Determination of Heavy Metals and Comparison to Gross Radioactivity Concentration in Soil and Sediment Samples of the Bendimahi River Basin (Van, Turkey)

An investigation of radioactivity and some heavy metal distribution in soil and sediment of the river basin (Bendimahi River, Van-Turkey) was conducted in two seasons of 2005. The samples of soil and sediment were collected from the basin and investigated for concentrations of some heavy metal and natural radioactivity. Concentrations of Pb, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Cu, Zn and Cd have been determined by Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS), gross-alpha and gross-beta activity concentrations have been obtained by using gas-flow proportional counter in nuclear spectroscopic system. Correlation analysis was made for radioactivity and heavy metal concentrations and the Pearson correlation coefficients between gross-alpha and gross-beta radioactivity and heavy metal were determined.     

A Natural Forest of Commercial Timber Species: Logging or Not Logging

Most tropical forests outside protected areas have been or will be selectively logged because the timber industry is a main income-generating resource for many developing countries. Therefore, understanding the composition of commercial timber species and logging types is key for sustainable forest management in countries like Vietnam as they move toward fulfilling Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) agreements. Seven 1-ha plots were surveyed in the Central Highland of Vietnam, and 18 commercial tree species from these plots, whose timber is widely used by local people for housing and furniture making and timber is easily sold at local markets for high prices, were analyzed. In total, 151 tree species with a diameter at breast height (DBH) of ≥?10 cm were recorded. The 18 commercially valuable species assessed in this study accounted for 33.2% of all stems (total of 524 stems ha^?1 for all species), 47.1% of basal area (total of 34.35 m² ha^?1 for all species), and 50.8% of aboveground biomass/AGB (total of 262.68 Mg ha^?1 for all species). Practicing diameter-limit harvesting of all commercially valuable species with DBH of ≥?40 cm, which is widely performed in Vietnam, will reduce the number of stems by 7%, basal area by 31.6%, and AGB by 38.2%. Because such harvesting practices cause severe ecological impacts on the remaining forest, logged forests may require >?40 years to recover the structure status of a pre-logged forest. In addition, the recovery of the 18 commercially valuable species may require a much longer time because they comprised 33.2% of stems. Permission for logging natural forests should be given in Vietnam to sustain lives of local communities, where logging has been prohibited. However, alternative harvesting systems, such as reduced-impact logging systems, should be considered. The systems selected must simultaneously generate economic returns for local people and respect the REDD+ agreements with regard to protecting biodiversity and reducing carbon emissions.     

Armillaria ostoyae in managed coniferous forests in Kastamonu in Turkey

Although several Armillaria species have been reported in Turkey, there is little information about their ecology in Turkish forests. In this study, we investigated five forest stands, approximately 5–74 ha in size, in Kastamonu province in the Black Sea Region of Turkey for the presence of Armillaria species in stumps and logs. The stands were mixed Abies nordmanniana ssp. bornmülleriana and Pinus sylvestris forests managed using a selective cuttings system; the proportion of fir in the total number of stems and stumps ranged from 36 to 98%. Based on sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer and intergenic spacer regions of the rDNA, all rhizomorphs sampled from the stumps and logs were of Armillaria ostoyae. The size of the genets was estimated with random amplified microsatellites analysis of the isolates and ranged from single stumps to approximately 450 m². One to seven genets were found in each stand. These results indicate that the genets had arisen from spores and vegetative spread was limited on most sites.     

Complexity in the Biological Recovery of Tatra Mountain Lakes from Acidification

Alpine lakes of the Tatra Mountains were severely affected by acidification, with minimum recorded values of pH ～4.5 in the mid-1980s. Since the 1990s, a dramatic decrease in the deposition of acidifying compounds has led to a considerable reversal in lake water chemistry (to pH～5 in the most severely affected lakes). We studied changes of planktonic crustaceans and chironomid occurrence during the acidification period and the following period of recovery from acidification in three categories of 50 Tatra Mountain lakes (non-acidified, acidified and strongly acidified, according to their status at the beginning of the 1980s). In acidified and strongly acidified lakes, the planktonic crustaceans completely disappeared already by about 1976 except for a few individuals of ubiquitous species in littoral zone due to acidification-induced oligotrophication. In strongly acidified lakes, the original planktonic crustaceans disappeared and littoral species became more abundant already before 1976 due to acidification-induced eutrophication and aluminium toxicity. These processes were quickly reversed following the increase in lake water pH. Extinct species started to return to several acidified and strongly acidified lakes already in the beginning of 1990s. The process of recovery was delayed in many other lakes of the same categories, however, or it did not even start before 2008 despite the improved water chemistry and feeding resources (concentration of chlorophyll-a). Compared to planktonic crustaceans, the reaction of chironomids to acidification and recent recovery has been less pronounced. An analysis of sediment records showed that fluctuations in relative abundance of the dominant chironomid taxa and a decrease of their density occurred. In spite of the fact that chironomid fauna exhibited clear signs of recovery in the last two decades, the recovered assemblage does not exactly reflect the pre-acidification status in the lake. The occurrence and higher proportion of more thermophilous chironomid species in some alpine lakes of all categories could be correlated with increasing air temperature. The considerable effect of climatic factors may thus prevent the full re-establishment of the original status even when the acidification stress completely ceases. The delayed return of planktonic crustaceans to some recovered lakes could be a consequence of the short water residence time of these lakes. In addition, a shortening of the water residence time in recent decades, probably related to recent climate change, in interaction with the ecology of planktonic crustaceans, may possibly be causing further delays in their return.     

干旱胁迫下不同甘蔗品种叶片抗氧化酶活性和渗透调节物质含量的变化

我国80%以上的甘蔗种植在旱地,干旱缺水是影响甘蔗生产的主要因子。研究不同甘蔗品种的抗旱生理生化特性对于抗旱甘蔗品种选育和抗旱栽培技术研发具有重要意义。本研究采用桶栽方式,对抗旱性有差异的F172(抗旱性强)和YL6(不抗旱)2个甘蔗品种在苗期及伸长期分别进行不同程度的干旱胁迫及复水处理,探讨了不同甘蔗品种抗旱性与叶片抗氧化酶活性和渗透调节物质含量的关系。结果表明:抗旱性较强的甘蔗品种F172在干旱胁迫条件下叶片中氧自由基清除酶系中的超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、过氧化物酶(POD)和抗氧化保护酶过氧化氢酶(CAT)活性及非可溶性蛋白(ISP)、可溶性糖(SS)含量显著提高;与不抗旱甘蔗品种YL6相比,甘蔗品种F172叶片中丙二醛(MDA)、非可溶性糖(ISS)含量相对比较稳定;而不抗旱甘蔗品种YL6在干旱胁迫条件下叶片中氧自由基清除酶反应较迟钝,MDA和ISS含量上升幅度相对较大,而可溶性蛋白(SP)、ISP含量下降。说明甘蔗叶片抗氧化酶活性和渗透调节物质含量的差异是品种耐干旱胁迫存在差异的生理基础。      

Perspective on Carbon Fiber Woven Fabric Electrodes for Structural Batteries

The purpose of this work is to explore effective means of fabricating nanostructure-deposited continuous woven carbon fabric and to investigate the feasibility of using this material in structural battery applications. In order to prove this concept, two types of nanostructured carbon fabric electrodes – one with vertically-aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs) formed directly on carbon fabric utilizing iron (Fe) nanoparticles and Al buffer layers, the other with the same VACNTs on a chemical vapor-deposited graphene surface utilizing Ni seed layers on the carbon fabric – were fabricated to investigate material electrical performances as battery electrodes. The reversible specific capacity of 250 mAh/g on average at C/20 with good cyclic retention in these three all-carbon electrodes, including pristine carbon fabric, suggests a promising structural battery electrode for low-current battery applications. Even though the capacity of VACNT-grafted carbon fabrics was limited due to poor wetting of the VACNT forest with electrolyte caused by the lack of functionalization of the VACNT, their excellent cyclic performances and galvanostatic curves support the idea that the carbon nanotube and carbon fabric combination can be utilized in battery applications. However, pristine-carbon fabric is still a good candidate for battery applications because of its simplicity of mass production.     

High soil Mn and Al,as well as low leaf P concentration,may explain for low natural rubber productivity on a tropical acid soil in Vietnam

The aim of the current study was to identify major soil and leaf factors accounting for low natural rubber (NR, Hevea brasiliensis) productivity on tropical acid Acrisols in Vietnam. Twenty NR plots were measured with NR productivity, leaf factors (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Mn, Cu, Fe, and Zn), soil factors (pH, particle size distribution, total C, N, P, K, exchangeable K, Ca, Mg, Al, Mn, Fe, Zn, available P). Cluster analysis showed that NR productivity could be separated into three clusters with low (23.2), medium (38.2), and high (61.3 g tree^?1 harvest^?1) yield. High-yield cluster had higher leaf P concentration and soil pH, while low-yield cluster had higher leaf Mn, soil exchangeable Al, and Mn concentration. Simple and multiple linear regression analysis applied with backward elimination procedure suggested that leaf and soil toxic concentration may be responsible for low NR productivity in the study soil.     

Cross‐resistance of Echinochloa species to acetolactate synthase inhibitor herbicides

This study was conducted to evaluate the cross‐resistance of acetolactate synthase (ALS) inhibitors with different chemistries, specifically azimsulfuron (sulfonylurea), penoxsulam (triazolopyrimidine sulfonanilide) and bispyribac‐sodium (pyrimidinyl thio benzoate), in Echinochloa oryzicola and Echinochloa crus‐galli that had been collected in South Korea and to investigate their herbicide resistance mechanism. Both Echinochloa spp. showed cross‐resistance to the ALS inhibitors belonging to the above three different chemistries. In a whole plant assay with herbicides alone, the resistant/susceptible ratios for azimsulfuron, penoxsulam and bispyribac‐sodium were 12.6, 28.1 and 1.9 in E. oryzicola and 21.1, 13.7 and 1.8 in E. crus‐galli, respectively. An in vitro ALS enzyme assay with herbicides showed that the I ₅₀‐values of the resistant accessions were approximately two‐to‐three times higher than the susceptible accessions, with no statistical difference, suggesting that the difference in ALS sensitivity cannot explain ALS inhibitor resistance in Echinochloa spp. for azimsulfuron, penoxsulam and bispyribac‐sodium. A whole plant assay with fenitrothion showed that the GR ₅₀‐values significantly decreased in both the resistant E. oryzicola and E. crus‐galli accessions when azimsulfuron, penoxsulam and bispyribac‐sodium were applied with the P450 inhibitor, while no significant decrease was observed in the susceptible accessions when the P450 inhibitor was used. Thus, these results suggest that ALS inhibitor cross‐resistance for azimsulfuron, penoxsulam and bispyribac‐sodium is related to enhanced herbicide metabolism.     

Incorporation of rice straw mitigates CH4 and N2O emissions in water saving paddy fields of Central Vietnam

This study evaluated the effects of rice straw and water regimes on CH₄ and N₂O emissions from paddy fields for two rice growing seasons (summer 2014 and spring 2015). Water regimes included alternating wet–dry irrigation (AWD) maintained at three levels (–5 cm, – 10 cm and –15 cm) in comparison to continuous flooding irrigation (CF). Rice straw (5 t ha^–1) was incorporated into the top soil (0 – 15 cm), distributed and burned in situ. Results showed that using burned in situ rice straw was found to reduce seasonal cumulative CH₄ emission (24–34% in summer; 18–28% in spring), N₂O emission (21–32% in summer; 22–29% in spring) and lower rice yield (8–9%) than rice straw incorporation into top soil. AWD methods reduced the amount of CH₄ production (22.6–41.5%) and increased N₂O emission (25–26%) without any decrease in rice yield. Rice straw incorporation into the top soil with AWD had higher water productivity (23–37%) than rice straw when burned in situ with CF. The results conclude that AWD and rice straw management can be employed as mitigation strategy for CH₄ and N₂O emissions from paddy fields in Central Vietnam.     

Studies on the breeding of self-pollinating cereals

The behaviour of 19 varieties of spring wheat under different environmental conditions is discussed in terms of the following five characters: weight per grain, grains per spikelet, spikelets per ear, ears per plant and yield of grain per plant. The first four of these characters (the components of yield) are shown by correlation analyses to be largely independent of each other.Four varieties, chosen because they each showed extreme values of one or more of the components of yield, were crossed in all possible combinations. The F₁ and F₂ of this diallel set of crosses was analysed for each character according to the method of Jinks and Hayman. The results are discussed in relation to crop improvement and predictions are made for each character as to which cross or crosses are likely to be the most profitable for the breeder. The future handling of this material in order to test these predictions is outlined.