Litter decomposition and nitrogen release in a sloping Mediterranean subtropical agroecosystem on the coast of Granada (SE, Spain): Effects of floristic and topographic alteration on the slope

On the coast of Granada (SE, Spain), an economically important area for subtropical fruit cultivation, the crops are grown on orchard terraces. Also, high amounts of fertilizers, often excessive, are used in this type of intensive agriculture. However, each year significant fractions of nutrients taken up by the trees return to the soil by fallen leaves. Using a litter-bag technique, we assessed the decomposition rates and N-release in various types of litter. Our main purpose was to compare two different agroecosystem scenarios: (1) an unaltered slope consisting mainly of a mixture of herbaceous plants (Papaver rhoeas, Convolvulus sp., Malva sylvestris, Reseda phyteuma, Anacyclus sp., Sinapis arvensis, Medicago sp.) among spontaneous perennial woody shrubs (Genista umbellata, Olea europaea, Lavandula officinalis, Phlomis purpurea, Retama sphaerocarpa), and (2) an altered slope cultivated with subtropical trees on terraces: loquat (Eriobotrya japonica), mango (Mangifera indica), avocado (Persea americana), and cherimoya (Annona cherimola), with groundcover plantings of aromatic, medicinal, and melliferous plants (AMMPs) on the taluses of the terraces, which are usually used for erosion control: Lavandula dentata, Thymus mastichina, Satureja obovata, Rosmarinus officinalis, Anthyllis cytisoides. In the leaves from the subtropical crops, we found the highest decomposition rates in cherimoya and the lowest in mango (1.30 and 0.64 years⁻¹, respectively). Leaves from mango and loquat registered initial peaks of N immobilization and later N-release, which was highest in cherimoya and avocado leaves (71.2 and 56.8% of the initial remaining N). In the spontaneous woody shrubs, O. europaea and G. umbellata were the slowest in decomposing (1.18 and 1.01 years⁻¹, respectively) contrary to L. officinalis, which decomposed fastest (2.22 years⁻¹). Only L. officinalis and P. purpurea registered a net N-release at the end of the study. The AMMPs showed different decomposition patterns: L. dentata registered the highest decomposition rates and Rosmarinus the lowest (1.9 and 1.1 years⁻¹, respectively). T. mastichina, L. dentata, and S. obovata had the highest N-release, whereas R. officinalis and A. cytisoides showed N immobilization (183 and 122% of the initial N). Knowledge of the dynamics of nutrient release and litter decomposition will be useful for predicting nutrient availability and nutrient cycles in these types of agroecosystems where subtropical orchards are grown on terraces.     

Development and Evaluation of a Multiplexed Real-Time TaqMan RT-PCR Assay with a Sample Process Control for Detection of F-specific RNA Coliphage Genogroups I and IV

There are increasing concerns of zoonotic transmission of some animal enteric viruses, such as calicivirus, hepatitis E virus, and rotavirus, which are closely related to human pathogenic strains. Most enteric viruses are detected by molecular techniques because they cannot be cultured. Surrogates such as F-RNA coliphages are cultivable but few molecular methods exist. Individual real-time TaqMan RT-PCR assays for the replicase gene of F-RNA coliphage genogroups I and IV were developed and multiplexed with a real-time TaqMan RT-PCR assay for feline calicivirus as a sample process control for the simultaneous detection and enumeration of genogroup I and IV F-RNA coliphages. Genogroup IV were successfully detected with the multiplexed assay in 80% of fecal samples that contained F-RNA coliphage levels ≥3.2 log plaque forming units (pfu). F-RNA coliphage were at or below the limit of detection in most fecal samples when levels were ≤4 log pfu/g.     

水库温室气体排放及其影响因素

水库是温室气体的一个重要排放源.探讨水库温室气体排放及其影响因素有利于精确估算水库温室气体排放量、减少水利工程与水电开发过程中水库温室气体排放.本文阐述r水库中温室气体的产生机制.总结了水库温室气体的3个排放途径:水库自然排放、水轮机和溢洪道、大坝下游河流,从水库特征、气候、水体pH值、水库中植被状况等角度深入探讨了水库温室气体排放的影响因素.最后,重点分析了水库温室气体排放的空间异质性以及研究结果不确定性的产生根源,并对今后的研究重点进行了展望.     

阴离子粘土(LDH)吸附腐殖酸的动力学研究

利用实验室制备的镁铝阴离子粘土材料,研究其吸附水中腐殖酸的动力学.研究结果表明:在初始浓度10～40 mg/L及温度298～323 K的范围内,阴离子粘土对水中腐殖酸的吸附动力学符合拟二级速率方程;阴离子粘土对腐殖酸的吸附符合Langmuir和Freundlich等温吸附方程,吸附是吸热反应,吸附量随温度升高而略有增加,但吸附表观活化能只有15.36 kJ/mol,说明温度对此吸附的影响并不显著.     

论经济欠发达地区如何建设生态工业园区——以千里山工业园区为例

资源和环境问题已成为各界关注的焦点,工业园区向现代生态工业因区建设转变是新形势生态文明下的必然要求。文章以内蒙古乌海市海勃湾区千里山工业园区为例,阐述了该工业园区建立生态型工业园区的可行性。     

双道HG-AFS同时测定鲤鱼肝脏中痕量Hg和As

应用氢化物原子荧光法,测定鲤鱼肝脏中痕量Hg和As,该法具有原子吸收和原子发射光谱两种技术优势,同时它具有分析灵敏度高,干扰少,线性范围宽,可多元素同时测定等优点;在KBH4-酸还原体系中同时测定鱼肝中Hg和As,方法检出限分别为Hg:0.33ng/ml和As0.36ng/ml,线性范围分别为:0.1-2.0ng/ml和1.0-20.0ng/ml。加标回收率分别为Hg:96.0%和As:100.6%。分析结果可靠,方法令人满意,并适合大批量样品的分析。     

Forest policies and programs affecting vulnerability and adaptation to climate change

Due to large scale afforestation programs and forest conservation legislations, India’s total forest area seems to have stabilized or even increased. In spite of such efforts, forest fragmentation and degradation continues, with forests being subject to increased pressure due to anthropogenic factors. Such fragmentation and degradation is leading to the forest cover to change from very dense to moderately dense and open forest and 253 km² of very dense forest has been converted to moderately dense forest, open forest, scrub and non-forest (during 2005–2007). Similarly, there has been a degradation of 4,120 km² of moderately dense forest to open forest, scrub and non-forest resulting in a net loss of 936 km² of moderately dense forest. Additionally, 4,335 km² of open forest have degraded to scrub and non-forest. Coupled with pressure due to anthropogenic factors, climate change is likely to be an added stress on forests. Forest sector programs and policies are major factors that determine the status of forests and potentially resilience to projected impacts of climate change. An attempt is made to review the forest policies and programs and their implications for the status of forests and for vulnerability of forests to projected climate change. The study concludes that forest conservation and development policies and programs need to be oriented to incorporate climate change impacts, vulnerability and adaptation.     

Implications of climate change on mitigation potential estimates for forest sector in India

Climate change is projected to impact forest ecosystems, including biodiversity and Net Primary Productivity (NPP). National level carbon forest sector mitigation potential estimates are available for India; however impacts of projected climate change are not included in the mitigation potential estimates. Change in NPP (in gC/m²/yr) is taken to represent the impacts of climate change. Long term impacts of climate change (2085) on the NPP of Indian forests are available; however no such regional estimates are available for short and medium terms. The present study based on GCM climatology scenarios projects the short, medium and long term impacts of climate change on forest ecosystems especially on NPP using BIOME4 vegetation model. We estimate that under A2 scenario by the year 2030 the NPP changes by (−5) to 40% across different agro-ecological zones (AEZ). By 2050 it increases by 15% to 59% and by 2070 it increases by 34 to 84%. However, under B2 scenario it increases only by 3 to 25%, 3.5 to 34% and (−2.5) to 38% respectively, in the same time periods. The cumulative mitigation potential is estimated to increase by up to 21% (by nearly 1 GtC) under A2 scenario between the years 2008 and 2108, whereas, under B2 the mitigation potential increases only by 14% (646 MtC). However, cumulative mitigation potential estimates obtained from IBIS—a dynamic global vegetation model suggest much smaller gains, where mitigation potential increases by only 6% and 5% during the period 2008 to 2108.     

己内酰胺-四丁基溴化铵类离子液体吸收SO2效率的研究

采用己内酰胺-四丁基溴化铵为原料,按摩尔配比为2∶1配制成[CPL][TBAB]类离子液体,制备的离子液体与乙醇溶液按体积比为1.5∶1混合以降低其粘度,利用筛板塔进行吸收实验,考察最佳吸收条件及最大吸收效率。结果表明,在实验条件下,最大的吸收效率条件为:离子液体的流量为60 L/h,SO2的流量为0.2 L/min,SO2为30℃,最大吸收效率为47.6%。