Microbial communities and immigration in volcanic environments of Canary Islands (Spain)

Volcanic eruptions originated the Canary Islands (Spain), and today, different landscapes clearly show that active volcanism. The microbial communities present in these volcanic environments, both at high (above 70 degrees C) and moderate (25-35 degrees C) temperatures, were analyzed. Rock samples were processed using molecular techniques based on both DNA and RNA and complemented with the culture of microorganisms at a wide range of temperatures. Microorganisms detected through RNA-based molecular surveys were mostly related to mesophilic microorganisms, while representatives of hyperthermophiles were not detected. RNA decay curves at 80 degrees C resulted in half-life estimates of less than 2 min for mesophilic microorganisms, supporting a recent and continuous arrival of microorganisms to the high temperature sampled sites. This study constitutes a unique experimental approach showing a great natural potential of microorganisms to spread out to different natural environments. The implications are of great interest for the biogeography, dispersal, and potential distribution of microorganisms, and their genetic information, in natural environments.     

桂西北肯福环境移民示范区园地土壤肥力变化状况

果树业作为肯福环境移民示范区的一项长期的云集产业，在示范区移民的生产、生活中起着不可缺少的作用。为了解示范区园类用地（主要是宜果类用地）开发利用对土壤肥力变化的影响，以便更好地指导移民进行合理的综合性开发，特对开垦前（1996年上半年，此时移民也开始迁入）和开垦后第三年（1998年下半年）示范区的园类用地土壤养分变化进行了调查研究，分析了耕层土样的8个土壤养分指标，结果表明：示范区园类用地土壤肥力整体上基本保持不变，但表现出微弱的下降趋势；其中的长绿果树地土壤肥力略有下降，而落叶果树地土壤肥力有极微的上升趋势；不同的土壤养分元素含量变化又有差异。     

Exploring diversity in soil fertility management of smallholder farms in western Kenya: I. Heterogeneity at region and farm scale

The processes of nutrient depletion and soil degradation that limit productivity of smallholder African farms are spatially heterogeneous. Causes of variability in soil fertility management at different scales of analysis are both biophysical and socio-economic. Such heterogeneity is categorised in this study, which quantifies its impact on nutrient flows and soil fertility status at region and farm scales, as a first step in identifying spatial and temporal niches for targeting of soil fertility management strategies and technologies. Transects for soil profile observation, participatory rural appraisal techniques and classical soil sampling and chemical analysis were sampled across 60 farms in three sub-locations (Emuhaia, Shinyalu, Aludeka), which together represent much of the variability found in the highlands of western Kenya. Five representative farm types were identified using socio-economic information and considering production activities, household objectives and the main constraints faced by farmers. Soil fertility management and nutrient resource flows were studied for each farm type and related to differences in soil fertility status at farm scale. Farm types 1 and 2 were the wealthiest; the former relied on off-farm income and farmed small pieces of land (0.6–1.1 ha) while the latter farmed relatively large land areas (1.6–3.8 ha) mainly with cash crops. The poorest farm type 5 also farmed small pieces of land (0.4–1.0 ha) but relied on low wages derived from working for wealthier farmers. Both farm types 1 and 5 relied on off-farm earnings and sold the least amounts of farm produce to the market, though the magnitude of their cash, labour and nutrient flows was contrasting. Farms of types 3 and 4 were intermediate in size and wealth, and represented different crop production strategies for self-consumption and the market. Average grain yields fluctuated around 1 t ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ for all farm types and sub-locations. Grain production by farms of types 4 and 5 was much below annual family requirements, estimated at 170 kg person⁻¹ year⁻¹. Household wealth and production orientation affected the pattern of resource flow at farm scale. In the land-constrained farms of type 1, mineral fertilisers were often used more intensively (ca. 50 kg ha⁻¹), though with varying application rates (14–92 kg ha⁻¹). The use of animal manure in such small farms (e.g. 2.2 t year⁻¹) represented intensities of use of up to 8 t ha⁻¹, and a net accumulation of C and macronutrients brought into the farm by livestock. In farms of type 5, intensities of use of mineral and organic fertilisers ranged between 0–12 kg ha⁻¹ and 0–0.5 t ha⁻¹, respectively. A consistent trend of decreasing input use from farm types 1–5 was generally observed, but nutrient resources and land management practices (e.g. fallow) differed enormously between sub-locations. Inputs of nutrients were almost nil in Aludeka farms. Both inherent soil properties and management explained the variability found in soil fertility status. Texture explained the variation observed in soil C and related total N between sub-locations, whereas P availability varied mainly between farm types as affected by input use.     

黄河流域五大灌区沿河耕地土壤肥力评价与改良措施

为了提高黄河流域农业可持续性,保障区域粮食安全,本文以宁夏（NX）、河套（HT）、汾河（FG）、关中（GZ）、华北平原（HB）五大引黄灌区耕层土壤为研究对象,测定其养分含量并进行土壤肥力评价。结果表明：五大灌区土壤pH均高于8.0,土壤有机质、全氮、碱解氮、全磷、速效磷、全钾、速效钾含量均值分别为16.43 g?kg^?1、0.96 g?kg^?1、79.71 mg?kg^?1、0.76 g?kg^?1、30.60 mg?kg^?1、16.85 g?kg^?1、228.73 mg?kg^?1,对应养分级别为四级、四级、四级、三级、二级、三级、一级;土壤微量元素有效态铁、锰、铜、锌含量均值为6.21 mg?kg^?1、5.94 mg?kg^?1、1.05 mg?kg^?1、5.10 mg?kg^?1,对应养分级别为三级、四级、一级、一级。黄河流域五大灌区沿河耕地土壤综合肥力指数由大到小的顺序为：NX＞FG＞HB＞HT＞GZ。各灌区应增加农田有机质,调整氮磷钾肥施加比例,重视微量元素供给,从而实现灌区种植的可持续发展。     

中国农牧交错区土地利用变化空间格局与驱动力分析

以遥感与GIS为技术支撑,运用专家知识,结合实际,从农牧交错区的实质出发,定量地计算出我国的农牧交错区。在此基础上,分析我国农牧交错区近10年的耕地、草地变化的空间格局。整个农牧交错区的耕地以变林地、草地为主。耕地的变化以内蒙古的变化为大,主要分布于它的中、东部地区。草地主要以变耕地、城镇为主,分布于内蒙古与东北三省接壤处。最后探讨这种格局的成因。耕地变化受经济发展、人口增加、农业结构等驱动,主要表现为人文作用。草地变化受人为与自然的驱动,主要为人类活动的影响,表现为经济发展与草地过牧。     

Nutrient budgets: sustainability assessment of rainfed lowland rice-based systems in northeast Thailand

In northeast Thailand, the sustainability of rainfed lowland rice-based systems, the dominant land-use system (LUS) in the region, is a concern for the welfare of the population in this relatively poor region. Poor soil fertility and low inputs are seen as major causes of this lack of sustainability. In this context, the assessment of nutrient budgets is seen as a powerful tool for the assessment of critical components of the sustainability of this particular LUS. Biophysical, socioeconomic, and management-related data on the farming systems were collected for 30 farms in Ubon Ratchathani Province, northeast Thailand. A relational database system (RDBS) was developed to manage and analyze the data. The RDBS includes a calculation procedure for the semi-automatic generation of partial nutrient balances. Partial nutrient balances are good indicators for some critical components of sustainability, and important for decision support on soil fertility management when considered with the additional factors that are required for a full nutrient balance.For the rice-based systems of 30 farms, mean partial balances were 12 kg N ha⁻¹, 8 kg P ha⁻¹, and 7 kg K ha⁻¹ per year. Large variations in partial N, P, and K balances exist among different farms and, even more so, for different land utilization types (LUTs). The LUTs are distinct cropping system–management combinations that occur down to the subfield level. Many of the partial balances assessed were negative.Farmers manage nutrients for similar parcels of land in very different ways. This results in the observed large variation in partial nutrient balances, even for the same type of land use within the same farm. These results confirm the high inter-farm and intra-farm variability for partial balances of N, P, and K of several preliminary studies. Farmer interviews and field surveys revealed that different socioeconomic factors appear to be related with inter- and intra-farm variability in nutrient budgets. In addition, the socioeconomic component of the case study revealed that diversification of income sources, particularly off-farm employment, had a larger impact on household income than rice production. Furthermore, while many less well-off households had a greater reliance on rice production, many farms with high off-farm and non-rice farm income had a higher total production of rice.The nutrient balance approach, starting with partial nutrient balances, may become an important component of a dynamic and site-specific decision support tool (DST) for nutrient management, and a relational database of the form used in this study may become a key element.     

Ecosystem services provided by urban gardens in Barcelona,Spain: Insights for policy and planning

In many European cities, urban gardens are seen as increasingly important components of urban green space networks. We adopt an ecosystem services framework to assess contributions of urban gardens to the quality of of their users. First, we identify and characterize ecosystem services provided by urban gardens. Secondly, we assess the demographic and socioeconomic profile of its beneficiaries and the relative importance they attribute to different ecosystem services. Next we discuss the relevance of our results in relation to critical policy challenges, such as the promotion of societal cohesion and healthy lifestyles. Data were collected through 44 semi-structured interviews and a survey among 201 users of 27 urban gardens in Barcelona, Spain, as well as from consultation meetings with local planners. We identified 20 ecosystem services, ranging from food production over pollination to social cohesion and environmental learning. Among them, cultural ecosystem services (non-material benefits people derive from their interaction with nature) ​ stand out as the most widely perceived and as the most highly valued. The main beneficiaries of ecosystem services from urban gardens are elder, low-middle income, and migrant people. Our results about the societal importance of urban gardens ​were deemed highly relevant by the interviewed green space planners in Barcelona, who noted that our data can provide basis to support or expand existing gardening programs in the city. Our research further suggests that ecosystem services from urban gardens can play an important role in addressing several urban policy challenges in cities, such as promoting stewardship of urban ecosystems, providing opportunities for recreation and healthy lifestyles, and promoting social cohesion. We conclude that urban gardens and associated ecosystem services can play an important ​ in urban policies aimed at enhancing quality of life in cities, particularly if access to their benefits is expanded to larger segments of the population.     

吉林大安油田开发对周边农田土壤影响的研究

按照土壤环境质量标准及背景值对吉林大安油田周边农田土壤进行评价,油田区内土壤中Cu、Pb、As、Cd、Cr＋6等污染物均在二级标准限值内,土壤环境质量良好。油田区内土壤除石油类、硫化物、挥发酚外的其它污染物含量与背景土壤相比有一定差异,但差异不明显,高低相差1倍以内。各监测点各类土壤中石油类、硫化物均比背景土壤偏高,挥发酚差异不明显;钻井井场土壤石油类比背景土壤高76倍,采油井场高4倍,旱田和草地土壤石油类与背景土壤基本相当。     

三峡库区燃煤,土壤和水库底泥中含汞量分布特征

详细研究了长江三峡库区燃煤，土壤和沉积物中汞的分布特征，以及湖泊沉积物中不同形态汞的含量，探讨了水库汞污染加重原因。     

Soil contamination with antibiotics in a typical peri-urban area in eastern China: Seasonal variation, risk assessment, and microbial responses

The prevalence and persistence of antibiotics in soils has become an emerging environmental issue and an increasing threat to soil security and global public health. The problem is more severe in areas undergoing rapid urbanization; however, the ecological risks of antibiotics, seasonal variability, and associated soil microbial responses in peri-urban soils have not been well-explored. The seasonal soil sampling campaigns were conducted in a typical peri-urban watershed in eastern China to investigate distribution of antibiotics. The results demonstrated higher mean concentrations of most antibiotic compounds in winter than in summer in peri-urban soils. The seasonal variations of norfloxacin, enrofloxacin, and ciprofloxacin were more significant than those of other antibiotics, due to their higher migration ability and bioavailability. An ecological risk assessment demonstrated that chlortetracycline, ciprofloxacin, doxycycline, and ofloxacin can pose high risks to soil microorganisms. Furthermore, the coexistence of multiple antibiotics obviously poses higher risks than individual compounds. A redundancy analysis demonstrated that tetracyclines mainly showed negative correlations with Firmicutes and Chloroflexi, and quinolones showed obviously negative correlations with Acidobacteria, Gemmatimonadetes, and Nitrospirae, suggesting potential inhibition from antibiotics on biological activities or biodegradation processes. However, the persistence of antibiotics in soil results in a significant decrease in bacterial diversity and a change in dominant species. Our results provide an overview of the seasonal variability of antibiotics and the associated effects on bacterial communities in peri-urban soils. The results can provide scientific guidance on decreasing soil contamination with antibiotics to enhance soil security in similar areas.     

青海湖流域东北部河流沉积物和土壤剖面记录的重金属污染特征

对青海湖流域东北部2个河流沉积物剖面和2个土壤剖面样品中As、Cd、Pb、V、Cr、Mn、Ni、Cu、Zn等9种重金属元素的含量进行了分析测定,采用污染系数、富集系数、地累积指数和潜在生态危害指数研究了其污染的时空变化特征。结果表明,河流沉积物剖面和土壤剖面记录的重金属元素的富集系数基本显示出深部低于1而近地表高于1,且在25cm深度内往上逐渐增加的特征;它们记录的重金属变化趋势大体一致但有量的差异;重金属元素的污染系数均小于2,且大多数样品的值低于1,高值者为近地表样品,包括河流沉积物样品中的As、Cd、Pb、Ni、Cu、Zn和土壤样品中的Cd;地累积指数大多为负值,大于1者出现在近地表,包括河流沉积物样品中的Cd、Cu、Zn和土壤样品中的Cd;Cd的潜在生态风险因子在表层样品中大于30,9种重金属潜在生态危害指数也在表层样品中大于70。以上结果暗示青海湖流域东北部存在重金属的人为排放,在近代更为显著,不同地理位置重金属排放源种类和排放强度等的不同、分散稀释作用等造成该地区重金属时空上的变化特征;该区域仅在地表出现Cd、Cu、Zn的局部轻度污染,达到中等生态风险级别。     

洨河沉积物中有机物、氮、磷浓度分布特征

海河流域由于水资源匮乏,污染河水被用于灌溉的情况较为普遍,存在严峻的环境风险。研究了海河流域典型纳污河流洨河沉积物中有机物(OM)和不同形态氮、磷浓度与分布,分析了洨河沉积物沉积和释放的机理及其可能产生的环境影响。结果表明:沉积物中总氮(TN)的沉积和释放机理与OM类似,沉积物中OM和TN浓度分布与河水中的不相关,可能是由于沉积物中OM与TN浓度在不同河段受不同因子控制,在沉积物未疏浚河段,OM与TN主要源于深层沉积物向表层沉积物中的扩散释放,而在底泥疏浚河段,沉积物中OM与TN浓度与水利条件以及微生物活动等多种因素有关;沉积物中总磷(TP)浓度与水体中的相关性不显著,可能是因为钙磷(Ca-P)与铁铝磷(Fe/Al-P)会结合成某种难溶性磷;沉积物中TP浓度与TN、OM浓度相关性不显著,因为沉积物对磷的吸附主要与水体中的Ca ²⁺、Al ³⁺、Fe ²⁺(或Fe ³⁺)浓度有关。     

闽江干流沿岸土壤及河口沉积柱中有机氯农药分布特征

沿闽江干流沿岸采集19个表层土壤样品及1个河口沉积物柱样,采用气相色谱(GC-ECD)内标法分析其有机氯农药(OCPs)的含量,揭示了研究区土壤及河口沉积柱中有机氯农药的残留水平、分布及来源.结果表明,干流沿岸土壤中总的OCPs含量(干重)范围为4.31～877.80 ng·g-1,平均值为74.13 ng·g-1,且...     

Long-term dynamics of biomass production, soil chemical properties and plant species composition of alluvial grassland after the cessation of fertilizer application in the Czech Republic

The resilience, the ability of an ecosystem to recover after termination of perturbation, of highly productive Alopecurus grassland was investigated after the cessation of the following long-term fertilizer treatments applied under a two- or three-cut management regime: unfertilized control, PK, N₁₀₀PK, N₂₀₀PK, N₃₀₀PK and N₄₀₀PK. Annual application rates of pure nutrients per hectare were 0–400 kg for N, 40 kg for P and 100 kg for K. The dynamics of biomass production were measured for 16 years and the effect of former fertilizer treatments on soil chemical properties, biomass chemical properties, plant species composition and species richness were investigated 16 years after the last application of fertilizers. It was concluded that 16 years was not long enough to achieve resilience in plant-available soil P and K concentrations, N/P ratios in the plant biomass or plant species composition, but that it was long enough to achieve resilience in species richness. In the case of biomass production the effect of former fertilizer treatments was apparent in 10 of the 16 seasons investigated, indicating that resilience in biomass production must be evaluated using data from more than 1 vegetation season. The results of the study stress the necessity for long-term research because of high year-to-year variability in biomass production as well as long-term after-effects of fertilizer treatments in alluvial grassland.     

Impact of variable nitrogen fertilisation on arthropods in cotton in Georgia, USA

Reducing fertiliser applications can reduce production costs for cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) growers, as well as nitrogen (N) leaching into the soil and contamination of surface and ground water. But altered N fertilisation may also affect pests and their natural enemies. In this study, plots with four different levels of fertiliser input (0, 45, 90 and 135 kg ha⁻¹ N) were used to investigate the influence of N on cotton pest and beneficial arthropod populations, and on cotton yield in Tifton, GA, USA. We predicted that (1) N fertilisation will correlate positively with cotton plant growth; (2) increased N fertilisation will increase pest populations because plants with more N will be more nutritious for and attractive to herbivores; (3) populations of beneficial arthropods and predation of pests will decline with increased N fertilisation because of reduced plant signaling; (4) increased N fertilisation will increase pest mortality due to parasitoids because of increased host quality. Cotton plant growth was enhanced by N fertilisation but yield was unaffected. N fertilisation significantly affected some pest arthropods but inconsistently. Mirids were most abundant in the high N treatment in 1 year of the study and cotton aphids were most abundant in the highest N treatment in the other year of the study. Arthropod predators were generally more abundant in the high N treatment but only spiders and Geocoris spp. were significantly affected by N treatment, with highest numbers present in the highest N treatment but the significant differences were each only in a single year. The greatest mortality of sentinel pest eggs (Spodoptera exigua) due to predation occurred under low N conditions. N fertilisation had no significant effects on parasitism of feral or sentinel caterpillars.