Nutrients and mass in litter and top soil of ten tropical tree plantations

The importance of litter to nutrient and organic matter storage and the possible influence of species selection on soil fertility in ten stands each consisting of a separate tree species were examined in this study. The plantations had been grown under similar conditions in an arboretum in the Luquillo Experimental Forest, Puerto Rico. The species involved were: Anthocephalus chinensis, Eucalyptus × patentinervis, E. saligna, Hernandia sonora, Hibiscus elatus, Khaya nyasica, Pinus caribaea var. hondurensis, P. elliottii var. densa, Swietenia macrophylla, and Terminalia ivorensis. After 26 yr, litter mass ranged from 5 mg ha^-1 in the H. sonora stand to 27.2 Mg ha^-1 in the P. caribaea stand. Nutrients in the litter (N, P, K, Ca, and Mg) also varied widely, but stands were ranked in different order when ranked by nutrients in the litter than then ranked according to accumulation of mass. Only E. saligna and A. chinensis stands were ranked similarly in accumulation of both nutrients and mass, and the stand of H. elatus was ranked higher with respect to nutrient accumulation than to accumulation of mass. The nutrient concentration in standing leaf litter generally increased in the order of recently fallen <old intact< fragmented. Nutrient concentration of standing leaf litter appears to increase with age and depth in the litter layer. The amount of nutrients stored in the litter compartment of these plantations was in the same order of magnitude as the quantity of available nutrients in the top 10-cm of mineral soil. Total litter mass was negatively correlated with the mass-weighted concentration of N, K, and Mg. The same relationship was found for Ca in the leaf litter and N in the fine wood litter compartments. In some stands (notably P. caribaea, P. elliottii, and E. saligna), leaf litter derived from species other than the species planted in that particular stand had higher nutrient concentration than leaf litter from the planted species. Soils of the 10 stands were classified in the same soil series and had similar texture (clay soils). However, significantly different chemical characteristics were found. Results obtained by analysis of covariance and by limiting comparisons to adjacent stands with similar soil texture, indicate that different species have had different influences on the concentration of available nutrients in soil.     

An automated greenhouse sand culture system suitable for studies of P nutrition

Abstract. Maintenance of realistically low solution P concentrations under controlled conditions is a major difficulty in studies of P nutrition. In this report, we describe a relatively simple and economical sand culture system capable of sustaining plant growth to maturity under controlled yet realistic P regimes. The system uses Al₂O₃ as a solid-phase P buffer, and modern process control technology to control irrigation and addition of other mineral nutrients. Aspects of the design, use and potential applications of automated solid-phase systems are discussed. The system was used to grow Phaseolus vulgaris to matarity at 0.4 mmol m³, 1.0 mmol m³ and 27 mmol m³ P with and without mycorrhizal inoculation. At flowering, low solution P concentrations were associated with reduced leaf concentrations of P in nonmycorrhizal plants, and reduced leaf concentrations of Ca in both mycorrhizal and nonmycorrhizal plants. Mycorrhizal inoculation increased leaf P, K, Mg and Mn concentrations, but reduced leaf N concentration. Low P regimes reduced final seed yield by diminishing both the number of pods per plant and the number of seeds per pod. Mycorrhizal inoculation significantly enhanced seed yield under low P regimes by increasing seed weight, the number of pods per plant, and the number of seeds per pod.     

Relationship between calcium and agar on vitrification and shoot-tip necrosis of quince (Cydonia oblonga Mill.) shoots in vitro

Shoot-tip cultures of Quince C (Cydonia oblonga Mill.) initiated on Murashige & Skoog (MS) medium containing 5 M BA and 0.6% Phytagar showed both shoot-tip necrosis and severe vitrification. Culturing explants on medium containing 1.2% Phytagar and Ca levels of 3 mM (MS medium), 18 mM and 30 mM showed a decrease in growth with increasing medium Ca levels, being especially severe at 30 mM. The Ca content of the explants increased linearly with increasing medium Ca. Culturing explants on medium containing 3 mM, 9 mM, and 18 mM Ca at 0.6, 0.9, and 1.2% agar resulted in reduction in growth, shoot-tip necrosis, and vitrification when either factor was increased. The reduction in shoot-tip necrosis could be accounted for primarily by an increase in medium Ca levels but may also be affected by a change in explant growth. Increasing Ca concentration in the medium resulted in a linear increase in explant K, Ca, Mg, and B levels and a decrease in Mn and Na. Although increasing medium Ca or agar levels reduced vitrification, it is unclear whether they were the direct cause of the reduction in vitrification or whether this response was an effect of the reduction in culture fresh weight.Approved by publication by the Director, West Virginia Agriculture anf Forestry Experimental Station as Scientific Article No. 2199     

噬菌蛭弧菌简易保存方法的研究

本文报道了噬菌蛭弧菌在自来水宿主软琼脂中,于4℃环境(冰箱)存活的时间.发现噬菌蛭弧菌在自来水宿主软琼脂中,于4℃冰箱中保存,至少可以存活3个月以上,一般为5～8个月左右,最长时间可达18个月。但在自来水宿主双层琼脂平板上形成的噬斑数目,随着保存时间的延长,则有不同程度的减少。     

Thermal stratification, nutrient dynamics, and phytoplankton productivity during the onset of spring phytoplankton growth in Lake Baikal, Russia

Lake Baikal, Russian Siberia, was sampled in July 1990 during the period of spring mixing and initiation of thermal stratification. Vertical profiles of temperature, dissolved nutrients (nitrate and soluble reactive phosphorus), phytoplankton biomass, and primary productivity were determined in an eleven-station transect encompassing the entire 636 km length of the lake. Pronounced horizontal variability in hydrodynamic conditions was observed, with the southern region of the lake being strongly thermally stratified while the middle and north basins were largely isothermal through July. The extent of depletion of surface water nutrients, and the magnitude of phytoplankton biomass and productivity, were found to be strongly correlated with the degree of thermal stratification. Horizontal differences likely reflected the contribution of two important factors: variation in the timing of ice-out in different parts of the lake (driving large-scale patterns of thermal stratification and other limnological properties) and localized effects of river inflows that may contribute to the preliminary stabilization of the water column in the face of intense turbulent spring mixing (driving meso-scale patterns). Examination of the relationships between surface water inorganic N and P depletion suggested that during the spring and early summer, phytoplankton growth in unstratified portions of the lake was largely unconstrained by nutrient supplies. As summer progressed, the importance of co-limitation by both N and P became more apparent. Uptake and regeneration rates, measured directly using the stable isotope ¹⁵N, revealed that phytoplankton in stratified portions of the lake relied primarily on NH₄ as their N source. Rates of NH₄ regeneration were in approximate equilibrium with uptake; both processes were dominated by organisms <2 µm. This pattern is similar to that observed for oligotrophic marine systems. Our study underscores the importance of hydrodynamic conditions in influencing patterns of biological productivity and nutrient dynamics that occur in Lake Baikal during its brief growing season.     

Optimum growth conditions and light utilization efficiency of Spirulina platensis (= Arthrospira fusiformis) (Cyanophyta) from Lake Chitu, Ethiopia

Spirulina platensis (= Arthrospira fusiformis) was isolated from Lake Chitu, a saline, alkaline lake in Ethiopia, where it forms an almost unialgal population. Optimum growth conditions were studied in a turbidostat. Cultures grown in modified Zarrouk's medium and exposed to a range of light intensities (20–500 µmol photons m^–2s^–1) showed a maximum specific growth rate (µ_max) of 1.78 d^–1. Quantum yield for growth (µ) was 3.8% at the optimum light for growth of 330 µmol photons m^–2s^–1, and ranged from 2.8 to 9.4%. With increase in irradiance, the chlorophyll a concentration decreased, and the carotenoids/chlorophyll a ratio increased by a factor of 2.4. The phosphorus to carbon ratio (P/C) showed some variation, while the nitrogen to carbon ratio (N/C) remained relatively constant, thus causing fluctuations in the N:P ratio (7–11) of cells. An optimum N:P ratio of about 7 was attained in cells growing at the optimum light for growth. Results from the continuous culture experiments agreed well with maximum values of photosynthetic efficiency given in the literature for natural populations of S. platensis in the soda lakes of East Africa, Lake Arenguade (Ethiopia), and Lake Simbi (Kenya).     

Agar yield and quality of Gracilaria chilensis (Gigartinales,Rhodophyta) in tank culture using fish effluents

Tank cultivation of Gracilaria using fish effluents has permitted a production of 48 kg m^–2 yr^–1 and can reduce the dissolved nitrogen loads in the seawater. We report the yield, gel strength, gelling and melting point of agar from Gracilaria cultivated in tanks with seawater previously utilized in intensive, land-based salmon cultures and compared to a control using directly pumped seawater, over a study period of 22 months. The results show that the highest agar yield (20 to 22%) was obtained when Gracilaria was cultivated with pure seawater as compared to the fish effluents. The gel strength, gelling and melting point were higher in the agar obtained from algae cultured with fish effluents. During the spring, the gel strength, gelling and melting point increased in tanks with fish effluents and decreased in tanks with a supply of pure seawater.     

凝胶板植酸酶活力检测

将１ｍｍ厚凝固于复印膜上的水琼脂（１５％～２．０％）凝胶板侵入含１２ｍｍｏｌ／Ｌ植酸钠的Ｇｌｙ—ＨＣｌ缓冲液中达１ｈ以上,取出干至胶表面无水迹,于上加Ａｓｐｅｒｇｉｌｌｕｓｓｐ．５９—２植酸酶或与电泳后的凝胶板紧贴１０～６０ｍｉｎ。然后水平置于恒温水浴锅中反应一定时间,取出浸入１ｍｏｌ／ＬＨ_２ＳＯ_４－２％（ＮＨ_４）_６Ｍｎ_７Ｏ_２４－１０％ＦｅＳＯ_{４相似文献}   

Influence of compaction from wheel traffic and tillage on arbuscular mycorrhizae infection and nutrient uptake by Zea mays

Interactive effects of seven years of compaction due to wheel traffic and tillage on root density, formation of arbuscular mycorrhizae, above-ground biomass, nutrient uptake and yield of corn (Zea mays L.) were measured on a coastal plain soil in eastern Alabama, USA. Tillage and soil compaction treatments initiated in 1987 were: 1) soil compaction from tractor traffic with conventional tillage (C,CT), 2) no soil compaction from tractor traffic with conventional tillage (NC,CT), 3) soil compaction from tractor traffic with no-tillage (C,NT), and, 4) no soil compaction from tractor traffic with no-tillage (NC,NT). The study was arranged as a split plot design with compaction from wheel traffic as main plots and tillage as subplots. The experiment had four replications. In May (49 days after planting) and June, (79 days after planting), root biomass and root biomass infected with arbuscular mycorrhizae was higher in treatments that received the NC,NT treatment than the other three treatments. In June and July (109 days after planting), corn plants that received C,CT treatment had less above-ground biomass, root biomass and root biomass infected with mycorrhizae than the other three treatments. Within compacted treatments, plants that received no-tillage had greater root biomass and root biomass infected with mycorrhizae in May and June than plants that received conventional tillage. Corn plants in no-tillage treatments had higher root biomass and root biomass infected with mycorrhizae than those in conventional tillage. After 7 years of treatment on a sandy Southeastern soil, the interactive effects of tillage and compaction from wheel traffic reduced root biomass and root biomass infected with mycorrhizae but did not affect plant nutrient concentration and yield. ei]J H Graham     

Distribution of mineral nutrient from nodal roots of Trifolium repens: Genotypic variation in intra-plant allocation of 32P and 45Ca

To assess genotypic variability in nutrient supply of shoot branches, the distribution of ³²P and ⁴⁵Ca exported from a source nodal root (24-h uptake period) was measured within a genotype of a large-leaved (Kopu) and a small-leaved (Tahora) cultivar of Trifolium repens. Source-sink relationships of plants were modified by root severance, defoliation, and shade treatments. In control plants of both genotypes distribution of ³²P and ⁴⁵Ca closely followed the pathways that could be predicted from the known phyllotactic constraints on the vascular system. As such there was little allocation of radioisotopes (3.1% and 2.5% of exported ³²P and ⁴⁵Ca, respectively) from the source root to branches on the apposite side of the parent axis (far-side branches). However, genotypic differences in nutrient allocation were apparent, when treatments were imposed to alter intra-plant source-sink relationships. In the large-leaved genotype, the imposed treatments had minor effects on the allocation to far-side branches: whereas, in the small-leaved genotype, root severance and defoliation treatments increased lateral transport to far-side branches to 30% (³²P) and 10% (⁴⁵Ca) of exported radioisotopes. Genotypes with low (8–9) and high (12–13) numbers of vascular bundles were selected from within the large-leaved cultivar. Distribution of ³²P was then measured after plants had been pre-treated by removal of all far-side roots two days prior to labelling. Genotypes with low vascular bundle number allocated 20% and those with high vascular bundle number 3.2% of exported ³²P to far-side branches. It was concluded (1) that genotypic variation exists within T. repens for potential to alter intra-plant allocation of mineral nutrients, in response to treatments that modify source-sink relationships within plants; and (2) that this variation is correlated with differences among genotypes in the organisation of the vasculature of their stolons.