Investigation of environmental and land use impacts in forested permafrost headwaters of the Selenga-Baikal river system,Mongolia - Effects on discharge,water quality and macroinvertebrate diversity

Headwater streams play a major role for provision of ecosystem services, e.g. drinking water. We investigated a high-altitude headwater catchment of the Kharaa River (including 41 1st-order rivers) to understand the impact of land cover (especially forest cover), environment and human usage on runoff, chemical water quality and macroinvertebrate fauna in a river basin under discontinuous permafrost conditions in an arid, sparsely populated region of Mongolia. To verify our hypotheses that different landuses and environmental impacts in permafrost headwaters influence water quality, we investigated 105 sampling sites, 37 of them at intermittent stream sections without water flow. Discharge was positively impacted by land cover types steppe, grassland and forest and negatively by shrubland, forest burnt by wild fires (indicating a reduction of permafrost) and slope. Water quality was affected by altitude, longitude and latitude, shrub growth and water temperature. Shannon diversity of macroinvertebrates was driven by water temperature, iron content of the water, flow velocity, and subbasin size (adjusted R² = 0.54). Sample plots clustered in three groups that differed in water chemistry, macroinvertebrate diversity, species composition and bio-indicators. Our study confirms that steppes and grasslands have a higher contribution to runoff than forests, forest cover has a positive impact on water quality, and diversity of macroinvertebrates is higher in sites with less nutrients and pollutants. The excellent ecological status of the upper reaches of the Kharaa is severely threatened by forest fires and human-induced climate change and urgently needs to be conserved.     

Poorly crystalline iron and aluminium oxides contribute to the carbon saturation and sorption of dissolved organic carbon in the soil

Soil carbon (C) saturation implies an upper limit to a soil's capacity to store C depending on the contents of silt + clay and poorly crystalline Fe and Al oxides. We hypothesized that the poorly crystalline Fe and Al oxides in silt + clay fraction increased the C saturation and thus reduced the capacity of the soil to sorb additional C input. To test the hypothesis, we studied the sorption of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) on silt + clay fractions (<53 µm) of highly weathered oxic soils, collected from three different land uses (i.e., improved pasture, cropping and forest). Soils with high carbon saturation desorbed 38% more C than soils with low C saturation upon addition of DOC, whereas adsorption of DOC was only observed at higher concentration (>15 g kg^?1). While high Al oxide concentration significantly increased both the saturation and desorption of DOC, the high Fe oxide concentration significantly increased the desorption of DOC, supporting the proposition that both oxides have influence on the DOC sorption in soil. Our findings provide a new insight into the chemical control of stabilization and destabilization of DOC in soil.     

河南省农业干旱脆弱性分析

为减轻旱灾损失,根据2005、2015年河南省统计与气象数据,采用10项指标和灰色关联分析法,以最劣值为参照系列分析了该省农业旱灾脆弱性。结果表明,豫西的济源、三门峡、洛阳,豫东的开封、漯河与豫北的鹤壁是河南省干旱脆弱性较强的区域,而豫东南的商丘、驻马店、信阳,豫北的新乡、豫西南的南阳则脆弱性较弱,其他地区居于两者之间;2005—2015年河南省干旱脆弱性呈明显的增加趋势。河南省是中国粮食生产核心区,首先要依靠科技创新,大力发展节水农业、循环农业;其次要重视水资源的节约与保护、加大农业投入以降低干旱的脆弱性,确保粮食安全。     

Root distribution patterns of peanut genotypes with different drought resistance levels under early‐season drought stress

Drought severely limits crop yield of peanut. Yet cultivars with enhanced root development enable the exploration of a greater volume of soil for water and nutrients, helping the plant survive. Root distribution patterns of three genotypes (ICGV 98305, ICGV 98324 and Tifton‐8) were compared when grown in well‐watered rhizoboxes and when grown in rhizoboxes where an early‐season drought was imposed using rain‐exclusion shelters. The treatments were arranged in a completely randomized design with three replications, and the experiment was conducted during two seasons at the Field Crop Research Station of Khon Kaen University, in Khon Kaen, Thailand. The root system of ICGV 98305, when grown under drought, had a significantly higher root length in the 30–110 cm deep soil layers and less roots in the 0–30 cm soil layers when under drought than when grown under well‐watered conditions. Roots of Tifton‐8 had the largest reductions in root length in upper soil layer and reduced in most soil layers. Tifton‐8 grown under drought was smaller than under well‐watered control for all root traits, showing negative response to drought. The peanut genotypes with high root traits in deeper soil layer under early‐season drought might contribute to drought avoidance mechanism.     

Straw mulching with fertilizer nitrogen: An approach for improving crop yield,soil nutrients and enzyme activities

Field experiments were conducted to study soil properties, soil enzymes activities, water use efficiency (WUE) and crop productivity after six years of soya bean straw mulching in the semi‐arid conditions of China. The experiment included four treatments: CK (Control), N (240 kg N ha^‐1), H (soya bean straw mulching at half rate 700 kg ha^‐1 with 240 kg N ha^‐1) and F (soya bean straw mulching at full rate 1,400 kg ha^‐1 with 240 kg N ha^‐1). Soil organic carbon (SOC), soil labile organic carbon (LOC), soil available N (AN), available P (AP) and enzyme activities were analysed after wheat harvesting in 2016 and 2017. Results show that straw amounts had positive effects on the soil fertility indices being higher for treatment F. The SOC, LOC, AN, AP and enzyme activities (i.e. saccharase, urease and alkaline phosphatase) were in the order of F > H > N > CK. High wheat grain yield and WUE were observed for F treatment. A total of six years mulching along with 240 kg ha^‐1 nitrogen fertilizer application is sufficient for wheat yield stability and improving soil properties except urease activities in the semi‐arid condition of China. However, the straw mulching amount should be further studied with minimum nitrogen fertilizer for an environment‐friendly and effective approach for improving the soil biological properties with adequate crop production on a sustainable basis in the semi‐arid region of China.     

Changes in soil and water quality at sediment–water interface of Penaeus vannamei culture pond at varying salinities

The health of the pond environment in shrimp farming is important for sustainable and profitable aquaculture, in which sediment–water interface is the most important influencing area. With this objective, the key parameters of water and sediment at the interface was studied in shrimp ponds with varying salinities and compared with the surface water and soil to understand the variations and the underlying causes. Total ammonia nitrogen and total alkalinity were higher in water at the interface as compared to surface water, whereas pH, nitrite, oxide forms of nitrogen (NO₃), phosphorus (PO₄) and oxidizing bacteria were observed to be lower. There was no significant difference with respect to macrominerals such as sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium between water at the interface and surface. These changes are profoundly influenced by the uppermost 1.0‐cm thick sediment layer, where the maximum transition of nutrients takes place with the water column. The outcome of the study highlights the effectiveness of water sampling for metabolites at the interface, which reflects at an early stage any potential deterioration of pond environment, which will help the farmer to initiate timely mitigation measures.     

抗旱节水小麦分子遗传育种研究进展

干旱缺水等自然灾害会导致小麦产量年度间变幅较大,尤其在小麦主产区黄淮地区更为严重。小麦抗旱节水育种是应对干旱的重大措施。本综述对小麦抗旱节水常规育种、抗旱节水分子遗传育种相关性状QTL定位、抗旱相关功能基因克隆鉴定、转基因等方面的研究进展进行了综述。水旱亲本杂交与异地交叉选择是卓有成效的常规育种方法,通过分子标记鉴定了关于根重、根长、胚芽鞘、高水分利用效率等相关性状的大量QTL;42个抗旱相关基因被克隆并进行基因功能分析和验证,均从不同代谢通路上影响着小麦抗旱性;14个来自不同供体的抗旱相关基因被研究者导入小麦品种后,转基因小麦植株的抗旱能力均得到不同程度的提高,部分植株在产量和其它抗逆性方面也得到提高。以上研究进展为抗旱节水小麦分子设计育种提供了理论依据和发展方向。     

京津冀一次区域性暴雨特征分析

利用FNL再分析资料、卫星资料和自动站资料对2019年7月22~23日京津冀一次区域性暴雨过程进行了环流形势、卫星云图、动热力结构的分析。结果表明:此次暴雨发生在500hPa两槽一脊、副热带高压北抬、低空急流的大尺度环流背景下。西南方向的水汽输送和黄渤海的补充水汽为暴雨提供了良好的水汽条件,在河北中部的水汽辐合抬升则为暴雨提供了抬升条件。此次暴雨的产生受中尺度对流云团的连续生成合并影响,降水效率高。在暴雨中心整层表现为低层辐合、高层辐散,上升速度中心明显,使得高层的抽吸作用更强,更有利于上升运动的维持与发展,为降水强度增大提供了有力的动力条件,高空弱冷空气的入侵对能量锋区不稳定能量的释放起到了触发作用。     

自然生草桃园表层土壤水分和草地地上生物量的空间分布及其关系

【目的】阐明桃树果园短期自然生草条件下土壤水分空间分布特征及其与草地地上生物量的关系。【方法】以信阳沙壤土五月鲜桃园为研究对象,在冬春季短期自然生草条件下,采用1 m×1 m网格采样法,以经典统计学和地统计学半方差函数为工具,研究表层(0~5 cm)土壤水分和草地地上生物量空间分布特征。【结果】表层(0~5 cm)土壤含水量和地上草地生物量符合正态分布,平均体积含水量为10.08%,95%置信区间为9.84%~10.32%,变异系数为16.36%,0.2 m×0.2 m草地地上生物量均值为9.17 g,变异系数为56.71%。区域田块尺度上,自然生草桃园草地地上生物量和表层(0~5 cm)土壤水分空间分布均符合指数函数模型,模型块金值/基台值分别为0.477 3和0.499 8,变程分别为7.20和2.51。即二者均具有中等程度的空间依赖性,草地地上生物量较表层(0~5 cm)土壤含水量具有更强的空间依赖性。克里格插值结果表明,表层(0~5 cm)土壤含水量和草地地上生物量空间上呈斑块状分布,且表现为距离树体越远值越大的分布特征。相关分析结果表明,地上生物量与表层(0~5 cm)土壤含水量之间极显著正相关(P<0.001)。【结论】果园短期自然生草有利于保蓄表层土壤水分,改善土壤水分条件,草地地上生物量是影响果园表层土壤水分空间分布的重要因素。     

Habitat associations of the Threatened pugnose minnow (Opsopoeodus emiliae) at the northern edge of the species range

Pugnose minnow (Opsopoeodus emiliae) is a small, reclusive species that is widespread in North America, but is one of the rarest fishes in Canada, found in less than 12 known localities in southwestern Ontario. In contrast to most pugnose minnow populations across the global range, Canadian populations are primarily found in turbid systems, potentially indicating persistence in suboptimal conditions. We used data from a multi-gear species and habitat survey in the Canard River, Ontario, a system dominated by agricultural inputs and the best-known capture site of the species in Canada, to parameterise multi-gear occupancy models for understanding the relationship between pugnose minnow occupancy and microhabitat features, including the role of turbidity. Almost 300 pugnose minnow were captured, representing the largest single collection of the species in Canadian history. The best occupancy model indicated that the probability of pugnose minnow occupancy was highest in the deepest sites with the lowest water clarity (i.e. high turbidity); however, competing models suggested that occupancy was highest at sites with wild celery (Vallisneria americana) and higher water clarity, signifying that habitats with low turbidity may be utilised if sufficient physical cover exists. Together, our results suggest that Canadian pugnose minnow populations occupy and potentially favour turbid conditions, possibly to avoid visual predators in clearer habitats. It remains uncertain whether this abiotic association represents a long-term, viable, local adaptation or whether persistence of pugnose minnow in the Canard River is at risk unless significant water quality improvements can be made.