Survey on the metal contamination of agricultural soils in Georgia

There is only sparse information on the metal contamination of agricultural soils in the former Soviet Union and the development of impacts during the process of transformation to a private structure of production. In this study a first overview on the metal load (Pb, Zn, Cu, Cr, Mn) of agricultural soils in central and eastern regions of Georgia is given using 251 subsamples from 106 profiles on 37 plots. While the data sets for lead (Pb) and chromium (Cr) are rather homogeneous and range only within narrow limits, the contents of zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) vary much more. Additionally, manganese (Mn) was tested. Here the data vary largely, which is probably due to the natural soil loads. Very low loads for all investigated metals are typical for communally used pastures (Allmende) and especially for a biologically managed farm. On the contrary, Cu loads frequently exceed the median by more than five to ten times (the maximum value is 1023 mg kg⁻¹) in vineyards. The comparison of complete soil profiles proves that this is due to the application of copper sulphate for pest control. In the Bolnisi region south of Tbilisi extremely high loads in the upper soil horizons are found not only for Cu, but for Zn as well, ranging up to 794 mg kg⁻¹. Compared to all other data, the loads for Pb and Cr are also high in several samples. Cu, Zn and Pb are significantly correlated to one another in the Bolnisi region. This striking situation most probably results from the frequent irrigation of the plots by industrially contaminated water from the Mashawera River. Due to economic deficiencies the application of chemicals in Georgian agriculture has dropped heavily since 1990. Consequently, the metal contamination of agricultural soils in general is rather low, being far below western European tolerance limits. Intensive pasturing might even cause values close to the natural loads due to erosion and/or the export by the way of plants and livestock. On the other hand, some specific types of land use cause serious environmental problems. This is especially true for vineyards and plots that are irrigated with contaminated water. Overgrazed plots tend to soil erosion. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Characteristics and classification of anthropogenic soils in the Osnabrück area,Germany

Soils in the area around Osnabrück/Northwest Germany have been strongly influenced by man. The classification of these soils based on the German and international classification systems is problematical. Eight representative soils, two Anthrosols (plaggic and hortic), four soils affected by the coal and steel industry and consisting of distinct monosubstrata (coal and ore mining heaps, slag heap, sludge area) as well as two deposits of heterogeneous waste components (reclaimed wet land, filled quarry) were investigated. The sites are assessed in relation to their contamination by heavy metals and PAH as well as suitability for plant growth. An attempt was made to classify the soils using the current classification of World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB), German Soil Science Society Classification, FAO and the USA. These systems enables a satisfactory classification of two Anthrosols compared with the other soils. In the US taxonomy, the pedogenesis of technological substrata was not considered. In the FAO taxonomy, it is not acceptable to term all soils as Urbic Anthrosols without any further differentiation. This differentiation was enabled in both the WRB and the German taxonomy. In the WRB taxonomy, however, only anthropic subunits of the Regosols are included. An improvement could be achieved by the introduction of comparable subunits of the Arenosols, Durisols, Gleysols, and Leptosols. In the German taxonomy (normally soil and substrata are classified separately), the induction of toxic subunits in the presence of high soil contamination influencing the edaphon would be helpful. Furthermore, soils hardened by silica should be classified as respective varieties.     

Nitrogen allocation and the fate of absorbed light in 21-year-old Pinus radiata

We investigated effects of nitrogen (N) fertilizer and canopy position on the allocation of N to Rubisco and chlorophyll as well as the distribution of absorbed light among thermal energy dissipation, photochemistry, net CO2 assimilation and alternative electron sinks such as the Mehler reaction and photorespiration. The relative reduction state of the primary quinone receptor of photosystem II (QA) was used as a surrogate for photosystem II (PSII) vulnerability to photoinactivation. Measurements were made on needles from the lower, mid and upper canopy of 21-year-old Pinus radiata D. Don trees grown with (N+) and without (N0) added N fertilizer. Rubisco was 45 to 60% higher in needles of N+ trees than in needles of N0 trees at all canopy positions. Chlorophyll was approximately 80% higher in lower- and mid-canopy needles of N+ trees than of N0 trees, but only approximately 20% higher in upper-canopy needles. Physiological differences between N+ and N0 trees were found only in the lower- and mid- canopy positions. Needles of N+ trees dissipated up to 30% less light energy as heat than needles of N0 trees and had correspondingly more reduced QA. Net CO2 assimilation and the proportions of electrons used by alternative electron sinks such as the Mehler reaction and photorespiration were unaffected by N treatment regardless of canopy position. We conclude that the application of N fertilizer mainly affected the biochemistry and light-use physiology in lower- and mid-canopy needles by increasing the amount of chlorophyll and hence the amount of light harvested. This, however, did not improve photochemistry or safe dissipation, but increased PSII vulnerability to photoinactivation, an effect with likely significant consequences during sunflecks or sudden gap formation.     

充填与非充填开采条件下煤矿沉陷区耕地土壤质量空间分布规律研究

为了研究煤矿井下充填开采是否能有效保护地表耕地土壤环境,保持土壤肥力,本文以皖北矿业集团公司五沟煤矿充填开采工作面与非充填开采工作面为试验区,在2个工作面对应上方地表分别划分试验区域和对照区域,进行采样、相关土壤指标检测及结果分析。试验区域(充填开采)包括:地表沉陷区坡脚B1处(点1?~点3?)、沉陷区坡面B2处(点4?~点6?)、沉陷区坡顶B3处(点7?~点9?);对照区域(非充填开采)包括:地表沉陷区坡脚A1处(点1~点3)、沉陷区坡面A2处(点4~点6)、沉陷区坡顶A3处(点7~点9)。每个区域分别在9个采样点内按照0~20 cm、20~40 cm和40~60 cm 3个土壤深度分层采集土样,对土壤理化性质以及该区域小麦株高和经济产量进行了测定和分析。试验结果显示,充填开采区域土壤碱解氮、有效磷、速效钾和有机质在3个土层的平均含量均高于非充填开采区域。试验观测期间,3月份B1处小麦株高小于A1处,5—6月B2和B3处小麦长势均优于A2和A3处,直至收割;小麦成熟时,充填开采区域经济产量高于非充填开采区。充填开采区域地块土壤含水量高于非充填开采区域。因此,本文认为充填开采比非充填开采更能保持开采区域上覆土壤的养分和水分。但与正常土壤背景值相比,充填开采区域上覆土壤仍存在某些营养元素(如有机质及磷元素)含量不足的问题,其作为农耕地需要加强人工活动的影响,如增施肥料、加强田间管理等。     

Geographic Classification of Heavy Metal Concentrations in Mosses and Stream Sediments in the Federal Republic of Germany

The results of the first German moss monitoring programme to estimate heavy metal pollution in the Federal Republic of Germany were combined with other large-scale investigations carried out in Germany and then classified geographically in a new form. Using Monte Carlo assisted factor analysis, six factors indicating sources of pollution were identified from the sets of element data from the moss monitoring project (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, Ti, V, Zn) and the data sets for SO₂ and particulate. The geographic distribution patterns of the factor values showed the regions in which the various sources are to be found. By combining the data the primarily anthropogenic chromium concentrations of the mosses were compared with the mainly geogenic chromium concentrations of the stream sediments in the form of examples. After normalization, the transformed chromium concentrations were transferred to a map of the entire area using inverse distance weighting. Anthropogenic and geogenic influences are being discussed on the basis of the results.     

Zur bedeutung der photoperiodisch-thermischen reaktion der kartoffelsorten für züchtung und anbau

Zusammenfassung Der Einfluss von Tagesl?nge und Temperatur auf die Entwicklung der Kartoffelpflanze wird in photoperiodisch-thermischen Reaktionskurven beschrieben. Die unterschiedliche Reaktion von Sorten verschiedener Reifegruppen, die Entwicklung in Abh?ngigkeit von den Klimabedingungen des Anbauortes und M?glichkeiten der Selektion geeigneter Reaktionstypen werden besprochen. Vortrag gehalten auf der Tagung derEucarpia, Section Kartoffel, in Vandel, D?nemark, vom 23. bis zum 27. Juni 1964. Fr?uleinAngelika Forberger sei auch an dieser Stelle für die freudige und gewissenhafte Mitarbeit bei den Versuchen herzlich gedankt. Die Untersuchungen wurden mit Unterstützung der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft durchgeführt. Für die Bereitstellung der Mittel fühle ich mich zu grossem Dank verpflichtet.     

Metabolic enzyme activities in larvae of the African catfish,Clarias gariepinus: changes in relation to age and nutrition

The influence of ontogeny and nutrition on metabolic enzyme activities in larvae of the African catfish, Clarias gariepinus, was studied. After start of exogenous feeding, the larvae were reared for 10 days under three different nutritional conditions: Artemia nauplii, a dry starter diet, and starvation. The live feed gave the best growth (96 mg within 10 days) whereas the dry diet resulted in low growth (33 mg). This growth difference was reflected in larval RNA and DNA concentrations, but not in the levels of soluble protein. Enzymes representing the following aspects of metabolism have been analysed: NADPH generation (G6PDH, ME), glycolysis (PFK, PK), gluconeogenesis (FDPase), amino acid catabolism (GOT, GPT) and oxidative catabolism (CS). All enzymes were present from the start of exogenous feeding onwards, but their maximum specific activities displayed different developmental patterns. In catfish larvae fed on Artemia, G6PDH and ME activities steadily increased with age and weight of the larvae. CS levels remained, after an immediate enhancement upon onset of exogenous feeding, on a rather stable plateau. The amino acid-degrading enzymes GOT and GPT showed maximum levels at days 3–5 of feeding or at a body weight of 10–20 mg, but decreased thereafter. Activities of PFK, PK and FDPase showed low initial levels, and increased significantly with age and size. Based on the ontogenetic patterns of metabolic enzymes, in C. gariepinus larvae an early and a late developmental phase can be distinguished. During the early phase, the glycolytic and gluconeogenetic capacities are low, whereas they are enforced during the later phase. The oxidative capacity is high both during the early and the late phase. The metabolic changes in catfish development coincide with other major ontogenetic events, e.g., alterations of muscle organization, gill morphology, respiration and stomach structure and function. Rearing catfish larvae on a dry diet instead of Artemia partly altered the developmental pattern described: The ontogenetic elevation of CS, PFK and FDPase was delayed and the early peak in GOT and GPT activities was not realized. Particularly during the early developmental phase, the enzyme behaviour of the larvae fed on dry food was similar to that of starved larvae.Abbreviations CS citrate synthase - FDPase fructose-1,6-diphosphatase - GOT glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase - GPT glutamate pyruvate transaminase - G6PDH glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase - ME malic enzyme - PFK phosphofructokinase - PK pyruvate kinase     

Phosphorus fractionation in lowland tropical rainforest soils in central Panama

Phosphorus availability is commonly assumed to limit productivity in lowland tropical rainforests, yet there is relatively little information on the chemical forms of soil phosphorus in such ecosystems. We used the Hedley sequential fractionation scheme to assess phosphorus chemistry in five soils supporting tropical rainforest on Barro Colorado Island, Republic of Panama. The soils represented a range of orders (Inceptisols, Alfisols, and Oxisols) formed on contrasting geological substrates and topography, but under uniform climate and vegetation. Total phosphorus in surface horizons ranged between 315 and 1114 mg P kg^− 1, being lowest on a soil derived from marine sediments and highest on soils derived from andesite. The majority of the phosphorus occurred in recalcitrant forms, although between 14% and 39% occurred as organic phosphorus. Readily-available phosphate, as extracted by anion-exchange membranes, occurred in small concentrations (4–13 mg P kg^− 1), although labile phosphorus, defined as phosphate extracted by anion-exchange membrane plus inorganic and organic phosphorus extracted by 0.5 M NaHCO₃, accounted for between 4.7% and 11.4% of the total soil phosphorus. Our results indicate a strong control of geology and topography on soil phosphorus in tropical rainforests, which may have important implications for understanding the diversity and distribution of plant species in such ecosystems. Further, some of the most common soils on Barro Colorado Island, including those on the 50 ha forest dynamics plot, are rich in phosphorus despite their relatively advanced stage of pedogenesis.