Cyanobacterial soil crusts and woody shrub canopies in Kalahari rangelands

Intensive grazing of Kalahari rangelands has led to woody plant encroachment, notably of Acacia mellifera and Grewia flava. The mechanisms causing this process, and the ecological stability of woody plant encroached ecosystems, remain uncertain. Past studies suggest that canopy–soil relations may enhance woody plant competitive dominance. This study aims to investigate one element of this ecological change by examining the spatial distribution of cyanobacterial soil crusts in two vegetation sub‐habitats at sites of different disturbance. Crust burial by litter was also assessed to analyse the dynamics of canopy–crust relations. Our results show there is enhanced cyanobacterial crust cover under A. mellifera canopies and that unlike G. flava canopies, the crust cover remains under A. mellifera even at highly disturbed sites. This canopy–crust association suggests A. mellifera encroachment exhibits intrinsic resilience because of the crusts ability to stabilize the soil surface and increase nutrient retention. Crust burial by litter that accumulates under larger woody plants restricts crust development under canopies. Disturbance restricts crust development in plant interspaces and under G. flava. These two mechanisms combine to restrict crust development to an observed 40% threshold, with nonlinear models required to explain spatial patterns of crust dynamics.     

Short-term responses of phytoplankton to nutrient enrichment and planktivorous fish predation in a temperate South American mesotrophic reservoir

The benthic macroinvertebrate community is an important component of stream diversity, because its members are fundamental connectors among the different trophic levels of running waters. In this study, we assessed alpha and beta diversities of benthic macroinvertebrates in three stream sites and four microhabitats: (i) moss in the air-water interface; (ii) submerged roots of terrestrial plants; (iii) leaf litter deposited in pools; (iv) stones in riffles. We constructed rarefaction curves and compared species richness among microhabitats for each stream site. Additionally, we evaluated which factor, stream site, or microhabitat, was most important in determining variation in assemblage structure, i.e., beta diversity. There was no significant difference among microhabitats in terms of taxa richness evaluated by rarefaction curves. Using partial Constrained Correspondence Analysis (pCCA), we found that microhabitat was most important in determining community composition, accounting for 42.02% of the total variation. Stream sites accounted for 22.27%. In accordance with the pCCA, exploratory multivariate methods (ordination and classification) revealed four distinct groups, corresponding to the four microhabitats, independent of stream sites. Our results indicated that differences among environmental conditions are much more important in the determination of stream assemblage structure than are differences in spatial location. Accordingly, adjacent microhabitats in a single stream site harbor macroinvertebrate assemblages more dissimilar than those found in a single microhabitat at different stream sites. Handling editor: D. Dudgeon     

Comparison of fungal communities associated with spruce seedling roots and bryophyte carpets on logs in an old-growth subalpine coniferous forest in Japan

Fungal communities associated with plant tissues were compared between two bryophyte species dominating decaying logs (Scapania bolanderi and Pleurozium schreberi), and roots of spruce seedlings growing on the bryophytes and in the ground soil, to evaluate the contribution of fungal communities to seedling regeneration. Using high-throughput DNA sequencing, a total of 1233 fungal operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were detected. Saprotrophic Ascomycota were dominant in bryophytes, whereas ectomycorrhizal (ECM) Basidiomycota were dominant in spruce roots. Fungal communities were significantly different between the two bryophyte species. In addition, fungal communities of spruce seedlings were significantly affected by the substrates on which they were growing. Some ECM fungi were detected from both of the bryophytes and the spruce seedlings growing on them; however, the dominant OTU identities differed between the two bryophyte systems. The possible effects of functional differences between dominant fungal OTUs on spruce seedling regeneration are discussed.     

生物结皮对古尔班通古特沙漠3种荒漠草本植物生长特性与元素吸收的影响

生物结皮有可能通过物理、水文、养分循环影响与之相邻的维管植物,但二者相互关系尚存在着争议。本文以新疆古尔班通古特沙漠广泛分布的地衣结皮为研究对象,分析了生物结皮对3种荒漠草本植物：尖喙牻牛儿苗（Erodium oxyrrhynchum）、条叶庭芥（Alyssum linifolium）和琉苞菊（Hyalea pulchella）的生长及其对元素吸收的影响。研究结果表明：（1）生物结皮对3种荒漠草本植物生长的影响在生长期不同阶段存在差异。在前期,生物结皮的存在促进了植物生物量的累积;而后期,生物结皮却抑制了植物生长。生物结皮的存在显著影响了荒漠草本植物生物量的累积和冠根比。（2）生物结皮的存在显著增加了3种荒漠草本植物对N和K的吸收,而对P的吸收没有显著影响。生物结皮对3种植物Cu、Ca、Mg、Na、Cl的吸收存在种间差异。本研究结果将为该荒漠生态系统潜在的植被演替方向提供重要的科学根据。     

外源输入氮素在藓类生物土壤结皮中各氮组分的分配特征与归趋途径

针对黄土高原典型藓类生物结皮,以无结皮裸地为对照,通过野外原位同位素标记试验,在标记后1~30 d连续取样测定,示踪外源添加¹⁵N在生物结皮中各氮组分的分配特征,并分析¹⁵N在土壤-微生物-藓植株中的归趋途径,对比揭示生物结皮对土壤氮循环的影响。结果表明: 1)生物结皮的全氮、微生物生物量氮、可溶性有机氮中¹⁵N含量分别平均比裸地高2.9、17.5、9.0倍,且藓植株固定的¹⁵N含量高达4.73 mg·kg^-1。2)生物结皮的¹⁵N残留率平均为13.0%,其氮固持能力是裸地(3.3%)的4.0倍;生物结皮中各组分¹⁵N占全氮的比率依次为微生物生物量氮(54.3%)>藓植株氮(22.5%)>可溶性有机氮(6.2%),而裸地则为微生物生物量氮(11.5%)>可溶性有机氮(2.6%),显示生物结皮中微生物和藓植株的氮固持能力合计比裸地高65.3%。3)生物结皮中微生物生物量¹⁵N的转移量和库容量分别比裸地高17.2和20.5倍,但其周转率为每月5.8次,低于裸地的每月7.2次,其周转期是裸地的1.2倍。综上,与无结皮裸地相比,生物结皮具有更高的氮固持能力,同时能够改变土壤各氮组分的分配率,因此,在干旱生态系统土壤氮循环过程中具有重要作用。     

温带荒漠生物土壤结皮微生物群落结构与功能演替研究综述

生物土壤结皮(biological soil crusts,BSC)在荒漠植被的恢复及稳定性维持方面发挥了重要作用,被誉为“荒漠生态系统工程师”。BSC微生物群落是其发挥功能的主要成分,参与了BSC的形成、土壤性状的改善、土壤团聚体的稳定及植被的发育等过程。由于技术方法的限制,以往对BSC微生物群落发育如何调控荒漠植被稳定性的机理尚不清楚。近年来,随着土壤微生物组学技术的快速发展,BSC微生物群落组成及其功能的研究取得了较大进展,关于BSC微生物群落对荒漠生态系统贡献的认识日渐清晰。本文总结了温带荒漠BSC演替过程中微生物不同类群细菌、真菌、古菌群落的组成结构及参与碳氮循环的潜在功能变化,并对影响微生物群落结构和功能的土壤因素进行了剖析,阐释了BSC微生物群落与土壤功能性状相互作用及协同演替的模式,厘清了BSC促进荒漠土壤改善的机理,为温带荒漠植被恢复及荒漠生态系统对全球贡献的理解提供了依据。     

Didymodon kunlunensis D.P.Zhao,S.Mamtimin & S.He (Pottiaceae), a new species from Xinjiang,China

Didymodon kunlunensis D.P.Zhao, S.Mamtimin & S.He is described as a new species found in Xinjiang, China. The new species is characterised by a combination of the following characters: ovate leaves with laminal cells always smooth, red colour in KOH, recurved leaf margins from base to apex, a percurrent costa without dorsal and ventral stereid bands in cross section, a distinct stem central strand and the presence of gemmae in the leaf axils. Light microscope photographs of the significant characters are provided and its distinctions from closely related taxa are discussed. A key to Chinese Didymodon species with smooth laminal cell is provided.     

Actin filament array during side branch initiation in protonema cells of the mossFunaria hygrometrica: an actin organizing center at the plasma membrane

Summary With an improved method to visualize the actin filament system it is possible to detect a small, peculiar accumulation of actin filaments under the prospective area of side branch formation inFunaria protonema cells. It consists of a ring-like configuration of actin filaments from which filaments radiate, preferentially along the plasma membrane. During the transition to tip growth the arrangement becomes loosened and eventually disappears whereas the filaments are concentrated in inner regions of the cytoplasm with a maximum in the apical dome.     

Spatial interpolation of N concentrations and δ15N values in the moss Hypnum cupressiforme collected in the forests of Slovenia

Mosses were collected from 103 locations and analyzed for N concentration and δ¹⁵N values. At each location, the samples were collected from two types of site: under the tree canopies and in the adjacent forest openings. A spatial correlation was detected, and ordinary kriging could be applied only to the N in the mosses that were collected in the openings. In contrast, a spatial correlation was not detected for N in the mosses that were collected under the canopies or for the δ¹⁵N of the mosses at either type of site. For those, the spatial interpolation was calculated as the sum of the regression predictions and the inverse distance weighted interpolation of residuals. The maps for the N at both site types (canopy/open) identified similar areas with increased N concentrations. The sole exception was the mosses collected under the canopy, for which some local emitters of NO_x were also identified.