Table of Content

10 June 2015, Volume 34 Issue 6

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Interspecific association and correlation among dominant woody plants of secondary forest in montane region of eastern Liaoning Province, China.

2015, 34(6):  1473-1479. 

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To investigate community structure and the role of dominant species of secondary forest in montane region of eastern Liaoning, we examined interspecific association and correlation among 17 dominant species at different quadrat scales based on 2×2 contingency tables, variance ratio (VR), χ²test, Pearson correlation coefficient and Spearman rank correlation coefficient. The results showed that the overall association was positive among 17 dominant species at different quadrat scales. At 20 m×20 m quadrat scale, the examination of interspecific association or correlation among the 136 species pairs of 17 dominant species showed that 87, 65 and 81 species pairs were positive, and 49, 71 and 55 species pairs were negative, based on χ²test, Pearson correlation coefficient test and Spearman rank correlation coefficient test, respectively. Such examination provides evidence for revealing the population distribution patterns under comprehensive effect of species biological characteristics, interspecific relationship and habitat conditions.

Eco-product production capacity of forest resources of Heilongjiang Province.

SONG Qing-feng, NIU Xiang**, WANG Bing

2015, 34(6):  1480-1486. 

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Based on forest resource inventory data and long-term observation data from forest ecological stations in Heilongjiang Province, eco-product production capacity of forest (forest ecosystem services) at city/region scale in Heilongjiang Province was assessed with forest ecological function correction coefficient. Accordingly, the spatial distribution pattern of forest ecosystem services and the influence of different stand structures on forest ecosystem services were discussed. The results showed that the top three cities/regions in terms of forest ecosystem services were Daxinganling region, Heihe City, Mudanjiang City in Heilongjiang Province. The water conservation amount of forest ecosystems was equivalent to 72.88% of the surface water amount in Heilongjiang Province, and 10.25% of water conservation amount of forest ecosystems in China, 6 times of that in Liaoning Province, and 4 times of that in Jilin Province during 2004 to 2008. The amount of carbon fixed by forest ecosystems in Heilongjiang Province was equivalent to 67.61% of the industrial carbon emission amount in Heilongjiang Province. Over the same period, this ratio was 9.97%, 4.94% and 14.70% for whole China, Liaoning Province and Jilin Province, respectively.

Community structure and diversity of Heritiera littoralis in Baguang of Shenzhen.

CHEN Xiao-xia1,2, LI Yu3, RU Zheng-zhong3, ZAN Xin4, TAM Fung-yee Nora1,2,5, ZAN Qi-jie1,3**

2015, 34(6):  1487-1498. 

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The structural characteristics, species diversity and succession of Heritiera littoralis community in Baguang, Shenzhen were comprehensively investigated by the transect method. The protection status of the ancient trees within this community was also evaluated. Based on the habitat characteristics, this community could be classified into three habitat groups and the diversity and succession tendency of each group were analyzed. Results showed that a total of 89 woody species, belonging to 35 families and 73 genera, were recorded. Among them, H. littoralis had the highest importance values in the arbor, sapling and seedling layers, followed by Cinnamomum burmanni, Psychotria rubra and Cerbera manghas, which also had high importance values. Saplings with a height less than 2.5 m occupied 83.26% of total individuals, among which, 78.37% was H. littoralis, indicating that the succession pattern of H. littoralis followed the pyramidlike tendency. The community in the habitat group adjacent to sea (seaward habitat) had the highest diversity index, followed by the habitat group furthest away from sea (landward terrestrial habitat), and the coastal marsh wetland habitat group had the lowest value. This finding indicated that as the community developed, the diversity in the first and the last habitat groups would increase, while that in the coastal marsh wetland habitat group would gradually decline. Due to anthropogenic and natural disturbances, H. littoralis in Baguang has already exhibited some endangered signs and more protection is urgently needed.

Screening plant species for revegetation on the coal fire wasteland in Songshutou, Urumqi.

YANG Jian-jun1,2, MO Ai1,2, LIU Wei1,2, SHI Qing-dong1,2**, AN Wen-ming3

2015, 34(6):  1499-1506. 

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In order to select suitable plant species for vegetation recovering at Songshutou coalfield fire wasteland in Urumqi, China, we investigated plant species at the wasteland and the surrounding regions. Species, abundance, coverage and frequency were recorded and used to calculate the diversity indices for delineating the quantitative phytosociological characters in the study area (including the wasteland and its eastern, western, southern and northern surroundings). The results showed that there were 16 families, 38 genera, 43 plant species in the study area. The maximum Margalef index and Shannon index were observed at the southern surrounding area, where the Pielou index was the smallest in this region. The western surrounding area had the minimum Margalef index, Shannon index and a relatively lower Pielou index. The difference of β index between the southern and eastern surrounding areas was the lowest, while the difference of β index between the southern and western surrounding areas was the highest. The difference of β index between the wasteland and its western surrounding area was the lowest, while the difference of β index between the wasteland and its southern surrounding area was the highest. Stipa capillata widely distributed over the entire area, and S. capillata was the first dominant species in the wasteland and its southern and eastern surroundings. Carex liparocarpos was the dominant specie in all surroundings. Astragalus penduliflorus was distributed in the wasteland and its southern and eastern western surroundings. Based on above analysis, we suggest that S. capillata, A. penduliflorus and C. liparocarpos can be used as the priority species for revegetation in the wasteland, and the southern and western surroundings can be used as the reference for restoration.

Age structure and point pattern analysis of Dacrydium pectinatum in Bawangling, Hainan Island.

LI Zhao-chen1, CHEN Yong-fu1**, HONG Xiao-jiang2, HAN Wen-tao2, LI Xiao-

2015, 34(6):  1507-1515. 

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Dacrydium pectinatum is one of the symbolic species in tropical mountain rain forest in Hainan Island and one of the key species to maintain the natural communities in that region. Based on the survival theory and point pattern analysis, we analyzed the demographic structure, spatial distribution characteristics and interspecies relationships of D. pectinatum. The results showed that: 1) The tree number for each age class of the D. pectinatum population showsed that the mortality in the first period of life stage is high, and the population is relatively stable in the middle period, after which the mortality increases gradually. 2) The survival curve of D. pectinatum population changes greatly. The population mortality and disappearance rate are higher in Ⅰ~Ⅴ age classes, showing the form of DeeveyⅢ; in the Ⅶ~ⅩⅦ age classes, the survival curve shows the form of Deevey-Ⅰ. 3) In the range of the study scale, there is an obvious difference in the spatial distribution of D. pectinatum at different life stages. The individuals perform aggregation distribution at small and medium scales in the early and middle periods of life stages, however, the aggregation intensity gradually is weakened with the increase of scale and age, from a clumped to a random pattern as trees grow from young to middleaged to old trees. In the later period of life stage, individuals show random distribution at the entire study scale. 4) The spatial association among different life stages is not significant, and most of them exhibit no correlation.

Atmospheric particlescapturing capability of main afforestation tree species in Central Shaanxi Plain.

FANG Yao-yao, WANG Bing, NIU Xiang**

2015, 34(6):  1516-1522. 

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By integrating afforestation project from 2010 to 2012 and precipitation data in Central Shaanxi Plain, the saturated amount of different sizes of atmospheric particles captured by the foliages of main afforestation tree species was investigated using an Aeolian Aerosol Recurrence Analyzer (QRJZFSQ-I). The results showed that the saturated amounts of TSP, PM₁₀, PM_2.5, and PM_1.0 captured by per unit foliage area of main afforestation species were around 4.02-36.46, 1.22-27.70, 0.11-3.71, 0.04-0.83 μg·cm^-2, respectively. In general, the saturated amount of different sizes of particles captured by coniferous species was higher than that by deciduous species. Specifically, the saturated amount of particles captured by cypress was higher than that by pine, while the evergreen broadleaved species captured a higher saturated amount of particles than deciduous broadleaved species. Based on the field data and precipitation data of 14 meteorological stations in Central Shanxi Plain, the saturated amounts of TSP, PM₁₀, PM_2.5, and PM_1.0 captured by the afforestation project from 2010 to 2012 were 455.99×10⁴, 368.70×10⁴, 70.09×10⁴ and 18.59×10⁴ kg·a^-1, respectively.

The cold island and wet island effects of typical oases in Xinjiang.

DU Ming-xia, ZHANG Ming-jun**, WANG Sheng-jie

2015, 34(6):  1523-1531. 

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Based on the daily data of maximum temperature (t_max), minimum temperature (t_min), average temperature (t_ave), precipitation amount (p) and days (D) obtained from 79 automatic weather stations in the typical oases (including the oasis of the western section of the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains, the Yanqi Basin Oasis, the Hami Basin Oasis and the Yarkant River Basin Oasis) and surrounding regions in Xinjiang from April 1, 2012 to March 31, 2014, the cold island and wet island effects were analyzed quantitatively. The results showed that: (1) Both cold island and wet island effects existed in the oasis of the western section of the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains but presented weakly. (2) There was an obvious cold island effect in Yanqi Basin Oasis. The wet island effect could be seen from p and D, but it was weak. (3) The cold island effect in the Hami Basin Oasis was obvious on the indexes of t_min in summer and autumn and t_ave in autumn and winter. The wet island effect could be seen obviously from D in four seasons. The result of p regression analysis in autumn was good. (4) In the Yarkant River Basin Oasis, the cold island effects in spring, summer and autumn were stronger than in winter. The wet island effects in spring and summer were more obvious than in autumn and winter.

 

Regulating effects of urban forest canopy on microclimate.

SHAO Yong-chang1, ZHUANG Jia-yao1**, LI Er-huan1， LI Juan-juan2

2015, 34(6):  1532-1539. 

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To clarify the adjusting effects of urban forest canopy on microclimate, a Decagon micrometeorological monitoring system was used to conduct longterm monitoring on illumination, temperature, relative humidity and other microclimate factors of urban forest canopy in Nanjing. In contrast to the experimental observations outside the forest, the microclimate characters inside the urban forest canopy and the effect of forest canopy on adjusting microclimate were analyzed. The results showed that during growing season, the solar radiation inside forest canopy fluctuated along a bimodal curve or multi peak curve. Seasonal solar radiation difference between the inside and outside of the forest canopy was in descending order of summer, autumn, spring and winter. The daily variations in temperature and relative humidity inside the forest canopy were similar to that outside the canopy, showing a parabolic change. The forest canopy exerted a greater cooling effect in summer and autumn than in spring and winter; during spring, summer and autumn, the temperature difference between the inside and outside was large in the daytime, but small at night. The relative humidity inside the forest canopy at any time during spring, summer and autumn was unexceptionally higher than that of the outside. In winter, the relative humidity inside the forest canopy was lower than that of the outside after noon. The forest canopy performed better in moisture preservation in summer and autumn than in spring and winter. The advent of maximum temperature inside the canopy was about 30 minutes later than that of the outside. Except that there was no significant correlation between solar radiation inside the forest canopy and the temperature outside, all meteorological factors were significantly correlated each other (P<0.01). Collectively, urban forest canopy plays a significant role in adjusting microclimate and improving comfortable level of climate, for example, reducing solar radiation, cooling and humidification, mitigating the change in temperature and humidity inside the forest canopy and delaying the advent of maximum temperature.

 

Biomass allocation of stems and leaves in Melica przewalskyi under different developmental stages in alpine grassland: Allometric scaling analysis.

DANG Jing-jing, ZHAO Cheng-zhang**, WANG Ji-wei

2015, 34(6):  1540-1545. 

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Plant biomass allocation pattern reflects the environmental selection to plant and plant adaptation to heterogeneous environment. In this study, the method of standardized major axis estimation was adopted to study the effects of different developmental stages of patch (formation, diffusion, stability and recession) on stem and leaf biomass allocations of Melica przewalskyi in an alpine grassland of Qilian Mountain. The results showed that in the process of patch development, stem biomass accumulation increased firstly then decreased while the change of stem biomass allocation was on the contrary. Both leaf biomass accumulation and biomass allocation increased in stages of patch formation, patch diffusion and patch stability while decreased in the stage of patch recession. Isometric relationship between stem mass and leaf mass was found in patch formation stage, but allometric relationship was found in the other three stages. The growth speed of leaf mass was greater than that of stem mass at patch diffusion and patch stability stages, but the growth speed of stem mass was greater than that of leaf mass in patch recession stage. Overall, this study demonstrates the significant effect of disturbance on the growth of M. przewalskyi. Biomass allocation of stems and leaves in M. przewalskyi at different development stages showed that the reduction in leaf mass is faster than that of stem mass with the process of patch development.

 

Gemma output of Marchantia paleacea subsp. diptera at karst wetland in spring and summer.

WANG Shi-qiang1,ZHANG Zhao-hui1,WANG Zhi-hui2**

2015, 34(6):  1546-1552. 

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Marchantia paleacea subsp. diptera is a dominant bryophyte species in Tianhetan karst mountainous wetlands and mainly grows on steep slopes of artificial ditches and artificial ladders with intense human disturbance, and in shady and moist environment. The gemma cups of M. paleacea subsp. diptera are influenced by slope. Our investigation showed that the size distribution of gemma cups of M. paleacea subsp. diptera was concentrated in March. On average, a sample (specimens of a quadrat frame in 0.1 m×0.1 m) contained 22.5 gemma cups, and a gemma cup contained 120 gemmae. The gemma production of each M. paleacea subsp. diptera sample was from 155 to 12020, with an average of 2940 gemmae. The gemma density was from 72567 to 1202040 ind·m^-2, with an average of 480408 ind·m^-2. In August, the size distribution of gemma cups was more uniform, there were on average 30 gemma cups per sample, and a gemma cup contained 148 gemmae. The output of gemmae per sample was from 1152 to 10118, and a sample contained on average 4379 gemmae. The gemma density was from 116160 to 1470750
ind·m^-2, with an average of 687591 ind·m^-2. Therefore, there was more gemma production in August (summer) than in March (spring), indicating that August was more suitable for the formation of gemmae. The production of gemmae might be greatly influenced by the environmental temperature and precipitation in different seasons, and the higher temperature and more precipitation, the more production of gammae was. Furthermore, there was a good correlation among the five biological components such as fresh thallus weight, dry thallus weight, etc. This study provides a basis for gemma vegetative reproduction of Marchantia species and ecological management of Tianhetan karst wetlands.

Effect of elevated CO₂ concentration on development of the western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) and nutrients of their host plant, Phaseolus vulgaris

QIAN Lei1, JIANG Xing-chuan1,2, LIU Jian-ye1, LUO Li-fen1, GUI Fu-rong1**

2015, 34(6):  1553-1558. 

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To investigate the effects of elevated atmospheric CO₂ concentration on population dynamics of the western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis) and their host plant, kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), this paper measured the growth, development duration and reproduction of the thrips and the leaf nutrients of their host plant in two different CO₂ concentration chambers (800 vs. 400 μL·L^-1). The results indicated that the elevated CO₂ concentration changed the nutritional ingredients of kidney bean leaves, which affected the growth, development, reproduction of F. occidentalis. High CO₂ concentration significantly reduced the leaf gross crude protein contents (GP) of kidney bean; however, the contents of total saccharides (TSCs), starch, and soluble protein and free amino acids of leaves were significantly enhanced. Compared with the control (400 μL·L^-1 CO₂), the egg stage, 1st instar larva stage, 2nd instar larva stage of F. occidentalis were significantly decreased in the doubled CO₂ concentration treatment (800 μL·L^-1 CO₂), yet the oviposition rate of individual female increased by 9.74% (P<0.05). Under the higher CO₂ concentration, the net reproductive rate (R₀), intrinsic increase rate (r_m), increase rate per unit (λ) of F. occidentalis were increased by 7.40%, 8.86% and 1.32%, respectively (P<0.05). Compared with the thrips in 400 μL·L^-1 CO₂ concentration chambers, the generation time (T) and the time of doubling population size (DT) of those in 800 μL·L^-1 CO₂ concentration decreased by 1.42 and 0.38 d, respectively (P<0.05). R₀, r_m and λ of F. occidentalis were proved to have negative correlation with the content of gross crude protein and positive correlation with TSCs/GP and starch of kidney bean leaf. In contrast, T, DT of F. occidentalis had significant positive correlation with the content of gross crude protein of P. vulgaris, and negative correlations were observed among T, DT of F. occidentalis and TSCs/GP, starch, free amino acids in leaf of P. vulgaris.

Gender differences in morphological plasticity and reproductive strategy of Humulus scandens in response to different external supports.

FAN Xing, WANG Da-wei, LIU Jin-ping**

2015, 34(6):  1559-1564. 

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Humulus scandens is dioecious climbing herb. In the present study, wild H. scandens was grown in three ways, with tree support (height 3±0.5 m), shrub support (height 1±0.5 m) and no support, via artificial control. Biomass allocation, morphological and propagation characteristics were measured for each single plant. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of external support on the morphological plasticity and reproduction strategies of H. scandens and the gender differences in using different external supports. The following results were observed. (1) The support significantly affected the stem, leaf and flower straits of branch and these traits showed gender differences. The stem and flower characteristics of female branches were vulnerable to the impact of external support, while leaf characteristics of male branches was vulnerable to the external support as well. (2) External supports caused significant gender difference in biomass allocation of branches. The plasticity of female plant was significantly higher than that of male plant. With increasing the height of external support, the stem biomass allocation ratio of female branches significantly decreased and its flower biomass allocation ratio increased. External supports had little effect on the flower and stem biomass allocation ratios of male branches. (3) For the female branches, external supports had a significant effect on the reproductive index and reproduction ratio (P<0.05) and a little effect on reproductive efficiency index. Male branches showed an opposite option. The external support had smaller effect on the reproductive characteristics of male plant than that of female. Thus, the female branches had higher reproductive plasticity than male branches.

Germination parameters and mineral levels in soybean plants under salt stress.

WANG Yong-juan1, ZHOU Yan1, XU Ming1, XU Jing-yu1, JIN Xiao-fei2, SHI Lian-xuan1**

2015, 34(6):  1565-1571. 

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Soybean seeds were germinated under neutral and alkaline salt stress, allowing us to compare germination and growth parameters, mineral levels and the relationship between these factors under each form of stress. The germination rate, germination potential, germination index and biomass were affected by salinity, and the effects were more severe when the salinity was caused by alkaline salts. There was a significant correlation between the germination parameters and mineral levels under salt stress, with mineral elements becoming less concentrated in the cotyledon but more concentrated in the root, resulting in a mineral imbalance. These effects were exacerbated in the presence of alkaline salts. Our data indicated that salt stress, particularly alkaline salt stress, caused a mineral ion imbalance in soybean seedlings, resulting in the inhibition of germination and growth.

 

Effects of density on potato growth, yield and economic benefit in spring and autumn in Sichuan Basin.

WANG Liang-jun1, ZHENG Shun-lin1, ZHONG Lei1, LI Shi-lin2, SONG Ming-liang1, YUAN Ji-chao1**

2015, 34(6):  1572-1578. 

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An experiment was conducted to figure out the reasonable colony structure of “Chuanyu 117”, which was designed with randomized block in five different densities (6×10⁴, 9×10⁴, 12×10⁴, 15×10⁴ and 18×10⁴ plants·hm^-2), so as to make full use of light and temperature to increase potato yield and efficiency in Sichuan Basin. Compared with spring potato, autumn potato had higher plant height, smaller stem diameter and less branch number, and its leaf area declined more slowly at the tuber bulking stage. The dry matter accumulation and tuber dry matter allocation ratio of spring potato were higher than those of the autumn potato, so spring potato yield was significantly higher than that of autumn potato, with an average increase of 88.5% in this experiment. With the increase of density, the leaf area and total dry matter accumulation of spring potato increased and then decreased, and the total dry matter accumulation arrived at a peak point with a density of 16.20×10⁴ plants·hm^-2. Meanwhile, autumn potato leaf area and total dry matter accumulation increased with the density increase, and the maximum total dry matter accumulation was at the density of 18×10⁴ plants·hm^-2. In the range of density test, the yield of spring potato showed a convex quadratic relationship with density and reached the maximum value at the density of 15.75×10⁴ plants·hm^-2. The yield of autumn potato was positively linearly related with density, and the maximum value was at the density of 18×10⁴ plants·hm^-2. The density obviously affected the single tuber weight of spring potato, while it mostly affected the tuber number per plant of autumn potato. With the density increase, the seed costs increased but the marketable tuber percentage decreased, thus the net income changed. So, the most profitable densities in spring and autumn were 12×10⁴ and 15×10⁴ plants·hm^-2, respectively.

Trophic niches of nine gobiid fishes in Xiangshan Bay determined by carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis.

JIANG Ya-zhou, LIN Nan, YUAN Xing-wei, LING Jian-zhong, LI Sheng-fa**

2015, 34(6):  1579-1585. 

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The present study determined the trophic niches of nine gobiid fishes (Acanthogobius ommaturus, Amblychaeturichthys hexanema, Amoya chlorostigmatoides, Chaeturichthys stigmatias, Glossogobius giuris, Tridentiger barbatus, T. trigonocephalus, Ctenotrypauchen microcephalus and Trypauchen vagina) in Xiangshan Bay by analyzing stable carbon (δ¹³C) and nitrogen (δ¹⁵N) isotope ratios of fish muscle samples. The δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values of nine fish species ranged from -20.4‰ to -12.7‰ and from 6.7‰ to 14.5‰, respectively. The results of ANOVA analysis indicated that δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values were significantly different between all examined species. The tropic levels of all examined species ranged from 2.33 to 3.46, which indicated that most of the nine gobiid fishes were secondary consumers in the Xiangshan Bay ecosystem. The convex hull area occupied by species in δ¹³C-δ¹⁵N niche space was employed to represent the tropical niche width for the nine gobiid fishes. Species which had greater niche widths, such as G. giuris, C. stigmatias and A. hexanema, were potentially feeding on a wide variety of prey species typifying a more generalized diet. Alternatively, species such as C. microcephalus, A. chlorostigmatoides and T. trigonocephalus exhibited lower niche widths, indicating that these species were likely feeding on a more specialized diet. In general, the degree of trophic niche separation among nine gobiid species was relatively low. There was intensely intraspecific competition between some gobiid species, such as C. microcephalus with T. vagina, and T. barbatus with T. trigonocephalus.

Effects of acclimation temperature on thermal tolerance and hypoxia tolerance in Rhodeus ocellatus.

FU Kang-kang, CAO Zhen-dong, FU Shi-jian**

2015, 34(6):  1586-1590. 

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To investigate the effect of acclimation temperature on thermal and hypoxia tolerances, the relevant indicators were measured in juvenile rose bitterling (Rhodeus ocellatus) after 14 days of acclimation at 15, 20 or 25 ℃. The critical thermal maximum (CT_max) and lethal thermal maximum (LT_max) increased with the increase of acclimation temperature, while the critical thermal minimum (CT_min) and lethal thermal minimum (LT_min) decreased with the decrease of acclimation temperature, suggesting that the thermal tolerance of rose bitterling is highly temperature sensitive. The thermal tolerance amplitudes at 15, 20 and 25 ℃ were 29.34, 30.18 and 28.01 ℃, respectively. The acclimation response ratio (ARR) of CT_max was similar between different temperature ranges (0.40 for 15-20 ℃, and 0.44 for 20-25 ℃), whereas the ARR of CT_min was relatively high in high temperature range (0.87) when compared to that of low temperature range (0.23). This suggests that the cold tolerance of rose bitterling is more sensitive to the change of temperature at high temperature range. Furthermore, the increasing loss of equilibrium at high temperature suggested that the hypoxia tolerance decreased with the increase of acclimation temperature.

Physiological thermoregulation ability of  a Xinjiang population of Lacerta agilis.

YANG Cheng, LIN Shu, LIU Peng**, ZHAO Wen-ge

2015, 34(6):  1591-1594. 

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A population of Lacerta agilis was collected in May 2013 in Xinjiang, China for the study. These adult lizards were fed and bred in the laboratory and the diurnal change of their body temperature was examined during November to December, 2013. The correlation of body temperature using the direct measurement of cloaca temperature and morphological characteristics such as snoutvent length (SVL) and weight was analyzed, and the effects of ambient temperature on the physiological thermoregulation ability of lizards with different ages and sexes were discussed. The results showed that body temperature had a significant diurnal rhythm and was (0.89±0.16) SymbolpB@C higher than environment temperature under room temperature condition (18-22) ℃. Body temperature had no significant differences between the sexes and showed no significant correlation with SVL and weight of the lizard. However, body temperature and ambient temperature had a positive, linear correlation. The isothermal point of y=kx+b and y=x was very important to the regulation of body temperature. Body temperature of the lizard was lower than ambient temperature when ambient temperature was higher than the isothermal point. On the contrary, it was higher when ambient temperature was lower than the isothermal point. Physiological thermoregulation ability of the larval lizard was stronger, while that of the female was weaker. The relationship of diurnal regulation of body temperature with ambient temperature was found in the study, however, the relationship between physiological and behavioral adjustment of lizard body temperature needs further research.

 

Effects of temperature, salinity and sediment on the burrowing behavior of clam Meretrix meretrix.

ZHANG An-guo1,2,3, YUAN Xiu-tang2**, YANG Feng-ying1, WANG Hong1, WANG Li-xin1, ZHAO Kai4

2015, 34(6):  1595-1601. 

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The objective of this study is to determine the optimum ecological conditions for the cultivation of clam Meretrix meretrix, and to provide basic data for the habitat selection and suitability evaluations of artificial restocking of this species. The burrowing behavior of spat was observed under different temperature, salinity and sediment conditions. The results showed that the burrowing behavior of the clam into the soft sediment could be divided into three periods: preparation, burrowing and terminal. The burrowing period was involved in stretching foot, stacking shell and burrowing into the sand. The spat with shell length of 1.0 cm had longer preparation period (46.1 min) and digging time (7.6 min), while the spat with shell length of 2.0 cm had shorter preparation period (18.6 min) and digging time (4.0 min). Sandy sediment with little clay content was the best substrate for the spat of M. meretrix, and the most appropriate burrowing temperature for M. meretrix was 15-25 ℃. Moreover, the burrowing rate of the spats at 15-25 ℃ was greater than 80%, and the burrowing depth decreased with increasing the water temperature. The most suitable salinity for the spat of M. meretrix was 26. Burrowing behavior of the spat was impeded at salinity higher or lower than 26. In conclusion, our results suggest that it is better to artificially restock the spats with the shell length of 2 cm in the sandy sediment of the area when the water temperature is at 15-25 ℃ and the salinity reaches 26. Effectiveness of artificial restocking of M. meretrix could be significantly improved in this way.

Sexual dimorphism and female reproduction of Phrynocephalus helioscopus (Agamidae).

LIANG Tao, Lv Shi-peng, WU Kai-le, SHI Lei**

2015, 34(6):  1602-1606. 

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From May 2013 to May 2014, 166 individual specimens of Phrynocephalus helioscopus were collected from the outskirts of Beitun City, Xinjiang Autonomous Region, to study their sexual dimorphism and female reproduction. We measured nine morphological traits of juvenile and adult lizards. Gravid female lizards were used to examine reproduction and to measure morphological traits. The results of ttest showed that juvenile males had a significantly longer snoutvent length (SVL) (P<0.05) than juvenile females; and among the adults, the females had a much longer SVL (P<0.05) than the males. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) showed that adult male head length (P<0.01), head height, (P<0.01), tail length (P<0.01), and hindlimb length (P<0.01) were significantly larger than those of the females. All the morphological traits measured showed a positive correlation with SVL. Furthermore, the growth rates of tail length (P<0.05), hindlimb length (P<0.05) and head height (P<0.05) in males were much faster than in females. Female lizards’ clutch size, clutch mass, and individual egg mass were not closely related to SVL. Our findings stand in opposition to the fecundity advantage hypothesis and support the sexual selection hypothesis as the underlying mechanisms of sexual dimorphism in
P. helioscopus.

Avian community and preventive measures of avoiding the accidence of bird strike around Xianyang International Airport.

ZHENG Jia, JIA Xiao-dong, YANG Xing-zhong

2015, 34(6):  1607-1613. 

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A field investigation of bird populations was conducted over the Xianyang International Airport and its adjacent areas by means of line transect method and fixedradius point count during October 2012 and September 2013. There were 147 species of birds (including domestic pigeon) belonging to 16 orders and 34 families recorded through direct observation in field. Bird strike hazard grade was assessed based on frequency, flying height, behavior and probability of birds flying over the runway of the airport, indicating that 8 avian species including Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus), Common tern (Sterna hirundo), domestic pigeon (Aplogelia Bonaparte), Barn swallow (Hirundo rustica), Chinese Bulbul (Pycnonotus sinensis), Ashy starling (Sturnus cineraceous), Magpie (Cyanopica cyanus) and Sparrow (Passer montanus) were the most dangerous for causing bird strike accidents annually. Accordingly, a series of preventive measures of avoiding bird strike accidents were proposed, including ecological and environmental reformation, dynamic management and control of the bird’s behavior around the flight zone of the airport. The results of the study would provide support for prevention of bird strike occurring around the Xianyang International Airport.

 

Effects of nitrogen addition on soil respiration and its temperature sensitivity in a sandy grassland.

LIN Li-tao1,2, SUN Xue-kai1, HU Ya-lin1,3, YU Zhan-yuan1,3, ZENG De-hui1,3

2015, 34(6):  1614-1621. 

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Nitrogen (N) addition can impact root activities and microbial metabolism, thus altering soil respiration rate. In this study we assessed the effects of N addition on soil CO₂ flux in a Keerqin sandy grassland during July and September. The results showed that N addition significantly influenced the soil respiration rate. Compared with unfertilized plots (2.18 μmol·m^-2·s^-1), the respiration rate of Naddition plots was increased by 15.2% and the increment of respiration rate in the daytime (17.1%) was higher than that at night (14.4%). N addition significantly increased soil respiration from July to September. The monthly variation in soil respiration firstly rose then declined, and peaked on the 18th July (3.36 μmol·m^-2·s^-1). N addition increased the temperature sensitivity of soil respiration and the basal soil respiration, with Q₁₀ values as 3.27 and 3.30, and R_10 values as 0.42 and 0.54 μmol·m^-2·s^-1 in Naddition and unfertilized treatments, respectively.

Composition of hydrogen and oxygen stable isotopes in seasonal river in permafrost watershed of Yangtze River headwater region.

LIU Guang-sheng1, WANG Gen-xu2, GAO Yang2, ZHAO Chao1

2015, 34(6):  1622-1629. 

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Frozen soil plays a key role in hydrological processes and their observations are rare and difficult in permafrost regions. The stable hydrogen and oxygen isotope methods provide a useful tool for permafrost hydrology research. In this study, stable hydrogen and oxygen isotopes composition in seasonal river water was analyzed based on the stable isotope ratios (δD and δ¹⁸O) data in precipitation and river water in a permafrost watershed in Yangtze River headwater region in 2009, combined with meteorological and hydrological data. The results showed that the δ¹⁸O, δD and the excess deuterium variation of river water and rainfall all presented descending trends during research period. This implies that the precipitation is the most important source of river water. The δD in river water in the 2nd and 3rd subbasin were -66.8‰ and -69.6‰, respectively, which were similar to the δD in precipitation (-66.7‰). However, the δD in river water in the 5th subbasin (62.4‰) was significantly higher than that in precipitation. Higher vegetation coverage in the 5th subbasin, higher soil organic matter content, soil moisture and actual evapotranspiration and strong evaporation fractionation effect enriched river water in the 5th subbasin with heavy isotopes. In June, as the soil melt down, frozen soil water of heavy isotope (δD, -71.3‰) was displaced by precipitation (δD, -12.1‰) and then fed the river water. In October, the frozen soil inhibited precipitation infiltration and made hydrogen isotope change quickly with precipitation. These indicate that the freezethaw cycle plays an important role in runoff processes in the permafrost regions. This study provides isotopic evidence in hydrological cycle research and a theoretical support of water resource protection in permafrost regions.

Soil relative moisture characteristics and influencing factors in Liaoning Province in spring.

ZHOU Bin1, LI Ji1**, LIN Jun-jie2,3, LI Yu-hong1, SU Hang4, WANG Ting1

2015, 34(6):  1630-1637. 

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The soil relative moisture characteristics of Liaoning in seeding period and the relationships between soil relative moisture and soil property, crop varieties and meteorological factors were studied. Statistical methods were adopted including correlation analysis, regression analysis, factor analysis and interpolation analysis. Data collection covered the soil parameters and the daily value of conventional meteorological factors from 49 weather stations in Liaoning from March to May, 2004-2013, soil moisture data from agrometeorological experimental stations in western Liaoning in May, 2004-2010 and regional soil parameters of Liaoning. The relative soil moisture of Liaoning in spring increased by 1.6% per year on average, and it was usually higher in the southeast than in the northwest. In most parts of the province, the soil waterholding capacity was 20%-25%. Crop tillage would reduce soil relative moisture by 5.6%-36.4%. Among the meteorological factors, soil relative moisture in previous period had the greatest impact on soil relative moisture (r=0.48), and vapor pressure had the least (r=-0.08). Soil relative moisture was influenced by soil property, cultivated crop varieties and various meteorological factors, which we should take full account in soil moisture forecast during seeding time in spring.

Short-term effects of CO₂ elevation and N deposition on soil respiration in a midsubtropical forest.

ZHANG Fang-yue1,2,3, WANG Qing-kui1,2**, YU Xiao-jun2

2015, 34(6):  1638-1643. 

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Carbon cycling in forest ecosystem can be influenced by atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) elevation and nitrogen (N) deposition. A simulation experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of CO₂ elevation and N deposition on soil carbon cycling in midsubtropical forests. In this experiment, soil respiration was measured for one year using Li-Cor 8100 infrared gas analyzer. Compared with the control treatment, soil respiration rate was respectively increased by 24.4% and 27.9% in CO₂ elevation and N deposition treatments, while it was increased by 46.5% in the combined treatment of CO₂ elevation and N deposition. Correlation analysis showed that soil respiration was significantly positively correlated to soil temperature and negatively to soil moisture. The temperature sensitivity of soil respiration was also affected by CO₂ elevation and N deposition. The temperature sensitivity of soil respiration was slightly increased by CO₂ elevation, but decreased by N deposition. Our findings suggest that the release of soil organic carbon to the atmosphere through soil respiration is possibly increased in the context of CO₂ elevation and N deposition in midsubtropical forest ecosystems, and the sensitivity of the response of soil organic carbon decomposition to changes in environmental temperature is decreased.

 

Distribution characteristics of different organic carbon forms in ancient paddy soils at Liyang plain.

XIAO Yan-zi1, ZHOU Wei-jun1**, GU Hai-bin2, LIU Pei1, XIE Tian-yang1, TAN Jie1

2015, 34(6):  1644-1649. 

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To clarify the distribution and change characters of different organic carbon forms in ancient paddy soils, the difference and profile distribution characteristics of soil organic carbon (SOC), easilyoxidized organic carbon (EOOC), watersoluble organic carbon (WSOC), and active organic carbon (AOC) contents were studied between the buried ancient paddy soil and the present cultivation paddy soils in Shanlonggang Village, Hunan Province. The results showed that the contents of SOC, EOOC, WSOC, and AOC in the cultivation layer were lower in the buried ancient paddy soil than in the present cultivation paddy soil, and their average contents accounted for 51.86%, 28.24%, 40.12% and 34.17% of the present cultivation paddy, respectively, while no obvious difference was observed among the plow pan, the waterloggogenic horizon and the parent material horizon. The contents of WSOC, EOOC, and AOC accounted for 0.45%, 37.34%, 16.39% of the total carbon in the cultivation layer in the buried ancient paddy soil, being 0.38%, 10.93%, and 8.48% lower than that in the present paddy soil, respectively. The content of WSOC decreased with the increase of soil depth, while the contents of EOOC and AOC showed a trend of increasedecreaseincrease. The SOC content in the cultivated horizon was 28%-52% lower in the buried ancient paddy soil than in the present paddy soil, but that in the plow pan, waterloggogenic horizon and parent material horizon was higher in the ancient paddy soil than in the present paddy soil, indicating the organic carbon accumulated 3000 years ago still stored in the ancient paddy soil. These results suggest that the contribution of paddy wetland to soil organic carbon pool is relatively stable, playing an important role in global carbon cycling and the ecological and environmental protection.

Spatial and temporal variability of soil moisture in water source region of Hani terrace landscape.

2015, 34(6):  1650-1659. 

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The water conservation of the water source region in the upper reaches is the key to the sustainability of the landscape of Hani Terraces. The heterogeneity of soil moisture is an important indicator to reveal the pattern of water conservation. Using the grid sampling method, we collected 162 samples (81 in the dry season, 81 in the rainy season) from surface soil (0-20 cm) of the water source region, and analyzed the spatial variability of soil moisture on Hani Terraces based on classical statistics and geostatistics method. The results indicated that: (1) Soil moisture in the dry season is of moderate variation (Cv is 18.19%), the ratio of semivariogram’s structure is 99.9%, and the range is 383 m. Soil moisture in the rainy season is also of moderate variation (Cv is 18.50%), the ratio of semivariogram’s structure is 99.9%, and the range is 475 m, indicating a high spatial autocorrelation of soil moisture. From the dry season to the rainy season, the spatial structure parameters of soil moisture are different, and the most obvious one is the range. There is a consistency of the anisotropy, but the ratio is different. (2) Kriging interpolation figure indicates that soil moisture’s spatial pattern in the dry season shows obvious patches with high fragmentation and poor continuity of space. Soil moisture’s spatial pattern in the rainy season shows stripes with good continuity of space. The overall trends of the soil moisture pattern are consistent in the two seasons, but the spatial pattern of the dry season is more significant and is almost same as the land use pattern. (3) Soil moisture and its variation are consistent regarding their spatial tendencies in the dry and rainy seasons because they are both affected by rainfall, but the response of soil moisture in the dry season is more sensitive to rainfall. (4) Land use types are the key factors affecting the heterogeneity of soil moisture, but meteorological factors (such as rainfall) can reinforce or weaken that trend. Soil moisture is significantly correlated with the elevation, but less affected by the slope gradient. (5) Spatial and temporal variability of soil moisture can reflect the differences of water conservation pattern, being of great significance in identifying the key water conservation region, protecting the ecological security pattern, and maintaining the balance of water supply and the stability of the terrace landscape.

 

Characteristics of soluble nitrogen in soils on the Tibetan Plateau, China.

WANG Jie1,2, YANG Xi1, ZHU Zhao-zhou1, LI He1,2, NIU Ying-quan1,2, LIU Xiao-long1, ZHANG Wei3, LI Jun1**

2015, 34(6):  1660-1666. 

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An investigation on soil soluble nitrogen and its influence factors was carried out in different vegetation types (alpine steppe, alpine meadow, grassland, forest land, desert, and saline land) along different altitudes (2500-5500 m) on the Tibetan Plateau, China. The results showed that total soluble nitrogen (TSN) in the soils appeared at high levels, and the major form of soil soluble nitrogen was soluble organic nitrogen (SON), accounting for 50% of TSN. In addition, the proportion of NO₃^--N to soluble inorganic nitrogen (SIN) was higher (60%) than that of NH₄⁺-N. Variance analysis showed that the difference of soil soluble nitrogen was significant at different altitudes, and TSN and SON in alpine steppe and alpine meadow were significantly higher than in the other vegetation types. Soil pH was negatively correlated with 〖JP2〗the different forms of soil soluble nitrogen, suggesting that soil pH was an important factor impacting soil soluble nitrogen. Stepwise regression analysis showed that air relative humidity and temperature in growing season were the most significant factors impacting soil NH₄⁺-N and NO₃^--N, respectively.

Comparison of methane production and archaeal community of two rice paddy soils with different pH under high temperature.

WEI Meng1, MA Lan2, HU Yue-hang1, ZHENG Zhen-zhen1, QIU Qiong-fen1**

2015, 34(6):  1667-1674. 

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Production of methane from paddy fields and the related archaeal community are both influenced by environmental factors and soil characteristics of the field (e.g. pH, carbon and nitrogen contents). To study the effect of soil pH on methane production and community structure of the methanogenic archaea at high temperature, two soil samples S1 (pH 7.88) and S2 (pH 4.67) developed from different matrices were anaerobically incubated at 50 ℃ for 100 days. Methane production was measured continually by gas chromatography during the incubation. Soil characteristics, such as pH, organic carbon and ammonium nitrogen contents were also evaluated in the supernatant or the soil itself. The variations in the microbial structure with incubation time in the two soils were studied by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis based on archaeal 16S ribosomal RNA gene. The results showed that the organic carbon content decreased with the formation of methane during incubation, whereas the variation of ammonium was similar in both the supernatants and soil samples S1 and S2. Although the final amount of methane produced was same for S1 and S2, the changes in pH and methane production rates were significantly different between the two soils. It was found that the rate of methane formation increased with the increase of pH. The T-RFLP profiles showed that Methanosarcinaceae and Methanocellaceae were the primary active methanogenic groups in paddy soil at 50 ℃. Analysis of the entire T-RFLP profiles via twodimensional plots of PCA (principal component analysis) revealed that the developmental direction of structures of the archaeal populations in the two soils were different. Acidic paddy soil was more suitable for enhancing the activity of Methanocellaceae.

 

Distribution, sources and risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sewage sludge from Guiyang City.

YANG Shao-bo1, LI Jiang1,2**, ZHANG Chun-hui1, WU Yong-gui1,2, YAN Chang-lun1

2015, 34(6):  1675-1681. 

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Sixteen US EPA priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sewage sludge from 5 wastewater treatment plants in Guiyang City, Southwest China, were analyzed using Soxhletextraction and GCMS method. Possible sources were identified using the diagnostic ratios of PAHs and potential risks were assessed based on the toxic equivalent concentration of BaP (TEQ_BaP). The results showed that total PAHs concentrations in the samples were in the range of 1.90-4.27 mg·kg^-1, which was lower than those of the most of well developed countries and areas. PAHs in the sewage sludge were dominated by 2-4 rings PAHs and mainly stemmed from biomass burning and domestic coal combustion, with some characteristics of vehicle emission. The risk assessment showed that the toxicity equivalent concentration of PAHs (TEQ_BaP16) was in the range of 0.09-0.29 mg·kg^-1, in which 97% of the total TEQ_BaP originated from 7 carcinogenic PAHs. The TEQ_BaP10 was 0.07-0.24 mg·kg^-1, indicating higher carcinogenicity and ecological risk.

Isolation of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens for rapid production of lipopeptides and its product characteristics.

BAN Yun-he1,2, ZHANG Ying-yue1,2, SHI Rong-jiu2, ZHAO Feng3, HAN Si-qin2, ZHANG Yang1, ZHANG Ying2**

2015, 34(6):  1682-1688. 

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A bacterial strain BQ₂ that could rapidly produce lipopeptides was isolated from the production water from Xinjiang Oilfield. Phylogenetic analysis of the homoeologous 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that BQ₂ shared a 99% sequence similarity with Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. When cultured with 20 g·L^-1 of glucose and 5 g·L^-1 of sodium nitrate as carbon and nitrogen sources, BQ₂ decreased the surface tension of culture medium from 69.7 mN·m^-1 to 25.9 mN·m^-1 within 8 h. The rapid increase in the production of biosurfactant occurred within 20-24 h, and the highest yield of 655.4 mg·L^-1 was detected at 40 h. Analyses from thin layer chromatography (TLC) and infrared spectroscopy (IF-TR) revealed that the biosurfactant produced by BQ₂ is lipopeptide with cyclic structure. This biosurfactant had a critical micelle concentration (CMC) of 30 mg·L^-1, and showed good emulsifying activity (EI₂₄) against various organic compounds such as crude oil from Xinjiang Oilfield. The surface activity of the fermentation broth of BQ2 remained stable under a wide range of temperature (20-121 ℃), salinity
(30-250 g·L^-1  of sodium chloride), and pH (4-12), respectively. Strain BQ₂ could rapidly produce high yield biosurfactant, with a good environmental stability and this presents a possible great potential in microbial enhanced oil recovery or environmental remediation processes.

Floral composition and ecology of polypores in Hainan Province.

YUAN Yuan, BIAN Lu-sen, WU Fang, SI Jing**

2015, 34(6):  1689-1698. 

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The floral composition and ecological habits of polypores from Hainan Province were evaluated. Polypores were very rich in the province, and 242 species belonging to 7 orders, 17 families and 84 genera were found. The dominant families were the Polyporaceae, Hymenochaetaceae and Ganodermataceae, the dominant genera were Phellinus, Ganoderma and Polyporus, and 28, 14 and 13 species were respectively found in these genera. The majority of the polypores in Hainan were the pantropical elements and the northern temperate elements, showing distinct pantropical characteristics of floral composition. Among the 242 polypores, 102, 95 and 45 species were respectively considered as the common, occasional and rare species; 225 species were found on angiosperm wood and 38 species live on gymnosperm wood, while 21 species occur on both angiosperm and gymnosperm wood. Ecologically, these polypores can be divided into three types: Saprophytic (218 species), parasitic (20 species) and symbiotic (4 species); 225 species cause white rot and 17 species cause brown rot.

Effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on seedling growth and Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺ contents and distribution in asparagus under salt stress.

CAO Yan-po1, DAI Peng1, DAI Su-ying1**, HE Chao-xing2

2015, 34(6):  1699-1704. 

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The effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on contents and allocations of Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺ and growth of asparagus variety ‘NJ978’ under salt stress were studied in greenhouse. The results showed that the height, fresh weight and dry weight of the seedlings decreased significantly under NaCl treatment, while the inhibition of seedling growth was alleviated by AMFinoculation. Na⁺ contents of asparagus roots and its aerial part under salt stress were higher than in the control, while the contents of K⁺, Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ decreased significantly. Under salt stress, AMFinoculation increased the contents of K⁺, Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ of the seedling roots by 76.9%, 23.1% and 22.5%, respectively, while the content of Na⁺ decreased by 27.4%; the contents of K⁺, Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ of the seedlings aerial part increased by 58.4, 50.4% and 76.0%, respectively, while the content of Na⁺ decreased by 42.3%. Meanwhile, Na⁺/K⁺, Na⁺/Ca²⁺ and Na⁺/Mg²⁺ in roots and aerial part of seedlings were significantly decreased by AMFinoculation under salt stress, and the selective absorption of K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺ (AS_K,Na, AS_Ca,Na, and AS_Mg,Na) was significantly increased, and the selective transportation (TS_K,Na, TS_Ca,Na and TS_Mg,Na) were increased. These results indicated that AMFinoculation could improve tolerance of asparagus seedlings to salt stress via regulating the uptake and allocation of ions in different organs.


 

Effect of topographical factors on spatial characteristics of island vegetation landscape heterogeneity: A case study with Dachangshan Island.

SUN Yong-guang1, KANG Jing1, WANG Wei-wei1, WANG Chuan-jun1, FU Yuan-bin1, LI Pei-ying2, SUO An-ning1**

2015, 34(6):  1705-1712. 

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The landscape heterogeneity of island vegetation is one of the important indicators of island ecosystem health, the change and mechanism for landscape heterogeneity affect ecological processes of island ecosystem. In this paper, we addressed the spatial distribution characteristics of spatial heterogeneity of Dachangshan Island vegetation landscape and their relationship with the topographical factors by using the remote sensing technology and landscape ecology approach. The results showed that landscape heterogeneity was mainly shaped by the topographical factors of elevation and slope in a similar way. Both elevation and slope were negatively correlated to the landscape heterogeneity parameters, including areaweighted mean patch fractal dimension (AWMPFD), total edge perimeter (TE), the number of patches (NP) and areaweighted mean shape index (AWMSI), and positively related to the middle patch size (MPS), mean patch edge density (MPE) in a descending order. The relationship between aspect and landscape heterogeneity index was much weaker when compared with slope and elevation in a small-scale area, aspect was not correlated with either TE or MPE, and only weakly correlated with other four landscape indices.

Spatial and temporal variations of NDVI and its influencing factors in Qaidam Basin in the last 14 years.

WANG Lin-lin, LIU Pu-xing**, WANG Yun

2015, 34(6):  1713-1722. 

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In this paper, the spatiotemporal variation of vegetation NDVI in Qaidam Basin and its influencing factors were analyzed by using MODIS/NDVI data during 2000-2013. The results showed that in the last 14 years, annual average and seasonal NDVI all showed an increasing trend, and the area of increased trend in spring was the largest, followed by summer, annual average and autumn. Differences in NDVI and NDVI change trend (θ_slope) were obvious among different elevations, with the maximum values found at elevations of 3750 and 3550 m, respectively. NDVI and θ_slope increased with the elevation when it was lower than 3750 and 3550 m respectively, and vice versa. Correlation analysis indicated that the relationships of the NDVI in spring, summer and autumn with temperature, precipitation and potential evapotranspiration were positive, and the corresponding area with positive correlation accounted for 81.96%, 96.94% and 76.54% of the total vegetation area, respectively. The annual average NDVI was most sensitive to precipitation, and 91.03% of the total vegetation area was positively related with precipitation. In addition, the lag effect of spring and summer NDVI in response to temperature and precipitation was obvious; the precipitation and extremely low temperature in winter affected most the vegetation growth in the coming spring, while the precipitation in spring had a great contribution to vegetation growth in summer. In addition to the natural factors, human activities such as crop planting area and the marketing rate of fattened stock also were important factors affecting NDVI in Qaidam Basin.

River classification in Liaohe River basin.

XU Cai-cai1,2,3, ZHANG Yin-bo1,4, ZHANG Yuan2,3, KONG Wei-jing2,3**, HOU Li-ping2,3

2015, 34(6):  1723-1730. 

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Based on the researches on fluvial geomorphology classification, the index system of river classification was proposed with four indices: stream order, confinement degree, channel number and sinuosity. And a fast river classification framework was established with the selected indices. Liaohe River basin was selected as an example to apply the framework at reach level. A total of 3158 reaches in Liaohe River basin were divided into 20 river types. The results showed that the classification framework has the advantages that indices are easily calculated, and the framework is suitable for basin management strategy establishment for large area basin. Management strategy was raised based on the structure, function, process and habitat type for all river types. Three river types with high stream order and high sinuosity and 2 river types with multiple channels should have the highest priority for conservation in Liaohe River basin. For the three river types in the source region, soil erosion should be concerned and the disturbance on river channel should be reduced. For the three tributary river types in the plain area, the farmland reclamation and the discharges of sewages should be reduced.

Health assessment of aquatic ecosystems in the Songhua River Basin on the basis of water quality and biological indicators.

JIAO Ke-wei, ZHOU Qi-xing**

2015, 34(6):  1731-1737. 

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The overexploitation and overloaded utilization of water resources from river basins not only affect the health of aquatic ecosystems increasingly, but also have a direct threat to the sustainable development of social economy and the survival environment of human beings. Through our investigation on aquatic ecosystems of the Songhua River Basin, combined with current research results at home and abroad, the index system of health assessment for aquatic ecosystems was constructed on the basis of water quality and biological indicators, and the health assessment score of various samples from the Songhua River Basin was calculated by the comprehensive pollution index method. Ultimately, a comprehensive assessment for ecological health of the Songhua River Basin was accomplished. The upstream watershed was in good health, while the health situation in the downstream part of the Basin was moderate and even poor. The assessment of the health status among samples from the Songhua River Basin indicated that there was a significant correlation between nutrients and planktonic algae, between nutrients and fishes as well, and the assessment result by using biological indicators was overall better than that by using water quality indicators. The results showed that the health of aquatic ecosystems of the Songhua River Basin was at a moderate level as a whole.

Desmid community characteristics and its relationship with environmental variables in Nansi Lake and Dongping Lake.

FENG Ya-wei1, HOU Kun3, PEI Hai-yan1,2**, HU Wen-rong1,2, REN Ying1, WEI Jie-lin1

2015, 34(6):  1738-1746. 

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Desmids, which are a group of Chlorophyta with diverse species and complex morpha, play important roles in water quality monitoring, protection, and nutritional analysis because they are highly sensitive to environmental changes. Desmids in Nansi Lake and Dongping Lake from May 2010 to May 2013 were collected monthly at a depth of 0.5 m below the surface. Three genera, 12 species were identified in Nansi Lake and 4 genera, 15 species in Dongping Lake. The abundance of desmids in summer and autumn (from June to November) was higher than that in other months, with the maximum of 50.0×10⁴ cells·L^-1 and 55.9×10⁴ cells·L^-1, respectively. Species of Cosmarium were dominant in both lakes. The results of redundancy analysis (RDA) and Pearson correlation analysis showed that the major environmental factors influencing the distribution of desmids in Nansi Lake were pH and TN, and those in Dongping Lake were temperature, dissolved oxygen, and chemical oxygen demand. Desmids identified in both lakes were mainly indicative species of oligotrophic water, with a low detection frequency.

Research progress in denitrifying anaerobic methane oxidation.

FAN Qiu-xiang1, WU Qing2, CHANG Jia-li2, LIANG Peng2, ZHANG Xiao-yuan2, ZHANG Chuan-yi1, HUANG Xia2**

2015, 34(6):  1747-1754. 

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Denitrifying anaerobic methane oxidation (DAMO) is a novel denitrification process with methane as the electron donor and NO₃^-/NO₂^- as the electron acceptor under anaerobic condition. As a greenhouse gas, CH₄ has 20-30 times greater global warming potential than CO₂. CH₄, instead of conventional carbon source, is used for denitrification in the process of DAMO, which is beneficial for reducing global warming effect and improving nitrogen cycle. It has been found that Candidatus Methylomirabilis oxyfera (belonging to bacteria) and Candidatus Methanoperedens nitroreducens (archaea) are the two main microbial communities participating in DAMO process. The former conducts NO₂^-DAMO process via “intraaerobic pathway” while the other uses “reverse methanogenesis pathway” to couple NO₃^- reduction with methane anaerobic oxidation. This paper elaborated the intracellular metabolic pathway of M. oxyfera and M. nitroreducens, and summarized the influence factors of DAMO process in detail, including substrate (CH₄ and NO₂^-/NO₃^-) concentration, reactor configuration and temperature, etc. Meanwhile, the current status of DAMO application on nitrogen removal was also investigated. With further exploration of the mechanisms, enrichment and influence factors of microbial communities, the propulsion of DAMO industrial application would be the frontier in the future.

 

Age and growth of Antarctic icefish species: A review.

LIU Zi-jun1,ZHU Guo-Ping1,2,3,4**

2015, 34(6):  1755-1761. 

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Antarctic icefish plays a significant role in the matter cycle and energy flow for Antarctic ecosystem. As a “white blood” fish, its scientific significance and commercial value has been concerned worldwide, but there exist many uncertainties in studies on age and growth of Antarctic icefish. Therefore, the present paper reviewed the research progress of age and growth of Antarctic icefish over the past 50 years, and summarized its classification and general geographical distribution in the Antarctic waters. Based on summarizing the basic methods on age and growth of Antarctic icefish, including length frequency analysis and analysis on calcified structures, this paper put the emphases on processing and estimating the otolith of Antarctic icefish species, and summarized age estimation, morphological feature and microstructure of otolith though preprocessing (direct observation, burning, and sectioning and polishing) of otolith and ring identification on sectioned otolith. Through summarizing the problems and deficiencies, such as the processing of juveniles’ otolith and forming time of first ring, on age and growth estimation of Antarctic icefish species, future research directions were prospected.

Carbon loss reasons and carbon sequestration technology of karst rocky desertification region in China.

BAI Xiao-yong1,2, WANG Shi-jie1,2**, LIU Xiu-ming1,2, RONG Li1,2, SU Yi-rong3, ZUO Yun-chao2, SONG Tong-qin3

2015, 34(6):  1762-1769. 

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Rapid development and expansion of rocky desertification are the main cause of karst ecosystem carbon loss in China. However, the rocky desertification areas have a tremendous potential of carbon sequestration, and are one of the main battlefields of carbon sequestration. Based on the scientific understanding that karst small watershed is a basic ecohydrogeological unit of rocky desertification governance, we analyzed the watershed structure, matter composition, exchange and cycle characteristics, and classified the small karst watershed ecosystems in South China using RS and GIS, in order to promote ecosystem carbon sequestration capacity in this region. Based on local economic and social development priorities and environmental carrying capacity, the design schemes of rocky desertification restoration and carbon sequestration for different types of small karst watershed were put forward. Some typical ecological restoration models were established, such as “developing efficient ecological agriculture by rainwater harvesting and irrigation in karst plateau”, “developing planteating animal husbandry by planting artificial grass in karst depression”, “developing featured fruit industry by using solarthermal resource advantages of karst valley”, “developing bamboo and fruit industry by using water and soil resources of karst trough valley”. These models provide reference for the development of modern agriculture, local economy, and ecological civilization in rocky desertification region.

A portable wind tunnel for studying seed dispersal by wind: Test and evaluation.

LIU Ming-hu1, ZHU Jin-lei2,3, XIN Zhi-ming1, ZHAO Ying-ming1, LIU Bao-qing2,3, MA Ying-bin1, LI Zhen1, LIU Zhi-min2**

2015, 34(6):  1770-1778. 

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A portable wind tunnel, which was designed for investigating the seed dispersal by wind, was built by the Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Experimental Center of Desert Forest, Chinese Academy of Forestry. The wind tunnel was designed to satisfy the requirements of investigations at diaspore, plant individual and landscape scales. Therefore, the experiment section was determined as 2 m×2 m and the segments were fixed by a fluctuation way. The experiments on test and evaluation of the flow field, carried out under three wind speeds of 4.6, 5.7 and 8.0 m·s^-1, indicated that the flow stability coefficient was less than 4%, the transverse uniformity was less than 7%, the turbulence was about 6%, and the thicknesses of the bottom boundary layer and side wall boundary layer were 28 cm and 15 cm, respectively. This study suggests that the wind tunnel meets the experiment requirements of seed dispersal by wind at diaspore, plant individual and landscape scales.