Do tillage and conversion of grassland to cropland always deplete soil organic carbon?

ABSTRACT

Conversion of grassland to cropland is widely reported to deplete soil organic carbon (SOC) largely due to tillage effects on the decomposition of SOC. However, most studies report on long-term changes in SOC following the conversion and little is known about the changes in the short term. Net ecosystem carbon budget (NECB) measures the difference between total C input (i.e., manure, above- and below-ground plant residues) and C loss through heterotrophic respiration (RH). However, most studies that report temporal SOC do not report other components of the NECB like RH, total C inputs and often do not include the cumulative annualized change of these components. This review evaluated the change in C input, RH, NECB and SOC after conversion of permanent/continuous grassland to cropland within 5 years after the conversion. We also reviewed and compared no-tillage and conventional tillage on SOC storage and accumulation. Total C input was higher in grassland than cropland largely due to high root biomass, as opposed to aboveground residue, and therefore grassland tended to have higher NECB. Despite higher NECB in grassland, the SOC stocks in cropland (cornfield) converted from grassland were greater than that in continuous grassland within first 2–3 years of conversion. The combination of manure C addition and tillage in cropland showed potential to maintain NECB and increase SOC. Within the continuous grassland C addition alone increased NECB but did not result in a corresponding increase in SOC. Residue retention and manure addition are recognized as good practices for increasing SOC, this study however, shows that combining them with occasional tillage, especially in managed grasslands, could increase the rate of SOC storage in soils.     

基于DEB理论的皱纹盘鲍个体生长模型参数的测定

为获取皱纹盘鲍(Haliotis discus hannai)个体生长模型所需的6个关键参数，设计了饥饿耗能、温度对耗氧的影响等相关生理实验，计算得到各项参数值。单位体积维持耗能率的值 、形成单位体积结构物质所需的能量值 、单位体积最大储存能量 和储备能量值 4个参数，通过连续测定皱纹盘鲍饥饿过程中呼吸耗氧率和软组织干重不断下降直至保持稳定时的能量值计算；温度函数中Arrhenius温度 的数值根据皱纹盘鲍在不同温度梯度下的单位干重耗氧率测定、计算；形状系数δm值通过统计测量的壳长、软组织湿重等生物学参数拟合回归得到。结果显示，皱纹盘鲍在饥饿后，呼吸耗氧率和软组织干重分别降低了26.3%和70.0%，呼吸耗氧率由2.69 mg/(ind.?h)逐渐降低并稳定在0.8 mg/(ind.?h)，软组织干重由(5.21±0.89) g降低至(3.84±0.22) g；根据公式计算得 和 的值分别为20.18 J/(cm3?d)和8120 J/cm；皱纹盘鲍饥饿前后有机物含量分别为80%和58%，经过换算， 和 的值分别为2726 J/cm3和32583 J/g。不同规格的皱纹盘鲍在水温为5℃~20℃范围内，温度与单位干重耗氧率呈正比；当水温超过20℃之后，温度与单位干重耗氧率呈反比。在转折点20℃之前，单位干重耗氧率的ln值与温度(热力学温度，K)的倒数呈线性关系，线性回归方程斜率的绝对值为Arrhenius温度 值( =7196 K)。生物学统计分析鲍壳长(L)与体积(V)呈三次函数关系：V=0.0639 L3.1621(R²=0.9852)，根据公式对软组织湿重的立方根与壳长进行线性回归，所得的斜率即为形状系数δm值(δm=0.43)。本研究对建立以DEB理论为指导的皱纹盘鲍个体生长模型提供了数据支撑。     

Carbon stock and rate of carbon sequestration in Dipterocarpus forests of Manipur,Northeast India

We examined the carbon stock and rate of carbon sequestration in a tropical deciduous forest dominated by Dipterocarpus tuberculatus in Manipur,North East India.Estimation of aboveground biomass was determined by harvest method and multiplied with density of tree species.The aboveground biomass was between18.27–21.922 t ha-1and the carbon stock ranged from9.13 to 10.96 t C ha-1across forest stands.Aboveground biomass and carbon stock increased with the increase in tree girth.The rate of carbon sequestration varied from1.4722 to 4.64136 t ha-1year-1among the dominant tree species in forest stands in tropical deciduous forest area.The rate of carbon sequestration depends on species composition,the density of large trees in different girth classes,and anthropogenic disturbances in the present forest ecosystem.Further work is required to identify tree species having the highest potential to sequester CO2 from the atmosphere,which could lead to recommendations for tree plantations in a degraded ecosystem.     

Mass balanced based LCA of a common carp-lettuce aquaponics system

An aquaponics system (AS) is an integrated system that combines a recirculating aquaculture system and a hydroponics system (HS). It is designed to recover nutrients released from fish and transfer them to plants to provide a system more environmentally-friendly than the two systems working separately. As a result, several AS are under development, but little information is available about their overall performances. The aim of this study was to assess nutrient-use efficiency and environmental impacts of an AS, specifically a common carp-lettuce AS located in a greenhouse. Nutrient budgets of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) were calculated and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was performed for the AS and for a lettuce Individual Hydroponics System (IHS), similar to the HS of the AS, operating in the greenhouse at the same time. The experiment was performed over a 52-day cycle, which corresponds to the growing time required to harvest marketable lettuce. The nutrient budgets were well balanced, with 24.6% of the N unaccounted-for, most likely due to N2 gas emission, and 6.6% of the P unaccounted-for, most likely due to having underestimated the quantity of sediment. At the beginning of the experiment, N represented 55.9%, 37.1% and 0.1% of the total N input in the formulated feed, stocked fish and lettuce seedlings, respectively. At the end of the experiment, N represented 47.6% and 0.4% of the total N input in the harvested fish and lettuce, respectively. At the beginning of the experiment, P represented 56.94%, 40.20% and 0.03% of the total P input in the formulated feed, stocked fish and lettuce seedlings, respectively. At the end of the experiment, P represented 51.52% and 0.42% of the total P input in the harvested fish and lettuce, respectively. LCA clearly indicated two environmental impact hotspots: the origin of nutrients and energy use. One kg of lettuce growth in the AS clearly had lower environmental impacts than that in the IHS for climate change, acidification, eutrophication, land competition and cumulative energy demand; however, a decrease in water dependence was not observed. The indicator for net primary production use highlighted the dependence of the AS on natural resources, especially fish meal and fish oil. Compared to the use of chemical nutrients in the IHS, the use of nutrients from formulated feed in the AS decreased climate change impact but increased the use of natural resources.     

Ecological consequences of variation in standard metabolism and dominance among salmon parr

Abstract – Standard metabolic rate (SMR, closely related to basal and resting metabolism) varies by up to threefold among juvenile Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., of similar size at common temperature. Here, consequences of this variation are predicted by combining empirically derived relationships between SMR, specific dynamic action, energy budgets, water velocity, food level in the environment and food availability to fish. The range of velocities across which growth is predicted to occur is inversely related to a fish’s SMR. Growth is positively related to SMR at high but negatively related to it at low‐food levels. The relationship between food level and the range of velocities over which lower SMR fish can grow but higher SMR fish cannot is asymmetrically bi‐phasic and peaked. It is predicted that maternal manipulation of offspring SMR would generate fitness benefits through bet‐hedging against unpredictability in food level and increases in the overall range of velocities that the family of offspring can occupy and thrive in.     

Nitrogen and phosphorus budget of a Haliotis discus hannai and Apostichopus japonicus polyculture system

The system nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P) budget, N/P utilization rate and the physiological response mechanism of the abalone Haliotis discus hannai (body weight: 12.87 ± 0.82 g) and the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus (body weight: 10.85 ± 1.16 g) to different co‐culture environment conditions were examined. Animals were kept in a multilayer, cubic recirculating aquaculture system at different polyculture densities (abalones at 400 ind/m²in monoculture [Group C] and abalones at 400 ind/m²with sea cucumbers at 10 ind/m² [AS1] or 20 ind/m² [AS2]). Each treatment was replicated four times, and the experimental cycle was 90 days. No significant difference in survival rate of abalones was detected when the stocking density of sea cucumbers increased from 10 to 20 ind/m², but the concentrations of total ammonia nitrogen and nitrite nitrogen in the water were significantly higher in AS2 than in AS1. Survival rate, specific growth rate (SGR) of body weight of sea cucumbers and SGR of body weight of abalones were significantly lower in AS2 than in AS1. No significant difference in protease (PES), lipase, amylase and cellulase activities of abalones was identified between Group C and AS1, but the PES and amylase activities of abalones and sea cucumbers in AS1 were significantly higher than those in AS2. In AS1, the N/P output from harvesting of abalones and sea cucumbers and the N/P utilization rates were significantly higher than those in AS2. Although the N/P output from faeces was significantly lower in AS2 than in Group C and AS1, the N/P output from the water layer was significantly higher than that in AS1. The expression levels of Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn‐SOD) and heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) of both abalones and sea cucumbers in AS2 were significantly higher than those in AS1. No significant difference in expression of catalase (CAT) and HSP90of abalones was identified among these groups, but the expression levels of CAT and HSP90of sea cucumbers in AS2 were significantly higher than those in AS1. These results indicate that stocking sea cucumbers at 10 ind/m² in the polyculture system will relieve the organic load on the system and improve the N/P utilization rate. It will also increase aquaculture production and improve the ecological and economic benefits of the system.     

国家重点实验室专项经费绩效预算管理方式应用于其他财政专项管理的思考

绩效预算是我国部门预算管理改革的重要内容。国家重点实验室专项经费绩效预算安排机制，是财政科研经费绩效预算的典型示例。文章通过剖析国家重点实验室专项经费绩效考评管理机制，对国家重点实验室绩效预算机制推广应用于其他财政专项的范围、考评指标、考评工作方法、考评结果应用等方面提出了意见建议。     

工程造价控制的几个阶段

随着社会的发展,基础设施投资力度不断加大,工程项目的建设在不断扩展,作为贯穿项目的始终的工程造价控制也势在必行,本文着重介绍了工程造价控制的几个阶段。     

循环水养殖罗非鱼氮收支及对水质影响的初步研究

为提供实际生产理论依据,改良系统水处理工艺,开展循环水养殖系统中吉富罗非鱼氮收支和对水质情况的初步研究。起始养殖密度8 kg/m3,投饲率2%,系统循环量1 m3/h,总水量0.8 m3。试验期间溶解氧大于6 mg/L,pH 7.0～7.2,水温23～25℃。每周监测水质2～3次,监测指标包括氨氮、亚硝酸盐氮、硝酸盐氮,每2周检测1次水中总氮。用凯氏定氮法测定实验前后饲料、试验鱼体、粪便、悬浮颗粒的氮含量。结果显示,摄食氮有50.00±1.50%转化为生长氮,32.61±1.38%转化为排泄氮,17.39±4.0%转化为粪氮;58%的粪氮为悬浮颗粒物,42%为可沉淀颗粒物。     

热带山地雨林生态系统水文化学循环规律的研究

根据５ａ定位观测，对尖峰岭热带山地雨林更新林生态系统的水文化学循环规律的数据分析表明，年均降雨量为２６６８．３ｍｍ，其中总径流量占４６．７％，蒸散量５３．３％，冠层截留量１４．０％。Ｎ、Ｐ、Ｋ、Ｃａ、Ｍｇ的年均降雨输入量为７８．４ｋｇ／（ｈｍ２·ａ），总径流输出５６．７ｋｇ／（ｈｍ２·ａ），净积累２１．６ｋｇ／（ｈｍ２·ａ）；Ｓｉ、有机Ｃ、Ａｌ、Ｍｎ的年均降雨输入量为２５．０ｋｇ／（ｈｍ２·ａ），总径流输出为１１２．３ｋｇ／（ｈｍ２·ａ），净损失８７．３ｋｇ／（ｈｍ２·ａ），更新林系统仅处于更新进展过程中，同时证实了冠层对降水化学的淋溶效应，净淋溶系数达４．１１；提出了降雨、林内净降雨、总径流的各水化学物含量与其相应水量的回归模式