Nitrogen dynamics in an Australian semiarid grassland soil

We conducted a four-week laboratory incubation of soil from a Themeda triandra Forsskal grassland to clarify mechanisms of nitrogen (N) cycling processes in relation to carbon (C) and N availability in a hot, semiarid environment. Variation in soil C and N availability was achieved by collecting soil from either under tussocks or the bare soil between tussocks, and by amending soil with Themeda litter. We measured N cycling by monitoring: dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), ammonium (NH4+), and nitrate (NO3-) contents, gross rates of N mineralization and microbial re-mineralization, NH4+ and NO3- immobilization, and autotrophic and heterotrophic nitrification. We monitored C availability by measuring cumulative soil respiration and dissolved organic C (DOC). Litter-amended soil had cumulative respiration that was eightfold greater than non-amended soil (2000 compared with 250 microg C/g soil) and almost twice the DOC content (54 compared with 28 microg C/g soil). However, litter-amended soils had only half as much DON accumulation as non-amended soils (9 compared with 17 microg N/g soil) and lower gross N rates (1-4 compared with 13-26 microg N x [g soil](-1) x d(-1)) and NO3- accumulation (0.5 compared with 22 microg N/g soil). Unamended soil from under tussocks had almost twice the soil respiration as soil from between tussocks (300 compared with 175 microg C/g soil), and greater DOC content (33 compared with 24 microg C/g soil). However, unamended soil from under tussocks had lower gross N rates (3-20 compared with 17-31 microg N x [g soil](-1) d(-1)) and NO3- accumulation (18 compared with 25 microg N/g soil) relative to soil from between tussocks. We conclude that N cycling in this grassland is mediated by both C and N limitations that arise from the patchiness of tussocks and seasonal variability in Themeda litterfall. Heterotrophic nitrification rate explained >50% of total nitrification, but this percentage was not affected by proximity to tussocks or litter amendment. A conceptual model that considers DON as central to N cycling processes provided a useful initial framework to explain results of our study. However, to fully explain N cycling in this semiarid grassland soil, the production of NO3- from organic N sources must be included in this model.     

Mature and old-growth riparian forests: structure, dynamics, and effects on Adirondack stream habitats.

Riparian forests regulate linkages between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, yet relationships among riparian forest development, stand structure, and stream habitats are poorly understood in many temperate deciduous forest systems. Our research has (1) described structural attributes associated with old-growth riparian forests and (2) assessed linkages between these characteristics and in-stream habitat structure. The 19 study sites were located along predominantly first- and second-order streams in northern hardwood-conifer forests in the Adirondack Mountains of New York (U.S.A.). Sites were classified as mature forest (6 sites), mature with remnant old-growth trees (3 sites), and old-growth (10 sites). Forest-structure attributes were measured over stream channels and at varying distances from each bank. In-stream habitat features such as large woody debris (LWD), pools, and boulders were measured in each stream reach. Forest structure was examined in relation to stand age using multivariate techniques, ANOVA, and linear regression. We investigated linkages between forest structure and stream characteristics using similar methods, preceded by information-theoretic modeling (AIC). Old-growth riparian forest structure is more complex than that found in mature forests and exhibits significantly greater accumulations of aboveground tree biomass, both living and dead. In-stream LWD volumes were significantly (alpha = 0.05) greater at old-growth sites (200 m3/ha) compared to mature sites (34 m3/ha) and were strongly related to the basal area of adjacent forests. In-stream large-log densities correlated strongly with debris-dam densities. AIC models that included large-log density, debris-dam density, boulder density, and bankfull width had the most support for predicting pool density. There were higher proportions of LWD-formed pools relative to boulder-formed pools at old-growth sites as compared to mature sites. Old-growth riparian forests provide in-stream habitat features that have not been widely recognized in eastern North America, representing a potential benefit from late-successional riparian forest management and conservation. Riparian management practices (including buffer delineation and restorative silvicultural approaches) that emphasize development and maintenance of late-successional characteristics are recommended where the associated in-stream effects are desired.     

不同施氮水平对玉米产量、氮素利用效率及土壤无机氮含量的影响

通过研究不同施氮水平对玉米产量、氮素利用率及土壤硝态氮(NO3--N)和铵态氮(NH4+-N)残留量的影响,为氮肥的合理利用提供依据.在黑龙江省农业科学院科技园区布置田间小区试验,结果显示:玉米产量随施氮量增加而增加,施氮量为165 kg·hm-2时,氮肥利用率最高,当施氮量高于165 kg·hm-2,产量反而有降低的趋势,过量施氮也并不能增加玉米对氮素的吸收,因而氮素利用率也随施氮量的增加而降低.玉米收获后土壤剖面无机态氮质量分数的变化因施氮量的不同而表现出差异,0~80 cm土层硝态氮积累量随氮肥输入量的增加而显著增加,以表层(0~40 cm)硝态氮质量分数最高,中间层(60~80 cm)质量分数最低,100 cm以下土层以施氮量为165 kg·hm-2的处理土壤硝态氮积累量最低,降低了硝态氮淋溶风险;铵态氮的质量分数相对较低,不同的施氮量对土壤铵态氮质量分数的影响主要在0~20 cm土层,铵态氮质量分数与施氮量并无显著的相关关系.综合考虑玉米产量、氮素利用率与生态环境效益,以165 kg·hm-2(优化施氮量)为最佳氮肥施用量.     

Seasonal variation of soil carbon and nitrogen under five typical Pinus massoniana forests

Five different typical Pinus massoniana forests were sampled in the Guizhou Province to evaluate the effects of seasons on soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (STN), and inorganic nitrogen (SIN) in these forests. More seasonal variation occurred in the topsoil than in lower layers. The SOC and STN contents varied the least amongst the soil layers, but the SIN contents had the largest values and ranges during autumn. Carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (C/N) exhibited neither a vertical change nor a seasonal trend. C/N was either maximal or minimal depending upon the sites during autumn, indicating that ecological process during summer soils would strongly change this. More gravel content resulted in higher litter stock, SOC, and STN level in low-productivity forests. A low phosphorus level might result in low SOC and STN contents in clay-rich soils. Low litter stock and clay content will result in low SOC and STN levels in coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forests in contrast to pure forests. The SOC and soil N contents in P. massoniana forests are apparently affected by different sampling seasons, particularly in topsoil. This should be taken into account when evaluating C and N contents and their respective storages in other forest types.     

Changes in microbial community characteristics and soil organic matter with nitrogen additions in two tropical forests

Microbial communities and their associated enzyme activities affect the amount and chemical quality of carbon (C) in soils. Increasing nitrogen (N) deposition, particularly in N-rich tropical forests, is likely to change the composition and behavior of microbial communities and feed back on ecosystem structure and function. This study presents a novel assessment of mechanistic links between microbial responses to N deposition and shifts in soil organic matter (SOM) quality and quantity. We used phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis and microbial enzyme assays in soils to assess microbial community responses to long-term N additions in two distinct tropical rain forests. We used soil density fractionation and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to measure related changes in SOM pool sizes and chemical quality. Microbial biomass increased in response to N fertilization in both tropical forests and corresponded to declines in pools of low-density SOM. The chemical quality of this soil C pool reflected ecosystem-specific changes in microbial community composition. In the lower-elevation forest, there was an increase in gram-negative bacteria PLFA biomass, and there were significant losses of labile C chemical groups (O-alkyls). In contrast, the upper-elevation tropical forest had an increase in fungal PLFAs with N additions and declines in C groups associated with increased soil C storage (alkyls). The dynamics of microbial enzymatic activities with N addition provided a functional link between changes in microbial community structure and SOM chemistry. Ecosystem-specific changes in microbial community composition are likely to have far-reaching effects on soil carbon storage and cycling. This study indicates that microbial communities in N-rich tropical forests can be sensitive to added N, but we can expect significant variability in how ecosystem structure and function respond to N deposition among tropical forest types.     

Influences of a calcium gradient on soil inorganic nitrogen in the Adirondack Mountains, New York

Studies of the long-term impacts of acidic deposition in Europe and North America have prompted growing interest in understanding the dynamics linking the nitrogen (N) and calcium (Ca) cycles in forested watersheds. While it has been shown that increasing concentrations of nitrate (NO3-) through atmospheric deposition or through nitrification can increase Ca loss, the reciprocal effects of Ca on N transformation processes have received less attention. We studied the influence of soil Ca availability on extractable inorganic N (NO3- + NH4+) across a Ca gradient in the Adirondack Mountains, New York, USA. Our results did not show the direct Ca-N interaction that we had expected, but instead showed that exchangeable Ca coupled with soil moisture, soil organic matter, and ambient temperature accounted for 61% of the variability in extractable inorganic N across 11 sites over two growing seasons. Soil Ca concentrations were, however, positively related to sugar maple (Acer saccharum) and American basswood (Tilia americana) basal areas and negatively related to American beech (Fagus grandifolia) basal area. Based on litter chemistry differences among these tree species and reported potential N mineralization values, we suggest that the influence of Ca on soil inorganic N is through a multistep pathway: reciprocal interactions between soil Ca concentrations and species composition, which in turn affect the quality of litter available for N mineralization. If chronic soil Ca depletion continues, as reported in some forested ecosystems, potential shifts in biotic communities could result in considerable alterations of N cycling processes.     

A mechanistic model of tree competition and facilitation for Mediterranean forests: Scaling from leaf physiology to stand dynamics

Mechanistic theories of plant competition developed to explain changes in community structure and dynamics along resource availability gradients have been mostly applied to temperate forests and grasslands where light and nutrients are the two main limiting resources. In contrast, the mechanisms underlying the structure and dynamics of water-limited plant communities have been little explored. Also previous mechanistic models rely either on complex simulators, which are difficult to interpret or on simple conceptual models, which ignore too many critical details. In this study, we develop a model of stand dynamics for light and water-limited forests of intermediate complexity and we provide an analytical framework for its analyses. The model is an individual-based simulator that describes the feedback between transpiration, stomatal function and soil water dynamics with asymmetrical competition for light and water. Trees allocate carbon to three main compartments: shoot, stem and roots. We use the model to explore general patterns that may emerge across levels of biological organization from the leaf to the stand. Model predictions are consistent with a number of features of Mediterranean forests structure and dynamics. At the plant-level the leaf-based tradeoff between carbon gain and water loss expresses as a tradeoff between mortality and growth. This tradeoff explains plant morphological changes in above-ground biomass and root to shoot allocation along a water availability gradient. At the community-level, tradeoffs among carbon acquisition and water loss govern the sign of plant interactions along the gradient. Coexistence among morphological types was not observed for the range of parameters and environmental conditions explored. Overall the model provides an unifying explanation for the observed changes in the sign of plant to plant interactions along environmental gradients as well as a process-based formulation that can be linked to empirical studies.     

Simulating regeneration and vegetation dynamics in Mediterranean coniferous forests

This study aims to provide a quantitative framework to model the dynamics of Mediterranean coniferous forests by integrating existing ecological data within a generic mathematical simulator. We developed an individual-based vegetation dynamics model, constrained on long-term field regeneration data, analyses of tree-rings and seed germination experiments. The simulator implements an asymmetric competition algorithm which is based on the location and size of each individual. Growth is parameterized through the analysis of tree-rings from more than thirty individuals of each of the three species of interest. A super-individual approach is implemented to simulate regeneration dynamics, constrained with available regeneration data across time-since-disturbance and light-availability gradients. The study concerns an insular population of an endemic to Greece Mediterranean fir (Abies cephalonica Loudon) on the island of Cephalonia (Ionian Sea) and two interacting populations of a Mediterranean pine (Pinus brutia Ten.) and a more temperate-oriented pine (Pinus nigra Arn. ssp. pallasiana) on the island of Lesbos (NE Aegean Sea), Greece. The model was validated against plot-level observations in terms of species standing biomass and regeneration vigour and adequately captured regeneration patterns and overall vegetation dynamics in both study sites. The potential effects of changing climatic patterns on the regeneration dynamics of the three species of interest were subsequently explored. With the assumption that a warmer future would probably cause changes in the duration of cold days, we tested how this change would affect the overall dynamics of the study sites, by focusing on the process of cold stratification upon seed germination. Following scenarios of a warmer future and under the current model parameterization, changes in the overall regeneration vigour controlled by a reduction in the amount of cold days, did not alter the overall dynamics in all plant populations studied. No changes were identified in the relative dominance of the interacting pine populations on Lesbos, while the observed reduction in the amount of emerging seedlings of A. cephalonica on Cephalonia did not affect biomass yield at later stages of stand development.     

Effects of organic and inorganic fertilisation on soil nutrient dynamics in a Savannah region (DR Congo)

Very few studies have considered the residual effect of inorganic and organic fertilisation on oxisol chemistry and plant productivity while studying the response of maize to fresh fertiliser application. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of five treatments of inorganic and organic fertilisers on maize productivity and soil fertility under field conditions in a Savannah region. The trials were conducted from 2009 to 2011 and the treatments included inorganic nitrogen–phosphorus (NP), Entada abyssinica, Tithonia diversifolia, inorganic NP combined with E. abyssinica, and inorganic NP combined with T. diversifolia, and no fertilised plots. The combination of NP with T. diversifolia or E. abyssinica leaves resulted in the highest increase in grain yields during the first crop season.The positive residual effects of fertilisers on maize grain yield were strong and significant in the immediate succeeding season and decreased during the second year following fertilisation. The highest residual effect was observed in plots fertilised with E. abyssinica combined with NP, followed by T. diversifolia combined with NP, and E. abyssinica and T. diversifolia without NP, respectively. The lowest residual effect was observed in plots fertilised with inorganic NP. Analytical results revealed that total nutrients in the soil matrix are not dominantly in forms available for plant uptake. There were significant residual effects for total potassium in the site with low initial nutrient levels. The soil content of bioavailable phosphorus, nickel, zinc, copper, and cobalt was in general below detectable levels.     

不同施肥模式对芋艿产量及菜地土壤中氮素迁移累积的影响

以太湖流域的临安市太湖源镇具有代表性的大田蔬菜地为研究对象,通过9种不同施肥量模式的田间试验,探讨芋艿Colocasia esculenta L．Schoot季蔬菜地速效氮在土壤中的动态变化、剖面垂直分布及累积,了解施肥措施对蔬菜种植的生态及环境影响。各施肥处理均能提高芋艿产量,但增加幅度因施肥措施不同而不同,适量施肥已满足芋艿生长对养分的需求,继续增施对边际产量的增效不明显。在芋艿生长过程中,不同施肥模式下土壤中的铵态氮、硝态氮、速效氮质量分数动态变化的趋势不同;芋艿收获后,硝态氮、铵态氮、速效氮在土壤剖面中质量分数的垂直分布因氮肥投入水平的不同而有所差异;土壤剖面中速效氮的累积量与氮肥投入密切相关;综合评价来看,低量控释肥＋低量化肥是各施肥模式中比较具经济效益、环境效益的合理施肥模式;因而,在实际蔬菜生产中,要适量施用氮肥,适当采用混合施肥模式如低量控释肥＋低量化肥,防止因过量施用氮肥而导致硝态氮的过量累积及其带来的水环境污染等环境问题。     

氮添加对侵蚀退化红壤化学性质及芒萁叶功能性状的影响

蕨类植物芒萁(Dicranopteris dichotoma)是我国南方红壤侵蚀区重要的水土保持植物,但目前氮添加对芒萁叶功能性状及其基部土壤化学性质以及这二者之间关系的影响尚不清楚.以芒萁作为研究对象,采用盆栽实验,设置CK(0 g m-2 a-1)、N1(1.1 g m-2 a-1)、N2(2.3 g m-2 a-...     

The MONICA model: Testing predictability for crop growth, soil moisture and nitrogen dynamics

A fundamentally revised version of the HERMES agro-ecosystem model, released under the name of MONICA, was calibrated and tested to predict crop growth, soil moisture and nitrogen dynamics for various experimental crop rotations across Germany, including major cereals, sugar beet and maize. The calibration procedure also included crops grown experimentally under elevated atmospheric CO₂ concentration. The calibrated MONICA simulations yielded a median normalised mean absolute error (nMAE) of 0.20 across all observed target variables (n = 42) and a median Willmott's Index of Agreement (d) of 0.91 (median modelling efficiency (ME): 0.75). Although the crop biomass, habitus and soil moisture variables were all within an acceptable range, the model often underperformed for variables related to nitrogen. Uncalibrated MONICA simulations yielded a median nMAE of 0.27 across all observed target variables (n = 85) and a median d of 0.76 (median ME: 0.30), also showing predominantly acceptable results for the crop biomass, habitus and soil moisture variables. Based on the convincing performance of the model under uncalibrated conditions, MONICA can be regarded as a suitable simulation model for use in regional applications. Furthermore, its ability to reproduce the observed crop growth results in free-air carbon enrichment experiments makes it suited to predict agro-ecosystem behaviour under expected future climate conditions.     

Red soil geochemistry in a semiarid Mediterranean environment and its suitability for vineyards

A geochemical study of a red soil derived from plioquaternary materials was carried out. The soil was located in a region of complex geomorphology and pedologic evolution, with particular characteristics of a Mediterranean climate associated with processes of alteration, rubification, gleying (hydromorphism) and argillization. The depth distribution of 27 trace elements was studied in order to determine the amounts of these elements in the soil and its tendency. The mineralogy of the clay fraction was also studied along with other physico-chemical properties to elucidate in terms of attributes meaningful for viticulture. The geochemical composition of the horizons was studied. The effect of human activities on the soil was investigated as well as the geographical origin of Mancha wines. It was found that these activities did not give rise to significant variations of trace elements, although a discontinuity related to the accumulation of new materials was detected. Ultimately, using established productivity standards, suitability for the cultivation of vines on these soils was determined.     

碟形沼泽湿地水中氮的动态变化及影响因素分析

通过对三江平原碟形湿地不同植被类型沼泽水体中氮含量的研究表明,漂筏苔草、毛果苔草和乌拉苔草沼泽水体中各形态氮含量具有明显的季节变化特征.总氮(TN)含量在5-10月份的植物生长季节表现为先增加后降低的趋势,不同植被类型沼泽水体TN含量明显不同.NH4+-N是无机氮的主要存在形态,含量比例在44.81%～98.89%之间.在整个生长季,乌拉苔草沼泽水NH4+-N含量呈先增加后降低的趋势,毛果苔草沼泽水NH4+-N含量在8月份具有峰值,漂筏苔草沼泽水NH4+-N含量较低,波动不大.硝态氮(NO3--N)在生长季中期含量较低,而亚硝态氮(NO2--N)含量较高;生长季末期NO3--N含量增高,而NO2--N含量降低.沼泽水体中不同形态氮浓度与植被类型、植被生长阶段密切相关,并且受到水温、降雨、蒸发、农田排水等因素的影响.     

Litter and dead wood dynamics in ponderosa pine forests along a 160-year chronosequence.

Disturbances such as fire play a key role in controlling ecosystem structure. In fire-prone forests, organic detritus comprises a large pool of carbon and can control the frequency and intensity of fire. The ponderosa pine forests of the Colorado Front Range, USA, where fire has been suppressed for a century, provide an ideal system for studying the long-term dynamics of detrital pools. Our objectives were (1) to quantify the long-term temporal dynamics of detrital pools; and (2) to determine to what extent present stand structure, topography, and soils constrain these dynamics. We collected data on downed dead wood, litter, duff (partially decomposed litter on the forest floor), stand structure, topographic position, and soils for 31 sites along a 160-year chronosequence. We developed a compartment model and parameterized it to describe the temporal trends in the detrital pools. We then developed four sets of statistical models, quantifying the hypothesized relationship between pool size and (1) stand structure, (2) topography, (3) soils variables, and (4) time since fire. We contrasted how much support each hypothesis had in the data using Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC). Time since fire explained 39-80% of the variability in dead wood of different size classes. Pool size increased to a peak as material killed by the fire fell, then decomposed rapidly to a minimum (61-85 years after fire for the different pools). It then increased, presumably as new detritus was produced by the regenerating stand. Litter was most strongly related to canopy cover (r2 = 77%), suggesting that litter fall, rather than decomposition, controls its dynamics. The temporal dynamics of duff were the hardest to predict. Detrital pool sizes were more strongly related to time since fire than to environmental variables. Woody debris peak-to-minimum time was 46-67 years, overlapping the range of historical fire return intervals (1 to > 100 years). Fires may therefore have burned under a wide range of fuel conditions, supporting the hypothesis that this region's fire regime was mixed severity.     

Soil responses to management, increased precipitation, and added nitrogen in ponderosa pine forests.

Forest management, climatic change, and atmospheric N deposition can affect soil biogeochemistry, but their combined effects are not well understood. We examined the effects of water and N amendments and forest thinning and burning on soil N pools and fluxes in ponderosa pine forests near Flagstaff, Arizona (USA). Using a 15N-depleted fertilizer, we also documented the distribution of added N into soil N pools. Because thinning and burning can increase soil water content and N availability, we hypothesized that these changes would alleviate water and N limitation of soil processes, causing smaller responses to added N and water in the restored stand. We found little support for this hypothesis. Responses of fine root biomass, potential net N mineralization, and the soil microbial N to water and N amendments were mostly unaffected by stand management. Most of the soil processes we examined were limited by N and water, and the increased N and soil water availability caused by forest restoration was insufficient to alleviate these limitations. For example, N addition caused a larger increase in potential net nitrification in the restored stand, and at a given level of soil N availability, N addition had a larger effect on soil microbial N in the restored stand. Possibly, forest restoration increased the availability of some other limiting resource, amplifying responses to added N and water. Tracer N recoveries in roots and in the forest floor were lower in the restored stand. Natural abundance delta15N of labile soil N pools were higher in the restored stand, consistent with a more open N cycle. We conclude that thinning and burning open up the N cycle, at least in the short-term, and that these changes are amplified by enhanced precipitation and N additions. Our results suggest that thinning and burning in ponderosa pine forests will not increase their resistance to changes in soil N dynamics resulting from increased atmospheric N deposition or increased precipitation due to climatic change. Restoration plans should consider the potential impact on long-term forest productivity of greater N losses from a more open N cycle, especially during the period immediately after thinning and burning.     

毒死蜱在土壤中的残留和淋溶动态

对土壤中毒死蜱的残留和淋溶动态进行了研究.结果显示,毒死蜱在土壤中的残留降解属于一级动力学反应,在土壤中的降解半衰期为63.0 d.通过土柱模拟淋溶试验,对毒死蜱在土壤中淋溶的影响因子进行了研究.结果表明,降水量对毒死蜱的淋溶影响较大,主要表现为降水水量增大, 毒死蜱在土层中的最大淋溶深度也随之增加, 出现浓度最高峰的土层深度也越大, 两者呈正相关关系.与降水量相比,降水强度对毒死蜱的淋溶的影响相对较小.     

Temperature sensitivity of the turnover times of soil organic matter in forests.

Soils represent the largest carbon pool in the terrestrial biosphere, and climate change might affect the main carbon fluxes associated with this pool. These fluxes are the production of aboveground litter and root litter, and decomposition of the soil organic matter (SOM) pool by soil microorganisms. Knowledge about the temperature sensitivity of the decomposition of different SOM fractions is crucial in order to understand how climate change might affect carbon storage in soils. In this study, the temperature sensitivity of the turnover times of three different SOM fractions (labile, intermediate, and stabilized) was investigated for 11 forest sites along a temperature gradient. Carbon-14 isotope analyses of the SOM fractions combined with a model provided estimates of their turnover times. The turnover times of the labile SOM fraction were not correlated with mean annual soil temperature. Therefore it was not possible to estimate temperature sensitivity for the labile SOM fraction. Given considerable evidence elsewhere for significant temperature sensitivities of labile SOM, lack of temperature sensitivity here most likely indicates limitations of the applied methodology for the labile SOM fraction. The turnover times of the intermediate and the stabilized SOM fractions were both correlated with mean annual soil temperatures. The temperature sensitivity of the stabilized SOM fraction was at least equal to that of the intermediate SOM fraction and possibly more than twice as high. A correction for confounding effects of soil acidity and clay content on the temperature sensitivities of the intermediate and stabilized SOM fractions was included in the analysis. The results as observed here for the three SOM fractions may have been influenced by (1) modeling assumptions for the estimation of SOM turnover times of leaf and needle longevities, constant annual carbon inputs, and steady-state SOM pools, (2) the occurrence of summer drought at some sites, (3) differences between sites in quality of the SOM fractions, or (4) the relatively small temperature range. Our results suggested that a 1 degree C increase in temperature could lead to decreases in turnover times of 4-11% and 8-16%, for the intermediate and stabilized SOM fractions, respectively.     

Factors affecting methyl and inorganic mercury dynamics in mussels and shrimp

Radiotracer experiments were designed to study the effect of certain factors on the accumulation and loss of methyl and inorganic mercury in mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) and benthic shrimp (Lysmata seticaudata). Methyl mercury was accumulated from both food and water to a greater degree than inorganic mercury by both species. There was a tendency for small mussels to concentrate more mercury than larger individuals, but the reason for this difference remains unclear. A trend towards greater mercury accumulation at higher temperatures was noted for mussels, but the temperature effect was relatively small over a 10 C^o range between 8° and 19°C. Methyl mercury residues were eliminated by both species more slowly than those of the inorganic form. Loss from mussels was somewhat more rapid at higher temperatures; however, as in the case of accumulation, the effect of temperature was relatively small. Loss rates for small mussels were not significantly different from those for large individuals. Enhanced methyl mercury elimination was noted for the group of mussels maintained in their natural environment. The more rapid metal turnover in these individuals compared with mussels held in the laboratory was attributed to differences in the availability of natural particulate food matter and, hence, subsequent growth of the animals in the two experimental systems. The observed differences underscore the need for caution in predicting in situ flux of metals such as mercury in certain species based solely on data derived from laboratory experiments.     

离子交换树脂袋法研究森林土壤硝态氮及其对氮沉降增加的响应

用离子交换树脂袋法，研究了鼎湖山三种森林（马尾松林、马尾松针叶阔叶混交林和季风常绿阔叶林）土壤硝态氮对外加氮的响应特征。结果表明，土壤硝态氮显著地受森林类型、季节和氮处理的影响。整体而言，阔叶林土壤硝态氮极显著高于马尾松林和混交林，而马尾松林和混交林之间的差异则不显著。三种森林土壤硝态氮的季节变化均表现为春季和夏季极显著高于冬季和秋季，而冬季又显著高于秋季。外加氮处理提高土壤硝态氮水平，其中在马尾松林和阔叶林氮处理效应显著。所得结果与直接采集土壤或土壤水测定的硝态氮含量的结果一致，表明离子交换树脂袋法是评价土壤硝态氮水平行之有效的手段之一。