重金属复合污染下红壤微生物活性及其群落结构的变化

在室内培养条件下,应用4因素5水平二次正交回归旋转组合设计方案,对重金属复合污染红壤的微生物活性及群落功能多样性进行了研究。结果表明,在Cu、Zn、Pb、Cd复合污染生境中重金属的微生物毒性效应发挥主要由Cd、Cu两元素决定,其生物毒性顺序表现为:Cd>Cu>Zn>Ph,红砂泥中表现较为突出。与单一镉、单一铅污染处理相比,重金属复合污染对供试红壤微生物生物活性及其群落功能多样性的影响并非仅仅表现出简单的加和作用,同时还存在协同作用和拮抗作用。典型相关分析显示,红壤微生物活性与重金属含量之间关系密切,第一对典型变量的相关系数r达0.885 8、0.932 8,均达极显著水平(p<0.001), 说明重金属复合污染与红壤微生物间存在较为稳定的数量反馈机制,红壤总体微生物活性指标能较好地反映供试红壤重金属复合污染状况,可作为重金属污染红壤环境质量评价及量化分类的有效指标。     

Nano-scale secondary ion mass spectrometry — A new analytical tool in biogeochemistry and soil ecology: A review article

Soils are structurally heterogeneous across a wide range of spatio-temporal scales. Consequently, external environmental conditions do not have a uniform effect throughout the soil, resulting in a large diversity of micro-habitats. It has been suggested that soil function can be studied without explicit consideration of such fine detail, but recent research has indicated that the micro-scale distribution of organisms may be of importance for a mechanistic understanding of many soil functions. Current techniques still lack the adequate sensitivity and resolution for data collection at the micro-scale, and the question ‘How important are various soil processes acting at different scales for ecological function?’ is therefore challenging to answer. The nano-scale secondary ion mass spectrometer (NanoSIMS) represents the latest generation of ion microprobes, which link high-resolution microscopy with isotopic analysis. The main advantage of NanoSIMS over other secondary ion mass spectrometers is its ability to operate at high mass resolution, whilst maintaining both excellent signal transmission and spatial resolution (down to 50 nm). NanoSIMS has been used previously in studies focussing on presolar materials from meteorites, in material science, biology, geology and mineralogy. Recently, the potential of NanoSIMS as a new tool in the study of biophysical interfaces in soils has been demonstrated. This paper describes the principles of NanoSIMS and discusses the potential of this tool to contribute to the field of biogeochemistry and soil ecology. Practical considerations (sample size and preparation, simultaneous collection of isotopes, mass resolution, isobaric interference and quantification of the isotopes of interest) are discussed. Adequate sample preparation, avoiding bias due to artefacts, and identification of regions-of-interest will be critical concerns if NanoSIMS is used as a new tool in biogeochemistry and soil ecology. Finally, we review the areas of research most likely to benefit from the high spatial and high mass resolution attainable with this new approach.     

Lakeshore diversity and rarity relationships along interacting disturbance gradients: catchment area, wave action and depth

Diversity patterns of riparian plant communities have been associated with disturbance. Populations of a diversity of Atlantic Coastal Plain plants occur as disjuncts on shores of large catchment area lakes in Nova Scotia. These lakeshore communities contain rare plants with local, national and global rankings. The populations of rare plants are dynamic and their management requires an understanding of the relationship between disturbance and the survival of rare plants. This present study measured (overwinter wooden dowel removal) and observed disturbance along gradients of catchment area (CA), exposure and depth. In three separate experiments ranging from the landscape to the lake, to the single shoreline level, disturbance was linked to lake CA, exposure and depth, respectively. At all scales, disturbance was positively associated with the presence of rare species. The pattern of rare species richness over the river system was complex; at the within-lake level, the frequency of rare species per site was greatest in the intermediate CA lake while the pool of rare species was greatest in the largest CA lake. The findings focus field efforts on wide, exposed shorelines of large CA lakes where new rare plants continue to be discovered. In addition, the discrepancy between highest frequency of rare plants on intermediate CA lakes and highest species pools of rarities on large CA lakes, reinforces the need for larger protected area systems for the most naturally disturbed ecosystems which often support populations having a high turnover rate but a low site to site frequency.     

Functional and molecular responses of soil microbial communities under differing soil management practices

The effects of soil management on some microbiological properties and soil bacterial community structure were evaluated. Two field sites with the same soil type, located on the same geographic area adjacent to one other, have received different soil management practices and cultivation. One site has been subjected for 20 years to intensive horticulture under conventional tillage and irrigation with low quality salt-rich water; the second field site has been uncultivated for a long period and was turned to organic farming practices over the last 5 years and is currently cultivated with fruit orchard. Total bacterial counts, microbial ATP, microbial community metabolic (BIOLOG^®) profiles, and DNA fingerprinting by PCR-DGGE were determined. Two-way ANOVA revealed that total bacterial counts were not significantly (P>0.3) affected by the two different management practices; ATP content was consistently and significantly (P<0.001) lower in salt-water irrigated soil than in organic soil at the three sampling times. The cluster analysis of community level physiological profiles indicated that microbial communities were much more uniform in organic soil than in irrigated one, suggesting that salt-water irrigation could have affected the size of the microbial population, its metabolic activities, as well as its composition. Molecular patterns fitted the BIOLOG^® profile diversity. In particular, at any sampling time, PCR-DGGE patterns of bacterial DNA, extracted by an indirect method, significantly discriminated irrigated from organic soil samples. The PCR-DGGE patterns of total soil DNA, extracted by a direct method, showed a moderate to significant variation among irrigated and organic soil samples. Biochemical, microbiological and molecular data contributed to evidence a significantly different response of indigenous microflora to soil management by using saline water or organic farming.     

Surface and subsurface organic carbon, microbial biomass and activity in a forest soil sequence

The distribution of organic carbon, microbial biomass and activity, from the surface down to 70 cm, was investigated through three semiarid Mediterranean soils: (1) a Typic Calcixeroll covered with a native pinewood (NP), (2) a Typic Calcixerept under a mature pine plantation (PP) on abandoned agricultural terraces and (3) a Typic Haploxerept under a grassland (GS). NP and GS had the highest and lowest soil organic carbon (SOC) pools, respectively. Both of them had decreasing SOC contents with depth. PP, which held intermediate SOC levels, showed an increase in total organic C and humic substances C with depth due to their mineralization in the anciently ploughed topsoil layer. The soils were similarly ranked as regards their microbial biomass and activity: NP>PP>GS. In general, the microbial communities were less dense and active towards the deeper horizons. More specifically, PP and GS had a very populated and active top 20-cm layer, which was attributed to the dense root system of their grass cover. NP maintained high microbial biomass and activity levels from 0 to 70 cm, progressively diminishing along with shrub root density (e.g. microbial biomass C dropped from 2342 to 394 mg kg⁻¹ soil). The latter soil presented the sharpest drop of its microbial properties with depth, what was considered an indicator of its quality. Generally decreasing patterns of microbial biomass and activity were not always coincident with previously published gradients of microbial metabolic abilities and genetic structure. This reinforces the need of combining biomass, activity and biodiversity measurements if the ecosystem's functioning is to be fully understood and a real monitoring of degradation processes and restoration strategies is to be achieved.     

对二氯苯对湿地土壤细菌群落多样性的影响

利用聚合酶链式反应-变性梯度凝胶电泳(PCR-DGGE)考查了对二氯苯胁迫对湿地土壤细菌群落多样性的影响.通过不同培养时间(4、18和45 d)和不同培养浓度(120、240、360和600 mg/kg)对二氯苯污染下湿地土壤细菌群落基因组的变性梯度凝胶电泳(DGGE)多样性分析.结果表明,各处理下的土壤细菌群落多样性在不同处理时间有明显差异.培养初期对二氯苯对土壤细菌群落抑制作用非常显著,土壤细菌中某些群落的生长受到抑制;不同处理在处理后期差异很小.在土壤培养初期,含对二氯苯240mg/kg的培养基上出现一条新增条带,为对照和低浓度对二氯苯土壤所没有,说明土壤中存在对二氯苯生长优势菌.     

石灰岩山地不同植被类型土壤活性有机碳变化研究

对徐州石灰岩山地4种不同植被类型中的两种土壤活性有机碳的含量进行研究,结果表明:微生物生物量碳(SMBC)、土壤水溶性有机碳(WSOC)的含量在针阔混交林、落叶阔叶林、针叶林、灌草地4种不同植被群落中均随灌草地向林地变化而呈现上升趋势。其中,微生物生物量碳在4种不同植被群落中的变化趋势为针阔混交林>落叶阔叶林>针叶林>灌草地;水溶性有机碳在4种不同植被群落中的变化趋势为落叶阔叶林>针阔混交林>针叶林>灌草地。两种土壤活性有机碳与总有机碳、全氮和pH值等主要生态因子的相关性均达到显著水平或极显著水平。在徐州石灰岩山地地区,与当地大面积栽植的侧柏相比,落叶阔叶林和针阔混交林可作为更好的替代树种,能够有效地改善土壤肥力状况。     

梅州客家村落风水林的群落特征初探和价值浅析

对梅州客家风水林的群落特征进行了初步研究,调查了其物种组成及层次结构,浅析了景观、生态、历史文化和旅游价值。结果表明,这些风水林具有南亚热带常绿阔叶林的典型群落结构,垂直结构分层现象明显、层次清晰、植物多样性和均匀度较高。通过对客家风水林的营造模式、传统保护方法及其价值进行研究,可以为我国南方地区,特别是岭南地区的新时代乡村环境景观营造提供新的思路。     

藏北高寒草甸不同退化阶段植物群落特征及其繁殖分配研究

以西藏北部羌塘草原高寒草甸为研究对象,研究不同退化阶段草地植物群落特征及16种主要组分种的繁殖分配,试图揭示多年生草本植物及其繁殖分配与草地退化程度的关系。结果表明:随着退化程度的加剧高寒草甸植物群落内优势植物发生明显变化,草地群落的各项指标随着草地退化程度的增加而降低;退化程度对群落内物种个体生物量大小和生物量分配有着显著影响,伴随退化程度的加剧各物种对繁殖的绝对投入所受影响不明显,但繁殖投入升高。在群落水平上,草地退化使植物群落繁殖分配增加,茎分配和叶分配减少。不同植物群落内共有种繁殖分配存在差异,表明其繁殖分配跟退化程度有关;植物繁殖投入随退化程度的变化,反映了植物繁殖对策和繁殖投入在生活史特征中的可塑性。     

Effects of single-tree selection harvesting on hymenopteran and saproxylic insect assemblages in the canopy and understory of northern temperate forests

Insects respond to changes in microhabitat caused by canopy disturbance, and thus can be used to examine the ecological impacts of harvesting. Single-tree selection harvesting is the most common silvicultural system used to emulate local small-scale natural disturbance and maintain uneven-aged forest structure in temperate forests. Here, we test for differences in richness, abundance, and composition of hymenopteran and saproxylic insect assemblages at four different taxon levels (selected insect orders; and all hymenopteran families, and braconid subfamilies and morphospecies) between the canopy and understory of unharvested and single-tree selection harvested sites in a northern temperate forest from central Canada. Harvesting had no effect on insect assemblage richness, composition or abundance at the three highest taxon levels (order, family and subfamily). Similarly, richness and abundance at the lowest-taxon level (braconid morphospecies) were similar, although composition differed slightly between unharvested and harvested stands. Insect assemblages were vertically stratified, with generally higher abundance (for Diptera, Hymenoptera, some hymenopteran families and braconid subfamilies) and richness (for braconid morphospecies) in the understory than the canopy. In particular, composition of the braconid morphospecies assemblage showed relatively low similarity between the understory and canopy. Single-tree selection harvesting appears to influ-ence wood-associated insect taxa only subtly through small changes in community composition at the lowest taxon level, and thus is recommended as a conservative approach for managing these northern temperate forests.