Assessing the effects of vegetation and precipitation on soil erosion in the Three-River Headwaters Region of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,China

Soil erosion in the Three-River Headwaters Region (TRHR) of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China has a significant impact on local economic development and ecological environment. Vegetation and precipitation are considered to be the main factors for the variation in soil erosion. However, it is a big challenge to analyze the impacts of precipitation and vegetation respectively as well as their combined effects on soil erosion from the pixel scale. To assess the influences of vegetation and precipitation on the variation of soil erosion from 2005 to 2015, we employed the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model to evaluate soil erosion in the TRHR, and then developed a method using the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index model (LMDI) which can exponentially decompose the influencing factors, to calculate the contribution values of the vegetation cover factor (C factor) and the rainfall erosivity factor (R factor) to the variation of soil erosion from the pixel scale. In general, soil erosion in the TRHR was alleviated from 2005 to 2015, of which about 54.95% of the area where soil erosion decreased was caused by the combined effects of the C factor and the R factor, and 41.31% was caused by the change in the R factor. There were relatively few areas with increased soil erosion modulus, of which 64.10% of the area where soil erosion increased was caused by the change in the C factor, and 23.88% was caused by the combined effects of the C factor and the R factor. Therefore, the combined effects of the C factor and the R factor were regarded as the main driving force for the decrease of soil erosion, while the C factor was the dominant factor for the increase of soil erosion. The area with decreased soil erosion caused by the C factor (12.10×10³ km²) was larger than the area with increased soil erosion caused by the C factor (8.30×10³ km²), which indicated that vegetation had a positive effect on soil erosion. This study generally put forward a new method for quantitative assessment of the impacts of the influencing factors on soil erosion, and also provided a scientific basis for the regional control of soil erosion.     

牡丹籽粕提取液对连作土壤特性及小麦全蚀病防治研究

为充分利用牡丹籽粕中杀虫抑菌等作用成分,确定不同浓度牡丹籽粕提取液对连作土壤性质的影响。本研究通过结合单因素和正交实验、土壤化学性质分析方法及小麦全蚀病室内生物活性测定方法,确定了牡丹籽粕中有效成分最优提取条件为60%乙醇浓度、120 W超声功率、50℃提取温度;发现牡丹籽粕提取液在一定浓度范围内可降低连作土壤pH、改善土壤碱性,对土壤养分中有机质含量、全氮、碳氮比、全磷、灰分均表现出低浓度促进作用,高浓度抑制作用“低促高抑”作用,并有益于真菌、放线菌数量及纤维素酶和脲酶活性的增加;此外,牡丹籽粕提取液浓度为0.8 mg/mL (T4)时,其对小麦全蚀病治疗作用防效达63.42%。本研究结果可为牡丹籽粕废弃物的资源化利用及植物源环保型杀菌剂的开发奠定基础。     

青藏高原地区积雪变化及特征分析

利用我国高原地区1963-2002年的逐月积雪日数资料,以及1972-2011年的格点积雪月频率资料,分析、对比了两种资料在该地区的时空演变特征。结果表明：同时段的(1972-2002)站点资料与格点资料相比,空间分布其高值区与积雪日数增值区均偏西北,偏北程度大致为3~4°,偏西程度大致为2~3°,且中心更为明显。在青藏高原西侧(85°E以西),积雪日数呈整体下降趋势。两种资料的积雪日数EOF分析存在一定的偏差,这与其对应的空间分布差异及气候趋势空间分布存在的偏差相吻合。     

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.     

Dynamics of Cotton Rhizosphere Bacterial Community Structure in Cotton Continuous Cropping Field Soil

[Objective] The aim of this study is to understand the dynamics of cotton rhizosphere bacterial community structure in cotton continuous cropping field soil. [Method] 16S rDNA genes were sequenced by high-throughput sequencing technology to determine the community structure of cotton rhizosphere bacteria in different developmental stages using an upland cotton cultivar (Gossypium hirsutum cv. TM-1). [Result] Four dominant phyla were found in the cotton rhizosphere bacterial community including Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Planctomycetes, and Bacteroidetes. The four dominant phyla and Firmicutes were largely influenced by cotton root. The relative abundances of Acidobacteria, Planctomycetes, Bacteroidetes were promoted, and Proteobacteria and Firmicutes were inhibited, by cotton root. There were significant differences in community structure, but not species richness or α-diversity among different developmental stages of the cotton rhizosphere bacterial community; the differences between the flowering stage and the budding stage were greater than the differences between the budding stage and the seedling stage. The diversity of the rhizosphere bacterial community in cotton continuous cropping field soil was significantly higher than that of the bulk soil; the β-diversity values of both the rhizosphere and bulk soil bacterial communities were highest in the flowering stage. [Conclusion] The structure and dynamics of the cotton rhizosphere bacterial community in cotton continuous cropping field soil was defined by high-throughput sequencing. The effect of cotton on the rhizosphere bacterial community structure was most significant in the flowering stage.     

Substitution of chemical fertilizer by Chinese milk vetch improves the sustainability of yield and accumulation of soil organic carbon in a double-rice cropping system

The double-rice cropping system is a very important intensive cropping system for food security in China. There have been few studies of the sustainability of yield and accumulation of soil organic carbon(SOC) in the double-rice cropping system following a partial substitution of chemical fertilizer by Chinese milk vetch(Mv). We conducted a 10-year(2008–2017) field experiment in Nan County, South-Central China, to examine the double-rice productivity and SOC accumulation in a paddy soil in response to different fertilization levels and Mv application(22.5 Mg ha~(–1)). Fertilizer and Mv were applied both individually and in combination(sole chemical fertilizers, Mv plus 100, 80, 60, 40, and 0% of the recommended dose of chemical fertilizers, labeled as F100, MF100, MF80, MF60, MF40, and MF0, respectively). It was found that the grain yields of double-rice crop in treatments receiving Mv were reduced when the dose of chemical fertilizer was reduced, while the change in SOC stock displayed a double peak curve. The MF100 produced the highest double-rice yield and SOC stock, with the value higher by 13.5 and 26.8% than that in the F100. However, the grain yields increased in the MF80(by 8.4% compared to the F100), while the SOC stock only increased by 8.4%. Analogous to the change of grain yield, the sustainable yield index(SYI) of double rice were improved significantly in the MF100 and MF80 compared to the F100, while there was a slight increase in the MF60 and MF40. After a certain amount of Mv input(22.5 Mg ha~(–1)), the carbon sequestration rate was affected by the nutrient input due to the stimulation of microbial biomass. Compared with the MF0, the MF100 and MF40 resulted in a dramatically higher carbon sequestration rate(with the value higher by 71.6 and 70.1%),whereas the MF80 induced a lower carbon sequestration rate with the value lower by 70.1% compared to the MF0. Based on the above results we suggested that Mv could partially replace chemical fertilizers(e.g., 40–60%) to improve or maintain the productivity and sustainability of the double-rice cropping system in South-Central China.     

饲草作物对土壤健康与农业可持续发展的作用

饲草作物是指为增加土壤肥力,防止土壤侵蚀,累积和保护土层,增加土壤养分和含水率以及提高土壤质量而种植的植物。饲草作物为农田土壤提供了诸多益处,其还有助于增加和维持土壤中的微生物多样性。本文对多种饲草作物对土壤特性的作用,如土壤含水量、土壤微生物的活动、土壤碳固存、土壤硝态氮淋失、土壤水分和土壤健康等进行综述。饲草作物的选择通常取决于其自身对土壤的作用,其他考虑因素还包括天气条件,播种时间,是否为豆科植物以及杀灭饲草作物的时间和方法。研究表明,饲草作物也可用于减缓气候变化,抑制作物中的杂草,增加可交换的营养物质如Mg2+和K+,具有一定的经济性。另外,覆盖作物也会存在一些问题,包括杀灭覆盖作物的方法,其可能成为病原体的寄主,饲草作物的再生性以及短期收益不明显。尽管有一些局限,饲草作物仍被认为可以明显改善土壤整体健康状况,为主栽作物提供可持续的生态环境。     

Weed seedling emergence in contrasting fodder crop systems following 30 years of cultivation in the lowlands of Northern Italy

Five fodder crop systems of different intensity (ranging from a double annual crop of Italian ryegrass + silage maize to a permanent meadow) were adopted for 30 years in the lowlands of Northern Italy under two input levels, differing mainly in their provision of organic fertiliser (manure). Herbicides were used in the maize crops included in all systems, except the meadow. After 30 years, the weed seedbank of all systems and input levels were assessed by the seedling emergence technique on soil samples from each plot. The cropping systems determined the abundance and composition of the weed assembly. Relatively few, frequent species made up the majority of the emerged seedlings in all systems, and there was no relationship between the total number of emerged seedlings and the mean number of species recorded in the different systems. Arabidopsis thaliana and Oxalis corniculata were abundant in the annual double crop and in the 3- and 6-year rotations that also comprised the annual double crop. These weeds, however, were unlikely to represent a major threat to the crops, due to their vigour and growth period. The permanent meadow tended to greater weed biodiversity than the other systems. The application of manure favoured the seedbank of species such as Lolium multiflorum, Digitaria sanguinalis and A. thaliana. Weed communities in the different systems were mainly determined by herbicide application, (through the ability of weeds to avoid its effects, determined by the weed life history and emergence period) and manure application (with its possible dual effect of spreading weed seeds and favouring nitrogen-responsive weeds).     

Control of lettuce big-vein disease by application of fungicides and crop covers

One of the economically important diseases of lettuce is lettuce big-vein disease (LBVD), which leads to severe yield losses. LBVD is associated with a complex of two viruses, Lettuce big-vein associated virus (LBVaV) and Mirafiori lettuce big-vein virus (MLBVV). These viruses are transmitted by motile zoospores of Olpidium spp. fungi, which persist in the soil for decades through resting spores. In greenhouse and field experiments, this study tested whether changing plant and soil temperatures together with fungicide application would have a significant effect on controlling LBVD in lettuce. Soil fumigation with metam sodium was not effective at controlling the disease, as opposed to treatment with chloropicrin and methyl bromide. Moreover, the fungicides carbendazim and fluazinam were effective in reducing the incidence of Olpidium virulentus. Nevertheless, control of the fungal vector did not seem to be sufficient to control the disease due to the transition ability of the virus under low vector abundance. Crop covers, which affect the favourable environmental conditions for the viruses by lowering soil temperature and raising air temperature, reduced the disease symptoms. Combining fungicides with crop cover had a synergistic effect on reducing disease symptoms, thus providing a sustainable solution for LBVD.     

松嫩草原盐碱土细菌多样性分析

以松嫩盐碱草原3种不同盐碱程度的盐碱土为材料,应用高通量测序技术,研究了3种不同程度盐碱土壤的细菌群落结构。结果表明:3种盐碱土的理化性质差异显著(P0.05),pH值、碱化度随着盐碱化程度增加而增大,而碱解氮、速效钾和有机质含量随着盐碱化程度增加而降低;3种盐碱土共获得2841个OTU,分属于39个细菌门,其中酸杆菌门、变形菌门等10个菌门是盐碱土中最主要的细菌门类;轻度盐碱土中酸杆菌门占主导地位,相对丰度为32.28%,中度盐碱土中变形菌门占主导地位,相对丰度为19.87%,重度盐碱土中放线菌门占主导地位,相对丰度为22.57%;RDA分析表明,酸杆菌门、硝化螺旋菌门、广古菌门、TM7等的相对丰度与碱解氮、有机质以及速效钾含量呈正相关,疣微菌门的相对丰度与有效磷含量呈正相关,放线菌门、浮霉菌门、拟杆菌门、芽单胞菌门、厚壁菌门的相对丰度与pH值、碱化度呈正相关。