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.     

马尾松叶表微生物多样性

为发掘对林木生长发育有利的优良微生物资源,并筛选适合叶表微生物的收集方法,以马尾松针叶为试验材料,分别用悬摇法和超声波法收集马尾松叶表微生物,用扩增子高通量测序技术、MUSCLE和Qiime软件研究马尾松叶表微生物的多样性。结果表明:扫描电镜观测结果显示,马尾松针叶表面定殖有大量微生物,包括真菌(菌丝及孢子)和细菌。扩增子高通量测序结果表明,马尾松叶表微生物物种丰富,包含细菌运算分类单位(OTUs)490个,真菌OTUs 1273个。马尾松叶表细菌以未分类的蓝细菌属(unidentified_Cyanobacteria)(36.53%)、未分类的拜叶林克氏菌属(unidentified_Beijerinckia)(28.60%)、鞘氨醇单胞菌属(Sphingomonas)(2.35%)为优势属;叶表真菌以枝孢属(Cladosporium)(2.45%)、拟盘多毛孢属(Pestalotiopsis)(0.92%)、无头孢菌属(Capnobotryella)(0.91%)为优势属。针对叶表细菌多样性的研究表明,悬摇法和超声波法均有较高的物种检出度;在叶表真菌多样性的研究中超声波法优于悬摇法,但超声波法样品间数据变异性较大,测定结果不稳定。     

基于有限元的汽车扭臂热锻工艺研究

文章以汽车扭杆力臂为研究对象,通过DEFORM-3D有限元分析对汽车扭杆力臂热锻工艺过程进行模拟试验,分析了成形过程中的上模载荷情况、应力应变场分布情况和温度场的变化规律。以提高产品质量和降低载荷为主要目的,给出合理的热加工参数,分析结果能为类似锻件的热模锻工艺和模具设计提供依据。     

病原微生物荚膜多糖的生物学功能

荚膜多糖（capsular polysaccharide，CPS）是一种广泛存在于细菌、支原体、部分真菌等菌体表面的碳水化合物。同时，荚膜多糖有助于菌体抵抗干燥和低温等不利环境，并通过在菌体表面形成物理屏障阻碍宿主补体的杀伤与吞噬作用。在长期多种应激-压力环境下，病原菌已进化出多种免疫逃避机制并促进宿主感染；在非病原微生物中，荚膜多糖可正向调节宿主免疫作用，并拮抗机体免疫因子，保护宿主免受病原菌引起的炎症性疾病。本文将结合本团队的相关研究工作，对荚膜多糖的结构、合成调控机制、生物学功能、免疫逃避机制和致病机制，特别是荚膜多糖正向调节宿主免疫系统及其应用潜力等方面作一综述，为病原菌致病机制的研究和疫病的有效防控提供参考依据。     

新疆机采棉加工工艺对棉花质量的影响

为了研究新疆机采棉加工工艺在清理杂质的同时对棉花品质的影响，围绕典型的新疆机采棉加工工艺，从4道籽棉清理前后、轧花前后、3道皮棉清理前后等环节取样、测试，探讨棉花品质指标（含杂率、上半部平均长度、长度整齐度指数、断裂比强度）在新疆机采棉加工过程中的变化规律，分析含杂率与棉纤维上半部平均长度、长度整齐度指数、断裂比强度之间变化的相关性。结果表明：新疆机采棉加工工艺在清理杂质的同时，降低了棉纤维的上半部平均长度、长度整齐度指数、断裂比强度，其中含杂率与棉纤维上半部平均长度、长度整齐度指数相关极显著。认为：以此定量分析为参考依据，结合各地机采棉品质特征调整新疆机采棉加工工艺，增加籽棉清理道次，适当减少皮棉清理道次，可在保证杂质清理效果的同时，提高棉花品质。     

墨脱县农田土壤养分现状与分布特征

本研究利用2017年墨脱县农田测土配方项目土壤调查数据,运用地统计学方法研究了墨脱县耕层土壤有机质(SOM)、碱解氮(AN)、速效磷(AP)和速效钾(AK)养分含量现状及分布特征,以期为墨脱县耕地土壤科学合理施肥提供理论依据。结果表明:当前墨脱全县土壤SOM、AN、AP和AK平均含量为89.18 g/kg、201.25 mg/kg、11.23 mg/kg、313.17 mg/kg;90%的土壤样本有机质含量处于丰富水平;83%的土壤样本碱解氮含量处于丰富、稍丰等级;84%的土壤样本速效磷含量在中等及中等以下肥力水平;46%的土壤样本速效钾含量处于中等及以下水平。从空间分布来看,土壤SOM、AK总体上呈现西高东低,AN含量由北至南呈升高趋势,土壤AP整体上没有明显的空间变化规律。墨脱县耕地土壤养分整体表现为有机质含量丰富,氮素养分较丰富,磷素养分缺乏现象普遍,钾素养分部分区域缺乏。为提升墨脱县耕地土壤肥力水平,各乡镇应该因地制宜进行土壤培肥。     

Exogenous application of allelopathic water extracts helps improving tolerance against terminal heat and drought stresses in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L. Em. Thell.)

The allelopathic water extracts (AWEs) may help improve the tolerance of crop plants against abiotic stresses owing to the presence of the secondary metabolites (i.e., allelochemicals). We conducted four independent experiments to evaluate the influence of exogenous application of AWEs (applied through seed priming or foliage spray) in improving the terminal heat and drought tolerance in bread wheat. In all the experiments, two wheat cultivars, viz. Mairaj‐2008 (drought and heat tolerant) and Faisalabad‐2008 (drought and heat sensitive), were raised in pots. Both wheat cultivars were raised under ambient conditions in the wire house till leaf boot stage (booting) by maintaining the pots at 75% water‐holding capacity (WHC). Then, managed drought and heat stresses were imposed by maintaining the pots at 35% WHC, or shifting the pots inside the glass canopies (at 75% WHC), at booting, anthesis and the grain filling stages. Drought stress reduced the grain yield of wheat by 39%–49%. Foliar application of AWEs improved the grain yield of wheat by 26%–31%, while seed priming with AWEs improved the grain yield by 18%–26%, respectively, than drought stress. Terminal heat stress reduced the grain yield of wheat by 38%. Seed priming with AWEs improved the grain yield by 21%–27%; while foliar application of AWEs improved the grain yield by 25%–29% than the heat stress treatment. In conclusion, the exogenous application of AWEs improved the stay green, accumulation of proline, soluble phenolics and glycine betaine, which helped to stabilize the biological membranes and improved the tolerance against terminal drought and heat stresses.     

Calibration and validation of optical chlorophyll‐measuring devices for use in predicting crude protein concentration in tropical grass herbage

The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the Fieldscout CM 1000 NDVI and Yara N‐Tester as easy‐to‐use and cost‐effective tools for predicting foliar chlorophylls (a, b and total) and crude protein (CP) concentrations in herbage from three tropical grass species. Optical chlorophyll measurements were taken at three stages (4, 8 and 12 weeks) of regrowth maturity in Guinea grass (Panicum maximum) and Mulato II (Brachiaria hybrid) and at 6 and 12 weeks maturity in Paspalum spp (Paspalum atratum). Grass samples were harvested subsequent to optical measurements for laboratory analysis to determine CP and solvent‐extractable chlorophylls (a, b and total) concentrations. Optical chlorophyll measurements and CP concentrations were highly correlated (Yara N‐Tester: r² = 0·77–0·89; Fieldscout CM 1000 NDVI: r² = 0·52–0·84). Crude protein prediction models from the Yara N‐Tester and Fieldscout CM 1000 NDVI accounted for 70–89% and 44–73% CP variability, respectively, in Mulato II and Guinea grass. The Yara N‐tester produced more accurate and reliable CP estimates based on very high concordance correlation coefficient [CCC (0·73–0·91)] and low rMSPE, mean and regression bias. It is concluded that the Yara N‐Tester produces more accurate and reliable CP estimates of tropical pastures.     

Vole abundance and reindeer carcasses determine breeding activity of Arctic foxes in low Arctic Yamal,Russia

Background

High latitude ecosystems are at present changing rapidly under the influence of climate warming, and specialized Arctic species at the southern margin of the Arctic may be particularly affected. The Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus), a small mammalian predator endemic to northern tundra areas, is able to exploit different resources in the context of varying tundra ecosystems. Although generally widespread, it is critically endangered in subarctic Fennoscandia, where a fading out of the characteristic lemming cycles and competition with abundant red foxes have been identified as main threats. We studied an Arctic fox population at the Erkuta Tundra Monitoring site in low Arctic Yamal (Russia) during 10 years in order to determine which resources support the breeding activity in this population. In the study area, lemmings have been rare during the last 15 years and red foxes are nearly absent, creating an interesting contrast to the situation in Fennoscandia.

Results

Arctic fox was breeding in nine of the 10 years of the study. The number of active dens was on average 2.6 (range 0–6) per 100 km² and increased with small rodent abundance. It was also higher after winters with many reindeer carcasses, which occurred when mortality was unusually high due to icy pastures following rain-on-snow events. Average litter size was 5.2 (SD = 2.1). Scat dissection suggested that small rodents (mostly Microtus spp.) were the most important prey category. Prey remains observed at dens show that birds, notably waterfowl, were also an important resource in summer.

Conclusions

The Arctic fox in southern Yamal, which is part of a species-rich low Arctic food web, seems at present able to cope with a state shift of the small rodent community from high amplitude cyclicity with lemming dominated peaks, to a vole community with low amplitude fluctuations. The estimated breeding parameters characterized the population as intermediate between the lemming fox and the coastal fox ecotype. Only continued ecosystem-based monitoring will reveal their fate in a changing tundra ecosystem.

     

Impact of grassland contract policy on soil organic carbon losses from alpine grassland on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau

Carbon storage in the soils on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau plays a very important role in the global carbon budget. In the 1990s, a policy of contracting collective grasslands to smaller units was implemented, resulting in a change from the traditional collective grassland management to two new management patterns: a multi‐household management pattern (MMP: grassland shared by several households without enclosures) and a single‐household management pattern (SMP: grassland enclosed and used by only one household). In 2016, 50 MMP and 54 SMP winter pastures on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau were sampled to assess the differences in soil organic carbon (SOC) between the two management patterns. Results showed that average SOC was significantly greater under MMP than under SMP, with an estimated 0.41 Mg C/ha/yr lost due to SMP following the new grassland contract. Based on the government's grassland policy, four grassland utilization scenarios were developed for both summer and winter pastures. We found that if the grassland were managed under SMP, likely C losses ranged between 0.31 × 10⁷ and 6.15 × 10⁷ Mg C/yr across the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau relative to MMP, which more closely resembles pre‐1990s grassland management. Previous estimates of C losses have only considered land use change (with cover change) and ignored the impacts driven by land management pattern changes (without cover change). The new data suggest that C losses from the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau are greater than previously estimated, and therefore that the grassland contract policy should be reviewed and SMP households should be encouraged to reunite into the MMP. These findings have potential implications for land management strategies not only on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau but also other grazing regions globally where such practices may exist.