干旱与重吸水对人工藻结皮光合特性的影响

通过接种蓝藻构建人工藻结皮促进荒漠地区生物结皮的生长发育以及整个荒漠生态系统的恢复,被认为是一种行之有效的荒漠化控制方法。在构建藻结皮过程中,接种的蓝藻以及形成的藻结皮,经常遭受干旱等环境条件的胁迫。本研究通过室内人工构建藻结皮,对形成的藻结皮进行干旱及重吸水处理,在此过程中监测结皮光合生物量、多糖含量以及结皮光合特性的变化规律。结果发现,干旱处理1d后,结皮蓝藻胞外多糖的分泌明显增加(p0.05);当结皮完全进入干燥状态后,结皮蓝藻停止所有代谢活动,结皮生物量及胞外多糖含量保持在一个相对稳定的水平。在结皮重吸水后,结皮初始荧光Fo能够迅速恢复,并在10 min内达到最大;之后Fo逐渐下降,同时结皮光合活性(Fv/Fm)按照函数y=ax/(b+x)逐渐上升并达到稳定。此外,在不同水分条件下,结皮光合活性随着水分的增加逐渐增加;然而结皮净光合速率(Pn)却随着水分的增加先增加后又下降,呈现单峰变化模式。该研究表明结皮蓝藻的代谢调节在人工藻结皮适应荒漠干旱环境中具有重要的作用,这对于进一步理解蓝藻乃至蓝藻结皮对干旱胁迫的适应,以及荒漠化防治中人工藻结皮的构建、维护、管理具有重要的理论与实践意义。     

鄂尔多斯沙地土壤生物结皮的理化性质

本文通过野外取样和室内分析相结合, 对鄂尔多斯沙地不同植物群落下的土壤生物结皮的理化性质进行了初步的研究。研究表明沙地固定的时间越久,其下的生物结皮越多,厚度也越大,结皮的厚度在0.3 ~ 1.5cm之间;在流动沙丘表面形成生物结皮后,结皮中的颗粒组成发生明显的变化,其中0.25 ~ 0.05mm级别的粗砂粒明显减少,而且随着结皮形成的厚度增加,其减少的幅度越大,最大减少的幅度可达30%;随着结皮厚度的增加,结皮的容重也明显增大,室内测定的毛管持水量明显增加,表现出强烈非孔隙吸水现象。但较厚的生物结皮也具有明显的阻水作用,也是导致老固定沙丘植物群落衰退的原因之一。结皮厚度越大,其有机质、全N、全P、速效N、速效P、速效K含量也越高,且以沙地柏下的各种养分含量最高,结皮中的最高有机质含量是流沙的13.5倍(未除去生物残体时),说明生物结皮具有显著的养分富积作用。随着有机含量的增加,其C/N和C/P比呈增加趋势,而pH有轻微的下降趋势。总之,通过对鄂尔多斯沙地生物结皮的初步分析,可以明显看出沙地生物结皮对土壤理化性质有明显的影响,对沙地的生态系统的影响需要进一步研究。     

生物质结皮制剂在民勤流动沙区恢复植被的作用

利用矿物质材料和生物高分子材料的环境友好和吸湿保水的特性制作形成结皮,对立地条件极端恶劣的流动沙丘进行植被恢复.首先将草籽(黄蒿籽)撒播于目的沙丘表面,然后将与砂土混匀的结皮制剂均匀地撒在沙地表面,最后,洒木质素液使结皮凝固并用围栏封育试验区.通过调查结皮制剂施用后沙丘植物的种类、覆盖度、生长状况等植被恢复指标,分析了生物质结皮制剂在流动沙区植被恢复的效果.研究结果表明:结皮封育区内大量草籽萌发,达1000颗/m2;结皮区植物物种丰富度为13,对照区仅为2,物种多样性和均匀度指数也高于对照区,分别为1.57(Shannon-Weaver index H)、0.41(Simpson index D)和0.81(Pielou index),对照区则分别为0.47、0.40和0.68;结皮区植物生长期较对照延长,2010年早春提前10 d萌发,深秋枯黄延迟约20 d;结皮区植物在干旱季节亦可生长存活;2010年9月,结皮区沙丘植被盖度可达38%,对照区植被盖度仅为4%.研究结果表明该制剂可能在寒区旱区困难立地条件下的植被恢复工作中具有较大的潜在应用价值.     

油蒿、羊柴和花棒下生物结皮阻水特性分析——以宁夏盐池县为例

生物结皮作为沙丘固定的明显标志,影响着沙土水分的变化特征,生物结皮的研究对我国荒漠化地区植被的合理配置、稳定性有着重要的意义。实验于2010年7月中旬进行,以宁夏盐池县沙泉湾生态实验站为实验地,采用随机取样的方法,布设16块样地,在样地内进行植被调查,测量植被和生物结皮盖度、生物结皮厚度以及植被高度和冠幅,运用人工降雨的方法,对油蒿、羊柴和花棒下方生物结皮阻水特性进行比较。结果表明：不同植被覆盖下生物结皮厚度表现为：花棒〉羊柴〉油蒿。在有植被条件下和在裸地条件下,以及在油蒿、羊柴和花棒下方生物结皮阻水特性表现为：花棒〉羊柴〉裸地〉油蒿。通过对不同植被覆盖下生物结皮阻水特性的研究,总结出生物结皮阻水特性的规律,对当地植被的恢复、营造,以及合理放牧都有重要影响。     

藻类与微生物添加对高陡边坡生物结皮人工恢复的影响

[目的]研究微生物与藻类对生物结皮野外恢复的影响,优化黄土高陡边坡生物结皮防护技术,为区域生态修复提供新的思路和方法。[方法]利用完全试验,研究藻类(小球藻+硅藻复合藻液)、功能性微生物(胶质芽孢杆菌、巨大芽孢杆菌)两因素对人工恢复生物结皮发育状况的影响。[结果]①不同处理间发育差异明显,藻+巨大芽孢杆菌处理的生物结皮盖度中位数最大,均值为61.41%;,仅胶质芽孢杆菌处理的生物结皮厚度中位数最大,均值为2.58 mm;仅添加3 g藻处理的苔藓株高度中位数最大,均值为2.67 mm;②藻处理能够在不同添加水平下(1和3 g/m~2)显著解释(p0.05)样方间生物结皮的盖度、厚度与株密度发育差异,其添加量以2～3 g/m~2为宜;③功能性微生物对生物结皮盖度、厚度及苔藓株高度影响不明显(p=0.91/0.93/0.49),且与藻类无明显交互作用。[结论] 45°黄土边坡人工恢复生物结皮是可行的。在环境适宜的坡面喷洒藻液、接种苔藓茎段碎片,开展生物结皮恢复,能够有效构建具有一定覆盖度与厚度、发育良好的生物结皮防护层。     

荒漠化地区地衣结皮厚度分布特征研究

生物结皮是干旱、半干旱荒漠化地区生态环境变化的急先锋,能够很好地反映当地的生态环境改善情况。本研究于2010、2011年在宁夏盐池县沙泉湾国家生态定位站和内蒙古自治区巴彦淖尔市磴口县境内的中国林业科学研究院沙漠林业实验中心第一实验场设置试验地,通过野外调查,测量不同植被覆盖条件下的地衣结皮厚度分布特征,以期找出生物结皮厚度变化规律,为当地防护林建设提供数据支持。研究结果表明:在宁夏盐池县沙泉湾,不同植被覆盖下地衣结皮厚度大小表现为花棒羊柴油蒿,而在内蒙古磴口县,不同植被覆盖下地衣结皮厚度大小表现为柽柳油蒿;比较两个地区油蒿覆盖下地衣结皮厚度大小表现为盐池沙泉湾磴口沙林中心;以油蒿植被为例,离植株根部越近,地衣结皮厚度越大。     

人工生物质结皮对黄土边坡微生态环境及植被恢复的影响

针对黄土干旱阳坡植被恢复问题,以山西省方山县黄土弃土边坡为研究地,在2012年4月26日和7月20日分别布设人工生物质结皮进行试验,并于11月30日结束全部试验。通过2次试验研究人工生物质结皮在黄土边坡植被恢复过程中对土壤微生态环境的改善及对植被生长的影响。结果表明:1)人工生物质结皮可提高浅层土壤温度,最高达1.9℃;2)人工生物质结皮可增加土壤含水量,10 cm土层土壤含水量比对照区高35.8%;3)人工生物质结皮对边坡侵蚀具有防护作用,结皮区降雨形成的水蚀细沟体积小于对照区的1/2;4)氮源肥料和碳源生物高分子同时施用时边坡植物生物量超过二者单独使用时的4倍;5)人工生物质结皮可促进土壤种子库植物的萌发,其中土壤种子库植物占结皮区植物生物量的83.06%;6)人工生物质结皮区植被盖度超过90%,远高于裸露黄土对照区和自然坡面的30%和35%的覆盖率,植物鲜质量生物量达1.65 t/hm2,分别为自然坡面和对照区生物量的10.50和20.48倍;7)利用人工生物质结皮可以在一个生长季内在黄土边坡形成高盖度植被,这种方法适用于水土流失严重的黄土丘陵沟壑区的边坡植被快速恢复。     

铜尾矿生物结皮的生物固氮及其影响因素研究

在铜尾矿生态系统自然恢复过程中,生物结皮广泛存在并成为尾矿生态系统演替早期的重要阶段。本文采用乙炔原位还原法对藻类结皮、藻藓混合结皮和藓类结皮的生物固氮特征进行了系统研究。结果表明:(1)生物结皮显著提高了铜尾矿总氮含量,同时降低了铜的含量。(2)不同类型生物结皮的固氮能力差别较大,其中藻藓混合结皮的生物固氮量最高,在N 4.36～30.39 kg hm2 a–1之间;藻类结皮和藓类结皮的固氮量分别为N 1.32～8.78、0～16.34 kg hm2 a–1。(3)生物固氮能力随季节变化明显,夏季的生物固氮量最高,春季次之,秋冬季节相对较低。(4)铜尾矿基质pH、NH4+-N和水溶性有机碳(WSOC)等与生物固氮量呈显著正相关(p<0.05),而土壤容重、NO3--N和总铜等与生物固氮量呈显著负相关(p<0.05)。     

接坝地区沙地植被恢复与重建技术研究

通过对丰宁小坝子沙地不同植被恢复技术的效果分析,提出了冀北接坝地区植被恢复技术。在河道、沟口、滩地采用乔灌草低等植物相结合的复合防风固沙植被恢复技术营建防风固沙林;在裸沙地和流动沙丘通过沟施营养调理剂改良土壤促进的天然植被快速恢复,通过生物网格沙障固沙为植被恢复提供适宜的环境条件。     

Plants and biological soil crusts modulate the dominance of N forms in a semi-arid grassland

It has been suggested that the dominance of N forms should shift from dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) to nitrate along a gradient of increasing N availability. We aimed to apply this model at a local scale within a semi-arid ecosystem showing a high spatial heterogeneity in the distribution of vegetation and soil resources. By doing this, we seek a better understanding of the N cycling in spatially heterogeneous ecosystems. We took soil samples from the three major sources of spatial heterogeneity: the grass Stipa tenacíssima, the N-fixing shrub Retama sphaerocarpa, and open areas. We also sampled the biological soil crust (BSC) located in the latter areas as another source of spatial heterogeneity. BSC microsites were classified by four levels of soil coverage, ranging from high coverage (66%) to bare soil. The proportion of nitrate, ammonium and DON was determined in all microsites. DON was the dominant N form for open areas, while nitrate was dominant under the canopy of Retama; these microsites contained the lowest and highest N availability, respectively. Under BSC, DON was the dominant N form. We found high temporal variability in the dominance of N forms for all microsites. Our results suggest that the biome-derived model of Schimel and Bennett (2004) explaining N form dominance across N availability gradients may be extended to local gradients.     

Application of an electronic micropenetrometer to assess mechanical stability of biological soil crusts

An in situ determination of biological soil‐crust stability was carried out in two study sites along a sharp rainfall gradient. Penetration resistance (PR) of the crusts was measured using a newly developed light‐weight needle‐type electronic micropenetrometer. The depth‐related PR data revealed two sections possessing different structures and stability. The topcrust (0–2 mm) had significantly higher amounts of N, organic C, carbonates, and salts as compared to the underlain subcrust. The mean PR of the topcrust was 0.68 MPa for the southern study site, Nizzana‐South (≈ 100 mm annual rainfall), and it increased significantly for the northern study site, Nizzana‐69 (≈ 170 mm annual rainfall), with a mean of 1.11 MPa. A subcrust (2–30 mm) was identified that was characterized by a high amount of carbonates and a PR > 2 MPa. The electronic micropenetrometer system is a promising device for identifying areas of changing crust stability in relation to biological soil‐crust properties. The overall stability of biological soil crusts depends on the topcrust and subcrust structure. This structure is linked to abiotic and biotic factors and likely in relation to the amount of annual precipitation.     

Hydrolase enzyme activities in a successional gradient of biological soil crusts in arid and semi-arid zones

In arid and semi-arid regions, pioneer organisms form complex communities that penetrate the upper millimetres of the bare substrate, creating biological soil crusts (BSC). These thin crusts play a vital role in whole ecosystem functioning because they enrich bare surfaces with organic matter, initiate biogeochemical cycling of elements, modify hydrological cycles, etc., thus enabling the ground to be colonized by vascular plants. Various hydrolase enzymes involved in the carbon (cellulase, β-glucosidase and invertase activities), nitrogen (casein-protease and BAA-protease activities) and phosphorus (alkaline phosphomonoesterase activity) cycles were studied at three levels (crust, middle and deep layers) of three types of BSCs from the Tabernas Desert (SE Spain), representing an ecological gradient ranging from crusts predominated by cyanobacteria to crusts predominated by lichens (Diploschistes diacapsis, Lepraria crassissima). All enzyme activities were higher in all layers of all BSCs than in the bare substrate. The enzymes that hydrolyze low molecular weight substrates were more active than those that hydrolyze high molecular weight substrates (cellulase, casein-protease), highlighting the pioneering characteristics of the BSCs. The hydrolytic capacity developed in parallel to that of ecological succession, and the BSCs in which enzyme activity was highest were those under L. crassissima. The enzyme activity per unit of total organic C was extremely high; the highest values occurred in the BSCs formed by cyanobacteria and the lowest in those formed by lichens, which indicates the fundamental role that the primary colonizers (cyanobacteria) play in enriching the geological substrate with enzymes that enable degradation of organic remains and the establishment of more developed BSCs. The results of the study combine information on different enzyme activities and provide a clear vision of how biogeochemical cycles are established in BSCs, thus confirming the usefulness of enzyme assays as key tools for examining the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem function in biological soil crusts.     

Spatial distribution and physiology of biological soil crusts from semi-arid central Spain are related to soil chemistry and shrub cover

Despite the critical role of biological soil crusts (BSCs) in arid and semi-arid ecosystem function, few studies are found concerning the most important environmental variables affecting their distribution and physiology. This study seeks to determine soil and microenvironmental factors affecting the spatial distribution and pigment production of BSC-forming lichens and mosses in open patches of a semi-arid Mediterranean kermes oak thicket. We measured late-successional BSC cover, shrub cover, distance to nearest kermes oak (to test for effects of kermes oak thicket microenvironment on BSC), and pigment concentration of one lichen (Cladonia foliacea) and one moss (Pleurochaete squarrosa) species in the Nature Reserve El Regajal-Mar de Ontígola (Central Spain). At the macroscale (>0.5 m), results showed that BSC distribution and pigments were tightly coupled to a suite of soil properties, in particular soil pH, Fe, and Ca. Specifically, soil pH had a positive relationship with the cover of five individual BSC-forming lichen species and was negatively related to pigment production in C. foliacea. When pH was excluded from the analysis, Ca appeared as the main soil variable and was correlated with total BSC cover and total lichen cover. The micronutrient Fe had a significant positive relationship with the concentration of eight pigments in P. squarrosa and was also coupled with the cover of two BSC-forming lichens. Manganese, previously proposed as a key limiting micronutrient for BSCs, affected lichen diversity in a negative way. At the microscale (∼0.5 m), kermes oak microenvironment, shrub cover, and moss cover were determinants of BSC distribution, and total lichen and total BSC cover were overrepresented on N and E-facing shrub microsites. Our findings suggest that soil chemical variability and microsite diversity created by neighbouring vegetation affect BSC distribution in complex and essential ways and that studies aiming to explore BSC-environment relationships should be conducted at various spatial scales. Studies based on species- or group-specific responses are, thus, inadequate to unveil the main factors determining the distribution of the diverse organisms that constitute BSCs and/or to propose potential tools aiming to restore BSC in arid and semiarid ecosystems.     

生物结皮对荒漠地区土壤及植物的影响研究述评

 生物结皮是目前防沙治沙的一种重要措施。通过对国内外生物结皮研究的回顾,简要总结了生物结皮对荒漠地区土壤理化性质及植物的影响。生物结皮对其下层土壤的影响主要表现在土壤的机械组成、土壤盐分、土壤养分等方面。生物结皮具有明显的养分、盐分和细粒物质的聚集作用,对表层土壤发育有积极的意义。生物结皮及下部土壤细粒的增加,提高了土壤的吸湿性和持水性,但对降雨入渗的影响尚无定论。在生物结皮的发育过程中,其与维管植物萌发和定居间的关系也存在几种不同的观点。对生物结皮的研究是目前防沙治沙研究的一个重要领域,其对荒漠地区的土壤及植被某些方面的影响目前并未形成一致的结论,其形成机制、生物组成、演替规律、对后续植物定居的影响等,均是需要进一步深入研究的科学问题。     

Feasibility of cyanobacterial inoculation for biological soil crusts formation in desert area

Practical testing of the feasibility of cyanobacterial inoculation to speed up the recovery of biological soil crusts in the field was conducted in this experiment. Results showed that cyanobacterial and algal cover climbed up to 48.5% and a total of 14 cyanobacterial and algal species were identified at the termination of inoculation experiment; biological crusts' thickness, compressive and chlorophyll a content increased with inoculation time among 3 years; moss species appeared in the second year; cyanobacterial inoculation increased organic carbon and total nitrogen of the soil; total salt, calcium carbonate and electrical conductivity in the soil also increased after inoculation. Diverse vascular plant communities composed of 10 and 9 species are established by cyanobacterial inoculation on the windward and leeward surface of the dunes, respectively, after 3 years. The Simpson index for the above two communities are 0.842 and 0.852, while the Shannon-Weiner index are 2.097 and 2.053, respectively. In conclusion, we suggest that cyanobacterial inoculation would be a suitable and effective technique to recover biological soil crusts, and may further restore the ecological system.     

Impact of inorganic nitrogen additions on microbes in biological soil crusts

Many studies have shown that changes in nitrogen (N) availability affect the diversity and composition of soil microbial community in a variety of terrestrial systems, but less is known about the responses of microbes specific to biological soil crusts (BSCs) to increasing N additions. After seven years of field experiment, the bacterial diversity in lichen-dominated crusts decreased linearly with increasing inorganic N additions (ambient N deposition; low N addition, 3.5 g N m⁻² y⁻¹; medium N addition, 7.0 g N m⁻² y⁻¹; high N addition, 14.0 g N m⁻² y⁻¹), whereas the fungal diversity exhibited a distinctive pattern, with the low N-added crust containing a higher diversity than the other crusts. Pyrosequencing data revealed that the bacterial community shifted to more Cyanobacteria with modest N additions (low N and medium N) and to more Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria and much less Cyanobacteria with excess N addition (high N). Our results suggest that soil pH, together with soil organic carbon (C), structures the bacterial communities with N additions. Among the fungal communities, the relative abundance of Ascomycota increased with modest N but decreased with excess N. However, increasing N additions favored Basidiomycota, which may be ascribed to increases in substrate availability with low lignin and high cellulose contents under elevated N conditions. Bacteria/fungi ratios were higher in the N-added samples than in the control, suggesting that the bacterial biomass tends to dominate over that of fungi in lichen-dominated crusts after N additions, which is especially evident in the excess N condition. Because bacteria and fungi are important components and important decomposers in BSCs, the alterations of the bacterial and fungal communities may have implications in the formation and persistence of BSCs and the cycling and storage of C in desert ecosystems.