Reciprocal transfer effects on denitrifying community composition and activity at forest and meadow sites in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon

In order to examine the effects of disturbance, vegetation type, and microclimate on denitrification and denitrifier community composition, experimental plots were established at the H. J. Andrews Experimental Forest in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon. Soil cores were reciprocally transplanted between meadow and forest and samples were collected after 1 and 2 years. Denitrifying enzyme activity (DEA) was measured using the acetylene block assay and terminal restriction length polymorphism profiles were generated with nosZ primers that target the gene coding for nitrous oxide reductase. Nitrate concentrations, C mineralization, and water content were measured to gain additional insights into soil properties controlling DEA. Meadow soils were significantly higher in DEA than forest soils, and the highest DEA levels were observed in cores transferred from the meadow into the forest. Nitrate concentrations were also different between forest and meadow soils, but did not correlate to DEA. DEA was higher in open versus closed cores, suggesting an association between denitrification and the rhizosphere. Denitrifier communities of undisturbed forest and meadow soils shifted through a 4-year period but remained distinct from each other. Similarly, denitrifier communities clustered by vegetation type of origin regardless of manipulation, suggesting that the overall denitrifier communities are well buffered against environmental changes.     

Substrate utilization by Aspergillus flavus in inoculated whole corn kernels and isolated tissues

Utilization of the major corn (Zea mays) reserve materials (free saccharides, starch, triglycerides, and zein) was monitored during infection of detached kernels by Aspergillus flavus (A. flavus) over a 12-day period. Inoculated whole kernels were compared to noninoculated kernels. Concentrations of sucrose and raffinose in inoculated seed decreased to nearly zero at 6 days, whereas concentrations of these saccharides in noninoculated seed dropped at a considerably slower rate, and significant levels remained at the end of the incubation period. Triglyceride concentrations remained unchanged in the noninoculated seed but dropped continuously after 2 days in the inoculated seed. Starch and zein concentrations did not change during the 12-day incubation period. Aflatoxin B1 was first detected after 2 days and increased to about 20 microg/g (20,000 ppb) after 12 days. Very low aflatoxin concentrations were detected in the noninoculated seed. Significant concentrations of erythritol, arabitol, and mannitol were produced during infection, with peak concentrations occurring at 8 days. Whole seed and germ tissue appeared to support good fungal growth and aflatoxin production, whereas ground tissues and endosperm did not. A. flavus preferentially utilized saccharides as initial carbon substrates followed by triglycerides. When invading nonwounded corn kernels, the fungus selectively targets the germ tissue where these materials are localized in the highest concentrations.     

Influence of mycotoxin producing fungi (Fusarium, Aspergillus, Penicillium) on gluten proteins during suboptimal storage of wheat after harvest and competitive interactions between field and storage fungi

Cereals contaminated by Aspergillus spp., Penicillium spp., and Fusarium spp. and their mycotoxins, for example, ochratoxin A (OTA) and deoxynivalenol (DON), are not only a risk to human and animal health but can also show poor technological properties and baking quality. The influence of these genera on the sulfur speciation of low molecular weight (LMW) subunits of glutenin was characterized by investigating suboptimally stored wheat samples in situ by X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy and baking tests. Field fungi of the genus Fusarium have hardly any influence on both the sulfur speciation of wheat gluten proteins and the baking properties, whereas storage fungi of the genera Aspergillus and Penicillium have a direct influence. An increased amount of sulfur in sulfonic acid state was found, which is not available for thiol/disulfide exchange reactions in the gluten network, and thus leads to a considerably reduced baking volume. From changes of the composition of the mould flora during suboptimal storage of wheat and from the mycotoxin contents, it can be concluded that microbial competitive interactions play an important role in the development of the mould flora and the mycotoxin concentrations during (suboptimal) storage of wheat.     

基于内边缘场电容效应的树干/枝水分传感器研究

茎秆水分与茎流速率是解析植物茎秆内水分传输的2个重要参数。设计了一种基于内边缘场电容效应的树干/枝水分传感器。采用有机溶液试剂法与枝条冻融法分别对传感器做了性能测试试验,证实了传感器在相对介电常数16.8~81变化范围内具有很好的线性关系(R2=0.977 2),并从冻融-干湿等价性能看,传感器反应灵敏度满足测量要求。利用枝条脱水法得到了传感器参考标定曲线,决定系数为0.992 2。温室环境下的盆栽苹果树试验证实了该传感器既可无损观测树干细胞昼夜间的充放水过程,还可感测亏水树干内膨压崩溃与恢复过程。     

基于电磁阀的喷嘴直接注入式农药喷洒系统

设计了一种喷嘴直接注入式农药喷洒系统。通过与传统喷雾机械比较,简述了喷嘴直接注入式喷雾系统的结构和喷雾执行单元。为了实现农药定量注入,设计一种基于电磁原理的快速响应阀,并论述其工作原理和闭环控制方式。通过试验测试了喷雾执行单元的喷雾特性和喷杆组内各喷雾单元的一致性。结果表明在一定喷洒速率范围内,喷雾执行单元的喷水量和水压强存在多项式关系,农药注入量和PWM信号的高电平时间存在指数关系,其决定系数均高于0.9,并且同一喷杆组内6个喷雾单元的喷雾效果大体一致。     

Isozyme studies of genetic diversity and evolution in Hippophae

Summary To provide information on the genetic variation, differentiation and evolution in Hippophae seed samples of 25 populations from China, Finland and Russia were electrophoretically analyzed. Of six loci investigated, four were good genetic markers for identifying species and subspecies. The percentages of polymorphic loci per population were 40.3% and 62.5% at 0.95 and 0.99 polymorphic criteria respectively. The mean number of alleles per locus per population was 2.1. Total genetic diversity in the material was 0.4614. Genetic diversity partitioning showed that there was a large amount of diversity residing within geographical populations (0.1354), between subspecies within species (0.1046) and between species (0.2566) but not between geographical populations (0.0114). There were nearly twice as many negative fixation indices as positive ones in Hippophae populations. The phylogenetic tree agreed very well with botanic classifications of the species and subspecies and their geographical distributions, and quantitatively presented the genetic relationships of 25 populations. A detailed view of the evolutionary stages in Hippophae showed clearly a general decline of similarity as evolutionary divergence continued, which further explained the evolution process in Hippophae.     

Response of alluvial fan systems to the late Pleistocene to Holocene climatic transition: contrasts between the margins of pluvial Lakes Lahontan and Mojave, Nevada and California, USA

Dated shorelines of late Pleistocene pluvial Lakes Lahontan (Great Basin Desert, northwest Nevada) and Mojave (Mojave Desert, eastern California) provide timelines for the assessment of alluvial fan sedimentation at the lake margins during the late Pleistocene to early Holocene. Two sets of alluvial fan systems have been mapped: the Stillwater fans, feeding Lake Lahontan; and the Zzyzx fans, feeding Lake Mojave. Their contrasting morphologies suggest different responses of the two fan systems to late Pleistocene to early Holocene climatic change. At the time the Stillwater fan systems underwent minimal sedimentation, with the catchment hillslopes apparently stable. The Zzyzx fans experienced major changes in water and sediment supply from the catchment hillslopes. There was a major phase of hillslope debris-flow activity, followed by fanhead trenching and distal fan progradation. Both areas were wetter and colder in the late Pleistocene than they are today, but during the transition to the Holocene the Zzyzx area was more likely to experience intense rains associated with the monsoonal penetration of warm moist tropical air into the Southwest. Vegetation reconstructions for the late Pleistocene to the early Holocene suggest that catchment hillslopes in the Mojave supported a desert shrub vegetation, but those in the Stillwaters supported juniper woodland and grasses at low elevations and pine at higher elevations. Contrasts in hillslope vegetation cover together with storm activity may account for the different responses of the alluvial fans to climatic change during the Pleistocene to Holocene climatic transition. After the falls in lake levels of Lakes Lahontan and Mojave in the early Holocene, both areas underwent aridification, resulting in reductions in hillslope vegetation cover. Increased storm runoff led to fanhead trenching and distal progradation of the alluvial fans. Variations in fan style at that time may relate primarily to base-level conditions resulting from different gradients on the exposed lake shores.     

Fish introductions in California: History and impact on native fishes

Since 1871, at least 50 species of fish have been successfully introduced into California's inland waters, and numerous transfers of native fishes have been made between isolated drainage systems. Introductions were made of sport fish, commercial fish, forage fish, bait fish, fish for weed and insect control, and aquarium fish. Most of the introductions were authorised, reflecting a dissatisfaction with the native fishes, but in recent years unauthorised introductions have become common. The continuing decline of the native fish fauna seems to be largely the result of habitat change but introduced fishes may have contributed to this decline through competition, predation, and hybridisation. The lack of information on the native and introduced fishes of California, and their interactions, demonstrates the critical need for a statewide natural history survey.     

Evaluation of a combined penetrometer for simultaneous measurement of penetration resistance and soil water content

A combined penetrometer is an appropriate tool to measure the soil cone resistance and the water‐content profile. As a relatively new technique, a combined capacitance‐penetrometer for the simultaneous measurement of cone index and soil water content was developed at the Department of Agricultural Engineering of Bonn University in 2002. The objective of this study was the evaluation of the effectiveness and applicability of the innovated penetrometer with a focus on three aspects: (1) A capacitance sensor with two electrode configurations was calibrated for silt loam, sandy loam, and sand. The calibration results show that both electrode configurations have sufficient water‐content sensitivity, but soil‐specific calibrations seem necessary. (2) Under laboratory conditions, the dynamic resolution and response of the capacitance‐penetrometer were validated, and its radius of influence was determined. (3) The field measurement results demonstrate that this measurement technique can be used to improve the interpretation quality of soil cone index data.     

Quantitation of odor-active compounds in rye flour and rye sourdough using stable isotope dilution assays

Application of the aroma extract dilution analysis on a flavor distillate prepared from freshly ground rye flour (type 1150) revealed 1-octen-3-one (mushroom-like), methional (cooked potato), and (E)-2-nonenal (fatty, green) with the highest flavor dilution (FD) factors among the 26 odor-active volatiles identified. Quantitative measurements performed by stable isotope dilution assays and a comparison to the odor thresholds of selected odorants in starch suggested methional, (E)-2-nonenal, and hexanal as contributors to the flour aroma, because their concentrations exceeded their odor thresholds by factors >100. Application of the same approach on a rye sourdough prepared from the same batch of flour revealed 3-methylbutanal, vanillin, 3-methylbutanoic acid, methional, (E,E)-2,4-decadienal, 2,3-butanedione, and acetic acid as important odorants; their concentrations exceeded their odor thresholds in water and starch by factors >100. A comparison of the concentrations of 20 odorants in rye flour and the sourdough made therefrom indicated that flour, besides the fermentation process, is an important source of aroma compounds in dough. However, 3-methylbutanol, acetic acid, and 2,3-butanedione were much increased during fermentation, whereas (E,E)-2,4-decadienal and 2-methylbutanal were decreased. Similar results were obtained for five different flours and sourdoughs, respectively, although the amounts of some odorants in the flour and the sourdough differed significantly within batches.