Table of Content

10 July 2015, Volume 34 Issue 7

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Effects of nitrogen fertilization on greenhouse gas fluxes of soilatmosphere interface in growing and nongrowing season in Eucalyptus plantations in southern China.

ZHANG Kai1, ZHENG Hua1**, OUYANG Zhi-yun1, LI Rui-da1, YANG Miao1, LAN Jun2, XIANG Xue-wu2

2015, 34(7):  1779-1784. 

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Forests play a key role in regulating greenhouse gas fluxes. With the increasing of plantation area, much attention has been paid to greenhouse gas flux and its response to fertilization. In order to identify the effects of nitrogen fertilization on the greenhouse gas fluxes of soilatmosphere interface in growing and nongrowing seasons in Eucalyptus plantations, low, middle and high nitrogen fertilization treatments (84.2, 166.8 and 333.7 kg N·hm^-2) and no fertilization (control) were established in Eucalyptus plantations in Guangxi, southern China. Greenhouse gas fluxes of soilatmosphere interface were measured by using the static chambergas chromatograph method. The results showed that the annual mean fluxes of CO₂, CH₄ and N₂O were 214-271 mg CO₂·m^-2·h^-1, -47--37 kg CH₄·m^-2·h^-1 and 16-203 kg N₂O·m^-2·h^-1 in Eucalyptus plantations, respectively. The fluxes of soil CO₂ emission were higher in growing season than in nongrowing season, but no significant seasonal variations were observed for the fluxes of CH₄ and N₂O. Nitrogen fertilization significantly increased the annual mean fluxes of soil CO₂ and N₂O emission, especially in the growing season (April to September). The annual mean fluxes of soil CH₄ uptake showed a decreased trend with nitrogen fertilization, which suggested soil CH₄ uptake was inhibited by nitrogen fertilization. Our results suggested that reasonable nitrogen fertilization according to the seasonal variation of greenhouse gas emission should not be neglected for decreasing soil greenhouse gas emission in Eucalyptus plantations.

Effects of biogas slurry on soil labile organic carbon of poplar plantation in a coastal area of northern Jiangsu, China.

BO Dan-rong1, ZHOU Dan-yan1, GE Zhi-wei1**, WANG Guo-bing1, ZHANG Wen-wen1, PENG Sai1, RUAN Hong-hua1**, CAO Guo-hua2

2015, 34(7):  1785-1790. 

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To understand the effects of biogas slurry on soil labile organic carbon of poplar plantation in a coastal area, we designed four addition treatments of biogas slurry, i.e., CK (no addition), L (125 m³·hm^-2), M (250 m³·hm^-2) and H (375 m³·hm^-2) at Dongtai Forest Farm in Jiangsu Province. The results showed that applying biogas slurry increased the concentration of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), while decreased soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC). Moreover, biogas slurry significantly decreased soil pH and increased NO₃^--N concentration. There was a significant negative correlation between pH and NO₃^--N concentration, whereas NH₄⁺-N was mainly the form of N in biogas slurry, indicating that the change of pH might be caused by input of ammonium nitrogen. Biogas slurry also increased soil MBN and decreased soil MBC/MBN, suggesting changes in soil microbial community.

 

Response of carbon metabolism by soil microbes to different fertilization regimes in a poplar plantation in coastal area of northern Jiangsu, China.

XU Wen-huan, ZHANG Ya-kun, WANG Guo-bing, RUAN Hong-hua**

2015, 34(7):  1791-1797. 

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Applying NPK fertilizer is an effective way to improve soil fertility. Meanwhile, biochar as good soil amendment has been shown to help soil keep fertility when it is used with organic fertilizer and has received attention as a means to mitigate climate change. However, the understanding of impact and mechanism of those different fertilizers on carbon metabolism and ecological security of soil microbes was very limited. With a poplar plantation in the coastal area of northern Jiangsu as the experimental site, we designed four fertilization treatments, CK (control group), T1 (NPK fertilizers), T2 (biochar+NPK fertilizers), T3 (high level biochar), and analyzed the difference in utilizing different carbon sources under different fertilization treatments, to learn whether biochar would cause changes in soil microbial metabolic activity and carbon source metabolism. Our result showed that soil microbial metabolic activity was in  order of T3>T2>T1>CK, and T3 was significantly higher than CK, indicating high level biochar might imp〖HJ*5〗rove soil microbial metabolic activity significantly. The diversity indexes of microbial carbon source utilization were in order of T3>T2>T1 and CK. Only for the McIntosh index, T3 was significantly higher than CK. In the utilization of six groups of polymers, T3 was higher than CK, which indicated that biochar improved the population of microbes that was in favor of polymer utilization, and it also has the potential to change soil microbial functional diversity. Principal component analysis showed that the increase of the number of components in PCA presented information in a more effective way. Meanwhile, the differences in carbon utilization among the different fertilization regimes were not obvious, which indicated that the functioning of soil microbial community was stable and hard to be changed by shortterm fertilization. Although biochar can improve soil microbial metabolic activity, it is unable to change the functional diversity of the microbes.

 

Carbon storage dynamics and its distribution pattern in Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica plantation in sandy land.

HAN Mei-na1,2, WEI Ya-wei1,2, QIN Sheng-jin1,2, DENG Li-ping1,2, ZHOU Yong-bin1,2**

2015, 34(7):  1798-1803. 

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Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica plantations are an important part of the ThreeNorth Shelterbelt, playing a key role in wind prevention and sand fixation, and carbon sequestration. To quantify carbon storage dynamics and distribution patterns of these forests with forest age, this study selected different age classes of P. sylvestris var. mongolica plantation in Fujia Forest Farm in northwestern Liaoning Province, including 10-20, 20-30, 30-40 and 40-50 years old to assess tree and soil carbon pools. Tree carbon was estimated through allometric equations that were established for P. sylvestris var. mongolica in northwestern Liaoning, and soil carbon storage was obtained via soil organic carbon content multiplied by bulk density from soil profile. The results showed that:  Tree carbon storage increased with forest age, and carbon storage levels were 20.98, 25.89, 33.83 and 34.94 Mg C·hm^-2 in 10-20, 20-30, 30-40 and 40-50 years old P. sylvestris var. mongolica plantations, respectively; this was mainly attributed to increased trunk carbon storage that accounted for the largest proportion of tree carbon storage, being 47.25%-56.17%.  Soil carbon storage also showed an increased pattern with forest age, with the smallest level of 32.80 Mg C·hm^-2 and largest level of 51.46 Mg C·hm^-2 in 10-20 and 40-50 years old P. sylvestris var. mongolica plantations, respectively. In addition, both soil carbon storage and organic carbon content decreased with the increase of soil depth, with the carbon storage range of 4.57-19.20 Mg C·hm^-2 and organic carbon content range of 0.35%-2.04%, respectively.  Total carbon storage of P. sylvestris var. mongolica plantation also increased with forest age, and carbon storage levels were 53.78, 61.88, 67.48 and 86.40 Mg C·hm^-2 in 10-20, 20-30, 30-40 and 40-50 years old plantations, respectively. It implied that P. sylvestris var. mongolica plantation ecosystem acted as a carbon sink during its growth process. In addition, the contribution of soil carbon storage to total carbon storage ranged from 49.87% to 60.99%, while the contribution of tree carbon storage to total carbon storage ranged from 38.91% to 50.13%. These data were of scientific importance to comprehensively predicting ecological values for ThreeNorth Shelterbelt.

 

The correlation between mangrove community degradation characteristics and soil physical and chemical properties in Dongzhai harbor.

WANG Rong-li1, LIAO Bao-wen1**, GUAN Wei1, XU Di1,2

2015, 34(7):  1804-1808. 

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Woth the mangrove degradation phenornenon in Dongzhai harbor on Hainan Island, we set sample plots along Changning river to investigate the mangrove degradation characteristics and soil physical and chemical properties. The results showed that the mangrove community was obviously degraded. The mortality and degradation rates were significantly negatively related to the canopy coverage, and they were also negatively related to the number of respiratory roots per unit area. Degradation rate was not significantly correlated with the bulk density, capillary porosity and the total porosity of the upper soil layer (0-30 cm). However, the degradation rate was significantly correlated with the capillary porosity of the lower soil layer (30-60 cm). Moreover, the mortality rate was significantly correlated with the bulk density, total porosity and capillary porosity of the lower soil layer. Soil chemical properties were not correlated with mangrove degradation.

Effects of severe forest fire on soil habitat factors in Greater Xing’an Mountains.

SONG Li-chen1, HE Ping-ping2, CUI Xiao-yang1**

2015, 34(7):  1809-1814. 

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The effects of severe forest fire on the forest soil habitat factors in the high latitude and cold area of Greater Xing’an Mountains were studied. Twelve soil habitat factors from burned area and unburned area were monitored in three years. It was founded that, in the 1st year, severe forest fire decreased the thickness of the litter layer, soil bulk density, the content of soil water, water stable aggregates, soil organic matter and microbial biomass carbon, while increased the surface soil temperature, soil pH and the amount of soil ammonium nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, available phosphorus, and exchangeable bases. In the 3rd year, some of the soil habitat factors of the burned area exhibited larger differences compared with the unburned area, such as the thickness of litter layer, soil density, the content of soil organic matter, water stable aggregates and nitrate nitrogen; however, the other soil habitat factors of the burned area showed a trend of recovery, such as surface soil temperature, pH, soil water content, ammonium nitrogen, available phosphorus, exchangeable bases and soil microbial biomass carbon. Our results can provide basic data for the assessment of soil habitat quality.

 

Effect of longterm fertilizations on microbial community structure and functional diversity in paddy soil of subtropical China.

CHEN Xiao-fen1,2, LI Zhong-pei1,2**, LIU Ming1, JIANG Chun-yu1, WU Meng1

2015, 34(7):  1815-1822. 

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We investigated the influence of longterm fertilizations on microbial community structure and functional diversity after 20 years of inorganic and organic fertilizer applications to a red paddy soil converted from an infertile wasteland, based on examining the phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) profiles and community level physiological profiles (BIOLOG) of microorganisms. The relationship between microbial indicators and soil nutrient contents was also analyzed. After 20 years of cultivation, P fertilizer application increased total rice yield, soil organic C, total N, available N, total P and available P by 196.6%, 11.4%, 19.4%, 14.0%, 100.6% and 300.1% on average compared with Pomitted treatments, while organic manure application increased those by 85.4%, 23.8%, 25.0%, 15.0%, 38.6% and 86.8% on average compared with organic manureomitted treatments. Total microbial PLFA was 13.6%-68.9% higher in P fertilizer and organic manure application treatments than in no fertilizer treatment. Phosphorus fertilizer and organic manure application also increased PLFA of all microbial taxonomic groups. Average well color development (AWCD) values, Shannon index, Simpson index and McIntosh index of microbial community under the different treatments was 0.17-0.30, 2.79-3.03, 0.93-0.94 and 1.46-2.27, respectively. The application of P fertilizer and organic manure increased AWCD values and all microbial indices of microbial community. Principal component analysis showed that PLFA profiles and C source utilization patterns in treatments with P fertilizer and organic manure were clearly different from that in no fertilizer treatment, N treatment and NK treatment. Stepwise regression analysis revealed that soil organic C, total P, total N and available P significantly affected PLFA profiles and microbial functional diversity. The application of P fertilizer and organic manure could help promote soil microbial activity and diversity, and increase soil biological function and productivity.

Effects of mulching soil surface during summer fallow period on soil water, wheat nitrogen absorption and translocation, and wheat yield in dryland affected by nitrogen application.

GUO Yuan1, SUN Min2**, REN Ai-xia2, GAO Zhi-qiang2

2015, 34(7):  1823-1829. 

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In order to clarify the effect of soil surface mulching during summer fallow period on soil water, N absorption and translocation, yield, and water and N utilization affected by N application, an experiment was carried out in a wheat field in Wenxi, Shanxi Province. Three N fertilization levels (75, 150 and 225 kg·hm^-2) were included under mulch and no mulch conditions in fallow period. The results showed that after mulching in fallow period, soil water storage in the depth of 0-300 cm (each 20 cm as a soil layer) at sowing stage was increased by 70-80 mm, especially below the depth of 80 cm. Soil water storage in the depth of 0-300 cm was lower at mature stage than at sowing stage, especially in the depth of 0-160 cm being 20-30 mm lower. Mulching increased the population’s tiller number and panicle number, and there was a significant difference between the low and high N fertilization treatments. Mulching also increased wheat’s total water consumption by 5.68-31.30 mm, yield by 1.43%-7.16%, and water use efficiency by 1.27%-4.23%. N accumulation at different growth periods, N translocation before anthesis (NTBA) and N accumulation after anthesis (NAAA) were increased, and the N accumulation at different growth periods significantly differed among the different N fertilization treatments. Mulching improved the N agronomic efficiency and N recovery rate. The results also showed that after mulching in fallow period, the N application level of 150 kg·hm^-2 was the best among the three levels in terms of yield and water use efficiency, and 75 kg·hm^-2 was the lowest. Meanwhile, the 150 kg N·hm^-2 treatment had the highest N accumulation at different growth periods, NTBA and contribution of NTBA to N in grains, and the highest N agronomic efficiency and N recovery rate. In addition, among the yield components, the correlation with the yield was greatest for panicle number, moderate for grain number per panicle, and the lowest for 1000grain weight. In a word, mulching in fallow period in dryland wheat could store and conserve rainfall in fallow period, improving soil water conservation. A synchronous N application of 150 kg·hm^-2 is more beneficial to promote the interaction between water and N, enhancing N absorption, accumulation and translocation, and achieving the purpose of increasing yield and fertilizer utilization efficiency.

Species diversity in successional communities of vegetation in isolated island-liked hilly fragment of Dashu Mountain in Hefei, Anhui.

CHENG Hong-mei1,2, TIAN Kai1, TIAN Xing-jun1**

2015, 34(7):  1830-1837. 

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In this paper, 16 typical plots of four successional communities were investigated by using the method of spatial sequence instead of time successional changes in the restoring vegetation  of Dashu Mountain National Forest Park, Anhui Province. The characteristics of the communities were determined with Margalef richness index (R), Shannon diversity index (H), Pielou evenness index (J_sw) and Simpson index (D). The results showed that H indexes of tree layers of Pinus massoniana coniferous forest, coniferousbroad leaf mixed forest, Quercus acutissima forest were 1.957, 1.485 and 0.738, respectively, while that of the Tilia breviradiata forest was 1.694. Species richness and species diversity of tree layer in Q. acutissima forest were significantly lower than in the other three communities (P＜0.05), and the evenness index in Q. acutissima forest was significantly lower than in P. massoniana and T. breviradiata forests (P＜0.05). The evenness and species diversity index of shrub and herb layers were not significantly different among the four forests (P＞0.05). As for vertical structure, the species diversity of Q. acutissima forest was in the order of shrub layer＞herb layer＞tree layer, while that of the other 3 communities was in the order of shrub layer＞tree layer＞herb layer. The biodiversity of the climax was not the highest. In addition to human activity, community development stage and its environment were the main driving factors for the species diversity variation of community succession.

Flora and geographical compositions in the natural conservation area of Juglans cathayensis in Xinjiang, China.

NUER Maimai-ti, ZHANG Xiang-feng, ZHANG Wei**

2015, 34(7):  1838-1846. 

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Using the field investigations and further plant specimen identification combined with the previous references, the flora and geographical compositions were studied in the natural conservation area of Juglans cathayensis, Xinjiang. The results showed that there were 329 plant species, belonging to 182 genera and 56 families. Among them, ferns included 17 species, 7 genera and 6 families, and gymnosperms included 9 species, 4 genera and 3 families, while angiosperms included 303 species, 171 genera and 47 families. The average density of species was 27.88 species per km². There were 14 dominant families, such as Compositae, Rosaceae, Gramineae, and 8 typical families, such as Ranunculaceae, Lequminosae, Boraginaceae. There were 17 dominant genera and 5 typical genera. There was no a singlespecies family in a real sense, but there were 6 monotypic genera in this area. One genus and 14 species were endemic to China and 9 species were endemic to Xinjiang. The geographical composition mainly belonged to temperate type with 299 arealtypes of species, belonging to 140 genera and 14 families, which (not including the widely distributed type) accounted for 60.87%, 94.59% and 96.78% of all the families, genera and species, respectively. Plants in this reserve have obvious temperate nature, which have close affinity with Central Asia and Mediterranean, but not too much with tropic and East Asia.

Responses of plant growth of different life forms to rainfall amount changes in an arid desert area.

ZHANG Hao1,2, WANG Xin-ping1**, ZHANG Ya-feng1, HU Rui1, PAN Yan-xia1, CHEN Ning1,2

2015, 34(7):  1847-1853. 

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Precipitation is the chief limiting factor for the processes and functions of desert ecosystems, and the plant species are extremely sensitive to precipitation variations during growing seasons. Artificial rainfall simulation experiments were conducted upon desert plants of different life forms to assess the responses of plant growth to rainfall changes. According to the rainfall amount in the growing season of 2013, rainfall amount was reduced by 25% or 50%, or increased by 25%, 50% or 100%, with natural rainfall as the control. The results showed that precipitation changes in growing season affected the growth of plants and the primary productivity, and significant differences were found in the response to rainfall amount between plants of varying life forms. Reduced precipitation slowed down the new branch growth of Caragana korshinskii and Artemisia ordosica, though the change was not significant. Rainfall increase by 25% did not significantly promote the growth of C. korshinskii and A. ordosica. Rainfall increase by 50% significantly promoted the new branch growth of A. ordosica, but not C. korshinskii. Between May and July, rainfall increase by 100% significantly promoted the new branch growth of A. ordosica, and so was it for C. korshinskii between June and July. The aboveground biomass of annual herbaceous plants significantly linearly increased with rainfall amount in the growing season and plant height significantly decreased only in plots with rainfall reduction by 50%.

Plant diversity and ecosystem resistance in simulated constructed wetlands.

LI Dan1, LIU Yang1, JIANG Yue-ping2, REN Yuan1, DU Yuan0yuan1, GU Bao-jing3, CHANG Jie1, GE Ying1**

2015, 34(7):  1854-1859. 

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Here we set 90 microcosms to simulate the constructed wetlands. The microcosms were planted with 1, 2, 3 or 4 plant species and were divided into ammonium perturbed and unperturbed groups. The results showed that: (1) aboveground biomass increased with species richness in the unperturbed group, but the ammonium perturbation offset the positive effect of species richness; (2) the resistance indicated by aboveground biomass decreased with species richness; (3) the resistance negatively responded to the unperturbed biomass; (4) the presence of Acorus calamus decreased the ecosystem resistance, while the other three species had no such effect. Our study explored the effect of new type of perturbation and extended the studies on the relationship between diversity and ecosystem resistance.

Regional differences in flora and diversity of autumn weeds in major tea gardens of Jiangsu Province.

SUN Guo-jun1,2**, ZHANG Hai-yan1, LI Fen-hua1, ZHU Ye-qin3, JI Min1, HAN Min1, YUAN Fang1, CHU Yin-fang4, ZHANG Qiao5

2015, 34(7):  1860-1870. 

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In order to reveal the regional differences in species composition and biodiversity of autumn weeds in tea gardens under different management practices with different planting time, surveys of weed species, species density and plant height of autumn weeds were conducted in major tea producing areas of Jiangsu Province including Yizheng, Jintan and Yixing on October 2013. The species composition, dominance, species density, lifeform, biodiversity, and niche breadth of main weeds were analyzed. The results showed that there were 72 species (65 genera belonging to 32 families) in Yizheng tea gardens, 80 species (74 genera belonging to 36 families) in Jintan tea gardens, and 80 species (74 genera belonging to 40 families) in Yixing tea gardens. Digitaria sanguinalis was the most dominant species in all the three tea planting regions. The numbers o〖JP2〗f weed family, genera and species gradually increased from north to south and the differences were more obvious within longer geographical distance, which was in accordance with the biogeographic pattern that species richness decreases from low latitudes to high latitudes. Niche breadth and interspecific niche overlap values of most major weed species gradually decreased from north to south. Weed diversity gradually enriched from north to south, while weed diversity decreased and the dominant species was found more obvious with the increase of latitude. The proportion of perennial weeds gradually increased while annual and biennial weeds gradually decreased from north to south.

Shape of water droplet retained on leaves of Quercus mongolica and Tilia amurense and shape change during evaporation.

LIN Mao-sen1,2, GUAN De-xin1, WANG An-zhi1**, JIN Chang-jie1, WU Jia-bing1, YUAN Feng-hui1

2015, 34(7):  1871-1878. 

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The shape of droplets on leaf surface (DLS) can not only reflect the leaf wettability and water holding capacity, but also has important significance to understanding the rainfall interception and redistribution of rainfall in the forest. We observed the shape (height, basal area and contact angle) of DLS with 20-100 μL water amount on Quercus mongolica and Tilia amurense leaves and the shape change of 100 μL water drops during evaporation, revealed the shape difference of DLS on these two species and constructed the drop surface model. The result showed that the shape of DLS on T. amurense was relatively flat compared with that on Q. mongolica under the same amount water for separate drops. Namely, the drop on T. amurense leaf surface was 0.15-0.41 mm lower in height, 1.07-9.99 mm² larger in basal area and 5°-10° smaller in contact angle. By every 1 μL increasing in water amount, the DLS on Q. mongolica and T. amurense increased 0.0125 mm and 0.0091 mm in height, 0.59 mm² and 0.70 mm² in basal area and decreased 0.185° and 0.25° in contact angle, respectively. During evaporation, the shape changes of DLS were similar, but the changing rates of height and basal area of DLS on T. amurense were 9.8% and 41.1% faster than that on Q. mongolica respectively, which indicated the dependence of drop evaporation on its shape.

Allometric relationship between height and crown width or diameter of Platycladus orientalis on different slope aspects of Lanzhou northern mountains.

SHI Yuan-chun, ZHAO Cheng-zhang**, SONG Qing-hua, DU Jing, WANG Ji-wei

2015, 34(7):  1879-1885. 

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The relationship among plant functional traits is an ecological strategy that can enhance their own ability to use space resources, reflecting mechanisms of phenotypic plasticity that plants can adapt to the environment. By using the ArcGISestablished regional digital elevation model (DEM) and abstracting the slope aspect data of the study area, this paper studied the allometric relationship between height and crown width as well as height and diameter of Platycladus orientalis on different slope aspects of the northern mountains of Lanzhou with the method of standardized major axis estimation (SMA). The results showed that there were significant differences in diameters of P. orientalis on different slope aspects (P<0.05), and there were no significant differences in heights or crown widths on east and west slope aspects (P>0.05). There were slope aspect differences in the allometric relationship between crown width and height, which means the growth rate of crown width was greater than that of height on the south slope, but it is quite on the contrary on the north slope, in the meantime, the growth rates of height and width were similar on the west and east slopes. On all slope aspects, the growth rate of diameter was greater than that of height, and there was no obvious aspect difference in the allometric relationship between the diameter and height (P>0.05). The allometric relationships of height, crown width and diameter of P. orientalis were different on all slope aspects, which reflected the investment weighing mechanism on main components of P. orientalis in heterogeneous habitats.

 

Species of invasive edible plants in China and their edibility assessment.

LUO Hui1, WANG Ning2**, ZHAO Ya-jie2, ZHOU Bing2

2015, 34(7):  1886-1891. 

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The species composition, growth characteristics and geographical origin of alien invasive edible plants in China were analyzed based on the literature. An invasive plant species ranking system was also developed to assess the edibility of various invasive plants using several criteria. The results showed that there were 114 invasive edible plants belonging to 30 families in China. Most of them belonged to Gramineae, Leguminosae, Asteraceae, Amaranthaceae and Onagraceae. Perennial and annual herbs accounted for the majority. America was the primary geographical origin of these alien invasive plants. Most these edible plants were introduced intentionally by human activities and could be directly fed to humans, livestock, and poultry. The stems and leaves of invasive edible plants were the main edible organs. The numbers of the high, moderate and lowgrade invasive edible plants were 9, 76 and 29 respectively. The majority of the alien invasive edible plants had moderately edible values. Our results provided an initial indication that the population risks of some invasive plants might be decreased via developing their edibility.

 

Silicon effects on phenols metabolism of Avicennia marina under cadmium stress.

ZHANG Qiong1,2**, LIU Jing-chun2, LU Hao-liang2, DUAN Han-hui2, YAN Chong-ling2

2015, 34(7):  1892-1897. 

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The effects of silicon on the phenols metabolism in Avicennia marina seedlings were studied under the stress of cadmium by adopting the hydroponic method, and the effects of silicon on the resistance of A. marina seedling to cadmium were further explored. The results showed that under the stress of cadmium of low concentration (Cd 0.5 mg·L^-1), the content of malondialdehyde in the leaves and roots decreased with the increase of the exogenous silicon level, and the total phenol content in each organ was the highest at Si 50 mg·L^-1, while the effect of silicon on the tannin content in each organ was not significant. The highconcentration cadmium (Cd 5 mg·L^-1) led to the membrane lipid peroxidation of the leaves and roots in A. marina, making the content of malondialdehyde significantly higher than that of the control; the addition of the exogenous silicon significantly reduced the accumulation of malondialdehyde in the leaves and roots of A. marina, and Si 100 mg·L^-1 significantly increased the contents of total phenol and tannin in each organ. Significant negative correlations between the malondialdehyde content and total phenol content in roots and between the malondialdehyde content and tannin content in leaves were found, indicating that silicon significantly stimulated phenolic metabolism in A. marina organs under the stress of highconcentration cadmium, increased the oxidation resistance of the root system and leaves, and thus increased the tolerance of A. marina to cadmium.

Effects of ultraviolet-B radiation on chlorophyll fluorescence parameters of Potamogeton crispus.

WANG Jin-qi1,2**， ZHENG You-fei3， XUE Yan4

2015, 34(7):  1898-1904. 

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Based on the in situ UV-B doses observed in the late spring and early summer, the photosynthesis fluorescent parameters of the adult plants of Potamogeton cripus under the ultraviolet radiation stress (50, 100, 150, and 200 μW·cm^-2) were determined. The results revealed that F_o and  F_m increased in the initial period and then decreased with the increasing the dose of UV-B radiation. F_v/F_m, Φ_PSII and NPQ consistently increased with increasing the radiation dose. The findings suggest that when the adult plants of P. cripus were irradiated under UV-B radiation, PSII reaction center was injured to reversible inactivity or irreversible damage, the light energy conversion efficiency and the electron transport rate were reduced, and the actual photochemical efficiency declined. In conclusion, UV-B radiation accelerates the decline of P. crispus, indicating that ultraviolet radiation might be an important factor leading to mass mortality of P. crispus in late spring and early summer. However, further research is necessary to discover whether UV-B radiation combines with other environmental factors to cause the decline of P. crispus.

Effects of ultraviolet-B radiation on tomato seedling quality.

HOU Li-li1, HUO Zhi-jin2, LI Wei-qiang1, XU Kun1**

2015, 34(7):  1905-1909. 

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In this study, using quadratic saturation D-optimal design method, the effects of UV-B radiation on tomato seedling growth characteristics were studied with different varieties. The mathematical models between seedling growth, seedling index, and UV-B radiation intensity and radiation time were established, and the biological effects of UV-B were discussed. The results showed that UV-B radiation significantly affected the growth of tomato seedlings, and the response of different tomato varieties to UV-B radiation was consistent. The tomato plant height was decreased, and the stem diameter, crown and root dry mass and seedling index were firstly increased and then decreased with the increase of UV-B radiation intensity and time. The interactive effect between UV-B radiation intensity and time was significant. UV-B radiation intensity had a greater effect on plant height than radiation time, but it was opposite on stem diameter and seedling index. After simulation calculation, the appropriate intensity and time of UV-B radiation were 14.5-25.6 μW·cm^-2 and 4.1-5.8 h·d^-1, respectively, for cultivating highquality tomato seedlings.

 

Physiological effect of different super absorbents on sugarbeet growth.

HUANG Wei1,3**, ZHANG Jun-hua1,3, ZHANG Li-feng2,3, LIU Yu-hua2,3, WANG Yi-hong4

2015, 34(7):  1910-1916. 

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To select an efficient super absorbent and improve sugarbeet survival rate and yield, the effect of different super absorbents on sugarbeet growth and yield was studied in both field and greenhouse in the semiarid region of northwest Hebei Province. Of the four super absorbents studied, TM-3005KM had an obvious promotional effect. The survival rate of sugarbeet in the TM-3005KM treatment was 7.22% higher than that of the control. At the end of the seedling stage, the physiological indexes of the plants treated with TM-3005KM were obviously higher than those subjected to the other treatments. Root fresh weight, root dry weight, stem+leaf fresh weight, and stem+leaf dry weight following TM-3005KM treatment were 27.83%, 38.46%, 65.21% and 59.15% higher than those of the control, respectively. The spectral curve of sugarbeet leaf chlorophyll content exhibited a single absorption peak that reached its maximum during the phyllome rapidgrowth stage. At all stages, the chlorophyll contents of super absorbent treatments were higher than that of the control, with the highest content observed in the TM-3005KM treatment. Changes in photosynthetic rate in all treatments followed a trend similar to that of the chlorophyll content. In sugarbeet leaves, proline content first increased, then declined, then rose again, and finally declined; at all stages, proline content was the lowest in TM-3005KM treatment and highest in the control. Compared with the other treatments, transfer of soluble sugar from leaves to roots occurred earlier and more stably in the treatment of TM-3005KM. The biomass, economic yield, and sugar refractive index values in the TM-3005KM treatment were respectively 50.08%, 47.53% and 2.10% higher than in the control. These results indicated that TM-3005KM was highly effective for enhancing the survival rate, seedling growth and drought resistance of sugarbeet, thereby contributing to increases in chlorophyll content, photosynthetic rate, and yield.

Effects of coupling water and fertilizer on physiomorphological indices of foxtail millet at seedling stage.

HU Hong-mei, WANG Li**

2015, 34(7):  1917-1923. 

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A pot experiment with “3414” incomplete orthogonal design was performed using foxtail millet cultivar Jingu 21 as material to study the effects of N, P, and K fertilization rates under different water supply levels. The results indicated that when drought stress was maintained at a mild level, the treatments of N (100, 150 mg N·kg^-1), P (87, 130.5 mg P·kg^-1) and K (249, 373.5 mg K·kg^-1) applications significantly improved the physiological characteristics of foxtail millets, the contents of soluble sugar and soluble protein as well as the enzyme activities of POD, SOD and CAT in the foxtail millet seedlings were apparently increased, and the MDA contents were remarkably decreased. However, the physiological performance of foxtail millets exhibited better effects when the rates of N (100, 150 mg N·kg^-1), P (87 mg P·kg^-1), and K (124.5, 249 mg K·kg^-1) were respectively supplied under heavy drought stress. Our data showed that when the plants were subjected to mild or heavy drought stress, the mixed application of N, P and K exhibited better reciprocation effects on the growth of foxtail millet at seedling stage compared to the single application of N, P, or K. This study suggested that under heavy drought stress, although applications of N, P and K could promote the foxtail millet growth by enhancing the tolerance of plants to drought stress, the appropriate ranges of fertilization were narrow, and excessive applications of fertilizers would cause physiological damages on the growth of foxtail millet.

 

Effects of mixed alkaline (NaHCO₃ and Na₂CO₃) stress on osmotic regulation and ion balance of sorghum seedlings.

SHANG Pei-pei, LI Feng-xian, ZHOU Yu-fei, PENG Zheng, GAO Ming-yue, HAN Yi, XU Wen-juan, HUANG Rui-dong**

2015, 34(7):  1924-1929. 

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Two sorghum cultivars, one alkaline tolerant (Siza 25) and one alkaline sensitive (Longza 9), were grown in nutrient solution in a controlled environment facility. The effects of different levels of mixed alkaline (NaHCO₃∶Na₂CO₃=9∶1) stress on sorghum seedlings were assessed by measuring osmotic regulation substances and ion balance in the leaves and roots. The results showed that the concentrations of osmolytes, i.e. proline, soluble protein, soluble sugar and free amino acid, in both leaves and roots were significantly enhanced with the increase of mixed alkaline concentration and pH value. The concentrations of osmolytes increased in both leaves and roots, being higher in Siza 25 than in Longza 9 and higher in leaves than in roots. With the increase of mixed alkaline concentration, the concentration of Na⁺ in leaves and roots increased in both cultivars, but the concentrations of K⁺ and Ca²⁺ decreased. In addition, the reductions in K⁺ and Ca²⁺ concentrations were less in Siza 25 than in Longza 9. K⁺ concentration was the highest in leaves and Na⁺ concentration was the highest in roots, implying that there was a difference between the kinds and quantities of ions in balancing the osmotic potential in leaves and roots. Roots were more adversely affected by alkali stress and its ability of osmotic regulation and ion balance was weaker than leaves, suggesting that sorghum roots are more sensitive to alkali stress than its leaves.

Retrieving forest canopy LAI from remote sensing data: A case study over Wuying forest in the Lesser Khingan.

LIU Zhen-bo1,2**, LIU Jie1,2

2015, 34(7):  1930-1936. 

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In this study, approaches of retrieving forest canopy LAI (leaf area index) were investigated using remote sensing data over Wuying forest in the Lesser Khingan as a case study. We firstly calculated the forest canopy reflectivity using 4-Scale model in combination of MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) BRDF (bidirectional reflectance distribution function) product. And then three wellknown vegetation indices (VIs) were obtained from the forest canopy reflectivity. Finally, four models were examined in the forest canopy LAI retrieving using the canopy VIs and onsite canopy LAI measurements. The results showed that the model using quadratic polynomial and simple ratio (SR) VI was  the best LAI retrieving model among the four models. Furthermore, the accuracy of LAI estimate could be improved using canopy reflectivity instead of the whole surface reflectivity, with the coefficient of determination (R²) increasing from 0.38 to 0.54. The mean canopy LAI in the study area ranges from 2.38 to 12.67, with an average of 6.52, and the relatively higher LAI values were found in the deciduous forest area.

Hydrological alteration diagnosis of runoff series in the upper and middle reaches of Heihe River Basin.

HE Rui, PANG Bo**, ZHANG Lan-ying

2015, 34(7):  1937-1942. 

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There have been a large number of researches on spatial and temporal variation of hydrometeorological elements in Heihe River basin. Different test methods have different characteristics and advantages and the conclusions are always not the same. In order to address this problem, a hydrological alteration diagnosis system was used in this study, combining statistical analysis and physical origins, to analyze the trend and jump of runoff series of Yingluoxia and Zhengyixia hydrometric stations from Heihe River basin. Then the corresponding precipitation and air temperature series of seven meteorological stations in the upper and middle reaches of Heihe River basin were diagnosed to find out the physical origin of runoff alteration. The results indicated that the runoff series of Heihe upstream and middle reaches jumped in 1980 and 1990, and the precipitation and air temperature series were on the upswing. In terms of the physical origins of runoff series variation, the changes in climate conditions were the main factors affecting the upstream runoff alteration, but the diminution of runoff in middle area after 1990 was largely correlated with the sharp increase of water consumption in the middle part.

Landscape pattern optimization based on intensity of ecological function of mud flat reclamation: A case study of Dongtai County of Jiangsu Province.

WANG Ming-yue1,2, LI Jia-lin1,2**, ZHENG Zhong-ming3, JIANG Wen-da1, XU Liang-hui1, YANG Lei1, YUAN Qi-xiang1, LU Xue-zhu1, XIAO Wang4

2015, 34(7):  1943-1949. 

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Reclamation and development of coast zone has produced important influence on its landscape patterns and ecological processes. Taking Dongtai County, a typical reclamation district of Jiangsu Province, as a study area, this paper analyzed the spatial distribution characteristics of ecological function based on GIS space technology and the
minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) model. Then the authors put forward the landscape pattern optimization model of Dongtai by constructing ecological sources, ecological corridors and ecological nodes. Longtime and largescale reclamation led to high landscape fragmentation and low connectivity of landscape patterns. Ecological function in the study area gradually weakened from east to west. The space analysis of ecological function based on the cumulative resistance model is the key to locate the ecological sources and to analyze ecological stream running. Protecting sources, building corridors and strengthening nodes are the main optimization measures to improve the ecological functions. The study provides a scientific basis of decisionmaking for relevant departments to carry out targeted ecological protection in Dongtai.

Quantitative estimation of soil erosion in Shanxi Reservoir basin based on RUSLE.

REN Kun1, MEI Kun1, ZHU Hui-min1, HE Rong1, ZHU Yuan-li1, LU Ping1, ZHANG Ming-hua1,2**

2015, 34(7):  1950-1958. 

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Soil erosion is one of the major problems facing the world today, and soil erosion in reservoirs is a serious problem reducing water storage volume and water quality. This paper took Shanxi Reservoir basin as the study area to evaluate the effects of the soil erosion on the reservoir water holding capacity and water quality. The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model and GIS and RS technologies were used in the study. Through the ArcGIS spatial overlay analysis, we quantitatively analyzed the relationship between landuse types, slope, and soil erosion. The results showed that soil erosion in Shanxi Reservoir basin was moderate with an average erosion modulus at 3085.76 t·km^-2·a^-1. In terms of erosion intensity, mild erosion occupied 49.42% of the area while the extremely severe and severe erosion occupied 10.93% of the area. In terms of erosion quantity, only 0.8% of total soil erosion amount came from the mild erosion area and 62.15% from the extremely severe and severe erosion areas. Also 70.21% of watershed area was covered by the forest, which became the main source of soil erosion accounting for 70.92% of total soil erosion amount. The study area was divided into seven slope belts. Soil erosion was most serious at the \[15°, 25°) and \[25°, 35°) slope belts, which occupied 55.12% of the study area and 61.35% of total soil erosion, respectively. A significant correlation between the soil erosion and the landslide events was found. The greater the intensity of soil erosion, the more likely the landslide happened. Therefore, strengthening soil and water conservation efforts in the severe erosion area could effectively improve the situation of soil erosion in the whole area.

Identification of ecological security patterns for county-level landscapes and function division of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area: A case in Fengjie.

LI Xiao-ran1, LI Yang-bing1,2**, WANG Yong-yan3, SHAO Jing-an1

2015, 34(7):  1959-1967. 

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Landscape pattern optimization is popular yet difficult in landscape ecology. The ecological safety of the three Gorges Reservoir region, which is the ecological link between the upper and middle reaches of Yangtze River, becomes a top priority. This paper selects Fengjie County as the research region and builds the leastcost distance model to study the landscape ecological security pattern and function division in the research region by considering land use, topographic index, and soil erosion as the resistance factors, with support of GIS technology to deal with landscape map in 2012. In order to enhance the stability of landscape ecological pattern and improve the ecological functional division, this paper constructs the landscape pattern components consisting of ecological sources, ecological corridors and strategic points based on the leastcost resistance surface to strengthen and improve the spatial connectivity of ecological network. According to the cost resistance mutation point, the research region is divided into four functional areas including water conservation area, ecological buffer area, ecological sensitive area, production and living area, and the proportions of each area are 36.74%, 24.16%, 15.48% and 23.62%, respectively. At the same time, the expansion of construction land is simulated by integrating the natural and social economic factors so as to provide a reasonable basis for the planning of urban expansion.

Evaluation of ecological environment vulnerability for Sanjiangyuan area.

WEI Jing1, GUO Ya-min2**, SUN Lin1, JIANG Tao1, TIAN Xin-peng1, SUN Guang-de1

2015, 34(7):  1968-1975. 

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The ecological situation in Sanjiangyuan area has an important influence on China’s national economy and ecology. Besides, studies on the ecological environment vulnerability also have its own theoretical and practical significance. Based on ecological sensitivityresiliencepressure (SRP) conceptual model, we selected sixteen evaluation indices (including temperature, precipitation, topography, etc.) and established the indicators system of ecological vulnerability evaluation in Sanjiangyuan area using the AHP method and the principal component analysis (PCA) method. Through calculating the ecological environment vulnerability index (EEVI), we conducted vulnerability analysis and evaluation of ecological environment in the study area. The results showed that, in the study area, moderately vulnerable areas occupied 45.55% of the total, while the slightly, lightly, heavily and extremely vulnerable areas occupied 5.76%, 23.12%, 20.14% and 5.43% respectively. The heavily and extremely vulnerable areas are primarily located in the bare soil and low vegetation coverage zones of the northwest part of Sanjiangyuan area and in the northeast part under the greater pressure of large population and economic activities.

Establishment and optimization of green ecological networks in Yangzhou City.

WU Zhen, WANG Hao**

2015, 34(7):  1976-1985. 

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With the rapid urbanization, existing green habitat patches have been fragmented and disconnected. How to establish new ecological networks and connect fragmented habitats with sound scientific basis is very important to local biodiversity protection and regional ecological security. Supported by RS and GIS technologies, patch nodes were recognized through analysis of connectivity indexes, and potential corridors were simulated using the leastcost path model in order to build green ecological networks in Yangzhou City. In addition, quantitative analysis based on the gravity model and corridor index was also conducted on ecological networks. Optimization measures on Yangzhou’s existing networks were suggested. The results indicated that, within Yangzhou City, the possible connectivity (PC) within the 200 m threshold was the best suitable index for selecting the nodes of green patches. Green land and agricultural land were the dominant landscape types in the ecological network of the study area. The interaction between green patches varied greatly. The corridors connecting patches with weaker interactions had higher resistance and lower habitat suitability, therefore needed to be further improved. The corridors with high curvatures had high resistance and low biological flow efficiency, needing to be further optimized. The results could provide scientific reference for the planning of urban green space in Yangzhou.

Prediction of potential suitable distribution area of invasive alien pest, Viteus vitifoliae Fitch in China.

ZHANG Ying1，2, ZHANG Chao-bin2, HAO Jian-hua1**, GU Hai-tao1

2015, 34(7):  1986-1993. 

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Viteus vitifoliae Fitch, an invasive alien pest that originated from North America, can seriously threaten grape production in China. In this paper, the MaxEnt ecological niche model and GIS were used to analyze environmental variables that affect the distribution of this pest. Its potential distribution range and area in China were predicted. The predicted results were verified by the ROC (Receiver Operating Characteristic) curve. The results suggested that V. vitifoliae has a wide potential distribution range in China. The eastern coastal region, Loess Plateau, and central areas of China are its primary suitable distribution regions, roughly from 100°E to 124°E, and from 24°N to 43°N. The potential invasive risk of V. vitifoliae is high in all major grape production provinces except Xinjiang. The potential distribution range of V. vitifoliae is far larger than its present distribution. There is great invasive expansion potential along with increased hazard to grape production. Air temperature, especially low temperature, is the key environmental variable affecting the potential distribution of V. vitifoliae, while the effects of moisture and soil texture are weaker than that of temperature. In reference to future global warming, the suitable distribution regions will likely shift from southern to northern China, and from lowaltitude to highaltitude areas.

Ecological adaptability of the Tetrigid in the Shiwanshan of Guangxi.

DENG Wei-an**, LI Xiao-dong, WEI Shi-zhen, YUAN Bao-dong, LIN Min-ping

2015, 34(7):  1994-2004. 

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A survey was conducted to reveal the species composition and distribution of Tetrigid, their choice of and adaptability to habitats in sloping tussock, wetland, forested stream, beach, bushes, broadleaved forest, coniferous forest, and mixed forest in Shiwanshan of Guangxi. The results showed that the species number of the Tetrigrid in the different habitats was in order of bushes > broadleaved forest > sloping tussock > wetland > mixed forest > forested stream > beach > coniferous forest. Different species had different habitat preferences and strict habitat selectivity. Species living in forested stream had a longer pronotum and longer hind wings. Light intensity significantly affected the lengths of pronotum, fore and mid femurs and tarsus of Tetrix japonica. Dew point temperature had a significant effect on the width of the humeral angle and the length of the hind wings and hind femurs, and so did humidity on the length of the tegmina. It is suggested that light intensity, dew point temperature and humidity have significant impacts on different morphological characters of T. japonica, playing a critical role in the diversification of T. japonica.

 

Influences of temperature on the development and fecundity of Cinara formosana (Homoptera: Lachnidae).

SHAO Dong-hua1, DUAN Li-qing2**, DUAN Jing-pan3

2015, 34(7):  2005-2008. 

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In order to make clear the influences of temperatures on the development and fecundity of Cinara formosana， C. formosana was reared individually on Chinese pine (Pinus tabuliformis) seedlings at constant temperatures of 13, 17, 21, 25 and 29 ℃ in incubators in laboratory. Death and molting were checked and newly born nymphs were recorded daily and then discarded. The results showed that the nymph developmental duration had a parabolic curvilinear response to temperature, with an optimum at 25 ℃. The nymph developmental duration was reduced as the temperature increased from 13 ℃ to 25 ℃. The whole nymph duration was 24.0 d at 13 ℃ and 12.5 d at 25 ℃. However, 29 ℃ was unfavorable to the development and the duration was prolonged. The lifespan and adult longevity was negatively correlated with the temperature. The lifespan ranged between 59.7-23.4 d and the adult longevity between 35.4-7.5 d at 13-29 ℃. The fecundity had a curvilinear response to temperature with an optimum at 21 ℃. The average fecundity was 46.0 nymphys per adult at 21 ℃, 17.6 at 25 ℃, but none at 29 ℃. The prereproduction period was not affected significantly by temperature. The largest intrinsic rate (r_m) was 0.113 and the net reproduction rate (R₀) was 19.353 at 21 ℃, while the population doubling time was the shortest, being only 6.1 d. The study indicated that temperature affected the C. formosana development significantly and 21 ℃ was an optimum.

Species diversity and vertical distribution characteristics of amphibians in Wuyishan Nature Reserve, Jiangxi Province.

WANG Tong-liang1, CHENG Lin2, LAN Wen-jun2, ZOU Si-cheng2, CHENG Song-lin2, WANG Ji-chao1**

2015, 34(7):  2009-2014. 

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Evaluation of regional species diversity is one of the important components of the global biodiversity research. Studies on vertical distribution pattern of amphibian species richness could provide a scientific basis for biodiversity conservation. In order to understand the amphibian biodiversity and the altitudinal distribution characteristics in Wuyishan Nature Reserve, we surveyed the amphibians in 22 sample lines from 300 to 2161 m, which were divided into 10 sections for every 200 m from July 22 to August 4, 2014. The results showed that: (1) Thirtytwo species of amphibians belonging to 22 genera, 9 families, 2 orders were recorded, of which the Ranidae (37.9% of total species) was the predominant family. (2) Amolops chunganensis was a new record in the nature reserve. (3) With the increase of altitude, the amphibian richness presented a plateau pattern then decreased, which was mainly influenced by habitat complex. Meanwhile, the Stevens and crossspecies methods were used to examine whether Rapoport’s rule is applicable to speciesspecific elevational range sizes of amphibians. The results suggested that amphibian range in this nature reserve did not support Rapoport’s rule.

Avian community structure and bird strike prevention measures at Jiangbei Airport in Chongqing City, China.

WU Xue1, DU Jie2, LI Xiao-juan2, LIAO Wen-bo1**

2015, 34(7):  2015-2024. 

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Bird strikes threaten civil and military aircrafts. It is necessary to understand the community of birds around the airport and its nearby areas to avoid bird strikes. We surveyed avian community at Jiangbei Airport and its surrounding areas by using line transect method from June 2013 to May 2014. We recorded a total of 102 species belonging to 40 families and 15 orders, which included 44 residents, 30 summer migrants, 13 winter migrants and 15 passing migrants. Among these species, Passeriformes (54 species) was in the dominant position, accounting for 52.94% of the total species. We also found that the bird density was the highest in winter and the lowest in summer. The diversity index was the highest in autumn and the lowest in summer. The highest and lowest evenness indexes were observed in spring and summer, respectively, and the highest and lowest dominance indexes in summer and autumn, respectively. Considering the density, ADCvalue, bird strike risk value, relative bird strike risk percentage and habits of birds, the species closely related to bird strikes included Hirundo rustica, Sturnus cineraceus, Acridotheres cristatellus, Dicrurus macrocercus, Carduelis spinus, Phasianus colchicus and domestic species Columba domestica. Finally, we provided comprehensive suggestions and control measures for avoiding bird strikes at Jiangbei Airport in Chongqing.

 

Effects of environmental factors on the virulence of Megalobrama amblycephala infected with Aeromonas hydrophila.

LU Chun-yun1,2, XI Bing-wen2, YE Shi-yao3, LIANG Li-guo2, XIE Jun1,2**

2015, 34(7):  2025-2029. 

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To detect the effects of environmental factors (temperature, pH, ammonia, and nitrite) on the virulence of Megalobrama amblycephala infected with pathogen Aeromonas hydrophila, an experiment was conducted based on the orthogonal design L₁₆(4×2¹³). The water temperature (A) was designed with four levels, 20, 24, 28, and 32 ℃; pH (B), ammonia (C) and nitrite (D) were set with two levels respectively: 6.5 and 8.0 for pH, 0.02 and 0.04 mg·L^-1 for ammonia, and 0.1 and 0.3 mg·L^-1 for nitrite. The virulence strength of M. amblycephala infected with A. hydrophila was determined by the fish survival time. The results showed that the interactive effect of pH and ammonia nitrogen (B×C), as well as temperature (A) significantly impacted the virulence of M. amblycephala infected with A. hydrophila (F>F_0.01), the effect of pH (B) was significant (F>F_0.05), while the effects of ammonia nitrogen (C) and nitrite (D) were not significant. Based on the statistical analysis, the fish survival time y (h) presented a significant linear correlation with environmental factors (temperature, pH and ammonia nitrogen), i.e., y=164.713-6.399A+14.367B-11.914(B×C). According to the equation, M. amblycephala shows weakest virulence to A. hydrophila infection and can survive longest time (149.76 h) when the temperature is 20 ℃, pH=8.0 and ammonia nitrogen 0.02 mg·L^-1. The experimental results provide reference for the prevention and control warning of hemorrhagic disease caused by A. hydrophila in M. amblycephala breeding.

Comparison of the drainage effects on ecological characteristics in Sanjiang Plain and Zoige Plateau.

ZHANG Xiao-dong, KANG Xiao-ming, LI Chun-yi, CUI Li-juan**, WANG Xiao-wen

2015, 34(7):  2030-2040. 

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As one of the important wetland ecosystem types, marshes contain rich biological and peat resources. In China, marshes have been transferred into farmland, woodland or pastures after draining since the 1960s, experiencing a dramatic shrink due to the development of agriculture, forestry, and livestock. Drainage became one of the main factors leading to the marsh degradation. This paper compared the changes of ecological characteristics, including the landscape, plant communities and soil characteristics after drainage in Sanjiang Plain and Zoige Plateau， the two largest marshes in China. The marshes in both Sanjiang Plain and Zoige Plateau shrunk after drainage. The plant communities showed a succession sequence from hydrophyte to mesophyte. The decomposition of soil organic matter was accelerated, leading to the decline of soil carbon, nitrogen, and other nutrients. The decline of water table was the main factor driving the change of ecological characteristics. Due to different land uses after drainage, Sanjiang Plain and Zoige Plateau showed different patterns of landscape fragmentation, as well as the change of soil nutrients.

Seed dispersal effectiveness of plant by frugivores: A review.

LI Ning1, ZHONG Ming1, LENG Xin1, WAN An1, FANG Shu-bo1,2**, AN Shu-qing1

2015, 34(7):  2041-2047. 

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Seed dispersal effectiveness is an important issue for quantifying the contribution of frugivores to plant regeneration, which shapes the persistence of plant population and maintains biodiversity of community. This paper summarized the affecting factors for dispersal effectiveness from two parts: seed dispersal quantity and seed dispersal quality. It also analyzed the effects of effective disperser assemblage on plant regeneration. Seed dispersal quantity is affected by the foraging behavior of frugivores. The animal that has a swallowing foodtreating behavior is recognized as the effective disperser. Moreover, the fruit preferred by frugivores always causes the plant to get a higher dispersal quantity. The part of seed dispersal quality could be shaped by gut passage time, seed dispersal distance and seed deposition sites of frugivores. Frugivores with large body size, high ability in habitat adaptation and migration are always recognized to be highquality dispersers because of their longer dispersal distance for plant recruitment. Moreover, the postforaging habitat selection by frugivores could determine the seed deposition sites thus affecting their dispersal quality. A highquality disperser always uses the recruitment site of plants thus deposits most seeds into the recruitment site. Different, effective dispersers show complementary roles in plant recruitment on both dispersal quantity and quality. Future researches addressing how to incorporate field monitoring of animal behavior and experiment of seed germination or to combine multiple postforaging behaviors of animals are needed to investigate seed dispersal effectiveness. Moreover, exploring seed dispersal effectiveness of the endangered and endemic plants in China should be given great consideration in the study of restoration ecology.

Review on phylogeographical pattern and population genetic structure of rotifer.

XIANG Xian-ling**, TAO Yuan-yuan, XI Yi-long

2015, 34(7):  2048-2057. 

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Rotifer is a major group of zooplankton; studies on its phylogeographical pattern and population genetic structure can make substantial contributions to understanding the processes such as population differentiation, speciation, ecological adaptation and historical climate change. Up to now, two opposite results exist in the phylogeographical pattern of rotifer populations. Firstly, high levels of population genetic subdivision and pronounced phylogeographical structure in rotifers are revealed due to the rapid population growth and founding events. In the second contrasting scenario, due to high dispersal capacity and regional adaptation, no phylogeographical structure is found. Seasonal variation in genetic structure may also bias our understanding of the observed phylogeographical pattern of rotifer populations. In this paper, we summarized the research progress on the phylogeographical pattern and population genetic structure of rotifer and gave a perspective on this field.

Development and application of a real-time PCR assay for the detection and quantification of Verticillium dahliae.

SHEN Yuan-jie1, QI Xie-min2, LIU Biao3, ZHOU Guo-hua1,2, LI Tai-ming1**

2015, 34(7):  2058-2063. 

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A specific real-time PCR assay based on the ITS region of rDNA was established to quantitatively detect Verticillium dahliae of cotton in a naturally infested soil. The standard curve of the realtime PCR system was constructed by a 324 bp PCR amplification product and the specificity, sensitivity and reproducibility of the method were evaluated. The results showed that the realtime PCR assay had good specificity and sensitivity and the detection limit was
100 copies·μL^-1. The correlation coefficient of the standard curve was 0.994 and the PCR amplification efficiency reached 91.5%. Using the realtime PCR assay, soil samples from a transgenic cotton field and nontransgenic one were detected. The results indicated that the amount of V. dahliae in the transgenic cotton field was significantly higher than that of conventional cotton, which showed consistency with the observations achieved in the two cotton fields. As a reliable and sensitive assay, the realtime PCR system provided an effective method for the rapid detection of V. dahliae and the control of cotton diseases.

Colonization of GFPtagged endophytic Bacillus subtilis Y10 in Chinese cabbage.

DU Fang1, HE Peng-fei1, WU Yi-xi2,3, CHEN Zhuo-jun1, YANG Jing1, HE Yue-qiu2,3**

2015, 34(7):  2064-2070. 

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Endophytic Bacillus subtilis Y10 isolated from Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa) can control effectively cruciferous vegetable clubroot disease. To understand its clubrootcontrol mechanisms, GFP plasmids were transformed into Y10 cells for fluorescencetagging by natural transformation. The plasmid stability, growth curve and plate antagonism bioassay of GFPtagged strains were determined, and the results showed only plasmid pHT01P43GFPmut3a could be maintained stably and its introduction had no significant negative influence on Y10 growth and antagonistic performance. Pot bioassay experiment with different cultivation matrixes indicated that there was no significant difference in clubrootcontrol efficiency between Y10P43GFPmut3a and its wild type. Recovery and observation by confocal laser scanning microscope confirmed that, 9 days after inoculation, tagged strain could colonize the root, stem and leaf of Chinese cabbage, and the colonization density still kept at 10³-10⁴ cfu·g^-1 tissues in 44 days after inoculation. All the results suggest that the clubrootcontrol of Y10 be intimately associated with efficient colonization in Chinese cabbage host.

 

Water retaining and loss controlling effects of alginate-grafted fertilizer.

YU Xiao-li, QI Shuai, HUANG Su-yuan, SHEN Hong**

2015, 34(7):  2071-2076. 

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A compound fertilizer was coated with an alginategrafted absorbant and a fertilizer loss control agent. Alginategrafted fertilizers A and B were prepared and used for investigation of their waterretaining, losscontrolling and growthpromoting effects. Results indicated that the rate of soil water retention was 89.00% and 70.33% when the soil was treated with alginategrafted fertilizers A and B, respectively, while the corresponding value for compound fertilizer was 61.17%. The results from leaching experiments indicated that, in comparison to compound fertilizer, losses of nitrogen, phosphate and potassium from alginategrafted fertilizers A and B were decreased by 22.49% and 21.22%, 14.71% and 12.22%, and 15.51% and 13.13%, respectively. Applications of alginategrafted fertilizers A and B respectively increased the fresh weight of lettuce by 26.14% and 20.06% in comparison to compound fertilizer. In addition, the alginategrafted fertilizers also showed an obvious promoting effect on root growth of maize. The above results suggest that alginategrafted fertilizers possess stronger abilities to retain water and fertilizer, and to promote plant growth than compound fertilizer, and can be widely used in agriculture production.