Effect of Soybean Monoculture on the Bacterial Communities Associated with Cysts of Heterodera glycines

The soybean cyst nematode (SCN), Heterodera glycines, can cause significant reductions in soybean yield and quality in many parts of the world. Natural biological control may play an important role in regulating SCN population. In this study the bacterial communities associated with SCN cysts obtained from fields under different lengths of soybean monoculture were explored. Soil samples were collected in 2010 and 2011 from six fields that had been used for soybean monoculture for 2 to 41 yr. SCN population densities were determined and bacterial communities from SCN cysts were investigated by Biolog and PCR-DGGE methods. SCN population densities initially increased in the first 5 yr of soybean monoculture but then declined steeply as years of soybean monoculture increased. Catabolic diversity of bacterial communities associated with cysts tended to decline as number of years of monoculture increased. Some specific PCR-DGGE bands, mainly representing Streptomyces and Rhizobium, were obtained from the cysts collected from the long-term monoculture fields. Principal component analysis of Biolog and PCR-DGGE data revealed that bacterial communities associated with cysts could be divided into two groups: those from cysts obtained from shorter (< 8 yr) vs. longer (> 8 yr) monoculture. This research demonstrates that the composition of the bacterial communities obtained from SCN cysts changes with length of soybean monoculture; the suppressive impact of these bacterial communities to SCN is yet to be determined.     

Deploying microbes as drivers and indicators in ecological restoration

Ecosystem degradation is a major environmental threat. Beyond conservation, restoration of degraded ecosystems is a prerequisite to reinstate their ability to provide essential services and benefits. Most of the restoration efforts focus on aboveground restoration, that is, plants, under the assumption that establishment of plant species will reestablish the faunal and microbial species. While this may be true for some cases, it is not a general rule. Reestablishment of microbial communities by dedicated efforts is also necessary for successful restoration, as cycling of essential nutrients for plant growth and decomposition of organic matter is dependent on them. The role of microbial fertilizers and efficient organisms used in agriculture needs to be explored in restoration. Testing of symbiotic interactions between potential plant growth-promoting Rhizobacteria and plants native to a degraded ecosystem can be conducted and utilized for successful establishment of plant species. However, utmost care must be taken while introducing new microbial species or non-native plant species to an area, as they can adversely affect the resident microbial community. Techniques like phospholipid fatty-acid analysis can be used for taxonomic identification of large microbial groups in non-degraded reference ecosystems before introducing microbial species into a degraded ecosystem. For use of microbes in restoration, more studies on microbe-plant interactions need to be conducted. For use of Soil Microbial Community (SMC) as indicators of restoration, their role and function in the ecology of the area need to be elucidated by employing all the available techniques.     

五节芒定居对尾矿砂重金属形态、微生物群落功能及多样性的影响

选择尾矿砂裸地和4个五节芒(Miscanthus floridulus)定居地(RI、RII、RIII和RIV)为样地, 分别研究了五节芒定居对尾矿砂重金属形态转化和微生物功能参数的影响。结果表明: 五节芒自然定居显著地提高了尾矿砂碳酸盐结合态和硫化物-有机物结合态重金属比例(p＜0.05), 降低了尾矿砂残渣态重金属的比例(p＜0.05)。土壤微生物群落的纤维素分解作用、酚转化作用、固氮作用、氨化作用、硝化作用、有机磷转化作用、功能多样性、4类不同碳源(碳水化合(CH)、聚合物(PL)、胺类化合物(AM)和杂合物(ML))均随着五节芒自然定居显著提高(p＜0.05)。而氨基酸(AA)的利用强度却显著下降(p＜0.05)。典范相关分析(CCA)表明: 土壤微生物功能参数的总体变化与土壤碳酸盐结合态和硫化物-有机物结合态重金属的含量呈显著正相关, 与残渣态重金属含量呈显著负相关。该研究结果表明, 五节芒定居不仅促进了尾矿砂重金属朝着沉淀态和螯合态方面转化, 而且还显著地改善了尾矿砂微生物群落的功能发挥。因而, 五节芒在重金属矿业废弃地恢复实践中具有较大的应用潜力。     

格氏栲自然保护区常绿阔叶林群落的数量分类

基于对群落22个样地的调查,以群落样地中乔木层树种的重要值为指标,采用纸条排队法、群落相似系数分类法、最近邻体法和组平均法对格氏栲自然保护区常绿阔叶林群落进行数量分类。结果表明:4种分类结果基本相似,格氏栲自然保护区常绿阔叶林群落样地可分为格氏栲群系、米槠群系、甜槠群系、刨花楠群系、沉水樟群系、观光木群系和闽楠群系等7个群系,并论述了各群系的群落学特征,各群系基本处于稳定的顶极阶段。     

Effects of Prescribed Fire on Shinnery Oak ( Quercus havardii) Plant Communities in Western Oklahoma

Changes in structural and compositional attributes of shinnery oak (Quercus havardii Rydb.) plant communities have occurred in the twentieth century. These changes may in part relate to altered fire regimes. Our objective was to document effects of prescribed fire in fall (October), winter (February), and spring (April) on plant composition. Three study sites were located in western Oklahoma; each contained 12, 60 × 30‐m plots that were designated, within site, to be seasonally burned, annually burned, or left unburned. Growing season canopy cover for herbaceous and woody species was estimated in 1997–1998 (post‐treatment). At one year post‐fire, burning in any season reduced shrub cover, and spring burns reduced cover most. Winter and annual fires increased cover of rhizomatous tallgrasses, whereas burning in any season decreased little bluestem cover. Perennial forbs increased with fall and winter fire. Shrub stem density increased with fire in any season. Communities returned rapidly to pre‐burn composition with increasing time since fire. Fire effects on herbaceous vegetation appear to be manifested through increases in bare ground and reduction of overstory shrub dominance. Prescribed fire can be used as a tool in restoration efforts to increase or maintain within and between community plant diversity. Our data suggest that some plant species may require or benefit from fire in specific seasons. Additional research is needed to determine the long‐term effects of repeated fire over time.     

金沙江干旱河谷退化草地群落对氮磷施肥的反应

在云南省境内的金沙江干旱河谷区, 选择退化严重的草地群落研究氮磷施肥对群落动态的影响。经过一个生长季的施肥处理, 结果表明, 除大量施磷肥处理(20 g·a^-1·m^-2)时, 可能因施磷过多群落生物量和密度没有出现增加外。其余的施氮和施磷处理均导致群落地上生物量和密度增加, 而且施氮处理引起群落地上生物量和密度增加的程度都高于施磷处理。说明在干旱河谷退化严重的草地生态系统, 氮是限制系统恢复的主要因素。施肥后禾本科草本植物密度大量增加, 而乔灌木密度增加不明显, 群落在短期内变成以禾本科草本植物为主的状态。施氮和施磷没有引起群落种数量和植物多样性指数的明显变化。试验结束时土壤的铵态氮、硝态氮和有效磷浓度没因施肥而增加, 但施肥处理的植物体氮和磷浓度增加。     

耕作方法和除草剂对玉米田杂草群落的影响

应用群落生态学方法,在中国科学院沈阳生态实验站对玉米田杂草群落进行了调查研究,探讨了耕作方法和除草剂对杂草群落组成、多样性和生物量的影响.结果表明,玉米田优势种杂草为野黍、苘麻、大狼把草和鸭趾草,其中野黍重要值最高;免耕不施加除草剂处理6月下旬杂草生物量较大,5月末到8月中旬物种丰富度较高(S),7月1日和8月1日均匀度(J)较低,优势集中性(C)较高,均与常规施加除草剂处理有显著差异.施用除草剂可减少免耕玉米田杂草种类,抑制杂草生物量的增长.耕作方法和除草剂可对杂草群落组成、多样性及稳定性产生影响.     

Forest Modification Affects Diversity (But Not Dynamics) of Speciose Tropical Pyraloid Moth Communities

We studied temporal and spatial dynamics of extremely diverse moth ensembles (Lepidoptera: Pyraloidea) along a gradient of forest disturbance ranging from undisturbed primary tropical rain forest to different kinds of modified forest and open cultivated land at the margin of Mount Kinabalu National Park (Sabah, East Malaysia). We sampled moths by light trapping during two periods (March‐May and August‐September 1997). We collected a total of 7724 individuals representing 680 species during 78 light‐trapping nights at six study sites. Species diversity (Fisher's α) of ensembles in undisturbed primary forest was distinctly higher than in disturbed or secondary forest. More pyraloid moths were attracted in undisturbed primary forest. Samples from disturbed primary or old‐growth secondary forest were statistically indistinguishable from the undisturbed primary forest ensemble in regard to species composition. Thus, pyraloid ensembles from disturbed forest with tall trees remaining appeared to represent impoverished subsets of the undisturbed primary forest community. The more heavily disturbed sites had a distinct fauna and showed a stronger faunal differentiation among each other. Four species of the genus Eoophyla, in which aquatic larvae feed on algae in fast‐running streams benefited prominently from forest disturbance. Temporal variation of ensembles was remarkably concordant across the disturbance gradient. Relative abundance variation of the commonest species was identical at all sites. Overall, pyraloid moths responded more sensitively to anthropogenic habitat alteration than most other moth taxa studied thus far in tropical regions and allowed for an analysis of diversity patterns at a high temporal resolution.     

生物膜法强化净化氨氮污染水体及其微生物群落解析

【目的】比较不同营养条件及挂膜方式下生物膜法对氨氮污染水体的净化效果及其功能微生物群落结构。【方法】设置空白(Blank)、自然成膜(Raw)、预附脱氮菌强化挂膜(PCC)3组生物膜反应器,利用末端限制性片段长度多态性(T-RFLP)技术和非度量多维标度(NMDS)分析方法对生物膜反应器转化氨氮过程中微生物群落结构及其演替过程进行动态解析。【结果】在C/N=1:1时,除PCC在起始阶段短暂具有较高的氨氮脱除效率外,Blank、Raw和PCC最终均表现出较低的氨氮转化效率(10%-20%)。改变C/N=2:1后,Raw和PCC对人工合成污水中NH4+-N的转化率均提高至95%以上,而且Raw与PCC的群落结构在C/N=2:1时具有较高的相似性,优势菌群主要为γ-变形菌纲(Gammaproteobacteria)、放线菌纲(Actinobacteria)和硝化螺菌纲(Nitrospira)。【结论】C/N是影响生物膜反应器氨氮去除效果及驱动生物膜反应器中细菌群落结构发生改变的重要因子。     

目标树抚育对亚热带天然次生灌丛群落结构和多样性的影响

在浙江省临安市选择典型天然次生灌丛,分别进行封禁和目标树抚育,探讨灌丛恢复为乔木林的可能性.结果表明: 4年后,与未管护(对照)相比,封禁和目标树抚育后群落平均胸径分别提高1.3和2.6倍,平均高度分别提高0.5和1.1倍;目标树抚育林木出现了对照林分没有的4.5～8.5 cm径阶和4.5～8.5 m树高阶,形成了4 m高的新林层;灌木层物种丰富度和多样性指数没有因抚育而下降;封禁管理维持了群落的树种组成,遵循原有的演替方向;目标树抚育显著改变了群落的树种组成,提高了目的树种的重要值,近期有可能恢复成为针阔混交林群落.与封禁相比,目标树抚育在优势林木胸径和高度生长、树种组成改善等方面更能达到预想的目标.在有条件经营的情况下,可以选择目标树抚育模式对天然次生灌丛进行管理,从而达到加快群落恢复演替形成乔木林的目的.