Long-term patterns of microhabitat use by fish in a southern Appalachian stream from 1983 to 1992: effects of hydrologic period, season and fish length

Abstract— We quantified microhabitat use by members of a southern Appalachian stream fish assemblage over a ten-year period that included both floods and droughts. Our study site (37 m in length) encompassed riffle, run and pool habitats. Previous research indicated that species belonged to either benthic or water-column microhabitat guilds. Most species exhibited non-random microhabitat use in all seasons, and benthic and water column species generally were over-represented in the deeper portions of the site. In addition, water column species generally were over-represented in microhabitats with lower average velocities. The majority of seasonal shifts in microhabitat use were passive (i. e. correlated with changes in microhabitat availability), whereas, most shifts associated with hydrological periods appeared to be active responses to changing environmental conditions. Most species exhibited length-related shifts in microhabitat use, which were strongly affected by hydrologic period for four of ten species. Microhabitat use patterns of assemblage members appeared to be a consequence of species-specific responses to changing environmental conditions. The highly flexible patterns of microhabitat use exhibited by these species necessitate that decisions regarding their management be based on data covering a range of environmental conditions.     

Bioaccumulation of cadmium and its biochemical effect on selected tissues of the catfish (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Clarias gariepinus</Emphasis>)

The present study examines the pattern of accumulation of cadmium (Cd) and its biochemical effects on selected tissues of a variety of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus), after exposure to various doses of Cd. The results obtained indicate that at the end of 21 days of exposure, the total tissue organ cadmium concentration followed the pattern kidney > gill > liver > muscle for each of the exposure concentrations. The levels of Cd in these organs were higher than those in ambient water. Moreover, while the rate of uptake of Cd increased with time in the kidney, liver and muscle, it decreased in the gill. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) was significantly elevated only in the kidney of catfish treated with 0.2 and 0.4 ppm of Cd for 7 days compared with the control. Conversely, gill SOD was significantly decreased in the same concentrations of Cd-treated catfish relative to the control. Statistically similar levels of SOD were observed in the liver, brain and muscle with all the treatments after the same duration of treatment. In the fish exposed for 21 days, SOD activity was significantly decreased in the kidney with a corresponding increase in lipid peroxidation (LPO), but it manifested only with the 0.2- and 0.4-ppm Cd treatment relative to the control. In the liver, however, Cd exposure significantly increased SOD in the 0.2- and 0.4-ppm treatments of the same duration. In conclusion, the present study indicates that the accumulation of Cd and its effect on SOD and LPO in C. gariepinus is dependent on concentration, tissue and time     

施肥对灌漠土作物产量、土壤肥力与重金属含量的影响

有机物还田是提升土壤肥力的主要措施,但也存在造成土壤金属污染的潜在风险。为查明不同有机物还田对土壤质量及作物产量的影响,本文通过长期定位试验,研究了无肥对照、常规施化肥(氮磷配施)以及70%常规化肥与牛粪、沼渣、污泥、鸡粪、菌渣和猪粪配施对土壤理化性状、有机碳和氮的固存率、氮磷钾活化系数、作物产量及重金属含量的影响。结果表明:牛粪、沼渣、污泥、菌渣、鸡粪和猪粪与70%化肥配施虽作物产量与常规施化肥相似,但6种有机物处理土壤有机质、全氮和碱解氮含量都较常规施化肥处理显著增加,污泥、鸡粪和猪粪处理土壤全磷与速效磷含量较常规施化肥处理显著增加,而且牛粪、沼渣、鸡粪和猪粪处理的速效钾、土壤磷活化系数和土壤钾活化系数较常规施化肥处理也显著提升。牛粪、沼渣、污泥、菌渣、鸡粪和猪粪处理土壤有机碳固存率为36.42%～71.61%,较常规施化肥处理都显著提高;而其氮固存率为6.47%～49.44%,仅有菌渣处理与常规施化肥处理差异不显著,而其他处理较常规施化肥处理显著增加。长期施鸡粪和菌渣处理的土壤铜含量较常规施化肥处理显著增加,增加量分别为4.17mg·kg~(-1)和14.2mg·kg~(-1);而污泥、鸡粪和菌渣处理的土壤锌含量较常规施化肥处理显著增加,增加量分别为13.53 mg·kg~(-1)、22.60 mg·kg~(-1)和49.73mg·kg~(-1)。综上,等有机质(4 500kg×hm~(-2))的牛粪、沼渣、污泥、菌渣、鸡粪和猪粪可替代30%氮磷肥,作物产量不受影响;不同有机物培肥土壤效果为污泥、鸡粪和猪粪优于牛粪和沼渣,而沼渣的培肥效果略差。为保证土壤环境质量稳定不恶化,种植小麦时有机物铜和锌的年携入量应分别低于53.01g×hm~(-2)和221.30 g×hm~(-2),而种植玉米时应分别低于153.40 g×hm~(-2)和347.04 g×hm~(-2)。     

<Superscript>13</Superscript>C-NMR analysis of components of chernozem humic acids and their fractions with different molecular sizes and electrophoretic mobilities

Tandem size-exclusion chromatography and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis were used for obtaining stable fractions of different molecular sizes and electrophoretic mobilities from chernozem humic acids (HAs). The obtained fractions were analyzed using solid-phase ¹³C NMR. The tendencies of the changes in the aromatic and aliphatic components of the HA fractions with different molecular sizes and electrophoretic mobilities were experimentally revealed. The aromatic-to-aliphatic carbon ratio C_arom (165–108 ppm)/C_aliph (108-0 ppm) was used for comparing the degrees of aliphaticity and aromaticity of the HA macromolecules. This ratio increased by more than five times when going from the high-molecular-weight to the low-molecular-weight fractions and largely determined their hydrophilic properties. The obtained results can be useful for the interpretation of the structural organization and the ecological functions of soil HAs and their fractions.     

Application of biochar to soil and N2O emissions: potential effects of blending fast‐pyrolysis biochar with anaerobically digested slurry

Soil applications of recalcitrant biochar offer the possibility of mitigating climate change effects through long‐term carbon sequestration and potentially also by reducing emissions of the potent greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N₂O). This laboratory study examined the effect of combining a fast‐pyrolysis biochar at small (1% by mass) and large (3%) concentrations with anaerobically digested slurry on soil N₂O and carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions over a period of 55 days. The results showed that fast‐pyrolysis biochar applied on its own increased N₂O emissions from soil. However, when biochar was applied together with slurry, the larger biochar concentration decreased N₂O emissions by 47%, relative to those from the slurry treatment with the smaller biochar concentration. Reduced N₂O emissions coincided with enhanced soil microbial activity and immobilization of nitrogen. A combined application of biochar and anaerobic digested slurry could therefore be beneficial for cropping systems in terms of soil nitrogen retention while concurrently mitigating N₂O fluxes and sequestering carbon in soil.     

Production and dissolution rates of earthworm-secreted calcium carbonate

Earthworms secrete granules of calcium carbonate. These are potentially important in soil biogeochemical cycles and are routinely recorded in archaeological studies of Quaternary soils. Production rates of calcium carbonate granules by the earthworm Lumbricus terrestris L. were determined over 27 days in a range of soils with differing chemical properties (pH, organic matter content, water holding capacity, bulk composition, cation exchange capacity and exchangeable cations). Production rate varied between soils, lay in the range $0–0.043{\text{mmol}}_{{\text{CaCO}}_3}$ (0–4.3 mg) earthworm^?1 d^?1 with an average rate of $8\times {10}^{?3}{\text{mmol}}_{{\text{CaCO}}_3}$ (0.8 mg) earthworm^?1 d^?1 and was significantly correlated (r = 0.68, P ≤ 0.01) with soil pH. In a second experiment lasting 315 days earthworms repeatedly (over periods of 39–57 days) produced comparable masses of granules. Converting individual earthworm granule production rates into fluxes expressed on a per hectare of land per year basis depends heavily on estimates of earthworm numbers. Using values of 10–20 L. terrestris m^?2 suggests a rate of $18–3139{\text{mol}}_{{\text{CaCO}}_3}{\text{ha}}^{?1}{\text{yr}}^{?1}$. Data obtained from flow-through dissolution experiments suggest that at near neutral pH, granule geometric surface area-normalised dissolution rates are similar to those for other biogenic and inorganic calcites. Fits of the data to the dissolution relationship r = k(1 ? Ω)ⁿ where r = dissolution rate, k = a rate constant, Ω = relative saturation and n = the reaction order gave values of k = 1.72 × 10^?10 mol cm^?2 s^?1 and n = 1.8 for the geometric surface area-normalised rates and k = 3.51 × 10^?13 mol cm^?2 s^?1 and n = 1.8 for the BET surface area-normalised rates. In 196 day leaching column experiments trends in granule dissolution rate referenced to soil chemistry corresponded to predictions made by the SLIM model for dissolution of limestone in soil. If soil solution approaches saturation with respect to calcium carbonate, granule dissolution will slow or even stop and granules be preserved indefinitely. Granules have the potential to be a small but significant component of the biogeochemical cycling of C and Ca in soil.     

Hydraulic Retention Time Influence on Improving Flocculation in the Activated Sludge Processes Through Polyelectrolytes

Hydraulic retention time (HRT) influence improving sludge flocculation with adding the polyelectrolytes (non-ionic, anionic, and cationic) was studied on an activated sludge (AS) system fed with synthetic domestic wastewater (SDW), dairy industry wastewater (DIW), and caramel industry wastewater (CIW). The sludge volumetric index, food/microorganism ratio (F/M), and mixed liquor volatile suspended solids at different HRTs (6, 8 and 10 h) were monitored on an experimental model. Results showed that both SDW and IW had the best sludge flocculation conditions at 8 h and 100 mL of non-ionic polyelectrolyte (0.2 mg L^?1). In addition, this phenomenon reached the organic matter removal efficiencies of 95.9, 95.7, and 94.2% for SDW, DIW, and CIW, respectively. Therefore, optimum HRT increased the organic matter removal efficiencies by 10%, sludge concentration by 37% (22–55%), and F/M ratio by 70%. Moreover, the polyelectrolytes used in AS improved the sludge flocculation by 2.9 times.     

Photocatalytic Removal of the Antibiotic Cefotaxime on TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> and ZnO Suspensions Under Simulated Sunlight Radiation

This study presents the main results about the removal of the antibiotic cefotaxime (CTX) under simulated sunlight radiation using heterogeneous photocatalysis with titanium dioxide (TiO₂) and zinc oxide (ZnO) in aqueous solutions. The effects of pH and catalyst initial load on pollutant removal were assessed considering the response surface methodology and a central composite circumscribed experimental design, which allowed to determine the optimized conditions that lead to a higher substrate elimination. Experimental results indicated that evaluated parameters have a significant effect on antibiotic removal in both TiO₂ and ZnO suspensions. In addition, the role of photogenerated holes, hydroxyl, and superoxide anion radicals on CTX degradation was evaluated to clarify the reaction mechanism. Finally, analysis of the dissolved organic carbon content in solutions and the antibacterial activity of treated samples showed that photocatalytic treatments were able to reduce a considerable portion of the organic matter present in the systems and its antimicrobial activity.     

Challenges in organic component selection and biochar as an opportunity in potting substrates: a review

Plant production in potting substrates provides maximum profit on the applied inputs, and hence, directly improving the socio-economic condition of the grower/nurserymen. The main challenge in this industry is sourcing of materials for their potting substrates. Peat and perlite have been widely preferred materials. However, recently higher prices, more restrictive legislation of many countries and wetland ecosystem destruction through its extraction has limited peat use. Nowadays, producers focus towards peat alternatives that provide good performance, are readily available, inexpensive and environment friendly to attain sustainability in potted plant production. In an effort to grasp sustainability during the last few decades, many industrial and agricultural waste materials were reviewed for their use in potting substrates. In these studies, the major focus remained on material characterization, neglecting their economics, technical aspects and environmental impacts. Thus, switching from peat and perlite to alternatives requires material exploration. In the present review, we summarize a clearer and practical approach for substituting different materials especially biochar to fulfill the need of modern potting substrate industry. Biochar has the potential to sustain the substrate production on a long-term basis.