Shaping effects of rice,wheat, maize,and soybean seedlings on their rhizosphere microbial community

The rhizosphere microbiome plays critical roles in plant growth and is an important interface for resource exchange between plants and the soil environment. Crops at various growing stages, especially the seedling stage, have strong shaping effects on the rhizosphere microbial community, and such community reconstruction will positively feed back to the plant growth. In the present study, we analyzed the variations of bacterial and fungal communities in the rhizosphere of four crop species: rice, soybean, maize, and wheat during successive cultivations (three repeats for the seedling stages) using 16S rRNA gene and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) high-throughput sequencing. We found that the relative abundances of specific microorganisms decreased after different cultivation times, e.g., Sphingomonas, Pseudomonas, Rhodanobacter, and Caulobacter, which have been reported as plant-growth beneficial bacteria. The relative abundances of potential plant pathogenic fungi Myrothecium and Ascochyta increased with the successive cultivation times. The co-occurrence network analysis showed that the bacterial and fungal communities under maize were much more stable than those under rice, soybean, and wheat. The present study explored the characteristics of bacteria and fungi in crop seedling rhizosphere and indicated that the characteristics of indigenous soil flora might determine the plant growth status. Further study will focus on the use of the critical microorganisms to control the growth and yield of specific crops.

     

Responses of free amino acids in rice seedlings during cyanide metabolism

Responses of free amino acids to botanical assimilation of free cyanide were investigated. Young rice seedlings (Oryza sativa L. cv. XZX 45) were grown in nutrient solution amended with free cyanide (KCN). Cyanide was analyzed in solution as well as in plant materials to estimate the phyto-assimilation potential. Free amino acids in different parts of plants were also measured to determine metabolic responses to KCN exposure. Phyto-assimilation of KCN was obvious, and the rates were positively correlated to the concentration supplied. Although changes in total amino acid content in plant materials were negligible during KCN metabolism (p?>?0.05), responses of different amino acids to KCN treatments were quite different. All treatments with KCN increased the content of proline (Pro) and isoleucine (Ile) in roots significantly compared with control (p?<?0.05), while changes of aspartic acid, lysine, and histidine in roots were more evident at higher KCN treatments (p?<?0.05). Results indicate that the content of Pro, Ile, and tyrosine showed pronounced increase in shoots of rice seedlings exposed to KCN at 1.44 mg CN/L or higher (p?<?0.05). Other amino acids slightly changed in all plant materials exposed to KCN (p?>?0.05). Results indicate that specific amino acids in rice seedlings showed positive response to non-toxic concentrations of exogenous KCN. These findings could provide additional insights into the inducible mechanisms underlying the involvement of amino acids in KCN metabolism.     

A performance evaluation of the National Air Quality Forecast Capability for the summer of 2007

This paper provides a performance evaluation of the real-time, CONUS-scale National Air Quality Forecast Capability (NAQFC) that supported, in part, its transition into operational status. This evaluation focuses primarily on discrete forecasts for the maximum 8-h O₃ concentrations covering the 4-month period, June through September, 2007, using measurements obtained from EPA's AIRNow network. Results indicate that the 2007 NAQFC performed as well or better than previous configurations, despite the expansion of the forecast domain into the western half of the nation that is dominated by complex terrain. The mean, domain-wide, season-long correlation was 0.70. When examined over time, the domain-wide correlations exhibit a fairly consistent nature, with values exceeding 0.60 (0.70) over 90% (55%) of the days. The NAQFC systematically over-predicted the 8-h O₃ concentrations, continuing a trend established by earlier NAQFC configurations, though to a lesser degree. The summer-long mean forecast value of 53.2 ppb was 4.2 ppb higher than the observed value, resulting in a domain-wide Normalized Mean Bias (NMB) of 8.7%. Most of the over-prediction is associated with observed concentrations less than 50 ppb. In fact the model tends to under-predict when concentrations exceed 70 ppb. As with the bias, the error associated with the latest configuration was also lower. The summer-long Root Mean Square Error of 13.0 ppb (Normalized Mean Error (NME) = 20.4%) represented marked improvements over earlier forecasts. Examination of the spatial distribution of both the NMB and NME reveals that the NAQFC was generally within 25% for the NME and 25% for the NMB over a majority of the domain. Several areas of poorer performance, where the NMB and NME often exceed 25% and in some cases 50%, were noted. These areas include southern California, where the NAQFC tended to under-predict concentrations (especially on weekends) and the southeast Atlantic and Gulf coasts regions, where the model over-predicted. Subsequent analysis revealed that the incorrect temporal allocation of precursor emissions was likely the source of the under-prediction in southern California, while inaccurate simulation of PBL heights likely contributed to the over-prediction in the coastal regions.     

含油污泥的处理与利用

石油开采和加工过程中产生的含油污泥，带有有害物质和较高的热值，既需处理又可综合利用，这是一个复杂而又重要的课题。当前，我国含油污泥处理与利用和国外先进水平有较大差距，处理装置技术落后，不配套，多数污泥未进行无害化处理，造成了环境污染和能源资源的浪费。在收集了大量资料的基础上，列举了含油污泥的性质及危害。“九五”期间应积极开展先进工艺设备的引进推广工作，特别在含油污泥的脱水干燥、污油回收和绿化利用上，可推广江汉、中原油田的先进工艺设备，使含油污泥达到无害化乃至变废为宝。     

现代灾害、灾害研究与灾害学

本文系统分析现代灾害的特点；评述灾害研究及灾害学的历史与现状，预测其发展趋势；探讨灾害学的基本范畴，界定其学科体系的总体框架，对灾害研究及灾害学发展中的几个重要问题提出认识与建议。     

灾害基本成因研究

本文依据灾害的生态经济性质,在对各类灾害的具体成因进行概括与抽象的基础上,从地球系统、自然生态系统、社会经济系统、城市系统的运动与发展及灾害与这些系统的相互联系和相互作用等方面研究各类灾害的共同成因,即灾害的基本成因,并对其进行系统分析。     

国外减轻城市洪涝灾害新设施发展综述

近二十多年国外在减轻城市洪涝灾害设施方面发展很快,建造了各种新型的抑制暴雨径流的设施,可分为流域雨水贮留设施和流域雨水渗透设施两大类,本文主要介绍目前国外已经建成和计划兴建的这些设施的型式、规划设计步骤、引起的问题和管理维护方法,以及在我国发展这些设施的必要和可能。     

Environmental management in Mainland China

Summary The author was a consultant, assigned from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), to provide technical assistance to China's environmental pollution research and control. His assignment in China from September 1 through October 8, 1983 was filled with visits and meetings at key research institutes, universities, and regulatory agencies in the cities of Beijing (Peiking), Shanghai, Hangchow, Zhuji and Zhiaxing (Fig. 1). Trips to famous historical sites and scenic points in and around those cities were squeezed in between the heavily scheduled meetings. Dr Shen was born and educated in China through college. This is a report of his first trip back to his homeland since he left 35 years ago. His ability to communicate with the Chinese professionals and social strata in their native tongue provided him with a greater advantage in understanding the current status of China's environmental sciences and technology in preventing air, water, and land pollution. His contribution lies not only in the technical transfer of environmental sciences and engineering, but also in strengthening the ties of cooperation and communication between American and Chinese professionals. Dr Shen is a senior research scientist with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and an adjunct faculty member of the Division of Environmental Sciences, Columbia University.     

乌鲁木齐市生态环境现状调查

乌鲁木齐市深居亚欧大陆腹地,远离海洋,气候干旱,降水稀少,植被稀疏,风沙危害严重,生态极期脆弱,属典型的温带半干旱绿洲生态环境。对乌鲁木齐市“八五”及“九五”期间的生态环境状况进行了多方面的调查分析。并就存在的问题谈了作者的观点,以供同行参考。     

Size distribution and diurnal and seasonal trends of ultrafine particles in source and receptor sites of the Los Angeles basin

This paper presents results from a study conducted in two urban areas of southern California, Downey and Riverside, to examine the effect of different sources and formation mechanisms on the size distribution and temporal trends of ultrafine particles. Near-continuous data were collected for 5 months at each location. Our data clearly identified Downey as a source site, primarily affected by vehicular emissions from nearby freeways, and Riverside as a receptor site, where photochemical secondary reactions form a substantial fraction of particles, along with local vehicular emissions. In Downey, the diurnal trends of total particle number concentration and elemental carbon (EC) appear to be almost identical throughout the day and irrespective of season, thereby corroborating the role of primary emissions in the formation of these particles. This agreement between EC and particle number was not observed in Riverside during the warmer months of the year, while very similar trends to Downey were observed during the winter months in that area. Similarly, the size distribution of ultrafine particles in Downey was generally unimodal with a mode diameter of 30-40 nm and without significant monthly variations. The number-based particle size distributions obtained in Riverside were bimodal, with a significant increase in accumulation mode as the season progressed from winter to summer. During the warmer months, there was also an increase in sub-100-nm particles in the afternoon hours, between 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m., that also increased with the temperature. The differences observed in the ultrafine particle distribution and temporal trends clearly demonstrated that mechanisms other than direct emissions play an important role in the formation of ultrafine particles in receptor sites of the Los Angeles Basin.