Carbon sequestration and soil restoration potential of grazing lands under exclosure management in a semi‐arid environment of northern Ethiopia

Exclosures are used to regenerate native vegetation as a way to reduce soil erosion, increase rain water infiltration and provide fodder and woody biomass in degraded grazing lands. Therefore, this study assessed the impact of grazing exclosure on carbon sequestration and soil nutrients under 5 and 10 years of grazing exclosures and freely grazed areas in Tigray, northern Ethiopia. Carbon stocks and soil nutrients increased with increasing grazing exclusion. However, open grazing lands and 5 years of grazing exclosure did not differ in above‐ and belowground carbon stocks. Moreover, 10 years of grazing exclosure had a higher (p < 0.01) grass, herb and litter carbon stocks compared to 5 years exclosure and open grazing lands. The total carbon stock was higher for 10 years exclosure (75.65 t C ha^‐1) than the 5 years exclosure (55.06 t C ha^‐1) and in open grazing areas (51.98 t C ha^‐1). Grazing lands closed for 10 years had a higher SOC, organic matter, total N, available P, and exchangeable K + and Na + compared to 5 year's exclosure and open grazing lands. Therefore, establishment of grazing exclosures had a positive effect in restoring degraded grazing lands, thus improving carbon sequestration potentials and soil nutrients.     

Differentiation of spring carabid beetle assemblages between semi‐natural habitats and adjoining winter wheat

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Nucleocytoplasmic protein translocation during mitosis in the social amoebozoan Dictyostelium discoideum

Mitosis is a fundamental and essential life process. It underlies the duplication and survival of all cells and, as a result, all eukaryotic organisms. Since uncontrolled mitosis is a dreaded component of many cancers, a full understanding of the process is critical. Evolution has led to the existence of three types of mitosis: closed, open, and semi‐open. The significance of these different mitotic species, how they can lead to a full understanding of the critical events that underlie the asexual duplication of all cells, and how they may generate new insights into controlling unregulated cell division remains to be determined. The eukaryotic microbe Dictyostelium discoideum has proved to be a valuable biomedical model organism. While it appears to utilize closed mitosis, a review of the literature suggests that it possesses a form of mitosis that lies in the middle between truly open and fully closed mitosis—it utilizes a form of semi‐open mitosis. Here, the nucleocytoplasmic translocation patterns of the proteins that have been studied during mitosis in the social amoebozoan D. discoideum are detailed followed by a discussion of how some of them provide support for the hypothesis of semi‐open mitosis.     

Using species distribution models to select species resistant to climate change for ecological restoration of bowé in West Africa

Bowalization is a particular form of land degradation and leads to lateral expansion of ferricrete horizons. The process occurs only in tropical regions. In this study, the most adapted and resistant species towards climate change were identified on bowé. The 15 most common bowé species of the subhumid and semi‐arid climate zones of Benin were submitted together with significant environmental variables (elevation, current bioclimatic variables, soil types) to three ecological niche modelling programmes (Maxent, Domain and GARP). For future prediction (2050), IPCC4/CIAT and IPCC5/CMIP5 climate data were applied. Asparagus africanus, Andropogon pseudapricus and Combretum nigricans were identified as the most resistant species for ecological restoration of bowé in the semi‐arid climate zone and Asparagus africanus, Detarium microcarpum and Lannea microcarpa in the subhumid climate zone. The ‘Pull’ strategies were identified as appropriate for ecological restoration of bowé in Benin.     

Nucleotide diversity patterns of three divergent soybean populations: evidences for population‐dependent linkage disequilibrium and taxonomic status of Glycine gracilis

The level of linkage disequilibrium (LD) is a major factor to determine DNA polymorphism pattern of a population and to construct high‐resolution maps useful in localizing and gene cloning of complicated traits. Here, we investigated LD level of three soybean populations with different genetic backgrounds and taxonomic status of G. gracilis by comparing the DNA polymorphism patterns of four high‐diversity single‐copy nuclear genes. A total of 152, 22, and 77 accessions of G. soja, G. gracilis, and G. max were observed. The results indicated that G. max retained only 75.3 (π) and 39% (θ) of the nucleotide polymorphism found in G. soja. Four gene loci evolved according to neutrality in both G. max and G. gracilis populations, and three gene loci evolved according to neutrality in G. soja population by Tajima's and Fu and Li's test. However, one gene locus deviated from neutrality by Fu and Li's test in the G. soja population. Further, medial level of LD (average r² = 0.2426) was found in intragene in G. max and G. gracilis populations, but unexpected low level of LD (r² ≤ 0.0539) was found in G. soja population. Significant genetic differentiation was detected between G. max and G. soja populations and also between G. max and G. gracilis populations; however, nonsignificant genetic differentiation was found between G. gracilis and G. soja populations. The results suggest that LD level depends on genetic background of soybean population, and implicit that G. gracilis should be regarded as the variant of G. soja, not as an independent species.     

Effect of cropping systems on cereal stemborers in the cool‐wet and semi‐arid ecozones of the Amhara region of Ethiopia

1 Field experiments were conducted on maize and sorghum at three locations in the Amhara state of Ethiopia to determine the effects of mixed cropping on stemborer infestation, borer natural enemies and grain yields. In the cool‐wet ecozone of western Amhara, sole maize was compared with maize intercropped with faba bean, mustard, potatoes and cowpea. In the semi‐arid ecozone of eastern Amhara, the trial was conducted on both maize and sorghum with the companion crops haricot bean, sesame, cowpea and sweet potatoes. 2 The results showed that the predominant borer species in western and eastern Amhara were, respectively, Busseola fusca and Chilo partellus. In Addis Zemen, western Amhara, maize intercropped with mustard and potatoes had significantly lower pest numbers and percent tunnelling than other intercrops and the maize monocrop during the vegetative stage. In eastern Amhara, the cropping system did not significantly affect pest densities but damage to stem, ear or heads tended to be greatest when cereals were intercropped with sweet potatoes. 3 Parasitism of C. partellus by the braconid Cotesia flavipes was greater on maize than sorghum, and on maize it was greater with sweet potatoes than in other intercrops or sole maize. Cocoon mass number per plant did not vary significantly between treatments. 4 There were significant differences between treatments in yields of both sorghum and maize (per plant and per unit area) with the lowest yields observed when they were intercropped with a tuber crop. 5 The results suggest that simultaneous planting of the crop species selected has little advantage over monocropped maize.     

内蒙古半荒漠区啮齿动物群落分类及其多样性研究

自1988～1993年在内蒙古半荒漠区约11万km2的调查区域内共设置259个样方,布放有效夹日131109个,捕获啮齿动物19种。在此基础上,用其捕获率作为分类量纲,以样方-种的捕获率组成259×19的原始数据矩阵,应用快速聚类法进行鼠类群落划分,根据分类结果,并结合调查区域内各种地带性植被的特点将该地区啮齿动物划分为9个不同的鼠类群落。即群落:戈壁五趾跳鼠 五趾跳鼠 长爪沙鼠群落,群落生境为半荒漠区内典型的高平原、丘陵荒漠草原;群落:三趾跳鼠 子午沙鼠 小毛足鼠群落,群落生境为沙地,主要分布于阴山北麓的覆沙地带;群落;草原黄鼠 五趾跳鼠 长爪鼠群落,群落生境为半荒漠区内平原丘陵典型草原和山地典型草原;群落:赤颊黄鼠 黑线毛足鼠 五趾跳鼠群落,群落生境为戈壁针茅-隐子草草原;群落:戈壁五趾跳鼠 三趾跳鼠 蒙古羽尾跳鼠群落,群落生境为草原化荒漠,主要以强旱生灌木和半灌木组成;群落:黑线仓鼠 长爪沙鼠 小毛足鼠群落,群落生境为人工草地及阴山北麓山顶种植荞麦和莜麦的农田;群落:小毛足鼠 三趾跳鼠 长爪沙鼠群落,群落生境为典型荒漠草原重度退化的短花针茅冷蒿草场;群落:长尾仓鼠 大林姬鼠 棕背群落,群落生境为阴山山脉中段的次生林地如五当召、大桦背及蛮汉山;群落:五趾跳鼠 草原黄鼠 黑线毛足鼠群落     

Effects of natural vegetative restoration on soil fungal and bacterial communities in bare patches of the southern Taihang Mountains

Understanding the distribution and composition of soil microbes in bare patches is a critical step to improving ecological remediation. The effects of different vegetative restoration types on soil microbes within semi‐arid bare patches remain unclear. Here, we evaluated the distribution of soil fungi and bacteria among different ecological restoration types at the southern Taihang Mountains. Analysis of variance showed that the chemical properties of soil with vegetation cover have higher nutrient quality than those of the exposed soil. The results also suggested that vegetative restoration significantly improved the diversity and the richness of the soil fungal and bacterial communities. Sequencing results showed that Ascomycota and Basidiomycota were the main soil fungal communities, whereas Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Actinobacteria were the main soil bacterial communities. There were significant relationships between the contents of moisture, organic matter and organic carbon and the soil fungal/bacterial communities. Venn and network diagrams indicated that the vegetative restoration types largely influenced the soil fungi and weakly influenced the soil bacteria in the bare patches. This study discusses the importance of vegetative restoration in the ecological remediation of bare patches. These findings provide effective references for soil restorative measures, water conservation, and bare‐spot reduction at the southern Taihang Mountains in future.     

半干旱区农田土壤无机氮积累与迁移机理

研究黄土旱塬区长期定位试验中 1 0个典型处理土壤剖面 (0～ 30 0 cm)水分和无机氮的季节变化 ,探讨在半干旱区农田无机氮的积累与迁移机理。结果表明休闲处理除表层外土壤剖面的水分、硝态氮和铵态氮的含量分别稳定在 1 7%～ 2 0 %、4～ 7mg N/kg和 6～ 1 0 mg N/kg土的范围。种植作物显著地改变土壤剖面水分和硝态氮的分布状况 ,并使其含量发生大幅度的季节变化。作物利用限制了农田土壤硝态氮向深层的迁移。小麦连作无化肥氮处理及苜蓿连作不施肥或氮、磷加有机肥处理土壤硝态氮主要集中在 0～ 40 cm土层。小麦连作单施氮肥 (1 2 0 kg N/(hm2· a) )处理经 1 7年后土壤剖面硝态氮积累总量达到施氮总量的55% ,40～ 60 cm和 1 4 0～ 2 2 0 cm土层出现两个高峰 ,并表现出随季节性变化向土壤深层迁移的趋势。氮肥与磷肥或有机肥施用大幅度减少了土壤剖面硝态氮积累 ,并使其限制在 1 60 cm以上的土层内 ,2 0 0 cm以下土层的硝态氮含量极低 (<1 mg N/kg土 ) ,因而不具向深层迁移的条件。土壤剖面的铵态氮含量不受作物、施肥和季节性气候变化的影响