Composition of plant communities in natural and technogenically disturbed ecotopes on watersheds of the Yamal Peninsula: Floristic diversity

Specific features in the overgrowing of technogenically disturbed areas with completely destroyed soil and plant cover (a sand pit, a causeway, and an off-road vehicle trail) have been studied in the environs of the Bovanenkovo Oil-Gas Condensate Field. It is shown that the vegetation of natural ecotopes and ecotopes disturbed approximately 20 years ago is characterized by a relatively high similarity in the composition of vascular plants. The total species composition of plant communities (including mosses and lichens) and their structure show a considerable loss of floristic and phytocenotic diversity.     

Relationships between chromium biomagnification ratio, accumulation factor, and mycorrhizae in plants growing on tannery effluent-polluted soil

Heavy metal-contaminated land is increasingly becoming an important environmental, health, economic, and planning issue in Pakistan. The unplanned disposal of industrial effluent from tannery, for example, has resulted in a many fold increase in chromium (Cr) in the land near a tannery. This study was undertaken to compare the total and the DTPA-available Cr contents in the soil and the roots and leaves of tree species growing on it with those on the nearby noncontaminated reference site at Kala Shah Kakoo, Panjab, Pakistan. A very reduced plant cover on the tannery effluent-contaminated site was noted and there was a sharp boundary between the polluted and nonpolluted reference sites, suggesting a strong selection pressure. Polluted soil contained considerable higher amounts of Cr as compared to the reference soil but no correlation was found between Cr contents in the dried plant tissue and the total DTPA-extractable Cr. Roots of all the three tree species, i.e. Dalbergia sissoo, Acacia arabica, and Populus euroamericana, growing on both the contaminated as well reference site possessed arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) infection in their roots and AMF propagules in the associated rhizospheres. D. sissoo and A. arabica roots were also studded with nitrogen-fixing rhizobial root nodules, while those of P. euroamericana possessed AMF as well as ectomycorrhizal infections. The dual infection would encourage mineral nutrition, including Cr. AMF community varied, i.e. trees growing on the reference site were exposed to a wide variety of AMF such as Glomus, Scutellospora, and Acaulospora, whereas those on the contaminated site contained only Gigaspora spp. in their mycorrhizospheres, suggesting a selection pressure. Typical Glomus infection patterns in the roots of D. sissoo growing on the contaminated soil but absence of spores of Glomus spp. in the associated rhizospheres indicate the potential error of using AMF spores to extrapolate the root infection. High Cr contents adversely affected the size, diversity, and species richness of AMF as measured by Shannon-Weiner index. The potential of mycorrhizae in protecting the host plant against the harmful effect of heavy metals and in phytoremediation of the Cr-polluted soil is discussed.     

Comparison of understorey bird species in relation to edge–interior gradient in an isolated tropical rainforest of Malaysia

Forest fragmentation results in a loss of forest interior and an increase in edge habitat. As a result, these changes may affect the bird species distribution and composition. We studied how understorey bird community composition and habitat variables changed along an edge-to-interior gradient in a fragmented lowland rainforest in Peninsular Malaysia. Birds and environmental variables were recorded at each of the 93 sampling points distributed along the 14 parallel transects that were systematically placed across the gradient of distance from the forest edge to the forest interior. Species composition was different along the edge–interior gradient, although only a few species were strictly confined to either edge or interior habitat. Based on bird–habitat associations along the edge–interior gradient, some of these edge-preferred species occurred in high numbers at the matrix surrounding the patch. In contrast, the interior-specialist group, mainly terrestrial insectivores, avoided the forest edge and was positively associated with humidity, canopy cover, the number of dead trees, percentage of litter cover, and depth of the litter layer. Species endemic to the Sunda subregion were more abundant in the interior of the forest. From a conservation perspective, forest remnants in the lowlands of Peninsular Malaysia that have a deep leaf litter layer, dense canopy cover, high number of dead trees, and high relative humidity are able to support understorey bird species that are sensitive to edge effects. The forest has important conservation value even though it is fragmented and isolated.     

Role and influence of mycorrhizal fungi on radiocesium accumulation by plants

This review summarizes current knowledge on the contribution of mycorrhizal fungi to radiocesium immobilization and plant accumulation. These root symbionts develop extended hyphae in soils and readily contribute to the soil-to-plant transfer of some nutrients. Available data show that ecto-mycorrhizal (ECM) fungi can accumulate high concentration of radiocesium in their extraradical phase while radiocesium uptake and accumulation by arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi is limited. Yet, both ECM and AM fungi can transport radiocesium to their host plants, but this transport is low. In addition, mycorrhizal fungi could thus either store radiocesium in their intraradical phase or limit its root-to-shoot translocation. The review discusses the impact of soil characteristics, and fungal and plant transporters on radiocesium uptake and accumulation in plants, as well as the potential role of mycorrhizal fungi in phytoremediation strategies.     

Effect of snow depth and snow duration on soil N dynamics and microbial activity in the alpine areas of the eastern Tibetan Plateau

The effects of snow regimes (including the depth and duration of snow cover) on soil N dynamics and microbial activity in situ were explored in the alpine belt of the eastern Tibetan Plateau. Deeper snow-cover reduced NH ₄ ⁺ -N content, microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen, fungi count, and enzyme activities, whereas did not change net N mineralization. No differences in N pools in the soil, microbial biomass, microbial counts, and enzyme activity were found under the different duration of snow cover, showing that accumulation and release in soil N pools did not be significantly changed by earlier continuous snow cover.     

Abundance of orchids on calcareous grasslands in relation to community species,environmental, and vegetational conditions

The abundance of Orchidaceae on three calcareous grasslands is studied in relation to floristic composition, environmental and vegetational factors and plant traits (ecological and life forms). The aims are: (i) to identify a group of species that is significantly correlated with the abundance of Orchidaceae or with individual species of orchids on calcareous grasslands; (ii) to study the relationship between traits associated with habitat specialisation, community life forms and the abundance of orchids; (iii) to identify the main environmental and vegetational predictors of the abundance of orchids. A shortlist of species is found to be significantly correlated with the abundance of total orchids, Orchis pauciflora and O. morio. The life forms of the community species do not show any correlation with the orchids, with the exception of Orchis pauciflora, which tends to increase in communities rich in hemicryptophytes and poor in annual species. Analyses of Orchis morio seem to suggest that it has a high level of ecological tolerance. The most important predictors of the abundance of orchids are the substrate reaction (basic) and arid grassland with low herbaceous vegetation cover (i.e. high soil reaction and luminosity values, positive correlation with the cover of lichens and rockiness, negative correlation with tree cover and herbaceous layer). The least favourable sites were the least basic and most superficial and arid sites.     

Plant Species Richness and Developmental Morphology Stage Influence Mycorrhizal Patagonia Plants Root Colonization

The objectives of this study were to determine the percentage of root colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi at various levels of plant species richness and developmental morphology stages in various perennial grass, and herbaceous and woody dicots species using experimental plots during 2013 and 2014. An auger was used to obtain six replicate root + soil samples at each sampling time on each of the study parameters. Roots were washed free of soil, and percentage AM was determined. The shrub Larrea divaricata was the species which showed the lowest percentage of colonization by AM at the vegetative developmental morphology stage at the monocultures and six-species-mixtures on the experimental plots. Dicots, but not grass, species showed a greater percentage colonization by AM fungi at the greatest (i.e., six-species-mixtures) than lowest (i.e., monocultures) species richness. Although at different degrees of species richness and developmental morphology stages, the perennial grasses Nassella longiglumis and N. tenuis, the herbaceous dicot Atriplex semibaccata, and the shrubs L. divaricata and Schinus fasciculatus showed a greater (p < 0.050) percentage colonization by AM fungi during the second than the first study year. Even though it was species- and sampling time-dependent, percentage colonization by AM fungi increased as species richness also increased most of the times. Our results demonstrated that the plant species differences in percentage colonization by AM fungi in the experimental plots were species richness-, developmental morphology stage-, and sampling-time dependents.     

三峡水库小江消落区生境异质性对植物群落影响

以三峡水库小江消落区为研究区域,于2009~2011年研究了植物群落特征及其与消落区坡度、土壤理化因子的关系。研究表明：小江消落区有维管束植物146种,其中草本植物有134种。优势度大于0.02的物种主要有苍耳、香附子、狗牙根、马唐、白茅和小白酒草等19种。坡度影响土层厚度和土壤容重,进而影响植物分布。线性回归分析表明植物鲜重与地形坡度负相关（P＜005）,与土壤全氮（P＜001）、全磷（P＜005）、全钾（P＜001）、有效氮（P＜001）和有效钾（P＜005）含量正相关,而土壤有效磷和pH值对植物鲜重的影响不显著（P＞005）。多元逐步回归分析表明影响植物鲜重的主要环境因子为土壤容重和全氮。冗余分析（RDA）表明影响植物重要值的主要环境因子为高程和土壤有效氮。2009～2011年,物种的优势度发生了变化,狗牙根、水蓼和醴肠的优势度增加,而荩草、鬼针草、黄花蒿和艾蒿的优势度下降     

Accumulation of radionuclides from radioactive substrata by some micromycetes

Overgrowing (interaction) and dissolution of intact and milled hot particles by various micromycetes were studied under laboratory conditions. Hot particles used for the investigation originated from the Chernobyl accident release and atomic bomb testing sites. The micromycetes investigated were mitosporic fungi mainly isolated from the Chernobyl site and vicinity. Most of the fungal species and strains showed a tendency to grow towards the hot particle, overgrow it and dissolve it after prolonged contact. The accumulation (absorption and adsorption) of radionuclides from intact hot particles was generally more intensive for (152)Eu than for (137)Cs by a factor of about 2.6-134, while in experiments with milled samples the (152)Eu and (137)Cs accumulation was similar, except for some fungal species, which showed higher (152)Eu than (137)Cs sorption. It could be shown that the main factors influencing Cs and Eu accumulation in fungi are: fungal species and strains and the size and composition of the hot particle.     

Stable nitrogen isotope ratio in wood substrates and xylotrophic fungi in forest ecosystems of Western Siberia

It has been shown that wood substrates are the main source of nitrogen for xylotrophic fungi, which have almost the same isotopic signature as their substrate. This fact and a strong positive correlation in nitrogen isotope composition between the substrates and fungi provide evidence for a closed type of nitrogen turnover in the wood-fungus system that is based on retention and repeated utilization of this element. Its isotope composition in the fungi depends on that in the substrate, which is enriched in the heavy isotope in deciduous wood and in the light isotope in coniferous wood. The nitrogen isotope composition in the fungi and wood substrates does not depend on the degree of wood mineralization or climatic conditions, and δ¹⁵N is not an indicator of fungal physiological activity or wood decomposition rate but rather a marker of the isotopic composition of nitrogen sources for the fungi.     

Effects of forms and rates of potassium fertilizers on cadmium uptake by two cultivars of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum, L.)

A greenhouse pot experiment was conducted to study the influence of potassium fertilizers in different forms and rates on cadmium (Cd) uptake by two cultivars of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum, L.): Brookton and Krichauff. Potassium fertilizers were added to soil at four levels: 0, 55, 110 and 166 mg K kg(-1) soil as KNO(3) (N), KCl (C) or K(2)SO(4) (S). CdCl(2) was added to all the treatments at a uniform rate equivalent to 15 mg Cd kg(-1) soil. Plant shoot and root dry weights (DW) of both cultivars were reduced significantly by the addition of K-fertilizer in C and S treatments but there were only marginal changes in the N treatments. The Cd concentrations in shoots and whole plants increased significantly (P<.001) with increasing K addition, from 37.5 to 81.4 mg kg(-1) and from 42.9 to 86.8 mg kg(-1) for Brookton and Krichauff, respectively. However, no obvious effect was observed in the N treatments, except for the highest K level (K3) where there was a sharp increase in Cd concentration compared to the lower additions. Forms of K-fertilizers significantly influenced the Cd concentrations in plant shoots and roots (P<.001), but there was no significant difference between C and S treatments. This experiment showed that anions Cl(-) and SO(4)(2-) increase Cd uptake by plants, which can be interpreted as Cl(-) and SO(4)(2-) complexing readily with Cd(2+) and thereby increasing the bioavailability of Cd(2+) in soils. The effect of potassium itself on plant uptake of Cd was also observed. We suggest that when applying potassium fertilizer to Cd-contaminated soils, the forms and rates should be considered.     

Impact of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on uranium accumulation by plants

Contamination by uranium (U) occurs principally at U mining and processing sites. Uranium can have tremendous environmental consequences, as it is highly toxic to a broad range of organisms and can be dispersed in both terrestrial and aquatic environments. Remediation strategies of U-contaminated soils have included physical and chemical procedures, which may be beneficial, but are costly and can lead to further environmental damage. Phytoremediation has been proposed as a promising alternative, which relies on the capacity of plants and their associated microorganisms to stabilize or extract contaminants from soils. In this paper, we review the role of a group of plant symbiotic fungi, i.e. arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, which constitute an essential link between the soil and the roots. These fungi participate in U immobilization in soils and within plant roots and they can reduce root-to-shoot translocation of U. However, there is a need to evaluate these observations in terms of their importance for phytostabilization strategies.     

Microbial ecology of soils surrounding nuclear and thermal power plants in Taiwan

This paper reports a study of the effect of three nuclear and one thermal power plants on the microbial ecology of soils. Populations of bacteria, actinomycetes, fungi, cellulolytic microbes, phosphate-solubilizing microbes and nitrogen-fixing microbes in the soil in the vicinity of each plant were studied. Soils were acidic at three sites, and moisture contents of the power plant soils were lower than those of the surrounding areas. Microbial populations of the topsoils (0-20 cm deep) were higher than the subsoils (21-40 cm deep), and only 10-15% of them showed significant difference (P < .05). Thirty-three percent of the samples from the surrounding areas had higher microbial population than those from the power plant areas, but 19% was the reverse. Populations of cellulolytic, phosphate-solubilizing and nitrogen-fixing microbes varied with sampling locations, season and environmental conditions. Ratios of cellulolytic, phosphate-solubilizing and nitrogen-fixing microbes to total viable counts in some samples of the surrounding areas were significantly higher than in the power plant areas. Although the microbial populations of power plant soil and its surrounding area were somewhat different, it cannot be attributed as an effect of power plant operation, as the differences were not consistent.     

Influence of Clear Fellings on the Bryophyte Component of the Broad-leaved Forests of the Bashkir Cis-Ural Region

The change in the composition of the bryophyte component of succession communities that occur in the process of natural regeneration at the site of clear felling of the indigenous elm—maple–linden forests of the Bashkir Cis-Ural Region has been studied. The vulnerability of species to the consequences of felling is affected by their substrate confinement, ecological amplitude in relation to the factors of temperature, humidity, variability of soil moisture, and type of life strategy. In the secondary aspen forests, the absence or low constancy of nemoral epiphytic and ground mosses was noted.     

Responses of reproduction and important value of dominant plant species in different plant functional type in Kobresia meadow to temperature increase

Responses of reproduction and IV (important value) of dominant plant species in different PFT to warming were studied at a Kobresia meadow in the Tibetan Autonomous State of Qinghai Province, China (37°29′–37°45′ N, 101°12′–101°33′ E, 3900 m asl) using the temperature gradient method formalized by the ITEX. Responses of Elymus nutans and Poa pratensis (Gramineous PFT) to increasing temperature were similar. The numbers of tillers, buds and IV increased in the chambers treated with higher temperature compared to the control without treatments (CK). Responses of Kobresia humilis and Carex alrofusca (Cyperaceae PFT) to increasing temperature were different, that is, the numbers of tillers and IV reached the maximum in different temperature among species, the numbers of buds decreased with the temperature increasing. The number of buds and IV of Lagotis brachystachya (Forbs PFT) decreased with the warming, but the number of stolons was initially large, and then decreased with increasing temperature. The number of buds of Ranunculus brotherusii (Forbs PFT) increased with the temperature increasing in the first year, but decreased in the second year; and IV decreased with the temperature warming. Under conditions of continued warming in the future, PFT structure will be significantly changed, Cyperaceae PFT dominant plant species original position will be replaced by Gramineae PFT dominant plant species. Cyperaceae plants will become the dominant species, and some species belonging to Forbs PFT will be eliminated from the community.     

黔中喀斯特石漠化区不同小生境常见木本植物水分来源特征

选择黔中清镇市王家寨小流域内不同石漠化植物群落,通过分析测定喀斯特小生境内5种常见木本植物,鼠李、火棘、烟管荚蒾、圆果化香和云贵鹅耳枥与其潜在水源稳定性氢氧同位素组成,研究植物水分来源特征,并通过线性混合模型确定水源贡献比,探讨喀斯特小生境植物水分利用对石漠化过程的适应与响应。结果表明:多数情况下,研究区不同小生境内各植物种在雨季同时利用土壤水和表层岩溶带水,对土壤水的利用比例大于表层岩溶带水。各植物种对表层岩溶带水的利用比例随着石漠化的进行而减小。常绿灌木火棘、鼠李和烟管荚蒾在轻度、无石漠化样地同时利用土壤水和表层岩溶带水,但在中、强度石漠化则多利用土壤水,落叶小乔木圆果化香和云贵鹅耳枥在无石漠化同时利用土壤水和表层岩溶带水,而在轻度石漠化样地仅利用土壤水,这跟不同样地植被类型、干扰方式、土壤情况及裂隙发育等不同有关。     

Relationships between pikas (Ochotona, mammalia) and vegetation in Tuva

The burrowing and trophic activities of four pika (Ochotona) species proved to be reflected in the horizontal structure of the biogeocenotic cover. Zoophytochores ofOchotona daurica andO. pallasi pricei burrows correspond to previously described ameboid zoophytochores. Burrows of pikas provide for the growth of pea shrubs (Caragana bungei, C leucophloea), with the formation of specific plant groups under their crowns and on rubble dug out by pikas. In ecosystems of placers, zoophytochores are formed owing to the presence of pika food stores and lavatories, which are the main substrate for vascular plants first appearing among the stones. General ecological (and successional) series characterizing the overgrowing of placers is as follows: (1) separate spots of vegetation with poor floristic composition at the sites of pika food stores (stacklets); (2) groups of spots and simplest complexes; and (3) complex plant communities of pika colonies. Food stores of pikas in Tuva were analyzed.     

Factors Affecting Predator-Prey Distribution in a Protected Area,Tehran, Iran (a Case with Wolves and Wild Sheep)

We tried to model habitat suitability of two prey and predator species including wild sheep (Ovis orientalis) and wolf (Canis lupus) in Varjin protected area located in northern east of Tehran using a presence only method, maximum entropy (MaxEnt). Totally 11 environmental variables were measured in the species presence points which can be classified in three groups including topographical, vegetation and distal variables. Resulted maps indicated that habitat variables such as slope (ranging from 35 to 40 percent) and elevation (lower than 1700 meters above sea level) are both institute those factors which mostly affect studied prey and predator habitat use. Our results regarding prey and predator geographical range of used habitat indicated that wolves cover most area than wild sheep which show more dispersed habitat resources for the prey species. ENMTools test revealed that wolf’s niche breadth is more than twice as much as wild sheep’s. Wild sheep in Varjin protected area has a relatively narrow geographical extent and shows a tendency to marginal habitats while wolves cover obviously more areas which denotes its high mobility and low dependency to specific habitats.     

Structural-functional organization of lower vegetation layers in tree communities of the upper timberline ecotone in the Polar Urals

Typologically identical (dwarf birch-herb-dwarf shrub-moss) open and closed larch forests growing on the same altitudinal transect have proved to differ in the structural-functional organization of lower vegetation layers. Coverage, general species composition, and species richness of the herb-dwarf shrub layer are higher in the open forest than in the closed forest. Correlations between individual species of vascular plants weaken upon transition from the open to the closed forest. Conversely, the coverage of the lichen-moss layer increases in the closed forest, which contributes to its role as a factor of selection of vascular plant species against the background of the prevailing influence of the tree layer.     

洞庭湖湿地土壤持水能力及其影响因素研究

土壤持水能力是反映土壤调节水文和供给植物耗水的重要指标，受土壤有机质、容重、机械组成和植物地下生物量的直接或间接影响。与森林和农田生态系统相比，湿地土壤持水能力关注较少。于2010年12月，对洞庭湖湿地3种主要植被（苔草、芦苇和杨树）土壤持水能力、土壤理化性质和地下生物量进行了调查，并采用主成分分析对影响土壤持水能力的主要环境因子进行了分析。结果表明：除非毛管孔隙度外，3种植被上层土壤的总孔隙度、毛管孔隙度、田间持水量和含水量差异显著，均为苔草＞芦苇=杨树，而中、下层无显著差异。沙粒为苔草≥杨树≥芦苇，而粗粉粒、细粉粒和粘粒均为杨树≥芦苇≥苔草；容重为杨树≥芦苇＞苔草，有机质为苔草=芦苇＞杨树。各级别生物量在植被类型大小顺序不一：总地下生物量、0～1 mm和＞5 mm径级地下生物量均以芦苇最大，而1～5 mm径级地下生物量则以苔草最大。主成分分析表明，上层土壤，容重、有机质和1～5 mm径级地下生物量是影响其持水能力的主要因素，而中层土壤和下层土壤，环境因子对土壤持水能力的影响很小。此研究对于洞庭湖生物多样性保护和湿地管理政策的制定具有重要意义