Seasonal variation of inorganic nitrogen and net mineralization in a salt marsh ecosystem

Inorganic nitrogen pools and net mineralization were estimated in three sites of a Tagus estuary salt marsh in Portugal throughout 1 year. Ammonium (NH₄ ⁺) was the major form of inorganic nitrogen found in the salt marsh soil. Extractable NH₄ ⁺ concentrations showed a marked seasonal pattern with a concentration peak during the hotter months of July/August. The great majority (>99%) of the total nitrogen in the soil was found in sedimented organic matter, not readily available for plant uptake. Net nitrogen mineralization, determined using a field incubation method, showed a peak during the months of June/July which resulted in an increase on nitrogen availability. With the exception of the lower salt marsh, estimated rates of in situ net nitrogen mineralization in the soil during summer were well related to the increase in plant aboveground biomass and plant nitrogen pools, indicating that the process is an important source of available nitrogen for plant uptake and growth. Annual net nitrogen mineralization ranged between 2.4 and 4.5gNm^–2yr^{– 1} being significantly higher for the lower salt marsh site. Rates of net nitrogen mineralization were relatively low during most of the year with a particularly active period from June to August, possibly due to an effect of temperature on soil microbial activity.     

Relationships between soil and foliar nutrients in young densely planted mini-plots of Pinus radiata and Cupressus lusitanica

The long-term nature of forest crop rotations makes it difficult to determine impacts of forestry on soil nutrients that might be depleted by forest growth. We used small scale, highly stocked plots to compress the length of the rotation and rapidly induce nutrient depletion. In the study, two species (Pinus radiata D. Don and Cupressus lusitanica Miller) are compared under two disturbance regimes (soil undisturbed and compacted), and two fertiliser treatments (nil and plus fertiliser), applied in factorial combination at 33 sites, covering the range of climatic and edaphic variation found in plantation forests across New Zealand. To assess our ability to rapidly highlight important soil properties, foliar nutrient concentrations were determined 20 months after planting. It was hypothesised that the densely planted plots, even at a young age, would create sufficient pressure on nutrient resources to allow development of relationships between properties used as indicies of soil nutrient availability and foliar nutrient concentrations. For both species significant relationships between foliar nutrients and 0–10 cm layer soil properties from unfertilised plots were evident for N (total and mineralisable N) and P (total, acid extractable, organic, Bray-2 and Olsen P). With the exception of Ca in C. lusitanica, foliar K, Ca and Mg were correlated with their respective soil exchangeable cation measures. The results thus confirm the utility of the experimental approach and the relevance of the measured soil properties for forest productivity.

In unfertilised plots foliar N and P concentrations in P. radiata exceeded those in C. lusitanica, the differences being eliminated by fertiliser application. Foliar N/P ratios in P. radiata also exceeded those in C. lusitanica. In contrast to N and P, foliar K, Ca and Mg concentrations were all higher in C. lusitanica, the difference being particularly marked for Ca and Mg. P. radiata contained substantially higher concentrations of the metals Zn, Mn and Al than C. lusitanica, whereas the latter contained higher B concentrations. Possible reasons for differences between species in foliar nutrient concentrations are discussed.     

不同有机碳水平下塿土磷的有效性及无机磷形态转化

【目的】在土壤Olsen-P和全磷含量基本接近但土壤有机碳水平呈梯度的陕西省关中平原塿土上,研究有机碳对土壤各形态无机磷有效性及其形态转化的影响,为合理培肥土壤,有效利用土壤累积态磷提供理论依据。【方法】采集并选取了陕西省关中平原小麦-玉米种植体系下塿土Olsen-P含量相近（平均含量范围17.41—18.72 mg·kg^-1）,不同有机碳水平（有机碳平均含量分别为6.38、8.34、10.17、11.95、13.64和15.74 g·kg^-1）的土壤样品,采用蒋柏藩-顾益初改进的Chang和Jackson的石灰性土壤无机磷分级方法分别对土壤中各磷组分（二钙磷（Ca₂-P）、八钙磷（Ca₈-P）、铝结合态磷（Al-P）、铁结合态磷（Fe-P）、闭蓄态磷（O-P）和十钙磷（Ca₁₀-P））含量进行测定。【结果】在陕西关中平原小麦-玉米种植区塿土中,有机碳对土壤各形态磷素水平及形态转化起重要作用。随着有机碳含量的增加,土壤中Ca₂-P、Ca₈-P、Al-P、Fe-P、O-P、缓效磷库（Ca₈-P、Al-P和Fe-P）和难利用磷库（O-P和Ca₁₀-P）含量均显著增加（P≤0.05）,Ca₁₀-P相对稳定。有机碳含量与土壤活性磷库（Ca₂-P）、缓效磷库（主要为Al-P）的相对含量（占无机磷总量的比例）呈极显著正相关关系,与难利用磷库（主要是Ca₁₀-P）呈极显著负相关关系。土壤Olsen-P含量与难利用磷库含量呈显著正相关关系。【结论】在Olsen-P相近,全磷也基本相似的条件下,土壤有机碳促进了土壤中难溶态磷酸盐向缓效态磷库和活性态磷库的转化,提高了有效磷源占无机磷总量的比例,从而提高了土壤磷素有效性。研究结果表明可通过合理的措施培肥土壤,从而有效地促进土壤累积态磷的活化利用。     

条施调酸材料对石灰性土壤调酸及马铃薯锌硼吸收的影响

【目的】研究条施调酸材料的调酸效应及其对马铃薯锌、硼吸收的影响,为调酸材料在马铃薯上的应用提供依据。【方法】以马铃薯为材料,采用田间试验,设置根区施用磷酸一铵（MAP）、硫磺(S)、混合调酸剂(磷酸一铵和硫磺按质量比1∶1混合,MS）,以不施用调酸材料为对照,分析调酸材料施入石灰性土壤后土壤pH值、锌硼有效性以及马铃薯叶片、块茎锌硼含量的变化,研究3种调酸材料根区条施后的调酸效应及对土壤锌硼有效性和马铃薯锌硼吸收的影响。【结果】施入调酸材料能显著降低石灰性土壤pH值,在马铃薯整个生育期调酸效应总体表现为MS＞MAP＞S。施用调酸材料能提高淀粉积累期马铃薯根区土壤有效锌和有效硼含量,MAP、S、MS处理土壤有效锌含量较对照分别提高了58.82%,9.80%和37.25%,土壤有效硼含量较对照分别提高了53.01%,57.83%和61.45%。施用调酸材料后,苗期马铃薯叶片锌、硼积累量分别增加了48.44%~60.83%和40.73%~58.68%,块茎膨大期分别增加了31.43%~39.88%和22.40%~33.06%;在淀粉积累期,MS和S处理马铃薯叶片锌积累量较对照分别降低了51.85%和30.25%,而MAP处理则较对照增加了4.79%,MAP、S、MS处理马铃薯叶片硼积累量较对照分别减少了20.67%,41.78%和38.21%。收获期施用调酸材料后,MAP、S、MS处理马铃薯块茎锌含量较对照分别降低了9.47%,4.94%和14.81%,S、MS处理马铃薯锌积累量较对照分别降低了5.88%和21.08%,而MAP处理提高了30.39%;MAP、S、MS处理马铃薯块茎硼含量较对照分别提高了14.97%,15.51%和63.10%,硼积累量分别提高了67.74%,16.13%和51.61%。【结论】调酸材料降低了石灰性土壤pH值和马铃薯块茎锌含量,但提高了马铃薯块茎硼含量;从调酸效应和马铃薯块茎吸收来看,磷酸一铵与硫磺配施最有利于马铃薯对土壤中微量元素锌硼的利用。     

等高反坡阶措施下玉米水分利用效率对坡耕地土壤水分变化的响应

【目的】探明坡耕地等高反坡阶措施下作物水分利用效率对土壤水分变化的响应,为云南坡耕地作物种植提供科学依据。【方法】以玉米为供试材料,在2019－2020年进行大田试验,设置等高反坡阶措施（2个不同坡度布设等高反坡阶的坡耕地样地）与原状坡耕地无处理（1个未扰动的对照样地）两种处理方式,通过野外定位监测方法,分别在玉米播种前及拔节期、抽雄期、吐丝期、灌浆期和成熟期,使用时域反射仪（TDR-300）在坡上、坡中、坡下3个坡位随机选点测定0～10 cm、10～20 cm、20～30 cm和30～40 cm土层的土壤体积含水率,并分析作物群体光合势（LAD）、叶片瞬时水分利用效率(LWUE)的相关响应。【结果】等高反坡阶措施下玉米群体光合势（LAD）高于对照样地,其中以坡中促进效果最为显著,平均增幅为19.3%,且在生长后期保持相对较高的LAD并持续较长时间;等高反坡阶样地玉米蒸腾速率（T_r）与对照样地无显著差异,但净光合速率（P_n）、叶片瞬时水分利用效率（LWUE）均高于原状坡耕地样地;等高反坡阶样地土壤水分表现为坡中＞坡下＞坡上,布设该措施后土壤水分增高,平均增幅为24.4%,同时提高了土壤水分有效性以及中效水和易效水的占比(90%);LWUE与P_n、LAD呈极显著正相关（P<0.01）,与土壤体积含水率呈显著正相关（P<0.05）。通径分析表明,P_n和土壤体积含水率对玉米LWUE起主导作用,等高反坡阶措施可以提高P_n和土壤水分,进而获得较高的LWUE。【结论】布设等高反坡阶措施可以提高坡耕地土壤水分,使玉米叶片维持较高的光合作用并保持最佳的生理状态,可以提高作物叶片瞬时水分利用效率并促进玉米生长发育,进而为玉米干物质生产奠定生理基础。     

粤北低山坡地营造梯田对土壤磷组分及有效性的影响

【目的】探明粤北低山坡地营造梯田对土壤磷形态分布特征和有效性的影响。【方法】选择该区域花岗岩发育的自然林地(FL)、旱作梯田(UT)和稻作梯田(PT)土壤为对象,对土壤剖面不同土层理化性质、磷组分含量及有效性进行测定。【结果】与自然林地FL相比,旱作梯田UT和稻作梯田PT土壤0～20 cm土层有效磷和磷活化系数(PAC)明显增加,以PT最高;3种利用方式土壤有机磷(OP)和无机磷(IP)在剖面中总体表现为"C"字型变化趋势,且均以表层土壤含量最高;与FL相比,UT和PT土壤以IP为主,Fe-P和O-P所占比例较高,其中O-P的比例从7.69%～13.58%上升到22.97%～41.96%;通径分析和冗余分析结果显示,OP是该区域土壤磷有效性的敏感磷源,而游离铁和有机碳是驱动土壤磷组分转化的关键性因子。【结论】粤北低山坡地营造梯田改变了磷在土壤剖面中的分配格局,提高了磷的有效性,也增加了土壤无效态磷的比例。     

Prey selectivity and diel feeding chronology of juvenile chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and coho (O. kisutch) salmon in the Columbia River plume

We studied salmon feeding selectivity and diel feeding chronology in the Columbia River plume. Juvenile chinook and coho salmon were caught by trawling at 2–3 h intervals throughout a diel period on three consecutive days (21–23 June 2000) at stations located 14.8 and 37 km offshore from the mouth of the Columbia River. A total of 170 chinook salmon were caught at the inshore and 79 chinook and 98 coho salmon were caught at the offshore station. After each trawl, potential prey were sampled at different depths with 2–3 different types of nets (1‐m diameter ring net, bongo net, neuston net). Despite the variability in zooplankton abundance, feeding selectivity was surprisingly constant. Both salmon species fed selectively on larger and pigmented prey such as hyperiid amphipods, larval and juvenile fish, various crab megalopae, and euphausiids. Hyperiid amphipods were abundant in the salmon diets and we hypothesize that aggregations of gelatinous zooplankton may facilitate the capture of commensal hyperiid amphipods. Small copepods and calyptopis and furcilia stages of euphausiids dominated the prey field by numbers, but were virtually absent from salmon diet. Juvenile chinook salmon, with increasing body size, consumed a larger proportion of fish. Stomach fullness peaked during morning hours and reached a minimum at night, suggesting a predominantly diurnal feeding pattern. In general, both chinook and coho salmon appear to be selective, diurnal predators, preying mostly on large and heavily pigmented prey items, in a manner consistent with visually oriented, size‐selective predation.     

Degradation of the crocodile population in the Olifants River Gorge of Kruger National Park,South Africa

• 1. Top predators such as crocodiles often reflect ecosystem degradation. The recent spate of close to 200 Nile crocodile deaths may reflect the ecosystem state of the Olifants–Letaba River system in the Kruger National Park. This paper investigates whether the crocodile deaths were indeed the consequence of a rare and perhaps acute event given the variability in annual population growth rates of crocodilians.
• 2. Spotlight‐ and helicopter‐based surveys designed to correct for availability and detectability bias were used to estimate population sizes of crocodiles from 2008 to 2010 in and around the Olifants River Gorge, the focal area of crocodile deaths.
• 3. Correction factors derived from individually observed crocodiles for both spotlight‐ and helicopter‐based counts were lower than those typically used for Nile crocodiles as well as other crocodile species. Even so, corrected spotlight‐ and helicopter‐based estimates were comparable and the number of crocodiles in the focal study area declined significantly from 780 (95% CI: 637–1222) to between 460 (spotlight estimate, 95% CI 375–665) and 505 (aerial estimate, 95% CI: 559–1746) during the period of crocodile deaths. The average annual decline of 35% was at the lower end of the distribution of annual population growth rates across the rivers of Kruger National Park.
• 4. The crocodile deaths reflect a possible rare event that suggests a degraded crocodile population, possibly the consequences of broad‐scale cascades of environmental deterioration of the Olifants–Letaba River system.
• 5. Even so, the potential risk of local demise of the population in the focal study area in the short term may be diminished through evolutionary, demographic and spatial resilience inherent within crocodiles that can accommodate the as yet unknown disease dynamics of pansteatitis. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

     

未来气候情景内蒙古蒸散和产水量的变化特征

评估预测区域蒸散变化趋势及其影响因素对干旱半干旱区的可持续发展至关重要。基于4种来自CMIP 5的全球气候模式数据和CLM 4.5模型,研究了在RCP 6.0和RCP 8.5情景下内蒙古地区2020—2099年的蒸散和产水量的时空变化特征及其影响因素。结果表明：在RCP 6.0和RCP 8.5情景下,未来内蒙古蒸散分别以0.37,0.69 mm/a速度增加（p<0.05）,呈西低东高分布。2种情景下产水量均无明显变化趋势（p>0.05）,但是存在明显显著的空间差异。空间上看,到21世纪末,在RCP 6.0情景下,全境产水量大部分地区呈增加趋势,在南部温带半干旱和半湿润区增加超过10 mm/a;但是在RCP 8.5情景下产水量减少区域占全境的46.32%,特别是干旱半干旱区和半湿润区产水量显著减少。蒸散影响因子存在较大区域差异,干旱半干旱区蒸散变化的主要影响因素是降水,半湿润区蒸散变化受降水和温度的共同影响,湿润区蒸散变化由温度主导;且在更高的升温情景下,增温影响进一步增加。同时,植被也是蒸散重要的影响因子,但其影响程度小于气候因子。