Effects of area and isolation of woodland patches on herbaceous plant species richness across Great Britain

Richness of Ancient Woodland Indicator plant species was analysed in 308 woodland patches that were surveyed during the Countryside Survey of Great Britain carried out in 1998. The Countryside Survey recorded vegetation plots and landscape structure in 569 stratified 1 km sample squares and developed a remotely-sensed land cover map of the UK. Using these datasets, we tested the hypothesis that Ancient Woodland Indicator species richness in woodland fragments was limited by patch area, shape and spatial isolation and that woodland patches located in the lowland region of Great Britain would respond differently than those in the upland region. The variation in Ancient Woodland Indicator species richness in the British lowlands (n = 218) was mainly explained by patch area and two measures of connectivity, the length of hedgerows and lines of trees in the 1 km square and the area of woodland within 500 m of the vegetation plot. By contrast, variation in Ancient Woodland Indicator species richness in the British uplands (n = 90) was related to Ellenberg scores of the vegetation communities sampled – a surrogate for habitat quality – and no significant effect of spatial structure was detected. It therefore appears that the degree of fragmentation of woodland in the British lowlands limits the distribution of Ancient Woodland Indicator species, while in the uplands, failed colonisation is a matter of habitat quality rather than a result of landscape structure.This revised version was published online in May 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

鸭疫里氏杆菌形态特征的电镜观察

自鸭传染性浆膜炎的病死鸭中分离鉴定的鸭疫里氏杆菌(RA)Ⅰ、Ⅱ型两个菌株，用负染法和超薄切片法制备样品，于透射电镜下进行观察。结果观察到约占1／3的RA具有特殊的形态结构：在细菌的顶端或侧面有1～2个与菌体相连的芽状赘生物，有的也能从菌体上脱落下来。它在超薄切片中的大小约为菌体的1／3～1／5，能观察到其内部也具有类似菌体内部的结构。且具有类似菌体的“细胞壁”，类似于核体部分的结构位于“细胞壁”的一侧。而用相同的方法制作的鸭大肠杆菌(E．cozi)对照样品，却见不到这种特殊的形态结构。说明这种形态特征可能是RA特有的。     

Chromosomal and Plasmid Diversity of Agrobacterium Strains Isolated from Ficus benjamina Tumors

Agrobacteria were previously isolated from tumors developing on branches and aerial and hypogeous roots of weeping fig plants in Italy and in The Netherlands. A representative group of 48 strains was analyzed by PCR–RFLP of 16S and 16S + IGS ribosomal regions, PCR–RFLP of six Ti plasmid (pTi) regions and characterized for plasmid content. Two groups of agrobacteria were separated by cluster analysis of PCR–RFLP profiles of rrs gene: seventeen strains were similar to the new species Agrobacterium larrymoorei, while the remaining strains were included within the agrobacterium biovar 1 group. Sixteen different plasmid profiles from one to five plasmids were observed. In addition, 21 ribotypes and 20 pTi structures were arranged in many different combinations, showing that fig agrobacteria were characterized by a wide heterogeneity. A general lack of correlation between strain ribotypes and plasmid content was observed.     

鹰嘴紫云英头茬草生产性能的研究

通过对杨凌地区生长的鹰嘴紫云英（Astragalus cicer L.）的株高、株长、产量、草层结构、鲜干比、茎叶比等的研究表明：生长第二年第一茬初花期时刈割的鹰嘴紫云英平均株高达57 cm,株长达102 cm,鲜草产量达47 077.6 kg/hm^2,干草产量8 702.0 kg/hm^2,其茎、叶主要分布在0～40cm的草层中,茎、叶鲜重分别占到总重量的52.39%和31.88%,鲜干比为5.41：1,茎叶比为1.47：1,属典型的下繁型牧草,具产草量高、营养丰富、牧草品质好等优点,是值得推广的优良牧草.     

Impact on soil physical properties of using large-grain legumes for catch crop cultivation under different tillage conditions

In Central Europe, various plant species including large-grain legumes and their mixtures are grown as catch crops, particularly between grains harvested early and subsequent summer crops. This article investigates the question of how soil structure in the topsoil is influenced when catch cropping with large-grain legumes (experimental factor A: without catch crop, with catch crop) under different ploughless tillage conditions during catch crop seeding (experimental factor B: deep tillage/25–30 cm, shallow tillage/8–10 cm). Five one-year trials were performed using standard machinery at various sites in Germany. Soil core samples extracted from the topsoil in the spring after catch crop cultivation served to identify air capacity, saturated hydraulic conductivity and precompression stress. The above-ground and below-ground biomass yields of the catch crops were also determined at most of the sites. In addition, the soil compaction risk for the working steps in the experiments was calculated using the REPRO model.The dry matter yield of the catch crops varied considerably between the individual trial sites and years. In particular, high levels of dry matter were able to form in the case of early seeding and a sufficient supply of precipitation. The soil structure was only rarely affected positively by catch crop cultivation, and catch crops did not contribute in the short term to loosening already compacted topsoils. In contrast, mechanical soil stresses caused by driving over the ground and additional working steps used in cultivating catch crops often led to lower air capacity in these treatments. This is consistent with the soil compaction risks calculated using the REPRO model, which were higher in the treatments with catch cropping. Catch crop cultivation also only resulted in improved mechanical stability at one location. The positive effect of deep ploughless tillage on air capacity and saturated hydraulic conductivity, however, became more clearly evident regardless of catch crop cultivation. In order for catch crop cultivation with large-grain legumes to be able to have a favourable impact on soil structure, it is therefore important that cultivating them does not result in any new soil compaction. In the conditions evaluated, deep tillage was more effective at loosening compacted topsoil than growing catch crops.     

高温胁迫下AM真菌对牡丹叶片解剖结构和蒸腾特性的影响

作者研究了高温胁迫下丛枝菌根(arbuscular mycorrhizal,AM)真菌对盆栽牡丹幼苗叶片解剖结构和蒸腾特性的影响。结果表明,供试AM真菌摩西球囊霉(Glomus mosseae)和地表球囊霉(Glomus versiforme)均能侵染牡丹根系,其侵染率分别为47%和44%。接种AM真菌的比未接种对照(CK)植株的叶片细胞排列紧密,叶片厚度、栅栏组织和海棉组织厚度均表现为接种G.mosseae植株>接种G.versiforme植株>CK。在相同高温下接种AM真菌处理的牡丹叶片蒸腾速率、气孔导度和气孔开度均显著低于CK。AM真菌提高了牡丹植株的抗热性,这对于高温胁迫下保持和提高光合效率是十分重要的。其中接种G.mosseae处理的效果优于G.versiforme     

一种新型阳光蔬菜工厂C系列919温室

为了解决高寒及长江流域以南多雨地区土墙温室难建问题及实现温室育种、种植自动化、机械化作业,研发了一种新型装配式冬暖式C919温室,温室通过组装完成,采用钢制螺旋桩,不用焊接,只需在地下打螺旋桩,即可实现全天候施工。温室采用五防设计(防台风、防雨、防雪、防低温、防高温),具有土地利用率高(75%左右)、建设周期短(千亩园区建设周期90 d)、设计寿命长(50年)、材料环保(采用宝钢BFS 600高强不锈钢)、建设成本使用周期费用摊销低(土墙温室的70%)、运营维护成本低(土墙温室的50%)、机械作业用工少(减少人工60%以上)等优点,填补了高寒(-40 ℃以内)及长江流域以南多雨地区大跨度、装配式、全日光能源温室的空白。     

Sewage sludge processing determines its impact on soil microbial community structure and function

Composting and thermal drying are amongst the most commonly used post-digestion processes for allowing sanitation and biological stabilization of sewage sludge from municipal treatment plants, and making it suitable as soil conditioner for use in agriculture. To assess the impact of sludge-derived materials on soil microbial properties, fresh (LAF), composted (LAC) and thermally dried (LAT) sludge fractions, each resulting from a different post-treatment process of a same aerobically digested sewage sludge, were added at 1% (w/w) application rate on two contrasting (a loam and a loamy sand) soils and incubated under laboratory conditions for 28 days. Soil respiration, microbial ATP content, hydrolytic activities and arginine ammonification rate were monitored throughout the incubation period. Results showed that soil biochemical variables, including the metabolic quotient (qCO₂), were markedly stimulated after sludge application, and the magnitude of this stimulatory effect was dependent on sludge type (precisely LAT > LAF > LAC), but not on soil type. This effect was related to the content of stable organic matter, which was lower in LAT. Genetic fingerprinting by PCR–DGGE revealed that compositional shifts of soil bacterial and, at greater extent, actinobacterial communities were responsive to the amendment with a differing sludge fraction. The observed time-dependent changes in the DGGE profiles of amended soils reflected the microbial turnover dependent on the sludge nutrient input, whereas no indications of adverse effects of sludge-borne contaminants were noted. Our findings indicate that composting rather thermal drying can represent a more appropriate post-digestion process to make sewage sludge suitable for use as soil conditioner in agriculture.     

立地条件和林分结构对有林地生产力的影响

通过分析有林地生产力与立地条件和林分结构中各因子的关系,探索制约有林地生产力的主要因素.结果表明:不同立地质量中Ⅰ类地单位蓄积量最高(268.86±20.24 m3/hm2),不同坡向中东坡单位蓄积量最高(269.78±38.54 m3/hm2),不同树种组成中10杉类型单位蓄积量最高(259.33±14.62 m3/hm2);有林地生产力与林分年龄、林分密度正相关,相关系数R分别为0.590、0.460;有林地生产力与海拔、坡度相关性不显著.以上结果说明立地质量、坡向和树种组成对有林地生产力影响显著;有林地生产力与林分年龄、林分密度相关,与海拔、坡度无关.