Rapid response of large, drought-stressed beech trees to irrigation

Large, declining beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) trees (diameter at breast height = 50 cm), growing on heavy clay soils in the highlands near Zurich, Switzerland, were amply irrigated in late summer. During irrigation, the xylem sap flow rate, Q(wt), was measured by the stem-tissue heat balance method with internal heating and sensing. Only a gradual and slight increase in Q(wt) in response to irrigation was observed in the control trees, whereas Q(wt) in the declining trees, whose transpiration rates were only 2-20% those of the control trees, increased 2-5 times within minutes. This suggests, that severe local drought was the major factor limiting tree growth at the site. The extent of the response permits estimation of the supply-limited (soil water) and demand-limited (tree structure) components of stress. Drought caused a decline in Q(wt) in the trees with short crowns and limited root systems that had originally been growing in dense canopies and had become suddenly exposed to full illumination as a result of a severe wind storm and thinning. Trees with deep, narrow, dense crowns, growing in more open places and adapted over a long period to high irradiance remained healthy during drought. Prolonged, periodic water shortage reduced the amount of foliage up to 90% but during drought stimulated the growth of fine roots in the surface and upper soil layers. The stem conductive systems of the declining trees were still partially functional.     

Effects of simulated drought stress on the fine roots of Japanese cedar (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cryptomeria japonica</Emphasis>) in a plantation forest on the Kanto Plain,eastern Japan

Drought stress was simulated in a 28-year-old Japanese cedar plantation (Kanto Plain, Japan) between April and October 2004 by removing throughfall using rain shelters. Changes in fine-root parameters caused by this drought treatment were examined by sequential soil coring. Drought effects on fine roots were analyzed separately for particular soil depths (0–5, 5–15, and 15–25 cm) and root diameters (<1 and 1–2 mm). Generally, fine-root biomass and root tip numbers decreased by the drought treatment. Drought stress was most intense for fine roots in the topsoil and weakest for fine roots in the deepest soil layer. Fine roots less than 1 mm in diameter were affected more severely than 1- to 2-mm roots. The effect of drought treatment was most remarkable for the number of white root tips, which decreased to 17% of the control at the soil depth of 0–5 cm. These results suggest that white root tip is the most suitable indicator of drought stress. Simulated drought reduced production of fine roots less than 1 mm and 1–2 mm in diameter. Fine-root mortality was stimulated for roots less than 1 mm, but not for 1- to 2-mm roots. These results suggest that fine roots with larger diameters can survive drought stress at a level simulated in this study, but processes of fine-root production were inhibited regardless of the diameter classes. The duration of drought stress and phenology of fine roots should also be considered in diagnosing the effects of drought on fine-root parameters.     

造林密度对毛红椿等阔叶用材树种早期生长的影响

开展了毛红椿(Toona ciliata var. pubescens)、光皮桦(Betula luminifera)、乳源木莲(Manglietia yuyuanensis)、杂交马褂木(Liriodendron chinense.× L.tulipifera)、桤木(Alnus cremastogyne)和南酸枣(Choerospondias axillaria)6种优良阔叶用材树1 666、2 500、3 333株/hm~23种造林密度试验,对4年生林分的观测结果显示:造林密度为1 666株/hm~2桤木林分胸径显著高于造林密度为3 333株/hm~2和2 500株/hm~2的桤木林分;造林密度对其它各树种各生长指标的影响不显著.光皮桦和桤木的生长较快,乳源木莲生长最慢.研究认为,以培育中、大径材为目的的用材林,光皮桦、桤木初植密度宜定在1 666株/hm~2;毛红椿、杂交马褂木、南酸枣初植密度以1 666株/hm~2和2 500株/hm~2为宜,乳源木莲则以2 500株/hm~2和3 333株/hm~2为宜.     

Soil temperature and plant growth stage influence nitrogen uptake and amino acid concentration of apple during early spring growth

In spring, nitrogen (N) uptake by apple roots begins about 3 weeks after bud break. We used 1-year-old 'Fuji' Malus domestica Borkh on M26 bare-root apple trees to determine whether the onset of N uptake in spring is dependent solely on the growth stage of the plant or is a function of soil temperature. Five times during early season growth, N uptake and total amino acid concentration were measured in trees growing at aboveground day/night temperatures of 23/15 degrees C and belowground temperatures of 8, 12, 16 or 20 degrees C. We used (15NH4)(15NO3) to measure total N uptake and rate of uptake and found that both were significantly influenced by both soil temperature and plant growth stage. Rate of uptake of 15N increased with increasing soil temperature and changed with plant growth stage. Before bud break, 15N was not detected in trees growing in the 8 degrees C soil treatment, whereas 15N uptake increased with increasing soil temperatures between 12 and 20 degrees C. Ten days after bud break, 15N was still not detected in trees growing in the 8 degrees C soil treatment, although total 15N uptake and uptake rate continued to increase with increasing soil temperatures between 12 and 20 degrees C. Twenty-one days after bud break, trees in all temperature treatments were able to acquire 15N from the soil, although the amount of uptake increased with increasing soil temperature. Distribution of 15N in trees changed as plants grew. Most of the 15N absorbed by trees before bud break (approximately 5% of 15N supplied per tree) remained in the roots. Forty-six days after bud break, approximately one-third of the 15N absorbed by the trees in the 12-20 degrees C soil temperature treatments remained in the roots, whereas the shank, stem and new growth contained about two-thirds of the 15N taken up by the roots. Total amino acid concentration and distribution of amino acids in trees changed with plant growth stage, but only the amino acid concentration in new growth and roots was affected by soil temperature. We conclude that a combination of low soil temperature and plant developmental stage influences the ability of apple trees to take up and use N from the soil in the spring. Thus, early fertilizer application in the spring when soil temperatures are low or when the aboveground portion of the tree is not actively growing may be ineffective in promoting N uptake.     

木麻黄根瘤内生菌分离培养和宿主范围的研究

从普通木麻黄、细枝木麻黄和粗枝木麻黄根瘤上分离到具典型孢囊和泡囊特征的放线菌Ｆｒａｎｋｉａｓｐ．菌株１８株,均获得纯培养。ＢＡＰ是木麻黄根瘤内生菌生长的适宜培养基。同一木麻黄根瘤中有不同形态特征与侵染特性的内生菌共存;木麻黄根瘤内生菌在木麻黄不同种内可交叉侵染,还可侵染杨梅、四川木岂木。     

Effects of drought and rewatering on growth and transpiration in European beech seedlings late in the growing season

Drought stress is one of the most important environmental factors affecting plant growth and survival. To date, most studies aim at understanding of post-stress physiological and anatomical adaptation to drought stress; however only few studies focus on plant recovery. In the present study, transpiration, shoot water potential, and anatomical and morphological measurements were performed on 4-year-old European beech seedlings with fully developed leaves. The seedlings were exposed to three levels of soil water potential (well-watered, moderate drought stress and severe drought stress) and followed by rewatering under greenhouse conditions. Reduced transpiration rates were observed in the stressed seedlings as a response to drought stress, whereas anatomical and morphological variables remained unchanged. Three days after rewatering, transpiration rates in both moderately and severely stressed seedlings recovered to the levels of those of well-watered seedlings. Drought stress promoted leaf budding, resulting in higher shoot dry mass of stressed seedlings. Our findings indicate that anatomical and morphological adaptations of European beech seedlings to drought stress are visibly limited during late-season growth stages. These results will help us to further understand factors involved in drought adaptation potential of European beech seedlings faced with expected climate-related environmental changes. To complete our findings, further experiments on plant recovery from drought stress should be focused on different periods of growing season.     

四川盆地丘陵区森林对2006年特大干旱的反响

2006年四川发生了百年一遇的特大干旱。通过对四川盆地丘陵区重灾区的16个县104个乡镇4489.3公顷林地的调查结果表明,受干旱影响较大的是新造林地的林木和幼林,中龄林和成熟林则表现出很大的耐早能力,对林地进行经营和管理,可提高林木抗御干旱能力。调研还表明受旱较量的树种主要有:桤木、巨桉、杉木和葡萄等,受旱稍重的树种主要有:杨树、绵竹、麻竹、慈竹、茶树和花椒等,受旱较轻的树种主要有:马尾松、柏木、大枣、油桐和枇杷等。     

利用Minirhizotron技术监测火炬松新根生长动态

利用Minirhizotron技术 ,研究了位于美国路易斯安那州的 19年生的火炬松新根生长动态。结果表明 ,火炬松新根的根量密度随时间呈增长趋势 ,在生长季末的 1、2月份达到最大。经过林地土壤干旱处理 (通过建立穿透雨隔离系统 ,阻止雨水到达地面 )的树木的根量密度自 9.3cm处 ,随土壤深度增加呈下降趋势 ,未经干旱处理的树木在离土表 80　 10 0cm深处仍有较高的根量密度 ,达 3.4 8　5 .12条·m- 1,是经干旱处理树木对应土壤层次中根量密度的 10多倍。火炬松从 3月份开始发生新根 ,随后迅速增加 ,至 6月份发生最多 ,然后缓慢减少 ,5　 7月的新根发生数占总量的 4 1.8% ,大部分新根发生在离土表 30cm以内的土壤中。 11个月的干旱处理显著地降低火炬松的根量密度 (1 1条·m- 1,未经干旱处理的为 3 2 7条·m- 1)和新根发生数 (5 7条·株- 1,未经干旱处理的为 15 6条·株 - 1) ,干旱处理还可导致新根推迟 1 0　 1.5个月发生。 5a前在土表撒施化肥似乎对新根的发生和生长没有明显影响     

湘北红壤丘陵区四川桤木人工林水文生态效应

对湘北红壤丘陵区6年生四川桤木人工林的林冠层截留效应、地上部分持水效应以及土壤水文效益进行了研究,结果表明:观测期内林冠截留量占总降水量的22.79%;林地地上部分持水量为4.86 mm,其中林下枯落物持水量最大,为2.48 mm;林地0~45 cm层土壤最大持水量为198.86 mm。四川桤木能够改善红壤的结构,提高土壤蓄水能力。     

Effects of single and dual inoculation with selected microsymbionts (rhizobia and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi) on field growth and nitrogen fixation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Calliandra calothyrsus</Emphasis> Meissn

Our study aimed to assess the effect of dual inoculation with the selected Rhizobium strain KWN35 and the arbuscular mycorrhizal isolate BEG 176 (Glomus etunicatum) on the growth of Calliandra calothyrsus cultivated under irrigation in the field in Senegal (Dakar) over a period of 24 months. Although plants inoculated with both microsymbionts grew better (height and root collar diameter) than plants from three other inoculation treatments (control, single inoculation with KWN35 or BEG 176), these results were not statistically different except at 1 and 5 months after field transplantation. KWN35 was present in a relatively high percentage of nodules harvested from plants inoculated with this rhizobial strain either alone or with mycorrhiza (approximately 60% and 40% 1 and 2 years after field transplantation respectively). The percentage of mycorrhizal root infections was around 60% in the inoculated plants after 12 months with significantly higher N, P and K foliar contents of trees compared with the non-inoculated controls. However, as for nodulation, by 24 months after transplantation, there were no significant differences between treatments. We conclude that field inoculation of C. calothyrsus with Rhizobium strain KWN35 and arbuscular mycorrhizal isolate BEG 176 did not have a long-lasting effect on the growth of trees, even when a majority of nodules were occupied by the inoculated rhizobia and the roots infected by the mycorrhiza. Several reasons can be postulated for these results, such as a possible effect of soil fertility on the efficiency of the nodules.