Methane emission from mires of the West Siberian taiga

In the summer-autumn seasons of 2007–2011, the methane emission from typical mire landscapes of Western Siberia was studied using the static chamber method. The lowest methane flux turned out to be characteristic of the ryams (pine-dwarf shrub-sphagnum associations) and the ridges of the ridge-hollow complexes, as well as of the wetland lakes in the northern and middle taiga (the medians are within the range of 0.1–0.5 mg C-CH₄/m² h). Values that are 10 times higher are typical for the oligotrophic hollows, fens, peat mats, and poor fens in different subzones (the medians are 2 to 7 mg C-CH₄/m² h). The maximal values of the methane flux from the wetland lakes of the southern taiga are 17.98 mg C-CH₄/m² h. Based on the data obtained by the authors, along with the previously published ones, the regional methane fluxes from the taiga mires were calculated: 2.22 Mt C-CH₄/m² per year, or about 80% of the total methane flux from the West Siberian mires. The estimates of the CH₄ regional flux obtained by other researchers are discussed; the main source of the estimation uncertainty is analyzed.     

The structure of the microbial communities in low-moor and high-moor peat bogs of Tomsk oblast

The number, structure, and physical state of the microbial communities in high-moor and low-moor peat bogs were compared. Distinct differences in these characteristics were revealed. The microbial biomass in the high-moor peat exceeded that in the low-moor peat by 2–9 times. Fungi predominated in the high-moor peat, whereas bacteria were the dominant microorganisms in the low-moor peat. The micromycetal complexes of the high-moor peat were characterized by a high portion of dark-colored representatives; the complexes of the low-moor peat were dominated by fast-growing fungi. The species of the Penicillum genus were dominant in the high-moor peat; the species of Trichoderma were abundant in the low-moor peat. In the former, the bacteria were distinguished as minor components; in the latter, they predominated in the saprotrophic bacterial complex. In the high-moor peat, the microorganisms were represented by bacilli, while, in the low-moor peat, by cytophages, myxobacteria, and actinobacteria. The different physiological states of the bacteria in the studied objects reflecting the duration of the lag phase and the readiness of the metabolic system to consume different substrates were demonstrated for the first time. The relationships between the trophic characteristics of bacterial habitats and the capacity of the bacteria to consume substrates were established.     

Microbial communities and transformation of carbon compounds in bog soils of the taiga zone (Tomsk oblast)

Two types of bogs were studied in Tomsk oblast—Maloe Zhukovskoe (an eutrophic peat low-moor bog) and Ozernoe (an oligotrophic peat high-moor bog). The gram-negative forms of Proteobacteria were found to be dominant and amounted to more than 40% of the total population of the microorganisms investigated. In the peat bogs, the population and diversity of the hydrolytic microbial complex, especially of the number of micromycetes, were lower than those in the mineral soils. The changes in the quantitative indices of the total microbiological activity of the bogs were established. The microbial biomass and the intensity of its respiration differed and were also related to the depth of the sampling. In the Zhukovskoe peat low-moor bog, the maximal biomass of heterotrophic microorganisms (154 μg of C/g of peat) was found in the aerobic zone at a depth of 0 to 10 cm. In the Ozernoe bog, the maximal biomass was determined in the zone of anaerobiosis at a depth of 300 cm (1947 μ g of C/g of peat). The molecular-genetic method was used for the determination of the spectrum of the methanogens. Seven unidentified dominant forms were revealed. The species diversity of the methanogens was higher in the oligotrophic high-moor bog than in the eutrophic low-moor bog.     

Methane emissions from north and middle taiga mires of Western Siberia: Bc8 standard model

During summer and autumn of 2008–2010 in the north and middle taiga, measurements of methane emissions from different types of wetland landscapes in Khanty-Mansi and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrugs were made by the static chamber method. Total methane emission from West-Siberian northern and middle taiga mires is estimated at 550 and 530 kt C-CH₄ per year.     

Methane emission from bogs in the subtaiga of Western Siberia: The development of standard model

The methane emission from typical bog landscapes of the West Siberian subtaiga was studied in the summer-autumn of 2007?C2010. The lowest specific fluxes (the median value is 0.08 mg C-CH₄/m² per h) were recorded from ryams (raised bogs with dwarf shrub-sphagnum associations). From the ridges of the ridge-pool complexes, the fluxes were estimated at 0.49 mg C-CH₄/m² per h; from the oligotrophic hollows, eutrophic bogs, floating lake mats, and mesotrophic quaking bogs, they were estimated at 2.68, 3.36, 4.53, and 4.98 mg C-CH₄/m² per h, respectively. The maximal flux was determined from the lakes (the median is 17.98 mg C-CH₄/m² per h). The regional assessment of the methane flux from the bogs of Western Siberia (2.93 Tg C-CH₄/yr) was obtained on the basis of the authors?? and literature data.     

Quantification of spatial and temporal variations in trace element fluxes originating from urban areas at the catchment scale

Journal of Soils and Sediments - The release of trace elements (TE) associated with the development of human activities has accelerated since the nineteenth century, leading to the pollution of...     

Indicator species and the problem of spatial inconsistency in nestedness patterns

The potential as indicators of species richness were investigated for 178 species belonging to six ecologically defined species groups (epiphytic bryophytes on nutrient-rich bark, epiphytic macrolichens on nutrient rich bark, pendant lichens on conifer trees, bryophytes on siliceous rocks, bryophytes on dead conifer wood, and polypore fungi on dead conifer wood), using species data from 0.25 ha plots from three different coniferous forest areas (ca. 200 ha each). A species was defined as a potential indicator species for a species group within a study area if its distribution was statistically significantly nested within the species-plot matrix ranked according to species richness, and if the plot frequency of the species was less than 25%.Only two species were identified as potential indicators within all three areas and on average ≈80% of the potential indicator species were lost from one area to another. The results indicate that inconsistency between areas in the species’ frequency distributions and their position in nested hierarchies may strongly reduce the general predictive power of indicator species of species richness, even if significantly nested patterns are found at the community level. We suggest that indicators related to amount and quality of habitats may be an alternative to lists of indicator species of species richness.     

Methane concentration and emission as affected by methane transport capacity of plants in freshwater marsh

To elucidate effect of the CH₄ transport capacity of plants on CH₄ production and CH₄ emission, we measured CH₄ emission and the CH₄ transport capacity of plants as well as CH₄ and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations in porewater and redox potential in the freshwater marsh vegetated with Carex lasiocarpa, Carex meyeriana and Deyeuxia angustifolia. Although only 31% of CH₄ emitted was released via Deyeuxia angustifolia into the atmosphere compared to 72–86% via Carex plants and the CH₄ transport capacity of per stem of Deyeuxia angustifolia was only 8.0 g CH₄ stem^–1 h^–1 being equal to half for Carex plants, the flux of CH₄ emission from the Deyeuxia angustifolia marsh was just lower by 17–28% than those from the Carex marshes as the standing water depth decreased significantly from 15–20 to 5 cm, indicating that despite the poor CH₄ transport capability of Deyeuxia angustifolia partly reduced CH₄ emission via plants, however CH₄ emission was not greatly reduced as expected. This is because although the poor gas transport capability of Deyeuxia angustifolia lowered CH₄ emission to some extent, however it also decreased the input of O₂ into the rhizosphere via plants; the latter not only reduced CH₄ oxidation in the rhizosphere and/or rhizome but also lowered redox potential in the vertical profile resulting in an increase in CH₄ production potential and CH₄ concentration especially at 5 cm depth, which in turn facilitated CH₄ emission through diffusion in the Deyeuxia angustifolia marsh. This study suggests that the sharp decrease in the CH₄ transport capacity of plants did not necessary result in an expected lowering of CH₄ emission in the freshwater marsh.     

Short chronosequences of paleosols from the Skvortsovka kurgans in the Buzuluk River valley of Orenburg oblast

Paleosols buried under kurgans of the Yamnaya (the third millennium BC) and Srubnaya (the 18th–17th centuries BC) cultures within the Skvortsovka group of kurgans in the Buzuluk River valley in Orenburg oblast have been studied. This is the area of the dry steppe zone. The changes in the paleosol properties make it possible to distinguish between relatively short-term chronointervals separately for the Yamnaya and Srubnaya cultures. The paleosol data and radiocarbon dating have been used for revealing the relative order of the construction of the kurgans within these chronointervals and for the paleoclimatic reconstruction. Quite definite changes took place in the soil formation from the beginning to the end of the particular chronointervals: the contents of humus and exchangeable bases and the portion of calcium ions in the composition of the exchangeable cations increased in parallel with the enhanced leaching of carbonates and the enhanced biological activity. These changes attest to the increasing amount of precipitation. In general, the climate of the Srubnaya cultural epoch was less continental, whereas the climate of the Yamnaya cultural epoch was relatively close to the modern climate. The ¹⁴C dates of the pedogenic carbonates in the upper meter of the paleosol profiles have been used as auxiliary data to confirm the sequence of the soil’s burial during the short chronointervals corresponding to the humid stages of the paleosol’s evolution, and the 14C dates of the diagenetic carbonates have been used to determine the dates of construction of the kurgans with due account for some time gap between the construction of the kurgans and the appearance of these carbonates in the buried soil profiles.     

5种龙眼梢、果害虫的时间、空间、营养生态位研究

研究了为害龙眼梢、果的5种害虫(龙眼亥麦蛾、荔枝尖细蛾、荔枝蒂蛀虫、龙眼角颊木虱、荔枝蝽)的时间、空间、营养上的一维生态位宽度和重叠,在此基础上,建立了5种龙眼梢、果害虫的时间-空间-营养三维生态位,分析了5种龙眼梢、果害虫对资源的利用相似程度.并讨论了生态位在害虫预测预报和防治上的指导作用.     

Issues in assessing the validity of nutrient data obtained from a food-frequency questionnaire: folate and vitamin B12 examples

OBJECTIVE: To compare methods used to assess the validity of nutrient intake data obtained from a food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ), using folate and vitamin B12 as nutrient examples. DESIGN: Cross-sectional sample from a population cohort. SETTING: Two postcode areas west of Sydney, Australia. SUBJECTS: In total, 2895 people aged 49 years and older provided dietary data using a semi-quantitative FFQ (79% of 3654 subjects examined). The validity of the FFQ was assessed against three 4-day weighed food records (WFRs) completed by 78 people (mean age 70 years). RESULTS: Folate and vitamin B12 validity data were assessed using different methods. The Spearman ranked correlations (energy-adjusted) were 0.66 for folate and 0.38 for vitamin B12. Using the Bland-Altman method, following loge transformation, no linear trend existed between the differences and means for folate and vitamin B12. Large differences existed between the FFQ and WFR in individual cases, particularly for vitamin B12. Finally, data were divided into quintile categories for the test and reference method: 79% classified folate within one quintile, 65% classified vitamin B12 within one quintile; there was no gross misclassification for folate and only 3% misclassification for vitamin B12. CONCLUSIONS: Different methods of analysis provided different information about the validity of the FFQ. Correlation coefficients should not be used alone to assess the validity of nutrient data, but should be used in conjunction with Bland-Altman analyses. Depending on the use of the data, additional assessment of classification categories is recommended. This worked example demonstrates that absolute intakes of folate and vitamin B12 should be used with caution.     

Biotic and abiotic factors controlling the spatial and temporal variation of soil respiration in an agricultural ecosystem

Based on the continuous observation of soil respiration and environmental factors in a maize ecosystem from late April to late September in 2005, the spatial and temporal variation of soil respiration and their controlling factors were analyzed. There was a significant spatial pattern for soil respiration at the plant scale and higher soil respiration rates tended to occur near the maize plant during the growing season. On one measurement moment, root biomass (B) in soil collars exerted significant influence on the spatial pattern of soil respiration under the relatively homogeneous environmental conditions. A linear relationship existed between soil respiration rate and root biomass

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Sources of spatial and temporal variability of inorganic nitrogen in pure and mixed deciduous temperate forests

We investigated the influence of tree canopy composition and structure on the spatial and temporal variability of (i) concentrations of inorganic N (NH₄⁺ and NO₃⁻) and (ii) net N-mineralization and net nitrification, within the temperate forest floor. We compared a pure European beech stand (PS) with a mixed beech-hornbeam one (MS). Three sampling areas were chosen in each stand. Within the PS, the tree locations represented a decreasing gradient of light intensity reaching the forest floor. Within the MS they represented a gradient in the amount of hornbeam leaves present in the litter. In the field NH₄⁺ and NO₃⁻ concentrations were measured in the upper mineral soil (UMS) and the overlying organic layers (OL and OF+OH). Field exposures using buried bags were carried out on UMS over 1 year to measure in situ net N-mineralization and net nitrification. Potential net N-mineralization and net nitrification were investigated in summer with UMS, OL and OF+OH incubated at 28 °C for 28 days in the laboratory. We hypothesize that with the presence of a mull-forming species (hornbeam) within a stand dominated by a moder-forming one (European beech), (i) the spatial and (ii) temporal patterns of soil inorganic N concentrations, net N-mineralization and net nitrification would be different in the two stands. Our main results show that tree species composition has an influence on both spatial and temporal patterns of nitrification. The PS exhibited its highest peaks of UMS NO₃⁻ concentration and net nitrification in spring and early summer while they were highest in the MS in winter. Furthermore, PS exhibited a higher rate of net nitrification than MS. We discuss this unexpected result and suggest that dissolved organic C may be the controlling factor for net nitrification in the MS.     

Influence of single trees on spatial and temporal patterns of belowground properties in native pine forest

Linkages between forest dynamics and ecosystem processes are poorly understood and this limits our ability to adequately estimate future changes in forest ecosystems due to human-induced global change. In particular at the single tree level, our understanding of temporal and spatial changes of belowground properties during forest succession is limited. Thus, our aim was to test whether we find a spatial and temporal gradient in nutrient availability and an associated shift in microbial community structure with increasing distance and age of single trees. We found that inorganic nitrogen was less available below the crown of single trees, while soluble organic carbon (DOC) was much more abundant, in particular in the inner zone of influence, i.e. close to the stem. The fungal:bacterial PLFA ratio was greater while microbial biomass carbon (MicC) was lower below the tree crown, indicating a strong influence of trees on spatial patterns of microbial biomass and community structure. Moreover, the positive correlation between MicC and total extractable N, and the negative correlation between fungal:bacterial biomass and δ¹⁵N, suggested that the microbial biomass was N limited below the tree crown and as a consequence nutrient cycling was presumably decelerated compared to open conditions. We also found a temporal pattern of increasing surface soil C and N content with increasing tree age (up to 250 years), underlining the significant role of single trees in creating spatial and temporal heterogeneity in forests.     

Specific features of the ecological functioning of urban soils in Moscow and Moscow oblast

Urban soils (constructozems) were studied in Moscow and several cities (Dubna, Pushchino, and Serebryanye Prudy) of Moscow oblast. The soil sampling from the upper 10-cm-thick layer was performed in the industrial, residential, and recreational functional zones of these cities. The biological (the carbon of the microbial biomass carbon, C_mic and the microbial (basal) respiration, BR) and chemical (pH_water and the contents of C_org, heavy metals, and NPK) indices were determined in the samples. The ratios of BR to C_mic (the microbial respiration quotient, qCO₂) and of C_mic to C_org were calculated. The C_mic varied from 120 to 738 μg C/g soil; the BR, from 0.39 to 1.94 μg CO₂-C/g soil per hour; the C_org, from 2.52 to 5.67%; the qCO₂, from 1.24 to 5.28 μg CO₂-C/mg C_mic/g soil per h; and the C_mic/C_org, from 0.40 to 1.55%. Reliable positive correlations were found between the C_mic and BR, the C_mic and C_mic/C_org, and the C_mic and C_org values (r = 0.75, 0.95, and 0.61, respectively), as well as between the BR and C_mic/C_org values (r = 0.68). The correlation between the C_mic/C_org and qCO₂ values was negative (r = −0.70). The values of C_mic, BR, C_org, and C_mic/C_org were found to correlate with the ammonium nitrogen content. No correlative relationships were revealed between the determined indices and the climatic characteristics. The principal component analysis described 86% of the variances for all the experimental data and clearly subdivided the locations of the studied soil objects. The ANOVA showed that the variances of C_mic, C_org, and BR are controlled by the site location factor by 66, 63, and 35%, respectively. The specificity of the functioning of the anthropogenic soils as compared with their natural analogues was clearly demonstrated. As shown in this study, measurable biological indices might be applied to characterize the ecological, environmental-regulating, and productive functions of soils, including urban soils.     

Diversity of proteolytic community encoding for subtilisin in an arable field: spatial and temporal variability

The diversity of soil proteolytic community encoding for subtilisin (sub) was investigated at a cultivated field site with four different soil types and at three different depths in April, July, and October. A terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis of subtilisin gene (sub) was applied to study dynamic of the sub gene pool. The aim of the present study was to relate differences in sub community structure to the vertical, site, and seasonal variations naturally occurring at the field site under investigation. A significant spatial variability in the community structure of sub-containing bacteria was observed. The richness of sub proteolytic bacterial population decreased with increasing soil depth, revealing the highest values in upper layers. A similar trend was observed among the different sites; the highest diversity was noticed at the site with the highest silt and nutrient content. The reasons behind the observed patterns in the community structure might be varying water amount and spatial isolation along the soil profile as well as variability of the quantity and quality of available substrates among different depths and different sites.     

Application of agro-ecological concepts and hierarchy theory in the design of databases for spatial and temporal characterisation of land and soil

A hierarchial system for integrating information on soil, climate, landscape and land use at various scales, is discussed. A series of nested data bases at various scales (1:5 million and larger) are prepared, according to the concepts of agro-ecological stratification in combination with the tenets of Hierarchy Theory. Each polygon at each scale is treated as a unique area with its own environmental envelope of integrated information. Transposition between scales and the scientific integrity of the data is accomplished through the nested databases, and by carefully matching the “grain” of the data to the scale of each database.

The nested databases are “matched” with a collection of crop growth models and other procedures of data analyses, each of which is specific to a general scale of application, and compatible to one of the available databases. The crop growth models are arranged in increasing detail, as reflected in the structure of the subroutines and time steps, and describe a variety of purposes from estimating yield potential to defining yield variability and production risk. The system is supported by a geographic information system.     

Recovery responses of soil surface Collembola after spatial and temporal changes in long-term regimes of pesticide use

Counts of several Collembola species in a rotation of grass and wheat cropping were consistently lower under a conventional regime of pesticide use than under a reduced-input regime. During a six-year period (1991–1996), counts of Entomobrya nicoleti remained at or close to zero under the conventional regime. This raised the question of how long recovery would take if conventional pesticide inputs ceased. To answer this question, and confirm effects of the pesticide regimes on patchily distributed species, the two pesticide regimes were reversed spatially: from 1997 to 1999 the area formerly under conventional inputs subsequently received the reduced-input regime and vice versa. This paper presents results up to summer 1998 to show the effect on collembolan counts of reversing the pesticide regimes. Responses varied among species: after conversion of the conventional regime to reduced inputs, counts of E. nicoleti remained at or close to zero whereas counts of Isotoma viridis were the highest recorded during the study. Data from a rotation of cereals and break crops show that reversal of treatments can aid interpretation of pesticide effects for species with a patchy temporal distribution; treatment reversal improved confidence in the interpretation of pesticide effects for species of Collembola which were not present during the pre-treatment sampling phase of a long-term study.     

稻田甲烷排放影响因素及其研究进展

CH4是大气中仅次于CO2的最重要的温室气体之一,其温室效应贡献已达15～20%。中国稻田是CH4的重要排放源,对全球大气的CH4排放起着重要的作用。本文较为详细地介绍了近几十年来国内外关于稻田CH4排放的研究进展。对稻田CH4的排放机理、CH4的排放规律及影响稻田CH4排放的各种因素作了详细分析,并相应地提出了控制稻田CH4排放的各种措施,最后提出了今后我国稻田CH4排放研究应加强的几个方面内容。