Effect of Pinyon–Juniper Tree Cover on the Soil Seed Bank

As pinyon–juniper (specifically, Pinus monophylla and Juniperus osteosperma) woodlands in the western United States increase in distribution and density, understory growth declines and the occurrence of crown fires increases, leaving mountainsides open to both soil erosion and invasion by exotic species. We examined if the loss in understory cover that occurred with increasing tree cover was reflected in the density and diversity of the seed bank. Seed banks in stands with low, medium, and high tree cover were measured in late October for 2 yr. Multivariate analyses indicated that cover and diversity of standing vegetation changed as tree cover increased. However, the seed bank did not differ in overall seed density or species diversity because seeds of the 13 species that comprised 86% of the seed bank occurred in similar density across the tree-cover groups. Sixty-three percent of the species that were in the seed bank were absent from the vegetation (mostly annual forbs). In addition, 49% of the species that occurred in the standing vegetation were not in the seed bank (mostly perennial forbs and shrubs). Only Artemisia tridentata, Bromus tectorum, and Collinsia parviflora displayed positive Spearman rank correlations between percent cover in the vegetation and density in the seed bank. Thus, much of the standing vegetation was not represented in the seed bank, and the few species that dominated the seed bank occurred across varying covers of pinyon–juniper.     

Piñon–Juniper Reduction Increases Soil Water Availability of the Resource Growth Pool

Managers reduce piñon (Pinus spp.) and juniper (Juniperus spp.) trees that are encroaching on sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) communities to lower fuel loads and increase cover of desirable understory species. All plant species in these communities depend on soil water held at &spigt; -1.5 MPa matric potential in the upper 0.3 m of soil for nutrient diffusion to roots and major growth in spring (resource growth pool). We measured soil water matric potentials and temperatures using gypsum blocks and thermocouples buried at 0.01–0.3 m on tree, shrub, and interspace microsites to characterize the seasonal soil climate of 13 tree-encroached sites across the Great Basin. We also tested the effects of initial tree infilling phase and tree control treatments of prescribed fire, tree cutting, and tree shredding on time of available water and soil temperature of the resource growth pool on nine sites. Both prescribed fire and mechanical tree reduction similarly increased the time that soil water was available (matric potential &spigt; -1.5 MPa) in spring, but this increase was greatest (up to 26 d) when treatments were applied at high tree dominance. As plant cover increased with time since treatment, the additional time of available water decreased. However, even in the fourth year after treatment, available water was 8.6 d and 18 d longer on treatments applied at mid and high tree dominance compared to untreated plots, indicating ongoing water availability to support continued increases in residual plants or annual invaders in the future. To increase resistance to invasive annual grasses managers should either treat at lower or mid tree dominance when there is still high cover of desirable residual vegetation or seed desirable species to use increased resources from tree reduction. This strategy is especially critical on warmer sites, which have high climate suitability to invasive species such as cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.)     

Effects of Nitrogen Deposition on Soil fungi Community Structure in Stipa Baicalensis Steppe北大核心CSCD

Effects of six continuous years nitrogen deposition on soil fungi community structure in Stipa Baicalensis steppe were investigated by using high-throughput sequencing technology. The experiment included eight manipulative treatments:(0,15,30,50,100,150,200 and 300 kg N·hm-2·a-1). Soil samples were separately collected from the 0~10 cm and 10~20 cm soil layer. The results showed that nitrogen deposition significantly affected the structure of fungi community. the relative abundance of fungi in the phyla,class and genus level were significantly different at the 0~10 cm and 10~20 cm soil layer of nitrogen deposition treatment. The response of soil fungal community to nitrogen deposition at the 0~10 cm soil layer and 10~20 cm soil layer was significantly different,and there was obvious soil gradient effect. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) showed that soil pH,soil total organic C,NO3-N and available P were key environmental factors leading to the shift in the soil fungal community composition. In conclusion,nitrogen deposition changed the soil chemical properties,which drove the change of soil microbial communities and soil fungal communities. © 2019 China Agricultural University. All rights reserved.     

Study on the Characteristics and Interrelationship of Plant Community and Soil in Degraded Alpine Meadow北大核心CSCD

To explore the changes of vegetation and soil characteristics and their relationships in the alpine meadow at different stages of degradation, the plant biomass, species diversity index, soil nutrient, soil physical and chemical properties were measured by the combination of field sample survey and laboratory analysis. The results showed that vegetation coverage, above ground and below ground biomass decreased from slight to severe degradation, the species diversity index, Shannon-wiener diversity index, Evenness index and Simpson index of vegetation community all showed a decreasing trend, and the soil nutrient and physical and chemical properties tended to deteriorate, the decrease of soil moisture and the increase of soil bulk density led to the decrease of biomass. The interaction and interaction between biomass and soil properties can change plant community composition and soil properties and reduce soil nutrient loss in the moderate degradation stage, improving the stability of plant community structure and increasing the diversity of plant community will be beneficial to the restoration of degraded alpine meadow. This study will help to clarify the degradation pattern of alpine meadow in different degradation stages, and provide a scientific basis and theoretical basis for restoring degraded alpine meadow. © 2019 Authors. All rights reserved.     

Review on the Influence of Bushwood Stem Flow and Root-induced Preferential Flow on the "Soil Fertile Island effect" of Nebkha北大核心CSCD

The enrichment functions of stem flow and root-induced preferential flow of bushwood are of great importance in the formation and growth and evolution of the fertile island of nebkha. It enhances the vegetation adaption to dry and infertile environment and the stability of ecosystem, thereby plays important eco-hydrological roles in plant reconstruction in desert regions. Making clear the temporal and spatial responses of shrubs to the changes of soil water content during the process of the nebkhas evolution, the maintaining mechanism of biodiversity, and the ecological adaption countermeasure of vegetation to soil water is the keys to further study the formation and evolution of nebkha. In this paper, the formation mechanism of nebkha was reviewed,soil hydrologic process and vegetation response during the nebkha evolution process and the influences of stem flow and root-induced preferential flow of shrubs on the soil fertile island were demonstrated, and the study methods of stem flow and root-induced preferential flow of shrubs were summarized as well. For better evaluating the function of stem flow to the stability of shrub communities and the development of ecosystems in desert regions, more attentions should be paid on the root distribution of shrubs and the movement and redistribution of water and nutrition along with preferential flow path caused by shrub roots in the future research. © 2019 China Agricultural University. All rights reserved.     

Effects of Utilization Patterns on the Spectral Characteristics of Soil Dissolved Organic Matter in Alpine Meadow of Qinghai Province北大核心CSCD

Soil dissolved organic matter is the most active component of the global carbon cycle. It plays an important role in the terrestrial ecosystem. In order to explore the effects of utilization patterns to the content and structural characteristics of soil dissolved organic matter of alpine meadow in Qinghai province,the contents of soil dissolved organic carbon,ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy,SUVA254,SUVA280,f450/500,HIX and synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy in 0 to 10 cm and 10 to 20 cm soil layers under 4 different utilization patterns,including secondary seabuckthorn forest,returning farmland to forest,farmland and natural pasture,were measured. The results showed that the variation of soil dissolved organic carbon and organic carbon contents in 0 to 10 cm layers performed a similar pattern,i.e. natural pasture > secondary seabuckthorn forest > returning farmland to forest > farmland. However,soil of returning farmland to forest and secondary seabuckthorn forest in 10 to 20 cm layers had higher dissolved organic carbon and organic carbon contents. The contents of organic carbon and dissolved organic carbon decreased with the depth of the soil layer. The same as the complexity of soil dissolved organic matter. The soil dissolved organic matter in the soil of natural grazing land had a higher degree of aromatization and humification,and had more polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The results indicated that the structure of soil dissolved organic matter of natural pasture was more complicated and more stable. It could give a positive effect on maintaining the balance and ecological stability of the carbon pool in the alpine region of Qinghai province. The structure of soil dissolved organic matter in 0 to 10 cm layers was more complicated. © 2020 Ｊｏｕｒｎａｌ ｏｆ Ｒｅｆｒｉｇｅｒａｔｉｏｎ. All rights reserved.     

Effects of Litter Addition on Soil Organic Carbon Mineralization in the Degraded Alpine Meadow in the Three-River Headwaters Region北大核心CSCD

To explore the effects of plant community structure changes on soil organic carbon mineralization in the different degraded alpine meadows in the Three-River Headwaters Region, we collected topsoil from different degraded alpine meadows, and then added three kinds of litters from different functional groups (grasses, sedges, and forbs) incubated in the laboratory for 203 days. The results showed that the cumulative mineralization of soil organic carbon first increased and then decreased as the degree of soil degradation increased. Litter addition significantly increased the cumulative mineralization of soil organic carbon of non-degraded, slightly degraded, moderately degraded, and severely degraded meadow by 102.04%, 58.71%, 70.68%, and 181.32%, respectively. However, there was no significant difference among the positive effects of different functional groups. Regression analysis showed that soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, and pH of different degraded alpine meadows could better explain the changes in the cumulative mineralization of soil organic carbon. The cumulative mineralization of soil organic carbon first increased and then decreased with soil organic carbon, total nitrogen and pH increased, while the influence degree and direction were altered by litter addition. In general, the plant community structure changes in the different degraded alpine meadows in the Three-River Headwaters Region significantly influenced soil organic carbon mineralization. © 2019 Authors. All rights reserved.     

Soil Carbon Pools in California’s Annual Grassland Ecosystems

Rangeland ecosystems cover approximately one-third of the land area in the United States and half of the land area of California. This large land area, coupled with the propensity of grasses to allocate a considerable proportion of their photosynthate belowground, leads to high soil carbon (C) sequestration potential. Annual grasslands typical of the Mediterranean climates of the western United States differ in their life history strategies from the well-studied perennial grasslands of other regions and thus may also differ in their soil C pools and fluxes. In this study we use the literature to explore patterns in soil C storage in annual grass-dominated rangelands in California. We show that soil C is highly predictable with depth. Cumulative soil C content increased to 2–3-m depth in rangelands with a woody component and to at least 1-m depth in open rangelands. Soil C within a given depth varied widely, with C content in the top 1-m depth spanning almost 200 Mg C · ha^?1 across sites. Soil C pools were not correlated with temperature or precipitation at a regional scale. The presence of woody plants increased C by an average of 40 Mg · ha^?1 in the top meter of soil. Grazed annual grasslands had similar soil C content as ungrazed grassland at all depths examined, although few details on grazing management were available. Soil C pools were weakly positively correlated with clay content and peaked at intermediated levels of aboveground net primary production. Our results suggest that annual grasslands have similar soil C storage capacity as temperate perennial grasslands and offer an important resource for mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions and climate change.     

A note on microbial growth on hen egg‐shells

1. Two strains of cuticle‐digesting pseudomonads were isolated from the surface of hens’ egg‐shells that had been stored in a humid atmosphere at 25 °C. Digestion was due to a protease, the demonstration of which was only achieved in media containing cuticle.

2. The egg‐shells were colonised by yeasts also, but the growth of these organisms appeared to be dependent upon the pseudomonads for the release of nutrients from the cuticle.

3. The pseudomonads would not grow on cuticle in situ unless the relative humidity was about 100%.     

Soil Degradation Intensity and Spatial Distribution Characteristics of Alpine Grassland in Qinghai Province北大核心CSCD

The evaluation of alpine grassland soil degradation is helpful to grasp the spatial distribution of alpine grassland degradation, and has great significance to maintain grassland ecological security and ensure regional sustainable development. This study evaluated the soil degradation intensity and spatial distribution of alpine grassland in Qinghai Province based on the Improved Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation, and calculated the evaluation index of soil erosion of Alpine Grassland in Qinghai Province from 2005 to 2014, to evaluate the changing trend of soil erosion of alpine grassland. The results showed that the mildly degraded area of alpine grassland in Qinghai Province was 166925 km2, accounting for 39.5% of the total grassland area; the moderately degraded area was 98729 km2, accounting for 23.4% of the total grassland area; the severely degraded area was 949401 km2, accounting for 22.5% of the total grassland area; the extremely severely degraded area was 61787 km2, accounting for 14.6% of the total grassland area in 2014. The overall intensity of soil erosion was centered on the most intense area and radiated to the surrounding area. The main influencing factors included wind erosion, water erosion, and grazing intensity. In addition, the restoration area of soil erosion of alpine grassland in Qinghai Province from 2005 to 2014 was 258495 km2, accounting for 61.2%, which reflects the remarkable achievements of grassland protection in Qinghai Province in recent years. However, the situation of soil degradation of alpine grassland in the middle east of Qinghai Province is still severe, which should be paid great attention by relevant departments. © 2019 Authors. All rights reserved.     

Dynamic Characteristics of Soil Sucrase and Amylase Activities during Vegetation Degradation in Gahai Wetland北大核心CSCD

In order to study the activities and dynamic characteristics of soil invertase and amylase during the process of vegetation degradation (Non-degradation, Light degradation,Moderate degradation, and Heavy degradation),the filed experiments were conducted in marsh meadow of Gahai wetland in Gannan state,Gansu province. The main results were as following: the average activity values of invertase and amylase activities in 0~100 cm layers varied in different stages of vegetation degradation of marsh meadow, following the order of CK (Non-degradation) > SD (Light degradation) > MD (Moderate degradation) > HD (Heavy degradation). With the increasing of soil layers,the activity of invertase significantly decreased (P<0.05),while the activity of amylase decreased fluctuantly. The activities of enzymes in the surface soil (0~20 cm) accounted for more than 60% of the total activities of each enzyme. The activities of invertase and amylase showed the obvious dynamic characteristics with time in all stages of vegetation degradation. The average activity of invertase in different months was the highest in June (47.07 mg·g-1) and the lowest in August (22.69 mg·g-1). The average activity of amylase was the highest in July,85.18 mg·g-1,while the activity values in other months were low. Correlation analysis showed that soil organic carbon was significantly correlated with invertase and amylase (P<0.01),and soil water content was only significantly correlated with invertase (P<0.01). The results showed that the vegetation degradation in Gahai wetland significantly affects soil invertase and amylase activities,reduces the efficiency of enzymatic reaction,and leads to the deterioration of wetland soil environment. © 2019 Ｊｏｕｒｎａｌ ｏｆ Ｒｅｆｒｉｇｅｒａｔｉｏｎ. All rights reserved.     

Change in Piñon-Juniper Woodland Cover Since Euro-American Settlement: Expansion Versus Contraction Associated with Soil Properties

Woodland and forest ecosystems across western North America have experienced increased density and expansion since the early 1900s, including in the widely distributed piñon-juniper vegetation type of the western United States. Fire suppression and grazing are often cited as the main drivers of these historic changes and have led to extensive tree-reduction treatments across the region. However, much of the scientific literature on piñon-juniper expansion dates back only to the early 1900s, which is generally half a century after Euro-American settlement. Yet US General Land Office (GLO) surveys provide valuable insight into the historical extent and density of woodland and forest ecosystems as surveyors would note where on the landscape they entered and exited woodlands or forests and provided qualitative estimates of relative tree density. This study uses these GLO surveys to establish piñon-juniper woodland extent in the late 19th century at the incipient stages of Euro-American settlement in southeastern Colorado and compares these data with 2017 aerial imagery of woodland cover. We found substantial amounts of woodland contraction, as well as expansion: ≈61% of historically dense woodland is now savanna or open (treeless), whereas ≈57% of historically open areas are now savannas or woodlands. The highest rates of expansion occurred on shallow, rocky soil types with low soil available water capacity, which support little herbaceous vegetation and were consequently less likely to be affected by fire suppression or grazing. Meanwhile, the significant contractions in woodland extent occurred on deeper, upland soils with higher soil available water capacity, which were likely where early settlement and tree cutting was most prevalent. Our results provide mixed support for the widespread assumption of woodland expansion since Euro-American settlement in southeast Colorado and suggest that the expansion that has occurred in our study area is unlikely a result of past grazing or fire suppression.     

The effect on herd production of “free” electricity on a milking plant

Extract

Prior to the 1956–7 season, the herd investigated had a steadily rising curve of production. This levelled out at approximately 350 lb butterfat average production per cow, and was maintained for two further seasons.