Influence of elevated ozone and limited nitrogen availability on conifer seedlings in an open-air fumigation system: effects on growth, nutrient content, mycorrhiza, needle ultrastructure, starch and secondary compounds

Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and Norway spruce (Picea abies Karst.) seedlings were exposed to realistically elevated O₃ levels in open‐air experiments over three growing seasons. The total O₃ exposure doses were 1.2 × (1991), 1.5 × (1992) and 1.7 × (1993) ambient levels. During the 1992 and 1993 growing seasons pine and spruce seedlings received two different levels of nitrogen supply. Effects on growth, mycorrhiza formation, needle ultrastructure, primary and secondary compounds were studied. Ozone exposure had only slight effects on biomass production, growth height and nutrient content of studied conifers. Higher nitrogen availability improved growth of the seedlings and resulted in higher concentration of nitrogen in needles. In Scots pine O₃ exposure did not have effects on quantity of total mycorrhizas and short roots, while higher nitrogen availability decreased quantity of mycorrhizas and short roots. In both tree species O₃ exposure induced O₃‐related ultrastructural symptoms, e.g. granulation and dark staining of the chloroplast stroma in the needle mesophyll cells, at both nitrogen availability levels. Ozone exposure and nitrogen availability did not have significant effects on starch concentrations in either tree species. Concentrations of some individual terpenes were higher in O₃‐exposed needles, while concentrations of individual and total resin acids, total phenolics and catechins were not affected by O₃ exposure. Nitrogen availability did not have substantial effects on concentrations of monoterpenes. By contrast, concentrations of some individual and total resin acids were lower in pine needles and higher in spruce needles with higher nitrogen availability, while phenolic concentration in spruce needles decreased at higher nitrogen availability. The results suggest that realistically elevated levels of O₃ in the field can have some negative effects on the mesophyll ultrastructure of conifer needles, but carbon allocation to root and shoot growth and secondary metabolites are not affected substantially.     

Microbial carbon limitation: The need for integrating microorganisms into our understanding of ecosystem carbon cycling

Numerous studies have demonstrated that fertilization with nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium increases plant productivity in both natural and managed ecosystems, demonstrating that primary productivity is nutrient limited in most terrestrial ecosystems. In contrast, it has been demonstrated that heterotrophic microbial communities in soil are primarily limited by organic carbon or energy. While this concept of contrasting limitations, that is, microbial carbon and plant nutrient limitation, is based on strong evidence that we review in this paper, it is often ignored in discussions of ecosystem response to global environment changes. The plant‐centric perspective has equated plant nutrient limitations with those of whole ecosystems, thereby ignoring the important role of the heterotrophs responsible for soil decomposition in driving ecosystem carbon storage. To truly integrate carbon and nutrient cycles in ecosystem science, we must account for the fact that while plant productivity may be nutrient limited, the secondary productivity by heterotrophic communities is inherently carbon limited. Ecosystem carbon cycling integrates the independent physiological responses of its individual components, as well as tightly coupled exchanges between autotrophs and heterotrophs. To the extent that the interacting autotrophic and heterotrophic processes are controlled by organisms that are limited by nutrient versus carbon accessibility, respectively, we propose that ecosystems by definition cannot be ‘limited’ by nutrients or carbon alone. Here, we outline how models aimed at predicting non‐steady state ecosystem responses over time can benefit from dissecting ecosystems into the organismal components and their inherent limitations to better represent plant–microbe interactions in coupled carbon and nutrient models.     

放牧制度对荒漠草原生态系统土壤养分状况的影响

从土壤N,P,K及土壤有机质等方面研究了在连续进行了7 a的放牧制度试验对荒漠草原生态系统土壤养分含量的影响。研究结果表明:放牧制度对土壤的养分状况有明显的影响。划区轮牧区和禁牧提高了土壤有机质、土壤氮素、土壤全钾和土壤速效钾含量。土壤表层磷含量划区轮牧区最高。放牧导致碳氮比减少。同时,土壤养分含量随土壤深度的变化在不同处理没有表现出较为一致的变化趋势。禁牧区土壤全氮含量随土壤深度的增加而增加;不同处理土壤速效氮、土壤速效钾含量均随土壤深度的增加逐渐降低;土壤全磷在自由放牧区随土壤深度的增加逐渐升高;土壤速效磷、全钾含量在划区轮牧区随土壤深度的增加逐渐降低;土壤养分含量与土壤深度的拟合曲线为二次幂函数。研究表明,禁牧和划区轮牧较自由放牧可以提高荒漠草原土壤养分元素的含量,有利于遏制草原土壤的退化。     

Seasonal differences in mineral content, distribution and leakage of sweet pepper seeds

Pepper seed quality is sensitive to variations in climatic conditions during seed development, which might be associated with accumulation, distribution and leakage of mineral elements from the seeds. This was examined in hybrid seeds of sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L. cv.‘Hazera’ 1195) in two experiments during two growing seasons. The mean daily temperature (day/night) and daily total radiation receipt during seed development were 27.9/23.2°C and 8.63 kW m^?2 in the summer and 18.3/ 14.9°C and 3.18 kW m^?2 in the winter, respectively. Seeds developed in the summer had lower percentage of seedling emergence and leaked a larger portion (45%) of their K content into the water medium than in winter‐developed seeds. Summer seeds accumulated more K and Cl, but less P, Mg, Ca and the weight ratio of linoleic acid to oleic acid was lower than in the winter seeds. The season did not significantly affect N, S and total fatty acids. The most abundant element on the seed coat surface was K in the summer and Ca in the winter seeds. The cotyledon and endosperm of the summer seeds contained relatively higher ratios of K and Ca and lower ratios of P and Mg than the winter seeds. Transportation of mineral nutrients appeared to be involved in the effect of heat and moisture stresses on emergence quality of the pepper seeds.     

Rapid changes in levels of mineral nutrients in root-tip cells following short-term exposure to aluminium

We investigated the rapid modification of plasma membrane and changes in mineral nutrients in root-tip cells of Al-tolerant rice and Al-sensitive barley following short-term exposure to Al (20 M Al, 1 h). The plasma membrane of the barley cells was significantly permeabilized when re-elongated in an Al-free Ca solution following a 1-h pre-treatment with Al, while that of rice cells was not affected at all. The elemental distribution and concentration in a 2-mm portion of the root apex were determined by electron probe X-ray microanalysis. Al was localized primarily to the epidermis and outer cortex cells in both species, and was much more abundant in barley than in rice. Al increased and decreased remarkably the intracellular K concentration in whole root-tip cells of rice and barley, respectively. In barley, the decrease in the concentration of Ca coincided with the accumulation of Al. Conversely, the intracellular concentration of P in the surface layers of root-tip cells increased with the accumulation of Al. The distribution and concentration of Ca and P in rice did not change after 1-h treatment with Al. These results suggest that the rapid modification of the plasma membrane of root-tip cells induced by Al affects the nutritional homeostasis in the cells.     

盐度、光照和营养盐对孔石莼(Ulva pertusa)光合作用的影响

通过测定光合作用产氧速率研究了孔石莼Ulvapertusa不育性变种在不同盐度、光强度和营养盐水平下的光合作用特性.结果表明,盐度可影响光合作用速率,在2710lx光强下孔石莼在盐度20‰左右有最大光合作用速率;光合作用参数Pm为79.62O2,μg/cm2*h,Is为191.08μE/m2*s,IC为10.12μE/m2*s;对营养盐(NH4+-N,NO2--N,PO43--P)的吸收特征可用Michaelis-Menten方程描述,低光强(106lx)下氨氮超过0.07mmol/L时可抑制孔石莼的光合作用.     

青藏高原东缘不同树种人工林对土壤酶活性及养分的影响

为评价不同树种人工林对土壤酶及养分的影响,选择立地条件和营林方式相同的4种人工林(连香树[CJ]、油松[PT]、落叶松[LK]和华山松[PA])为研究对象,以落叶灌丛(QC)为对照,比较不同树种人工林地土壤酶活性和土壤养分的变化。结果显示:(1)造林降低了土壤酸性磷酸酶、脱氢酶、β-葡萄糖苷酶和过氧化氢酶活性,但人工造林后土壤脲酶活性增加;(2)造林也明显影响了土壤养分,与对照林地相比,除CJ人工林土壤中磷(P)略高外,造林地土壤有机碳(TOC)、氮(N)、水可提取有机碳(WEOC)和氮(WEON)、铵态氮(NH+4-N)和硝态氮(NO-3-N)均降低;(3)不同的人工林树种之间土壤养分及酶活性也存在一定的差异性,CJ和LK人工林土壤C、N、P及相关酶活性明显不同于PT和PA人工林;(4)土壤酶与养分变化有一定的相关性,除转化酶和多酚氧化酶反应较迟钝外,其它酶对环境反应较敏感。综合分析表明,在川西地区选择高密度单一树种造林并没有改善土壤养分和酶活性,在该地区选择落叶或阔叶树种造林可使土壤肥力恢复。     

Bioremediation of a petroleum‐contaminated cryic soil: Effects of phosphorus,nitrogen, and temperature

Bioremediation has been shown to be an effective means of treating petroleum‐contaminated soils in cold areas, although the conditions required to maximize bioremediation in cold region (cryic) soils are not well documented. A laboratory study was conducted to investigate the effects of nitrogen and phosphorus levels and temperature on petroleum bioremediation. A cryic entisol contaminated with diesel fuel was treated with nitrogen (0, 400, 800, or 1200 mg/kg of soil) and phosphorus (0, 60, 120, or 180 mg/kg of soil) and incubated at two temperatures (10 and 20°C). At 10°C, bioremediation rates were not affected by fertility treatments. At 20°C, reaction rates were increased by the addition of P, but unaffected by N. Regardless of fertility regime, the rate of diesel loss was much greater in soil incubated at 20°C than in soil incubated at 10°C.     

Mixing patterns in Amazon lakes

The diel mixing patterns of two small floodplain lakes, Lago Jacaretinga in the Amazon drainage, and Lago Cristalino in the Rio Negro system, were investigated during both the high-water and low-water states of the Amazon River hydrograph. Measurements included temperature, oxygen, ammonia, phosphate, and chlorophyll. In both lakes thermal stratification developed during the day and was eroded at night. During the low-water period when the lakes were shallow, nocturnal circulation extended to the lake bottom, whereas when the lakes were deeper (greater than about 5 m), circulation did not reach the bottom and an anoxic hypolimnion developed. During the low-water period, percent of oxygen concentrations were relatively high but always less than saturation. Low oxygen concentrations were observed during the high-water period. At all times nocturnal mixing supplied a significant amount of oxygen to the lake ecosystems. Nighttime upward mixing of recycled nitrogen and phosphorus also appeared to be important nutrient sources for algal productivity.     

Oyster reefs as processors of estuarine materials

Oyster reefs are dense concentrations of filter-feeding animals in estuarine ecosystems. A flow-through plastic tunnel is a feasible method of determining significant changes in material concentrations in tidal waters passing over an oyster reef. The oyster reef reduces the amplitude of the particulate organic carbon and chlorophyll a signals while increasing the amplitude, of the ammonia signal. The observations suggest that oyster reefs have one of the highest reported release rates of ammonia (1680–7250 μg at.·m^?2·h^?1), and thus are probably important in material cycles in marsh-estuarine ecosystems. The magnitude of particulate organic carbon removal by the oyster reef is many times greater than that expected from biofiltration alone, suggesting that removal due to physical factors may be important.