华北地区采用无机氮测试和植株速测进行夏玉米氮肥推荐

A field experiment with a split-plot design was carried out at Dongbeiwang Farm in Beijing Municipality to establish reliable N fertilizer recommendation indices for summer maize (Zea mays L.) in northern China using the soil Nmin(mineral N) test as well as the plant nitrate and SPAD (portable chlorophyll meter readings) tests. The results showed that Nrnin sollwert (NS) 60 kg N ha^-1 at the third leaf stage and N rate of 40 to 120 kg N ha^-1 at the tenth leaf stage could meet the N requirement of summer maize with a target yield of 5.5-6 t ha^-1. Sap nitrate concentrations and SPAD chlorophyll meter readings in the latest expanded maize leaves at the tenth leaf stage were positively correlated with NS levels, indicating that plant nitrate and SPAD tests reflected the N nutritional status of maize well. Considering that winter wheat subsequently utilized N after the summer maize harvest, the 0-90 cm soil Nmin (74 kg N ha^-1) and apparent N loss (12 kg N ha^-1) in the NS60＋40 treatment were controlled at environmentally acceptable levels. Therefore NS60＋40, giving a total N supply of 100 kg N ha^-1, was considered the optimal N fertilizer input for summer maize under these experimental conditions.     

施用控释肥提高直播水稻氮的利用率

Field trials on a silt-loamy paddy soil derived from shallow-sea deposit in direct seeding rice fields were conducted in Zhejing ,China,in 1996 to compare N efficiency of controlled release fertilizers (LP fertilizers) with the conventional urea.Six treatments including CK (no N fertilizer),conventional urea and different types of LP fertilizers at different rates were designed for two succeeding crops of early and late rice.A blend of different types of LP fertilizers as a single preplant “co-situs“ application released n in a rate and amount synchronizing with uptake pattern of direct seeding rice.A single preplant application of the LP fertilizers could meet the N requirement of rice for the whole growth period without need of topdressing,Using LP fertilizer blends ,equivalent grain yields could be maintained even if the N fertilization rates were reduced by 25%-50% compared with the conventional urea .Agronomi efficiency of the LP fertilizers was 13.6%-86.4% higher than that of the conventional urea in early rice and 100%-164.1% in late rice,depending on the amounts of the LP fertilizers applied.N fertilizer recovery rate incereased from 27.4% for the conventional application of urea to 41.7%-54.1%,for the single preplant “co-situs“ application of the LP fertilizers,Use of the LP fertilizers was promising if the increse in production costs due to the hihg LP fertilizer prices could be compensated by increase in yield and N efficiency,reduction in labor costs and improvement in environment.     

中国南方大棚蔬菜地氮平衡与损失

High rates of fertilizer nitrogen (N) are applied in greenhouse vegetable fields in southeastern China to maximize production;however,the N budgets of such intensive vegetable production remain to be explored.The goal of this study was to determine the annual N balance and loss in a greenhouse vegetable system of annual rotation of tomato,cucumber,and celery at five N (urea) application rates (0,348,522,696,and 870 kg N ha-1 year-1).Total N input to the 0-50 cm soil layer ranged from 531 to 1 053 kg ha-1,and N fertilizer was the main N source,accounting for 66%-83% of the total annual N input.In comparison,irrigation water,wet deposition,and seeds in total accounted for less than 1% of the total N input.The fertilizer N use efficiency was only 18% under the conventional application rate of 870 kg N ha-1 and decreased as the application rate increased from 522 to 870 kg N ha-1.Apparent N losses were 196-201 kg N ha-1,of which 71%-86% was lost by leaching at the application rates of 522-870 kg N ha-1.Thus,leaching was the primary N loss pathway at high N application rates and the amount of N leached was proportional to the N applied during the cucumber season.Moreover,dissolved organic N accounted for 10% of the leached N,whereas NH3 volatilization only contributed 0.1%-0.6% of the apparent N losses under the five N application rates in this greenhouse vegetable system.     

氮肥用量对太湖水稻田间氨挥发和氮素利用率的影响

Ammonia volatilization losses, nitrogen utilization efficiency, and rice yields in response to urea application to a rice field were investigated in Wangzhuang Town, Changshu City, Jiangsu Province, China. The N fertilizer treatments, applied in triplicate, were 0 （control）, 100, 200, 300, or 350 kg N ha^-1. After urea was applied to the surface water, a continuous airflow enclosure method was used to measure ammonia volatilization in the paddy field. Total N losses through ammonia volatilization generally increased with the N application rate, and the two higher N application rates （300 and 350 kg N ha^-1） showed a higher ratio of N lost through ammonia volatilization to applied N. Total ammonia loss by ammonia volatilization during the entire rice growth stage ranged from 9.0% to 16.7% of the applied N. Increasing the application rate generally decreased the ratio of N in the seed to N in the plant. For all N treatments, the nitrogen fertilizer utilization efficiency ranged from 30.9% to 45.9%. Surplus N with the highest N rate resulted in lodging of rice plants, a decreased rate of nitrogen fertilizer utilization, and reduced rice yields. Calculated from this experiment, the most economical N fertilizer application rate was 227 kg ha^-1 for the type of paddy soil in the Taihu Lake region. However, recommending an appropriate N fertilizer application rate such that the plant growth is enhanced and ammonia loss is reduced could improve the N utilization efficiency of rice.     

在施钾条件下灌溉水稻的养分吸收和利用效率研究

Potassium is one of the most important nutrients for rice production in many areas of Asia, especially in southeast China where potassium deficiency in soil is a widespread problem. Field experiments were conducted for four consecutive years in Jinhua City, Zhejiang Province, to determine utilization of nutrients (N, P and K) by inbred and hybrid rice and rice grain yields as affected by application of potassium fertilizer under irrigated conditions. Grain yield and nutrient harvest index showed a significant response to the NPK treatment as compared to the NP treatment. This suggested that potassium improved transfer of nitrogen and phosphorus from stems and leaves to panicles in rice plants. N and P use efficiencies of rice were not strongly responsive to potassium, but K use efficiency decreased significantly despite the fact that the amount of total K uptake increased. A significant difference between varieties was also observed with respect to nutrient uptake and use efficiency. Hybrid rice exhibited physiological advantage in N and P uptake and use efficiency over inbred rice. Analysis of annual dynamic change of exchangeable K and non-exchangeable K in the test soil indicated that non-exchangeable K was an important K source for rice. Potassium application caused an annual decrease in the concentration of available K in the soil tested, whereas an increase was observed in non-exchangeable K. It could be concluded that K fertilizer application at the rate of 100 kg ha^-1 per season was not high enough to match K output, and efficient K management for rice must be based on the K input/output balance.     

中国太湖地区稻麦轮作农田硝态氮动态与氮素平衡

Nitrate-nitrogen (NO 3--N) dynamics and nitrogen (N) budgets in rice (Oryza sativa L.)-wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) rotations in the Taihu Lake region of China were studied to compare the effects of N fertilizer management over a two-year period. The experiment included four N rates for rice and wheat, respectively: N1 (125 and 94 kg N ha-1 ), N2 (225 and 169 kg N ha-1 ), N3 (325 and 244 kg N ha-1 ), and N0 (0 kg N ha-1 ). The results showed that an overlying water layer during the rice growing seasons contributed to moderate concentrations of NO 3--N in sampled waters and the concentrations of NO 3--N only showed a rising trend during the field drying stage. The NO 3--N concentrations in leachates during the wheat seasons were much higher than those during the rice seasons, particularly in the wheat seedling stage. In the wheat seedling stage, the NO 3--N concentrations of leachates were significantly higher in N treatments than in N0 treatment and increased with increasing N rates. As the NO 3--N content (below 2 mg N L-1 ) at a depth of 80 cm during the rice-wheat rotations did not respond to the applied N rates, the high levels of NO 3--N in the groundwater of paddy fields might not be directly related to NO 3--N leaching. Crop growth trends were closely related to variations of NO 3--N in leachates. A reduction in N application rate, especially in the earlier stages of crop growth, and synchronization of the peak of N uptake by the crop with N fertilizer application are key measures to reduce N loss. Above-ground biomass for rice and wheat increased significantly with increasing N rate, but there was no significant difference between N2 and N3. Increasing N rates to the levels greater than N2 not only decreased N use efficiency, but also significantly increased N loss. After two cycles of rice-wheat rotations, the apparent N losses of N1, N2 and N3 amounted to 234, 366 and 579 kg N ha-1 , respectively. With an increase of N rate from N0 to N3, the percentage of N uptake in total N inputs decreased from 63.9% to 46.9%. The apparent N losses during the rice seasons were higher than those during the wheat seasons and were related to precipitation; therefore, the application of fertilizer should take into account climate conditions and avoid application before heavy rainfall.     

两个氮素利用率不同的水稻品种根系形态及生理特性的差异

The variation in nitrogen (N) uptake by rice has been widely studied but differences in rice root morphology that may contribute to this variation are not completely understood. Field and greenhouse experiments were carried out to study N accumulation, root dry weights, total root lengths, root surface areas, and root bleeding rates of two rice cultivars, Elio with low N-use efficiency and Nanguang with high N-use efficiency. Low (1 mmol N L^-1) and high (5 mmol N L^-1) N applications were established in the greenhouse experiment, and the N rates were 0, 120, and 240 kg ha^-1 in the field experiments at Jiangning and Jiangpu farms, Nanjing, China. The results showed that the N accumulation, root dry weight, total root length, and root surface area increased with an increase in N application. At the heading stage, N accumulation in the shoots and roots of Nanguang was greater than that of Elio in the field experiments and that of Elio at 5 mmol N L^-1 in the greenhouse experiment. After the heading stage, N accumulation was higher for Nanguang at both 1 and 5 mmol N L^-1 in the greenhouse experiment. The total root length and root surface area were significantly different between the two cultivars. Over the range of the fertilizer application rates, the root lengths of Nanguang at Jiangning Farm were 49%-61% greater at booting and 26%-39% greater at heading than those of Elio, and at Jiangpu Farm they were 22%-42% and 26%-38% greater, respectively. Nanguang had a greater root bleeding rate than Elio. It was concluded that the N-use efficiency of the two rice cultivars studied depended to a great extent on the root morphological parameters and root physiological characteristics at different growth stages.     

Nutrient Uptake and Use Efficiency of Irrigated Rice in Response to Potassium Application

Potassium is one of the most important nutrients for rice production in many areas of Asia, especially in southeast China where potassium deficiency in soil is a widespread problem. Field experiments were conducted for four consecutive years in Jinhua City, Zhejiang Province, to determine utilization of nutrients (N,P and K) by inbred and hybrid rice and rice grain yields as affected by application of potassium fertilizer under irrigated conditions. Grain yield and nutrient harvest index showed a significant response to the NPK treatment as compared to the NP treatment. This suggested that potassium improved transfer of nitrogen and phosphorus from stems and leaves to panicles in rice plants. N and P use efficiencies of rice were not strongly responsive to potassium, but K use efficiency decreased significantly despite the fact that the amount of total K uptake increased. A significant difference between varieties was also observed with respect to nutrient uptake and use efficiency. Hybrid rice exhibited physiological advantage in N and P uptake and use efficiency over inbred rice. Analysis of annual dynamic change of exchangeable K and non-exchangeable K in the test soil indicated that non-exchangeable K was an important K source for rice. Potassium application caused an annual decrease in the concentration of available K in the soil tested, whereas an increase was observed in non-exchangeable K. It could be concluded that K fertilizer application at the rate of 100 kg ha^-1 per season was not high enough to match K output, and efficient K management for rice must be based on the K input/output balance.     

低氮胁迫下水稻叶片叶绿素含量的QTLs

Quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for chlorophyll content of a rice leaf were mapped on to the molecular marker linkagemap of a double-haploid (DH) population derived from a cross between two rice varieties ‘IR64‘ and‘Azucena‘ in bothnutrient solution and soil culture experiments to detect rice nitrogen nutrition status under low N stress. A chlorophyllmeter was used to measure the soil plant analysis development (SPAD) value of the topmost fully expanded leaf as theindex of chlorophyll content that expressed nitrogen status in rice plants. Totally 3 QTLs for SPAD values, two onchromosome 3 located at interval RG179-CDO337 and RG348-RZ329, respectively, and one on chromosome 10 at intervalRZ500-RG134, were detected under stressed conditions of low N in the soil and/or nutrient solution culture experiments.One QTL located at interval RG179-CDO337 on chromosome 3 associated with a relative change in SPAD value from ahigh N level to a low N level in the soil culture experiment was also detected. Based on the different responses to low Nstress between the two parents, it was supposed that the QTLs identified in this study associated with nitrogen efficiencyin rice at low N levels might be useful in applying marker technology to rice breeding programs.     

太湖地区水稻最适宜施氮量研究

To determine the optimal amount of nitrogen(N) fertilizer for achieving a sustainable rice production at the Taihu Lake region of China,two-year on-farm field experiments were performed at four sites using various N application rates.The results showed that 22%-30% of the applied N was recovered in crop and 7%-31% in soils at the rates of 100-350 kg N ha 1.Nitrogen losses increased with N application rates,from 44% of the applied fertilizer N at the rate of 100 kg N ha 1 to 69% of the N applied at 350 kg N ha 1.Ammonia volatilization and apparent denitrification were the main pathways of N losses.The N application rate of 300 kg N ha 1,which is commonly used by local farmers in the study region,was found to lead to a significant reduction in economic and environmental efficiency.Considering the cost for mitigating environmental pollution and the maximum net economic income,an application rate of 100-150 kg N ha 1 would be recommended.This recommended N application rate could greatly reduce N loss from 199 kg N ha 1 occurring at the N application rate of 300 kg N ha 1 to 80-110 kg N ha 1,with the rice grain yield still reaching 7 300-8 300 kg DW ha 1 in the meantime.     

低氮和干旱胁迫对富士和秦冠生长及氮素利用的影响

【目的】以富士（Fuji）、 秦冠（Qinguan）嫁接在平邑甜茶（Malus hupehensis Rehd.）上的当年生盆栽苗为试验材料,采用砂培方法,研究了缺氮胁迫和干旱对富士和秦冠生长情况、 光合参数、 植株各部位氮磷钾含量及氮素利用效率的影响,分析比较了低氮干旱条件下富士和秦冠生长及氮素利用的差异,以期为果树生产高效肥水利用提供理论指导。【方法】试验共设四个处理: 正常氮正常水（ZZ）、 低氮正常水（DZ）、 正常氮干旱（ZG）、 低氮干旱（DG）。氮素和水分均设置两个水平,分别为正常氮（6 mmol/L NO-3-N）、 低氮（0.3 mmol/LNO-3-N）、 正常供水（保持盆中砂子相对含水量为饱和含水量的80%~85%）、 干旱处理（保持盆中砂子相对含水量为饱和含水量的60%~65%）。【结果】富士和秦冠的生物量（茎和叶）、 株高茎粗等生长指标以及光合速率、 气孔导度、 蒸腾速率均为正常氮正常水（ZZ）＞低氮正常水（DZ）＞正常氮干旱（ZG）＞低氮干旱（DG）,并且相对应处理下秦冠的以上指标均高于富士;正常供水下,缺氮处理使富士、 秦冠的根冠比比正常氮处理均有所增加,富士提高了2.05%,秦冠提高了22.40%。富士和秦冠的氮、 磷、 钾含量均表现出正常氮正常水（ZZ）＞低氮正常水（DZ）＞正常氮干旱（ZG）＞低氮干旱（DG）; 氮、 钾元素含量在植株各部位的分布顺序依次是叶＞根＞茎,磷元素则是根＞叶＞茎;光合氮素利用效率（PNUE）和氮素利用效率表现为秦冠处理之间差异极显著,富士处理之间差异不显著;秦冠的PNUE和NUE明显高于富士,在低氮正常水（DZ）处理下,秦冠氮肥利用率比富士高42.07%,在低氮干旱（DG）处理下高64.14%;低氮胁迫下富士和秦冠的NUE显著提高,并且秦冠提高的幅度高于富士。【结论】施用氮肥能够显著提高富士与秦冠的干物质量,同等水肥条件下,秦冠生长优于富士;水分亏缺会减少叶片对氮的吸收,干旱条件下适度增施氮肥,可提高果树的抗旱能力;低氮干旱胁迫下秦冠的生长指标、 光合指标及氮素利用效率指标均优于富士,表现出较强的抗低氮干旱胁迫的能力。     

Biodiversity and ecogeography of wild Lactuca spp. in some European countries

Staff members of the Department of Botany of Palacký University in Olomouc and Gene Bank Department – Workplace Olomouc, Research Institute of Crop Production in Prague, Czech Republic, conducted an expedition in seven European countries (Austria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland) in August/September 1999 to collect wild Lactuca spp. germplasm and study its geographic distribution, ecology and biodiversity. During the mission, more than 600 locations were visited resulting in the collection of 602 seed samples (accessions) of wild Lactuca species and 13 seed samples of related genera (Chondrilla and Mycelis). Lactuca serriola f. serriola, L. serriola f. integrifolia, L. saligna and L. viminea subsp. chondrilliflora were prevalent in southern Europe (Italy, France), however, only L. serriola was common in central and western Europe (Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland). The greatest diversity of Lactuca species was found in France, where also the most seed samples (165) were collected. The most characteristic habitats with a high density of Lactuca spp. populations were observed along roads and highways, grassy ditches, ruderal communities, and dust-heaps. Natural infections by powdery mildew (Erysiphe cichoracearum) and downy mildew (Bremia lactucae) on some wild Lactuca spp. were observed. Recent observations concerning the geographic distribution, population structure, habitats, and natural occurrence of diseases of Lactuca spp. are discussed. This assemblage of genetic resources of Lactuca spp. can serve as the basis of future studies of species diversification, spatial population structure, plant microevolution, domestication processes, and genetic variability of host-parasite interactions.     

Pasture Vegetation Elemental Analysis by Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a new technique for the analysis of plant material. This study investigates the application of LIBS to pasture-based plant samples. The LIBS measurements were obtained from pelletized pasture samples (100 samples) that had been also analyzed by inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) following microwave digestion for calibration and comparison purposes. Comparisons for elements sodium (Na), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), boron (B), phosphorus (P), and sulfur (S) showed that LIBS could be used for almost all the standard profile total elements with concentrations down to low mg/kg levels (observed error of Na: 0.024 percent, K: 0.18 percent, Mg: 0.016 percent, Ca: 0.073 percent, P: 0.017 percent, Mn: 31 mg/kg, Fe: 150 mg/kg, Zn: 6.6 mg/kg, and B: 1.1 mg/kg). Elemental analysis at less than mg/kg levels was not possible using LIBS. The elements S and Cu were particularly difficult to analyze with reliability using LIBS at the concentration levels found in the plant samples. Replacing microwave digestion and subsequent ICP analysis with a direct analysis of dried plant samples using LIBS has the potential to improve the productivity and reduce the cost of testing.     

Properties of anaerobically digested and composted municipal solid waste assessed by linking soil mesofauna dynamics and nitrogen modelling

We have studied the effect of anaerobically digested (ADMSW) and composted municipal solid waste (CMSW) on mineralization and foodweb dynamics to verify the hypothesis that ADMSW would immobilize N right after addition to soil in contrast to addition with CMSW. Another hypothesis was that the mesofauna (enchytraeids and microarthropods) would stimulate N release from the decomposer community. We measured excretion of -N and urea-N from the mesofauna and hypothesized that enchytraeids would release urea. ADMSW and CMSW were amended to pots with sandy loam and barley. The pots were divided into treatments with or without mesofauna. Mesofauna, plant N and biomass, soil N and ergosterol (fungal biomass) were measured over a 113-day period of four equidistant samplings. Soil respiration, N mineralization and N release by the mesofauna were modelled from concurrent studies. ADMSW- and CMSW-treated soils initially (<20 days) immobilized N. The amendments did not increase plant growth substantially, and this was probably due to N-limitation in the early stages of plant growth. Enchytraeid abundance was about three times higher in ADMSW- than CMSW-treated soils, indicating that ADMSW contained more labile compounds, bacteria, and microfauna. The mesofauna did not affect N-content, but the cumulated -N excreted by the mesofauna was estimated to be substantial and about one-fifth of total plant N in ADMSW. An explanation for this discrepancy might be that in the absence of the mesofauna, other members of the detrivore and microbivore community performed the mesofauna’s function. Neither enchytraeids nor microarthropods excreted urea.     

Faculty positions: Center for Agricultural Resources Research,Chinese Academy of Sciences

正The Center for Agricultural Resources Research(CARR),the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology(IGDB),Chinese Academy of Sciences,invites applicants for several research group leader positions.CARR is one of the research organizations in Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS).We seek nominations and applications from individuals who have expertise and a record of accomplishment in research areas related to ecology,agro-hydrology,     

Faculty positions: Center for Agricultural Resources Research,Chinese Academy of Sciences

正The Center for Agricultural Resources Research(CARR),the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology(IGDB),Chinese Academy of Sciences,invites applicants for several research group leader positions.CARR is one of the research organizations in Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS).We seek nominations and applications from individuals who have expertise and a record of accomplishment in research areas related to ecology,agro-hydrology,     

Assessing the effectiveness of conservation measures: Resolving the “wicked” problem of the Steller sea lion

“Wicked” problems are those that are complex and that change when solutions are applied. Many conflicts in conservation fall into this category. The study approached the problem of how to constrain the apparent wickedness of a problem in the conservation management of a species by using simple empirical indicators to carry out iterative assessment of the risk to a population and to document how this risk evolves in relation to the addition of new data and the implementation of management actions. Effects of high levels of uncertainty within data and also concerning population structure were examined through stochastic simulation and by exploration of scenarios. Historical trends in the example used, the Steller sea lion, showed rapid declines in abundance in some regions during the 1980s. The current total population is 130,000-150,000 Steller sea lions through Alaska and British Columbia and this number has been stable since about 1990 in spite of regional differences in population dynamics. Regional differences in the sequence of changes in the number of pups and non-pups, suggested that an internal re-distribution of juveniles could have happened between 1980 and 1990. Current productivity also appears close to the long-term mean. Stochastic population projection using various scenarios showed that, based upon this history, the risk of extinction for the population has declined and is below reasonable thresholds for considering the population to be endangered. The trends in risk suggest that management actions taken since 1990 have probably been effective. Consequently, the conservation management objectives for the Steller sea lion are probably being met. The approach provides a mechanism, based upon experience and scenario analysis, for exploring future policy options and may help to constrain the debate amongst stakeholders about the cost-benefit trade-offs associated with different options.     

Soil-profile distribution of primary and secondary plant-available nutrients under conventional and no tillage

Nutrient distributions under no tillage (NT) compared with conventional disk-and-bed tillage (CT) management in the warm, humid region of the southeastern USA need to be assessed so that future placement, quantity, and type of fertilizers can be altered, if necessary, to efficiently match crop demands. We determined soil-profile distributions of pH, N, P, S, K, Ca, Mg, Na, Zn, Fe, Mn, and Cu to a depth of 0.9 m at the end of 8.5 years of continuous CT and NT management on a Weswood silty clay loam (fine, mixed, thermic Fluventic Ustochrept) in southcentral Texas. Most dramatic changes occurred within the 0–0.05 m depth, where soil under NT had lower pH, Fe, and Cu than under CT, but greater P, K, Zn, and Mn. Greater P and K under NT than under CT also occurred below the till-zone (0.15–0.3 m). At a depth of 0–0.3 m, soil under NT contained greater amounts of extractable P, K, Zn, Fe, Mn, and Cu than under CT. Nitrogen fertilization had little effect on nutrient distributions, except resulting in greater extractable K at 0–0.05 m and greater nitrate at 0–0.15 m. Few changes in soil-profile distributions were observed for extractable S, Ca, Mg, and Na. Long-term continuous use of NT on this fine-textured, high-fertility (except for N) soil had no apparent adverse effects on nutrient distributions relative to CT, but enhanced conservation and availability of P, K, Zn, Fe, Mn, and Cu near the soil surface where crop roots proliferate.     

Faculty positions:Center for Agricultural Resources Research,Chinese Academy of Sciences

正The Center for Agricultural Resources Research(CARR),the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology(IGDB),Chinese Academy of Sciences,invites applicants for several research group leader positions.CARR is one of the research organizations in Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS).We seek nominations and applications from individuals who have expertise and a record of accomplishment in research areas related to ecology,agro-hydrology,     

Macroinvertebrates in North American tallgrass prairie soils: effects of fire, mowing, and fertilization on density and biomass

The responses of tallgrass prairie plant communities and ecosystem processes to fire and grazing are well characterized. However, responses of invertebrate consumer groups, and particularly soil-dwelling organisms, to these disturbances are not well known. At Konza Prairie Biological Station, we sampled soil macroinvertebrates in 1994 and 1999 as part of a long-term experiment designed to examine the effects and interactions of annual fire, mowing, and fertilization (N and P) on prairie soil communities and processes. For nearly all taxa, in both years, responses were characterized by significant treatment interactions, but some general patterns were evident. Introduced European earthworms (Aporrectodea spp. and Octolasion spp.) were most abundant in plots where fire was excluded, and the proportion of the total earthworm community consisting of introduced earthworms was greater in unburned, unmowed, and fertilized plots. Nymphs of two Cicada genera were collected (Cicadetta spp. and Tibicen spp.). Cicadetta nymphs were more abundant in burned plots, but mowing reduced their abundance. Tibicen nymphs were collected almost exclusively from unburned plots. Treatment effects on herbivorous beetle larvae (Scarabaeidae, Elateridae, and Curculionidae) were variable, but nutrient additions (N or P) usually resulted in greater densities, whereas mowing usually resulted in lower densities. Our results suggest that departures from historical disturbance regimes (i.e. frequent fire and grazing) may render soils more susceptible to increased numbers of European earthworms, and that interactions between fire, aboveground biomass removal, and vegetation responses affect the structure and composition of invertebrate communities in tallgrass prairie soils.