Adsorption of acetanilide herbicides on soil and its components. II. Adsorption and catalytic hydrolysis of diethatyl-ethyl on saturated Na(+)-, K(+)-, Ca(2+)-, and Mg(2+)-montmorillonite

Adsorption and catalytic hydrolysis of the herbicide diethatyl-ethyl [N-chloroacetyl-N-(2,6-diethylphenyl)glycine ethyl ester] on homoionic Na⁺-, K⁺-, Ca²⁺-, and Mg²⁺-montmorillonite clays were investigated in water solution. The Freundlich adsorption coefficient, Kf, got from isotherms on clay followed the order of Na⁺ K⁺ > Mg²⁺ Ca²⁺. Analysis of FT-IR spectra of diethatyl-ethyl adsorbed on clay suggests probable bonding at the carboxyl and amide carbonyl groups of the herbicide. The rate of herbicide hydrolysis in homoionic clay suspensions followed the same order as that for adsorption, indicating that adsorption may have preceded and thus caused hydrolysis. Preliminary product identification showed that hydrolysis occurred via nucleophilic substitution at the carboxyl carbon, causing the cleavage of the ester bond and formation of diethatyl and its dechlorinated derivative, and at the amide carbon, yielding an ethyl ester derivative and its acid.These pathways also suggest that hydrolysis of diethatyl-ethyl was catalyzed by adsorption on the clay surface.     

The effect of intensity and quality of illumination on the photosynthesis of some tropical marine phytoplankton

Using solar energy as a source of illumination, photosynthesis in 11 species of marine plankton algae was studied as a function of light intensity. From the photosynthesis-light curve for each organism, the saturation points (I _k ) in different organisms were determined. Among the diatoms and flagellates, the highest I _k (saturation point) values were found in Rhizosolenia styliformis and Dinophysis miles respectively. When the organisms were exposed to a portion of the visible spectrum starting from 700 m, the photosynthesis was found to be related to the radiant energy. The missing portions of the spectrum produced no significant change in the rate of photosynthesis. The photosynthetic response shown by the different organisms was strikingly similar, which signifies that, despite the qualitative dissimilarities which the organisms may possess in their pigment composition, they are capable of much chromatic adaptation.     

Soil quality evolution after land use change from paddy soil to vegetable land

A survey was done in 15 typical villages, 150 soil and 86 vegetable plant samples were taken in Jiaxin prefecture of the Taihu Lake region, northern Zhejian province. Results indicate that after 15-20 years land use changed from the paddy rice-wheat (or oilseed rape) double cropping system, to a continuous vegetable land has caused soil quality dramatic change. (1) Acidification: average soil pH was 5.4; about 61% of total samples were pH < 5.5. It was 0.9 units lower than 10 years ago with same upland vegetable cultivation and was 1.2 units lower than soil pH of paddy rice-wheat (or oilseed rape) rotation. (2) Fertilizer salt accumulation: the average salt content was 0.28%, among these about 36.2% of the total samples contained more than 0.3%. (3) Nitrate N and available phosphorus (P) over accumulation: on average it was 279 mg NO3-N/kg, and 45-115 mg P/kg. Nitrate N four times higher and available P 4-10 times more than it is in present paddy rice-wheat rotation soils respectively. This has caused wide concern because of possible groundwater and well drinking water pollution by leached nitrate N and the P losses to water by runoff from vegetable lands induce surface water eutrophication.     

Effect of epibionts on the microdistribution of chlorophyll in corals and its detection by fluorescence spectral imaging

The spatial distribution of chlorophyll in three coral species carrying invertebrate symbionts was determined using spectral imaging techniques. From each pixel of the image, full fluorescence spectral data was obtained as well as comparative ratios of fluorescence. The multipixel fluorescence map and the relative-intensity fluorescence ratios demonstrated a high concentration of chlorophyll a next to the pits of Cryptochirus coralliodytes in Favites halicora. Spectral similarity maps of Goniastrea retiformis infested with Lithophaga lessepsiana and of Millepora dichotoma infested with Savignium milleporum revealed relatively higher chlorophyll concentrations in these two corals next to the symbionts. We hypothesize that the invertebrate symbionts fertilize their immediate surroundings with their excreta, enhancing algal growth. The spectral analysis system used in this study made it possible to distinguish such changes by spatial quantitation of the fluorescence emitted from small surface areas.     

Correlated evolution of male and female testosterone profiles in birds and its consequences

Circulating levels of testosterone in adults have mainly evolved as a consequence of selection on males for increased levels, while levels of circulating testosterone in females may be an indirect consequence of selection on males. A review of the literature revealed that intense directional selection for high levels of circulating testosterone in birds is likely to be mainly due to direct selection on males. A comparative study of testosterone levels in birds revealed a strong positive relationship between peak testosterone levels in adult females and peak levels in males. The slope of this relationship was significantly less than unity, implying that the testosterone levels in females have been reduced in species with high levels in males. An analysis of the order of evolutionary events suggested that peak concentration of testosterone in females changed after peak concentrations of testosterone in males. Females in colonial species of birds had significantly higher circulating peak testosterone levels compared to females of solitary species, and relative levels after controlling for the effects of peak levels in males were also larger, suggesting that any costs of high testosterone levels in females are particularly likely in colonial birds. Direct selection on male circulating testosterone levels may increase the costs that females incur from high testosterone titers. For example, high female levels may negatively affect ovulation and laying and may also affect the levels of testosterone that females deposit in their eggs and hence the exposure of pre- and post-hatching offspring to testosterone. This in turn may affect not only offspring behavior, but also offspring development and the trade-offs between growth, development of immune function, and behavior in offspring.     

The application of a multiple-recapture technique for the study of some aspects of dynamics of large fish populations

The multiple-recapture technique can be used to study some aspects of the dynamics of large fish populations, if a part of the fishing fleet is considered as experimental fishing boats by appointing obserers to release tagged fish which are captured, while untagged fish captured are retained. The tagged and untagged populations are assumed to have different properties such as catchability and survival rates. The fish are sampled during a number of sampling surveys with equal duration and no intervening time intervals between them. It is assumed that fish suffer from mortalities during sampling surveys. The parameters of untagged populations can be estimated with the help of the readily estimated parameters of tagged fish (Rafail, 1972), the relationship between the parameters of tagged and untagged populations, and the numbers of untagged fish captured during the sampling surveys. The estimates are free from Types A and B tagging errors.     

Growth of Chaetodon larvatus (Chaetodontidae: Pisces) in the southern Red Sea

Growth and age of Chaetodon larvatus were studied using growth bands in otoliths and length-frequency analyses. Otoliths of 180 C. larvatus were extracted and measured. Polished sections of sagittae revealed alternating opaque and translucent bands corresponding with a seasonal growth pattern. Both mass and size of the otoliths continue to grow steadily throughout life. Length-at-age data revealed very fast growth during the first year. Growth proceeded at a decreasing rate during the second and the third year; fishes older than 3 years did not grow noticeably. No difference in growth patterns between males and females could be detected. The growth parameters obtained for the whole population are: the asymptotic length (L _∞)=10.64 cm, growth constant (K)=1.14 year⁻¹ and the theoretical age at length zero (t ₀)=−0.30 year. The maximum age recorded was 14 years. Length frequency data collected at a recruitment site confirmed the fast growth of juveniles.     

The Adsorption of Lead and Copper from Aqueous Solution on Modified Peat–Resin Particles

Raw peat was modified with sulfuric acid, then mixed modified with resin to prepare the modified peat–resin particles. Using the batch experimental systems, the removal of heavy metals (copper and lead) on the modified peat–resin particles was investigated. The data of the adsorption isotherm could be fitted by the Langmuir equation well. The adsorption rate of heavy metals on modified peat–resin particles was very swift. The removal processes of heavy metals on modified peat–resin particles could be well described by pseudo-second order model. The adsorption rate of lead was affected by the initial heavy metal concentration, initial pH, particle size, agitation speed and particle mass. In the adsorption of heavy metals (lead and copper) on the modified peat–resin particles, ion exchange was the major reaction mechanism. Desorption data showed that the lead adsorbed by modified peat–resin particle could be desorbed by 0.5 N or 1.0 N HNO₃. The desorption rate was swift. The experiments indicated that the modified peat–resin particles have great potential for the removal of heavy metals from wastewater.     

Effects of farmyard manure and chemical fertilizers on the nutritional status of the loquat trees

The nutritional status of the loquat trees was investigated using cattle manure and commercial fertilizers for three years. The farmyard manure increased N, P, K, Mg, Fe and Zn contents of the leaves. No significant difference was found between the fertilizer types for trunk growth. Yield efficiency was nearly doubled by application of farmyard manure. Fertilizers did not affect the weight and shape of the fruits; however, commercial fertilizers led the lower total acidity in fruits. It was concluded that the loquat trees grown in sandy soils could fulfill their principal nutrient requirements for growth and commercial yield with application of farmyard manure.