Cd-tolerant Suillus luteus: A fungal insurance for pines exposed to Cd

Soil metal pollution can trigger evolutionary adaptation in soil-borne organisms. An in vitro screening test showed cadmium adaptation in populations of Suillus luteus (L.: Fr.) Roussel, an ectomycorrhizal fungus of pine trees. Cadmium stress was subsequently investigated in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) seedlings inoculated with a Cd-tolerant S. luteus, isolated from a heavy metal contaminated site, and compared to plants inoculated with a Cd-sensitive isolate from a non-polluted area. A dose-response experiment with mycorrhizal pines showed better plant protection by a Cd-adapted fungus: more fungal biomass and a higher nutrient uptake at high Cd exposure. In addition, less Cd was transferred to aboveground plant parts. Because of the key role of the ectomycorrhizal symbiosis for tree fitness, the evolution of Cd tolerance in an ectomycorrhizal partner such as S. luteus can be of major importance for the establishment of pine forests on Cd-contaminated soils.     

Woodland restoration in Scotland: ecology, history, culture, economics, politics and change

In the latter half of the 20th century, native pine woodlands in Scotland were restricted to small remnant areas within which there was little regeneration. These woodlands are important from a conservation perspective and are habitat for numerous species of conservation concern. Recent developments have seen a large increase in interest in woodland restoration and a dramatic increase in regeneration and woodland spread. The proximate factor enabling this regeneration is a reduction in grazing pressure from sheep and, particularly, deer. However, this has only been possible as a result of a complex interplay between ecological, political and socio-economic factors. We are currently seeing the decline of land management practices instituted 150-200 years ago, changes in land ownership patterns, cultural revival, and changes in societal perceptions of the Scottish landscape. These all feed into the current move to return large areas of the Scottish Highlands to tree cover. I emphasize the need to consider restoration in a multidisciplinary framework which accounts not just for the ecology involved but also the historical and cultural context.     

飞播马尾松林生物产量及生产力研究

湘乡市16年生不同密度的马尾松(Pinus massoniana)飞播林林分单株生物量随密度的增加而明显减小,低密度林分是高密度林分的2 42倍,高出18.33kg;当林分密度一定后,林分生物量同样随密度的增加而减小,低密度林分比高密度林分高出21.81t/hm2。林分各组生物量随密度增大而减小,并出现W>W根>W枝>W皮>W叶的规律。年均净生长量低密度林分是高密度林分的1.40倍。     

Comparison of forest edge effects on throughfall deposition in different forest types

This study examined the influence of distance to the forest edge, forest type, and time on Cl⁻, SO₄²⁻, NO₃⁻, and NH₄⁺ throughfall deposition in forest edges. The forests were dominated by pedunculate oak, silver birch, or Corsican/Austrian pine, and were situated in two regions of Flanders (Belgium). Along transects, throughfall deposition was monitored at distances of 0-128 m from the forest edge. A repeated-measures analysis demonstrated that time, forest type, and distance to the forest edge significantly influenced throughfall deposition of the ions studied. The effect of distance to the forest edge depended significantly on forest type in the deposition of Cl⁻, SO₄²⁻, and NO₃⁻: the edge effect was significantly greater in pine stands than in deciduous birch and oak stands. This finding supports the possibility of converting pine plantations into oak or birch forests in order to mitigate the input of nitrogen and potentially acidifying deposition.     

Heavy metals in bark of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinus massoniana</Emphasis> (Lamb.) as an indicator of atmospheric deposition near a smeltery at Qujiang,China

Goal, Scope and Background Rapid urbanization and the expansion of industrial activities in the past several decades have led to large increases in emissions of pollutants in the Pearl River Delta of south China. Recent reports have suggested that industrial emission is a major factor contributing to the damages in current natural ecosystem in the Delta area. Tree barks have been used successfully to monitor the levels of atmospheric metal deposition in many areas, but rarely in China. This study aimed at determining whether atmospheric heavy metal deposition from a Pb-Zn smeltery at Qujiang, Guangdong province, could be accurately reflected both in the inner bark and the outer bark of Masson pine (Pinus massoniana L.). The impact of the emission from smeltery on the soils beneath the trees and the relationships of the concentrations between the soils and the barks were also analyzed. Methods Barks around the bole of Pinus massoniana from a pine forest near a Pb-Zn smeltery at Qujiang and a reference forest at Dinghushan natural reserve were sampled with a stainless knife at an average height of 1.5 m above the ground. Mosses and lichens on the surface barks were cleaned prior to sampling. The samples were carefully divided into the inner bark (living part) and the outer bark (dead part) in the laboratory, and dried and ground, respectively. After being dry-ashed, the powder of the barks was dissolved in HNO₃. The solutions were analyzed for iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni) and cobalt (Co) by inductively coupled plasmas emission spectrometry (ICP, PS-1000AT, USA) and Cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS, ZEENIT 60, Germany). Surface soils (0–10 cm) beneath the sample trees were also collected and analyzed for the selected metals. Results and Discussion Concentrations of the selected metals in soils at Qujiang were far above their environmental background values in the area, except for Fe and Mn, whilst at Dinghushan, they were far below their background values, except for Cd and Co. Levels of the metals, in particular Pb and Zn, in the soils beneath the sample trees at Qujiang were higher than those at Dinghushan with statistical significance. The result suggested that the pine forest soils at Qujiang had a great input of heavy metals from wet and dry atmospheric deposition, with the Pb-Zn smeltery most probably being the source. Levels of Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn, Ni and Pb at Qujiang, both in the inner and the outer bark, were statistically higher than those at Dinghushan. Higher concentrations of Pb, Fe, Zn and Cu may come from the stem-flow of elements leached from the canopy, soil splash on the 1.5 m height and sorption of metals in the mosses and lichens growing on the bark, which were direct or indirect results from the atmospheric deposition. Levels of heavy metals in the outer barks were associated well with the metal concentrations in the soil, reflecting the close relationships between the metal atmospheric deposition and their accumulation in the outer bark of Masson pine. The significant (p<0.01) correlations of Fe-Cu, Fe-Cr, Fe-Pb, Fe-Ni, Pb-Ni, and Pb-Zn in the outer barks at Qujiang again suggested a common source for the metals. The correlation only occurred between Pb and Ni, Cd and Co in the outer barks at Dinghushan, which suggested that those metals must possibly have other uncommon sources. Conclusions Atmospheric deposition of the selected metals was great at Qujiang, based on the levels in the bark of Pinus massoniana and on the concentrations in the soils beneath the trees compared with that at Dinghushan. Bark of Pinus massoniana, especially the outer bark, was an indicator of metal loading at least at the time of sampling. Recommendations and Perspectives The results from this study and the techniques employed constituted a new contribution to the development of biogeochemical methods for environmental monitoring particularly in areas with high frequency of pollution in China. The method would be of value for follow up studies aimed at the assessment of industrial pollution in other areas similar with the Pearl River Delta.     

Tree ring analysis for determination of pollution history of Chengde City, north China

ＴｒｅｅｒｉｎｇａｎａｌｙｓｉｓｆｏｒｄｅｔｅｒｍｉｎａｔｉｏｎｏｆｐｏｌｌｕｔｉｏｎｈｉｓｔｏｒｙｏｆＣｈｅｎｇｄｅＣｉｔｙ，ｎｏｒｔｈＣｈｉｎａ￥ＪｉａｎｇＧａｏｍｉｎｇ（ＩｎｓｔｉｔｕｔｅｏｆＢｏｔａｎｙ，ＣｈｉｎｅｓｅＡｃａｄｅｍｙｏｆＳｃｉ...     

高浓度CO2对红松根际及根外土壤微生物群落结构的影响

采用DGGE(Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis)技术,于2003年的7～9月中旬对高浓度CO2(700和500μmol·mol-1)处理下的红松幼苗根际和根外0～10 cm土壤微生物群落结构进行了研究.结果表明,大气CO2浓度升高对红松根际和非根际土壤细菌群落结构产生了较大的影响,主要表现为部分细菌物种的出现,或原有细菌数量的丰富以及原有物种的消失或其数量被削弱的现象,但主要建群种未变.     

马尾松根化感物质的生物活性评价与物质鉴定

通过超临界流体萃取技术提取和分离马尾松根化感物质,并依据生物活性评价结果筛选抑制活性较强的组分进行物质鉴定.就总体而言,生物活性评价结果表明:非夹带剂萃取的马尾松根化感物质对马尾松种子的发芽势、胚根长、胚轴长及鲜物质重、干物质重具有不同程度的促进作用,而对发芽率则具有不同程度的抑制作用;夹带剂萃取的马尾松根化感物质对马尾松种子的发芽率、胚根长、胚轴长、鲜物质重及干物质重具有显著的抑制作用,而对发芽势则表现为促进作用;筛选出抑制活性较强组分的物质鉴定结果表明,非夹带剂萃取的马尾松根化感物质是α杜松醇、г杜松烯等,在夹带剂条件下,马尾松根化感物质是棕榈酸、叶绿醇等.图1表5参11     

古田山国家自然保护区黄山松林主要种群生态位研究

采用样方法进行调查,每个样地面积为20m×20m。测度主要种群的生态位宽度、生态位相似比例、生态位重叠值。结果表明,黄山松、木荷、野漆树、甜槠等有较大的生态位宽度,其Levins生态位宽度(Bi值)和Hurlbert生态位宽度(Ba值)分别为0.7619、0.6517、0.5886、0.5384和0.9175、0.6278、0.5571、0.4377;野鸭椿的生态位宽度最小,其Bi值和Ba值分别为0.3655和0.2343。黄山松、木荷、野漆树、甜槠等生态位宽度较大的树种,生态位相似性比例高;而生态位宽度较小的物种,生态位相似性比例较小。黄山松、木荷、野漆树、甜槠等生态位宽度较大种群之间具有较大的生态位重叠。     

应用油松针叶监测大气二氧化硫污染

承德市油松针叶中硫与大气ＳＯ２浓度之间存在着很显著的相关性（ｒ＝０．７８４１，Ｐ＜０．０１），利用这一相关性对承德市区４２个采样点大气ＳＯ２污染状况进行了生物监测，并绘制了城市大气ＳＯ２污染分布图，基本符合承德市大气ＳＯ２分布规律。