Combating biotic stresses in plants by synthetic microbial communities: Principles,applications and challenges

Presently, agriculture worldwide is facing the major challenge of feeding the increasing population sustainably. The conventional practices have not only failed to meet the projected needs, but also led to tremendous environmental consequences. Hence, to ensure a food-secure and environmentally sound future, the major thrust is on sustainable alternatives. Due to challenges associated with conventional means of application of biocontrol agents in the management of biotic stresses in agroecosystems, significant transformations in this context are needed. The crucial role played by soil microbiome in efficiently and sustainably managing the agricultural production has unfolded a newer approach of rhizosphere engineering that shows immense promise in mitigating biotic stresses in an eco-friendly manner. The strategy of generating synthetic microbial communities (SynComs), by integrating omics approaches with traditional techniques of enumeration and in-depth analysis of plant–microbe interactions, is encouraging. The review discusses the significance of the rhizospheric microbiome in plant's fitness, and its manipulation for enhancing plant attributes. The focus of the review is to critically analyse the potential tools for the design and utilization of SynComs as a sustainable approach for rhizosphere engineering to ameliorate biotic stresses in plants. Furthermore, based on the synthesis of reports in the area, we have put forth possible solutions to some of the critical issues that impair the large-scale application of SynComs in agriculture.     

Energy Cost of Living and Associated Pollution for Beijing Residents

China's remarkable economic growth in the last 3 decades has brought about big improvements in quality of life while simultaneously contributing to serious environmental problems. The aim of all economic activities is, ultimately, to provide the population with products and services. Analyzing environmental impacts of consumption can be valuable for illuminating underlying drivers for energy use and emissions in society. This study applies an environmentally extended input‐output analysis to estimate household environmental impact (HEI) of urban Beijing households at different levels of development. The analysis covers direct and indirect energy use and emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), and nitrogen oxide (NO_x). On the basis of observations of how HEI varies across income groups, prospects for near‐future changes in HEI are discussed. Results indicate that in 2007, an urban resident in Beijing used, on average, 52 gigajoules of total primary energy supply. The corresponding annual emissions were 4.2 tonnes CO₂, 27 kilograms SO₂, and 17 kilograms NO_x. Of this, only 18% to 34% was used or emitted by the households directly. While the overall expenditure elasticity of energy use is around 0.9, there is a higher elasticity of energy use associated with transport. The results suggest that significant growth in HEI can be expected in the near future, even with substantial energy efficiency improvements.     

饲料蛋白质含量对黄粉虫生长繁殖及川硬皮肿腿蜂寄生能力的影响

【目的】筛选出适宜川硬皮肿腿蜂Scleroderma sichuanensis Xiao寄生的黄粉虫Tenebrio molitor饲料配方。【方法】用10种不同蛋白质含量的饲料饲喂黄粉虫,并观察各虫态生长繁殖情况,再用川硬皮肿腿蜂接种各配方黄粉虫蛹后置于培养箱中培养,5 d后计数雌蜂产卵量,并通过显著性分析、相关性分析及一元回归分析进行数据处理。【结果】各配方黄粉虫生长繁殖情况正常,指标间存在一定的显著性和相关性且与一元回归分析所得相关性一致。川硬皮肿腿蜂对黄粉虫蛹寄生率没有显著性,为86.25%~96.97%,表现出较高寄生率。寄生产卵量较高且蛋白质含量为14.09%和13.73%配方组显著高于其他配方组。【结论】黄粉虫饲料中蛋白质含量在14%(13.73%~14.09%)时川硬皮肿腿蜂寄生能力最强。     

杉木人工林冰雪灾害受灾和萌生情况调查及影响因子分析

以九龙山国家级自然保护区的主要公益林杉木人工林作为研究对象,选择具有代表性的受灾区域,自海拔700 m至900 m设置样地,共10块样地,总面积4 000 m2。分析其受2008年初严重冰雪灾害破坏及灾后萌生情况与胸径、树高、尖削度、海拔之间的关系。结果表明： 1）杉木人工林损害严重,其中断冠、断干植株比例较高,而掘根和冻死植株相对较少;杉木具有极强的萌生能力,以断冠杉木的萌生能力最强。2）不同胸径、树高、尖削度的杉木对于冰雪灾害的抵御能力及萌生能力存在一定差异,小径级矮小的个体受灾较重,易被冻死和掘根,大径级的较高个体受灾相对较轻,主要表现为断冠和断干危害,且不同径级下的受灾杉木上部萌生均占较大比例。3）杉木的抵御能力和萌生能力与海拔存在一定的关系,高海拔地区杉木受灾较重,而中海拔地区的杉木萌生能力相对较强。     

厦门市生态经济系统物质流分析

运用物质流分析(MFA)方法和STIRPAT模型,对1996～2007年厦门生态经济系统物质输入与输出进行分析,结果表明:(1)在不考虑水的情况下,物质输入与输出不断增加(年均增长率分别为11.48%、11.41%),但均小于GDP增长速度(15.94%),二者成正比;物质流增长集中表现在对金属、非金属矿物的需求及化石燃料燃烧废气、工业废气的排放.(2)用水量和废水排放量均不断增加,尤以生活污水排放量增长速度较快,加重了区域环境的压力.(3)物质输入与GDP、物质输出与GDP呈良好线性关系.厦门经济发展很大程度上依赖资源消耗.(4)单位GDP物质输入与输出均不断减小,表明资源利用率、处置率明显提高,区域逐步走向生态环境与社会经济的协调发展.(5)构建了厦门物质输入驱动机制的STIRPAT模型,得出人口数量、富裕程度、技术水平或经济结构每分别发生1%的变化,将引起输入量相应发生0.99%、0.98%、0.17%、0.31%的变化.提升技术水平和优化经济结构具有较大调控空间,将是厦门物质减量化战略的实施重点.     

基于NLPCA-GSO可持续发展评价——以环渤海区域为例

区域可持续发展水平、发展的持续性和系统的协调性是区域可持续发展定量评价研究的三角构架,而在传统上基于各子系统主成分分析结果直接进行形色各异的加权计算对可持续发展评价而言是有待商榷的。提出了非线性主成分分析和施密特正交化(NLPCA-GSO)相耦合的方法评价区域的可持续发展水平来弥补传统方法的不足,并由此建立区域发展持续性模型和可持续发展系统协调度模型,再以环渤海区域为实证分析其2001—2010年的可持续发展状况。结果表明:基于NLPCA-GSO的可持续发展水平模型可以很好地弥补传统主成分分析及对各子系统结果的综合评价的不足;区域发展持续性模型、协调性模型和区域可持续系统变化的滤波分析形象地揭示区域可持续发展的实质和内涵;实证研究表明环渤海区域在研究时段内可持续发展水平有所上升,而环境子系统持续性的下降是引起区域发展持续性和系统协调度的变化的主要原因。研究结果可丰富区域可持续发展评价的方法学,也可为环渤海区域的可持续发展研究奠定基础。     

佛山市土地资源可持续利用探讨

土地资源的持续利用是实现生态、经济和社会可持续发展的基础。着重分析了广东省佛山市土地利用现状特点及存在问题,并在此基础上,提出土地可持续利用的对策与建议。农业用地应采取用地与养地相结合,改善农业生产条件,努力提高单产水平,优化农业用地结构,建设农业生产基地,发展外向型农业,因地制宜地开发未利用土地资源;对非农用地要做好建设用地需求预测工作,统筹规划,城镇用地内函与外延并重;合理调整农业和非农业用地结构;加大土地资源管理的力度,明晰土地产权,完善土地管理制度等。     

The Importance of Type II Error and Falsifiability

Aim. Before intergovernmental consensus under the Rio Declaration in 1992, ignorance of type I errors had been disfavoured in science. However, the Precautionary Principle (PP) counsels the avoidance of type II errors, rather than of type I errors. We need a new academic code for the PP. Material and methods. The risk of extinction has usually been evaluated based on conservative estimates of the present population size. I define the weight of evidence as the extinction risk of Japanese vascular plants based on unbiased estimates. Catch quotas in the fisheries are usually decided by precautionary approach. I calculate the long-term yield and risk of stock collapse under a simple stock dynamics model. Results. The weight of evidence depends on the frequency of grids with size unknown. In a few plant species, rankings based on conservative estimates have differed from rankings based on unbiased estimates. In fishery management, a catch quota based on a precautionary approach proved neither sufficient nor necessary to avoid stock collapse. The precautionary approach is one of the reasons that prevent us from maximizing a sustainable yield. Conclusions. We need to clarify the endpoint of risks, and check whether it is necessary to adopt a PP. We can obtain the weight of evidence that is measured under unbiased estimates, while the risk based on a PP is measured under conservative estimates.     

Mechanisms of waterlogging tolerance in wheat – a review of root and shoot physiology

We review the detrimental effects of waterlogging on physiology, growth and yield of wheat. We highlight traits contributing to waterlogging tolerance and genetic diversity in wheat. Death of seminal roots and restriction of adventitious root length due to O₂ deficiency result in low root:shoot ratio. Genotypes differ in seminal root anoxia tolerance, but mechanisms remain to be established; ethanol production rates do not explain anoxia tolerance. Root tip survival is short‐term, and thereafter, seminal root re‐growth upon re‐aeration is limited. Genotypes differ in adventitious root numbers and in aerenchyma formation within these roots, resulting in varying waterlogging tolerances. Root extension is restricted by capacity for internal O₂ movement to the apex. Sub‐optimal O₂ restricts root N uptake and translocation to the shoots, with N deficiency causing reduced shoot growth and grain yield. Although photosynthesis declines, sugars typically accumulate in shoots of waterlogged plants. Mn or Fe toxicity might occur in shoots of wheat on strongly acidic soils, but probably not more widely. Future breeding for waterlogging tolerance should focus on root internal aeration and better N‐use efficiency; exploiting the genetic diversity in wheat for these and other traits should enable improvement of waterlogging tolerance.     

不同轮伐期对杉木人工林碳固存的影响

在全球气候变化背景下, 科学的经营管理是人工林碳汇提升的主要途径。合理轮伐期从一定程度上反映了人工林集约经营的理念, 是实现森林结构调整的主要影响因素之一。杉木(Cunninghamia lanceolata)多代连栽出现立地生产力下降与轮伐期的选择密切相关, 开展不同轮伐期对杉木人工林碳固存影响的研究, 可为其可持续经营提供理论依据。通过设置不同年龄序列的杉木人工林野外观测样地, 应用野外观测数据对FORECAST模型进行验证, 在此基础上模拟不同轮伐期对其碳固存的影响。结果表明: (1)短轮伐期(15年)在150年间的总固碳量较高, 但固碳持久性较低, 每个轮伐期之间的固碳量下降幅度较大, 是一种不可持续的经营模式。(2)正常轮伐期(25年)和长轮伐期(50年)的总固碳量低于短轮伐期, 但长轮伐期固碳持久性更强, 有利于维持每个轮伐期内固碳量的稳定。(3)在好的立地条件下(立地指数(SI) = 27), 轮伐期越短对地力消耗影响越大, 为了碳固存的持久性, 建议杉木人工林的生态轮伐期选择在25年以上。(4)应用FORECAST模型可以定量地评估人工林的固碳能力, 且该固碳能力是基于不同经营管理措施下的可持续固碳能力。