Characterization of the affinity for nitrogen, uptake kinetics, and environmental relationships for Prorocentrum minimum in natural blooms and laboratory cultures

During the late spring and early summer of 1998, an extensive bloom of the dinoflagellate Prorocentrum minimum (>93% of phytoplankton cell density) developed in several tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay, USA. In January 1999, a bloom of mixed dinoflagellates (Heterocapsa rotundata, H. triquetra and P. minimum, with P. minimum forming 21% of total phytoplankton cells and 39% of the total biovolume) developed in the mesohaline Neuse Estuary, North Carolina, USA. During these blooms, experiments were carried out to characterize the nitrogen uptake kinetics of these assemblages with ¹⁵N isotopic techniques. Four nitrogenous substrates (NO₃⁻, NH₄⁺, urea, and a mixed amino acids substrate) were used to determine uptake rate and substrate preference. Rates of nitrogen uptake were also measured in P. minimum cultures grown on varying growth nitrogen substrates. The calculated kinetic parameters determined for the P. minimum-dominated field assemblages and the cultures indicated a preference for NH₄⁺. NH₄⁺ was also the primary nitrogen source supporting the blooms. In addition, a high affinity for urea was also found, and urea contributed significantly to the Neuse Estuary bloom. Furthermore, results showed that the regulation of uptake for each of the substrates was different: strong positive relationships between affinity and temperature were found for NH₄⁺ and amino acids, while a negative response was found for NO₃⁻, and very little response to temperature was noted for urea. These differences suggest that a diversity of nitrogen uptake mechanisms may aid the development and maintenance of P. minimum blooms.     

An automatic device for in vivo absorption spectra acquisition and chlorophyll estimation in phytoplankton cultures

In order to aid the study of photoacclimation, a new programmable deviceis described which provides automatic on-line acquisition of in vivo cellabsorption in phytoplankton cultures. The system was used for a long-termstudy of Rhodomonas salina grown at constant photon flux density ina nitrate-limited continuous culture with different dilution rates. Particulate absorption measured at the red chlorophyll a (Chl a)maximum was not a good proxy of biomass, because of the large variabilityof cellular chlorophyll induced by nitrogen limitation. However, thedevice is well suited to automatic assessment of Chl a andphycoerythrin (PE) concentrations in phytoplankton cultures, if algal cellsize and concentration are measured in parallel to correct the packagingeffect. The effects of nitrogen limitation on Chl a and PE contentsand particle absorbance are discussed.     

Relationship between the structure of root systems and resource use for 11 North American grassland plants

Eleven Midwest North American grassland plant species differed in theirconstruction, production, and placement of fine and coarse belowground biomassin the soil profile after having been grown in containers in the field for twoand a half growing seasons. Based on the patterns of root system structure andresource utilization, the species we examined could be classified as 1)legumes,2) high-nitrogen rhizomatous C₃ species, and 3) a separategradient of differentiation from tall- to short-statured species(i.e. tallgrass to shortgrass species). Legumes depleted water evenlythroughoutthe soil profile, with little capacity for acquisition of inorganic nitrogenthroughout the 1m soil profile. The three rhizomatous species had shallow fineroot distributions, a large relative investment in shallow rhizomes, andmoisture and NO₃ ^– levels were low in shallow soils,but high at depth. Tallgrass species maintained a large standing root biomassofhigh-density, low-nitrogen fine roots, and acquire nitrogen andwater from a large, deep volume of soil, in which inorganic nitrogen is presentin low concentrations. Root systems ofshortgrass species lacked coarse belowground biomass, had fine roots that werefiner than those of the tallgrass species, and had a shallow root distribution.There was little support for functional dichotomies between the C₃and C₄ species or between the grasses and forbs. For example,Solidago rigida (C₃ forb) andAndropogon gerardii (C₄ grass) were moresimilarto each other than to other C₃ forbs or C₄ grasses,respectively.Across all species and depths examined, there were strong relationships betweenthe amount of fine root biomass present in a unit of volume of soil and thedepletion of soil water and nitrogen, but there were no relationships withcoarse belowground biomass. This reaffirms that differentiation of coarse andfine root biomass is as important as differentiating stems and leaves inevaluating plant allocation and ecosystem functioning.     

施加外源稀土元素对土壤中氮形态转化和有效性的影响

通过温室土培试验 ,测定了施加不同剂量农用稀土微肥 (常乐 )后不同采样时间的土壤有效N、NH 4 N、NO-3 N含量和土壤脲酶活性 .结果表明 ,当外源稀土施入量较大时 ,土壤有效N和NH 4 N含量明显降低 ,而土壤NO-3 N的变化不显著 .根据化学品安全性评价方法 ,实验确定外源稀土对土壤NH 4 N和有效N浓度影响的无观察效应浓度 (NOEC)应为 5mg·kg-1风干土 .实验观察到土壤NH 4 N含量的降低与土壤脲酶活性的抑制之间有较好的相关性 (R2 =0 .87) .外源稀土对土壤N形态转化和有效性产生影响的主要原因之一 ,是外源稀土施入量较高时抑制了土壤脲酶参与下的氨化作用 .土壤生态系统可以通过自适应过程进行自我调节 ,恢复N供给的能力 .     

Effects of expander-treating a barley-based concentrate on ruminal fermentation, bacterial N synthesis, escape of dietary N, and performance of dairy cows

Three primiparous dairy cows in early lactation with cannulas in rumen, duodenum and ileum were used in a 3×3 Latin square design to study effects of expander treatment of a barley-based concentrate. The concentrate was either pelleted at 75–80°C or expander treated at 125–130°C prior to pelleting. The diets consisted of 6.7 kg DM of grass silage and 10 kg DM of (1) 100% pelleted, (2) 50% pelleted and 50% expanded or (3) 100% expanded concentrate. The diets were offered as a mixed ration in four equal meals daily. Ruminal fermentation, bacterial N synthesis, duodenal, ileal and faecal flow of nutrients, and animal performance were monitored. Expander treatment numerically increased ruminal digestion of starch, which explained the observed increase in ruminal VFA concentration and the lowered ruminal pH (P<0.05). The proportion of butyrate in rumen liquid increased, whereas the proportion of propionate decreased in the expanded compared to the pelleted treatment (P<0.05). Expander treatment tended to increase rumen volume and rumen NDF pool size. Ruminal digestion of NDF was numerically lower in the expanded than in the pelleted treatment. No differences in bacterial N synthesis or efficiency of synthesis were observed among treatments. Expander treatment numerically increased the duodenal flow of non-ammonia N (NAN) and amino acid N (AAN), and seemed to increase the flow of non-ammonia non-bacterial N (NANBN) to the duodenum to a similar extent as was indicated by nylon bag studies. Milk production and milk fat and protein content were increased by the expander treatment (P<0.05), indicating that expander treatment increased the supply of nutrients for milk production.     

Nitrogen-induced boron deficiency in lucerne

Summary In a glasshouse experiment with a boron deficient soil the application of nitrogen was found to decrease the boron concentration and boron uptake by lucerne (Medicago sativa). Without added boron, nitrogen applications killed the lucerne, probably by inducing severe boron deficiency. With added boron, the lowest rate of nitrogen application increased lucerne yield but further additions depressed yields. The effect was due to a physiological interaction rather than an effect of the nitrogen on the availability of the boron in the soil.     

Electron-energy-loss spectroscopic imaging of calcium and nitrogen in the cell walls of apple fruits

Changes in texture are an integral part of ripening in most fleshy fruits and these changes are thought to be determined, primarily, by alterations in cell wall structure. Electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) imaging was used to obtain quantitative information on the levels of calcium and nitrogen in the cell walls of apple (Malus domestica Borkh. cv. Cox's Orange Pippin) fruits. Samples of fruit cortex were prepared for EELS by high-pressure freezing and molecular distillation drying to minimize loss and redistribution of soluble cell wall components such as calcium. The EELS imaging successfully resolved calcium and nitrogen levels in the middle lamella and primary cell wall. When the elemental compositions of the cell walls of Cox's apples from two sites in the UK were compared at harvest or after 6 months storage, the orchard which always produced consistently firmer fruit had significantly lower levels of cell wall calcium and higher levels of cell wall nitrogen. This result was unexpected since firm texture in apples and other fruits has been commonly associated with elevated levels of fruit calcium. The nitrogen-rich material in the sections used for EELS was insoluble in acidified methanol, indicating that it represented a high-molecular-weight component in the cell wall. Furthermore, total tissue hydroxyproline levels were greatest in material with elevated cell wall nitrogen, suggesting enhanced levels of wall structural proteins in the tissue. These data indicate a correlation between increased amounts of cell wall nitrogen and firm fruit texture. The possible role of cell wall proteins in determining the textural properties of fruit tissue is discussed. Received: 19 November 1998 / Accepted: 28 January 1999     

Nitrate,nitrate reduction and organic nitrogen in plants from different ecological and taxonomic groups of Central Europe

Summary 48 plant species of the families Asteraceae, Chenopodiaceae, Ericaceae, Fabaceae, Lamiaceae, Polygonaceae and Urticaceae were investigated in 14 natural habitats of Central Europe having different nitrate supplies, with respect to their nitrate content, nitrate reductase activity (NRA) and organic nitrogen content. Plants that were flowering were selected where possible for analysis. The plants were subdivided into flowers, laminae, petioles+shoot axes and below-ground organs. Each organ was analyzed separately. Differences among species were found for the three variables investigated. Apart from the Fabaceae, which had particularly high concentrations of organic N, these differences reflect mainly the ecological behaviour, i.e. high nitrate and organic N contents and NRA values per g dry weight were found in species on sites rich in nitrate, and vice versa. Nitrate content, NRA and organic N content were correlated with nitrogen figures of Central European vascular plants defined by Ellenberg (1979). By use of regression equations this correlation was tested with species from other systematic groups. Some species were attributed with calculated N figures for the first time.