Acaricidal,repellent and oviposition deterrent activities of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Datura stramonium</Emphasis> L. against adult <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tetranychus urticae</Emphasis> (Koch)

The ethanol extracts obtained from both leaf and seed in the Thorn apple (Datura stramonium L.) (Solanaceae) were investigated for acaricidal, repellent and oviposition deterrent properties against adult two-spotted spider mites (Tetranychus urticae Koch) (Acari: Tetranychidae) under laboratory conditions. Leaf and seed extracts, which were applied in 167,250 and 145,750 mg/l concentrations, respectively (using a Petri leaf disc-spray tower method), caused 98 and 25% mortality among spider mite adults after 48 h. The simple logistic regression analysis showed that the independent variable, an increase in the dose of leaf extract was associated with a significant increase in the death rate of T. urticae females, but an increase in the dosage of seed extracts did not have a significant effect. Using probit analysis and estimating the parameters with a confidence limit of 95%, we determined the LC₅₀ values of leaf extract to be 70,593 mg/l. According to Pearson’s χ² test, mites showed the strongest run off to bean leaf surfaces sprayed with both leaf and seed extracts (in sub-lethal doses: <7,500 mg/l and <25,000 mg/l, respectively) and moved towards surfaces that had not been sprayed with extracts. Furthermore, repeated measures ANOVA indicated a significant difference between the number of eggs laid on unsprayed bean leaves compared to bean leaves that were sprayed with leaf and seed extracts at sub-lethal doses, 2,500 and 25,000 mg/l concentrations, respectively. These results suggest that D. stramonium extracts could be used to manage the two-spotted spider mite.     

Model of leaf energy distribution and its experimental validation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Populus tomentosa</Emphasis> Carr.

Leaf temperature of a plant is the result of heat transfer between the plant and its environment. There are many factors that can affect leaf temperature, such as the solar radiation energy, environmental temperature, wind velocity, evaporation on the leaf surface, photosynthesis, respiration and so on, which have different effects on the temperature of leaves. In first instance, we analyzed the heat transfer on leaves of Populus tomentosa Carr. theoretically and constructed a model of energy distribution. We then validated the model by analyzing seven different kinds of one-year-old P. tomentosa leaves experimentally. The result shows that solar radiation is the main energy input and the dominant ways of thermal diffusion are heat transfer between the upper and lower leaf surfaces and evaporation from the leaf surface.     

Pre-penetration behaviour of the urediniospores of birch rust,Melampsoridium betulinum,on greenhouse-grown and microcultured leaves of Betula spp.

In two different experiments the urediniospores of Melampsoridium betulinum from Betula pendula and Betula pubescens germinated both on mature leaves of greenhouse-grown plants and on sterile in vitro leaves of micropropagated plantlets, which were cloned from the same B. pendula and B. pubescens genotypes. The urediniospores and germ tubes were more easily detached from the leaf surfaces of in vitro leaves. If germination took place on a leaf vein, the growth continued across the veinal ridges; otherwise, no determined growth towards the stomata could be observed with either of the leaf types studied. In both experiments on the in vitro leaves of B. pubescens clone V5944, the germ tubes of the rust isolate from B. pendula mislocated appressoria significantly more often than the germ tubes of the rust isolate from B. pubescens. On the mature leaves of B. pendula clone E4214 and B. pubescens clone V5940 there were also significant differences in appressorial locations between the two rust isolates but the clonal responses were inconsistent. The results of the inoculations suggest that the incompatibility of the rust isolates from B. pendula on the leaves of B. pubescens is not related to the significantly higher ratio of failures in locating appressoria in this host-rust combination.     

In vitro and in vivo germination of spores of Marssonina brunnea (Ell. et Ev.) P. Magn

A water soluble inhibitor of germination is present on the surfaces of freshly collected spores of Marssonina brunnea (Ell et Ev.) P. Magn. Spores of this pathogen have a high potential for germination even in the absence of external substrates. Among the poplar clones examined there was no correlation between spore germination on leaf discs and the disease reaction of the discs under controlled conditions. However under these conditions the disease development on leaf discs taken from clone I-69/55 was correlated with the high resistance of this clone to Marssonina leaf spot in the field.     

Infection scene investigation of shot holes: Incomplete but neutral abscission of brown spots on oriental cherry leaves

Shot holes on oriental cherry (Prunus serrulata var. spontanea) leaves were investigated to evaluate their role in the elimination of pathogens using analytical electron microscopy. Small brown spots caused by Mycosphaerella cerasella appeared on the leaf surface and developed into shot holes that were approximately 1–5 mm in diameter. Field emission scanning electron microscopy revealed clusters of fungal conidiophores and hyphal growth on the leaf surface around the shot holes. The fungal structures were mostly located within a radius of 500 μm from the shot holes and confined to the epidermal sector separated by veins. X‐ray microanalysis revealed distinct calcium ring patterns encircling the shot holes. The abscised surfaces consisted of suberized plant cells colonized with filamentous fungi and yeasts. Embedded in the mesophyll tissue, druse crystals were co‐localized with calcium and oxygen. Despite the fungal presence around the shot holes, no further expansion of the shot holes was observed on the leaf surface. These results suggest that shot holes may represent an incomplete but neutral abscission of infection loci in the presence of necrotrophic fungal pathogens. This microscopy study provides insight into the formation and roles of calcium oxalate in plants under pathological conditions.     

Disease biology and histopathology of bronze leaf disease: a threat to cultivated aspens,white poplars and their hybrids

Bronze leaf disease (BLD) of species and hybrids of aspens, grey and white poplars (Genus Populus, section Populus) is a systemic disease incited by the fungus Apioplagiostoma populi (E.K. Cash & A.M. Waterman) M.E. Barr that results in a characteristic bronze to dark brown pigmentation of infected leaves in late summer and early fall. Branches on affected trees die over a period of several years, disfiguring trees and eventually leading to mortality of susceptible trees planted in landscapes. In this study, we describe the histopathology of the disease and fungus development relative to external symptoms on affected trees. A. populi hyphae were observed in leaf vessels, lateral veins and xylem vessels of stems and roots of affected trees. Hyphae were also observed in veins and vessels of asymptomatic leaves. Xylem vessels of growth rings on dead branches were completely occluded with A. populi near the vascular cambium and together with the ray parenchyma were stained a bronze colour. Evidence of putative toxin damage to mesophyll cells, not colonized by hyphae, was observed and may contribute to the characteristic tissue staining observed. The development of the fungus was consistent with previous reports, but in this study, we report additional details including perithecial development and ascospore release from predominantly abaxial leaf surfaces. We also report for the first time the isolation and growth of the pathogen in pure culture and systemic infection of roots.     

A new leaf disease on Populus euphratica in south‐western Iran

During the winter of 2012, a leaf spot disease was observed on Euphrates poplar (Populus euphratica) in the forest areas of Khuzestan province, south‐western Iran, causing significant damage in the Karun's riverside forests. Symptoms consisted of necrotic dark brown, circular to oval, 5‐ to 10‐mm spots on both surfaces of the leaves. A fungus having distinct dictyospores similar to those produced by Alternaria spp. was observed. The morphological characteristics, as well as the phylogenetic analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS1‐5,8S‐ITS2) region, confirmed the identity of the strains belonging to the species Alternaria alternata. Pathogenicity tests were conducted on the alive leaves of P. euphratica on the young branches, as well as on the detached leaves in Petri dishes, through inoculation with spore suspension. Target spot symptoms similar to those observed in naturally infected leaves were developed on the inoculated leaves seven to 10 days after inoculation in both the inoculation procedures. A. alternata was consistently re‐isolated from the spots. Interestingly, similar symptoms were observed 7 days after detached leaf treatment with droplets of 15‐day‐old fungal culture filtrate, suggesting the production of pathotoxic compounds by the fungus. To our knowledge, this is the first report of A. alternata causing leaf spot on Euphrates poplar in Iran.     

Interrelationships between leaf heat conductivity and tissue structures of different varieties of Populus tomentosa Carr.

Plant heat conductivity largely depends on tissue structure. Different structures lead to different heat conductivity. As well, water transfer also plays a very important role in heat transfer in plants. We have studied leaf heat conductivity and tissue structure of 3- and 30-year-old Populus tomentosa Carr. trees using infrared thermal imaging, steady state heat conductivity surveys and paraffin section and investigated the relationship between leaf heat conductivity, tissue structure and water content of leaves. The results show that the temperature on leaf surfaces among the various varieties of trees was almost the same. Leaf heat conductivity, temperature and water content of leaves are positively correlated. The thicker the leaf tissue structures, the larger the heat resistance. That is, the tighter the cells and the smaller the interspaces, the smaller the heat conductivity, which is not conducive for heat transfer.     

苦竹叶片性状及其异速生长关系的密度效应

[目的]揭示苦竹叶片性状及其异速生长关系对密度的响应特征,为苦竹林培育适宜林分密度构建提供参考。[方法]开展了3种密度(低密度,14 430~16 545株·hm~(-2),L;中密度,31 590~34 560株·hm~(-2),M;高密度,54 120~55 560株·hm~(-2),H)苦竹纯林1~3年生立竹叶长(LL)、叶宽(LW)、叶面积(LA)、叶干质量(LM)等主要叶性因子测定,采用标准主轴回归分析解析叶性因子及其异速生长关系随密度的变异规律。[结果]研究表明:随着立竹年龄的增加,相同密度苦竹林的叶长、叶形指数和比叶面积均呈先升高后降低趋势,叶宽和叶面积总体呈降低趋势。随着密度的增加,相同年龄立竹叶长、叶宽、叶形指数、叶面积和比叶面积总体均呈先升高后降低趋势,其中,叶面积和比叶面积不同密度竹林间差异显著。3种密度苦竹林b_(LL-LA)、b_(LW-LA)、b_(LL-LM)、b_(LW-LM)及中密度、低密度苦竹林b_(LA-LM)均显著小于1.0,呈异速生长关系,而高密度苦竹林b_(LA-LM)接近1.0,呈等速生长关系。随着密度的增加,b_(LL-LA)、b_(LL-LM)呈先升高后降低趋势,而b_(LW-LM)、b_(LA-LM)则相反,且b_(LL-LA)、b_(LL-LM)和b_(LA-LM)不同密度竹林间差异显著。b_(LW-LA)随密度的增加呈升高趋势,中密度、低密度竹林间无显著差异,均显著低于高密度竹林。[结论]密度对苦竹林主要叶性因子及其异速生长关系会产生明显的影响,其中叶长对密度变化敏感,中密度(31 590~34 560株·hm~(-2))苦竹林具有较大叶长、叶宽、叶面积和比叶面积,因而具有较高的生产能力,是苦竹林培育的适宜密度。     

Relative Susceptibility of Four Melampyrum Species to Cronartium flaccidum

The relative susceptibility of Melampyrum arvense, M. pratense, M. sylvaticum and M. nemorosum to Cronartium flaccidum was investigated by artificial inoculations. Uredinia and telia were artificially produced on plants from sown seed or transplanted from the wild in the greenhouse. This is the first report in which C. flaccidum telia were artificially produced on leaves of whole plants of M. arvense and M. pratense, the first report of successful artificial disease establishment on M. arvense and the first report of telia production on the upper surface of Melampyrum leaves. As an earlier unreported observation, telia were occasionally formed on both upper and lower leaf surfaces of M. arvense, M. sylvaticum and M. pratense. Host species, spore source and their interaction each affected some aspects of disease development. Melampyrum arvense and M. sylvaticum were the most susceptible hosts, while M. nemorosum was least susceptible. Melampyrum arvense should be considered a potentially important alternate host of C. flaccidum with its limited area of distribution.     

Effects of enhanced ultraviolet-B radiation on water use efficiency, stomatal conductance, leaf nitrogen content and morphological characteristics of Spiraea pubescens in a warm-temperate deciduous broad-leaved forest

Spiraea pubescens, a common shrub in the warm-temperate deciduous forest zone which is distributed in the Dongling Mountain area of Beijing, was exposed to ambient and enhanced ultraviolet-B (UV-B, 280–320 nm) radiation by artificially supplying a daily dose of 9.4 kJ/m² for three growing seasons, a level that simulated a 17% depletion in stratospheric ozone. The objective of this study was to explore the effects of long-term UV-B enhancement on stomatal conductance, leaf tissue δ ¹³C, leaf water content, and leaf area. Particular attention was paid to the effects of UV-B radiation on water use efficiency (WUE) and leaf total nitrogen content. Enhanced UV-B radiation significantly reduced leaf area (50.1%) but increased leaf total nitrogen content (102%). These changes were associated with a decrease in stomatal conductance (16.1%) and intercellular CO₂ concentration/ air CO₂ concentration (C _i /C _a) (4.0%), and an increase in leaf tissue δ ¹³C (20.5‰), leaf water content (3.1%), specific leaf weight (SLW) (5.2%) and WUE (4.1%). The effects of UV-B on the plant were greatly affected by the water content of the deep soil (30–40 cm). During the dry season, differences in the stomatal conductance, δ ¹³C, and WUE between the control and UV-B treated shrubs were very small; whereas, differences became much greater when soil water stress disappeared. Furthermore, the effects of UV-B became much less significant as the treatment period progressed over the three growing seasons. Correlation analysis showed that enhanced UV-B radiation decreased the strength of the correlation between soil water content and leaf water content, δ ¹³C, C _i/C _a, stomatal conductance, with the exception of WUE that had a significant correlation coefficient with soil water content. These results suggest that WUE would become more sensitive to soil water variation due to UV-B radiation. Based on this experiment, it was found that enhanced UV-B radiation had much more significant effects on morphological traits and growth of S. pubescens than hydro-physiological characteristics. __________ Translated from Journal of Plant Ecology, 2006, 30(1): 47–56 [译自: 植物生态学报]     

Identification and pathogenicity of Alternaria alternata causing leaf spot and blight disease of Ailanthus excelsa in India

Alternaria leaf spot of Ailanthus excelsa is generally considered as minor disease in India. Recently, severe disease outbreaks were recorded in the nursery of the Forest Research Institute, Dehradun, progeny trial at Jhumpa, Haryana, and in a nearby farm field. Leaf symptoms included small circular, brown, necrotic spots with a chlorotic halo. With severe infections, leaf spots coalesced and resulted in leaf blight. A small‐spored Alternaria with concatenated conidia was isolated consistently from the leaf samples with spot symptoms. Sequence analyses of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) and the translation elongation factor 1‐alpha (tef‐1α) gene region of two fungal isolates confirmed the species as A. alternata. In detached leaf assays, both isolates produced symptoms similar to those observed on the nursery/field‐grown plants. To validate the detached leaf assay result, pathogenicity was also demonstrated on whole plants in a glasshouse. Koch's postulates were fulfilled by re‐isolating A. alternata from the inoculated leaves. This work is the first to confirm that A. alternata is associated with leaf spot and blight disease of A. excelsa in India.     

Colonization and decomposition of leaf litter by ligninolytic fungi in Acacia mangium plantations and adjacent secondary forests

Colonization of leaf litter by ligninolytic fungi and relationships between mass loss and chemical qualities of surface leaf litter were examined in Acacia mangium plantations and adjacent secondary forests in southern Sumatra Island, Indonesia. Leaves were collected from eight A. mangium plantations of different ages and three secondary forests. Partly decomposed leaves beneath the surface leaf litter were used to measure the bleached area which indicated colonization by ligninolytic fungi. Surface leaf litter was used to measure initial chemical content and subjected to the pure culture decomposition test. The bleached area was greater in secondary forests than in A. mangium plantations. Nitrogen content was higher in all the A. mangium plantations than in the secondary forests, and acid unhydrolyzable residue (AUR) content was generally higher in the A. mangium plantations than in the secondary forests. The bleached area of leaf litter was negatively correlated with nitrogen content of surface leaf litter at all sites, indicating an inhibition of the colonization by ligninolytic fungi of leaves with higher nitrogen content. In a pure culture decomposition test inoculating a ligninolytic fungus to surface leaf litter, mass loss of leaves was negatively correlated with AUR content of surface leaf litter. Mass loss of leaves and AUR was not significantly related to nitrogen content. These results suggested that higher nitrogen content in A. mangium leaf litter had a negative effect by colonization of ligninolytic fungi, but the effect of high N in A. mangium leaf litter on the decomposition of leaf litter and AUR remained unsolved.     

Water Use of Tree Lines: Importance of Leaf Area and Micrometeorology in Sub-Humid Kenya

In this research the relative importance of leaf area and microclimatic factors in determining water use of tree lines was examined in sub-humid Western Kenya. Measurements of tree water-use by a heat-balance technique, leaf area, bulk air saturation deficit, daily radiation, and soil water content were done in an experiment with tree lines within crop fields. The tree species were Eucalyptus grandis W. Hill ex Maiden, Grevillea robusta A. Cunn. and Cedrella serrata Royle, grown to produce poles on a phosphorus-fixing Oxisol/Ferralsol with (+P) or without (−P) phosphorus application. Doubling the leaf area of Cedrella and Grevillea doubled water use in a leaf area (LA) range of 1–11 m² per tree. The response of Eucalyptus water use (W) to increases in leaf area was slightly less marked, with W = LAⁿ, n<1. Transpiration rate per unit leaf area (Tr) was the other important determinant of water use, being affected by both tree species and phosphorus fertilization. A doubling of the saturation deficit (SD) halved the water use of all trees except for Cedrella +P, in which water use increased. A direct effect of soil water content on water use was only found in Grevillea -P, with a small increase (60%) as available water increased from 1.4 to 8.9% above wilting point (32%). This low direct response to soil water content is probably due to the extensive tree-root systems and the deep clayey soils supplying sufficient water to meet the evaporative demand. Indirect responses to soil water content via decreases in leaf area occurred in the dry season. The results showed that water use of tree lines was more determined by leaf area and transpiration rate per unit leaf area than by micro meteorological factors. The linear response of tree water use to leaf area, over a wide range leaf areas, is a specific characteristic of tree line configurations and distinguished them from forest stands. In tree lines light interception and canopy conductance increase with leaf area much more than a similar leaf area increase would have caused in a closed forest canopy.     

利用幼虫粪粒数制定防治指标的研究

１９９２～１９９５年经过对枣步曲排粪规律、食叶量、枣树蓄叶量以及不同失叶水平对枣果产量影响的系统研究,建立了排粪量与平均气温的数量模型：Ｆ∧＝０．５６２９＋０．０１６２Ｔ,枣树蓄叶量估测模型：株蓄叶总面积＝株总枣股数×每股平均枣吊数×每吊平均枣叶数×平均枣叶面积,单位树冠面积下单位时间落粪粒数动态防治指标模型：Ｙ＝（２２６．１９４Ｘ３－３７３．７５４６）Ｘ－２３（０．５６５９＋０．０１６２Ｔ）,经林间验证,准确度在９０％以上。     

Leaf-level responses to light in two co-occurring <Emphasis Type="Italic">Quercus</Emphasis> (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Quercus ilex</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Quercus suber</Emphasis>): leaf structure,chemical composition and photosynthesis

We studied morphological, biochemical and physiological leaf acclimation to incident Photon-Photosynthetic-Flux-Density (PPFD) in Quercus ilex (holm oak) and Quercus suber (cork oak) at Mediterranean evergreen oak woodlands of southern Portugal. Specific leaf area (SLA) decreased exponentially with increasing PPFD in both species. Q. ilex had lower SLA values than Q. suber. Leaf nitrogen, cellulose and lignin concentration (leaf area-based) scaled positively with PPFD. Maximum rate of carboxylation (V_cmax), capacity for maximum photosynthetic electron transport (J_max), rate of triose-P utilization (V_TPU) and the rate of nonphotorespiratory light respiration (Rd) were also positively correlated with PPFD in both Quercus species, when expressed in leaf area but not on leaf mass basis. Q suber showed to have higher photosynthetic potential (V_cmax, J_max^m and V_TPU^m) and a higher nitrogen efficient nitrogen use than Q.ilex. Leaf chlorophyll concentration increased with decreasing PPFD, improving apparent quantum use efficiency (Φ) in both Quercus species. We concluded that, in Q.ilex and Q.suber, leaf structural plasticity is a stronger determinant for leaf acclimation to PPFD than biochemical and physiological plasticity.     

Practical methods for non-destructive measurement of tree leaf area

In an agroforestry context, the knowledge of leaf area is an important parameter to take into consideration because tree foliage shades the intercrop. Single leaf measurement (for example leaf length and width) is a widely used method to estimate leaf area in a rapid non-destructive way. In this study, the objectives were to estimate the leaf area of different leaf sizes and shapes for Acacia mangium Willd. (Mimosaceae), Tectona grandis L. (Verbenaceae), Hevea brasiliensis Muell.-Arg. (Euphorbiaceae), and Swietenia macrophylla King. (Meliaceae) Indonesian agroforestry trees. In order to characterise leaf area in field conditions a digital photograph method was used. Leaf length was measured in order to build relationships between leaf length versus actual leaf area. Additional measurements obtained from the digital pictures such as lamina width, number of leaflets, leaflet length and width were recorded in order to test the benefit regarding leaf area estimation based only on the leaf length model. The combination of these different linear leaf measurements led to various degrees of precision of leaf area estimation. The different models can then be chosen according to a compromise between the accuracy of leaf area estimation and the time allocated to field measurements.     

Allelopathic effects of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Eucalyptus urophylla</Emphasis> on ten tree species in south China

Aqueous leaf leachate and leaf volatile of Eucalyptus urophylla were used to investigate their effects on seed germination and seedling growth of seven native tree species (Cinnamomum burmanni, Cryptocarya concinna, Machilus chinensis, Photinia benthamiana, Pygeum topengii, Diospyros morrisiana and Pterospermum lanceaefolium) and three exotic tree species (Acacia confusa, Albizia lebbeck and Albizia falcataria). It was revealed that aqueous leaf leachate suppressed the seed germination and seedling growth of Photinia benthamiana, Pygeum topengii, Diospyros morrisiana and Pterospermum lanceaefolium. In case of Cryptocarya concinna, leaf leachate decreased only the seed germination. Leaf volatile concentration beyond 250 g per desiccator had a significant suppression effect on germination of Cinnamomum burmanni, Cryptocarya concinna, Machilus chinensis, Diospyros morrisiana and Pterospermum lanceaefolium. The seedlings growth for most species was affected at concentration of 50 g and above, with the exception of Cryptocarya concinna, Pygeum topengii and Albizia falcataria which were not obviously suppressed at 50 or 150 g leaf weight. However, the growth of Pterospermum lanceaefolium remained uninhibitory till when volatile at the concentration of 350 g leaf weight was applied. From the result it can be concluded that the allelochemical effects of the donor varies with the dose applied, and species respond differently to allelochemical released by the Eucalyptus.     

Characteristics of leaf areas of plantations in semiarid hills and gully loess regions

The objectives of our study were to explore the relationship of leaf area and stand density and to find a convenient way to measure stand leaf areas. During the 2004 growing season, from May to October, we used direct and indirect methods to measure the seasonal variation of the leaf areas of tree and shrub species. The trees were from Robinia pseudoacacia stands of four densities (3333 plants/hm², 1666 plants/hm², 1111 plants/hm², and 833 plants/hm²) and Platycladus orientalis stands of three densities (3333 plants/hm², 1666 plants/hm², and 1111 plants/hm²). The shrub species were Caragana korshinskii, Hippophae rhamnoides, and Amorpha fruticosa. Based on our survey data, empirical formulas for calculating leaf area were obtained by correlating leaf fresh weight, diameter of base branches, and leaf areas. Our results show the following: 1) in September, the leaf area and leaf area index (LAI) of trees (R. pseudoacacia and P. orientalis) reached their maximum values, with LAI peak values of 10.5 and 3.2, respectively. In August, the leaf area and LAI of shrubs (C. korshinskii, H. rhamnoides, and A. fruticosa) reached their maximum values, with LAI peak values of 1.195, 1.123, and 1.882, respectively. 2) There is a statistically significant power relation between leaf area and leaf fresh weight for R. pseudoacacia. There are significant linear relationships between leaf area and leaf fresh weight for P. orientalis, C. korshinskii, H. rhamnoides, and A. fruticosa. Moreover, there is also a significant power relation between leaf area and diameter of base branches for C. korshinskii. There are significant linear relations between leaf area and diameter of base branches of H. rhamnoides and A. fruticosa. 3) In the hills and gully regions of the Loess Plateau, the LAIs of R. pseudoacacia stand at different densities converged after the planted stands entered their fast growth stage. Their LAI do not seem to be affected by its initial and current density. The same is true for P. orientalis stands. However, the leaf area of individual trees is negatively and linearly related with stand density. We conclude that, in the hills and gully regions of the Loess Plateau, the bearing capacity of R. pseudoacacia and P. orientalis stands we studied have reached their maximum limitation, owing to restricted access to soil water. Therefore, in consideration of improving the quality of single trees, a stand density not exceeding 833 and 1111 plants/hm² is recommended for R. pseudoacacia and P. orientalis, respectively. In consideration of improving the quality of the entire stands, the density can be reduced even a little more. __________ Translated from Journal of Plant Ecology (Chinese Version), 2008, 32 (2): 440–447 [译自: 植物生态学报]     

模拟外源性氮磷对马占相思凋落叶分解及土壤生化特性的影响

[目的]研究外源性氮和磷对马占相思凋落叶的分解速率、分解过程中N、P、K含量和土壤生化特性的影响,以便为森林土壤养分管理提供参考。[方法]以广东省云勇林场马占相思林下凋落叶为试验材料,采用尼龙网袋分解法,设置对照(CK)、施N(10 g·m~(-2))、施P(5 g·m~(-2))、施N+P(N 10 g·m~(-2)+P 5 g·m~(-2))4种处理,每隔3个月取样1次,并测定凋落叶残留量和N、P、K含量。[结果]表明:施N、P和N+P处理对马占相思凋落叶的分解均为促进作用。各处理马占相思凋落叶的N含量在分解过程中大致保持稳定,施P和N+P处理的凋落叶P含量在分解过程中总体呈波动性上升,而各处理的凋落叶K含量变化规律不明显。施N、P和N+P处理提高了马占相思林土壤的有机质和全N含量,促进脲酶、磷酸酶及过氧化氢酶的活性。[结论]施N、P和N+P处理促进了马占相思凋落叶的分解,有利于马占相思林的养分循环。