Plant Communities,Soil Carbon,and Soil Nitrogen Properties in a Successional Gradient of Sub-Alpine Meadows on the Eastern Tibetan Plateau of China

To assess the recovery trajectory and self-maintenance of restored ecosystems, a successional gradient (1, 3, 5, 15, and 30 years after abandonment) was established in a sub-alpine meadow of the eastern Tibetan Plateau in China. Plant communities and soil carbon and nitrogen properties were investigated and analyzed. Regression analyses were used to assess the models (linear or quadratic) relating measures of species richness, soil carbon and nitrogen properties to fallow time. We found that species richness (S) increased over the first 20 years but decreased thereafter, and aboveground biomass showed a linear increase along the fallow time gradient. The richness of different functional groups (forb, grass and legume) changed little along the fallow time gradient, but their corresponding above ground biomass showed the U-shaped, humped or linear pattern. Soil microbial carbon (MBC) and nitrogen (MBN) in the upper 20 cm showed a U-shaped pattern along the fallow time gradient. However, soil organic carbon (C_org) and total nitrogen (TN) in the soil at depth greater than 20 cm showed significant patterns of linear decline along the fallow time gradient. The threshold models of species richness reflected best the recovery over the 15 year fallow period. These results indicated that fallow time had a greater influence on development of the plant community than soil processes in abandoned fields in sub-alpine meadow ecosystem. These results also suggested that although the succession process did not significantly increase soil C, an increase in microbial biomass at the latter stage of succession could promote the decomposability of plant litter. Therefore, abandoned fields in sub-alpine meadow ecosystem may have a high resilience and strong rehabilitating capability under natural recovery condition.     

Plant and Soil Responses to High and Low Diversity Grassland Restoration Practices

The USDA’s Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) has predominantly used only a few species of dominant prairie grasses (CP2 practice) to reduce soil erosion, but recently has offered a higher diversity planting practice (CP25) to increase grassland habitat quality. We quantified plant community composition in CP25 and CP2 plantings restored for 4 or 8 years and compared belowground properties and processes among restorations and continuously cultivated soils in southeastern Nebraska, USA. Relative to cultivated soils, restoration increased soil microbial biomass (P = 0.033), specifically fungi (P < 0.001), and restored soils exhibited higher rates of carbon (C) mineralization (P = 0.010). High and low diversity plantings had equally diverse plant communities; however, CP25 plantings had greater frequency of cool-season (C₃) grasses (P = 0.007). Older (8 year) high diversity restorations contained lower microbial biomass (P = 0.026), arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) biomass (P = 0.003), and C mineralization rates (P = 0.028) relative to 8 year low diversity restorations; older plantings had greater root biomass than 4 year plantings in all restorations (P = 0.001). Low diversity 8 year plantings contained wider root C:N ratios, and higher soil microbial biomass, microbial community richness, AMF biomass, and C mineralization rate relative to 4 year restorations (P < 0.050). Net N mineralization and nitrification rates were lower in 8 year than 4 year high diversity plantings (P = 0.005). We attributed changes in soil C and N pools and fluxes to increased AMF associated with C₄ grasses in low diversity plantings. Thus, reduced recovery of AMF in high diversity plantings restricted restoration of belowground microbial diversity and microbially-mediated soil processes over time.     

黄顶菊（Flaveriabidentis）入侵对土壤微生物功能多样性的影响

外来植物入侵对土壤生物多样性的影响已成为生态学领域的研究热点之一。运用Biolog技术和氯仿熏蒸浸提法研究了黄顶菊入侵对土壤微生物群落功能多样性及土壤微生物量的影响。结果表明,黄顶菊入侵后土壤微生物代谢活性显著升高;土壤微生物群落平均吸光值（4WCD）的变化趋势为：入侵地根际土（RPs）〉入侵地根围土（Bs）〉未入侵地（CK）,且差异显著;而CK的功能多样性指数（日）高于BS,RPS亦高于Bs,差异均显著（P〈O．05）。主成分分析结果表明,黄顶菊入侵使土壤微生物群落的碳源利用方式和代谢功能发生改变。对不同碳源利用的分析结果表明,糖类、氨基酸类、羧酸类和聚合物为土壤微生物利用的主要碳源。入侵样地Bs和RPS的微生物量碳分别比CK高27．05％、121．52％;BS和RPS的微生物量氮分别比CK高37．40％、79．80％。相关性分析表明,AWCD与微生物量碳和微生物量氮均呈极显著正相关（P〈0．01）。由此可知,黄顶菊入侵增强了入侵地土壤微生物代谢活性,降低了土壤微生物群落的功能多样性,增加了土壤微生物量碳、氮水平。     

Seedling Biomass Partition and Water Use Efficiency of Switchgrass and Milkvetch in Monocultures and Mixtures in Response to Various Water Availabilities

Seedling biomass and allocation, transpiration water use efficiency (TWUE), and species competition between switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) and milkvetch (Astragalus adsurgens Pall.) were investigated in a pot-cultivated experiment under different levels of water availability. The experiment was conducted using a simple replacement design in which switchgrass and milkvetch were grown in growth chamber with ten seedlings per pot, in three combinations of the two species (0:10, 5:5 and 10:0). Five water treatments included sufficient water supply (HW), gradual soil drying from HW (DHW), moderate water stress (LW), gradual soil drying from LW (DLW), and re-establishment of LW conditions after 12 days of drying from LW (RLW). Water treatments were applied over a 15-day period. Biomass production and its partitioning, and TWUE were determined at the end of the experiment. Species competitive indices (competitive ratio (CR), aggressivity (A) and relative yield total (RYT)) were calculated from the biomass dry weight data for shoots, roots and total biomass. Water stress significantly reduced seedling biomass production but increased root:shoot ratios in both monocultures and mixtures. In the RLW treatment, only switchgrass monocultures displayed compensatory biomass production and TWUE, while both species demonstrated compensatory growth in the mixture. Switchgrass was the dominant species and much more aggressive than milkvetch in the LW treatment, while in the other four treatments milkvetch was the dominant species as measured by the positive value of aggressivity and higher values of CR. The total biomass RYT values of the two species were higher than 1.0, indicating some degree of resource complimentarity. In the two-species mixture, although the biomass production was lower than that of milkvetch in the monoculture, there was better TWUE, especially under low and fluctuating water availability.     

氮素和水分对贝加尔针茅草原土壤酶活性和微生物量碳氮的影响

在内蒙古贝加尔针茅草原,分别设对照（N0）、1.5 g·m^-2（N15）、3.0 g·m^-2（N30）、5.0 g·m^-2（N50）、10.0 g·m^-2（N100）、15.0 g·m^-2（N150）、20.0 g·m^-2（N200）和30 g·m^-2（N300）（不包括大气沉降的氮量）8个氮素（NH4NO3）梯度和模拟夏季增加降水100 mm的水分添加交互试验,研究氮素和水分添加对草原土壤养分、酶活性及微生物量碳氮的影响。结果表明：氮素和水分添加对草原土壤理化性质和生物学特性有显著影响。随施氮量的增加土壤总有机碳、全氮、硝态氮、铵态氮含量呈增加的趋势,相反,土壤pH值呈降低的趋势。土壤脲酶和过氧化氢酶的活性随施氮量的增加而升高,多酚氧化酶则随施氮量的增加呈下降的趋势。氮素和水分添加对草原土壤微生物量碳氮含量有显著影响,高氮处理（N150、N200和N300）显著降低了微生物碳含量,微生物氮含量随施氮量的增加呈上升趋势。水分添加能够减缓氮素添加对微生物的抑制作用,提高微生物量碳、微生物量氮含量。草原土壤养分、土壤酶活性及土壤微生物量碳氮含量间关系密切,过氧化氢酶与全氮、总有机碳、硝态氮呈显著正相关,多酚氧化酶与铵态氮、硝态氮、全氮呈显著负相关。微生物量氮含量与土壤全氮、铵态氮、硝态氮含量以及过氧化氢酶和磷酸酶活性呈显著正相关,与多酚氧化酶呈负相关;微生物量碳与过氧化氢酶呈负相关,与多酚氧化酶活性呈正相关。     

Changes in Labile Organic Carbon Fractions and Soil Enzyme Activities after Marshland Reclamation and Restoration in the Sanjiang Plain in Northeast China

The extensive reclamation of marshland into cropland has tremendously impacted the ecological environment of the Sanjiang Plain in northeast China. To understand the impacts of marshland reclamation and restoration on soil properties, we investigated the labile organic carbon fractions and the soil enzyme activities in an undisturbed marshland, a cultivated marshland and three marshlands that had been restored for 3, 6 and 12?years. Soil samples collected from the different management systems at a depth of 0-20?cm in July 2009 were analyzed for soil organic carbon (SOC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and easily degradable organic carbon. In addition, the activities of the invertase, β-glucosidase, urease and acid phosphatase were determined. These enzymes are involved in C, N and P cycling, respectively. Long-term cultivation resulted in decreased SOC, DOC, MBC, microbial quotient and C (invertase, β-glucosidase) and N-transforming (urease) enzyme activities compared with undisturbed marshland. After marshland restoration, the MBC and DOC concentrations and the soil invertase, β-glucosidase and urease activities increased. Soil DOC and MBC concentrations are probably the main factors responsible for the different invertase, β-glucosidase and urease activities. In addition, marshland restoration caused a significant increase in the microbial quotient, which reflects enhanced efficiency of organic substrate use by microbial biomass. Our observations demonstrated that soil quality recovered following marshland restoration. DOC, MBC and invertase, β-glucosidase and urease activities were sensitive for discriminating soil ecosystems under the different types of land use. Thus, these parameters should be considered to be indicators for detecting changes in soil quality and environmental impacts in marshlands.     

Changes in Soil Particulate Organic Matter, Microbial Biomass, and Activity Following Afforestation of Marginal Agricultural Lands in a Semi-Arid Area of Northeast China

Afforestation of agricultural lands has been one of the major land use changes in China in recent decades. To better understand the effect of such land use change on soil quality, we investigated selected soil physical, chemical and microbial properties (0–15 cm depth) in marginal agricultural land and a chronosequence of poplar (Populus euramericana cv. ‘N3016’) plantations (5-, 10-, 15- and 20-years old) in a semi-arid area of Northeast China. Soil bulk density significantly declined after conversion of agricultural lands to poplar plantations. Soil total organic carbon (TOC) and nitrogen (TN) concentrations, microbial biomass C (MBC) and potential N mineralization rate (PNM) decreased initially following afforestation of agricultural lands, and then increased with stand development. However, soil metabolic quotient (qCO₂) exhibited a reverse trend. In addition, soil particulate organic matter C (POM-C) and N (POM-N) concentrations showed no significant changes in the first 10 years following afforestation, and then increased with stand age. These findings demonstrated that soil quality declined initially following afforestation of agricultural lands in semi-arid regions, and then recovered with stand development. Following 15 years of afforestation, many soil quality parameters recovered to the values found in agricultural land. We propose that change in soil quality with stand age should be considered in determining optimum rotation length of plantations and best management practices for afforestation programs.     

Methane Emissions and Production Potentials of Forest Swamp Wetlands in the Eastern Great Xing’an Mountains, Northeast China

Measurements of methane flux at a few inundated sites in China have been extrapolated to obtain estimates on a national scale. To enable those national estimates to be refined and to compare flux from geographically separated sites comprising the same wetland types, we used a closed chamber method to measure methane flux in uninundated Betula platyphylla—and Larix gmelinii—dominated peatlands in the Northeast China. Our measurements were taken from both vegetated and bare soil surfaces, and we compared flux with environmental measures including vegetation biomass, soil temperature and soil characteristics. We found that methane flux was low, and that there were no significant differences between wetland types, indicating that environmental influences were dominant. We found that flux was positively correlated to temperature in the surface layers of the soil, the above-ground biomass of the shrub and herb layers, total soil carbon and total soil nitrogen; and we suggest that emissions may be due to anaerobic microcosms in the surface layers. The methane production potentials of the soils were low and similar between both sites but inconsistent with the differences between fluxes, and inconsistent with production potentials and fluxes reported from the same wetland types elsewhere, indicating that there were subtle environmental differences between wetlands classed as being of the same type. Differences between fluxes in vegetated chambers with bare soil chambers were insignificant, indicating that no methane emission through aerenchyma occurred at our sites. We concluded that wetland type was not an accurate predictor of methane flux.     

Germinable Soil Seed Banks and the Restoration Potential of Abandoned Cropland on the Chinese Hilly-Gullied Loess Plateau

Poor vegetation cover is generally considered to be a major factor causing soil erosion on the Loess Plateau in China. It has been argued that tree planting restoration is ineffective, and natural re-vegetation is an alternative ecological solution for restoring abandoned cropland and controlling soil erosion. The aims of this study were to investigate the characteristics of soil seed banks and to assess the natural restoration potential of abandoned cropland in the hilly-gullied Loess Plateau. The soil seed bank was identified by the germination method with the soil samples, which were collected at four sampling times (April, August, and October 2005 and August 2006) from 12 plots abandoned 3–30 years prior to sampling. The seed bank densities of all of the samples in the 0–10 cm soil layer varied from 1,067 ± 225 to 14,967 ± 1,606 seeds m⁻². Fifty-one species (24 annual and 27 perennial species) belonging to 18 families were identified, and 39% of these species belonged to the families Compositae and Gramineae. The pioneer species Artemisia scoparia dominated the seed bank, with an average seed density of 3,722 seeds m⁻², and accounted for 74.4% of the seeds in the bank. The local dominant species (such as Lespedeza davurica, Artemisia gmelinii, Bothriochloa ischaemun and Stipa bungeana) of the later succession stages also existed at densities varying from 17 to 1, 383 seeds m⁻². The combination of soil seed bank characteristics, reproductive traits of the species, the specific landscape conditions indicates that the potential to restoring the abandoned croplands in the hilly-gullied Loess Plateau via natural re-vegetation could be substantial.     

Effects of Alien Plants on Ecosystem Structure and Functioning and Implications for Restoration: Insights from Three Degraded Sites in South African Fynbos

We investigated the type and extent of degradation at three sites on the Agulhas Plain, South Africa: an old field dominated by the alien grass Pennisetum clandestinum Pers. (kikuyu), an abandoned Eucalyptus plantation, and a natural fynbos community invaded by nitrogen fixing—Australian Acacia species. These forms of degradation are representative of many areas in the region. By identifying the nature and degree of ecosystem degradation we aimed to determine appropriate strategies for restoration in this biodiversity hotspot. Vegetation surveys were conducted at degraded sites and carefully selected reference sites. Soil-stored propagule seed banks and macro- and micro-soil nutrients were determined. Species richness, diversity and native cover under Eucalyptus were extremely low compared to the reference site and alterations of the soil nutrients were the most severe. The cover of indigenous species under Acacia did not differ significantly from that in reference sites, but species richness was lower under Acacia and soils were considerably enriched. Native species richness was much lower in the kikuyu site, but soil nutrient status was similar to the reference site. Removal of the alien species alone may be sufficient to re-initiate ecosystem recovery at the kikuyu site, whereas active restoration is required to restore functioning ecosystems dominated by native species in the Acacia thicket and the Eucalyptus plantation. To restore native plant communities we suggest burning, mulching with sawdust and sowing of native species.     

Changes in Soil Aggregate,Carbon, and Nitrogen Storages Following the Conversion of Cropland to Alfalfa Forage Land in the Marginal Oasis of Northwest China

Maintenance of soil organic carbon (SOC) is important for sustainable use of soil resources due to the multiple effects of SOC on soil nutrient status and soil structural stability. The objective of this study was to identify the changes in soil aggregate distribution and stability, SOC, and nitrogen (N) concentrations after cropland was converted to perennial alfalfa (Medicago sativa L. Algonguin) grassland for 6 years in the marginal oasis of the middle of Hexi Corridor region, northwest China. Significant changes in the size distribution of dry-sieving aggregates and water-stable aggregates, SOC, and N concentrations occurred after the conversion from crop to alfalfa. SOC and N stocks increased by 20.2% and 18.5%, respectively, and the estimated C and N sequestration rates were 0.4 Mg C ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ and 0.04 Mg N ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ following the conversion. The large aggregate (>5 mm) was the most abundant dry aggregate size fraction in both crop and alfalfa soils, and significant difference in the distribution of dry aggregates between the two land use types occurred only in the >5 mm aggregate fraction. The percentage of water-stable macroaggregates (>2, 2–0.25 mm) and aggregate stability (mean weight diameter of water-stable aggregates, WMWD) were significantly higher in alfalfa soils than in crop soils. There was a significant linear relationship between total SOC concentration and aggregate parameters (mean weight diameter) for alfalfa soils, indicating that aggregate stability was closely associated with increased SOC concentration following the conversion of crops to alfalfa. The SOC and N concentrations and the C/N ratio were greatest in the >2 mm water-stable aggregates and the smallest in the 0.25–0.05 mm aggregates in crop and alfalfa soils. For the same aggregate, SOC and N concentrations in aggregate fractions increased with increasing total SOC and N concentrations. The result showed that the conversion of annual crops to alfalfa in the marginal land with coarse-texture soils can significantly increase SOC and N stocks, and improve soil structure.     

Relationship Between Woody Plant Colonization and Typha L. Encroachment in Stormwater Detention Basins

We studied stormwater detention basins where woody vegetation removal was suspended for 2 years in Virginia, USA to determine if woody vegetation can control Typha populations and how early woody plant succession interacts with Typha, other herbaceous vegetation, and site factors. Distribution and composition of woody vegetation, Typha and non-Typha herbaceous vegetation biomass, and site factors were assessed at 100 plots in four basins ranging in age from 7 to 17 years. A greenhouse study examined the interaction of shade and soil moisture on Typha biomass and persistence. Principal component analysis identified an environmental gradient associated with greater water table depths and decreased elevation that favored Typha but negatively influenced woody vegetation. Elevation was correlated with litter layer distribution, suggesting that initial topography influences subsequent environmental characteristics and thus plant communities. Soil organic matter at 0–10 cm ranged from 5.4 to 12.7 %. Woody plants present were native species with the exception of Ailanthus altissima and Pyrus calleryana. In the greenhouse, shade and reduced soil moisture decreased Typha biomass and rhizome length. The shade effect was strongest in flooded plants and the soil moisture effect was strongest for plants in full sun. Typha in dry soil and heavy shade had 95 % less total biomass and 83 % smaller rhizomes than Typha in flooded soil and full sun, but even moderate soil moisture reductions decreased above- and below-ground biomass by 63 and 56 %, respectively. Suspending maintenance allows restoration of woody vegetation dominated by native species and may suppress Typha invasion.     

The relationship between microbial carbon and the resource quality of soil carbon

The biological health of soil is an important aspect of soil quality because of the many critical functions performed by organisms in soil. Various indicators of soil quality have been proposed, but measurements of microbial biomass are most commonly used. During decomposition of plant residues in soil the relative intensities of the O-alkyl-C signal decreases and the alkyl-C signal increases in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra. This leads to the suggestion that the alkyl-C to O-alkyl-C ratio of a soil may indicate the degree of decomposition. Consequently, the overall resource quality of soil C as a substrate for heterotrophic microorganisms may be inversely related to the alkyl-C to O-alkyl-C ratio. Our hypothesis is that a relationship exists between the size of the soil microbial community (microbial biomass) and the quality of soil carbon as a resource for microorganisms. New data have been combined with previously published data to show that there was a significant, negative correlation between the biomass C to total C (Cmic, to Corg) ratio and the alkyl-C to O-alkyl-C ratio (p < 0.01), which supports our hypothesis.     

土壤质量微生物学指标研究概述

土壤微生物是表征土壤质量最有潜力的敏感性指标,高质量的土壤应具有稳定的微生物群落组成和结构、高微生物生物量及良好的微生物活性。本文从微生物的群落组成与多样性、微生物生物量和微生物活性3个方面进行了综述。微生物指标研究目前任务是确定一套评价土壤质量的微生物学指标最小参数集。建议今后加强土壤样品收集、储存、预处理及分析方法规范化,深层土壤微生物对土壤质量的作用及建立本底土壤微生物属性数据库等方面的研究。     

Arthropods in no-tillage soybean agroecosystems: Community composition and ecosystem interactions

Sampling data are provided and concepts discussed regarding soil and foliage arthropod communities in conventional and no-tillage soybean agroecosystems Soil arthropod communities from the two cropping systems were also compared with that from an adjacent old field. Biweekly arthropod samples were collected from conventional, no-tillage, and old-field systems Soil arthropods were sampled by quadrat and pitfall trap methods, foliage arthropods were collected by sweep net Quadrat sampling revealed that ground beetle number, species diversity, and biomass were significantly higher (P<0.05) in no-tillage than in conventional tillage systems. Pitfall trap data indicated higher densities and species diversity for most major soil macro-arthropod guilds Foliage arthropod guilds from no-tillage treatments showed higher species diversity throughout the growing season than those of conventional tillage, possibly because of greater structural diversity provided by weeds and litter in notillage systems No-tillage systems supported a larger and more diverse arthropod community than conventionally grown soybeans, suggesting a need for pest management strategies that simultaneously consider many variables. Both foliar grazing and leaf nitrogen content were higher in conventional than in no-tillage systems, indicating a possible causal connection between soil tillage and insect herbivory rates     

Changes in microbial biomass parameters of a heavy metal-contaminated calcareous soil during a field remediation experiment

Soil microbial biomass parameters give useful information about the restoration degree and quality of contaminated soils. These parameters were studied in a field experiment where the effect of two organic amendments on the bioavailability of heavy metals in an agricultural soil and on their accumulation in Beta vulgaris and Beta maritima was assessed. The soil was a calcareous Xeric Torriorthent and the total metal levels were (mg kg(-1)): 2706 Zn, 3235 Pb, and 39 Cu. The treatments were: fresh cow manure, olive husk, and inorganic fertilizer as a control. Two successive crops (B. vulgaris and B. maritima) were grown on the treated and untreated plots. The soil was sampled before each planting and after each harvest over a 15-mo period. Biomass C and N increased in all plots, especially in the organically amended ones. The ratio CO(2)-C/biomass C decreased in olive husk and manure-treated plots, in comparison with the control, and also during the experiment, suggesting a beneficial effect of the organic amendments. In olive husk-treated plots a significant increase in the ratio of biomass C/total organic carbon (TOC) with time was observed. This indicated a reduction of heavy metal stress on the microbial population. The amendments showed, in general, a beneficial effect on soil quality and fertility, while microbial biomass parameters were found to be useful indicators of the evolution of the remediation processes.     

Composition, species diversity, and biomass of the herbaceous community in dry tropical forest of northern India in relation to soil moisture and light intensity

Herb layer contributes substantially to the species diversity of forests and responds relatively quickly to changes in the environment. The objectives of the present study were to understand the relationships among tree canopy cover, soil moisture, light intensity, herbaceous diversity and biomass in a dry tropical forest of India. For this, 20 locations equally distributed in four sites were selected. Four quadrats, each 1?×?1?m in size, were randomly placed for sampling at each location. For each quadrat, tree canopy cover, incident light, soil moisture, herbaceous diversity, and biomass were determined. Results indicated that the selected locations differed in terms of tree canopy cover, soil moisture, light intensity, herbaceous diversity, and biomass. Principal component analysis (PCA), using importance value indices of the component species yielded four groups corresponding to the four communities. PCA axes were related to the tree canopy cover, light intensity, and soil moisture and suggested that these variables had a profound effect on the organization and determination of herbaceous floristic composition and diversity. Positive relationships of tree canopy cover with soil moisture, herbaceous diversity and biomass, and those of soil moisture with herbaceous diversity and biomass suggested that the tree canopies facilitated the herbaceous communities by modifying environmental conditions that ultimately improved the diversity and production. Further, the study showed a linear relationship of herbaceous diversity with biomass, indicating the importance of species diversity for generating primary production in forest herbs.     

Herbaceous vegetation productivity, persistence, and metals uptake on a biosolids-amended mine soil

The selection of plant species is critical for the successful establishment and long-term maintenance of vegetation on reclaimed surface mined soils. A study was conducted to assess the capability of 16 forage grass and legume species in monocultures and mixes to establish and thrive on a reclaimed Appalachian surface mine amended with biosolids. The 0.15-ha coarse-textured, rocky, non-acid forming mined site was prepared for planting by grading to a 2% slope and amending sandstone overburden materials with a mixture of composted and dewatered, anaerobically digested biosolids at a rate of 368 Mg ha(-1) (dry weight). Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.), orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.), switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), caucasian bluestem (Bothriochloa caucasia L.), reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.), ladino clover (Trifolium repens L.), birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.), crownvetch (Coronilla varia L.), alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), common sericea lespedeza and AULotan sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata L.), tall fescue-ladino clover, tall fescue-alfalfa, orchardgrass-birdsfoot trefoil, switchgrass-AULotan, and an herbaceous species mix intended for planting on reforested sites consisting of foxtail millet [Setaria italica (L.) Beauv.], perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), redtop (Agrostis alba L.), kobe lespedeza (Kummerowia striata L.), appalow lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata L.), and birdsfoot trefoil were established between spring 1990 and 1991. Vegetative biomass and/or persistence were assessed in 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, and 2002. The high rate of biosolids applied provided favorable soil chemical properties but could not overcome physical property limitations due to shallow undeveloped soil perched atop a compacted soil layer at 25 cm depth. The plant species whose persistence and biomass production were the greatest after a decade or more of establishment (i.e., switchgrass, sericea lespedeza, reed canarygrass, tall fescue, and crownvetch) shared the physiological and reproductive characteristics of low fertility requirements, drought and moisture tolerance, and propagation by rhizome and/or stolons. Of these five species, two (tall fescue and sericea lespedeza) are or have been seeded commonly on Appalachian coal surface mines, and often dominate abandoned pasture sites. Despite the high rates of heavy metal-bearing biosolids applied to the soil, plant uptake of Cd, Cu, Ni, and Zn were well within critical concentrations more than a decade after establishment of the vegetation.     

The potential of pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.) in Africa

Pigeonpea is a tropical grain legume grown mainly in India. Though largely considered an orphan crop, pigeonpea has a huge untapped potential for improvement both in quantity and quality of production in Africa. More than any other legume adapted to the region, pigeonpea uniquely combines optimal nutritional profiles, high tolerance to environmental stresses, high biomass productivity and most nutrient and moisture contributions to the soil. The legume can be utilized in several diverse ways while the high genetic variability that exists within the cultivated and wild relatives remains to be explored for further uses. This article highlights the need for popularizing pigeonpea as a major legume crop in Africa. The main constraints to productivity are discussed and recent breeding efforts in Africa highlighted. Important opportunities for improvement are further provided.     

Dump Stability and Soil Fertility of a Coal Mine Spoil in Indian Dry Tropical Environment: A Long-Term Study

Plant available nitrogen, belowground (root) biomass, soil nitrogen (N) mineralization and microbial biomass N (MBN) were studied for 12 years at the interval of 2 years (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12?years) and mine dump stability at the intervals of 6 years (0, 6 and 12?years) after re-vegetation on coal mine spoil site. Plant available nitrogen in revegetated mine spoil ranged from 4.51 to 6.59?μg?g(-1), net N-mineralization from 1.87 to 13.85?μg?g(-1)?month(-1), MBN from 10 to 22.63?μg?g(-1), and root biomass from 28 to 566 g(-2). Mining activity has caused a change in soil characteristics including plant available nutrients like nitrate-N, ammonium-N and phosphate-P by 70, 67, and 76?%, respectively, N-mineralization by 93?%, root biomass values by 97?% and MBN values by 91?% compared to forest ecosystems. Revegetation of mine spoil produced increase in root biomass values by 1.3, 7.6 and 17.2 times, mineral N values by 1.22, 1.43 and 1.79 times, N-mineralization values by 1.8, 5.2 and 12.6 times and MBN values by 1.6, 2.0, and 3.4 times in 2, 6 and 12?years, respectively. Below ground biomass was highly co-related with microbial biomass and plant available nutrients. N-mineralization, plant available nutrients and the clay content were positively correlated with age of revegetation (P?相似文献