Aboveground biomass and nutrient allocation in an age-sequence of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Larix olgensis</Emphasis> plantations

Biomass and nutrient (N, P, K, Ca, Mg) stock in various aboveground tree components (stemwood, stembark, branches and leaves) were quantified in an age sequence of pure Larix olgensis planta- tions (20, 35, 53 and 69 years old) in Northeast China. The results show that the aboveground biomass allocation in various tree components was in the order of stemwood (62%-83%), branches (9%-21%), stembark (7%-11%) and leaves (1%-6%) for all stands. The proportion of stemwood biomass to total aboveground biomass increased whereas that of other tree components decreased consistently with stand age from 20 to 53 years old, but kept relatively constant with stand age from 53 and 69 years old. The nutrient allocation in various tree components generally followed the same pattern as the biomass allocation (i.e. stemwood > branches > stembark > leaves). The proportion of nutrient stock in leaves to total aboveground nutrient stock decreased consistently with increasing stand age, while that in stemwood increased with stand age from 20 to 53 years old but then decreased from 53 to 69 years old. The rate of nutrient removal for stands was estimated at different stand ages under different logging schemes, showing that the rate of nutrient removal would be unchanged when the rotation length was shortened to 20 years by the harvest of stem only, but greatly increased by the harvest of total aboveground biomass. The rate of nutrient removal would be a considerable reduction for all elements by debarking, especially for Ca.     

Water quality of Kaptai reservoir in Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh

A study was conducted in Kaptai reservoir, one of the largest man-made freshwater lakes of South-east Asia, to determine present status of water quality and its suitability for fishing and other uses. Water samplings were from middle part of the reservoir at 0.2 and 0.8 fractional depths at five different locations from upstream to downstream viz. Burburichara, Maichchari, Subolong, Basanthakum, and Rangamati. Water analyses show that concentrations of NO3-N, K+ and total P, and suspended solid at all the sampling stations were beyond the recommended values for fish culture. Concentrations of Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, SO42-, Cl-, total dissolved solid (TDS), dissolved oxygen (DO) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) were within the standards for aquaculture. Concentrations of NO3-N, SO42-, K+ and total P showed no definite trend with depths, locations as well as rainy and dry seasons. Water pH, conductivity, Na+ and HCO3- contents were lower in rainy season, and DO and COD higher at almost all the locations in both the depths, compared with dry season. Total solids and concentrations of TDS, DO, COD, Ca2+, Mg2+ and Na+ were higher in upstream and decreased gradually towards downstream in the reservoir. Concentrations of DO and Ca2+ and pH were higher and Mg2+ less at 0.2-fractional depth than those at 0.8-fractional depth at almost all the locations. The reservoir is in mesotrophic condition containing high concentration of NO3-N and total P, in alarming status with the presence of excessive suspended solids from urban pollution around the town. It is necessary to adopt measures for protecting water quality in the reservoir due to such deteriorations.     

Soil enzyme activities under agroforestry systems in northern Jiangsu Province

The authors presented the enzyme characteristics of catalase, sucrase, urease and alkaline phosphatase under agroforestry systems in northern Jiangsu Province. The results show that soil enzyme activities reduce gradually from top to bottom layer of the soil profile, and the fluctuations of catalase and urease are smaller than those of sucrase and alkaline phosphatase. Soil enzyme activities differe significantly in different samples, and the order is arranged as poplar-crop intercropping segment (A, D) > paulownia-crop intercropping segment (B, C) > CK. Furthermore, soil enzyme activities increase with intercropping age. On the other hand, in the same plot, there are closer relationships between enzymes in the soil samples. Catalase, alkaline phosphatase and urease are negatively related, while alkaline phosphatase and urease are positively related (except in samples B and C). In addition, the enzyme activities have a close relationship with the fertilizers. Catalase is positively correlated with the soil pH value (r = 0.854, 0.804, 0.078 and 0.082, respectively), and is negatively correlated with total N (r = –0.201, –0.529, –0.221 and –0.821, respectively), total P (r = –0.143, –0.213, –0.362 and –0.751, respectively) and available P (r = –0.339, –0.351, –0.576, and –0.676, respectively). Sucrase, urease and alkaline phosphatase are negatively correlated with the pH value, while positively correlated with the other fertilizers (r 1). The authors suggest that enzyme activity will be a great potential as an indicator of soil quality.     

Separation and purification of Arabinogalactan obtained from Larix gmelinii by macroporous resin adsorption

Arabinogalactan （AG） obtained from Larix gmelinii R. waS purified with the method of macroporous resin adsorption. Effects of various parameters on the adsorption, including adsorption time and temperature, the concentration and the dosage of raw AG the reused numbers of resin, were investigated. The effect of purification was tested through the removal rate of impurity and the contents of AG and impurity. The optimal condition was determined as follows： adsorbed at 30℃ for 2 h with the concentration of raw AG 〈0.1 g·mL^-1 and its dosage 〈 7 mL, the dose of resin was 3 g and reused for 4 times. On the basis of these, macroporous resin column was used for AG purification. The result showed that the AG yield could reach 68.28% with sugar content of 95.02%. The analysis of IR and UV showed that the effect of macroporous resin characteristics on the purification of AG was significant. The obtained product had the same functional groups with standard sample.     

Effect of land-use changes on chemical and physical properties of soil in western Iran(Zagros oak forests)

The consequence of land-use change from forest to agriculture and other uses has become one of the world’s greatest concerns.The soil,one of the most important components of forests and containing all the required plant nutrients as soluble ions,is highly impacted by these changes.Because vast areas of the Zagros forests in western Iran have changed in use during the last few decades,the present study investigated the effects of landuse changes of forest area to agriculture,orchard,and agroforestry on soil chemical and physical properties.Soil was sampled at four land-use areas:less-disturbed forest areas(control)and agricultural,orchard,and agroforestry areas.Among each of the two forest-use areas(agroforestry and orchard),we selected five trees with similar-sized crowns and sampled under each tree crown at 0-15 and>15-30 cm depths.Five soil samples also were taken in agriculture area at each depth.The findings indicated that during land-use changes,soil sand particles decreased,and clay and silt particles of soil increased,resulting in a fine soil texture.Moreover,the amount of nitrogen(N),phosphorus(P),organic carbon(OC),and electrical conductivity(EC)of soil decreased at both depths due to the decrease in organic matter.Soil pH and magnesium(Mg)level rose during land-use change at both depths except at agricultural sites.Soil potassium(K)content decreased during agricultural use due to the elimination of tree cover.The level of K decreased only at the depth of 0-15 cm because of K dependency on parent materials.Generally,most soil nutrients were affected by plant removal in the conversion.Forest and agricultural soil are distinguishable by their properties,while land-uses such as agroforestry-orchard separated from the others.Soil nutrients were severely affected by the decrease and elimination of tree cover,plowing,and continuous harvesting,resulting in a decline in soil quality and fertility.     

Depolymerization of Lignin Catalyzed by Complex Metal Oxide in Supercritical Methanol北大核心CSCD

Cu-Ni doped layered double oxide (LDO) catalysts were prepared from hydrotalcite-like precursors. The effects of reaction conditions on the catalytic lignin depolymerization productswere investigated in supercritical methanol. The results showed that in the condition of n(Cu):n(Ni)=1:1, at 280 ℃ for 8 h,Cu0.5Ni0.5Mg3Al-LDO used as catalyst with 30% dosage, the monomer yield from lignin depolymerization was up to 67.5%, while the yields of tetrahydrofuran(THF) insoluble residue and charwere least. The liquid phase product were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed by GC-MS, and it was observed that the yield of the cyclic compound was 64.43%, and the acyclic product was only 10.65%, indicating Cu/Ni-LDO catalyst can effectively break the bonds between the lignin structural units, while with a lowactivity to break the aromatic ring structure.Charforming reactions in lignin depolymerization were effectively suppressed by Cu/Ni co-doped LDO catalyst, and the monomer yield was significantly improved. Hydrogenolysis and hydrogenation reaction in lignin depolymerization were promoted obviously at higher temperature,leading to a higher monomer yield. The supercritical temperature of methanol showed a significant effect on the depolymerization of lignin: When the reaction temperature was higher than 240 ℃, the yield of monomer increased significantly and the yields of insoluble residue and char decreasedon the other hand. The degradation rate of lignin remained above 90% after the catalyst was recycled for three times. XRD, ICP and N2 adsorption and desorption experiments showed that leaching of Mg was the main cause for catalyst deactivation. Cu/Ni-LDO catalyst can effectively promote the depolymerization of lignin into small molecule monomer compounds in supercritical methanol medium. © 2018, Editorial Board of «Chemistry and Industry of Forest Products». All right reserved.     

Alkaloid variations in Catharanthus roseus seedlings treated by different temperatures in short term and long term

A study was conducted to investigate the effects of high temperature on variations of alkaloid metabolism in C. roseus seedlings in Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology, Northeast Forestry University, Heilongiang, China. 60-day-old C. roseus seedlings with 3-4 pairs of leaves were incubated in chambers with temperature of 30℃ and 40℃for short-term heat shock experiment and 20℃, 25℃ and 35℃ for long-term experiment. The contents of vindoline, catharanthine, vinblastine and vincristine in C. roseus leaves and root were checked at different temperatures in short term （1-6 h） and long term （1-16 d）. Results showed that under short-term heat shock, the contents of vindoline, catharanthine and vinblastine in leaves of the seedlings were higher at 40℃ than at 30℃, but after 6 h treatment, the contents of vindoline and catharanthine under the two temperatures came to the same level. Catharanthine was exclusively distributed in C. roseus roots and its content was increased by 40% after two hours incubation at 40℃, while increased slowly at 30℃ incubation and reached the highest value at 6 h. In the Long-term experiment, concentrations of monomeric alkaloids catharanthine and vindoline were higher at 20℃ than at 25℃ and had a sharp increase under the condition of 35℃. While for dimeric alkaloid, it showed that the higher the temperature, the earlier the peak value of vinblastine content appears. Vincristine had a continuous enhancement and attained 0.027 mg.g^-1 at 16th day under 35℃ condition which was higher than those in the other conditions. It was concluded that high temperature could promote the accumulation of different alkaloids in C. roseus and the accumulation characteristic is highly related to treatment time.     

Dynamics of dominant tree species in a forest ecotone on the northern slop of Changbai Mountain

The competition and dynamics of dominant trees species in the forest ecotone between the broad-leaved/Korean pine （Pinus koraiensis） mixed forest and the spruce-fir forest （also known as dark conifer forest） in Changbai Mountain, Jilin Province in Northeast China were studied by using Lotka-Volterra model, based on the data from twenty-eight sample plots with area of 20 mx90 m for each one. Results showed that under natural condition, differentiation of communities followed two directions： one would be Spruce （Picea jezoensis and few P. koraiensis） and fir （Abies nephrolepis） co-dominant conifer forest, and at the equilibrium fir was absolutely preponderant （77.1% of relative dominance （RD））; the other would be the conifer and broad-leaved mixed forest, and at equilibrium, the broad-leaved tree species was 50% of RD in the broad-leaved/Korean pine mixed forest and 66% of RD in the broad-leaved and spruce-fir mixed forest. The study demonstrated that both broad-leaved/Korean pine mixed forest and dark conifer forest were climax community, the ecotone had transitional characteristics, and the diversification of the forest communities suggested that the direction of succession was affected by local habitat.     

Subsurface accumulation of CaCO_3 and Cl~- from groundwater under black locust and poplar plantations

When conditions are similar,more water evaporates from forest plantations than herbaceous vegetation,thereby affecting hydrological fluxes and ion transport in the soil.The vertical distribution of CaCO3 and Cl^-ions shifts due to afforestation.The effect of groundwater depth and clay content were studied in the Great Hungarian Plain where forest area has been increasing for decades by analyzing soil and groundwater samples from stands of black locust(Robinia pseudoacacia,11 plots)and poplar(Populus spp.,11 plots).All study sites contained one herbaceous(control)and one or more forested plots.CaCO3 and Cl^-ions accumulated in the soil profile in greater quantities under tree cover than in the controls.The scale of this process largely depended on the species and on soil and ion properties.Under black locust,Cl^-accumulated between 1.3 and 6.3 m,with a maximum difference of 0.3 pCl unit(pCl is Cl^-activity,the negative of the logarithm to base 10 of the concentration of the chloride ion,determined using an ion-selective electrode,it is a dimensionless quantity.),while the difference in CaCO3 accumulation was at most 3.5%in some layers,compared to control plots.This result may be explained by the difference in the mobility of Ca+and Cl^-ions.Different mechanisms were noticeable under poplar plantations due to their higher water uptake:Cl-accumulation was detected below 0.9 m to the groundwater with a maximum difference of 0.5 pCl units,while CaCO3 accumulation was continuous at depths of 2.3–6.8 m with a maximum difference of 8.4%,compared to the controls.With increasing clay content,there was a discernible effect on CaCO3 and Cl-accumulation under black locust,but not observed under poplars.These differences were explained by the differences in water uptake mechanisms and root patterns of the two species and the different mobility of Ca2^+and Cl-ions.     

Growth and nutrient accumulation of Brazil nut trees (Bertholletia excelsa) in agroforestry at different fertilizer levels

The Brazil nut tree(Bertholletia excelsa) is a frequent component of agroforestry systems in the Amazon because of its adaptation to nutrient-poor upland soils and multiple uses.We investigated the aboveground biomass production(kg dry weight),nutrient uptake and requirements(N,P,Ca,Mg,K) of Brazil nut trees of different sizes grown under agroforestry conditions and fertilized at different levels.Eight of 70 experimental trees with different size were harvested and stem,branches and leaves were separated.Nutrient contents were determined for three trees of varying size.Average tree growth was fast,but variability was high,suggesting considerable potential for the improvement of this economically important species.The trees responded to increased levels of fertilizer and lime with significantly increased foliar nutrient contents and growth,probably because of the improved availability of Mg and Ca for which the species seems to have a relatively high demand.In contrast to Brazil nut trees grown in forest or dense plantations,the agroforestry trees invested a substantial part of their biomass and nutrients in large branches and developed spreading crowns.To improve stem form,reduce competition with associated crops for light and recycle nutrients,regular pruning of lower branches or planting arrangements that favor self-pruning are recommended.These measures would also increase the recycling of Ca and Mg,large quantities of which are contained in the branches.     

Optimization of the uidA Gene Transfer of Rosa hybrida via Agrobacterium tumefaciens: an Assessment of Factors Influencing the Efficiency of Gene Transfer

To develop a transformation protocol of Rosa hybrida ‘Samantha‘ via Agrobacterium tumefaciens, the authors examined the effect of different factors on T-DNA transfer by measuring transient expression levels of an intron-containing β-glucuronidase gene. The results indicate that explant, light condition, salt concentration and acetosyringone (AS) concentration in co-culture medium are the most important factors, and factors like co-culture temperature, co-culture period and bacteria density have a strong effect on the growth of bacteria and then T-DNA transfer. Optimized co-cultivation was performed by inoculation of embryogenic callus with bacteria at a density of OD600=0.5-0.8 for 20 min and co-culture in darkness under 23 ℃ on medium with 1/2 MS salts and 300 μmol-L 1 AS for 3 d.     

Comparative analysis of some selected macronutrients of soil in orange orchard and degraded forests in Chittagong Hill Tracts,Bangladesh

Status of organic carbon （C）, total nitrogen （N）, available potassium （K）, calcium （Ca） and phosphorus （P） in three different depths （0-5 cm, 5-15 cm and 15-30 cm） on two hill slopes of 35% and 55% in orange orchard cultivated by the Mro tribe of Chittagong Hill. Tracts （CHTs） were evaluated and compared with those in degraded bush forests, through digging three profiles in each land use. The content of all the five nutrients was found to be higher in the soil of orange orchard than in the soil of forest. But the variation was not consistent for both the slopes. The content varied depth wise also, having the highest value in surface soil in case of both the land uses on both the slopes. A mean available K content was significantly higher in orange orchard than in forest on 55% slope, while it was lower on 35% slope. Surface soil contained the nutrients of K and Ca with the amount of 0.2905-mg·g^-1 soil and 3.025-mg·g^-1 soil respectively in the orchard, while 0.1934-mg·g^-1 soil and 1.6083-mg·g^-1 soil were respectively in the forest. Organic carbon and total nitrogen were found more or less similar in surface soil on both the land uses showing a slight difference. Available P was found only in orange orchard, and in forest it was too little in amount to detect by the spectrophotometer. The degraded forests were poor in nutrient content due to high rate of soil erosion, which would be possible to be improved by bringing it under tree cover as proved by the adaptation of orange orchard there.     

Characterization and Role of Glucose-6-phosphate Dehydrogenase of Populus suaveolens in Induction of Freezing Resistance

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH, EC 1.1.1.49) was purified from the leaves of 8-week-old Populus suaveolens cuttings. The enzyme activity in the absence and presence of reduced dithiothreitol (DTTred) was determined. The results show that the G6PDH activity is not inactivated by pre-incubation with DTTred, indicating that the purified enzyme probably presented in cytosol of P suaveolens. The catalytic characteristics and kinetic parameters of cytosolic G6PDH purified from P.suaveolens cuttings were also studied. The results show that G6PDH is characterized by Km value of 360/amol.L^-1 for G6P and 16μmol.L^-1 for NADP, a pH range of 7.3-8.9, and the maximum activity around pH 8.2. The enzyme activity is inhibited by various metabolites such as NADPH, NADH, GTP, UTP, ATP, AMP, ADP, CoA, acetyl CoA, fructose-6-phosphate (F6P), erythrose-4-phosphate (E4P), ribose-5-phosphate (R5P) and 3-phosphoglycerate (3-PG) (all at 1 mmol‘L i except for NADPH and NADH)to different extents. NADPH is the most effective inhibitor of enzyme activity, with an inhibition of 72.0%. The addition of metal ions such as MgC12, CaC12 and KC1 (all 1.0 mmol.L^-1) to the standard reaction mixture has no remarkable influence on the cytosolic G6PDH activity. However, CdCl2 (1.0 mmol.L-1) causes high inhibitory effect on the enzyme activity. To explore the role of G6PDH on the enhancement of freezing resistance induced by freezing acclimation, the changes in the cytosolic G6PDH activity and freezing resistance (expressed as LTs0) of P. suaveolens cuttings during freezing acclimation at -20℃ were investigated. The results reveal that freezing acclimation decreases LTs0 of cuttings, and increases the activity of cytosolic G6PDH compared with control ones,while 2 d of de-acclimation at 25 ~C result in a decrease in cytosolic G6PDH activity, and caused an increase in LT50. Furthermore,the change in cytosolic G6PDH activity is found to be closely correlated to the degree of freezing resistance of cuttings during freezing acclimation. It is suggested that cytosolic G6PDH may be involved in the induction of freezing resistance of cuttings.     

Options for converting a clone trial of Eucalyptus camaldulensis into a clonal seed orchard considering gain,fertility and effective clone number

We evaluated a clone trial comprised of 20 ramets each of 40 Eucalyptus camaldulensis clones for growth and fertility at 4 years of age. The clones differed significantly in growth with 65–100 % survival in 38 clones while two clones had low survival(40 and 10 %).Fecundity was high and fertility variation low, as indicated by the sibling coefficient value(W = 1.4) with 55 % of clones contributing 80 % of the fruits. Thinning strategies were considered to convert the clone trial to a clonal seed orchard and enhance both gain and diversity in seed crop.When clones were selected based on growth without considering fertility, truncation selection(to retain clones with higher DBH than the trial mean value) would give 8 %gain, but 59 % reduction in effective population size(Ne).Gain and predicted diversity(Ne) was highest when ramets were selected in linear proportion to the breeding value of each clone. Mass selection with the same intercept(for DBH) as truncation selection would give a moderate 3 %gain, but over two times higher predicted Nethan truncation selection. When fertility of retained trees was considered after thinning, mass selection would yield 52 %effective contribution from the orchard trees compared to only 30 % contribution from truncation selection and linear thinning. Higher representation of superior clones in linear thinning and mass selection would lead to greater fertilityvariation and over 30 % reduction in effective clone number(Nc) from that predicted(Ne, assuming equal fertility among ramets) before thinning.     

Carbon unloading in roots in relation to root senescence in Cercis chinensis seedlings under drought stress

When Cercis chinensis seedlings suffered from drought treatment, net photosynthetic rates had been significantly reduced at the end of the drought treatment. Compared with the control, the activities of acid invertases in roots had increased 5 and 11 days after drought treatment. Seventeen days after drought treatment, the activities of acid invertases in roots were significantly decreased, while activities of alkaline invertases in roots had also been significantly reduced. As the moisture in culture media decreased, so the activities of sucrose synthases in leaves decreased slightly. In roots, their activities had significantly increased 5 and 11 days after drought treatment. The contents of fructose in roots reduced as the moisture in culture media decreased and 11 and 17 days after drought treatment the reduction was significant. The content of glucose in roots clearly did not change as drought stress occurred further, but was still less than that in the control seedlings. Similarly, the content of sucrose reduced as the moisture in culture media decreased. At the beginning of the drought stress, the content of sucrose was significantly higher than that in the control and afterwards there were no differences between drought-treated seedlings and the control. The gradient of the sucrose content between leaves and roots was 0.0982 mg·g–1 FW 17 days after drought treatment, while the gradient of the seedlings under normal condition was 1.3832 mg·g–1 FW. The sucrose concentration gradient reduced by 92.9%. The reduction in the sucrose content gradient under drought stress decreased the sucrose partitioning in roots. Therefore, our results support the hypothesis of ‘shared control’.     

Polycondensation reaction and its mechanism during lignocellulosic liquefaction by an acid catalyst: a review

The increase in the residue content resulting from polycondensation would be adverse to the utilization of lignocellulose and to the quality of products obtained from liquefied lignocellulosic material.The yield of the residue formed from liquefaction and the mechanism of polycondensation were reported mainly by Lin,Yamada and Kobayashi.The major products of cellulosic liquefaction are levulinic acid and hydroxymethylfurfural(HMF) derivatives under polyhydric alcohols and phenolated compounds under phenols.The cleavage of the β-O-4 bonds is the major reaction pathway of lignin liquefaction under various liquefying reagents regardless of whether they contain acid catalysts or not.The break up compounds by decomposition are polymerized to substances with high molecular weight by polycondensation in lignocellulosic liquefaction.The molecular weight of condensed residues increases almost linearly as a function of liquefaction time at the later stage of lignocellulosic liquefaction.The longer the time required,the greater the content of new residue generated by polycondensation during the entire process of liquefaction.We conclude that the condensed residues may stem from the interaction of degraded lignin and cellulose components in wood or from the products of two major components reacting with liquefying reagents.     

Vertical distribution of plant nematodes in an aquic brown soil under different land uses

The vertical distribution of the dominant genera of plant nematodes at the depth of 0-150 cm of an aquic brown soil were studied for four land use patterns, i.e., paddy field, maize field, fallow field and woodland in the Shenyang Experimental Station of Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences in November of 2003. The results showed that the numbers of some dominant genera under different land uses decreased with the increase of soil depth. Helicotylenchus was most dominant genus under each land use type. Genera of Filenchus, Psilenchus and Tylenchus in paddy field occurred at the depth of 0-20 cm; while Paratylenchus in fallow field and woodland, as well as Pratylenchus in maize field presented in the deeper soil layers (0-80 cm). Significant correlations between the numbers of dominant genera of plant nematodes and soil chemical properties were found in this study. The number of Helicotylenchus under different land uses was positively correlated with C/N ratio, total C, total N, total P, alkai-N, and Olsen-P. The numbers of Filenchus and Paratylenchus in paddy field,Pratylenchus in maize field and Paratylenchus in fallow field were negatively correlated with soil pH, and positively correlated with total C,total N and alkai-N. This study results showed that it is essential to sample at a certain depth according to the vertical distribution information of different genera of plant nematodes in adequately assessing the population size of plant nematodes.     

Elevation difference of Ca2+ levels in young leaf cells of bromegrass and induced cold-tolerant enhancement under different controlled chilling temperatures

The changes of Ca2+ levels in young leaf cells of bromegrass under different controlled chilling temperatures were inves-tigated by an antimonite precipitation eytochemical method. The main results were as follows: under 25/20℃ (day/night) tempera-ture and 14 h photoperiod, electron-dense Ca2+ antimonite precipitates, indicators of Ca2+ localization, were mainly localized in the vacuoles, cell walls and intercellular spaces; few Ca2+ deposits were observed in the cytosol and nuclei. After a 3℃ chilling treatment for 3 h, many Ca2+ precipitates appeared in the cytosol and nuclei, indicating that Ca2+ influx had occurred in the cytosol and nuclei.When the 3℃ treatment was prolonged to 8 h, more Ca2+ deposits appeared in the nuclei and cytosol, but the amount of Ca2+ depos-its in both the cytosol and nuclei decreased markedly after a 24 h treatment and most Ca2+ deposits were returned to the vacuoles and intercellular spaces after an 8 d treatment. When bromegrass was exposed to 7℃ for 3 h, the Ca2+ distribution in the cells had no visible changes, compared with that of the 25/20℃ grown control plants. However, when the chilling treatment of 7℃ was pro-longed to 8 h, a Ca2+ influx occurred, where many Ca2+ deposits were observed in the nuclei and cytosol. More Ca2+ deposits ap-peared in the nuclei and cytosol after a 24 h treatment, but the amount of Ca2+ deposits in the cytosol and nuclei was reduced mark-edly after an 8 d treatment. After a 14 d treatment, the remaining low level of Ca2+ was recovered in both the cytosol and nuclei andthe Ca2+ deposits were again located in the vacuoles and the intercellular spaces. The dynamics of subcellular Ca2+ localization in young leaf cells of bromegrass during a 12℃ chilling treatment were similar to those of the 7℃ treatment. Besides, the results showed that the frost tolerance of bromegrass exposed to 3℃ for 8 d increased by 6℃, for 7℃ and 8 d by 4℃ and for 12℃ and 14 d by 3℃, compared with the controls. Finally, the relationship between different Ca2+ dynamics and induced frost tolerance was also explored.     

Decomposition patterns of leaf litter of seven common canopy species in a subtropical forest： dynamics of mineral nutrients

Dynamical patterns of mineral elements during decomposition processes were investigated for seven common canopy species in a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest by means of litterbag technique over 2 years. The species studied are representative for the vegetation in the study area and differed significantly in chemical qualities of their litter. No significant relationships were found between decomposition rate （percentage dry mass remaining and decomposition constant k） and initial element cuncentrations.However, there were significant correlations betweeu the percentage of dry mass remaining and the mineral element concentrations in the remaining litter for most cases. The rank of the element mobility in decomposition process was as follows： Na = K 〉 Mg ≥ Ca 〉 N ≥ Mn ≥ Zn ≥ P 〉 Cu 〉〉 Al 〉〉 Fe. Concentrations of K and Na decreased in all species as decomposition proceeded. Calcium and Mg also decreased in concentrntion but with a temporal increase in the initial phase of decomposition, while the concentrations of other elements （Zn, Cu, AL and Fei increased for all species with exception of Mn which revealed a different pattern in different species. In most species, microelements （Cu, Al, and Fe） significantly increased in absolute amounts at the end of the litterbag incubation, which could be ascribed to a lange extent to the mechanism of abiotic fixation to humic substances rather than biological immobilization.     

The impact of land afforestation on carbon stocks surrounding Tehran,Iran

The city of Tehran,like many polluted metropolises of the world,has higher emissions of greenhouse gases than other cities in Iran,due to heavy consumption of fossil fuel and landuse changes.To estimate carbon sequestration in two 40 year-old stands of planted Cupressus arizonica and Fraxinus rotundifolia in degraded lands surrounding Tehran,sampling of above-and below-ground biomass,soil(at two depths of 0-15 and 15-30 cm),and leaf litter was done by systematic random sampling.The total carbon stocks of C.arizonica and F.rotundifolia stands were respectively 328.20 and 150.69 Mg·ha-1.The aboveground biomass with 233.16(71%)Mg·ha-1 in C.arizonica and88.16(58.50%)Mg·ha-1 in F.rotundifolia contributed the most shares to carbon sequestration.The diameter at breast height,total height,basal area,total volume,and biomass of C.arizonica were significantly(p0.01)higher than those of F.rotundifolia.Also the depth of 0-30 cm of soil contributed between 18.29%and 32.15%of total ecosystem carbon,respectively.The economic value of carbon sequestration in the two stands in 2011 was calculated at 3.5 and 2.5 million dollars,respectively.Our results indicate that afforestation of the degraded land surrounding Tehran would sequester more carbon than would continuously degraded land,the current status quo.These stands can absorb atmospheric CO2 at different rates,thus tree species selection and stand development should be considered in planning future afforestation projects.