Changes of the forest-savanna boundary in Brazilian Amazonia during the Holocene revealed by stable isotope ratios of soil organic carbon

The possibility of ecosystem boundary changes in northern Brazilian Amazonia during the Holocene period was investigated using soil organic carbon isotope ratios. Determination of past and present fluctuations of the forest-savanna boundary involved the measurement of natural ¹³C isotope abundance, expressed as ¹³C, in soil organic matter (SOM). SOM ¹³C analyses and radiocarbon dating of charcoal fragments were carried out on samples derived from soil profiles taken along transects perpendicular to the ecotonal boundary. SOM ¹³C values in the upper soil horizons appeared to be in equilibrium with the overlying vegetation types and did not point to a movement of the boundary during the last decades. However, ¹³C values obtained from deeper savanna and forest soil layers indicated that the vegetation type has changed in the past. In current savanna soil profiles, we observed the presence of mid-Holocene charcoals derived from forest species: fire frequency at that time was probably greater, and more extensive savanna may have resulted. Isotope data and the presence of these charcoals thus suggest that the forest-savanna boundary has shifted significantly in the recent Holocene period, forest being more extensive during the early Holocene than today. During the middle Holocene, the forest could have strongly regressed, and fires appeared, with a maximum development of the savanna vegetation. At the beginning of the late Holocene, the forest may have invaded a part of this savanna, and fires occurred again.     

Occurrence of Verticillium fungicola var. fungicola on Agaricus bitorquis Mushroom Crops in Spain

Diseased fruit bodies of Agaricus bitorquis, with similar symptoms to those caused by dry bubble on Agaricus bisporus, were observed in some Spanish crops during summer 1999. Isolates of Verticillium fungicola from A. bitorquis and A. bisporus were submitted to different temperatures and to prochloraz–Mn sensitivity tests. All the isolates collected from A. bitorquis and A. bisporus were identified as V. fungicola var. fungicola. Artificial infections of A. bisporus and A. bitorquis with V. fungicola var. fungicola are also described in the present study. The appearance of natural infections of V. fungicola var. fungicola in A. bitorquis crops could well be due to the growing temperatures used in Spain, which are considerably below those used in other countries.     

贵州黄壤区辣椒干物质、氮素积累与分配及氮素利用对新型肥料的响应

为探索贵州黄壤区施用新型肥料对辣椒种植的增产效应,通过盆栽试验研究了保水型(BSX)、稳定性(WDX)、包膜型(BMX)缓释肥和长效氮肥(CXDF)4种新型肥料对‘博辣5号’辣椒的干物质、氮素积累与分配,以及氮素利用效率的影响.结果表明: 施用新型肥料可以明显影响辣椒干物质和氮素的积累与分配,辣椒氮素积累快速增长开始时间和结束时间较干物质分别提前17~26 d和28~45 d,且氮素积累快速增长持续期也较干物质缩短7~23 d,表明氮素积累的发生时间要先于干物质积累;与普通复合肥(FHF)处理相比,新型肥料处理的干物质和氮素积累均出现明显滞后,以BMX处理的滞后时间最长,但是WDX处理的快速增长持续期较短且最大积累速率最高,说明稳定性缓释肥可实现养分短时间内的高效利用;BSX和BMX处理的花后干物质和氮素积累量占总干物质和总氮的比例分别为62.9%和20.1%、73.3%和20.5%,而WDX处理则分别为59.3%和11.6%,说明保水型和包膜型缓释肥相对有利于辣椒花后干物质积累和氮素同化,而稳定性缓释肥则更有利于花前干物质和养分积累;与FHF处理相比,施用新型肥料(保水型、稳定性和包膜型缓释肥)可显著提高辣椒的氮素利用效率,以稳定性缓释肥的氮肥偏生产力、氮肥农学效率和氮肥表观利用率最高,分别为66.74 kg·kg^-1、44.28 kg·kg^-1和54.6%.新型肥料适用于贵州辣椒种植栽培,以稳定性缓释肥的施用效果最佳.     

秸秆还田对水稻固碳特性及产量形成的影响

以中浙优1号为材料、秸秆不还田为对照,在大田试验条件下研究了不同秸秆还田量（4000、6000、8000 kg·hm^-2）对水稻群体干物质积累、运转、植株固碳及产量形成的影响. 结果表明： 与对照相比,秸秆还田处理的水稻群体干物质积累总量平均增加63.03 g·m^-2,以6000 kg·hm^-2处理的干物质积累量最高,比对照增加154.40 g·m^-2;在水稻各生育阶段中,秸秆还田处理对分蘖盛期—齐穗期干物质积累的影响最为明显,干物质积累量比对照平均增加71.25 g·m^-2;与对照相比,秸秆还田处理的茎叶干物质输出率和表观转变率分别平均增加4.2%和3.7%,均以6000 kg·hm^-2处理最高,分别为12.8%和11.1%.秸秆还田处理的群体植株固碳量比对照平均增加55.38 g·m^-2,以6000 kg·hm^-2处理的增幅最大,为17.8%;从固碳量在各器官中的分配来看,秸秆还田有利于生育前期茎叶固碳量的积累和生育后期固碳量向穗部的分配.秸秆还田处理的水稻产量比对照平均增加794.59 kg·hm^-2,增幅9.5%,其中6000和4000 kg·hm^-2处理的产量均显著提高,而8000 kg·hm^-2处理的产量增加不显著;从产量构成因素来看,秸秆还田处理单位面积有效穗数的增加是增产的主要原因,平均增加8.4穗·m^-2.     

蔬菜吸收不同形态外源碘的动力学特性

采用水培法,研究了两种蔬菜(小白菜和芹菜)对两种不同形态碘源(I-,IO-3)的吸收和积累特性.结果表明:供试蔬菜吸收碘的速率表现为在短时间(＜60 min)内迅速增加,随着时间的延长蔬菜对碘的吸收速率逐渐下降;在低浓度范围内(0.01～0.50 mg/L)蔬菜对IO-3的吸收速率与碘浓度变化曲线符合饱和吸收动力学特征(表现为遵循酶学方程),进一步研究表明,解偶联剂2,4-二硝基苯酚(DNP)对低浓度(＜0.50 mg/L)下蔬菜IO-3吸收速率具有明显的抑制作用,说明两种蔬菜对低浓度的IO-3可能存在主动吸收,而在高浓度范围内(0.50～10.0 mg/L),蔬菜对碘的吸收速率随着碘浓度的提高呈现直线上升的趋势.两种蔬菜相比,在同样条件下芹菜对碘的吸收速率明显大于小白菜.蔬菜可食部分中碘的含量随着碘浓度的提高而增加,在一次加碘条件下表现为先增加后降低的趋势,而在持续加碘条件下蔬菜中碘的含量在整个处理期间表现为不断增加; Cl-的添加对低浓度下蔬菜碘的吸收具有明显的抑制作用,而随着碘浓度的提高Cl-的抑制作用逐渐减弱.供试蔬菜对碘的富集系数随碘浓度的提高而降低,碘在蔬菜不同器官的分配次序表现为根＞叶＞茎.     

Plant functional types broadly describe water use strategies in the Caatinga,a seasonally dry tropical forest in northeast Brazil

1. In seasonally dry tropical forests, plant functional type can be classified as deciduous low wood density, deciduous high wood density, or evergreen high wood density species. While deciduousness is often associated with drought‐avoidance and low wood density is often associated with tissue water storage, the degree to which these functional types may correspond to diverging and unique water use strategies has not been extensively tested.
2. We examined (a) tolerance to water stress, measured by predawn and mid‐day leaf water potential; (b) water use efficiency, measured via foliar δ¹³C; and (c) access to soil water, measured via stem water δ¹⁸O.
3. We found that deciduous low wood density species maintain high leaf water potential and low water use efficiency. Deciduous high wood density species have lower leaf water potential and variable water use efficiency. Both groups rely on shallow soil water. Evergreen high wood density species have low leaf water potential, higher water use efficiency, and access alternative water sources. These findings indicate that deciduous low wood density species are drought avoiders, with a specialized strategy for storing root and stem water. Deciduous high wood density species are moderately drought tolerant, and evergreen high wood density species are the most drought tolerant group.
4. Synthesis. Our results broadly support the plant functional type framework as a way to understand water use strategies, but also highlight species‐level differences.

     

Correlations of calcium accumulations in arteries, veins, cartilages, ligaments, and bones in single humans

To show the relationships of calcium accumulation in the thoracic aorta to the other tissues, calcium contents were determined with a microwave-induced plasma-atomic emission spectrometer on arteries, veins, cartilages, ligaments, and bones. These tissues were resected from 18 individuals, consisting of 11 men and 7 women who died in the age range 59–91 yr. As thoracic and abdominal aortas are routinely used for radiographic examination of arterial calcification, they appear to be standard tissues of the calcium accumulation. The calcium accumulations were determined in the femoral artery, the superior and inferior venae cavae, the internal jugular vein, cartilages of the articular disk of the temporomandibular joint and the intervertebral disk, both the ligaments of the anterior cruciate ligament and the ligamentum capitis femoris, and the calcaneus, in contrast with the thoracic aorta. As calcium increased in the thoracic aorta, it increased in the femoral artery, the articular disk of the temporomandibular joint, the intervertebral disk, both ligaments of the anterior cruciate ligament, and the ligamentum capitis femoris, but it did not increase in veins, such as the superior and inferior venae cavae and the internal jugular vein. In contrast, it decreased in the calcaneus.     

Tracking Nutrient Routing in Avian Consumers in a Subtropical Desert

The nutrients animals ingest are allocated to serve different functions. We used contrasting C stable isotope signatures of dominant vegetation types in a North American subtropical desert to decipher how avian consumers allocate nutrients to fuel oxidative metabolism and to construct tissues. We conducted C stable isotope analysis of breath and feathers collected from nectarivores (hummingbirds) and of breath, plasma, and red blood cell samples collected from frugivores, granivores, and insectivores. Based on varying nutrient characteristics of food sources, we expected that for frugivores and granivores, CAM‐derived food (RC_CAM) would have similar importance for oxidative metabolism and for tissue building, that RC_CAM in nectarivores and insectivores would be more important for fueling metabolism than for generating tissues, and that (although low) RC_CAM in insectivores would be higher for sustaining metabolism than for building tissues. Our predictions held true for nectarivores and granivores, but RC_CAM use in tissue building was lower than expected in frugivores and higher than expected in insectivores. Our examination at the trophic guild, population, and individual levels showed that in general, nutrients used to sustain oxidative metabolism and tissue construction had a uniform isotopic origin. This finding suggests that the avian community under investigation does not route different food groups to fulfill different needs. However, we found some exceptions, indicating that birds can use different food sources for different functions, irrespective of trophic guild.