Absorber Tower as a Photobioreactor for Microalgae

Green microalgae were grown under natural light in a photobioreactor similar to a transparent plate absorber. A proper temperature was maintained through the control of evaporation and the minimization of convective heat waste. Carbon dioxide desorption was lower in comparison to its level during cultivation in open or covered ponds. A yield of 1 g/l per day and over 100 g/m² projection area was achieved.     

Comparison of SHF and SSF processes for the bioconversion of steam-exploded wheat straw

Two processes for ethanol production from wheat straw have been evaluated — separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF) and simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF). The study compares the ethanol yield for biomass subjected to varying steam explosion pretreatment conditions: temperature and time of pretreatment was 200°C or 217°C and at 3 or 10 min. A rinsing procedure with water and NaOH solutions was employed for removing lignin residues and the products of hemicellulose degradation from the biomass, resulting in a final structure that facilitated enzymatic hydrolysis. Biomass loading in the bioreactor ranged from 25 to 100 g l⁻¹ (dry weight). The enzyme-to-biomass mass ratio was 0.06. Ethanol yields close to 81% of theoretical were achieved in the two-step process (SHF) at hydrolysis and fermentation temperatures of 45°C and 37°C, respectively. The broth required addition of nutrients. Sterilisation of the biomass hydrolysate in SHF and of reaction medium in SSF can be avoided as can the use of different buffers in the two stages. The optimum temperature for the single-step process (SSF) was found to be 37°C and ethanol yields close to 68% of theoretical were achieved. The SSF process required a much shorter overall process time (≈30 h) than the SHF process (96 h) and resulted in a large increase in ethanol productivity (0.837 g l⁻¹ h⁻¹ for SSF compared to 0.313 g l⁻¹ h⁻¹ for SHF). Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology (2000) 25, 184–192. Received 02 December 1999/ Accepted in revised form 20 July 2000     

Measurement of potential activity of fixed nitrifying bacteria in biological filters used in drinking water production

Nitrification during biological filtration is being used more and more in drinking water production to remove ammonia, which can be the source of several water quality problems during distribution. In this process, ammonia is converted into nitrite and then into nitrate by fixed autotrophic nitrifying bacteria. The purpose of this work was to develop a technique to estimate fixed nitrifying biomass (sum of ammonia- and nitrite-oxidizing populations). The quantification of autotrophic nitrifying biomass was determined by potential nitrifying activity measurement. The production of oxidized forms of inorganic nitrogen (nitrates and nitrites) was measured after an incubation of 2 cm³ of colonized solid support in the presence of a 5-ml nitrifier medium containing 10 mg N-NH₄ L⁻¹ for 30 min at 32°C. The production rate of oxidized nitrogen in optimal conditions was measured and converted into nitrifying biomass by using the maximum specific oxidizing activity. This technique was shown to be appropriate for conditions encountered in the biological filters used in drinking water production and sufficiently simple to be used for routine measurements. Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology (2000) 24, 161–166. Received 28 July 1999/ Accepted in revised form 11 November 1999     

沙埋对半灌木羊柴幼苗的存活、生长和生物量分配的影响

羊柴(Hedysarum laeve Maxim.)是中国北方沙地飞播进行植被恢复与重建的主要植物种.在晚春与夏初的出苗期 ,羊柴幼苗经常遭受不同深度的沙埋.研究旨在探明沙埋对羊柴幼苗存活、生长和生物量分配格局的影响.6周的沙埋试验结果显示:当沙埋深度达到其株高时,约有70%的幼苗死亡 ;沙埋深度达到其株高的133%时,可使羊柴幼苗全部死亡;沙埋深度分别为株高的33%和67% 时,羊柴幼苗的整株生物量、叶片生物量、根系生物量以及相对生长率都相应地高于非沙埋的对照(即:0%沙埋).与非沙埋的对照相比,羊柴幼苗在33%和67%沙埋条件下并不显著地改变其生物量分配格局;并且羊柴幼苗的叶数和株高与对照无明显差异,但试验期内的新生叶数是沙埋处理(即:33%、67%和100%沙埋)的幼苗明显地高于非沙埋的对照.     

锡林河流域一个羊草群落中土壤呼吸与生物量之间的相关性分析

采用根系生物量梯度上土壤呼吸变化趋势线外推法对锡林河流域一个羊草(Leymus chinensis (Trin.) Tzvel.)群落中根系呼吸占土壤总呼吸的比例进行了估计,对生物量各组分(地上、地下部分)之间以及它们与土壤呼吸间的相关性进行了分析.结果表明:在测定年度(1998年)整个生长季的不同月份,该群落中根系呼吸量占土壤呼吸总量的比例在14%～39%之间,平均为27%;地上总生物量及根系生物量与土壤呼吸间的相关性较差,但地上活生物量与土壤呼吸间存在着显著的乘幂关系.上述结果与国外同类研究结果相比,具有很好的一致性.     

Maintenance Respiration of Oryza sativa Leaves at Different Growth Stages as Influenced by Nitrogen Supply

Maintenance respiration rate, R_M, irrespective of growth stages, increased with increase in nitrogen supply. The R_M increased almost in proportion with net photosynthetic rate, P_N, and biomass production during early growth stages, while it declined after anthesis. Significant positive correlation was observed between biomass production and P_N at all growth stages except tillering. Though R_M was positively correlated with biomass production during early growth stages, it was negatively correlated with the rate of increase in shoot biomass after flowering, which could indicate a possibility to identify certain cultivars endowed with low maintenance expenses despite building up biomass.     

Long-term variations of epilimnetic phytoplankton in an artificial reservoir during a 10-year survey

Vieux-Pré is an artificial reservoir in the north-east part of France (61 Mm³), created in 1986 for hydraulic management. The phytoplankton and several environmental parameters in the upper part of the lake were monitored at a mid-lake station, from 1988 to 1997. The specific composition of the community changed during this period, from a predominantly pennate-diatom phytoplankton (Asterionella formosa, Fragilaria crotonensis), the lake passed to dominance by a sparse, motile nanoplankton (Mallomonas akrokomos, M. caudata, Cryptomonas erosa, Chroomonas/Rhodomonas, a.o.) and then by large colonies of small-celled species (Uroglena americana, Dinobryon spp., Radiocystis geminata, Aphanothece clathrata, Coelosphaerium kuetzingianum a.o.). This paper describes the algal successions involved and shows the decisive effects of the decrease of trophic level from an eutrophic stage to an oligo-mesotrophic condition. In the beginning, externally imposed disturbances (flooding and dewatering) were frequent, while now the lake has stabilised as a deep, stratified pelagic system. Under these conditions, autogenic phytoplankton appear to dominate.     

A function of cyanobacterial mats in phosphorus-limited tropical wetlands

Cyanobacterial mats are important components of oligotrophic wetland ecosystems in the limestone-based regions of the Caribbean. Our goals were to: (1) Estimate the biomass and primary production of cyanobacterial mats, quantify the extent of nitrogen fixation and measure the activity of alkaline phosphatase (APA) in representative marshes of northern Belize; (2) Record changes in these variables following nutrient additions. The mat biomass ranged from 200 to 700 g m^–2 AFDM, with the epipelon contributing up to 87% of the total. Tissue nitrogen was similar in all marshes (1.1–1.5%), while tissue phosphorus was extremely low (0.0055–0.0129%) and well correlated with the N:P ratio in water. Nitrogen fixation expressed as nitrogenase activity was high in some marshes (17.5 nmol C₂H₄ cm^–2 h^–1) and low (< 5 nmol C₂H₄ cm^–2 h^–1) in others depending mainly on the proportion of heterocyst-forming cyanobacteria (Nostocales, Stigonematales) in the mat. Alkaline phosphatase activity was positively correlated with the N:P ratio of the mat. Experimental addition of phosphorus resulted in significant increase in primary production and nitrogen fixation while it suppressed the APA activity. The presented data clearly showed that oligotrophic marshes of northern Belize are strongly P limited. Increased input of phosphorus would profoundly change their structure and functions.     

混合接种球孢白僵菌与摩西球囊霉对烟草促生抗逆影响

利用球孢白僵菌Beauveria bassiana与摩西球囊霉菌Glomus mosseae以单独和混合接种的方式在烟草Nicotiana tabacum苗期进行接种处理,检测烟草苗期和成熟期的农艺性状和生理特性.结果 表明:在育苗期,混合接种处理烟苗具有最大的叶长和最大叶宽,与对照相比提高了30.27％和42.98％...     

江苏省不同种植年限的西/甜瓜农田土壤线虫群落特征

在江苏省主要西/甜瓜产区,采集不同种植年限的西/甜瓜农田土壤,采用线虫形态学的鉴定方法,分析了不同种植年限西/甜瓜农田土壤线虫的数量、群落结构及相关生态指数的变化。结果表明:所有调查样点中,共发现土壤线虫54属,平均682条·100 g^-1干土,其中原杆属线虫、拟丽突属线虫和矮化属线虫在不同种植年限的西/甜瓜农田土壤中均为优势属;随着种植年限的增加,土壤线虫的总数量虽无显著变化,但其中食细菌类线虫和杂食-捕食类线虫数量显著减少,而植物寄生类线虫数量显著增加;植物寄生类线虫中的矮化属、根结属线虫数量不断增加;随着种植年限的增加,土壤线虫的多样性指数(H)、瓦斯乐斯卡指数(WI)、自由生活线虫成熟度指数(MI)显著降低,线虫通道指数(NCR)、植物寄生线虫成熟度指数(PPI)、PPI/MI显著升高,其他指数无显著变化;相关性分析结果显示,土壤线虫数量与土壤pH、速效磷、有效锌和有效硼均呈显著正相关;土壤p H、有机质、全氮、速效钾、有效硼和有效锌对土壤优势属线虫的影响较大;连续种植西/甜瓜会增加土壤植物寄生类线虫数量,进而可能造成西/甜瓜连作障碍的发生;连续种植6～1...