Response of Net Ecosystem Productivity of Three Boreal Forest Stands to Drought

In 2001–03, continuous eddy covariance measurements of carbon dioxide (CO₂) flux were made above mature boreal aspen, black spruce, and jack pine forests in Saskatchewan, Canada, prior to and during a 3−year drought. During the 1st drought year, ecosystem respiration (R) was reduced at the aspen site due to the drying of surface soil layers. Gross ecosystem photosynthesis (GEP) increased as a result of a warm spring and a slow decrease of deep soil moisture. These conditions resulted in the highest annual net ecosystem productivity (NEP) in the 9 years of flux measurements at this site. During 2002 and 2003, a reduction of 6% and 34% in NEP, respectively, compared to 2000 was observed as the result of reductions in both R and GEP, indicating a conservative response to the drought. Although the drought affected most of western Canada, there was considerable spatial variability in summer rainfall over the 100−km extent of the study area; summer rainfalls in 2001 and 2002 at the two conifer sites minimized the impact of the drought. In 2003, however, precipitation was similarly low at all three sites. Due to low topographic position and consequent poor drainage at the black spruce site and the coarse soil with low water-holding capacity at the jack pine site almost no reduction in R, GEP, and NEP was observed at these two sites. This study shows that the impact of drought on carbon sequestration by boreal forest ecosystems strongly depends on rainfall distribution, soil characteristics, topography, and the presence of vegetation that is well adapted to these conditions.     

Saturation and Utilization of Nitrate Pools in Pea and Sugar Beet Leaves

The critical periods in the saturation of pea and sugar beet leaves with nitrate absorbed by roots were discriminated. In peas, during the first 14 h, all nitrate penetrating leaf cells was concentrated in the cytosol (metabolic pool). During the second period (14–62 h), nitrate began to flow into the vacuole (storage pool), and the filling of the metabolic pool continued. Metabolic pool was saturated by the end of this period (62 h). During the third period (62–110 h), further nitrate accumulation in the cell occurred because of expanding of the storage pool. Its saturation (similarly as total cell saturation) commenced 86 h after the start of nitrate uptake. In sugar beet leaves, both metabolic and storage nitrate pools were saturated by the end of the first period (14 h), and the sizes of these pools did not change during the second period (14–86 h). When pea plants were transferred to the nitrate-free medium, nitrate efflux began from the storage pool until its complete exhausting after 3 days. In sugar beet leaves, nitrate was still present in the storage pool 4 days after plant transfer to the nitrate-free medium. In both crops, nitrate export from the storage pool was aimed at the maintenance of the optimum nitrate concentration in the metabolic pool and, thus, at the maintenance of nitrate reductase activity. A functional diversity of nitrate compartmentation in the cells of various plant species is discussed.     

Assimilation and allocation of carbon and nitrogen of thermal and nonthermal Agrostis species in response to high soil temperature

We studied whether changes in the assimilation and allocation of carbon and nitrogen are associated with plant tolerance to high soil temperatures. Two Agrostis species, thermal Agrostis scabra, a species adapted to high-temperature soils in geothermal areas in Yellowstone National Park (USA), and two cultivars of a cool-season species, Agrostis stolonifera, L-93 and Penncross, were exposed to soil temperatures of 37 or 20 degrees C, while shoots were exposed to 20 degrees C. Net photosynthesis rate, photochemical efficiency, NO(3) (-)-assimilation rate and root viability decreased with increasing soil temperatures in both species. However, the decreases were less pronounced for A. scabra than for both A. stolonifera cultivars. Carbon investment in growth of plants exposed to 37 degrees C decreased more dramatically in both A. stolonifera cultivars than in A. scabra. Nitrogen allocation to shoots was greater in A. scabra than in both creeping bentgrass cultivars at 37 degrees C soil temperature. Our results demonstrate that plant tolerance to high soil temperature is related to efficient expenditure and adjustment of C- and N-allocation patterns between growth and respiration.     

Integrating a Triplet-triplet Annihilation Up-conversion System to Enhance Dye-sensitized Solar Cell Response to Sub-bandgap Light

The poor response of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) to red and infrared light is a significant impediment to the realization of higher photocurrents and hence higher efficiencies. Photon up-conversion by way of triplet-triplet annihilation (TTA-UC) is an attractive technique for using these otherwise wasted low energy photons to produce photocurrent, while not interfering with the photoanodic performance in a deleterious manner. Further to this, TTA-UC has a number of features, distinct from other reported photon up-conversion technologies, which renders it particularly suitable for coupling with DSC technology. In this work, a proven high performance TTA-UC system, comprising a palladium porphyrin sensitizer and rubrene emitter, is combined with a high performance DSC (utilizing the organic dye D149) in an integrated device. The device shows an enhanced response to sub-bandgap light over the absorption range of the TTA-UC sub-unit resulting in the highest figure of merit for up-conversion assisted DSC performance to date.     

A model for developing a target integrated low carbon city indicator system: The case of Xiamen,China

Carbon intensity targets, namely carbon emissions per unit of GDP, are used as macro-level indicators of low carbon performance at the province- and city-level in China. However, this measure is too aggregated to provide a meaningful indication of low carbon performance and inform practical management strategies. Most traditional low carbon city indicators have no direct relationship with national carbon intensity reduction targets and do not provide municipal government administrators with the practical information they need to inform low carbon development at the local level. This paper integrates city-level carbon intensity targets with a low carbon city indicator system by means of a decomposed method to offer a better approach for carbon intensity reduction performance evaluation. Using Xiamen as a case study, one of the NDRC's low-carbon project areas, a target integrated indicator system is presented, including indicator values which have been determined through scenario analysis and calculation. The indicators and values can help local municipal governments to meet their carbon intensity reduction targets by providing an indication of current performance and identifying sectors where there is scope for further improvement. The methodology provides the theoretical basis and reference values for the evaluation of a city's low carbon performance within the context of achieving a carbon reduction target, thereby enhancing the potential for scientific and operational evaluation at the local level.     

3D Si/C Fiber Paper Electrodes Fabricated Using a Combined Electrospray/Electrospinning Technique for Li‐Ion Batteries

Although the theoretical capacity of silicon is ten times higher than that of graphite, the overall electrode capacity of Si anodes is still low due to the low Si loading and heavy metal current collector. Here, a novel flexible 3D Si/C fiber paper electrode synthesized by simultaneously electrospraying nano‐Si‐PAN (polyacrylonitrile) clusters and electrospinning PAN fibers followed by carbonization is reported. The combined technology allows uniform incorporation of Si nanoparticles into a carbon textile matrix to form a nano‐Si/carbon composite fiber paper. The flexible 3D Si/C fiber paper electrode demonstrate a very high overall capacity of ≈1600 mAh g^‐1 with capacity loss less than 0.079% per cycle for 600 cycles and excellent rate capability. The exceptional performance is attributed to the unique architecture of the flexible 3D Si/C fiber paper, i.e., the resilient and conductive carbon fiber network matrix, carbon‐coated Si nanoparticle clusters, strong adhesion between carbon fibers and Si nanoparticle clusters, and uniform distribution of Si/C clusters in the carbon fiber frame. The scalable and facile synthesis method, good mechanical properties, and excellent electrochemical performance at a high Si loading make the flexible 3D Si/C fiber paper batteries extremely attractive for plug‐in electric vehicles, flexible electronics, space exploration, and military applications.     

A chemically modified lipase preparation for catalyzing the transesterification reaction in even highly polar organic solvents

Acylation of Pseudomonas cepacia lipase with Pyromellitic dianhydride to modify 72% of total amino groups was carried out. Different organic solvents were screened for precipitation of modified lipase. It was found that 1,2-dimethoxyethane was the best precipitant which precipitated 97% protein and complete activity. PCMC (protein coated microcrystals), CLPCMC (crosslinked protein coated microcrystals), EPROS (enzyme precipitated and rinsed with organic solvents) and pH tuned preparations of modified and unmodified lipase were prepared and used for carrying out transesterification reaction with n-octane and dimethyl formamide (DMF) as reaction medium. In n-octane, among all the preparations, CLPCMC of modified lipase gave highest rate (1970 nmol min⁻¹ mg⁻¹) as compared to unmodified pH tuned lipase (128 nmol min⁻¹ mg⁻¹). In DMF, with both 1% (v/v) and 5% (v/v) water content, CLPCMC showed highest initial rate of 0.72 and 7.2 nmol min⁻¹ mg⁻¹, respectively. Unmodified pH tuned lipase showed no activity at all in DMF with both 1% and 5% (v/v) water content.     

花椒(Zanthoxylum bungeamun)种植对喀斯特山区土壤水稳性团聚体分布及有机碳周转的影响

以贵州西南部喀斯特山区35年生和14年生花椒林为研究对象,并以未退耕旱地为对照,研究表层土壤(0~20 cm)水稳性团聚体分布及有机碳矿化特征,探讨土壤有机碳周转对不同花椒种植年限的响应。结果表明:随团聚体粒径的降低,两种年龄花椒林土壤水稳性团聚体含量呈现先增加后减少的倒"V"形分布,土壤水稳性团聚体分布主要出现在5~2、2~1和1~0.5 mm 3个粒级中;与旱地相比,花椒种植明显增加了全土和团聚体中有机碳和活性有机碳含量,并以14年生花椒林较高,而35年生花椒林存在较明显的衰减;随花椒种植年限的增加,土壤有机碳矿化累积量呈递减趋势,但土壤有机碳周转半衰期以14年生花椒林较长,显著高于旱地和35年生花椒林,表明14年生花椒林土壤有机碳更易累积,表现出较好的土壤碳固存能力;喀斯特山区种植花椒后,土壤有机碳存在"汇-源"的转换过程,因此花椒种植应注重长期维护管理,防止土壤质量的衰退。     

The loss of aquatic and riparian plant communities: Implications for their consumers in a riverine food web

Abstract Human induced alterations to rivers and steams have resulted in significant changes to the structure and diversity of riparian and aquatic plant communities. These changes will impact on the dynamics of riverine carbon cycles and food web structure and function. Here we investigate the principal sources of organic carbon supporting local shredder communities across a gradient in different levels of anthropogenic development along riverine reaches, in South Australia. In forested/wooded reaches with minimum to limited development, semi‐emergent macrophytes were the principal sources of organic carbon supporting the local shredder communities. However, in developed reaches, course particulate organic matter and filamentous algae were the principal food sources. The C:N ratios of the food sources in developed reaches were higher than those of their consumers indicating a stoichiometric mismatch. This imbalanced consumer‐resource nutrient ratio in those developed reaches is likely to impose constraints on the growth and reproduction of their aquatic shredder communities with probable knock‐on effects to higher trophic levels.     

Discrepancy in laboratory and field attraction of apple fruit moth Argyresthia conjugella to host plant volatiles

Abstract.  Apple fruit moth Argyresthia conjugella is a specialist seed predator of rowan Sorbus aucuparia . Large-scale synchronous fluctuation of seed production in rowan (i.e. named masting) drives the apple fruit moth to seek alternative host plants such as apple, during years when rowan berries are not available for oviposition. The role of plant volatile compounds in the attraction of gravid apple fruit moth females is studied in a laboratory wind tunnel. Volatiles from rowan branches with green berries stimulate female moths to fly upwind and to land at the odour source. By contrast, females are not attracted to rowan branches without green berries, and they are not attracted to apple, demonstrating that the chemical stimulus from rowan berries is required for attraction. Attraction to synthetic compounds identified from rowan, anethole and 2-phenyl ethanol confirms the role of plant volatiles in host finding. These two compounds, however, show a discrepant behavioural effect in wind tunnel and field tests. Field traps baited with 2-phenyl ethanol capture female moths but anethole does not produce significant captures. Wind tunnel tests produce the opposite results: moths fly upwind towards the anethole lure, whereas 2-phenyl ethanol is not attractive at all. Wind tunnel attraction to 2-phenyl ethanol is achieved by adding odour from a rowan branch without berries, which is not attractive on its own. This finding demonstrates that interaction with the background odour contributes to the behavioural effect of plant volatile stimuli in the field.