identify a causal basis for the relationships between the glycome profile and biomass, a ¹³C‐labelling experiment compared carbohydrate partitioning between high‐ and low‐yielding genotypes. A lower yielding and slower growing genotype partitioned a greater percentage of the ¹³C pulse into starch compared to a faster growing genotype where a greater percentage was located in the structural biomass. These results supported a link between plant performance and carbon flow through two rival pathways (starch vs. sucrose), with higher yielding plants exhibiting greater partitioning into structural biomass, via sucrose metabolism, rather than starch. Our results demonstrate that the plant metabolome can be used prognostically to anticipate future yields and this is a method that could be used to accelerate selection in perennial energy crop breeding programmes.     

Microsatellites and RFLP probes from maize are efficient sources of molecular markers for the biomass energy crop Miscanthus

A survey of Gramineae markers was carried out with the aim of developing cost-effective methods for the molecular analysis of Miscanthus species. Ten out of twenty Gramineae RFLP probes from ”anchor” sets hybridized well to Miscanthus DNA while all 15 maize probes tested cross-hybridized successfully, showing similar patterns in both species. Cross-taxa amplification of maize microsatellite primers was then tested. This showed that 57 out of 76 (75%) give highly reproducible amplification with Miscanthus DNA. Amplification products differed in size from those in maize but there was no bias toward higher or lower molecular weights. Microsatellite polymorphism produced by 17 primer pairs was studied in detail in a panel of 11 Miscanthus clones belonging to the species Miscanthus sinensis, Miscanthus sacchariflorus, Miscanthus ×giganteus and Miscanthus condensatus. Intra- and inter-specific length polymorphisms were frequent between the tested Miscanthus clones with length polymorphisms being found for all primer pairs, detecting 3–22 alleles. Polymorphism information content (PIC) values for microsatellites ranged from 0.48 to 0.94 with an average of 0.83. Species-specific amplicons were produced by two microsatellites. Genetic similarity coefficients of the Miscanthus clones ranged from 0.35 to 0.92, with an average of 0.57. Five polymorphisms were studied in a segregating population, where they showed Mendelian inheritance. In addition, two microsatellite markers mapping 1.3-cM apart on maize chromosome 7 were linked in Miscanthus at an estimated distance of 8 cM, suggesting collinearity. The high transferability of microsatellite markers from maize will enhance the power and resolution of genome analysis in Miscanthus. Received: 14 April 2000 / Accepted: 9 June 2000     

五节芒不同种群对Cd污染胁迫的光合生理响应

通过盆栽模拟试验,以分别来自粤北大宝山矿区和惠州博罗非矿区的两个五节芒种群为试验材料,比较研究了两个种群在Cd胁迫下的气体交换参数、叶绿素荧光特性、光合色素含量和叶绿体超微结构变化的差异。结果表明:(1)Cd胁迫下五节芒两种群叶片净光合速率(Pn)、蒸腾速率(E)、气孔导度(Gs)、胞间二氧化碳浓度(Ci)、叶绿素含量(Chl)都有不同幅度的下降;叶绿体超微结构遭到破坏。矿区种群随Cd胁迫程度的加深,净光合速率下降较慢,叶绿体的外形及基粒结构受到的影响较小。(2)轻度Cd胁迫下气孔限制是五节芒非矿区种群Pn降低的主要因素,中度和重度Cd胁迫下非气孔限制是Pn降低的主要因素。(3)Cd胁迫下五节芒两种群PSⅡ反应中心最大光化学效率(Fv/Fm)、PSⅡ潜在活性(Fv/Fo)、PSⅡ有效光化学效率Fv′/Fm′均有所下降。总体上矿区种群降幅较小,PSⅡ利用光能的能力及PSⅡ的潜在活性均较强。PSⅡ光化学猝灭系数(qP)、非光化学猝灭系数(NPQ)的变化表现为Cd胁迫下两种群qP值降低、NPQ值升高,总体上抗性强的矿区种群qP降低的幅度低且NPQ升高幅度大。随着Cd胁迫浓度增加,矿区种群实际光化学反应效率(ΦPSⅡ)和电子传递速率(ETR)变化幅度不大,而非矿区种群显著下降,表明矿区种群PSⅡ反应中心电子传递活性受到的影响小,光合机构的损伤程度低。研究表明,五节芒矿区种群对重金属Cd有较强的耐受能力,适合作为金属矿区植被恢复建设的禾本科先锋物种。     

鄱阳湖洲滩湿地植物生长和营养繁殖对水淹时长的响应

水淹时长是影响湿地植物分布的重要因素。在水情不断变化的背景下,鄱阳湖洲滩湿地植物种群和群落的变化规律还不清楚。为了探究淹水时长对鄱阳湖洲滩3种优势植物生长和繁殖的影响,并预测在水文发生剧烈变化后,3种优势植物分布的趋势,采用控制实验模拟了不同水淹时长(0、60、90、120、150 d和180 d)下鄱阳湖湿地3种优势植物(灰化薹草(Carex cinerascens)、南荻(Miscanthus lutarioriparius)和虉草(Phalaris arundinacea))的生长和繁殖情况。研究结果表明:1)南荻在水淹超过120 d后,存活率开始降低,水淹到达180 d完全死亡。而灰化薹草和虉草在淹水180 d后仍全部存活。表明南荻耐淹水的能力弱于其他两种植物。2)水淹显著降低灰化薹草的总生物量,并且总生物量随水淹时长的增加而逐渐降低。而短时间(小于150 d)的水淹没有对虉草总生物量产生显著影响。3)退水初期,灰化薹草的恢复生长趋向于地上部分,而虉草表现为地下和地下部分同步生长。该研究结果可以为预测水文情势变化下鄱阳湖湿地植物种群和群落的动态变化提供依据。