Geomorphic principles of terrain organization and vegetation gradients

Abstract. Moisture and nutrient gradients consistently explain much of the variation in plant species composition and abundance, but these gradients are not spatially explicit and only reveal species responses to resource levels. This study links these abstract gradients to quantitative, spatial models of hill‐slope assembly. A gradient analysis in the mixed‐wood boreal forest demonstrates that patterns of upland vegetation distribution are correlated to soil moisture and nutrient gradients. Variation in species abundance with time since the last fire is removed from the gradient analysis in order to avoid confounding the physical environment gradients. The physical‐environment gradients are related to qualitative positions on the hill slope i.e. crest, mid‐slope, bottom‐slope. However, hill‐slope shape can be quantitatively described and compared by fitting allometric equations to the slope profiles. Using these equations, we show that hill‐slope profiles on similar surficial materials have similar parameters, despite coming from widely separated locations. We then quantitatively link the moisture and nutrient gradients to the equations. Moisture and nutrients significantly increase as distance down‐slope from the ridgeline increases. Corresponding vegetation composition changes too. These relationships characterize the general pattern of vegetation change down most hill slopes in the area. Since hill slopes are a universal feature of all landscapes, these principles may characterize landscape scale spatial patterns of vegetation in many environments.     

上海市地面藓类植物的分布格局分析

在上海市选取20个公园和2个化工厂设立22个样点,对地面藓类植物进行野外样方调查、标本鉴定和数据统计．基于75种记录的藓类植物及其盖度数据,应用双向指示种分析法(TWINSPAN)和除趋势对应分析(DCA)分析其分布格局．结果表明,上海市地面藓类植物可聚类为3个样点组,样点组1为市中心2个公园和2个化工厂,共有藓类23种,总盖度最小(21．29％);样点组2为部分市中心公园和外围公园,共有藓类44种,总盖度37．94％;样点组3主要为外围公园和市郊公园,共有藓类49种,总盖度为49．66％．结果反映了藓类植物分布与不同生境,环境污染及人为干扰有一定相关性．     

三峡库区三种林下地被物储水特性

通过对三峡库区3种森林类型(松栎混交林、栓皮栎纯林、马尾松纯林)林下地被物调查及其持水试验,分别得到3种森林类型林下地被物最大储水量、吸水速率等水文特征参数,结果表明,栓皮栎纯林林下苔藓层储水量最大,为其风干重的303．1％,松栎混交林林下的为283．8％,马尾松纯林林下的为242．3％．松栎混交林林下枯落物最大储水量为其风干重的282.2％,栓皮栎纯林林下的为262．5％,马尾松纯林林下的为239．3％。经分析拟合,得到林下苔藓层、林下枯落物吸水速率与浸泡时间之间关系式为S=kt^n,在同为中龄林条件下,3种森林类型林下苔藓层储水量均高于林下枯落物储水量,而林下地被物储水量随时间变化过程与森林类型无关。     

禁牧对锡林郭勒典型草原物种多样性的影响

为了研究禁牧对典型草原物种多样性的影响,对自由放牧和不同时间(1987、1997和2003年)禁牧的典型草原的物种组成进行了调查.结果表明:禁牧并未使典型草原的主要物种组成发生明显的改变,但使物种的相对重要性发生了明显变化,优势种的优势更加明显;同时,禁牧在一定的时间内可以提高典型草原的物种多样性,但随着禁牧时间的延长,典型草原的物种多样性和丰富度都表现出一种先上升后下降的趋势;在相同的禁牧或放牧条件下,水分条件较好的典型草原具有更高的物种多样性.可见,合理的禁牧时间与优越的水分条件有利于典型草原维持较高的物种多样性.典型草原物种多样性下降可能是人为干扰与干旱环境条件共同作用的结果.     

Brachythecium rutabulum and Betula pendula as bioindicators of heavy metal pollution around a chlor-alkali plant in Poland

Chlor-alkali plants are known to be major sources of Hg emissions into the air. Therefore level of this metal in their surrounding must be carefully controlled. The aim of this work was to study the impact of the chlor-alkali industry in Brzeg Dolny (SW Poland) on the length of the vegetative short shoots of the pollution tolerant Betula pendula using the concentrations of Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn in the ubiquitous, terrestrial moss Brachythecium rutabulum as the pollution indicator of the environment. This investigation showed up to 14 mg kg⁻¹ elevated concentrations of Hg in mosses from sites the most close (0–500 m) to the chlor-alkali factory. This concentration decreased with increasing distance from the factory. Two and half km away from the factory the Hg concentration falls to values of 0.1–0.2 mg kg⁻¹ being still higher than background concentrations of 0.03–0.04 mg kg⁻¹. Decreasing concentrations of Co, Cr, Fe and Ni were also correlated with increasing distance from the plant. The results indicate that B. rutabulum may be a suitable ecological indicator of metal pollution by chlor-alkali industry. Higher concentration of accumulated metals by this moss corresponds with longer vegetative short shoots of B. pendula. Vegetative short shoots may be used as bioindicators of metal pollution where mosses are absent. This study demonstrates the importance of controlling the emissions of chlor-alkali industry especially if situated in the midst of densely populated areas with potential risks to the inhabitants.     

Biomagnetic monitoring of urban air pollution using moss bags (Sphagnum girgensohnii)

Active moss biomonitoring is widely applied in polluted areas for monitoring of airborne particle-bound trace element pollution. This study explored the suitability of the moss Sphagnum girgensohnii for biomagnetic monitoring in cities. To this end S. girgensohnii moss bags were exposed at three different microenvironments characterized by heavy traffic – street canyons, a city tunnel and parking garages during the summer and autumn of 2011 in the city of Belgrade. The ferro(i)magnetic PM fraction in the moss samples was quantified by Saturated Isothermal Remanent Magnetization (SIRM) and the measured values were compared with the trace element concentration in the moss samples. SIRM values were significantly different across the considered urban microenvironments. Moreover, a high correlation between moss SIRM values and concentrations of Al, Ba, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni and Pb was found. These results demonstrate that moss bags can be effectively applied for biomagnetic monitoring of the spatio-temporal distribution of road traffic and vehicles derived pollutants in urban areas.     

Lead adsorption capacity of some moss species used for heavy metal analysis

Mosses, covering about 23,000 species of all land plants in the world, have been widely used as an indicator of heavy metal pollution in many studies. A crucial part in these researches is to regularize the adsorption capacities of different moss species obtained from different regions to objectively compare the pollution levels. In this study, we have first analyzed the lead adsorption capacities of six different moss species by means of using column filled with Amberlite XAD-2000 resin method. The adsorption capacities of the studied six mosses are found in descending order as Eurhynchium striatum, Hypnum cupressiforme, Pleurozium schreberi, Eurhynchium striatulum, Homalothecium sericeum and Thuidium tamariscinum. Then, we have regularized the Pb adsorption levels for the moss species obtained from different regions along one of the important coast highway in Turkey, namely Sarp-Samsun highway, with respect to the determined adsorption capacities.     

Observations on dividing plastids in the protonema of the moss Funaria hygrometrica Sibth.

The process of division was investigated in the different types of plastids found in the tip cell of the protonema of Funaria hygrometrica Sibth. There were no structural changes in the envelope membranes of any of the plastid types during the initial stage of division. As the process of constriction advanced, thylakoids were locally disintegrated and sometimes starch grains in the isthmus were locally dissolved. In the isthmus, tightly constricted plastids were characterized by an undulating envelope and an increasing number of vesicles. After three-dimensional reconstruction of electronmicrographs a distinct filamentous structure was observed in the plane of division outside the plastid but close to the envelope. At different stages of division the constricted regions were partly surrounded by one or a few filaments. The roundish plastids in the apical zone were accompanied by single microtubule bundles, and the spindle-shaped plastids in the cell base were surrounded by single microtubules and microtubule bundles. A model of co-operation between microtubules and the filamentous structure in the division process is discussed.A preliminary report was presented at the Tagung der Deutschen Botanischen Gesellschaft und der Vereinigung für Angewandte Botanik, Hamburg, September 1986     

Nitrogen cycling in an Antarctic ecosystem 2. Estimation of the amount of nitrogen fixation in a moss community on East Ongul Island

Nitrogen fixation by cyanobacteria in a moss community on East Ongul Island (69°00'S 39°35'E), Antarctica was investigated using the acetylene reduction method. The mean acetylene reduction rate at 10°C and 200 μE·m⁻²·s⁻¹ photosynthetically active radiation was 7.12 nmol C₂H₄ per square centimeter of moss community per hour. The effects of temperature, radiation, desiccation and rehydration on the acetylene reduction rates were examined. A simple predictive model was constructed in order to estimate the amount of nitrogen fixed in the field. Using this model, the daily amount of nitrogen fixation was calculated from microclimatic data (temperature and radiation) measured in the experimental field at Syowa Station on East Ongul Island between 1983 and 1984. The cumulative amount of nitrogen fixation in the growing season during this period was estimated to be 329 mg N per square meter of moss community. It is suggested that nitrogen fixation by cyanobacteria in the moss community is important as a nitrogen source for the community growth on East Ongul Island.