Effect of crop residue biochar on soil acidity amelioration in strongly acidic tea garden soils

Strongly acidic soil (e.g. pH < 5.0) is detrimental to tea productivity and quality. Wheat, rice and peanut biochar produced at low temperature (max 300 °C) and differing in alkalinity content were incorporated into Xuan‐cheng (Ultisol; initial pH_{soil/water = 1/2.5} 4.12) and Ying‐tan soil (Ultisol; initial pH _{soil/water = 1/2.5} 4.75) at 10 and 20 g/kg (w/w) to quantify their liming effect and evaluate their effectiveness for acidity amelioration of tea garden soils. After a 65‐day incubation at 25 °C, biochar application significantly (P < 0.05) increased soil pH and exchangeable cations and reduced Al saturation of both tea soils. Association of H⁺ ions with biochar and decarboxylation processes was likely to be the main factor neutralizing soil acidity. Further, biochar application reduced acidity production from the N cycle. Significant (P < 0.05) increases in exchangeable cations and reductions in exchangeable acidity and Al saturation were observed as the rate of biochar increased, but there were no further effects on soil pH. The lack of change in soil pH at the higher biochar rate may be due to the displacement of exchangeable acidity and the high buffering capacity of biochar, thereby retarding a further liming effect. Hence, a significant linear correlation between reduced exchangeable acidity and alkalinity balance was found in biochar‐amended soils (P < 0.05). Low‐temperature biochar of crop residues is suggested as a potential amendment to ameliorate acidic tea garden soils.     

Short and long‐term distribution with depth of soil organic carbon and nutrients under traditional and conservation tillage in a Mediterranean environment (southwest Spain)

The impacts of tillage and cropping sequences on soil organic matter and nutrients have been frequently reported to affect the uppermost soil layers, but there is little published information concerning effects at greater depth. This article reports results on the distribution of soil organic carbon (SOC), active carbon (AC), N, Olsen‐P and extractable K within 100 cm in short (4 yr) and long (16 yr) term experiments under different tillage systems. Short (TT₄) and long (TT₁₆) traditional tillage are compared with conservation tillage, reduced (RT₁₆) and non‐tillage (NT₄). The results show more accumulation of SOC in the near‐surface under RT₁₆ and NT₄ in both experiments compared with traditional tillage. Moreover, greater C content occurs to 40 cm depth in the long‐term experiment. The results demonstrate the importance of time on C accumulation, not only in near‐surface layers but also at greater depths. Active C is an indicator of the increase in soil quality in the long‐term experiment. This trend is only apparent for the first 10 cm in the short‐term experiment. Patterns in N, Olsen‐P and extractable K are similar to that of SOC. However, only extractable K is significantly greater in soil under conservation tillage (RT₁₆ and NT₄) after short and long periods. Potassium availability is a good indicator of the changes caused by tillage. Our results indicate that studies of soils at depth could be very useful in long‐term experiments to demonstrate the effect of conservation tillage on C and nutrient distribution.     

Direct impacts of recent climate warming on insect populations

Effects of recent climate change have already been detected in many species, and, in particular, in insects. The present paper reviews the key impacts of global warming on insect development and dispersal. The effects of climate change appear to be much more complex than a simple linear response to an average increase in temperature. They can differ between seasons and bioclimatic regions. Earlier flight periods, enhanced winter survival and acceleration of development rates are the major insect responses. Differential response of insects and hosts to warming up might also lead to disruption of their phenological synchrony, but adaptive genetic processes are likely to quickly restore this synchrony. In a number of cases, warming results in removing or relocating the barriers that limit present species' ranges. It is also likely to facilitate the establishment and spread of invasive alien species. Finally, knowledge gaps are identified and future research interests are suggested.     

Anthropogenic effects on the physical and chemical properties of subtropical coastal urban soils

We investigated the effects of various anthropogenic factors on urban soil properties in subtropical, coastal Tampa, FL, USA. Specifically, we explored the influence of (i) urbanization as measured by land use, land cover, population density and years since urban development and (ii) socioeconomic conditions as reflected in household income and property values on bulk density (BD) and several key soil chemical properties. Results indicate that Tampa’s urban soils were affected to varying degrees by these factors with chemical properties being more variable than BD. Across land uses significant differences were found for Mehlich‐1 (M1) extractable P, Ca and Na. A similar trend was observed for land‐cover classes, although significant differences were also found for pH and M1‐Cu. Soil properties had no statistically significant relationship with population density. However, time since urbanization did with M1‐P and Na varying significantly across age categories. For our socioeconomic analyses, M1‐K and Mg levels differed significantly by household income while pH, P, Ca and Na values differed significantly by property value. Overall, our findings indicate that despite their inherent heterogeneity, there are identifiable patterns among subtropical coastal urban soil properties. We suggest that a more thorough understanding of these patterns and their drivers is an essential first step towards developing soil management strategies aimed at maintaining environmental quality and ecosystem services in subtropical cities.     

庐山自然保护区秋色叶树种观赏特性及其园林造景应用

介绍庐山保护区秋色叶树种观赏特性,从造景的角度,探讨秋色叶树种在园林中的应用,并提出开发对策。     

日本大耳白兔TLR3部分cDNA克隆及mRNA在组织中的分布

采用RT—PCR技术从日本大耳白兔的脾脏组织克隆出兔的Toll样受体基因3（命名为。TLR3），并对其mRNA在兔的17种组织中的分布情况进行了检测。结果显示，RTLR3核苷酸序列与GenBank中登载的穴兔（Oryctolagus cuniculus）TLR3序列（登录号：NM_001082219）相似性为100％；兔的胸腺、脾脏、睾丸等14种组织中检测出TLR3 mRNA的转录产物，而在骨骼、胃和皮肤中未能发现。推导的氨基酸序列同源性比对表明，兔TLR3与人、野猪、牛、猫、褐鼠等动物的同源性最高，为80％-85％；与原鸡同源性次之，为61％；与草鱼、绿河豚等同源性在45％～48％之间；系统进化树分析表明，兔TLR3与马的亲缘关系最接近，与猪、人／绵羊、牛、猩猩／猫的亲缘关系依次渐远，与鼠的亲缘关系最远。可见，TLR3在不同种属动物及不同组织中所起的作用具有生物多样性。     

渭南市建立旅游双核结构的可行性

区域双核结构模型的提出丰富了经济区域空间结构的理论模式,对于区域经济开发具有重要的现实指导意义。从旅游业经济分析入手,选取渭南市作为研究区域,在对渭南市旅游业资源空间分布和发展现状分析的基础上,提出了渭南市构建"华阴—合阳"双核型旅游空间结构的构想。     

Potential carbon stock in Japanese forest soils – simulated impact of forest management and climate change using the CENTURY model

Forest management and climate change may have a substantial impact on future soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks at the country scale. Potential SOC in Japanese forest soils was regionally estimated under nine forest managements and a climate change scenario using the CENTURY ecosystem model. Three rotations (30, 50, 100 yr) and three thinning regimes were tested: no‐thinning; 30% of the trees cut in the middle of the rotation (e.g. 15 year in a 30‐yr rotation) and thinned trees all left as litter or slash (ThinLef) and the trees from thinning removed from the forest (ThinRem). A climate change scenario was tested (ca. 3 °C increase in air temperature and 9% increase in precipitation). The model was run at 1 km resolution using climate, vegetation and soil databases. The estimated SOC stock ranged from 1600 to 1830 TgC (from 6800 to 7800 gC/m²), and the SOC stock was largest with the longest rotation and was largest under ThinLef with all three rotations. Despite an increase in net primary production, the SOC stock decreased by 5% under the climate change scenario.     

Soil conservation on road embankments using palm‐mat geotextiles: field studies in Lithuania

The application of geotextile mats constructed from the palm leaves of Borassus aethiopum (Borassus) and Mauritia flexuosa (Buriti) was investigated in field experiments. The use of geotextiles caused improved soil moisture storage during dry summer periods on a steep (21–25°) roadside slope in Lithuania. The enhanced soil moisture under the Borassus and Buriti mats encouraged better root development of perennial grasses, increased the number and weight of earthworms and increased the dry biomass of perennial grasses by 50.5 and 18.2%, respectively, compared with a grassland control. The mean rate of water erosion from bare soil during the study period from 17/04/2007 to 11/12/2008 was 33.21 Mg/ha. The cover of palm‐mat geotextiles decreased soil losses from bare fallow soil by 94.8–91.1%. An erosion rate of 0.85 Mg/ha over this 21‐month period was measured on the slope under perennial grasses without geotextile cover. Application of geotextile cover on perennial grasses completely prevented soil erosion by water. Therefore, use of geotextiles has clear soil and water conservation benefits on industrial slopes susceptible to erosion. The use of geotextiles has multiple benefits including soil conservation, the improvement of plant growth conditions and the encouragement of earthworm populations.     

Extent and causes of site damage due to forestry traffic

Increased mechanization in the forestry means usually increased traffic on a ground which is also used as a growth substrate. In this state‐of‐the‐art article it is found that the traffic could have an areal extent of 10–30% of the site area mainly due to yarding at clear‐felling and thinning. In the future there could be up to 6 machine entries on the site till a stand age of 50 year.

Skidding is often recognized as the major cause of soil disturbance with 50–75% of the skid trails considered as apparently compacted. Rut formation after forwarders can also be a problem but harvesters seems to be forgotten or give minor problems.

In order to reduce soil compaction smaller machines must be considered on many sites. Maybe 5–10 tonnes machines with a real mean ground pressure of 60–70 kPa could give, thanks to good tyres, an acceptable level of soil disturbance.

High tractive forces and slip may contribute to the soil disturbance as much as double the ground pressure. Calculations show it is therefore better to carry the load than to skid. However, the change in weight balance of the machine due to the load is still a problem and maybe anti‐slip control could give the machine a better torque distribution.