Variability of the quality and quantity of organic matter in soil affected by multiple wildfires

Purpose

Fire in mountainous areas can lead to increased variability of their soil organic matter (SOM) due to spatial inhomogeneity and pre-fire fuel distribution. Here, we elucidated if this was the case in our study area and how this affected the reliability of solid-state ¹³C NMR spectroscopy applied for the study of the medium-term impact of fire on SOM

Materials and methods

The study occurred in the Sierra de Aznalcóllar, Southern Spain, which experienced their last intense fire 7 years before sampling. In a first approach (method 1), the corners and the center of a randomly chosen square with a side length of 15 m were sampled and analyzed separately. For comparison, composite samples (method 2) were obtained from three soils. We characterized material from unburnt, burnt, and double burnt regions. Data describing the physical and chemical properties of the soils together with the NMR spectroscopic characterization were analyzed using ANOVA.

Results and discussion

Both sampling methods yielded comparable results with comparable standard errors. No major differences between the fire-affected and unburnt soils were observed with respect to physical and chemical properties and C and N contents, but solid-state ¹³C NMR spectroscopy indicated a small but significant elevation of aromaticity in the soils with fire history.

Conclusions

The analysis showed that sampling with reduced replicates (method 1) can still lead to representative NMR data. The more complex sampling of comparing three composite samples (method 2) did not decrease the standard error. Our results also indicate that in the study area typical properties of the soil and its SOM induced by former burnings will not persist beyond a few decades.

     

Changes in net N mineralization rates and soil N and P pools in a pine forest wildfire chronosequence

The concern that climate change may increase fire frequency and intensity has recently heightened the interest in the effects of wildfires on ecosystem functioning. Although short-term fire effects on forest soils are well known, less information can be found on the long-term effects of wildfires on soil fertility. Our objective was to study the 17-year effect of wildfires on forest net mineralization rates and extractable inorganic nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentrations. We hypothesize that (1) burned forest stands should exhibit lower net mineralization rates than unburned ones; (2) these differences would be greatest during the growing season; (3) differences between soil variables might also be observed among plots from different years since the last fire; and (4) due to fire-resistant geochemical processes controlling P availability, this nutrient should recover faster than N. We used a wildfire chronosequence of natural and unmanaged Pinus canariensis forests in La Palma Island (Canary Islands). Soil samples were collected during winter and spring at 22 burned and unburned plots. We found significantly higher values for net N mineralization and extractable N pools in unburned plots. These differences were higher for the winter sampling date than for the spring sampling date. Unlike extractable N and N mineralization rates, extractable P levels of burned plots exhibited a gradual recovery over time after an initial decrease. These results demonstrate that P. canariensis forest soils showed low resilience after wildfires, especially for N, and that this disturbance might induce long-term changes in ecosystem functioning.     

Earthworm burrowing behaviour in 2D terraria with single- and multi-species assemblages

Experiments were performed in 2D terraria to investigate the burrowing behaviour of different earthworm species from various ecological categories in single- and multi-species assemblages. The burrowing behaviour was quantified using image analysis software during a 2-week period. Terraria were found to reveal realistic impressions of the burrowing behaviour of various species according to the ecological classification of Bouché into epigeic, endogeic and anecic species. Results of the study also permit the recommending of classifying various earthworms as intermediate species, e.g. Aporrectodea longa as endo-anecic and Lumbricus rubellus as epi-endogeic. Burrowing activity of endogeic species was significantly reduced in multi-species compositions compared to single-species treatments. Moreover, burrowing activity of Octolasion tyrtaeum was significantly reduced in the presence of Lumbricus terrestris compared to the specific single treatment. This endogeic species profited from the burrowing behaviour, e.g. bioturbation, of L. terrestris, and as such this is circumstantial evidence for commensalism (species interaction, in which one partner benefits while the other is unaffected) between anecic and endogeic earthworm species. Simultaneous burrowing activity of a combined assemblage of both endogeic species, Aporrectodea caliginosa and O. tyrtaeum, was also significantly reduced compared with the particular single treatments. Thus, this seems likely to be a response of interspecific competition and trophic niche separation between endogeic species.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Samardala</Emphasis>: specificities and changes in the ethnobotanical knowledge about <Emphasis Type="Italic">Allium siculum</Emphasis> subsp<Emphasis Type="Italic">. dioscoridis</Emphasis> (Sm.) K. Richt. in Bulgaria

Allium siculum Ucria is a perennial bulbous plant that occurs in Bulgaria as A. siculum subsp. dioscoridis (Sm.) K. Richt. The plant is locally known as “samardala”. Its herbage is used traditionally by local communities in Bulgaria as edible green and for preparation of salty spice mixtures. The study was focused on the documentation of traditional knowledge about samardala, covering local collection and cultivation practices, processing methods and consumption preferences. The respondents (aged 30–86 years, 50% over 65) were local producers and small-scale salesmen of the herbage and samardala-containing spices. To assess the health features of samardala spices the total phenol and flavonoid content was measured in home-consumed or marketed flavoured salts. Overall appreciation of the plant and related food products was found to be very high; presenting a considerable engagement of the locals in plant cultivation and gathering, laborious processing and consumption. Traditional ecological knowledge about the biology, phenology and ecology of the samardala plant and methods for its processing is still preserved by elderly people who rely mostly on their own cultivated plants. Although the introduction of modern appliances has altered the method of production, its main stages and the recipes are preserved. Modernization of the processing method has not affected the quality of the products and faster processing could be a contributing factor for the higher content of biologically active substances. Phenolic content was about twice as low as the flavonoid content, following the same pattern for all tested flavoured salts. Measures for better management of natural populations and promotion of cultivation practices of A. siculum subsp. dioscoridis would ensure the sustainable quality of traditional products as well as conservation of the natural plant resources.     

Preliminary study on homing,site fidelity,and diel movement of black rockfish <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sebastes inermis</Emphasis> measured by acoustic telemetry

Several species of fish exhibit strong homing ability and distinct site fidelity to their original habitats and spawning sites. We have studied the homing ability, site fidelity, and diel movement patterns of three nocturnal black rockfish Sebastes inermis. The patterns were studied by radio-linked acoustic positioning system (VRAP) and fixed monitoring receivers (VR2) in Maizuru Bay, Japan from June to July 2004. All tagged fish were displaced by 80–120 m, but they returned to their respective captured sites at dusk, regardless of the time of release. The fish tagged with a depth sensor transmitter displayed active vertical movement just after the release, and subsequently swam near the bottom depth around the captured site. After homing, they displayed small home ranges [average 815 ± 265 m² (SD)] around a single rocky area with one or two core areas (average 64 ± 30 m²). One core area was utilized during the daylight and dark periods, whereas the other was used primarily during the dark period. The depth-tagged fish primarily used the depth of the rock crevice during the daylight, and it spent its dark period between the surface and the deeper bottom depth.     

Effects of olive leaf powder supplemented to fish feed on muscle protein of red sea bream

Olive leaf is known to have the high polyphenol content of 6–9% in dry weight. We investigated the effects of olive leaf powder (OLP) supplemented to fish feed on muscle protein of red sea bream (Pagrus major). Fish reared with feed containing 8% OLP for 40 days had 1.4 times higher myofibril content and 2.2 times higher acid-soluble collagen content than fish reared with control feed for the same period. On the other hand, sarcoplasmic protein content and collagenase activity of the muscle were almost the same between the control fish and OLP-diet fish. Microstructure observation of fish muscle showed that OLP-diet fish has more rigid endomysium structure than that of the control-diet fish. Since collagen fiber in endomysium is responsible for the texture of the muscle, feeding OLP to aquaculture fish will lead to a harder muscle texture. The present study suggests that OLP is a useful feed additive to enhance the texture of aquaculture red sea bream muscle through strengthening of the collagen structure in the muscle.     

矮生玉米自交系的选育和利用

有两套遗传体系决定矮生玉米的节间长度,即多基因矮生体系和单基因矮生体系。矮生玉米自交系的选育方法主要有系谱法、回交法和聚合选择法。矮生玉米自交系的利用主要有“矮秆×矮秆”“和矮秆×高秆”两种模式,其中“矮秆×高秆”将是今后相当长时期内矮生玉米自交系利用的主要模式。     

氟乐灵处理后棉苗对枯萎病菌的抗侵入及抗扩展特性

 以1μg/g土的氟乐灵播前土壤处理,棉花出苗后移栽到无氟乐灵的土壤中并接种棉花枯萎病菌(Fusarium axysporum f.sp.vasinfectum)。结果表明氟乐灵处理明显降低了棉苗枯萎病的株发病率和病情指数,提高了棉苗对枯萎病的抗病性。氟乐灵处理组棉苗根部和茎部枯萎病菌侵染率均低于对照组,特别是上部茎片段中处理组侵染率降低更为明显。氟乐灵处理组棉苗根部和茎部的菌量明显降低,而且处理组茎部菌量的增长明显滞后于对照。以上结果表明,病菌对氟乐灵处理棉苗根部的侵入和病菌在棉苗体内的纵向扩展及增殖受到了阻抑,因而氟乐灵处理后棉苗对枯萎病菌的抗性表现了抗侵入和抗扩展的特性。试验还证明,氟乐灵处理并接种病菌的棉苗茎部组织中类萜烯醛的含量明显提高;并产生一种能抑制病菌大型分生孢子萌发的真菌毒性物质。这些抑菌物质的产生和积累可能与抗扩展特性有关。     

GA对扁竹蓼硬枝和嫩枝水插繁殖的影响

为探讨扁竹蓼的水插繁殖效果和最佳赤霉素(GA)处理浓度,以扁竹蓼的硬枝和嫩枝为插穗,采用0 mg/L(清水对照)、50 mg/L、100 mg/L和150 mg/L的GA浸泡处理,对扁竹蓼进行水插繁殖研究。结果表明:GA对扁竹蓼的插穗生根具有促进作用。硬枝和嫩枝水插均以100 mg/LGA处理的生根效果最好,其生根率分别达到97.5%和100%,根系发育指数分别达到0.53和0.86,极显著高于其他处理。总体看,嫩枝水插繁殖效果优于硬枝,因此,扁竹蓼水插以嫩枝并以100 mg/L GA浸泡6h处理效果最佳。     

不同增温措施对烟苗生长发育的影响

为解决石柱高海拔烟区烤烟育苗中的低温危害,研究了不同的增温、保温措施对环境温度和烟苗生长发育的影响。结果表明:与常规漂浮育苗相比,双棚覆盖、双棚+池底铺垫、集中堆码催芽处理可分别提高日均有效积温0.84、1.14、5.42℃,使出苗期分别提前6、7、14d,全生育期分别缩短6、8、12d,且不同程度地提高了烟苗素质,促进了烟苗的物质积累。综合分析,集中堆码催芽处理促进烟苗地上部分生长的效果最好,而双棚+池底铺垫处理较利于烟苗根系的生长。生产中,应将不同措施进行优化组合,争取较高的有效积温,以达到理想的育苗效果。