Laboratory Simulations of Cyanobacterial Mats of the Alkaline Geochemical Barrier

The goal of this work was to illustrate a possible interaction between the soda continent and the ocean. A laboratory simulation was undertaken of the development of alkaliphilic mat with calcium carbonate and calcium phosphate interlayers in the zone where ocean waters, containing calcium and manganese, come into contact with carbonate- and phosphate-rich alkaline waters. The macrostructure of the layered cyanobacterial mat turned out to be little dependent on the chemical conditions causing sediment formation. The chemical composition of freshly formed mineral interlayers of the mat was found to vary with the medium composition. The mineralogical composition of the sediment is determined by diagenesis conditions in its depth, which can cause mineral phase conversions.     

ACHNANTHIDIUM DOLOMITICUM SP. NOV. (BACILLARIOPHYTA) FROM OLIGOTROPHIC MOUNTAIN SPRINGS AND LAKES FED BY DOLOMITE AQUIFERS1

A new benthic freshwater diatom, Achnanthidium dolomiticum sp. nov., was identified from light and scanning electron micrographs. The most characteristic morphological features are a narrow, but distinctive fascia; a filiform raphe with narrowly spaced central ends and a very narrow and straight axial area on the raphe valve; a convex‐shaped rapheless valve; the length/width ratio; and valve outline. The new species, has been found so far to be mainly epiphytic on bryophytes and aquatic vascular plants in carbonate springs and lakes of the Italian Alps. The environmental preferences of the new species, as assessed by the comparative analysis of these sites, appear to be quite distinctive. These freshwater habitats are fed by drainage basins dominated by dolomite lithology with medium mineralization, are oligotrophic, and are affected by seasonal desiccation.     

Removal of Cd2+, Pb2+, and Zn2+ from contaminated water using dolomite powder

Dolomite collected from Surat Thani Province in Thailand was investigated for use as a sorbent for the removal of divalent heavy metal cations from an aqueous solution. The sorbent had a surface area of 2.46 m²/g and a pH of zero point charge (pHzpc) of 9.2. Batch sorption was used to examine the effect of the pH (pH 3–7) on the sorption capacity of Cd²⁺, Pb²⁺ and Zn²⁺, alone or together as an equimolar mixture at various concentrations. Alone, each heavy metal cation was adsorbed faster at a higher pH, where the sorption of Cd²⁺ and Pb²⁺ fitted a Langmuir isotherm, but Zn²⁺ sorption best fitted a Freundlich isotherm. Under equimolar competitive sorption, the sorption capacity of each cation was decreased by 75.8% (0.29–0.07 mM/g), 82.8% (0.53–0.09 mM/g), and 95.7% (0.84–0.04 mM/g) for Cd²⁺, Pb²⁺ and Zn²⁺, respectively, compared to that with the respective single cation. Desorption of these heavy metal cations from dolomite was low, with an average desorption level of 0.06–17.4%. Furthermore, since dolomite is readily available and rather cheap, it is potentially suitable for use as an efficient sorbent to sorb Cd²⁺ and Pb²⁺, and perhaps Zn²⁺, from contaminated water.     

Copper and antimony extraction from tetrahedrite‐containing dolomite heterotrophic bacteria

Three hundred and thirty‐five strains of heterotrophic bacteria, isolated from various metal‐containing ores, were tested in submerged culture for their capacity to leach copper and antimony from tetrahedrite‐containing dolomitic ore (particle size <0.1 mm; Schwaz, Austria). Experiments showed that after 8 days of incubation, it was possible to differentiate between active and inactive strains. Maximum extraction values for copper (1.0%) and antimony (1.6%) were achieved with Pseudomonas spp. after 8 days. Final pH values were 6.8 in sterile controls and slightly alkaline (up to pH 8.3) in inoculated flasks. Starch and glutamine (C/N ratio of 50:1) proved to be the best carbon and nitrogen sources for growth. Variation of the C/N source resulted in only a very slight increase in the rates of extraction for copper and antimony. Not even 24 h preliminary incubation of a culture before the ore was added improved metal extraction.     

黔东南州白云岩喀斯特区植物群落演化特征

该研究采用时空互代法、连续带指数法等,对贵州省黔东南州的白云岩喀斯特区60个具有代表性的典型样地的植物种组组成、以及各演替阶段植物群落高度、密度、生物量、生物多样性指数、均匀度指数、生态优势度指数等进行调查分析,以探讨白云岩喀斯特区植物群落的演化特征,为深入研究白云岩喀斯特区植物群落自然恢复规律奠定基础。结果表明:(1)各种组的优势种组成不同,种组替代规律依次为先锋种、次先锋种、过渡种,最终被顶极种替代的过程。(2)群落的高度、密度、生物量等结构特征随植物群落演替发展呈逐渐增大趋势,变化范围分别为0.58～9.54m、585～3 145株·hm-2、8.45～128.56t·hm-2。(3)植物群落的物种丰富度随演替阶段的发展呈下降趋势,从草本群落阶段到顶极群落阶段物种数由48种降低到10种。(4)随着植物群落演替阶段的发展,生物多样性指数呈先升高后降低的趋势,即由草本群落的3.48升高到草灌群落的4.73,后降到顶极群落的3.46;均匀度指数呈降低趋势,最高为草本群落阶段的0.95,最低为常绿阔叶林阶段的0.78;生态优势度指数逐渐升高,顶极群落达到最大,为0.10。     

白云岩形成研究的新进展

据统计,全世界50%的碳酸盐岩储层是白云岩,80%以上北美油气碳酸盐岩储存在白云岩中[1-2]。但在现代沉淀环境中几乎找不到原生的白云石踪迹[3],白云石的成因也一直是困扰地质学家们的问题。因此,研究白云石的成因对油气勘探和开发具有战略学意义。近年来,"微生物白云石模型"的提出[4],为解开白云石成因之谜开启了一扇新的窗户。陆续有报道多种微生物的代谢能够介导白云石的形成,但已有研究是在常压下进行,所得到白云石晶体不是天然的菱面型。本期介绍了宋泉颖、张宇等发表的论文"球形赖氨酸芽孢杆菌(Lysinibacillus sphaericus)和嗜冷芽孢八叠球菌(Sporosarcina psychrophila)介导形成白云石晶体"[5],作者首次将压力因素引入白云石成因的研究,并结合微生物菌株的生理特性,综合考察了多重因子对微生物介导形成白云岩的影响,发现球形赖氨酸芽孢杆菌在低温高压微氧条件下,通过尿素水解活性能够介导形成类似于菱面形白云石晶体。该研究是"微生物白云石模型"研究的一个重要进展,也是微生物和地质学交叉研究的一个成功实例。尽管该研究获得了菱面型白云石晶体,但与天然样本尚有差距,分析原因可能是目前的实验条件与自然环境中的白云石形成条件还有所区别,因此,还需要深入地研究才能进一步完善"微生物白云石模型"。