Responses of subshrub sagebrush rangeland in North-Western China to changes in livestock numbers and rainfall over 10 years (2004–2013)

Seriphidium transiliense, or subshrub sagebrush, is one of the most important forage resources for livestock in many arid lands, but such resources have been threatened by overgrazing for a long time. A 2013 vegetation survey of an original sagebrush rangeland (2400?ha) in the Tianshan Mountains revealed that nearly half of the area once under sagebrush has been replaced by annual species. This is due to the continual and rapid increase in livestock numbers over the past 30?years. Three smaller sites with different grazing scenarios: no grazing (Site N), a decline (Site 1), and an increase (Site 2) in livestock numbers, were selected to monitor recent changes (from 2004 to 2013) in vegetation biomass and the degree of dominance by sagebrush. Supplanting happened at Site 2 but little occurred at Site 1. There were significant differences between Site 2 and Site 1 in standing biomass in Spring and Summer, but no significant differences in Summer between Site 1 and Site N. The supplanting of sagebrush marks the completion of a dynamic process – in which rainfall plays a crucial role – of damage to sagebrush from heavy grazing in drought years and its rehabilitation by light grazing in some good years. Plant biomass loss was greatest when the land was first subjected to heavy grazing. Sagebrush tends to exist as a sole-dominant species rather than a companion species in sagebrush communities. This suggests that sagebrush continued to survive in pockets where grazing pressure had declined.     

Changes in the relationship between species richness and belowground biomass among grassland types and along environmental gradients in Xinjiang,Northwest China

The association between biodiversity and belowground biomass (BGB) remains a central debate in ecology. In this study, we compared the variations in species richness (SR) and BGB as well as their interaction in the top (0-20 cm), middle (20-50 cm) and deep (50-100 cm) soil depths among 8 grassland types (lowland meadow, temperate desert, temperate desert steppe, temperate steppe desert, temperate steppe, temperate meadow steppe, mountain meadow and alpine steppe) and along environmental gradients (elevation, energy condition (annual mean temperature (AMT) and potential evapotranspiration (PET)), and mean annual precipitation (MAP)) based on a 2011-2013 survey of 379 sites in Xinjiang, Northwest China. The SR and BGB varied among the grassland types. The alpine steppe had a medium level of SR but the highest BGB in the top soil depth, whereas the lowland meadow had the lowest SR but the highest BGB in the middle and deep soil depths. The SR and BGB in the different soil depths were tightly associated with elevation, MAP and energy condition; however, the particular forms of trends in SR and BGB depended on environmental factors and soil depths. The relationship between SR and BGB was unimodal in the top soil depth, but SR was positively related with BGB in the middle soil depth. Although elevation, MAP, energy condition and SR had significant effects on BGB, the variations in BGB in the top soil depth were mostly determined by elevation, and those in the middle and deep soil depths were mainly affected by energy condition. These findings highlight the importance of environmental factors in the regulations of SR and BGB as well as their interaction in the grasslands in Xinjiang.     

4种荒漠植物种子出苗和幼苗生长对沙埋深度的响应

通过室内试验测定了黑果枸杞、沙冬青、沙蒿、霸王4种荒漠植物的种子生理特征以及沙埋深度（0、1、2、3、4、5 cm）对4种荒漠植物种子出苗及幼苗生长的影响。结果表明，体积较大的沙冬青和霸王种子萌发率与其重量、含水量、形状及活性间存在正相关关系；体积较小的黑果枸杞、沙蒿萌发率与种子重量、含水量、形状之间为正相关关系，与种子活性负相关。随着沙埋深度增加，4种植物种子出苗率下降、首次出苗时间延迟，茎高、绝对株高和根长及根冠比总体呈先增大后减小的趋势；幼苗生长方面，黑果枸杞和沙蒿分别适宜于1～2、0～1 cm的浅层沙埋，均在沙埋深度5 cm时种子几乎不萌发；沙冬青、霸王则适宜于3～4 cm较深层沙埋，在沙埋0 cm时均不萌发。此外，在荒漠区采用这4种植物进行植被恢复时，除考虑种子自身性状外，还应充分考虑当地的沙埋、降雨等条件，以提高出苗率、增大幼苗定植率。     

Micropropagation of Prunus scoparia,a Suitable Rootstock for Almond under Drought Conditions

Prunus scoparia is a wild deciduous shrub, usually living on dry calcareous soils of the rocky mountains and has been used as a grafting rootstock for domesticated almonds to provide drought resistance. In the current study, micropropagation ability of P. scoparia was investigated using cytokinin and auxin. Uniform nodal shoot pieces (3–5 cm in length) of seedlings were used as explants. The explants were disinfected with 10% sodium hypochlorite solution. For adventitious shoot induction and proliferation, Murashige and Skoog (MS) media containing 7.00 g/l agar and 30.00 g/l sucrose containing five concentrations of benzyl adenine (BA) (0.00, 0.50, 1.00, 2.00, and 4.00 mg/1) and also containing six concentrations of Thidiazuron (TDZ) (0.00, 0.50, 1.00, 2.00, 5.00, and 7.00 mg/1) were compared. For rooting, in vitro shoots (2–3 cm) were transferred into ½ MS medium supplemented with 30 g/l sucrose, 7.50 g/l agar, and different concentrations of IBA (0.00, 0.25, 0.50, and 1.00 mg/l) and NAA (0.00, 0.25, 0.50, and 1.00 mg/l). Based on the results obtained for shoot proliferation, only 2.00 and 4.00 mg/l BA and 2.00 mg/l TDZ concentrations generated shoots, while other treatments did not show shoot proliferation. Among the three treatments that generated shoots, the best results for shoot number, leaf number, and leaf color quality were observed in media containing 2.00 mg/l TDZ. Based on the results obtained for rooting, the effect of IBA concentrations on the rooting percentage, root number, and root length was significant. Among IBA concentrations, only 0.50 mg/l IBA induced rooting, while there was no rooting in the media containing other IBA concentrations. None of the NAA concentrations showed rooting. In conclusion, MS culture medium supplemented with 2.00 mg/l TDZ and ½ MS culture medium supplemented with 0.50 mg/l IBA are suggested for in vitro shoot proliferation and rooting of P. scoparia, respectively. The results presented herein could be used for in vitro selection and micropropagation of P. scoparia.     

极小种群野生植物八蕊单室茱萸的种群状况研究

八蕊单室茱萸为云南省特有的极小种群野生植物和濒危物种。通过查阅相关文献并结合访问调查,确定八蕊单室茱萸可能分布的区域,开展种群资源调查。结果显示:八蕊单室茱萸目前仅在普洱市和西双版纳州有10个天然种群,其种群规模已低于最小可存活种群,属极小种群野生植物和濒危物种,亟需开展保护工作。生境破坏和生境片段化是导致八蕊单室茱单室茱萸濒危的人为因素。提出收集种质资源、营建和管护近地保护种群、建立迁地和回归种群等保育建议。     

关中地区引种芍药品种的综合性状评价

为筛选出适宜陕西关中地区种植的芍药品种，对46个从荷兰引进的芍药品种与55个从山东菏泽引进的芍药品种进行连续2 a的观测，记录每个品种的生长状况、适应性、观赏性状，结合层次分析法（AHP）对各品种资源进行定量评估，最终得出每个品种的综合性状评分。结果表明，从山东菏泽引入的品种中，‘赛富贵’‘粉玉楼’‘金带围’‘曹州红’‘杭芍’等47个品种综合性状评分值>80，可开发利用；‘沙金贯顶’‘杨妃出浴’‘黄金轮’‘冰清’等8个品种综合性状评分值<80但>60，可保守开发利用。从荷兰引入的品种中，‘赫本’‘甜蜜’‘露斯·克莱尔’和‘红魅’共4个品种能够在露地栽培条件下正常生长，综合性状评分值>80，可开发利用；‘魅力’‘梦里蝴蝶’‘皇冠’‘老父亲’等36个品种，综合性状评分值<80但>60，可保守开发利用；‘满庭’‘青春永驻’‘花花公子’等6个品种综合性状评分值<60，不建议开发利用。此研究为芍药品种在陕西关中地区大规模的引种及推广应用提供了重要参考。     

Effect of Foliar GA3 and ABA Applications on Reactive Oxygen Metabolism in Black Currants (Ribes nigrum L.) During Bud Para-dormancy and Secondary Bud Burst

The secondary bud burst can cause around 10％-20％ yield losses in black currants, an economically important crop in parts of Europe, Asia and North America. The metabolism of reactive oxygen species (ROS) has been linked to bud dormancy and its early release (secondary bud burst) in several fruit crops. But the relationship between ROS metabolism and the secondary bud burst is still not well understood in black currants. In the present study, two black currant cultivars (Adelinia and Heifeng) with opposing tendency of exhibiting the secondary bud burst were sprayed with abscisic acid (ABA) and gibberellic acid (GA3) to either inhibit or induce the secondary bud burst. The results showed that ABA inhibited the secondary bud burst by reducing the contents of ROS (H2O2, O2-?) in buds; decreasing the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT); and increasing the contents of oxidized glutathione (GSSG) and ascorbic acid (AsA). GA3 effectively induced the secondary bud burst by increasing ROS contents; increasing the activities of several antioxidant enzymes, such as SOD, POD, CAT, glutathione reductase (GR), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and the contents of reduced glutathione (GSH); and decreasing the contents of AsA. The experimental results showed that GA3 treatment increased the content of ROS, accelerated the metabolism of reactive oxygen species, and promoted the second burst of black currants. However, ROS metabolism was at a low level under ABA treatment, and the buds remained dormant. These results suggested that ROS metabolism might play an important role in the two black currants of the secondary bud burst.