Linking size‐based trophodynamics and morphological traits in marine fishes

The rule of thumb in marine trophodynamics indicates that the bigger an organism, the higher its trophic level (TROPH). This generalization leads to the assumption that fishes increase their TROPH with growth. However, a recent review showed that for many species, TROPH does not increase with body size, suggesting that size‐independent feeding is not rare in marine fishes. Here, we assessed some morphological traits of marine fishes that could potentially be used as indicators for the ability to vary TROPH with body size. Stable isotope values of nitrogen were used as a proxy TROPH. The specific objectives were as follows: (a) to evaluate the relationship between the oral gape and the trophodynamic trend and (b) to quantify the relevance of 11 external morphological traits in determining the size‐based trophodynamics. We used random forest models to identify the morphological traits that would help predict which species would have the potential to increase TROPH with growth and which would have not. The selected traits included the pelvic fin relative position, the dorsal fin shape, total length, and relative mouth size. Our results also showed a marked relationship between the rate of increase in the oral gape and TROPH. The analyses presented here provide the first comprehensive and quantitative review aiming at linking the trophodynamics of marine fishes with external morphological traits.     

Effect of conservation agriculture on soil organic and inorganic carbon sequestration and lability: A study from a rice–wheat cropping system on a calcareous soil of the eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains

Increasing soil carbon (C) in arable soils is an important strategy to achieve sustainable yields and mitigate climate change. We investigated changes in soil organic and inorganic carbon (SOC and SIC) under conservation agriculture (CA) in a calcareous soil of the eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains of India. The treatments were as follows: conventional-till rice and wheat (CT-CT), CT rice and zero-till wheat (CT-ZT), ZT direct seeded rice (DSR) and CT wheat (ZT-CT), ZTDSR and ZT wheat without crop residue retention (ZT-ZT), ZT-ZT with residue (ZT-ZT+R), and DSR and wheat both on permanent beds with residue (PB-PB+R). The ZT-ZT+R had the highest total SOC in both 0–15 and 15–30 cm soil layers (20% and 40% higher (p < .05) than CT-CT, respectively), whereas total SIC decreased by 11% and 15% in the respective layers under ZT-ZT+R compared with CT-CT. Non-labile SOC was the largest pool, followed by very labile, labile and less labile SOC. The benefits of ZT and residue retention were greatest for very labile SOC, which showed a significant (p < .05) increase (~50%) under ZT-ZT+R compared with CT-CT. The ZT-ZT+R sequestered ~2 Mg ha⁻¹ total SOC in the 0–15 cm soil layer in 6 years, where CT registered significant losses. Thus, the adoption of CA should be recommended in calcareous soils, for C sequestration, and also as a reclamation technique.     

Changes in soil organic carbon in a clay loam soil following ploughing and reseeding of permanent grassland under temperate moist climatic conditions

This study investigated changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) in a poorly drained clay loam soil under (i) permanent grassland (PG) over 7 years and (ii) after PG renovation over 2·5 years. The experimental area was divided into four blocks with four paddocks per block. Composite soil samples from each PG block were taken to 30‐cm depth on five occasions between 2004 and 2011. In June 2008, one paddock per block was renovated by ploughing and reseeding and sampled as above on the latter four occasions. Renovation decreased SOC (P < 0·05) by 32·2 t ha^?1 in the 2·5 years following ploughing; the difference developed almost entirely (86%) in the first four months. Renovation had no effect on above‐ground productivity, standing root and stubble phytomass or on dissolved organic matter leaching. Therefore, soil respiration was considered to be a single potential pathway responsible for the SOC loss from renovated grassland. Although a simple linear regression indicated a tendency for PG to accumulate SOC, there was no evidence of recovery in SOC to previous levels following renovation during the study period. These results could have implications for greenhouse gas inventories in countries where PG is an important land‐use type.     

祁连山东段不同退化高寒草甸土壤有机碳密度研究

于2008年在祁连山东段天祝地区选取轻度、中度和重度3个不同退化程度的高寒草地,以土壤有机碳密度为研究对象,探讨高寒草地在不同退化程度干扰下土壤有机碳密度的变化特征。结果表明:随着高寒草地退化程度的加重,土壤含水量降低,容重和pH值增大;土壤有机质和全氮有相似的变化趋势,中度与轻度或重度退化草地土壤有机质和全氮差异显著(P<0.05);土壤有机碳密度在0-10 cm土层显著高于其他土层(P<0.05),并随着土层加深有显著的垂直变化趋势;不同退化程度草地在0-30 cm土层总土壤有机碳密度表现为中度>轻度>重度退化草地。     

长期有机无机肥料配施对干旱区栗钙土微生物量碳的影响

为了阐明不同施肥方式对干旱区栗钙土中微生物量碳含量的影响,利用长期定位试验研究了土壤微生物量碳含量的季节变化及其在不同土层中的分布。结果表明:与对照(CK)相比,不同施肥方式均增加了微生物量碳的平均含量,其中有机肥和无机肥配施(NPKM)的增幅最大,其次是单施有机肥(M),单施化肥(NPK)的增幅最小,增幅分别为56.7%、39.9%和27.3%。不同施肥方式下的微生物量碳均有较明显的季节变化,马铃薯苗期和收获后的微生物量碳含量较低,变化范围为40.6~51.4mg·kg~(-1),马铃薯块茎形成期和膨大期含量最高,变化范围为49.2~63.4mg·kg~(-1)。不同施肥方式下微生物量碳的含量及处理之间的差异在0~10cm土层最大,随着土层的加深,微生物量碳的含量及处理间差异均减小。所以在阴山北麓地区增施有机肥,尤其是有机肥与化肥配合施用对增加耕层土壤有机质,提升微生物量碳含量有重要作用。     

长期施肥处理对玉米生长期潮土微生物生物量和活度的影响

以1989年建立的中国科学院封丘农田生态系统国家试验站的长期定位试验为平台,研究经18a连续不同施肥处理后玉米季土壤微生物生物量碳氮和微生物活度的动态变化及其与土壤有机碳之间的相互关系,并探讨施肥措施对土壤微生物及其活性的影响。施肥处理包括:(1)有机肥(OM);(2)1/2化肥和1/2有机肥(1/2OM+1/2NPK);(3)氮磷钾肥(NPK);(4)氮磷肥(NP);(5)磷钾肥(PK);(6)氮钾肥(NK);(7)不施肥,即对照(CK)7个处理。结果表明,微生物生物量碳氮和微生物活度在玉米生长期内均有明显的时间变异性,其中微生物生物量碳与微生物活度的动态变化比较一致,其间的极显著相关关系表明潮土微生物生物量碳的变化可以在很大程度上代表土壤微生物活度的变化。施肥制度显著影响微生物生物量碳氮和微生物活度的变化,总体趋势为OM1/2OM+1/2NPKNPKNPPKNKCK,表明OM有利于保持土壤的生物化学环境及促进土壤的生物学活性;与OM处理相比,化学肥料的长期施用有降低土壤微生物生物量和微生物活度的趋势,尤其是缺素处理的表现更为明显,其中以缺磷处理的表现最为严重。土壤微生物生物量碳氮、微生物活度与土壤有机碳变化均呈极显著正相关。     

旱地和水田土壤DOC吸附-解吸对pH的响应

为揭示pH对农田土壤DOC吸附-解吸的影响,以亚热带红壤区旱地和水田土壤为研究对象,采用室内模拟实验,对两种土壤添加不同DOC量后分别在pH 4、pH 6和pH 8条件处理下的吸附和解吸试验进行研究,分析不同pH反应条件下土壤对DOC的吸附和解吸过程,并计算土壤对DOC吸附和解吸的参数,探讨DOC吸附和解吸对pH的响应,初步探析吸附对DOC组成的影响。结果表明,同一土壤在pH 4、pH 6和pH 8条件下对DOC的吸附量差异显著(P0.05)。随着DOC初始浓度的增加,在pH 4、pH 6和pH 8条件下旱地土壤对DOC的平均吸附量为4.90、2.98和8.86 mg/g,水田土壤对DOC的平均吸附量为4.12、3.10和8.90 mg/g。土壤DOC吸附方程的拟合效果受到pH的显著影响。吸附平衡后,DOC溶液的单位吸光度值E254、E260、E272和E280(芳香性、疏水性组分)的变化率随pH增加而降低。两种土壤对DOC芳香性、疏水性组分的吸附能力受土壤类型影响较小,但受土壤环境pH的影响显著。两种土壤对DOC的解吸量随pH升高而降低。酸性条件下(pH 4),DOC的净吸附量旱地土壤显著大于水田土壤,但在pH 6和pH 8时两种土壤的净吸附量差异不显著。由于红壤区两种土壤多呈酸性,这可能是造成红壤区旱地和水田土壤DOC含量差异的主要原因之一。     

Can soil respiration estimate neglect the contribution of abiotic exchange？

This study examines the hypothesis that soil respiration can always be interpreted purely in terms of biotic processes, neglecting the contribution of abiotic exchange to CO2 fluxes in alkaline soils of arid areas that characterize 5% of the Earth’s total land surface. Analyses on flux data collected from previous studies suggested reconciling soil respiration as organic(root/microbial respiration) and inorganic(abiotic CO2 exchange) respiration, whose contributions in the total CO2 flux were determined by soil alkaline content. On the basis of utilizing meteorological and soil data collected from the Xinjiang and Central Asia Scientific Data Sharing Platform, an incorporated model indicated that inorganic respiration represents almost half of the total CO2 flux. Neglecting the abiotic module may result in overestimates of soil respiration in arid alkaline lands, which partly explains the long-sought missing carbon sink.     

The Influence of Stable Management and Feeding Practices on the Abnormal Behaviors Among Stabled Horses in Malaysia

The present study aimed to provide preliminary data on the prevalence of oral stereotypic, locomotory stereotypic, and redirected behaviors as well as their associations with stable management and feeding practices. In this cross-sectional study, a total of 207 working horses used for leisure riding, equestrian sport, polo, endurance, and patrolling were selected from seven equine facilities. Data on the stable management and feeding practices were obtained through the stable records, interviews, and on-site monitoring visits, whereas the prevalence of abnormal behaviors in the studied population was determined using the instantaneous scan sampling method. Most horses in the present study worked for more than 8 hours per week (n = 93). In addition, more horses were fed three times per day (n = 65) with different amounts of hay, concentrate, and chaff. Among the study population, oral stereotypic behaviors had the highest prevalence (n = 281; 54%), followed by redirected behavior (n = 181; 34%), and locomotory stereotypic behaviors had the lowest prevalence (n = 63; 12%). The oral stereotypic behavior was found to be significantly influenced (P < .05) by the working hours, amount of hay, and amount of concentrate. Both locomotory stereotypic and redirected behaviors were found to be influenced (P < .05) by the number of feedings per day and the amount of hay. In summary, the present study has proven that the stable management and feeding practices could influence the prevalence of different abnormal behaviors in the majority of working horses, with oral stereotypy being the most common abnormal behavior in this country.     

UV-B辐射促进红壤水稻土中碳氮转化

以母质相同而有机质含量不同的两种水稻土(高有机质土,HO;低有机质土,LO)为对象,研究了三种强度的紫外(UV-B)辐射对两种土壤碳、氮转化的影响。结果表明:随着UV-B辐射强度的增加,土壤有机碳(TOC)含量降低,而可溶性有机碳(DOC)含量增加;UV-B辐射促进了土壤有机碳的降解和硝态氮的增加。在高强度的UV-B(2.83 W·m~(-2))辐射处理96 h后,LO和HO土壤的TOC含量分别减少了9.89%和10.16%,而DOC含量分别提高了39.24%和50.50%;同样辐射条件下,LO和HO土壤NO_3~--N含量分别比接受辐射前增加了74.48%和81.87%。因此,在农业生产中为了保护土壤碳库,减少氮素损失,应尽量避免地表裸露以降低UV-B辐射对土壤碳、氮转化的影响。