Seasonal changes and the effects of fertiliser on some chemical,biochemical and microbiological characteristics of high-producing pastoral soil

Summary A 2-year study (1983–1984 to 1984–1985) was conducted to estimate temporal and seasonal changes and the effects of fertiliser on some soil chemical, biochemical and microbiological characteristics. The soil used was a Typic Vitrandept under grazed pasture. Soil samples were taken regularly to a depth of 75 mm from paired unfertilised and fertilised (500 kg ha^– 30% potassic superphosphate) plots. Except for organic C, fertiliser had little or no effect on the characteristics measured. Organic C averaged about 9.2% in unfertilised soil and was about 0.3% higher in the fertilised soil. The size of the microbial biomass fluctuated widely in the 1st year (3000 g C g^–1 in February to 1300 g C g^–1 in September) but there was less variation in the 2nd year (range 1900 g C g^–1 to 2500 g C g^–1 soil). CO₂ production values (10- to 20-day estimates averaged 600 g of CO₂-C g^–1 soil) were generally higher in spring compared to the rest of the year. Water extractable C increased over winter and declined through spring in both years (range 50 g C g^–1 soil to 150 g C g^–1 soil). Mineral-N flush values were higher in summer (300 g N g^–1 soil) and lower in winter months (200 g N g^–1 soil). The pattern of variation of microbial N values was one of gradual accumulation followed by rapid decline. This rapid decline in values occurred in spring and autumn (range 130–220 g N g^–1 soil). N mineralisation and bicarbonate-extractable N showed no clear trend; these values ranged from 100–200 and 122–190 g N g^–1 soil, respectively. There was a significant correlation (0.1%) between N mineralisation and bicarbonate-extractable N in the late summer-autumn-early winter period (February–August) in both years but not in spring. These results and their relationships to climatic factors and rates of pasture production are discussed.     

Distribution of two C cycle enzymes in soil aggregates of a prairie chronosequence

Knowledge of the cycling and compartmentalization of soil C that influence C storage may lead to the development of strategies to increase soil C storage potentials. The objective of this study was to use soil hydrolases and soil aggregate fractionation to explore the relationship between C cycling activity and soil aggregate structure. The prairie chronosequence soils were native prairie (NP) and agricultural (AG) and tallgrass prairies restored from agriculture in 1979 (RP-79) and 1993 (RP-93). Assays for -glucosidase (E.C. 3.2.1.21) and N-acetyl--glucosaminidase (NAGase, EC 3.2.1.30) activities were conducted on four aggregate size fractions (>2 mm, 1–2 mm, 250 m–1 mm, and 2–250 m) from each soil. There were significantly greater amounts of >2-mm aggregates in the RP-79 and RP-93 soils compared to the NP and AG soils due to rapid C accumulation from native plant establishment. Activities for both enzymes (g PNP g^–1 soil h^–1) were greatest in the microaggregate (2–250 m) compared to the macroaggregate (>2 mm) fraction; however, microaggregates are a small proportion of each soil (<12%) compared to the macroaggregates (75%). The RP soils have a hierarchical aggregate system with most of the enzyme activity in the largest aggregate fractions. The NP and AG soils show no hierarchical structure based on aggregate C accretion and significant C enzyme activity in smaller aggregates. The distribution of enzyme activity may play a role in the storage of C whereby the aggrading restored soils may be more susceptible to C loss during turnover of macroaggregates compared to the AG and NP soils with less macroaggregates.     

Seasonal changes in microbial biomass and nutrient flush in forest soils

Microbial biomass and N, P, K, and Mg flushes were estimated in spring, summer, autumn, and winter samples of different forest soils. The microbial biomass showed significant seasonal fluctuations with an average distribution of 880±270 g C g^-1 soil in spring, 787±356 g C g^-1 soil in winter, 589±295 g C g^-1 soil in summer, and 560±318 g C g^-1 soil in autumn. The average annual concentrations of C, N, P, K, and Ca in the microbial biomass were 704, 106, 82, 69 and 10 g g^-1 soil, respectively. Microbial C represented between 0.5 and 2% of the organic soil C whereas the percentage of microbial N with respect to the total soil N was two-to threefold higher than that of C; the annual fluctuations in these percentages followed a similar trend to that of the microbial biomass. Microbial biomass was positively correlated with soil pH, moisture, organic C, and total N. The mean nutrient flush was 31, 15, 7, and 4 g g^-1 soil for N, K, P, and Mg, respectively, and except for K, the seasonal distribution was autumn spring winter summer. The average increase in available nutrient due to the mineralization of dead microbial cells was 240% for N, and 30, 26, and 14% for P, K, and Mg, respectively. There was a positive relationship between microbial biomass and the N, P, K, and Mg flushes. All the variables studied were significantly affected by the season, the type of soil, and the interaction between type of soil and season, but soil type often explained most of the variance.     

Effect of the insecticide methidathion on agricultural soil microflora

Summary We studied the effects of the organophosphorus insecticide methidathion, at concentrations of 10, 50, 100, 200 and 300 g g^-1 in an agricultural soil, on fungi, total bacterial populations, aerobic N₂-fixing bacteria, denitrifying bacteria, nitrifying bacteria (phases I and II), and nitrogenase activity (acetylene reduction assay). The presence of 10–300 g g^-1 of methidathion significantly increased fungal populations (colony-forming units). Denitrifying bacteria, aerobic N₂-fixing bacteria and N₂ fixation were significantly increased at concentrations of 50–300 g g^-1. The total number of bacteria increased significantly at concentrations of 100–300 g g^-1. Nitrifying bacteria decreased initially at concentrations of 300 g g^-1, but recovered rapidly to levels similar to those in the control soil without the insecticide.     

Potential for organic sulfur accumulation in a variety of forest soils at saturating sulfate concentrations

Summary Increasing the sulfate concentration and concomitant increases in the organic S concentration failed to exert any effect on organic S mobilization in samples collected from all depths within the mineral soil profile, from 15 sites differing in soil type, vegetation, and geographic location. Mobilization capacities at saturating concentrations of sulfate for organic S formation generally tended to increase with increasing depth. The potentials for the accumulation of organic S with various sulfate inputs exhibited saturation kinetics similar to those observed for organic S formation; values for the former parameter ranged from 3×10^-3 to 12.6 mol S g^–1 dry weight 24 h^-1 for the uppermost (A, E) soil horizons, 3 nmol to 10 mol S g^-1 dry weight 24 h^–1 for intermediate (primarily AB) soil horizons, and from 3 nmol to 13.4 mol S g^-1 dry weight 24 h^–1 for the lowermost (B, C) soil horizons. Irrespective of depth, the Fullerton, Tarklin, and Loblolly sites in Tennessee and the Florida site showed the least net accumulation of organic S at saturation (<0.2 mol S g^-1 dry weight 24 h^–1 for all horizons examined), while the Duke Forest (North Carolina), Douglas Fir (Washington), Whiteface (New York) and the Howland (Maine) sites had the highest potential net accumulation of organic S at saturation (>1.0 mol S g^-1 dry weight 24 h^-1 for most horizons examined).     

Carbon and nitrogen relationships in the microbial biomass of soils in beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) forests

Soils from 38 German forest sites, dominated by beech trees (Fagus sylvatica L.) were sampled to a depth of about 10 cm after careful removal of overlying organic layers. Microbial biomass N and C were measured by fumigation-extraction. The pH of the soils varied between 3.5 and 8.3, covering a wide range of cation exchange capacity, organic C, total N, and soil C:N values. Maximum biomass C and biomass N contents were 2116 g C m^-2 and 347 g N m^-2, while minimum contents were 317 and 30 g m^-2, respectively. Microbial biomass N and C were closely correlated. Large variations in microbial biomass C:N ratios were observed (between 5.4 and 17.3, mean 7.7), indicating that no simple relationship exists between these two parameters. The frequency distribution of the parameters for C and N availability to the microflora divided the soils into two subgroups (with the exception of one soil): (1) microbial: organic C>12 mg g^-1, microbial:total N>28 mg g^-1 (n=23), a group with high C and N availability, and (2) microbial:organic C12 mg g^-1, microbial:total N28 mg g^-1 (n=14), a group with low C and N availability. With the exception of a periodically waterlogged soil, the pH of all soils belonging to subgroup 2 was below 5.0 and the soil C:N ratios were comparatively high. Within these two subgroups no significant correlation between the microbial C:N ratio and soil pH or any other parameter measured was found. The data suggest that above a certain threshold (pH 5.0) microbial C:N values vary within a very small range over a wide range of pH values. Below this threshold, in contrast, the range of microbial C:N values becomes very large.     

Identification of ergosterol in vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae

Summary Ergosta-5,7,22-tri-3-enol (ergosterol) was identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in roots of berseem (Trifolium alexandrinum L., cv. Landsorte) and sweet corn (Zea mays L., cv. Honeycomb-F1) infected with the vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungus Glomus intraradices. The fungal-derived compound ergosterol was determined quantitatively in root extracts using reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography. The concentrations of ergosterol in VAM-infected roots reached 72 g^-1 dry material in berseem and 52 g^-1 in sweet corn after 80 days of growth, whereas concentrations in non-infected roots remained below 8 g^-1 dry weight. Additionally, phytosterols such as -sitosterol, campesterol, and stigmasterol were detected in both infected and non-infected roots. Ergosterol, as a characteristic fungal substance, is proposed as an indicator of fungal biomass in the early stages of VAM infection.     

Messung von Absorptionsspektren in vivo

Zusammenfassung Die Messung von Absorptionsspektren biologischer Objekte in vivo ermöglicht eine rasche Information über die Zusammensetzung und den Zustand der enthaltenen Pigmente, insbesondere bei der Untersuchung photosynthetisch aktiver Organe. Es wird deshalb eine Übersicht über Probleme, Methoden und Anwendungsmöglichkeiten gegeben.Meßtechnische Schwierigkeiten ergeben sich in erster Linie aus der Lichtstreuung, die in verschiedener Weise zu einer Verzerrung der Spektren führt. Eine Verringerung dieser Effekte ist mit verschiedenen Methoden möglich, die entweder das Streulicht oder einen repräsentativen Anteil desselben sammeln oder durch Angleichung des Brechungsindex des umgebenden Mediums die Streuung selbst herabsetzen.Das Auftreten verschiedener Pigmentformen mit ähnlichen spektralen Eigenschaften führt zu einer starken Überlagerung und damit schlechter Auflösung ihrer Absorptionsbanden. Eine Erhöhung der Auflösung ist mit Methoden möglich, die die Halbwertsbreite der Banden verringern. Dazu dienen die Messung bei der Temperatur des flüssigen Stickstoffs (–196 °C) und die Anwendung mathematischer Verfahren zur Bandenverschärfung, insbesondere der Derivativ-Spektrophotometrie.Einige Anwendungsbeispiele demonstrieren den Nutzen der Methode bei der Untersuchung der Chlorophylle in vivo.

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Measurement of absorption spectra in vivo

Summary The measurement of absorption spectra of biological objects enables fast information about composition and state of pigments, especially in the study of photosynthetically active organs. Therefore a review is given about problems, methods, and possible applications.Difficulties in the measurement result mainly from light scattering, causing a distortion of spectra in different ways. A reduction of these effects is possible by several methods, which either collect the scattered radiation (or a representative portion of it) or decrease the scattering by adjusting the refractive index of the surrounding medium to those of the cell walls.The existence of different pigment forms having similar spectral properties results in a strong overlapping and bad resolution of their absorption bands. A resolution enhancement is possible by methods reducing the halfwidth of the bands. This can be performed by measurement at liquid nitrogen temperature (–196 °C) and by mathematical methods of band sharpening, especially derivative spectrophotometry.Some examples demonstrate the use of the method in the study of chlorophylls in vivo.

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in vivo

in vivo , . , . , , , . , ( ) , , . , , . . (– 196 °C) , — . in vivo.

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Herrn Prof. Drs. Dr. h. c.Hans Stubbe zum 75. Geburtstag gewidmet.     

Uptake and toxicity of copper and zinc for the African earthworm,Eudrilus eugeniae (Oligochaeta)

Growth rate change in earthworms is considered to be a suitable endpoint when determining sublethal effects. In this study we evaluated growth and maturation in the vermicomposting earthworm speciesEudrilus eugeniae as marker of sublethal toxicity of copper and zinc. We also compared routes of uptake. Apart from exposing worms experimentally for 73 days to contaminated food, a series of contact filter paper tests was also performed to determine LD₅₀ for copper and zinc. Both copper and zinc at sublethal concentrations affected growth and maturation in worms exposed to contaminated food. These worms had a copper content of 34.5 g g^–1 after 73 days and a zinc content of 184.9 g g^–1, showing a differential uptake. Copper was more toxic than zinc. Also in the contact test worms did take up more zinc than copper and the LD₅₀ (48 h) for copper was 0.011 mg cm^–2 and for zinc 0.066 mg cm^–2, which translated to body burdens of 6 g g^–1 for copper and 131 g g^–1 for zinc. Indications were that a regulatory mechanism existed for both metals. Both metals were taken up through the body wall at a relatively fast rate. This study indicated that the skin was the major route of metal uptake. This study also showed a poor relation between the two types of tests for purposes of evaluating lethality of zinc and copper.     

Disturbance effects on soil solution chemistry due to heating cable installation

Installation of heating cables for warming soil was used to evaluate the effect of disturbance on soil solution chemistry within a northern hardwood forest (Adirondack Mountains, New York). Differences in response among treatments suggested the importance of both the depth and timing of cable installation. There were increases (p>0.05) in many solutes within pilot study plots in which surrogate cable was installed at 15 cm depth. Most notably, mean nitrate concentrations for the 1st year following disturbance were 744 eq l^-1 at 15 cm depth compared to 7 eq l^-1 for the non-disturbed control. A comparison of pilot plots with 5 cm cable depth and an unheated soil-warming control plot with the same cable disturbance showed that the seasonality of soil disturbance may have a key role in response to disturbance. The soil solution response was diminished if installation occurred during the spring, a period of rapid uptake of nitrogen by vegetation. Mean nitrate concentrations were 176 eq l^-1 for 5-cm pilot plots (installed in fall 1991) versus 6 eq l^-1 for 5-cm, unheated soil-warming control plots (installed in spring 1992). Disturbance effects were attenuated over time and not generally apparent 1 year after installation.     

Genetische Grundlagen der Halmverkürzung (Dwarfismus) beim Weizen und Möglichkeiten der züchterischen Nutzung

Zusammenfassung Im internationalen Maßstab führte die Einbeziehung von Formen mit einer genetisch determinierten reduzierten Pflanzenlänge in Weizenzüchtungsprogrammen zu nachweisbaren Ertragsverbesserungen. Unter diesem Aspekt werden die genetischen Grundlagen der drei Hauptverzwergungsformen des Weizens (Semidwarfs, Hybrid-Dwarfs, Stunting-Dwarfs) beschrieben. Den Schwerpunkt bilden dabei die Semidwarf-Formen, die sich auf der Grundlage ihrer Reaktion gegenüber exogen applizierter Gibberellinsäure nochmals in GA-sensitive und GA-insensitive Genotypen unterteilen lassen. Neben einer Reduzierung der Pflanzenlänge und damit Verbesserung der Standfestigkeit werden durch die Semidwarf-Gene eine Reihe weiterer züchterisch wichtiger Merkmale wie beispielsweise die Einzelährenfertilität, die Anzahl ährentragender Halme je Pflanze oder die -Amylase-Aktivität im Korn beeinflußt. Die genetischen Effekte auf die Ausprägung solcher Merkmale werden dargelegt.

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Genetics of reduced plant height (dwarfism) in wheat and its significance in breeding

Summary The introduction of varieties with a reduced plant height into breeding programms led to higher yields in most of the wheat producing countries during the last four decades.The genetical basis of the three main groups of phenotypic dwarfness (semidwarfs, hybrid-dwarfs, stunting-dwarfs) of wheat is reviewed. Because most of the genetical analysis of reduced plant height has been done within the semidwarfs which show, in addition, differential reaction to exogenous applied gibberellic acid special emphasis was given to the two categories of GA₃ responders, sensitive and insensitive ones.The semi-dwarfing genes affect some further characters with importance in breeding, e.g. single ear fertility, number of ears per plant or -amylase activity in grains. The genetical (pleiotropic) effects of the semi-dwarfing genes on these characters are discussed.

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()

. ë (semi-dwarfs, hybrid-dwarfs, stunting-dwarfs). ¶rt; (semi-dwarfs), () ë . ¶rt; , — (semi-dwarfs) , , , , , , - . ¶rt; ¶rt; .

     

Beziehungen zwischen Pigmentgehalt und Ertrag bei der Tomatenmutantefulgens k1/2k1/2k1/2der Sorte ‘Rheinlands Ruhm’

Zusammenfassung Die durch Röntgenstrahlen induzierte Mutantefulgens ₁ ² der Sorte Rheinlands Ruhm vonLycopersicon esculentum aus dem Sortiment von H. Stubbe hat geringeren Pigmentgehalt als die Normalform, ist aber im Gegensatz zu bisher untersuchten Aureaformen zu gleicher oder höherer Substanzproduktion als ihre Stammpflanze fähig.

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Summary The mutantfulgens ₁ ² , produced by X-rays from the variety Rheinlands Ruhm ofLycopersicon esculentum out of the mutant-assortment of H. Stubbe has lower pigmentation and is able to produce equal or more substance than the control (variety Rheinlands Ruhm), in contrast to other well known Aureavarieties.

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fulgens ₁ ² ( ) , , aurea, , .

     

Effects of animal manure and mineral fertilizer on the total carbon and nitrogen contents of soil size fractions

Summary Soil was sampled in autumn 1984 in the 132 field (sandy loam soil) of the Askov long-term experiments (started in 1894) and fractionated according to particle size using ultrasonic dispersion and sedimentation in water. The unmanured plot and plots given equivalent amounts of N (1923–1984 annual average, 121 kg N/ha) in either animal manure or mineral fertilizer were sampled to a depth of 15 cm, fractionated and analysed for C and N. Mineral fertilizer and animal manure increased the C and N content of whole soil, clay (<2 m) and silt (2–20 m) size fractions relative to unmanured samples, while the C content of the sand size fractions (fine sand 1, 20–63 m; fine sand 2, 63–200 m; coarse sand, 200–2000 m) was less affected. Clay contained 58% and 65°70 of the soil C and N, respectively. Corresponding values for silt were 30% and 26%, while sand accounted for 10% of the soil C. Fertilization did not influence this distribution pattern. The C : N ratio of the silt organic matter (14.3) was higher and that of clay (10.6) lower than whole-soil C:N ratios (12.0). Fertilization did not influence clay and silt C : N ratios. Animal manure caused similar relative increases in the organic matter content of clay and silt size fractions (36%). In contrast, mineral fertilizer only increased the organic matter content of silt by 21% and that of clay by 14%.     

Resistenzeigenschaften im Gersten- und Weizensortiment Gatersleben 5. Prüfung von Sommerweizen auf ihr Verhalten gegenErysiphe graminis DC. f. sp.tritici Marchal

Zusammenfassung Es wurde das Verhalten von 2700 Sommerweizen des Sortiments Gatersleben gegen acht Rassen vonErysiphe graminis tritici in Halle untersucht. Gegen alle Rassen resistent waren 102 Proben: 59 vonTriticum monococcum, 4 vonT. timopheevi, 3 vonT. dicoccoides, 14 vonT. dicoccon, 20 vonT. durum, einT. aestivum und ein GattungsbastardHaynaldia villosa ×Triticum dicoccon. Resistenz gegen einen Teil der verwendeten Rassen zeigten zwei Herkünfte vonT. durum, 14 vonT. carthlicum, 24 vonT. aestivum, einT. spelta und ein ArtbastardT. fungicidum ×T. sphaerococcum. Etwa 3% der Sommerweizen erwiesen sich als mäßig anfällig im Gewächshaus, jedoch als resistent im Feld. Weitere 3% der Weizen waren Gemische anfälliger und resistenter Pflanzen; 88% des Sortiments waren mehltauanfällig.

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Summary Reaction of 2700 spring wheats of the Gatersleben collection to eight races ofErysiphe graminis tritici was tested in Halle. 102 samples were resistant to all races used (tables 3 and 4): 59 ofTriticum monococcum, 4 ofT. ti opheevi, 3 ofT. dicoccoides, 14 ofT. dicoccon, 20 ofT. durum, oneT. aestivum and an intergeneric hybridHaynaldia villosa ×Triticum dicoccon. Resistance to some of the mildew races was exhibited by 2 samples ofT. durum, 14 ofT. carthlicum, 24 ofT. aestivum, 1 ofT. spelta and by a species hybridT. fungicidum ×T. sphaerococcum (table 5). About 3% of the spring wheats proved moderately susceptible in the greenhouse, but resistant in the field. Other 3% of the samples were mixtures of susceptible and resistant plants. 88% of the collection studied were mildew susceptible.

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am ¶rt;au 2700 Erysiphe graminis tritici. 102 . : 59Triticum monococcum, 4T. timopheevi, 3T. dicoccoides, 14T. dicoccon, 20T. durum, 1T. aestivum Haynaldia villosa ×Triticum dicoccon. 2 T. durum, 14T. carthlicum, 24T. aestivum, 1T. spelta T. fungicidum ×T. sphaerococcum. 3% , . 3% . 88% .

     

Effects of nitrification inhibitors on germination of various seeds in soil

Summary The effects of 19 nitrificiation inhibitors on germination of seeds in soil were investigated. The nitrification inhibitors tested were sodium azide, potassium azide, potassium ethyl xanthate, nitrapyrin (N-Serve), etridiazole (Dwell), 3-mercapto-1,2,4-triazole (MT), 2-amino-4-chloro-6-methylpyrimidine (AM), 2,4-diamino-6-trichloromethyl-s-triazine, 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT), 4-amino-1,2,4-triazole (ATC), sodium thiocarbonate (STC), guanylthiourea (ASU), thiourea (TU), dicyandiamide (DCD), sulfathiazole (STC), phenylacetylene, 2-ethynyl-pyridine, 3-methylpyrazole-l-carboxamide (MPC), and ammonium thiosulfate (ATS). Germination tests were performed with seeds of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), rye (Secale cereale L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench], oats (Avena sativa L.), and corn (Zea mays). Only 2 of the 19 nitrification inhibitors studied (potassium azide and sodium azide) reduced germination of the seeds tested when applied at the rate of 12.5 g g^–1. The other inhibitors studied had no effect on the germination of wheat, alfalfa, barley, corn, oat, rye, or sorghum seeds when they were applied at the rate of 125 g g^–1 soil, and most of them had no effect on seed germination when applied at the rate of 625 g g^–1 soil.     

Influence of oxygen on denitrification and aerobic respiration in soil

Summary The influence of the partial pressure of oxygen on denitrification and aerobic respiration was investigated at defined P02 values in a mull rendzina soil. The highest denitrification and respiration rates obtained in remoistened, glucose- and nitrate-amended soil were 43 1 N₂0 h^–1g^–1 soil and 130 1 O₂ h^–1g^–1 soil, respectively. At -55 kPa matric water potential, corresponding to 40% water saturation, N₂0 was produced only below P0₂ 40 hPa. The K _m, for O₂ was 3.0 x 10^–6 M. Formation of N₂O and consumption of O₂ occurred simultaneously with half maximum rates at P0₂ 6.7–13.3 hPa. Nitrite accumulated in soil below 40 hPa and increased with decreasing pO₂. The upper threshold for N₂0 formation in amended soil was P0₂ 33–40 hPa (39-47 M O₂).     

Die laciniaten Sippen vonBrassica oleracea L.

Zusammenfassung An Hand von Pflanzenzeichnungen aus drei bisher fast unbeachtet gebliebenen Herbaria picta des 16. und 17. Jh. konnte der lückenlose Nachweis erbracht werden, daß die beiden von Linné 1753 aufgestellten Varietätenlaciniata undselenisia der ArtBrassica oleracea auf ein fließendes Merkmal von beträchtlicher Variationsbreite gegründet wurden. Sie stellen die beiderseitigen Endglieder einer kontinuierlichen Merkmalsreihe dar und können nicht mit zwei Namen belegt werden.Da deshalb eine scharfe morphologische Trennung der beiden Varietäten unmöglich ist, wird die lediglich durch grob-fiederlappige Blattspreiten ausgezeichnete var.laciniata L. als Taxon der sehr ähnliche Blattspreiten besitzenden var.viridis L. unterstellt. Die Gesamtheit der kontinuierlich erfaßten, variablen Ausbildungsformen der heute kaum noch in Kultur anzutreffenden Feder- oder Plumagekohle dagegen wird unter der Bezeichnung var.selenisia L. zusammengefaßt.

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Summary Pictures of 3 hand-painted Herbaria picta of the 16^th and 17^th century proved that the varietieslaciniata L. andselenisia L. were based on a running character of a considerable variation. They mark only the ends of a continual fluctuation of this character and might not be designed with two names.A clear morphological separation of these two taxa is therefore not possible. Var.laciniata L. may be submitted var.viridis L., which is characterized by leaves of similar differentiation. The whole of the feather-kale forms — now seldom in cultivation — may be collected in var.selenisia L.

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, Herbaria picta XVI XVII . , Brassica oleracea, 1753 ., var.laciniata var.selenisia, , . , var.laciniata var.viridis, . , , , var.selenisia.

     

Bioaccumulation of selenium by floating aquatic plants

The degree to which floating aquatic plants concentrate Se in tissues was determined for four species grown in solutions containing various levels of Se. Results of this greenhouse study showed that all four plant species, Azolla caroliniana, Eichhornia crassipes, Salvinia rotundi folia, and Lemna minor absorbed Se quickly upon exposure to Se in water as concentrated as 2.5 g Se mL^–1, and attained maximum tissue concentrations within 1 to 2 weeks. Azolla absorbed Se to the highest tissue concentration (about 1000 g Se g^–1 dry matter) from the 2.5 g Se mL^–1 solution, followed by Salvinia (700 g Se g^–1), Lemna (500 g Se g^–1),and Eichhornia (300 g Se g^–1). Plant growth appeared unaffected by solution Se concentrations lower than about 1.25 g mL^–1. These results indicate potential for rapid Se movement from water into aquatic food chains, and for use of aquatic plants for Se removal in wastewater treatment systems.     

Application of the selective inhibition method to determine bacterial: fungal ratios in three beechwood soils rich in carbon — Optimization of inhibitor concentrations

Bacterial and fungal contributions to microbial respiration in three beechwood soils rich in C (two basalt soils and one limestone soil) were investigated by using streptomycin and cycloheximide to inhibit substrate-induced respiration after glucose (8000 g g^-1), N, and P addition to soil samples. The inhibitors were added as solutions (2000, 8000, and 16000 g g^-1) and the reduction in substrate-induced respiration after separate and combined inhibitor addition was measured in an automated electrolytic microrespirometer. Bacterial and fungal contributions to microbial respiration were calculated using the interval 6–10 h after inhibitor application. The microbial biomas was smaller in the two basalt soils (Oberhang and Mittelhang) than in the limestone soil (Unterhang). In the presence of both inhibitors, microbial respiration was inhibited by a maximum of 45, 45, and 25% in the two basalt soils and the limestone soil, respectively. Inhibition of microbial respiration was at a maximum at streptomycin and cycloheximide concentrations of 16000 g g^-1. The inhibitor additivity ratio approached 1.0 even at high inhibitor concentrations, indicating high inhibitor selectivity. Calculated prokaryote: eukaryote ratios indicated lower bacterial contributions to the microbial biomass in the Mettelhang (0.74) and Unterhang (0.73) than in the Oberhang (0.88) soil.     

Influence of beech litter fragmentation and glucose concentration on the microbial biomass in three different litter layers of a beechwood

In February 1993 samples of litter from three different litter layers (upper, intermediate, and lower) were taken from a beechwood growing on basalt soil. Using the substrate-induced respiration method, we investigated the influence of fragmentation and glucose concentration on the maximum initial respiratory response. Glucose concentrations ranged between 0 and 160000 g g^-1 dry weight. The initial respiratory response reached a maximum at 80000 g glucose g^-1 dry weight. The addition of higher concentrations of glucose resulted in negligible changes in respiration. Litter materials of four different size classes (intact leaves, fragmented <100 mm², <25 mm², and <5 mm²) were amended with 80000 g glucose g^-1 dry weight. Substrate-induced respiration was at a maximum in the size class <25 mm². The addition of glucose to intact litter did not result in microbial growth. It is concluded that C is not the primary limiting element for the microflora in litter layers of the study site. Fragmentation of beech litter enabled the microorganisms to grow. Presumably, nutrients that limited microbial growth in intact litter were mobilized by the fragmentation procedure and enabled microorganisms to grow in fragmented litter materials.