Stone bunds for soil conservation in the northern Ethiopian highlands: Impacts on soil fertility and crop yield

In the Ethiopian highlands, large-scale stone bund building programs are implemented to curb severe soil erosion. Development of soil fertility gradients is often mentioned as the major drawback of stone bund implementation, as it would result in a dramatic lowering of crop yield. Therefore, the objectives of this study are to assess soil fertility gradients on progressive terraces and their influence on crop yield, in order to evaluate the long-term sustainability of stone bunds in the Ethiopian Highlands.

The study was performed near Hagere Selam, Tigray and comprises (i) measurement of P_av, N_tot and C_org along the slope on 20 representative plots and (ii) crop response measurement on 143 plots. Results indicate that levels of P_av, N_tot and C_org in the plough layer are highly variable between plots and mainly determined by small-scale soil and environmental features, plot history and management. After correcting for this “plot effect” a significant relationship (p < 0.01) was found between the position in the plot relative to the stone bund and levels of P_av and N_tot, which are higher near the lower stone bund, especially on limestone parent material. For C_org and on basalt-derived soils in general no significant relationship was found. Although soil fertility gradients are present, they are not problematic and can be compensated by adapted soil management. Only in areas where a Calcaric or Calcic horizon is present at shallow depth, care should be taken. Crop Yields increased by 7% compared to the situation without stone bunds, if a land occupation of 8% by the structures is accounted for. Yield increased from 632 to 683 kg ha⁻¹ for cereals, from 501 to 556 kg ha⁻¹ (11%) for Eragrostis tef and from 335 to 351 kg ha⁻¹ for Cicer arietinum.

No negative effects reducing stone-bund sustainability were found in this study. Soil erosion on the other hand, poses a major threat to agricultural productivity. Stone bund implementation therefore is of vital importance in fighting desertification and establishing sustainable agriculture in the Ethiopian highlands.     

东大坡不同海拔梯度木本植物种类分布特点及群落类型

分析了木本植物在东大坡不同海拔梯度上的分布特点,对不同海拔高度上群落的组成结构及类型进行了研究和探讨．结果表明,红松等呈连片分布,鱼鳞松等则呈不连片分布,同时在不同海拔梯度的群落类型也发生变化．     

祁连山青海云杉林土壤理化性质和酶活性海拔分布特征

选取祁连山排露沟流域海拔2 900～3 300 m的青海云杉林为研究对象,通过野外采样和室内分析,研究了不同海拔梯度青海云杉林土壤理化性质和酶活性的分布特征,并探讨二者之间的关系。结果表明:(1)随着海拔的升高,土壤含水量、有机质、全氮、速效钾含量逐渐增大;而土壤容重、pH、全钾含量逐渐减小;土壤全磷含量先减小后增大,速效磷含量没有明显的变化规律。(2)随着海拔的升高,土壤蔗糖酶活性和碱性磷酸酶活性总体上呈增强趋势;脲酶活性总体上呈先减弱后增强趋势,蛋白酶活性变化幅度较小且差异不显著(P0.05)。(3)土壤酶活性和土壤有机质、氮、磷、钾等密切相关,其中蔗糖酶、脲酶、蛋白酶与土壤全氮、全钾、速效钾具有显著相关性(P0.05)。(4)4种土壤酶活性间呈显著或极显著相关,酶促反应具专一性和共同性特点。     

梯度扩散薄膜技术(DGT)的理论及其在环境中的应用Ⅲ——植物有效性评价的理论基础与应用潜力

梯度扩散薄膜技术(DGT)是一种测定环境介质中多元素植物有效性的原位分析方法。由于其能模拟植物根系,综合考虑环境多介质的动态平衡,因此近年来被广泛应用于多元素植物有效性的评价。本文简要阐述了DGT技术基于动力学过程进行有效性测定的原理;深入剖析了DGT技术涉及的动力学过程与植物吸收机制的相似性与差异性;详细评估DGT技术预测多元素植物有效性的评价效果;并基于以上内容,对DGT技术在植物有效性方面的应用进行总结和展望。     

三种冷地型草坪草地下部分对不同水分梯度的响应

对多年生黑麦草(Lolium perenneL.)、草地早熟禾(PoapratensisL.)和苇状羊茅(Festuca arundinaceaSchreb.)3种冷地型草坪草在30%50%田间持水量(FC)、50%70%FC、70%90%FC三个水分梯度下的地下生物量进行了田间测定。结果表明,土壤水分状况直接影响草坪草根系的生长与构形分布。不同水分处理下,3种草坪草的73.4%￣92.2%的根量分布在0￣10cm的土层中,5.1%16.8%的根量分布在10￣20cm的土层中,1.7%9.8%的根量分布在20￣30cm的土层中。水分梯度对根系的垂直空间分布有很大影响,在30%￣50%FC处理下,0￣10cm层根量占0￣30cm总根量的73.4%￣89.5%;50%￣70%FC处理下,0￣10cm层根量占79.5%￣91.6%;70%￣90%FC处理下,0￣10cm层根量占78.3%￣92.2%。10￣20cm、20￣30cm层根量比例随水分梯度的增加则逐渐减小。在30%50%FC、50%70%FC、70%90%FC3个水分梯度下,3种草坪草8,9,10三个月根量累积值(g/m2)依次为,多年生黑麦草:4209.5、3416.5、3906.5;草地早熟禾:3716.6、3452.9、3447.8;苇状羊茅:5281.0、5184.5、4317.7,苇状羊茅根量最大,草地早熟禾根量最小。     

Carabid beetle assemblages (Coleoptera,Carabidae) across urban-rural gradients: an international comparison

We studied communities of carabid beetles in residual forest patchesalong urban-suburban-rural gradients in three cities (Helsinki, Finland; Sofia,Bulgaria and Edmonton, Canada) to examine their responses to urbanisation. OnlyFinnish carabids showed a marked division of community structure along thegradient. In Bulgaria and Canada, carabids did not separate into distincturban,suburban and rural communities. Our results provide some support for thepredictions that species richness will decrease, that opportunistic specieswillgain dominance, and that small-sized species will become more numerous underdisturbance such as that provided by urbanisation. The rather weak and variedresponse of carabids to this disturbance suggests that local factors and theirinteraction are of primary importance for community composition. Occurrence ofreasonably similar carabid communities across the gradient at each of the threelevels of urbanisation suggests that habitat changes commonly associated withurbanisation have not affected the ecological integrity of carabid assemblagesin residual urban forest patches.This revised version was published online in May 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

灵石山米槠林优势树种叶片δ~(13)C沿海拔梯度的变化

为探究灵石山米槠林优势树种叶片δ13C值沿海拔梯度的变化规律,以灵石山不同海拔(157~842m,分9个海拔梯度,分别记为A1~A9)米槠林优势树种不同年龄叶片为试材,采用单因素方差分析检验各海拔梯度优势树种叶片δ13C值种间以及所有优势树种叶龄间的差异,回归分析方法探究主要优势树种叶片δ13C值沿海拔梯度的变化关系。结果表明,灵石山不同海拔米槠林优势树种的叶片δ13C平均值为-30.89‰(-34.40‰~-28.81‰);除海拔A7(632~662 m)和海拔A8(762 m)优势树种叶片δ13C值种间差异不显著外,其他海拔梯度上种间叶片δ13C值均差异显著;各海拔不同叶龄叶片的δ13C值差异不显著。在海拔A1~A9上,随海拔升高灵石山米槠林优势树种叶片δ13C值逐渐升高,平均变化量为3.2‰·km-1。随海拔变化,主要优势树种叶片δ13C值变化规律不同,说明优势树种对环境因子变化的敏感性不同,其适应策略也不同。本研究结果为米槠林优势树种对环境变化响应策略的研究提供了理论依据。     

土壤-甘蔗作物系统中镉的生物有效性研究

采用田间调查及ICP-MS等技术手段结合,在广西采集田间甘蔗和甘蔗根际土,分别用乙酸（HAc）、乙二胺四乙酸二钠（EDTA-2Na）、氯化镁（MgCl2）3种化学提取方法和梯度扩散薄膜技术（DGT）提取甘蔗根际土中有效态镉（Cd）含量,研究其与甘蔗根、叶和茎中Cd含量之间的关系。简单相关分析表明,4种方法提取的有效态Cd含量都与甘蔗根和茎中Cd含量显著相关,但DGT的相关性优于化学提取方法。综合土壤pH、阳离子交换量（CEC）、有机质（OM%）和土壤颗粒组成等理化指标对土壤有效态Cd含量的影响,运用多元统计分析,确定两种主成分因子,建立了多元回归模型。结果表明,DGT技术模型融合了影响土壤Cd生物有效性的主要因子,预测结果几乎不受本研究所选取的土壤基本理化指标影响,因而是一种预测Cd生物有效性的较好方法。     

草场管理措施及退化程度对土壤养分含量变化的影响

以不同管理措施和不同退化梯度的高寒草地土壤为研究对象,分析了两个序列的高寒草地不同土壤层次(0～20cm、20～40cm、40～60cm)中各种养分分布特征并探讨了管理措施和草场退化对高寒草地土壤的影响。结果表明:天然放牧草地经过围栏和翻耕措施后,土壤有机质、全N、全P含量明显升高,土壤速效氮、磷含量也得到明显上升。在20～40cm和40～60cm土层土壤存在类似的变化规律,但由于土层加深,受地表植被的影响减弱,变化规律不明显。比较退化序列草地发现,在各层土壤中,有机质含量变化总趋势是:随草地退化程度的加重,有机质含量下降;同时,土壤有机质含量随深度增加而减少;在0～20cm土层,随着草地退化程度的加重,有机质含量依次下降32.6%和52.1%。土壤中全N、全P含量变化趋势与有机质变化基本一致,全K变化趋势不明显。中度、重度退化草地与轻度退化草地对比发现,速效氮含量分别下降15.1%和28.6%,速效磷含量分别下降25.4%和59.4%。利用围栏和翻耕措施可以恢复退化草地的植被,提高土壤养分含量。但翻耕后,土壤孔隙度和通透性增强,土壤的矿化作用和淋溶作用也增强,导致了有机质的矿化损失和NO3-N淋溶损失,减少了土壤中C的积累量。同时,翻耕会破坏高寒草地固有的生草层,使其下面的沙质基底成为草地沙化的主要物质来源。建议在川西北亚高山区的人工草地建设中慎重选择翻耕措施。     

影响木薯叶片蛋白质双向电泳图谱的因素分析

以木薯华南205为试材,采用苯酚抽提法提取叶片蛋白质,并通过双向电泳技术研究影响木薯叶片蛋白电泳分析图谱的主要因素。结果表明：pH 4～7的IPG胶条可提高特定范围蛋白质点的分辨率;上样量200μg可得到较好的双向电泳图谱。本研究不仅为进一步研究木薯叶片蛋白电泳分析提供技术手段,同时也为分析木薯块根、茎和繁殖器官的蛋白...