Incorporating local ecological knowledge into urban riparian restoration in a mountainous region of Southwest China

Modern cities use straightened and concrete watercourses with simple greening for riparian zones, which has been criticised for insensitivity to natural system integrity and cultural identity. This increases the challenge to urban ecologists, landscape designers and managers to conceive innovative and effective design solutions that do not jeopardise hydraulic efficiency yet are culturally acceptable to local communities. This paper introduces the field of local ecological knowledge (LEK) as rich sources of inspiration and design solutions to meet this challenge. LEK refers to knowledge and practices of various local cultures about the relationship of living beings (including humans) with their environments. Wepropose a pragmatic framework that integrates LEK with modern landscape design. It includes steps: (1) investigate existing practices, skills andmeasures relating to LEK; (2) explore how and whereLEKcan inspire or integrate withdesign. Here we propose three aspects for integration in accordance with the nature of landscaping process: overall structure, component and maintenance.(3)evaluate and test the integration in terms of its acceptability by local communities. Taking the riparian revegetation project of Hanfeng Lake Urban Wetland Park (Chongqing Municipality) as an example, we illustrate the utility of this framework. 11 local common practices relating to LEK were identified. According to thethree aspects for integration, alternative design solutions were offered. The survey showed that LEK based designwas more highly valued than other conventional ways in terms of useracceptance. We conclude that LEK provides actionable ecologically sound and culturally desirablesolutions for urbanlandscape. We also recognise that LEK evolveswith changing environments and new harmonious and dynamic human-nature relationships arecontinually re-forming. The process of acquisition and application of LEK could encourage multidisciplinary and synthetic approaches to urban ecosystems. Such adaptability and interdisciplinary engagementare crucial totoday’schanging and complexurban environments.     

Evaluation of Dynamic Structural Disorders in the Upper Airways and Applied Rein Tension in Healthy Dressage Horses During Riding in Different Gaits and Head–Neck Positions

Flexion of the horse’s head and neck during dressage riding reduces the pharyngeal lumen with the risk of increased upper airway resistance and upper airway obstructions. According to the Fédération Equestre Internationale, hyperflexion is achieved through force, whereas the position low–deep–round is nonforced. The objectives of this study were to evaluate (1) applied rein tension and (2) dynamic structural disorders in the upper airways in dressage horses in different gaits and different head–neck positions (HNPs). Overground endoscopy (OGE) and rein tension were evaluated in 13 clinically healthy and high-performance Warmblood dressage horses while being ridden in a standardized program comprised of four different gaits (halt, walk, trot, and canter) and in four HNPs (unrestrained, competition frame, hyperflexion, and low–deep–round). All included horses were able to achieve the desired HNPs. The HNP low–deep–round showed significantly lower rein tension than competition frame (P < .001) and hyperflexion (P < .001). An association was found between dynamic structural disorders in the upper airway tract evaluated by OGE and head–neck flexion, but this association was not linked to the degree of flexion. The HNP hyperflexion was neither associated with greater rein tension nor severe dynamic structural disorders than the HNP competition frame. This study confirms that low–deep–round is a nonforced position, in contrast to hyperflexion. Further studies are needed to evaluate whether dynamic structural disorders are a result of flexion or if the degree of flexion has an impact.     

Interactions between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and fungivorous nematodes on the growth and arsenic uptake of tobacco in arsenic-contaminated soils

The effects of inoculation with two AM fungi (M1, Glomus caledonium; M2, Glomus spp. and Acaulospora spp.) and a fungivorous nematode Aphelenchoides sp. on growth and arsenic (As) uptake of Nicotiana tabacum L. were investigated in soils contaminated with a range of As. The reproduction of Aphelenchoides sp. was triggered by the co-inoculation of AM fungi regardless of AM fungal isolates and As levels. Stimulative effects of Aphelenchoides sp. on the development of mycorrhiza, slightly different between two AM fungi, were found particularly at the lowest As level. Irrespective of mycorrhizal inoculi, increasing soil As level decreased plant growth, but increased plant As uptake. Co-inoculation of AM fungi and Aphelenchoides sp. led plants to achieving further growth and greater As accumulation at the lowest As level. Results showed that the interactions between AM fungi and fungivorous nematodes were important in plant As tolerance and phytoextraction at low level As-polluted soil.     

土壤温度对作物根区环境及玉米根冠生长的调控研究进展

土壤温度对作物的生长发育具有很强的调控作用。在全球气候变化背景下,根区土壤温度对玉米生长的影响及其调控机制已成为当前研究的一个热点。结合目前农业生产中土壤低温和高温对玉米造成危害的现状,从土壤温度对作物根区土壤环境以及玉米根系生长、冠层发育与产量形成的影响方面,综述土壤温度对玉米生长发育调控作用的研究进展,介绍改变土壤温度的措施以及对玉米土壤温度研究的发展方向进行展望,为今后的研究提供参考。     

紫荆属（Cercis L.）种质资源情况及研究进展

紫荆属植物是一种具有观赏价值和潜力的植物类群，具有很广阔的园林应用前景。研究综述了紫荆属种质资源的分类、调查与引进情况，从植物系统进化、繁殖技术、分子生物学角度阐述了其相关的研究进展，并分析了紫荆属植物的园林应用形式。提出目前紫荆属植物研究与应用存在的问题，并进行了展望，为我国紫荆属植物资源的开发和利用提供了参考。     

Indicators and trade-offs of ecosystem services in agricultural soils along a landscape heterogeneity gradient

Soil functions can be classified as supporting (nutrient cycling) and provisioning (crop production) ecosystem services (ES). These services consist of multiple and dynamic functions and are typically assessed using indicators, e.g. microbial biomass as an indicator of supporting services. Agricultural intensification negatively affects indicators of soil functions and is therefore considered to deplete soil ES. It has been suggested that incorporating leys into crop rotations can enhance soil ES. We examined this by comparing indicators of supporting soil services – organic carbon, nitrogen, water holding capacity and available phosphorous (carbon storage and nutrient retention); net nitrogen mineralisation rate and microbial biomass (nutrient cycling and retention) – in barley fields, leys and permanent pastures along a landscape heterogeneity gradient (100, 500 and 1000 m radii). In addition, barley yields (provisioning service) were analysed against these indicators to identify trade-offs among soil services. Levels of most indicators did not differ between barley and ley fields and were consistently lower than in permanent pastures. Leys supported greater microbial biomass than barley fields. Landscape heterogeneity had no effect on the indicators or microbial community composition. However, landscape heterogeneity correlated negatively with yield and soil pH, suggesting that soils in heterogeneous landscapes are less fertile and therefore have lower yields. No trade-offs were found between increasing barley yield and the soil indicators. The results suggest that soil ES are determined at the field level, with little influence from the surrounding landscape, and that greater crop yields do not necessarily come at the expense of supporting soil services.     

Can differences in 15N natural abundance be used to quantify the transfer of nitrogen from legumes to neighbouring non-legume plant species?

Natural variations in the stable isotope ¹⁵N are often exploited in studies of N cycling in ecosystems. Lower ¹⁵N natural abundance in non-legume plants growing in association with legumes, compared with the non-legume grown alone in pure stands have been observed in cropping, forage, and agroforestry systems. Such observations have frequently been attributed to the transfer of biologically-fixed nitrogen (N) from the legume to the companion non-legume, and various methodologies have been employed to calculate the extent of the N transfer. While some of these ¹⁵N natural abundance-based estimates of N transfer were within the range previously reported using equivalent ¹⁵N-enriched techniques (<20% of non-legume plant N and <10 kg N ha⁻¹ derived from fixed N contributed by neighbouring legumes), many of the values obtained using natural abundance were much higher (30%–83% of the non-legume N derived from fixed N representing up to 30–40 kg N ha⁻¹) than generally measured by ¹⁵N-enriched methods; with even greater estimates being determined where data were available to allow N transfer to be re-calculated on the basis of total legume N rather than fixed N (42% to >100%, and up to 110 kg N ha⁻¹ per year). This review raises concerns about the assumptions behind the natural abundance approach, and provides some alternative interpretations for the observed differences in natural ¹⁵N abundance between plants grown in the presence and absence of legumes. It was concluded that simple comparative measures of non-legume δ¹⁵N alone cannot provide a quantitative estimate of N transfer between plant species if the dominant source and the isotopic identity of the transferred N cannot be validated, and if the extent of any isotopic fractionation associated with relevant N transformations occurring during transfer cannot be defined. To date this information is not forthcoming. There is a need to greatly improve our understanding of the transfer processes before the real value of the δ¹⁵N technology can be realized. In the first instance this will primarily be achieved by carefully executed experiments under controlled conditions, and in the field, employing both ¹⁵N natural abundance and enrichment approaches so estimates of transfer can be compared, and the data interrogated using modelling approaches to explore isotopic fractionation.     

Cross‐linked polyacrylates in post‐mining substrates: persistence and effects on plant growth

Application of hydrophilic polymers composed of cross‐linked polyacrylate can improve soil water‐holding capacity and accelerate the restoration of post‐mining substrates. In this work, we studied the persistence of a polyacrylate polymer incorporated into a soil and its impact on plant nutrients at a reclamation site of former lignite mining in Lusatia (Germany). In contrast to autumn application, the incorporation of the polymer enhanced the sequestration of plant‐derived carbon in the soil, which was reflected by a significant increase in the concentration of a lignin marker. Attenuated total reflexion–Fourier transform infrared spectra (ATR‐FTIR) and total elemental contents in the applied polymer suggested an intensive cation exchange between the polymer framework and the soil‐forming substrate. In addition, there was an enrichment of carbonaceous material, which seems to reduce the swelling and thus the water‐holding capacity of the cross‐linked polyacrylate. Conversely, this process protected the polymer structure from rapid decomposition.     

野鸭椿育苗与园林应用研究

野鸭椿花色淡雅、果色红艳、观果期长,是良好的观花、观果植物,生产上可通过播种繁殖、扦插繁殖,经过4~5年可培育成大苗用于庭院造景。野鸭椿在园林中可单纯成林,也可丛植成景、孤植成主景,还可修剪成盆景,应用前景十分广阔。     

探讨园林绿化的市场运作

将园林绿化的工作通过市场的运作,逐步实现市场管理,从无形到有形,从无序到有序的转变。