Evaluation of cold resistance of ornamental species for planting as urban rooftop greening

Rooftop gardening or green roof establishment, one of the methods of afforestation for urban greening, has many benefits for the environment, the economy and urban landscapes. Various environmental stresses including heat, strong wind, sunshine and cold prevent most plants from growing well in extensive green roof systems. For the establishment of urban rooftop gardening in Beijing, we evaluated 13 ornamental plant species [Berberis thunbergii ‘Atropurea Nana’, Euonymus fortune (Turcz.) Hand., Viburnum dilatatum Thunb., Cotinus coggygria Scop., Swida alba Opiz., Weigela florida (Bunge.) A. DC., Jasminum nudiflorum Lindl., Euonymus japonicus Thunb., Euonymus japonicus ‘Cuzhi’, Buddleja davidii Franch., Pyracantha fortuneana (Maxim.) Li., Ligustrum lucidum Ait. and Spiraea salicifolia L.] for greening of flat rooftops. We obtained three indices concerning cold resistance, i.e., electrical conductivity of leaves, amounts of soluble sugars and amounts of free proline, providing a theoretical basis for selection of plants fit for roof and balcony greening. The results show that the six species P. fortuneana (Maxim.) Li., B. thunbergii ‘Atropurea Nana’, J. nudiflorum Lindl., E. fortune (Turcz.) Hand., E. japonicus Thunb. and E. japonicus ‘Cuzhi’ are excellent plants for rooftop gardening, judging from their strong ability in cold resistance. Plants such as L. lucidum Ait., C. coggygria Scop. and W. florida (Bunge) A. DC. showed a medium ability in cold resistance. However, these species can be used in roof and balcony greening after intensive management or acclimatization of variety. The ability to resist cold of plants such as W. florida (Bunge) A. DC., S. salicifolia L., V. rhytidophyllum and S. alba Opiz. (Cornus alba L.) was found to be rather weak. Therefore, cold-proof measures are recommended when using these species.     

Nitrogen-fixing activity in decomposing litter of three tree species at a watershed in eastern Japan

Nitrogen fixation during litter decomposition was studied for 34 months using litterbags containing newly fallen litter of coniferous species Cryptomeria japonica and Pinus densiflora and that of deciduous species Quercus serrata. Litterbags were set in contact with the forest floor in a deciduous broad-leaved forest near the top of a slope and in a C. japonica stand at the middle of the slope at a watershed in eastern Japan. Nitrogen-fixing activity, estimated by acetylene reduction after 16 and 19 months of incubation, was 62.65–3.86 nmoles C₂H₄ h⁻¹ g⁻¹ DW in Cryptomeria litter, but only 1.07–0.09 in Pinus and 0.72–0.04 in Quercus. The rate of N increase in decomposing litter was highest in Cryptomeria. Fungal biomass in decomposing litter, estimated by ergosterol content, increased during the initial 16 months of incubation in Cryptomeria and Quercus, and during the initial 19 months of incubation in Pinus. The litter decomposition rate was highest in Cryptomeria among the three species, due to increased N content and fungal biomass in Cryptomeria litter. Thus, N increase in decomposing Cryptomeria litter affects the subsequent N dynamics and decomposition pattern.     

Mineral nutrient fluxes in rainfall and throughfall in a lowland Atlantic rainforest in southern Brazil

The ecosystems occurring on dystrophic soils, such as sandy soils, are highly dependent on nutrients from the atmosphere and those cycled by their own biota. Nutrient inputs from rainfall and throughfall were measured between October 2001 and August 2003 in a secondary Atlantic rainforest in southern Brazil. Canopy interception (rainfall minus throughfall) was 17.3% of the annual rainfall of 2,235 mm. Monthly interception ranged from 12 to 31% during the rainiest months (precipitation above 200 mm) and from 1 to 45% during the driest months (precipitation below 50 mm) indicating relatively high variability during this period. The studied site may be susceptible to water stress in this period due to the high permeability of the sandy soil. Approximately 80% of the Ca and Na and 57% of Mg were mainly from rainfall (bulk deposition) whereas the main input source for K was net throughfall (about 78%). Mean annual inputs via throughfall (in kg ha⁻¹) were: 90.6 for Na, 29.1 for K, 7.1 for Ca, and 2.9 for Mg. The highest nutrient inputs occurred during the rainy season. Na fluxes were relatively high, while K, Ca, and Mg inputs were low, compared with other tropical and subtropical forests. Information on nutrient fluxes for different forest ecosystems are fundamental for building up a database that can give support to environmental diagnosis, to forest management, and to conservation and restoration techniques.     

Preference and performance of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Plutella xylostella</Emphasis> (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) on canola cultivars

The diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), is an important insect pest of canola, Brassica napus L., in Ardabil, Iran. Host plant resistance is an essential component of integrated management of P. xylostella. We investigated the preferences and performance of P. xylostella on nine commercial cultivars of canola, namely Zarfam, RGS003, Adder, Okapi, Opera, Hyola401, Ebonite Option500 and Elite under greenhouse conditions at 23 ± 1°C, 50 ± 5% RH and 14L:10D. In free-choice situation, oviposition was lowest on Opera (23.5) and highest on Zarfam (44.7). In the life table study, fecundity of new generation female moths was lowest on Opera (95.4) and highest on Adder (145.7). Survival from egg to adult was significantly lower on Opera, Option500 and Hyola401 than on other tested cultivars. The intrinsic rate of natural increase (r _m) and population growth rate (λ) were lowest on Opera and highest on Zarfam. The generation time (T) was shortest on Zarfam (17.2 days) and longest on Hyola401 (19.9 days) whereas doubling time (DT) was longest on Opera (3.9 days) and shortest on Zarfam (3.0 days). Our results clearly suggest that Opera was the most resistant host among the tested cultivars and has the potential to be used in the integrated management of P. xylostella.     

Hidden in the woods? Meaning,determining, and practicing of ‘common welfare’ in the case of the German public forests

This article addresses the German debate on the issue of the common welfare designation of public forests. In the first part, drawing on two case studies, the political discourse on the issue is introduced. Two major competing ‘story lines’ can be made out that are both based on a long tradition of controversially discussed concepts of regulatory forest policy. While they both emphasise that common welfare services in forestry run counter to profit orientation, they fundamentally differ with regard to the consequences for forest policy, e.g., considering the degree of state intervention. Afterwards, an overview on the scientific debate on common welfare in the German context is given, and different concepts of common welfare determination are distinguished. Existing approaches of common welfare determination in German forest policy are related to these concepts and discussed. It is argued that the common welfare designation of the public forest is only insufficiently implemented by the actual governance arrangements. Based on this consideration, eventually, the implementation of a procedural concept of common welfare operationalisation in Germany’s public forests at the local level is proposed. While such a concept will not solve all complex problems related to the determination of common welfare in public forestry, it would notably contribute to a more operational definition of common welfare in public forestry and a more informed public debate on the issue.     

Changes of gene expression in early generations of the synthetic allotetraploid <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cucumis</Emphasis> × <Emphasis Type="Italic">hytivus</Emphasis> Chen et Kirkbride

Changes of gene expression played an important role in the evolution of plant allopolyploids. Frequency, time and type of the changes of gene expression between the first two self-pollinated generations (S₁ and S₂) of a synthesized allotetraploid Cucumis × hytivus Chen et Kirkbride and in its diploid parents was analyzed with cDNA-AFLP and reverse-Northern blot technique. Sequences similarity of genes involved in changed expression were also analyzed with BLAST package. The results from cDNA-AFLP analysis showed that 36 (3.37%) genes showed silencing (27) or activation (9) in allotetraploids. These changes initiated in S₁ or S₂ generation. The silenced/activated genes included rRNA and protein-coding genes. Further reverse-Northern blot analysis validated the results obtained. Thus four types of changes of gene expression were observed, including silencing of genes from both parents, maternal parent, paternal parent, and genes novel expression. The results indicate rapid changes in gene expression in early generations of C. × hytivus, which contributed to the evolution of this synthetic allotetraploid.     

Can mouth part deformities of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chironomus riparius</Emphasis> serve as indicators for water and sediment pollution? A laboratory approach

Purpose  

The significance of chironomids mouthpart deformities as suitable indicators for pollutant contamination of natural waters and sediments has been investigated and discussed for several decades. Uncertainties still exist as further laboratory studies, with different pollutants and with the same experimental design are required.     

Pb/Ca ion exchange on kaolinite clay modified with phosphates

Purpose  

Pollution of soils by heavy metal ions has attracted global concern because of the subsequent translocation into food chain which when taken up to a certain level can cause serious health problems. The influence of preadsorbed calcium by kaolinite clay modified with orthophosphate and tripolyphosphate reagents on the mobility of Pb²⁺ in kaolinitic soil system is studied. This is with the view to understand the fate of Pb²⁺ in phosphate-fertilized kaolinitic soils that are subsequently limed.     

A laboratory investigation of microbe-inducing CdCO<Subscript>3</Subscript> precipitate treatment in Cd<Superscript>2+</Superscript> contaminated soil

Background, aim and scope  

This paper discusses a method investigating the reduction of free heavy metal cation contents in soil through the use of microbe-inducing precipitate (MIP).     

Availability of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in aging soils

Purpose  

The soil contamination by hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs), such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), poses great threats to human health and ecological security and attracts worldwide concerns. The total HOC concentrations overestimate its available fraction to the soil biota. Increased understanding of the availabilities of PAHs in soil environment will have considerable benefits for their risk assessment and be very instructive to food safety and remediation strategies in contaminated sites. However, the availability of PAHs in aging soils and particularly the correlations of the availabilities with their forms in soils have yet to be elucidated. In this work, the availabilities of PAHs in aging soils were evaluated using a sequential mild extraction technique.