Table of Content

10 September 2013, Volume 32 Issue 9

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Interrelationships between grassland plant community distribution and soil physical and chemical properties in soda-saline soil regions of Songnen Plain, Northeast China.

CHI Chun-ing1, WANG Zhi-hun2**

2013, 32(9):  2245-2249. 

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In this paper, the physical and chemical properties of 0-30 soil layer under Leymus chinensis, Puccinellia tenuiflora, Chloris virgata, Suaeda corniculata, and alkali patch in the sodasaline soil regions of Songnen Plain were measured, with the interrelationships between these properties and grassland plant community distribution analyzed. The results showed that the soil physical and chemical properties were deteriorating in the order of L. chinensis, P. tenuiflora, C. virgata; S. corniculata, and alkali patch. The electrical conductivity of saturated paste (EC_e), exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP), pH, and bulk density of 0-10 cm soil layer were the decisive factors affecting the grassland plant community distribution, while the distribution of the grassland plant community could qualitatively reflect the degree of soil salinity and soil physical properties. The plant growth affected the soil chemical and physical properties. Plant growth altered the distribution patterns of soil EC_e and ESP. In the soils with vegetations, EC_e and ESP increased with soil depth; in the soils with alkali patch, both EC_e and ESP decreased with soil depth. Plant growth could improve the soil structural stability and saturated hydraulic conductivity to some extent.

Species composition, diversity, and biomass of representative plant communities in eastern Arjin Mountain Nature Reserve, Northwest China.

WU Yu1, ZHANG Xiang-feng1, DONG Shi-kui1**, LIU Shi-liang1, ZHANG Xiang2, SU Xu-kun1, WANG Xue-xia2, LI Yuan-yuan1

2013, 32(9):  2250-2256. 

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By using quadrat method, this paper studied the structure, species diversity, and population productivity of representative plant communities in eastern Aerjin Mountain Nature Reserve, Northwest China, with the relationships between these plant communities’ characteristics and environmental factors analyzed. The species diversity of the plant communities was in the order of eroded steppe at Kaerqiuka > wet meadow at Abatiba > steppe at Kaerdun > steppe at Yixiekepati Central Station > desert at Yixiekepati. The diversity indices of the plant communities were negatively correlated to slope and soil pH, and positively correlated to soil moisture. The analysis on the biomass of different functional groups of the plant communities showed that Cyperaceae distributed mostly in wet meadow, while Poaceae distributed mainly in the steppe near Yixiekepati Central Station. Leguminosae only appeared in the steppe at Kaerdun. Since the distribution of plant resources limited the herbivores’ selection for foods, the steppe near Yixiekepati Central Station and the wet meadow at Abadiba should be strictly protected as the key food sources and habitats for wildlife.

Population structure of Phellodendron amurense in Changbai Mountains of Northeast China.

YI Xue-mei1,2, ZHANG Yue1,2, JI Lan-zhu1**

2013, 32(9):  2257-2262. 

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An investigation was conducted on the populations of Phellodendron amurense in Changbai Mountains of Northeast China. By the method of substituting time with space, and taking trunk size structure in place of age structure, an analysis was made on the age structure, static life table, and dynamics of the populations. In broad-leaved Korean pine forest, P. amurense population was maintained largely relying on the aging individuals, and was in short of the seedlings. In Betula platyphylla secondary forest, P. amurense population was relatively young but still with a seedling lack. The survive curves of the P. amurense populations in Changbai Mountains belonged to Deevey type III, showing a declining trend. The time series prediction for the populations indicated that with the decrease of old individuals after their transient increase, the P. amurense populations would be finally declined. It was suggested that appropriate artificial measures in considering of the endangered mechanisms should be adopted to ensure the continuous and steady growth of the P. amurense populations.

Niches of dominant populations  in vegetation  along the North Trunk of Wanjiazhai Yellow River Diversion Project.

DENG Yong-li１, ZHANG Feng1,2**, LIU Ying2, LIU Hai-qiang2

2013, 32(9):  2263-2267. 

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By using Shannon index and Pianka overlap index, and in combining with Detrended Corresponding Analysis (DCA), this paper studied the niche breadth and overlap of the dominant species along the North Trunk of Wanjiazhai Yellow River Diversion Project (YRDP) in Shanxi of China. The results indicated that twodimensional DCA ordination diagram could better reflect the water use condition of the dominant species under a transition from mesophytes to xerophytes. As compared with other species, Setaria viridis and Salsola collina had a larger niche breadth, showing their stronger adaptability to xeric and heavy disturbance environments, while Bromus inermis had a smaller niche breadth, indicating its poor adaptability to severe disturbance habitat. Therefore, Shannon index could better reflect the distribution characteristics of plants in natural recovery community. The niche breadth index of 33 dominant populations had a significant positive correlation with the frequency of these populations (r=0.995, P<0.01), suggesting that the greater the species frequency, the higher the Shannon index. The Pianka’s overlap index between S. komarovii and Agriophyllum squarrosum was the largest, with a similar niche breadth due to the resembled pattern of using environmental resources. However, the Pianka’s overlap index among Thymus mongolicus, S. viridis, and Convolvulus arbensis was lower because the ecological characteristics of these species were obviously different.

Relationships between plant species number and sampling area for sub-alpine meadow plant communities.

ZHANG Ru1,3, CHEN Jun-qiang1,3, HOU Yao-chen1,3, MA Li-na1,3, DING Lu-ming2,3, LONG Rui-jun1,3, SHANG Zhan-huan1,3**

2013, 32(9):  2268-2274. 

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In this paper, nested plots were used to investigate the plant species number of subalpine meadow plant communities in the Eastern Qilian Mountains of China. The relationships between plant species frequency and sampling area were analyzed, and the speciesarea curves of the plant communities were fitted with ten selected models. Correlation index (CRI) was then used to test the fitness of the models. The results showed that when the sampling area increased over 16 m², the related increase of species number in four quadrats decreased significantly, and basically maintained at the same level. Furthermore, the species number in each quadrat was more than 75% of the total species number in the quadrat. When the sampling area reached about 32 m², the species number in high-yield quadrats I and II and in low-yield quadrats I and II were basically maintained at a certain level, accounting for 88%, 89%, 84%, and 92% of the total species number in the quadrats, respectively. With a CRI of ≥0.9, eight of the ten models had good fitness. Models S=(b+alnA)^c and S=c/(a+A^-b) were the best, followed by models S=aln(bA+1), S=b+alnA, S=aA^b, and S=c-ae-bA, and only models S=aln(A-1) and S=a(1-e-bA) had bad fitness.

Spring phenological characteristics and phenophase classification of landscape greening tree species in Chongming Island of Shanghai.

ZHAO Xiao-lei**, SHI Chao-yang, HE Bin, RAN Wen-rui， CAI Yong-li

2013, 32(9):  2275-2280. 

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The phenological characteristics of landscape greening tree species on saline soils can not only determine the best afforestation time, but also provide scientific evidence for landscape configuration of plant communities. Taking the 45 landscape greening tree species in Dongtan Wetland Park of Chongming Island as the objects, an observation was made on the phenology of budding and leaf expansion. The budding period continued from mid March to late April, and 22 species budded in late March. Therefore, the afforestation was advised to be before the end of April. The leaf expansion continued from late March to late May, and the main expansion peak continued from mid April to early May. The landscape configuration of the 45 tree species could be in accord with the time of leaf expansion. According to the phonological differences, the 45 tree species were divided into four types. The trees in the same types were similar in phenological matching relationship, and thus, had certain mutual replacement function in landscape configuration. Some suggestions on the afforestation time and the configuration of tree species were put forward.

Phenotypic variability and growth characteristics of wild walnut seeds in Xinjiang, Northwest China.

ZHANG Wei1,2, LUO Xin-ze1, ZHANG Na1, YANG Yun-fei2**

2013, 32(9):  2281-2288. 

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All the 14 types of wild walnut seeds and two types of the relocated transplanting wild walnut seeds in the Wild Walnut Nature Reserve in Xinjiang were collected, with their phenotypic variability and growth characteristic analyzed. The seed vertical diameter, transverse diameter, and fruit weight of different types of wild walnuts were significantly different, and there was a great plasticity in different quantitative indices. The seed vertical diameter ranked as Juglans rostrata, J. scleroderma, J. oblonga, J. cardata, J. obliquerostrata, J. Triangulata, J. fusiformis, J. leptocarya, J. ovata, J. microoblonga, J. cathayensis, J. duriuscula, J. brevirostrata, and J. microcarpa in descending order, and the seed transverse diameter ranked as J. scleroderma, J. Rostrata, J. oblonga, J. cardata, J. cathayensis, J. ovata, J. obliquerostrata, J. triangulata, J. leptocarya, J. brevirostrata, J. microoblonga, J. microcarpa, J. fusiformis, and J. duriuscula in descending order. J. Microoblonga had the maximum average shell thickness, while J. obliquerostrata had the minimum average shell thickness. The fruit weight ranked as J. Scleroderma, J. oblonga, J. rostrata, J. cardata, J. cathayensis, J. ovata, J. obliquerostrata, J. triangulata, J. brevirostrata, J. microcarpa, J. fusiformis, J. leptocarya, J. microoblonga, and J. duriuscula in descending order. The growth relationships of the vertical diameter with weight and of the transverse diameter with weight were described quantitatively by exponentiation equation, exponential equation, and logarithmic equation, and all the growth relationships were allometric. The growth speed of the seed indicators at different growth stages could also be reflected by the equations mentioned-above. According to the analysis, the wild walnut after relocated transplanting had larger seeds.

Interspecies relationships and clustering of weed communities in tea gardens in southern hilly regions of Jiangsu Province, East China in autumn.

ZHANG Hai-yan1, SUN Guo-jun1,2**, JI Min1, LI Fen-hua1, HAN Min1, XU Ying-lian3, WAN Yu-cheng1

2013, 32(9):  2289-2297. 

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In October, 2011 and 2012, an investigation was made on the weed species and their density and height in the tea gardens in southern hilly regions of Jiangsu Province. The obtained data were transformed into weed relative abundance and importance values. The niche breadth and niche overlap values of selected 25 main weeds were calculated, and twodimensional scatter plot of DCA ordination was drawn based on the importance values. The results showed that there were 100 weed species, belonging to 90 genera and 40 families. Among them, 25 weed species occurred with a frequency of >15%. Among these 25 species, Digitaria sanguinalis, Acalypha australis,
Erigeron annuus, Echinochloa crusgalli var. austrojaponensis, and Eleusine indica had wider niche breadth, being the important weeds in the tea gardens in southern hilly regions of Jiangsu Province. The higher niche overlap values were found between D. sanguinalis, E. crusgalli var. austrojaponensis, A. australis, E. indica, and E. annuus, indicating that the resource competition was more intense, and thus, these weed communities had greater harm to tea. All the sampling sites were quantitatively clustered into five groups based on the similarity coefficient. These five groups included limestone soil tea garden, plowing and well-managed tea garden, noplowing and generalmanaged tea garden, extensivemanaged and almost abandoned tea garden, and understory tea garden. The dominant weed species in each group in autumn were evident, which formed relatively different weed communities in the tea gardens. The results would provide theoretical basis for the integrated management of weeds in tea gardens.

Effects of leaf extracts from two kinds of submerged macrophytes on the growth and community composition of epiphytic algae living on native macrophyte species.

JI Hai-ting, XIE Dong, ZHOU Heng-jie, AN Shu-qing**

2013, 32(9):  2298-2306. 

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A comparative study was made on the two exotic submerged macrophyte species (Elodea nuttallii and Myriophyllum aquaticum) and their native congeners (Hydrilla verticillata and M. spicatum, with the differences in the community composition and structural characteristics of the epiphytic algae living on the two native species analyzed. Then, two concentrations (0.5 and 2 mg·mL^-1) of the leaf extracts from the exotic and native submerged macrophytes were used to explore how the extracts affect the growth and community composition of epiphytic algae living on the native macrophytes. The results showed that the extracts from the two exotic submerged macrophytes showed stronger algal inhibiting effect than those from the native ones, being more significant in high concentrations of the extracts. The extracts from the four submerged macrophytes all reduced the total number of the epiphytic algae living on the native macrophytes, and showed the trend that low concentration extracts could promote the species richness and diversity of the epiphytic algae, while high concentration extracts showed inhibiting effect. The extracts from exotic species had more significant negative effects, and made the epiphytic algae community composition tend to be simple. The extracts from fresh plant materials showed stronger allelopathic algal inhibiting effect than those from dry ones.

Screening of Pinus koraiensis microsatellite makers from relative species of Pinus and analysis of population genetic diversity.

ZHANG yue1,2, YI Xue-mei1,2, JI Lan-zhu1**

2013, 32(9):  2307-2313. 

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Screening relative species SSRs is one of the main methods for obtaining microsatellite makers. Based on the interspecific transferability of Pinus EST-SSRs, this paper screened out the EST-SSRs of Pinus koraiensis from the microsatellite markers of P. massoniana, and analyzed the population genetic diversity with the known Pinus genomic SSRs and EST-SSRs. The results showed that the interspecific transfer rate between P. massoniana and P. koraiensis was 27.27%, and the transferability in Pinus subgenus was lower. As compared with genomic SSRs, the numbers of alleles (N_a), effective alleles (N_e), observed heterozygosity (H_o), and expected heterozygosity (H_e) of EST-SSRs were obviously lower. The genetic diversity analyses of four populations through two sets of markers indicated that the two sets of effective alleles could reflect the differences in the genetic variation trend between the four populations, and gene diversity could also reflect the differences in the genetic identity between the four populations, which demonstrated that the two groups of the markers could accurately reflect the genetic diversity levels of the four populations, and the newly screened EST-SSRs could be used to analyze the population genetic variation.

Effects of UV-B radiation on the leaf litter chemistry and subsequent decomposition of Elaeocarpus sylvestris.

GUO Bao-hua1, BU Tao2, WANG Zhi-kun2, SONG Xin-zhang2, LIU Guang-lu1, FAN Shao-hui1**

2013, 32(9):  2314-2319. 

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A simulation experiment was conducted to study the effects of ultraviolet B (UV-B) radiation on the leaf litter chemistry and subsequent decomposition of Elaeocarpus sylvestris, a common tree species in China subtropical zone. The leaf litter was derived from E. sylvestris seedlings, and exposed to elevated (10% enhancement) UV-B radiation and ambient UV-B radiation for one year. Elevated UV-B radiation increased the leaf litter N content significantly, but decreased the leaf litter C, P, K, and lignin contents and C∶N and lignin∶N ratios. The decomposition of the leaf litter derived from E. sylvestris seedlings and exposed to elevated UV-B radiation had no significant difference with that in ambient UV-B treatment. During the first 10 months of decomposition, the N enrichment occurred, and the enrichment degree was significantly higher in treatment ambient UV-B radiation than in treatment elevated UV-B radiation. The release of P and K occurred during litter decomposition, but had no significant difference between the two treatments.

 

Effects of soil burial depth on the seed germination of Phragmites australis and Typha domingensis.

MENG Huan1,2, WANG Xue-hong1, TONG Shou-zheng1**, LU Xian-guo1, ZHANG Wen-guang1, HUO Li-li1,2, LOU Xiao-nan1, MENG Xian-kun3

2013, 32(9):  2320-2325. 

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Soil burial depth is one of the key factors affecting the seed germination and seedling growth of wetland plants. In this paper, a laboratory simulation experiment was conducted to study the effects of soil burial depths (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 mm) on the seed germination percentage (GP), germination speed (GS), shoot length (SL), and root length (RL) of Phragmites australis and Typha domingensis in the riparian wetlands along the downstream of Songhua River, Northeast China. The main objective of this study was to provide the technique and strategy for guiding vegetation restoration via sexual reproduction approaches for P. australis and T. domingensis along the downstream of Songhua River. Significant effects of soil burial depth on the GP and GS were observed for both P. australis and T. domingensis. The seed GP and GS of P. australis and T. domingensis varied with soil burial depth. The seed GP and GS of P. australis were higher when the soil burial depths 0 mm and 25 mm, while those of T. domingensis were higher when the soil burial depths were 0 mm and > 25 mm. From the viewpoints of SL and RL, the soil burial depths of < 10 mm were more beneficial to the survival and growth of P. australis and T. domingensis. At the same soil burial depths, the seeds of P. australis had stronger germination ability than those of T. domingensis.

Effects of different planting modes on the growth and development characteristics of rice.

LIU Hong-jiang, ZHENG Jian-chu**, CHEN Liu-gen, ZHOU Wei

2013, 32(9):  2326-2331. 

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Taking Japonica rice cultivar Wuyunjing 24 as test material, this paper studied the effects of different planting modes on the growth and development characteristics of rice in Tai Lake area of East China. Four treatments were installed, i.e., direct seeding on June 1, direct seeding on June 17, manual transplanting, and mechanical transplanting. Different planting modes had significant effects on the rice growth period, with the duration of the growth period being the longest under manual transplanting, followed by mechanical transplanting, and direct seeding. The rice yield was the highest under mechanical transplanting, and the lowest under direct seeding. At the early growth stage of rice, the biomass under manual transplanting was high, while that under mechanical transplanting was relatively low. At maturing stage, the biomass under direct seeding on June 17 was the lowest, while that under mechanical transplanting and manual transplanting was nearly the same. At early growth stage, the leaf area index was higher under manual transplanting than under other treatments; at heading stage, there was no significant difference in leaf area index among the treatments; at late growth stage, the leaf area index declined quickly under direct seeding, but increased significantly under manual transplanting and mechanical transplanting. Throughout the whole growth period, the photosynthetic potential under direct seeding was the lowest. Direct seeding on June 1 and manual transplanting promoted the rice growth rate at early growth stage, but direct seeding on June 17 increased the rice growth rate significantly at late growth stage. Mechanical transplanting increased the amount of α-NA per unit dry weight of root at rice heading stage significantly. Manual transplanting and direct seeding on June 1 increased the leaf chlorophyll content at tillering and jointing stages, while mechanical transplanting promoted the leaf chlorophyll content from heading stage to maturing stage. In sum, under mechanical transplanting, the rice growth period was relatively long, rice grew well at early growth stage, and, the leaf area index, photosynthetic potential, leaf chlorophyll content, and root activity were higher at middle and late growth stages, which was beneficial to gain the high and steady rice grain yield.

Effects of root zone hypoxia stress on root nitrogen metabolism of muskmelon.

LIU Yi-ling, SUN Zhou-ping, LI Tian-lai**

2013, 32(9):  2332-2338. 

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By using aeroponics culture system, this paper studied the effects of root zone hypoxia (10% and 5% O₂) stress on the root nitrogen metabolism of Cucumis melo during its fruit development period. During the 30 days experiment, the root NO₃^--N and NH₄⁺-N contents and nitrate reductase (NR) and glutamine synthetase (GS) activities of C. melo in treatments 10% and 5% O₂ decreased after an initial increase, as compared with the control (21% O₂). At the 20 days of hypoxia treatments, the abovementioned indicators were significantly higher than those of the control, while it they were adverse at the 30 days of hypoxia stress treatments. Moreover, the magnitude of the change was greater in treatment 5% O₂ than in treatment 10% O₂. The root glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) activity at the 10 days of hypoxia stress treatments was significantly lower than that of the control, while the difference was not significant at the 20 days of hypoxia stress treatments. No significant difference was observed in the root glutamic acid oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT) activity among the hypoxia stress treatments at the 20 days, but the GOT activity was significantly lower than that of the control at the 30 days. The root glutamic acid-pyruvic acid transaminase (GPT) activity in treatment 5% O₂ at the 30 days and in 10% O₂ treatment at the 20 days was significantly lower than that of the control. During the 30 days experiment, the root soluble protein content and the total amino acid content and most amino acids in xylem sap decreased with the decrease of rhizosphere O₂ concentration. It was concluded that when the rhizosphere O₂ concentration during the fruit development period of muskmelon fall to 10%, the root nitrogen uptake and assimilation, amino acid synthesis, and nitrogen translocation of the muskmelon were inhibited.

Litterfall mass,  nutrient contents, and nutrient release characteristics of typical forests in Jinyun Mountains of China under the background of acid rain.

GUO Ping, WANG Yun-qi**, WANG Yu-jie, ZHANG Hui-lan, WANG Ran, LIU Chun-xia

2013, 32(9):  2339-2346. 

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A field observation was made on the litterfall mass and  nutrient release of four types of forest stand (mixed conifer and broad-leaved forest, evergreen broad-leaved forest, bamboo forest, and shrub) in the Jinyun Mountains of China, and a simulated acid rain leaching experiment with the litters of the four forest stands was conducted in laboratory. The thickness of the existing litters in the four forest stands was 1.4-4.5 cm, and had an obvious hierarchical structure. Across the four forest stands, the litter reserve in undecomposed layer (U layer), semideco mposed layer (S layer), and decomposed layer (D layer) was 1.97-8.59, 2.84-10.18, and 3.58-17.43 t·hm^-2, respectively, the annual litterfall mass was 2.17-9.86 t·hm^-2·a^-1,  the total litter reserve was 14.21-32.42 t·hm^-2, and the annual litter decomposition rate was 0.15-0.31. It needed more than 10 years to decompose 95% of the litters in mixed conifer and broadleaved forest and bamboo forest, showing that the litter decomposition rate in the two forest stands was relatively slow. The main elements in litter layer were Ca and N, followed by Fe, K, and Mg. The release rate of nutrient elements in the litters of different forest stands was in the sequence of evergreen broad-leaved forest (0.80) > shrub (0.72) > mixed conifer and broad-leaved forest (0.50) > bamboo forest (-0.17). As compared with those in leaves, the N, K, and Mn contents in litter layer had an obvious decrease. In order to approach the action mechanisms of acid rain on the nutrient cycling, the ion contents in simulated acid rain and the base ion contents in litter leachates were analyzed, which showed that the correlation coefficient between the contents of different elements in the simulated acid rain and in the litter leachates was in the order of bamboo forest (r=0.895) > mixed conifer and broad-leaved forest (0.826) > shrub (0.700) > evergreen broad-leaved forest (0.699), suggesting that acid rain had the greatest effects on the leaching of nutrient elements in bamboo forest litters, and the weakest effects on the leaching of nutrient elements in evergreen broad-leaved forest litters. It could be speculated that the main function of the leaching process was the nutrient adsorption by litter.

Effects of pyrolysis temperature and duration time on  pH, carbon and nitrogen contents of biochars produced from three crop residues.

ZHANG Qian-feng1,2, MENG Jun3, LIU Ju-dong1, WANG Guang-hua1**

2013, 32(9):  2347-2353. 

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The physical and chemical properties of biochar are mainly determined by matrix materials and pyrolysis conditions. Taking the corn cob, soybean stalk, and rice husk as test materials, and by using muffle furnace, this paper studied the effects of pyrolysis temperature (300, 400, 450, 500, and 550 ℃) and pyrolysis duration (3, 6, and 9 hours) on the biochar yield, its pH, and carbon and nitrogen contents. With the increase of pyrolysis temperature and duration, the biochar yield decreased, while the biochar pH increased. The carbon content of the biochar produced from corn cob and soybean stalk increased with the increase of pyrolysis temperature and duration, while that of the biochar produced from rice husk had less change. The nitrogen content of the biochar produced from soybean stalk decreased with the increase of pyrolysis temperature and duration, while that of the biochar produced from corn cob and rice husk had no regular change.

 

Spatiotemporal distribution patterns of soil moisture in an apple orchard under effects of plastic film-mulch, ridge and furrow rainfall harvesting system.

SUO Gai-di1, XIE Yong-sheng2**, CHUAI Jun-feng1, LIU Nan1, JING Min-xiao1, CHEN Lei2

2013, 32(9):  2354-2361. 

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This paper studied the effects of a plastic film-mulch, ridge and furrow rainfall harvesting system on the spatiotemporal distribution patterns of moisture in the 0-600 cm soil profile of an apple orchard at its full fruit-bearing stage in the dryland area of North Shaanxi, China. The water storage at different locations of the soil profile during a year was well represented by a bimodal curve, with two peaks in September and February. The annual average soil moisture content between the ridges (25.8%) was higher than that on the ridges (23.0%). The plastic film-mulch, ridge and furrow rainfall harvesting system changed the spatial distribution of soil moisture content. At the same locations of the soil profile, the soil moisture content between the ridges was higher in the plastic film-mulch, ridge and furrow rainfall harvest system than in the unmulched control treatment. In contrast, the soil moisture content on the ridges was slightly lower in the plastic film-mulch, ridge and furrow rainfall harvesting system than in the control. The moisture content at different locations in 0-200 cm soil layer was high, and the coefficient of variation was also high. Between the ridges, the moisture content in 200-600 cm soil layer was higher and relatively stable, which was beneficial to the development of a healthy and stable orchard ecosystem. In conclusion, the plastic film-mulch, ridge and furrow rainfall harvest system could effectively increase water conservation, improve the rainwater use efficiency, and increase the water availability in apple orchards.

Distribution patterns of organic carbon and its isotope compositions in soil profiles on the slopes in Puding karst areas of Guizhou Province, Southwest China.

TIAN Li-yan1,2, LANG Yun-chao1**, LIU Cong-qiang1, DING Hu1, ZHAO Zhi-qi1, LIU Tao-ze1

2013, 32(9):  2362-2367. 

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Soil samples were collected from two types of slope soil profiles with different lithology (clastic rock and carbonate rock) around the Puding County of Guizhou Province, and their pH values, C/N ratios, organic carbon (SOC) contents, and SOC isotope compositions were analyzed, aimed to approach the distribution patterns of SOC and δ¹³C_SOC in the two types of the soil profiles at different slope positions. The results showed that the SOC contents in the profiles of sandstone yellow soil and limestone yellow soil ranged from 3.1-79.7 g·kg^-1 and 8.2-73.3 g·kg^-1, respectively. From the top to the bottom of the slopes, the SOC contents in the two soils showed the same distribution pattern, i.e., slope bottom > slope top > slope waist. Across each soil profile, the SOC content decreased as a function of soil depth, except that of the sandstone yellow soil profile on the slope top. The δ¹³C_SOC values in the profiles of sandstone yellow soil and limestone yellow soil varied in the range of -25.4‰ to -20.7‰ and -23.2‰ to -18.8‰, respectively. Except for the limestone yellow soil profile on the slope waist, the δ¹³C_SOC values in the other soil profiles increased firstly from the surface layer to the 20-40 cm depth, then decreased as a function of soil depth, and finally kept stable at the base of the soil profiles. The variations of the SOC contents and the δ¹³C_SOC values as a function of soil depth could be due to the input of plant residue and its degradation and accumulation in soil. This study provided insights to the slope soil erosion and the effects of pedogenic process on the SOC circulation of slope soils.

Relationships between soil moisture variability and meteorological factors on low hill red soil slope: A redundancy analysis.

HAN Xiang-yun1,2, JING Yuan-shu1,2**, LI Gen1,2

2013, 32(9):  2368-2374. 

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To analyze the soil moisture characteristics and related affecting factors is of importance in improving agricultural production and rational land use in red soil regions. By using redundancy analysis method (RDA) and relevant data, this paper studied the relationships between the soil moisture (0-15, 15-30, 30-60, and 60-100 cm layers) variability and the meteorological factors (wind velocity, precipitation, vapor pressure, air temperature, relative humidity, and sunshine hours) on the low hill red soil slope in Yingtan of Jiangxi, China. The soil moisture in the study area had an obvious seasonal change, and was strongly affected by precipitation. The moisture in surface soil layer was most affected by precipitation. The effects of precipitation on soil moisture decreased with soil depth. The coefficient of variation (CV) of surface soil moisture was high, but the CV became smaller when the soil layer was deeper. RDA ordination diagram could well represent the relationships between the seasonal dynamics of soil moisture and the meteorological factors. Air temperature, precipitation, relative humidity, and vapor pressure were the main factors affecting the seasonal dynamics of soil moisture, and the main affecting factors in different months differed. In May and June, the main affecting factors were precipitation and relative humidity. In July and August, the main affecting factors were air temperature and sunshine hours. Therefore, the soil moisture variability was not only affected by the elevation, soil depth, land use patterns, and other environmental factors, but also by the precipitation, temperature, and other meteorological factors. The findings of this study could be used as a reference to further comprehensively analyze the affecting factors of the spatiotemporal variability of soil moisture, and also, as the basis for the timely regulation of the hillside soil moisture status and crop water conditions.

Evaluation of vegetation restoration in wind disaster area in Changbai Mountains Nature Reverse, Northeast China.

NIU Li-jun1, LIANG Yu2**, WANG Shao-xian1, XU Jia-wei3, ZHANG Rui1, WU Ying1, GUO Wei1

2013, 32(9):  2375-2381. 

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The vegetation restoration in the wind disaster area in Changbai Mountains Nature Reverse plays an important role in the stable development of forest ecosystem and the protection of biodiversity, which has been an important research issue in the Reverse. Based on the field investigation on the current status of vegetation restoration in the wind disaster area, this paper quantified the stability of forest ecosystem by a spatially explicit way, and evaluated the effects of different restoration measures on the vegetation restoration in short and long term by using forest landscape model. The results showed that reforestation could efficiently improve vegetation restoration, especially in long term. Therefore, to control the unstable factors in ecosystem and reduce the spread ability of unstable factors could make the unstable and sub-unstable ecosystems convert to stable ecosystem. For these purposes, it would be needed to reforest with a supplement of natural restoration and to create good conditions for the development of a plant community to a complete ecosystem with local species composition to realize the local  natural vegetation cover as the ultimate goal.

Spatiotemporal variation characteristics and influencing factors of protection forests after their 30 years construction in Northwest Shanxi Province of China.

LI Xiu-fen1, SU Lei2, ZHANG Jin-xin3, ZHANG Ze-xiu1, LIU Li-min1**, LIU Xue-feng1

2013, 32(9):  2382-2389. 

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In order to understand the variation characteristics of the protection forests after their 30 years construction in Northwest Shanxi Province of China, the remote sensing images of Northwest Shanxi in 1980, 1990, 2000 and 2007 were used for visual interpretation, and the spatiotemporal variation characteristics of the protection forests and related driving forces were analyzed. There were no significant variations in the spatial pattern of the protection forests during the 30 years. Among the protection forests, shrub forests dominated (about 50% of the total), and coniferous-broadleaved mixed forests took the least percentage (<10%). The total area of the protection forests during the 30 years presented a decreasing trend, with the annual variation rate in 1980-1990, 1990-2000, and 2000-2007 being -2.04%, 0.62%, and -0.029%, respectively. The variations of the protection forests were dominated by the conversions among woodland, farmland, and grassland, followed by the conversions among different woodland types. Policy was the main factor causing the variation of woodland. In addition, surface water conditions and human disturbances also played important roles in the variations of protection forests in the study region.

Climate changes in 24 solar terms and responses of winter wheat and single-season rice phenophases in Anhui Province of East China in 1961-2012.

WANG Sheng**, XU Min, SONG A-wei, DAI Juan

2013, 32(9):  2390-2397. 

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Global climate warming is an indisputable fact, which inevitably affects the agricultural activities. Based on the climatic data from 1961 to 2012 and the crop phenophase data from 1980 to 2012 in Anhui Province, and by using statistical methods, the responses of winter wheat and single-season rice phenophases to the climate changes in 24 solar terms in the Province were analyzed. The average air temperature in the 24 solar terms were in quasinormal distribution, being the highest (28.5±0.9 ℃) in Great Heat (the 12th solar term) and the lowest (2.5±1.4 ℃) in Great Cold (the 24th solar term). There was an obvious raising trend in the air temperature in each solar term, and overall, the solar term cycle tended to be uplift. The precipitation centralized greatly during Grain Rain (the 6th solar term) to Limit of Heat (the 14th solar term), and was the most (151.4 mm) in Summer Solstice (the 10th solar term) and the least (13.5 mm) in Winter Solstice (the 22nd solar term). Since the 1960s, the precipitation in the 24 solar terms had a greater variation between years, but no obvious linear trends. In the past 52 years, the agro-climatic resources in the Province had obvious change. The active accumulated temperature of ≥10 ℃ during winter wheat and single-season rice growth periods showed an increasing trend, especially the heat conditions in winter wheat growth period improved. The precipitation in single-season rice growth period had an increasing trend (17.5 mm·10 a^-1), while that in the whole growth period of winter wheat had no clear trend. The sunshine hours in the growth periods of both winter wheat and single-season rice reduced significantly. In response to the climate change in the 24 solar terms, the phenophases from sowing to maturing stages of winter wheat advanced, and the duration of the whole growth period reduced, whereas the phenophases from sowing to reviving and from tillering to maturing stages of single-season rice advanced and prolonged, respectively, with the duration of the whole growth period increased. The active accumulated temperature and the average air temperature were the most important factors inducing the changes of phenophases in the growth period, and the diurnal air temperature determined the duration of reproductive growth period. The correlation analysis indicated that there was a significant positive correlation between precipitation and crop phenophase. The decrease of precipitation and the increase of air temperature accelerated crop development processes, while the sunshine was overall favorable to the shortening of vegetative growth period and the prolonging of reproductive growth period.

Distribution pattern of land surface temperature in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region (Chongqing section) of China based on MODIS.

FENG Ru1,2, MENG Xiang-fei1,2, WEI Hong1,2**, PENG Yue1,2

2013, 32(9):  2398-2406. 

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Based on the MOD11C3 data of land surface temperature (LST) in 2003-2009, and by using GIS technology, this paper analyzed the spatial distribution pattern of the LST in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region (Chongqing section) before and after the construction of the Dam. Meanwhile, the mean annual air temperature data from four weather stations and related LST were compared to identify the change pattern of the LST. As affected by altitude, latitude, and vegetation cover, the LST in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region (Chongqing section) was generally higher in southwest area and lower in northeast area. Due to the thermal effect of water, there were two high temperature regions and two low temperature regions. The high temperature regions were mainly in the southwest part, whereas the low temperature regions were mainly in the southeast part. The mean LST increased from 18.2℃ before the construction of the Dam to 18.6 ℃ after the construction of the Dam, but the increment was not significant. There was an obvious seasonal variation of the LST in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region (Chongqing section) after the construction of the Dam. The LST increased in spring, autumn, and winter, but decreased in summer. The change pattern of the LST had good correlation with that of the air temperature.

Niches of major tourist attractions along the Jialing River in Sichuan, Southwest China.

FENG Guo-jie1, YAN Xian-chun1**, FENG Ming-yi2, LI Wen-lu2

2013, 32(9):  2407-2411. 

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Ten major tourist attractions along the Jialing River in Sichuan Province were selected as the study objects. By using Delphi method, the niches of the tourist attractions were divided into “state” and “potential”, and the weights of the niche evaluation of the tourist attractions were obtained by applying AHP. Consequently, the niche evaluation index system of the tourist attractions was determined. Based on niche theory, the niche breadth and niche overlap values of the 10 major tourist attractions were investigated. The results showed that in Jiuzhaigou, the values of tourism resources, tourism market, tourism services, environmental quality, and comprehensive niche were 0.1470, 0.1855, 0.1480, 0.1477, and 0.1570, being the highest among the ten tourist attractions; while Nuoshui River had the lowest scores, with the minimum niche breadth of 0.0676. The niche overlap value of Jiuzhaigou and the Tangjiahe Reserve was the highest (0.6856); while that of Jiuzhaigou and the Daying Dead Sea was the lowest (0.3514). Further calculation showed that the degree of niche overlap greater than 0.5 reached 48% of the total, which meant that the comprehensive niche overlaps of the main tourist attractions in Jialing River Basin were locally high, but not totally high.

Mass balance change in east and west branches of Glacier No. 1 at Urumqi riverhead,  China， during last 20 years.

ZHANG Guo-fei1**, LI Zhong-qin1,2, WANG Wei-dong1, WANG Wen-bin2

2013, 32(9):  2412-2417. 

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Based on the mass balance data of east and west branches of Glacier No. 1 at Urumqi riverhead during 1990/1991-2009/2010, this paper analyzed the mass balance change in these branches. In the east branch, the amount of mass loss was greater than that in the west branch. The equilibrium line altitude (ELA) of the east branch was generally lower than that of the west branch, and the downward trend of accumulation area ratio (AAR) was greater in the east branch than in the west branch. During 1990/1991-2009/2010, the average mass balance and cumulative mass balance in the east branch were -582 mm·a^-1 and -11638 mm, and those in the west branch were -485 mm·a^-1 and -9692 mm, respectively. The ELA of east and west branches showed a rising trend, with an increase of 143 m and 131 m,  the AAR decreased by 29.8% and 19.6%,  respectively. The mass balance was significantly negatively correlated with ELA, and significantly positively correlated with AAR. When the mass balance in east and west branches decreased by 100 mm, the ELA was decreased by 19 m and 23 m   respectively,   and the AAR decreased by 4.5%. The sensitivity analysis of glacier mass balance response to climate change showed that when the precipitation unchanged, and if the summer temperature raised 1 ℃,  mass balance in the east branch would be decreased by 487 mm, and that in the west branch would be decreased by 398 mm; when the summer temperature unchanged, and if precipitation increased 100 mm,  mass balance in the east branch would be increased by 164 mm, and that in the west branch would be increased by 185 mm. In the context of future global warming,  mass balance in the east and west branches of Glacier No. 1 would be continued to decrease.

Effects of cutting intensity on Carex dispalata growth and its sewage purification efficiency.

YANG Wen-bing, ZHANG Xiang**

2013, 32(9):  2418-2423. 

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A hydroponics experiment was conducted to study the effects of five cutting intensities of Carex dispalata (the remained stubble height = 10 cm, C₁; 20 cm, C₂; 30 cm, C₃; 50 cm, C₄; and no cutting, C₅) on the growth of C. dispalata and its sewage purification efficiency. Cutting could promote the regeneration ability of C. dispalata. In C₂, the plant growth rate in 1-7 days after cutting reached 3.67 cm·d^-1, far greater than that in C₅. The cumulative biomass varied among the treatments, showing a trend of C₂ > C₃ > C₁ > C₄ > C₅. Cutting increased the removal rates of sewage N and P by C. dispalata. Treatment C₂ showed the highest removal rates of sewage TN, NH₃-N, TP, and COD_cr. A remained stubble height of 20-30 cm was the optimal cutting intensity of C. dispalata

High-resolution sedimentary records of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Hongfeng Lake of Southwest China.

LI Qiu-hua1,2, GUO Jian-yang1**, ZHU Yuan-rong3, ZHANG Rui-qing3, LI Xiao-lu4

2013, 32(9):  2424-2432. 

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By using GC/MS method, this paper analyzed the vertical profiles of 16 priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) proposed by US EPA in a sediment core collected from the Hongfeng Lake in Southwest China. Meanwhile, the composition characteristics of the PAHs, their possible sources, and their ecological risks were discussed. The total PAHs concentrations in the sediment core ranged from 848 to 3725 ng·g^-1, with a peak in the mid-1990s. The vertical profiles of the PAHs were not only different from those in developed countries, but also different from those in the coastline and other regions lakes in China. The PAHs in Hongfeng Lake were mainly come from the low temperature combustion of domestic coal and biomass burning. However, the relative abundance of the PAHs from high temperature combustion processes, such as the combustion of industrial coal and vehicle emission, was increased significantly in recent years. The risk assessment suggested that the low rings PAHs such as NAP, FLU, and PHEN in the sediment of Hongfeng Lake could induce potential ecological risks. However, from the viewpoint of toxic equivalency quotient, the ecological risks were mainly originated from the high rings PAHs such as BbF, BaP, and DBA.

Remediation of oil-contaminated soil by compound microbial preparation.

LUO Xiao-fang1, CHEN Li-hua1**, WANG Dong-mei1, LI Ying-juan2, MA Li2

2013, 32(9):  2433-2438. 

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Five strains of separated oil-degrading bacteria and their compound preparations were used to study their remediation effects on oil-contaminated soil by laboratory simulation and field repair. After treated with compound preparations for 48 days, the oil-degrading rate was above 84%, obviously higher than that treated with single strain. The biodegradability of all strains was in the order of H>A6>F2>A5>D4>F1. The oil-degrading rate increased sharply near 10 days, but gradually slowed down after 20 days. The dehydrogenase activity of compound preparations was higher than that of single strain. There existed significant correlations between the microbial population size, dehydrogenase activity, and oil-degrading rate. With the time changed, the oil-based compounds, saturated hydrocarbons, and aromatic hydrocarbons had obvious degradation, among which, saturated hydrocarbon had the fastest degradation rate, while nonhydrocarbon and asphaltene had the slowest one.

Behavioral time budget and diurnal rhythm of white-headed duck in Northwest China.

ZHAO Xu-mao1,2, MA Ming1**, ZHANG Tong1, ZHANG Jian-bo3

2013, 32(9):  2439-2443. 

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From July to October 2012, an investigation was conducted on the behaviors of whiteheaded duck (Oxyura leucocephala) in the Baihu Lake of Urumqi, Xinjiang Province of Northwest China. The main behaviors of the duck included alert, resting, swimming, flying, foraging, displaying, caring, maintenance, driving, masturbation, and others. The time that the ducks spent on different types of behaviors was in the order of foraging (48.90%), resting (23.32%), maintenance (12.85%), locomotion (9.48%), others (4.32%), and alert (2.13%). Among these behaviors, an obvious rhythm was observed in foraging, resting, and maintenance. The foraging behavior peaked at 7:00-9:00 AM and 18:00-19:00 PM, was the lowest at 14:00-16:00 PM, and had no significant difference in the other time sections; the resting behavior peaked at 11:00 AM-14:00 PM; and the maintenance behavior peaked at 9:00-10:00 AM and 15:00-16:00 PM. During foraging, there existed significant differences in the duration and interval of diving (P<0.01,P<0.05) between chicks and parents. The time that the ducks spent on resting was negatively correlated with the time spent on foraging and locomotion (R=-0.709, P<0.01; R=-0.725, P<0.01), but the time spent on locomotion was positively correlated with that spent on foraging (R=0.95, P<0.01). No significant relationships were observed among the other behaviors.

Meteorological forecast models for the occurrence grade of rice planthopper in Guilin of Guangxi, South China.

LU Xiao-feng1,2, HUO Zhi-guo1**

2013, 32(9):  2444-2450. 

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By using the historical data of rice planthopper in Guilin of Guangxi and related meteorological data, the factors puffing technology was employed to assemble the meteorological data in pentad scale. Through the correlation analysis of the meteorological data and the occurrence of rice planthopper, the key factors and their assembling periods most significantly related with the occurrence of rice planthopper were screened. Two meteorological forecast models for the occurrence grade of rice planthopper in pentad scale were built, of which, one applied multiple linear regression model was built by using SPSS software, and the another applied BP artificial neural network model was built by using MATLAB software. Based on the factors puffing technology, the prediction result as “correct” and “basically correct” of the two models were above 88%. The prediction results as “correct” and “basically correct” of the artificial neural network model was increased by 4% and the prediction result as carrect was increased by 14%, according to the historical samples and the independent samples, respectively. Therefore, a short-term forecasting model built with factors puffing technology and BP artificial neural network model could not only realize the dynamic updating and forecasting of the occurrence grade of rice planthopper, but also evidently improve the prediction accuracy and stability.

 

Effects of acute copper exposure on the swimming performances of juvenile Spinibarbus sinensis.

ZHANG Yi1,2, XIA Ji-gang2, CAO Zhen-dong2, FU Cheng2, FU Shi-jian2**

2013, 32(9):  2451-2456. 

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To understand the underlying eco-toxicological effects of water copper pollution on the swimming performances of juvenile qingbo (Spinibarbus sinensis), this paper measured the relative critical swimming speed (rU_crit), relative burst swimming speed (rU_burst), and maximum metabolic rate (M_O2) of juvenile S. sinensis as well as the copper content in the tissues (liver, gill, and muscle) of juvenile S. sinensis under different concentrations (0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 03, and 0.4 mg·L^-1) of  copper exposed for 96 h. The results showed that acute copper exposure had significant effects on the rU_crit, rU_burst, and M_O2 (P<0.05). The rU_crit at 0.3 mg·L^-1 of  copper exposure was 85% of that of the control, and the rU_burst and M_O2 at 0.1 mg·L^-1 of acute copper exposure was 79% and 57% of that of the control, respectively. However, copper exposure had little effects on the copper contents in the tissues (P>0.05). The results indicated that acute copper exposure would have significant effects on the capabilities of aerobic and anaerobic exercises and the maximum metabolic rate of juvenile S. sinensis, and the lowest observed effect concentration (LOEC) of acute copper exposure for juvenile S. sinensis was 0.1 mg·L^-1.

Effects of salinity on oxygen consumption and ammonia excretion rate of different sizes of Bullacta exarata. 

WU Wen-guang1,2, ZHANG Ji-hong2**, FANG Jian-guang2, FANG Jing-hui2, WEI Yan-wei1,2

2013, 32(9):  2457-2461. 

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In July, 2012, a measurement was made on the oxygen consumption rate and ammonia excretion rate of three body sizes of Bullacta exarata in the Laizhou Bay of East China under effects of salinity 18, 23, 28, 33, and 38. The results showed that salinity, body size, and their interaction had significant effects on the oxygen consumption rate (OR) and ammonia excretion rate (NR) (P<0.05). Within the range of the salinity 18-28, the OR and NR increased with salinity, and peaked at salinity 28. With the further increase of the salinity, both the OR and NR decreased. The relationships between the OR and NR and the dry weight of soft-tissue could be expressed as exponential equation. The O/N mole ratio varied from 8.38 to 29.16, and reached the maximum at salinity 33. According to the calculation of individual  biomass and ammonia excretion rate, the ammonia production from the B. exarata in the Bay was estimated as about  66.53 mg N·hm^-2·d^-1,  which could affect the organisms of the same ecological niche and the N-cycle in the Laizhou Bay.

Comparisons of benthic macrofauna communities in oyster (Crassostrea sikamea) aquaculture gears and adjacent natural oyster reef in Xiangshan Bay of Zhejiang Province, East China.

QUAN Wei-min**, WANG Yun-long

2013, 32(9):  2462-2468. 

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To evaluate the potential of anthropogenic habitats as the surrogates for natural habitats is a key issue in restoration ecology. In this study, comparisons were made on the community metrics (richness, biomass, and abundance) of resident benthic macrofauna in oyster aquaculture gears (AG) and adjacent natural intertidal oyster (Crassostrea sikamea) reef (NR) in the Xiangshan Bay of Zhejiang Province, with the relative habitat values of AG to NR assessed. There were significantly greater densities and biomass of living oysters in AG than in NR, and the cultured oyster population had a greater mean shell height than the natural populations. A total of 28 species of benthic macrofauna were recorded, with 22 species in AG and 15 species in NR. The total benthic macrofaunal density and biomass were not significantly different between AG and NR, but in AG, there were significantly greater densities and biomass of crustaceans and polychaetes but fewer mollusks. The species richness was similar between the two habitat types. However, greater Pielou evenness and Shannon index were observed at NR. The non-metric multidimensional scaling ordination showed there was a clear separation in the resident benthic macrofauna communities between AG and NR, indicating that these habitats facilitate unique species assemblages. These findings suggested that AG could maintain the diverse and abundant benthic macrofauna communities, and provide similar habitat functioning as NR.

Community structure of macrozoobenthos in rocky intertidal zone of uninhabited islands in Dongtou County, Zhejiang Province of East China  in summer.

PENG Mao-xiao1, QIAN Pei-li1, ZHANG Yong-pu2**, WANG Tie-gan3, ZHOU Hua-bin2

2013, 32(9):  2469-2479. 

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In July and August, 2011, an investigation was conducted on the community structure of macrozoobenthos in the rocky intertidal zone of uninhabited islands in Dongtou County of Zhejiang. One sampling section was set up in each of the seven islands, including Dazhuyu Island, Hudong Island, Beipanshan Island, Luantou Island, Neiyuan Island, Xiaoqu Island, and Zhongqu Island. A total of 102 macrozoobenthos species were collected, including 58 species of mollusca (5 species of Polyplacophora, 33 species of Gastropoda, and 20 species of Bivalvia), 22 species of Crustacea, 7 species of Polychaeta, and 15 species of others. The average density and biomass of the macrozoobenthos were (864±126) ind·m^-2 and (1814.85±347.03) g·m^-2, respectively. One-way ANOVA showed that the average density and biomass of the macrozoobenthos differed significantly among different islands. The among-island differences in the average density and biomass of the macrozoobenthos were dependent on the lineages. There was a significant difference in the density of Polyplacophora, Gastropoda, and Crustacea, but not of Bivalvia, Polychaeta, and others among the islands. The biomass of Polyplacophora, Crustacea, and others, but not of Gastropoda, Bivalvia, and Polychaeta differed significantly among islands. The average density and biomass of the macrozoobenthos were greater in the mid-tide zone than in the low-tide zone or high-tide zone. There were significant among-zone differences in the density of Polyplacophora, Gastropoda, Bivalvia, Crustacea, Polychaeta, and others, and in the biomass of Bivalvia, Crustacea, and others, but no differences in the biomass of Polyplacophora, Gastropoda, and Polychaeta. The mean values of the Shannon diversity index, Margalef’s richness index, and Pielou evenness index were 2.79, 0.62, and 2.41, respectively. The results of clustering analysis on the community traits were consistent with those of nonmetric multidimensional scaling, suggesting that the community structure was mainly related to the substrate characteristics and wave-hitting degree.

Crop- and soil nitrogen in legume-Gramineae intercropping system: Research progress.

YANG Wen-ting1,2, WANG Xiao-wei1, WANG Jian-wu2**

2013, 32(9):  2480-2484. 

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Legume-Gramineae intercropping system, as a model of sustainable agricultural development, plays an important role in ensuring grain yield and maintaining nitrogen balance, leading to the widespread concern by the scientists at home and abroad. This paper reviewed the effects of legume-Gramineae intercropping on the legume nitrogen fixation, crop nitrogen uptake, and soil nitrogen balance. Rational legume-Gramineae intercropping can promote the legume biological nitrogen fixation, improve Gramineae crop nitrogen use efficiency, reduce soil nitrogen loss, and benefit the protection of cropland ecological environment and the maintenance of agricultural sustainable development. In order to further use and improve the legume-Gramineae intercropping system, it was suggested that more attentions should be paid on the changes of rhizosphere microbial community structure and the interactions among crop, rhizosphere microorganisms, and soil.

Residue of methomyl in environments and its toxicological effect: A review.

MENG Shun-long1,2, XU Pao1,2, QU Jian-hong1, SONG Chao1, FAN Li-min1, QIU Li-ping1, CHEN Jia-zhang1,2**

2013, 32(9):  2485-2493. 

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Methomyl is a carbamate insecticide. As a broad spectrum insecticide, it is one of the most frequently applied pesticides in China and in the world, and was ranked as the chemicals suspected of having endocrine disrupting effects by the World Wildlife Fund International in 1997. For its large application amount, strong mobility in soil, high solubility in water, and long half life in water and soil, methomyl has been presented in many soils and surface and ground waters for a long time, producing potential risks to the aquatic ecosystem and the drinking water sources of human beings. This paper reviewed the applications of methomyl, its residue in water and soil environments and acute toxicity to organisms, its environmental hormone effect, oxidant damage effect, organ damage effect, and genetic toxicity. Accordingly, the key issues still needed to be further studied in the future were proposed, aimed to better understand the present status of methomyl pollution and its potential risks to organisms and ecosystems, and to provide useful information to take effective measures to control the harmful effect of methomyl and to protect biological resources and ecosystems.

Evaluation of ecological restoration: Research progress.

YANG Zhao-ping1, GAO Ji-xi1**, ZHOU Ke-xin1, ZHENG Hao2, WANG Yan2, LI Hui-min3

2013, 32(9):  2494-2501. 

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The rapid rise of ecological restoration is forcing our consideration of what restoration being successful, and how to evaluate ecological restoration is a great challenge faced by the related scientists. At present, ecological evaluation is mainly implemented through the measuring of vegetation structure, ecological processes, and biodiversity, while the variations of these indices cannot be sure to definite the interrelationships between these indices in the processes of ecological restoration. To further understand the logic of these indices in evaluating the processes of ecological restoration, it should be to know which selected processes and structural indices representing the dominant ecological functions, and based on this, to build an appropriate evaluation indices system of ecological restoration. In order to promote the study on the evaluation of ecological restoration, it is suggested to strengthen the monitoring of ecological restoration, construct the ecological criteria for successful restoration, further study the ecological restoration evaluation indices system, implement the dynamic evaluation of ecological restoration projects, and intensify the theoretical and practical guidance of using the evaluation results.

 

Spatial pattern analysis of forest biomass and NPP in Guangdong and Guangxi provinces of South China based on geostatistics.

LIU Shuang, RUAN Hong-hua**

2013, 32(9):  2502-2509. 

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At present, the estimation of forest biomass and net primary productivity (NPP) on regional scale is one of the important issues in ecology. The estimates on forest biomass and NPP on regional scale by using different methods vary greatly. Based on the investigation data of 167 forest typical sampling plots in Guangdong and Guangxi provinces of South China collected from publications, and by using the equations of the relationships between the stand age and the biomass and NPP, the forest biomass and NPP under natural growth in the two Provinces were estimated in 2010. The spatial patterns of the forest biomass and NPP were derived by the spatial interpolation and geostatistics analysis of ArcGIS, with the spatial patterns of the two and of the forest biomass components explored. There existed great differences in the biomass and NPP among different forest types. The spatial pattern of forest biomass decreased from north to south. The NPP was lower in the central area, and the highest in the west and south, where tropical rainforests distributed. Our results would provide a new way to study the forest biomass and NPP on regional scale.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in Lonicera japonica rhizosphere and their correlations with soil environment: A canonical correlation analysis.

MA Zhai-pu**, GU Zhong-ru, JING Ai-qin, HE Xue-li

2013, 32(9):  2517-2524. 

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From July 2010 to June 2011, twelve soil samples were monthly collected from 0-10, 10-20 and 20-30 cm depths of Lonicera japonica rhizosphere in Anguo City, Hebei Province of China, with the correlations between arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, glomalin, and soil environment studied by using canonical correlation analysis (CCA). It was found that the correlation between soil layer and vesicular colonization could best explain the canonical correlation of AM fungi and soil environment (r=0.89). The canonical correlation between AM fungi and soil environment was mainly presented in the correlation between the total glomalin concentration and the organic C content in soil (r=0.87); whereas the canonical correlation between AM fungi and glomalin was mainly reflected as the correlation between spore density and total glomalin (r=0.85). The further analysis indicated that soil layer had significant negative correlations with vesicular colonization, spore density, and total glomalin. The soil total nitrogen was significantly and positively correlated with the colonization of exogenous hyphae, but negatively correlated with the colonization of arbuscular hyphae. In addition, both spore density and hyphae colonization had significant positive correlations with glomalin, and total glomalin was significantly positively correlated with vesicular colonization, indicating that glomalin could be generated from vesicles.