Concentration of iron and manganese in rice plants as influenced by hexachlorocyclohexane applied to soil

Summary Application of a granular formulation of hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) to the potted soil at flooding decreased the concentration of iron and. to some extent, manganese in rice plants, especially at concentrations above 3 ppm active ingredient (a.i.) Likewise, HCH, applied to rice fields at transplanting (several days after submergence) caused a significant decrease in the concentration of iron, and not manganese, in the rice plant but only at concentrations above 12.5 kg a.i./ha despite high levels of reduced iron in the soil. Inhibition of iron reduction by HCH was more pronounced when applied at flooding than at several days after flooding.     

氢醌和双氰胺对种稻土壤N2O和CH4排放的影响

通过盆栽试验,研究了脲酶抑制剂氢醌（ＨＱ）、硝化抑制剂双氰胺（ＤＣＤ）及二者的组合（ＨＱ＋ＤＣＤ）对种稻土壤Ｎ２Ｏ和ＣＨ４排放的影响．结果表明,在未施麦秸粉时,所有施抑制剂的处理均较单施尿素的能显著减少水稻生长期供试土壤Ｎ２Ｏ和ＣＨ４的排放．特别是ＨＱ＋ＤＣＤ处理,其Ｎ２Ｏ和ＣＨ４排放总量分别约为对照的１／３和１／２．而在施麦秸粉后,该处理的Ｎ２Ｏ排放总量为对照的１／２,但ＣＨ４排放总量却较少差别．不论是Ｎ２Ｏ还是ＣＨ４的排放总量,施麦秸粉的都比未施的高出１倍和更多．因此,单从土壤源温室气体排放的角度看,将未腐熟的有机物料与尿素共施,并不是一种适宜的施肥制度．供试土壤的Ｎ２Ｏ排放通量,与水稻植株的ＮＯ－３Ｎ含量和土表水层中的矿质Ｎ量分别呈显著的指数正相关和线性正相关;ＣＨ４的排放通量则与水稻植株的生长量和土表水层中的矿质Ｎ量呈显著的线性负相关．在Ｎ２Ｏ与ＣＨ４的排放间,未施麦秸粉时存在着定量的相互消长关系;施麦秸粉后,虽同样存在所述关系,但难以定量化．     

Simulation,quantification and comparison of in-channel and floodplain sediment processes in a lowland area – A case study of the Upper Stör catchment in northern Germany

Erosion and sedimentation processes within the channel and on the floodplain are indicative of catchment hydrodynamic procedures, as well as the associated nutrient and contaminant transportation. In this paper, we linked the SWAT model with the hydraulic HEC-RAS model to set up a sediment model for 10 river sections in the Upper Stör catchment and simulated the sediment processes from 2001 to 2010. Based on the HEC-RAS output, quantification and comparison of channelized and floodplain sediment processes were conducted. The results indicate that (1) with an average sedimentation depth of 2.85 cm, the deposition process dominated the Upper Stör catchment at the decadal time scale, and the land use/cover condition resulted in differences in sedimentation amounts between different sub-catchments, and (2) the mean deposition rates were 1.75 g/m²/d in the channel and 1.69 g/m²/d on the floodplain, and the floodplain deposition accounted for only 1% of the total sedimentation amount. This observation was mainly caused by the stream power distribution in the channel and on the floodplain. (3) The granularity of the channelized sedimentation was determined by the altitude of the river section, while the granularity of the floodplain sedimentation was positively correlated with the stream power of the flood. The D50s of the channelized and floodplain sediments were 0.92 mm and 0.16 mm, respectively, while the D90 of the sediment was 4.2 mm in the channel and 0.32 mm on the floodplain. Despite the higher uncertainty of the sediment simulation, the results yielded by the combination of the HEC-RAS and SWAT models are comparable to the traditional radioactive dating, sediment trapping or combined model methods used in similar and nearby catchments.     

Partitioning of water resources among plants of a lowland tropical forest

Source water used by plants of several species in a semi-evergreen lowland tropical forest on Barro Colorado Island, Panama, was assessed by comparing the relative abundance of deuterium, D, versus hydrogen, H (stable hydrogen isotope composition, D) in xylem sap and in soil water at different depths, during the dry season of 1992. Ecological correlates of source water were examined by comparing xylem water D values with leaf phenology, leaf water status determined with a pressure chamber, and rates of water use determined as mass flow of sap using the stem heat balance method. Soil water D values decreased sharply to 30 cm, then remained relatively constant with increasing depth. Average D values were-13, for 0–30 cm depth and-36.7 for 30–100 cm depth. Soil water D values were negatively associated with soil water content and soil water potential. Concurrent analyses of xylem water revealed a high degree of partitioning of water resources among species of this tropical forest. Xylem water D of deciduous trees (average=-25.3±1.4) was higher than that of evergreen trees (average=-36.3±3.5), indicating that evergreen species had access to the more abundant soil water at greater depth than deciduous species. In evergreen shade-tolerant and high-light requiring shrubs and small trees, D of xylem water was negatively correlated with transpiration rate and leaf water potential indicating that species using deeper, more abundant water resources had both higher rates of water use and more favorable leaf water status.     

Decline of acid-sensitive plant species in heathland can be attributed to ammonium toxicity in combination with low pH

The effects of increasing ammonium concentrations in combination with different pH levels were studied on five heathland plant species to determine whether their occurrence and decline could be attributed to ammonium toxicity and/or pH levels. Plants were grown in growth media amended with four different ammonium concentrations (10, 100, 500 and 1000 micromol l(-1)) and two pH levels resembling acidified (pH 3.5 or 4) and weakly buffered (pH 5 or 5.5) situations. Survival of Antennaria dioica and Succisa pratensis was reduced by low pH in combination with high ammonium concentrations. Biomass decreased with increased ammonium concentrations and decreasing pH levels. Internal pH of the plants decreased with increasing ammonium concentrations. Survival of Calluna vulgaris, Deschampsia flexuosa and Gentiana pneumonanthe was not affected by ammonium. Moreover, biomass increased with increasing ammonium concentrations. Biomass production of G. pneumonanthe reduced at low pH levels. A decline of acid-sensitive species in heathlands was attributed to ammonium toxicity effects in combination with a low pH.     

Resistance of three co-occurring resprouter Erica species to highly frequent disturbance

The resistance to experimental, highly frequent disturbance has been analysed in three congeneric, strong-resprouter species (Erica australis, E. scoparia and E. arborea) that co-occur in heath-dominated communities of the northern side of the Strait of Gibraltar, southern Spain. To do so, mature individuals of the three species from a long undisturbed location were clipped at the ground level every sixth month during two years. The relationship between the resprouted biomass dry weight (as indicative of the resprouting vigour) and the upper surface area of the lignotuber along the experiment was established separately for each species at each clipping event by means of linear regressions analysis. The resprouting vigour of the three species was compared by means of independent one-way ANOVAs within each clipping event. Resprouting vigour decreased after recurrent clippings in the three species. Nevertheless, significant differences between species in this loss of resprouting vigour were detected, being E. scoparia the most resistant to the experimental, highly frequent clipping. It is concluded that experimental levels of recurrent disturbance may help to find out differences in resilience within similar (taxonomically, morfologically and/or ecologically), strong-resprouter plant species. Considering the history of forestry management in the nothern side of the Strait of Gibraltar, differences in this regard between the three Erica species may contribute to explain their somewhat segregated ecological distribution in this region.     

Landscape diversity patterns and endemism of Araceae in Ecuador

Araceae is one of the largest herb families in tropical America, but its patterns of diversity and endemism are poorly known. We used predictive distribution modelling in GIS to study Araceae richness on a landscape scale in Ecuador. Modelling was based on georeferenced herbarium collections with humidity and mean annual temperature as climatic variables. Variation partitioning using multiple regression showed that humidity and altitude were main factors in explaining Araceae diversity patterns. Endemism was less well explained by present climatic factors. Unlike common diversity patterns of herbs or epiphytes, Araceae richness was highest in the eastern (Amazon) lowland rain forest with a secondary centre on the Andean foothills of northwestern Ecuador. The peak in endemism was on the western slopes of the Andes, corresponding to areas that have been severely affected by human activities and deforestation. Eastern lowland (Amazonian) forests were poor in endemic Araceae.     

Vertical structure of Erica umbellata,a representative species of European Ibero-Atlantic dry heaths

The canopy structure of Erica umbellata was studied in order to (a) quantify biomass allocation among several organ types, (b) analyse the possible changes in vertical structure related to season and plant size, and (c) evaluate the effectiveness of non-destructive measures to estimate biomass for a species that is declining in some areas, due to fire and other human disturbances. The study was conducted in NW Spain, sampling E. umbellata plants belonging to three size groups. Destructive (biomass) and non-destructive (frequency, height, diameter) measures were used to characterise the vertical distribution and abundance of photosynthetic, woody, reproductive and dead organs. Allometric equations were calculated to estimate total mass using non-destructive measurements. As E. umbellata increases in size, those organs with a higher renewal rate (leaves, new stems, flowers) increase in the upper strata. Seasonal differences are recorded for the reproductive organs and new stems. A sharp decrease in the green/total phytomass ratio (from 0.51 to 0.17) is observed as plant size increases. Organ biomass can be accurately predicted from total weight and it is also possible to estimate the total weight from non-destructive measures, which provides an easier way of recording data in the field.