Winter diet of reed bunting Emberiza schoeniclus in fallow and stubble fields

An analysis of droppings collected in winter on unused fields in SW Poland (fallow, stubble of root crop, vegetable and cereal) showed that the base of the reed bunting Emberiza schoeniclus diet were seeds of annual weed species: Chenopodium album (74.06% of all recorded seed species), Amaranthus retroflexus (16.05%), Setaria viridis (9.50%), Stellaria media (0.21%), Fumaria officinalis (0.01%). The share of dominant weed species in the diet of reed bunting wintering on particular types of fields varied markedly. In the droppings from fallows and cereal stubbles, C. album clearly dominated (respectively, 88.60 and 66.12%). The highest proportion of A. retroflexus and S. viridis was detected in the diet of birds staying on root crop stubbles (respectively, 45.56 and 23.90%). The most diverse food composition was found in the case of birds feeding on root crops and the least diverse on fallows.     

Pollinator insects benefit from rotational fallows

The importance of rotational fallows for pollinating insects in intensively cultivated farmland was studied in a three-year field experiment. The focus was on the establishment method (undersowing or seed mixture sown post-tillage), seed mixture (competitive Festuca pratensis-Phleum pratense-Trifolium pratense or less competitive Agrostis capillaris-Festuca ovina mixture) and duration (1 or 2 years) of the fallow. The seed mixture and duration affected the pollinators more than the method of establishment. Pollinator species richness was higher in fallows sown with less competitive than with competitive grasses and it increased in the second year. Stubble fields reached as high pollinator species richness already during the first year as fallows with less competitive grasses did in the second year. Pollinator abundance was highest in those treatments in which species richness of flowering plants was highest. The results suggest that the benefits of rotational fallows for pollinators increase when they are established as stubble or using seeds of less competitive grasses and when the field is fallowed for (at least) two summers.     

Effects of management cessation on grassland butterflies in southern Poland

The effects of natural succession and invasions of indigenous reed Phragmites australis and alien goldenrods Solidago sp. on butterfly communities of wet grassland were investigated in Kraków (southern Poland) after management cessation.The total number of species and individuals, mean number of species per survey and a species diversity (Shannon-Wiener index) were highest in fallow lands, old fallow lands and young forests, and the lowest in fallow lands invaded by reed and goldenrod and in mature forests. These results (1) reveal the importance of extensively mown meadows and fallow land for butterflies, (2) indicate that meadow restoration is still possible even several decades after abandonment and (3) show that invasion of reed and non-native goldenrods should be prevented.A few very rare species included in the Habitat Directive (Lycaena dispar, Lycaena helle, Maculinea teleius and Maculinea nausithous) were common on the wet grasslands in Krakow, thus the area should be protected. Moreover, it was shown that the presence and relative abundance of Maculinea butterflies were good indicators of general butterfly species richness and abundance in the investigated wet grasslands.     

冬季绿肥对黄土高原旱作春玉米农田土壤温室气体排放的影响

利用田间试验研究了冬季绿肥对旱作春玉米农田土壤温室气体排放的影响.试验设燕麦、小扁豆、燕麦与小扁豆混播和裸地休闲共4个处理,采用静态箱-气相色谱法对冬闲期和春玉米生长期间土壤温室气体（CO₂、N₂ O和CH₄）排放通量进行观测.结果表明,旱作春玉米-冬季绿肥种植系统土壤是CO₂、N₂ O的排放源和CH₄的吸收汇.与裸地休闲相比,燕麦和小扁豆在冬闲期对土壤CO₂累积排放量没有影响,但在春玉米生长期间导致土壤CO₂累积排放量分别增加了7.77%和25.7%（P<0.05）,混播导致冬闲期和春玉米生长期间土壤CO₂累积排放量分别增加了19.1%和14.5%（P<0.05）.种植燕麦后冬闲期和春玉米生长期间土壤N₂ O累积排放量较裸地休闲分别降低了11.6%和14.7%（P<0.05）,而小扁豆分别增加了31.9%和14.9%（P<0.05）;混播导致冬闲期土壤N₂ O累积排放量降低了19.2%（P<0.05）,但在春玉米生长期间差异不显著.与裸地休闲相比,燕麦、小扁豆和混播冬闲期土壤CH₄累积吸收量分别降低了37.9%、23.6%和29.6%（P<0.05）,春玉米生长期间分别降低了19.4%、33.5%和31.5%（P<0.05）,其中小扁豆和混播在冬闲期和春玉米生长期间差异均不显著.燕麦较裸地休闲在农田综合增温潜势（GWP）、春玉米产量和温室气体排放强度（GHGI）差异均不显著.小扁豆和混播显著提高了GWP,其中小扁豆显著高于混播.而与裸地休闲相比,小扁豆和混播分别提高了春玉米产量的20.3%和15.4%（P<0.05）,但对GHGI没有显著影响.综合考虑GWP、春玉米产量和GHGI,本地区冬闲期间将小扁豆和燕麦二者混播能增加春玉米产量的同时有效降低土壤温室气体排放强度.     

Eight years of annual no-till cropping in Washington's winter wheat-summer fallow region

The tillage-based winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)-summer fallow (WW-SF) cropping system has dominated dryland farming in the Pacific Northwest USA for 125 years. We conducted a large-scale multidisciplinary 8-year study of annual (i.e., no summer fallow) no-till cropping systems as an alternative to WW-SF. Soft white and hard white classes of winter and spring wheat, spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), yellow mustard (Brassica hirta Moench), and safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) were grown in various rotation combinations. Annual precipitation was less than the long-term average of 301 mm in 7 out of 8 years. Rhizoctonia bare patch disease caused by the fungus Rhizoctonia solani AG-8 appeared in year 3 and continued through year 8 in all no-till plots. All crops were susceptible to rhizoctonia, but bare patch area in wheat was reduced, and grain yield increased, when wheat was grown in rotation with barley every other year. Remnant downy brome (Bromus tectorum L.) weed seeds remained dormant for 6 years and longer to heavily infest recrop winter wheat. There were few quantifiable changes in soil quality due to crop rotation, but soil organic carbon (SOC) increased in the surface 0–5 cm depth with no-till during the 8 years to approach that found in undisturbed native soil. Annual no-till crop rotations experienced lower average profitability and greater income variability compared to WW-SF. Yellow mustard and safflower were not economically viable. Continuous annual cropping using no-till provides excellent protection against wind erosion and shows potential to increase soil quality, but the practice involves high economic risk compared to WW-SF. This paper provides the first comprehensive multidisciplinary report of long-term alternative annual no-till cropping systems research in the low-precipitation region of the Pacific Northwest.     

Slash and burn agriculture at higher elevations in North-Eastern India. I. Sediment,water and nutrient losses

The hydrology and the pattern of sediment and nutrient loss through water that may occur under ‘slash and burn’ agriculture (jhum) at the time of cropping, as well as during the subsequent fallow development, was studied at higher elevations of Meghalaya, north-eastern India and compared with terrace cultivation. A comparison of an agro-ecosystem under a 10-year jhum cycle with that under a 5-year cycle suggests that the loss of sediment, water and nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus is greater under the latter, though cationic losses show a reverse trend. All losses were markedly reduced during fallow development during secondary succession. Terrace cultivation resulted in a general reduction of water and nutrient loss. However, these losses increased during the second year of terrace cultivation.While jhum cannot be sustained with the shorter cycle introduced in recent times, terracing does not seem to offer an alternative.     

水质改善的浮游植物群落演替机制模拟研究

模拟了广州市某河流的不同水质改善阶段,并研究其对铜绿微囊藻（Microcystis aeruginosa）、斜生栅藻（Scenedesmus obliquus）、短线脆杆藻（Fragilaria brevistriata）和易变裸藻（Euglena mutabilis）生长及超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）活性的影响.同时,考察了由4种藻类构成的人工群落的生长特征和群落演替率,以探讨河流水质改善过程中浮游植物群落演替机制.结果表明：4种藻类对氮、磷营养盐和COD_Cr等胁迫的响应程度差异及种间相互竞争作用等是水质改善过程中导致浮游植物群落演替的影响因素;水质改善初期（1~3 d）,群落演替率与改善程度呈显著的正相关关系（p<0.05）;但较长时间（约13 d）处于相对稳定的环境条件下时,群落演替速率将趋于零,从而达到一个新的稳定状态.水质的不断改善将导致浮游植物的种类和数量呈现出蓝藻和裸藻逐渐减少,而绿藻和硅藻逐渐增多的变化趋势.     

内蒙古羊草草原根呼吸和土壤微生物呼吸区分的研究

利用根生物量回归法对内蒙古锡林河流域羊草草原根呼吸和土壤微生物呼吸进行了区分.结果表明,根呼吸占土壤呼吸的比例在13%~52%之间,平均为(24±3)%;土壤微生物呼吸占土壤呼吸的比例在48%~87%之间,平均为(76±3)%.土壤呼吸与根生物量的线性相关性不稳定.根呼吸活力与根冠比具有负指数相关关系(R2=0.661,P=0.20),与0~10、10~20、20~30和30~40 cm土壤含水量均有极显著的正指数相关关系(P<0.000 1).根呼吸与根呼吸活力具有极显著的指数相关关系(R2=0.848,P=0.01),根呼吸对土壤呼吸的贡献量与根呼吸活力具有显著的指数相关关系(R2=0.818,P=0.01).     

镉在三色堇中的积累及亚细胞与化学形态分布

通过营养液培养实验,研究了在不同Cd浓度(0、0.01、0.05、0.1、0.2、0.3、0.4 mmol·L-1)处理下,三色堇地下部和地上部中Cd的含量与积累特征,进一步分析了Cd在三色堇体内的亚细胞分布特征和化学形态分布特征.结果表明,三色堇体内Cd积累量随着Cd浓度的增加而不断增加,对Cd具有很高的积累能力,是一种潜在的Cd超富集植物.三色堇地下部和地上部大部分的Cd分布在可溶组分和细胞壁中,而在细胞器中的分布较少.随着Cd处理浓度的增加,地下部细胞壁中镉的分配比例呈增加趋势.植株中大部分的Cd以乙醇提取态和水取提态存在,随着Cd处理浓度的增加,地上部中活性强、毒性较高的乙醇提取态和水提取态Cd分配比例总和减少,而活性较弱、毒性较低的氯化钠提取态和醋酸提取态Cd分配比例增加,这有利于降低总镉的相对毒性.因此,液泡区隔化、细胞壁固持和化学形态转化可能是三色堇应对Cd胁迫的重要耐性机制.     

Effects of idle time on biological phosphorus removal by sequencing batch reactors

Three identical sequencing batch reactors （SBRs） were operated to investigate the effects of various idle times on the biological phosphorus （P） removal. The idle times were set to 3 hr （R1）, 10 hr （R2） and 17 hr （R3）. The results showed that the idle time of a SBR had potential impact on biological phosphorus removal, especially when the influent phosphorus concentration increased. The phosphorus removal efficiencies of the R2 and R3 systems declined dramatically compared with the stable R1 system, and the Prelease and P-uptake rates of the R3 system in particular decreased dramatically. The PCR-DGGE analysis showed that uncultured Pseudomonas sp. （GQ183242.1） and β-Proteobacteria （AY823971） were the dominant phosphorus removal bacteria for the R1 and R2 systems, while uncultured γ-Proteobacteria were the dominant phosphorus removal bacteria for the R3 system. Glycogen-accumulating organisms （GAOs）, such as uncultured Sphingomonas sp. （AM889077）, were found in the R2 and R3 systems. Overall, the R1 system was the most stable and exhibited the best phosphorus removal efficiency. It was found that although the idle time can be prolonged to allow the formation of intracellular polymers when the phosphorus concentration of the influent is low, systems with a long idle time can become unstable when the influent phosphorus concentration is increased.     

Competition between maize and pigeonpea in semi-arid Tanzania: Effect on yields and nutrition of crops

Productivity of maize–pigeonpea cropping systems is dependent on facilitative and competitive interactive effects on resource availability. Controlling these interactions may benefit farmers through increased productivity associated with optimized crop yields. Previous research on maize–pigeonpea culture in Sub-Saharan Africa has focused on yield and soil fertility, but provided inadequate information on the mechanisms of possible interspecific competition. We employed a factorial field experiment to examine yield and nutritional responses of maize and pigeonpea to cropping systems (sole maize, intercropping, and improved fallow), N and P fertilizer additions, and cattle manure additions in Dodoma, Tanzania. The study objectives were to assess competition between crops and to determine how manure or fertilizer inputs may mitigate such interactions to improve yields. Intercropping enhanced maize yield over sole maize only when fertilized, reflecting probable nutrient competition. Improved fallows alone or with fertilizers (1.2–1.6 Mg ha⁻¹) increased maize yields over sole maize (0.6 Mg ha⁻¹). These increases were attributed to pigeonpea facilitation through soil nutrient replenishment, reduced competition associated with sequential cropping arrangements, and added nutrients from fertilization. Combined fertilizer and manure applications also improved maize and pigeonpea yields. Plant nutrient diagnosis indicated primary and secondary P and Ca deficiencies, respectively associated with P-fixation and leaching of cations due to high soil acidity and exchangeable Al. Maize competed strongly in mixture suppressing biomass and grain yields of the unfertilized pigeonpea by 60% and 33%, respectively due to limited soil nutrients and/or moisture. These yield reductions suggest that the intercropped pigeonpea did not recover from competition after maize harvesting that reduced competition. Optimizing yields of both maize and pigeonpea would require the addition of prescribed fertilizer when intercropped, but applications can be reduced by half under the improved fallow system due to alleviating interspecific competition.     

丛枝菌根真菌在矿区生态环境修复中应用及其作用效果

针对煤矿区生态环境修复中存在的主要问题,研究丛枝菌根真菌与紫穗槐共生状况,丛枝菌根真菌对紫穗槐根系发育的影响及其对煤炭开采塌陷区退化土壤的改良效应.结果表明,接种菌根5个月后,接种丛枝菌根促进紫穗槐地上部分和根系生长,提高了紫穗槐根系侵染率;接种区紫穗槐根际土壤中球囊霉素、易提取球囊霉素含量显著增加;接种菌根提高了紫穗槐根际土壤有效磷和有机质含量,微生物数量明显提高,取得较好的菌根生态效应.接种菌根有利于对矿区根际土壤的改良,促进了矿区生态系统稳定,对维持矿区生态系统的持续性具有重要意义.     

生物结皮的发育演替与微生物生物量变化

生物结皮在荒漠地区的生态恢复中具有重要的生态学意义,且不同发育演替阶段的结皮具有不同的生态功能.通过野外调查、显微观察结合微生物定量分析对腾格里沙漠东南缘沙坡头地区生物结皮的发育演替进行了研究.结果表明该地区的生物结皮一般按照"藻结皮→地衣结皮→藓结皮"的模式发育演替.随着结皮的发育演替,光合生物生物量逐渐增加,微藻生物量却呈现先增加后减少的趋势.其中,具鞘微鞘藻(Microcoleus vaginatus)作为结皮藻类中的第一优势种,在藻结皮中生物量最大,达到0.33 mm3·g-1,而爪哇伪枝藻(Scytonema javanicum)和(一种)念珠藻(Nostoc sp.)在晚期的地衣结皮中生物量达到最大.另外,研究发现异养微生物生物量在藻结皮中开始增加,但在地衣结皮中呈下降的趋势,最后在藓结皮中异养微生物生物量再次增加并达到最大.其中细菌数量的增加与结皮有机碳、Na+含量的增加显著相关(P<0.05),真菌数量的增加与K+、Na+含量的增加显著相关(P<0.05).本研究观察了沙坡头地区生物结皮发育演替的模式,并从环境适应与功能需求的角度探讨了生物结皮发育演替过程中微生物生物量的变化特征,对于理解结皮的发育演替以及荒漠化地区生态恢复过程中结皮的维护管理具有重要的理论与实践意义.     

Slash and burn agriculture at higher elevations in north-eastern India. II. Soil fertility changes

The effect of ‘slash and burn’ agriculture (jhum) on soil fertility at higher elevations of Meghalaya, north-eastern India was investigated, comparing and contrasting 15, 10 and 5-year jhum cycles. The pH of the surface soil increased after the burn and gradually decreased during cropping and subsequent fallow development. Nutrients such as carbon and nitrogen are volatilized by the burn and declined, at least in the initial phase of cropping. However, nitrogen recovery started during the later phase of cropping. Available phosphorus followed a more or less similar pattern as nitrogen. On the other hand, cations increased markedly after the burn and were depleted during cropping. In general, the nutrient level under a 5-year jhum cycle was significantly lower than under 10 and 15-year cycles. The recovery pattern during fallow development had an initial phase of depletion, up to about 5 years, followed by recovery. This suggests that a jhum cycle of 5 years, now prevalent in the region, is definitely too short. The generally lower nutrient status under a terrace system after cropping, even when compared to a 5-year jhum cycle, suggests that a terrace system could not be sustained without a heavy input of fertilizers.     

生物质炭对双季稻田土壤反硝化功能微生物的影响

目前,基于田间条件下生物质炭添加对稻田反硝化微生物的调控效应还不甚明确.为此,本研究采用小区试验,通过在双季稻田添加不同量的小麦秸秆生物质炭(0、24和48 t·hm-2,分别用CK、LC和HC代表),结合实时荧光定量PCR(q PCR)和末端限制性片段长度多态性(T-RFLP)分析技术,研究了生物质炭添加对双季稻田休闲季和水稻季土壤反硝化微生物相关功能基因(调控硝酸还原酶的nar G基因,亚硝酸还原酶的nir K基因和氧化亚氮还原酶的nos Z基因)的影响.由于生物质炭呈碱性,添加到土壤后,可提高稻田休闲季土壤p H 0. 2～0. 8个单位.生物质炭本身含有部分可溶性N,因此,添加生物质炭可增加休闲季土壤铵态氮(NH_4~+-N)和硝态氮(NO_3~--N)含量,增幅分别达21. 1%～32. 5%和63. 0%～176. 0%,但由于其吸附作用,降低了水稻季NH_4~+-N含量48. 8%～60. 1%.生物质炭添加增加了休闲季微生物生物量氮(MBN)含量,这可能是由于生物质炭较大的比表面积为微生物生存提供了适宜的环境,可利用养分的增加促进了微生物的生长.与对照相比,休闲季生物质炭引起的NH_4~+-N和NO_3~--N含量增加,促进NH_4~+-N向NO_3~--N的转化,进而增加nar G和nos Z的基因丰度(P0. 05),同时,生物质炭处理p H的提高促进了nos Z的基因丰度的增加,显著改变了反硝化功能基因nar G和nos Z的群落结构,并以此对反硝化作用产生影响,但未对休闲季氧化亚氮(N_2O)排放产生影响.而在水稻季,生物质炭增加了土壤nos Z的基因丰度(P 0. 05),HC处理增加了nir K基因丰度(P 0. 05),这也是导致水稻季HC处理N_2O排放增加的重要原因.生物质炭通过降低水稻季土壤NH_4~+-N含量,改变了nir K和nos Z基因的群落结构,而nar G基因群落结构的变化影响了土壤N_2O排放.综上所述,生物质炭可通过改变双季稻田土壤性质,来影响参与土壤反硝化作用的相关微生物,进而影响土壤N_2O排放及NO_3~--N的淋失.     

休耕对抚仙湖周边农田土壤剖面和浅层地下水中氮累积的影响

减少外源氮投入能有效降低农田土壤氮累积和地下水氮污染,休耕是减少外源氮投入的重要措施之一.为探讨农田休耕对土壤剖面和浅层地下水中氮累积的影响,以抚仙湖周边农田土壤剖面和浅层地下水为研究对象,分析了休耕前（2017年12月）和休耕后（2020年8月和2021年4月）农田0~100 cm土壤剖面氮累积和浅层地下水中氮浓度的变化及其两者的关系.结果表明:休耕显著降低了土壤剖面氮含量和储量,休耕后0~30、30~60和60~100 cm土壤剖面TN、ON、DTN、NO₃ ^--N和NH₄ ⁺-N含量分别降低18.4 %~36.5 %、16.1 %~26.8 %、54.0 %~130.2 %、59.5 %~90.8 %和60.1 %~110.6 %.休耕前0~100 cm土壤TN、ON、DTN、 NO₃ ^--N和NH₄ ⁺-N储量分别为（17.20 ±0.97）t·hm^-2、（15.50 ±1.23）t·hm^-2、（0.68 ±0.06）t·hm^-2、（266.8 ±31.17）kg·hm^-2和（18.7 ±3.04）kg·hm^-2,休耕后各形态氮储量分别下降了25.5 %、23.3 %、44.7 %、80.1 %和59.9 %.休耕也改变了浅层地下水中氮浓度和形态构成,休耕后地下水中TN、ON、NO₃ ^--N和NH₄ ⁺-N浓度分别下降了88.4 %、82.7 %、92.1 %、65.8 %,ON/TN和NH₄ ⁺-N/TN从休耕前的26 %和6 %升高至休耕后的39 %和17 %,而NO₃ ^--N/TN从休耕前的61 %降至休耕后的41 %.地下水氮浓度和形态变化与休耕前后土壤中DTN、NH₄ ⁺-N、NO₃ ^--N和地下水中pH、ORP、DO等因素密切相关.可见,休耕有效降低了农田土壤剖面氮累积,缓解了浅层地下水氮污染,有利于防止高原湖泊的水质恶化.     

接种内生细菌对龙葵吸收积累镉的影响

通过在LB培养基中加入不同浓度的镉,从镉超富集植物龙葵植株内分离到3株很强的镉抗性内生菌株N1、N2、N4,最高耐受镉浓度达300 mg·L^-1.通过生理生化鉴定和16S rDNA序列分析,初步确定N1为芽孢杆菌属（Bacillus sp.）细菌,N2为肠杆菌属（Enterobacter sp.）细菌,N4为巨大芽孢杆菌（Bacillus megaterium）.将龙葵种植在含有一定镉（50 mg·kg^-1）的土壤中进行盆栽试验,以灌根的方式分别接种分离到的3株细菌及其混菌组合,并对其株高、生物量及镉吸收能力进行分析.结果显示,N4菌株处理的龙葵叶、茎、根部镉含量比不接菌对照分别增加32.94%、14.50%、23.44%,差异显著（p<0.05）;接种N1+N2+N4混菌的处理龙葵叶、茎和根干重分别比不接菌对照高出118.22%、109.83%和113.01%,植株地上和地下镉吸收总量分别增加109.53%和83.01%,差异显著.试验表明供试菌株能显著促进植株生长,强化龙葵吸收土壤中镉的能力.     

Diagnosis on the sustainability of an upland cropping system of southern Haiti

An impact assessment of current upland cropping systems in Haiti was carried out using a combined experimental and agronomic survey approach on fields that were chosen as being representative of the diversity of land use practices and intensities. These cropping systems were mostly developed on ferralsols with differing degrees of weathering owing to the varying depths to the limestone bedrock. Three soil types for which the CEC of the mineral fraction was less than 3, 4–7, or 11–18 cmol₍₊₎ kg⁻¹ were distinguished. The study shows that apart from phosphorus, soil cation availability (K, Mg) is the most limiting factor for a successful bean crop. With the insertion of a fertilized cabbage crop into the rotation, the soil bioavailable P at the sowing of the bean–maize intercrop (BMI) did not significantly increase, whereas the exchangeable K content of the soils increased from 0.22 to 0.38 and led to a significant increase in the bean yield from 654 to 1079 kg ha⁻¹. It is clear that the trend of the cropping systems towards a shorter fallow period, increasing frequency of the BMI and introduction of N–P–K fertilizers, may all increase crop production in the short term. However, these changes are unlikely to lead to sustained benefits. One of the potential risks is the soil Mg depletion due to K fertilization as revealed by a microlysimeter experiment. Another risk is the increased proportion of plants with bean root diseases, due to the shortening of the BMI rotation interval. The proportion of plants with bean root diseases increased from 7 to 22% in 1989 and from 10 to 39% in 1990, when the bean rotation interval was reduced from 3 to 1 years. Another risk is the spatial spread of fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) from the plots covered with residues of a preceding maize crop, to the neighboring plots recently sown with maize. Future research should therefore focus on optimizing the K:Mg ratio of fertilizer, breeding bean varieties resistant to Fusarium disease, diversifying the range of crops cultivated, and management of the maize residues. The evolution of the cropping systems in the last 10 years is somewhat consistent with the diagnosis made about 15 years earlier.     

A comparison on the phytoremediation ability of triazophos by different macrophytes

The strategy of choosing suitable plants should receive great performance in phytoremediation of surface water polluted by triazophos(O,O-diethyl-O-(1-phenyl-1,2,4-triazol-3-base) sulfur phosphate, TAP), which is an organophosphorus pesticide widespread applied for agriculture in China and moderately toxic to higher animal and fish. The tolerance, uptake, transformation and removal of TAP by twelve species of macrophytes were examined in a hydroponic system and a comprehensive score(CS) of five parameters(relative growth rate(RGR), biomass, root/shoot ratio, removal capacity(RC), and bio-concentration factor(BCF)) by factor analysis was employed to screen the potential macrophyte species for TAP phytoremediation. The results showed that Thalia dealbata, Cyperus alternifolius, Canna indica and Acorus calamus had higher RGR values, indicating these four species having stronger growth capacity under TAP stress. The higher RC loading in Iris pseudacorus and Cyperus rotundus were 42.11 and 24.63 μg/(g fw·day), respectively. The highest values of BCF occurred in A. calamus(1.17), and TF occurred in Eichhornia crassipes(2.14). Biomass and root/shoot ratio of plant showed significant positive correlation with first-order kinetic constant of TAP removal in the hydroponic system, indicating that plant biomass and root system play important roles in remediation of TAP. Five plant species including C. alternifolius, A. calamus, T. dealbata, C. indica and Typha orientalis, which owned higher CS, would be potential species for TAP phytoremediation of contaminated water bodies.     

The population ecology of Datura ferox in soybean crops. A simulation approach incorporating seed dispersal

A numerical model for simulating the population dynamics of Datura ferox L. (chamico, chinese thronapple) has been built based on previously reported data. In the model, a soybean field is divided into 0.7×0.7-m conceptual modules. A seed production sub-model simulates the annual seed output of each module, and a seed dispersal sub-model simulates the distribution of these propagules within the field in accordance to a specified dispersal pattern. Different model scenarios were generated by varying the proportion of seeds lost from the soil bank, the annual recruitment, the seedling mortality and the proportion of seeds exported from the field during crop harvest. The results obtained by simulation suggest that (1) seed dispersal due to crop harvesting tends to produce an exponential growth of weed seed production, (2) limited or no success could be attained in the control of D. ferox using procedures that kill the seedlings efficiently if combine harvesters are not adjusted so as to maximize the proportion of weed seeds that are exported from the field and (3) if cleaning debris continues to be returned to the ground during crop harvesting, the improvement in the efficiency of the grain/weed separating mechanisms does not provide an effective long-term strategy to avoid grain contamination problems.