土壤微生物膜生理生态功能研究进展

土壤微生物膜是由土壤细菌及其分泌物积聚形成的生物群落,是生物土壤结皮的初始形态和重要组成部分。作为土壤细菌生命过程中最典型的生存形式,土壤微生物膜不仅能保护基质内细胞生存,还可黏附于土壤颗粒和植物根系表面,发挥重要的生态功能。本文在解析土壤微生物膜结构与组成的基础上,从土壤质量与植物健康两个方面总结分析了土壤微生物膜生理生态功能:土壤微生物膜代谢活性高于游离细胞,可高效分泌胞外聚合物并且具有更强的有机物质转化速率,在提升土壤肥力,吸附、固持和降解土壤污染物和促进土壤团聚体形成方面具有重要意义;土壤微生物膜可通过多种微生物间协同作用、促进分泌多种促生物质与胞外聚合物以发挥固持作用等改善植物养分利用状况,增强植物抗逆性。揭示土壤微生物膜生态功能的微观机制、筛选和应用功能性土壤微生物膜是未来重要的发展方向。     

闽西南红壤侵蚀区黑莎草功能性状特征及其与土壤因子的关系

为了解黑莎草(Gahnia tristis)在南方红壤侵蚀区的适应状况,测定了长汀县红壤侵蚀区的黑莎草叶片、根系的功能性状及土壤理化性质,并应用数理统计方法分析了黑莎草叶片与根系功能性状之间的相关性,及其对土壤因子的响应。结果表明,黑莎草叶片表型性状在冬夏季间存在显著差异,叶长、叶宽、叶组织密度和叶绿素表现为夏季显著大于冬季,根系表型性状则更具稳定性,冬季的根系养分含量均高于夏季,养分的分配上叶片养分高于根系养分。叶组织密度与叶绿素含量呈显著正相关,与比叶面积呈显著负相关;根组织密度与比根长和比根面积均呈显著负相关,叶片和根系养分间均呈显著正相关,土壤碳、氮、磷含量是影响黑莎草功能性状主要因子。因此,黑莎草可通过调节功能性状以适应环境变化,可作为地带性植物应用于南方红壤侵蚀区的植被恢复和水土流失治理。     

南方红壤侵蚀区芒萁叶片对微地形的响应

植物功能性状可以反映植物应对环境变化的响应策略。该文以芒萁为研究对象,主要采用单因素方差分析和冗余分析,比较了3种微地形(沟脊、沟壁、沟底)中环境因子和芒萁叶片功能性状的差异,分析了芒萁对浅沟微地形的响应及其适应策略。结果表明:(1)芒萁叶片功能性状的总体变异程度在0.05～0.47之间,叶厚和叶面积均表现为沟底>沟壁>沟脊(P<0.05),沟壁的叶氮含量显著高于沟脊和沟底,沟脊的叶磷含量显著低于沟壁和沟底,比叶面积和叶碳含量在3种微地形间均无显著差异。(2)沟脊的芒萁通过减小叶面积来降低水分散失进行自我保护,沟壁的芒萁通过增加叶氮含量来提高叶片光合速率而促进生长,沟底的芒萁通过增大叶面积来提高光捕获能力而促进生长。综上结果认为,土壤养分和温湿条件的差异,促使芒萁通过调节营养物质含量和改变叶片形态以更好地适应环境。     

Spatial and temporal changes in salt marsh distribution in the Dee estuary,NW England,determined from aerial photographs

Vegetation changes in salt marsh communities of the Dee estuary, northwest England, were analysed with a combination of remote sensing techniques using data dating back to the 1950s. The distribution of communities in 1997 was classified using Airborne Thematic Mapper data and used to develop a methodology for the analysis of black and white photographs of the marsh. These methods were then applied retrogressively to a time sequence of monochrome photographs running from 1955 to 1975. At the apex of the salt marshes on the English shore of the Dee estuary, the marsh expanded dramatically to 1975, and consisted predominantly of pioneer and low marsh vegetation types. Between 1975 and 1997, however, there was only a slight increase in salt marsh area, but with an increase in mid and high marsh vegetation, replacing pioneer marsh. In a second area of the salt marsh on the English shore, a different pattern of salt marsh expansion was observed. The area occupied by marsh continued to increase right up to 1997, with extensive pioneer vegetation suggesting a process of continuing expansion. However, the pattern of marsh colonisation appeared to be different in 1997 compared to 1975. The significance of the changes in salt marsh distribution within the Dee estuary are discussed in relation to the historical pattern of salt marsh colonisation, the importance of Spartina anglica in the process and the implications for strategic management of the estuarine resources.     

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal propagules in a salt marsh

The tolerance of indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) to stressful soil conditions and the relative contribution of spores of these fungi to plant colonization were examined in a Portuguese salt marsh. Glomus geosporum is dominant in this salt marsh. Using tetrazolium as a vital stain, a high proportion of field-collected spores were found to be metabolically active at all sampling dates. Spore germination tests showed that salt marsh spores were not affected by increasing levels of salinity, in contrast to two non-marsh spore isolates, and had a significantly higher ability to germinate under increased levels of salinity (20) than in the absence of or at low salinity (10). Germination of salt marsh spores was not affected by soil water levels above field capacity, in contrast to one of the two non-marsh spore isolates. For the evaluation of infectivity, a bioassay was established with undisturbed soil cores (containing all types of AM fungal propagules) and soil cores containing only spores as AM fungal propagules. Different types of propagules were able to initiate and to expand the root colonization of a native plant species, but spores were slower than mycelium and/or root fragments in colonizing host roots. The AM fungal adaptation shown by this study may explain the maintenance of AMF in salt marshes.     

Magnetic susceptibilities of lake sediment and soils on the shoreline of Lake Naivasha,Kenya

On steep, unvegetated slopes, sands (particle sizes 0.063 to 2 mm) and gravels (2–64 mm) erode from the shoreline of Lake Naivasha (Kenya) and enter the lake basin. This occurred freely where fringing papyrus (Cyperus papyrus) swamp had been cleared in favour of landing jetties or agriculture. Gravel-sized particles have been recovered up to 60 m offshore and sands to 80 m. In an area where papyrus was undisturbed and the swamp margin was 52 m wide, gravel did not enter the lake and sands penetrated to around 35 m. Large particles are much easier to trace to source and to manage than the finer silts and clays (<0.63 m) that form the bulk of Lake Naivasha's sediment. The pattern of mass specific magnetic susceptibilities for the <63 m fraction of lake sediment around the southern shoreline of the lake suggests that fine particles enter open water directly from the shoreline and are not transported from the lake's only perennial inflow, the River Malewa in the north. Such particles originate from a hinterland that supports high intensity horticulture and are therefore a potential source of contamination. Mean ± SD susceptibility (_If) immediately offshore papyrus fringe was 0.49 ± 0.08 × 10^-6 m³ kg^-1 compared with higher values of 1.33 ± 0.14 × 10^-6 m³ kg^-1 where there was no papyrus barrier (P<0.0001). The value for five sites in the middle parts of the lake was 0.45 ± 0.02 × 10^-6 m³ kg^-1 with 1.38 ± 0.10 × 10^-6 m³ kg^-1 near the mouth of the River Malewa. The results of this study are evidence, therefore, that conservation of a continuous papyrus margin of about 50 m width is a priority for intercepting particulate material.     

农作物遗传多样性农家保护的现状及前景

农作物地方品种的有效保护是农业生物多样性的可持续利用的基础。由于现代农业的集约化生产方式使大量农作物地方品种被少数高产改良品种所取代,造成农作物基因库的严重“基因流失”（genetic erosion)。农家保护是在农业生态系统中进行的动态保护,被保护的生物多亲性可在其生境中继续进化而产生新的遗传变异,在而是农业生物多样性就地保护的重要途径。然而,尽管人们对作物品种资源农家保护的兴趣不断增长,也有大量有关农家的保护的研究和案例分析,但目前为止还没有比较成功的农家保护实例报道。因此,对农家保护的机制及科学问题进行深入的研究,并寻求一条新的途径来充分发挥农家保护应有的作用,显得格外重要。利用生物多样性布局的水稻混合间栽的生产模式,不仅解决了病害控制的问题,而且也保护了水稻地方品种的多样性。这种混合间栽的生物多样性布局和生产方式可能成为农保护的一条新途径。     

Seasonal changes in the microbial community of a salt marsh, measured by phospholipid fatty acid analysis

Microbial activity within the environment can have distinct geochemicaleffects, and so changes in a microbial community structure can result ingeochemical change. We examined seasonal changes in both the microbialcommunityand the geochemistry of an inter-tidal salt marsh in north-west England tocharacterise biogeochemical processes occurring at this site.Phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis of sediment samples collected atmonthly intervals was used to measure seasonal changes in microbial biomass andcommunity structure. The PLFA data were analysed using multivariate techniques(Ward's method and the Mahalanobis distance metric), and we show that the useofthe Mahalanobis distance metric improves the statistical analysis by providingdetailed information on the reasons samples cluster together and identifyingthedistinguishing features between the separate clusters. Five clusters of likesamples were defined, showing differences in the community structure over thecourse of a year.At all times, the microbial community was dominated by PLFA associated withaerobic bacteria, but this was most pronounced in summer (August). Theabundanceof branched fatty acids, a measure of the biomass of anaerobes, started toincrease later in the year than did those associated with aerobes and thefungalbiomarker 18:26 showed a brief late-summer peak.The salt marsh remained mildly oxic throughout the year despite the increase inmicrobial respiration, suggested by the large increases in the abundance ofPLFA, in the warmer months. The conditions therefore remained most favourablefor aerobic species throughout the year, explaining their continual dominanceatthis site. However, as the abundance of PLFA synthesised by anaerobesincreased,increases in dissolved Mn concentrations were observed, which we suggest weredue to anaerobic respiration of Mn(IV) to Mn(II). Overall, the geochemicalconditions were consistent with the microbial community structure and changeswithin it.     

A geostatistical analysis of small-scale spatial variability in bacterial abundance and community structure in salt marsh creek bank sediments

Small-scale variations in bacterial abundance and community structure were examined in salt marsh sediments from Virginia's eastern shore. Samples were collected at 5 cm intervals (horizontally) along a 50 cm elevation gradient, over a 215 cm horizontal transect. For each sample, bacterial abundance was determined using acridine orange direct counts and community structure was analyzed using randomly amplified polymorphic DNA fingerprinting of whole-community DNA extracts. A geostatistical analysis was used to determine the degree of spatial autocorrelation among the samples, for each variable and each direction (horizontal and vertical). The proportion of variance in bacterial abundance that could be accounted for by the spatial model was quite high (vertical: 60%, horizontal: 73%); significant autocorrelation was found among samples separated by 25 cm in the vertical direction and up to 115 cm horizontally. In contrast, most of the variability in community structure was not accounted for by simply considering the spatial separation of samples (vertical: 11%, horizontal: 22%), and must reflect variability from other parameters (e.g., variation at other spatial scales, experimental error, or environmental heterogeneity). Microbial community patch size based upon overall similarity in community structure varied between 17 cm (vertical) and 35 cm (horizontal). Overall, variability due to horizontal position (distance from the creek bank) was much smaller than that due to vertical position (elevation) for both community properties assayed. This suggests that processes more correlated with elevation (e.g., drainage and redox potential) vary at a smaller scale (therefore producing smaller patch sizes) than processes controlled by distance from the creek bank.     

Estimating root lifespan of two grasses at contrasting elevation in a salt marsh by applying vitality staining on roots from in-growth cores

Contrasting soil conditions caused by different inundation frequenciesrequire different root growth strategies along the elevational gradient ofcoastal salt marshes. The objective of this study was to examine (1) if rootlifespan was shorter in Elymus pycnanthus, a relativelyfast-growing competitive species dominating high marshes, than inSpartina anglica, a relatively slow-growingstress-tolerating species dominating low marshes, and (2) if the species withlonger lifespan had higher tissue density (g cm^–3) and lowerspecific root length (m g^–1) than the species with shorterlifespan. Root production and mortality rates were established by samplingrootsin in-growth cores, and using triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining todistinguish vital from dead roots. Root lifespan was estimated by dividing theliving root biomass (Elymus: 36 gm^–2, Spartina: 100 gm^–2) by root production (Elymus:0.28 g day^–1 m^–2,Spartina: 0.25 g day^–1m^–2) or root mortality rates(Elymus: 0.42–0.53 g day^–1m^–2). Spartina did not exhibitsubstantial mortality. Despite the present method only yielding rough estimatesof average root lifespan, it is evident that root longevity is much shorter inElymus than in Spartina. Rootlifespanranged between 10–19 weeks for Elymus but was closeto 1 year in Spartina, indicating thatElymus replaces it's roots continuously throughout thegrowing season, whereas Spartina maintains its roots overthe growing season. Fine roots of Elymus had slightlylowertissue density (0.094) than those of Spartina (0.139),whereas coarse roots of Elymus andSpartina had similar tissue density (0.100 gcm^–3). Fine roots of Elymus andSpartina had similar specific root length (195 mg^–1). However, coarse roots ofElymus (50 m g^–1) had higherspecific root length than those of Spartina (20 mg^–1) due to having smaller root diameter(Elymus: 548 m,Spartina: 961 m). We conclude thatpresentobservations on Elymus and Spartinasupport our first hypothesis that the competitive species fromthehigh marsh had short-lived roots compared to the'stress-tolerating'species from the low marsh. However, our result provide only weak support forthe existence of a positive correlation between root longevity and tissuedensity and a negative correlation between root longevity and specific rootlength.