Nitrogen cycle of a typical Suaeda salsa marsh ecosystem in the Yellow River estuary

The nitrogen (N) biological cycle of the Suaeda salsa marsh ecosystem in the Yellow River estuary was studied during 2008 to 2009. Results showed that soil N had significant seasonal fluctuations and vertical distribution. The N/P ratio (15.73±1.77) of S. salsa was less than 16, indicating that plant growth was limited by both N and P. The N absorption coefficient of S. salsa was very low (0.007), while the N utilization and cycle coefficients were high (0.824 and 0.331, respectively). The N turnover among compartments of S. salsa marsh showed that N uptake from aboveground parts and roots were 2.539 and 0.622 g/m2, respectively. The N translocation from aboveground parts to roots and from roots to soil were 2.042 and 0.076 g/m2, respectively. The N translocation from aboveground living bodies to litter was 0.497 g/m2, the annual N return from litter to soil was far less than 0.368 g/m2, and the net N mineralization in topsoil during the growing season was 0.033 g/m2. N was an important limiting factor in S. salsa marsh, and the ecosystem was classified as unstable and vulnerable. S. salsa was seemingly well adapted to the low-nutrient status and vulnerable habitat, and the nutrient enrichment due to N import from the Yellow River estuary would be a potential threat to the S. salsa marsh. Excessive nutrient loading might favor invasive species and induce severe long-term degradation of the ecosystem if human intervention measures were not taken. The N quantitative relationships determined in our study might provide a scientific basis for the establishment of effective measures.     

Effect of chromium on accumulation and antioxidants in Cucumis utillissimus L.: Response under enhanced bioavailability condition

This study compares the accumulation of Cr(VI) and biochemical changes (total chlorophyll, carotenoid, protein, malondialdehyde (MDA) and cysteine contents) and roles of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase (SOD), guaiacol peroxidase (GPX), ascorbate peroxidase (APX)) in tolerance to metal induced stress in Cucumis utillissimus L. grown in Cr contaminated soil (CS) with garden soil (GS). Furthermore, Cr bioavailability was enhanced by ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid (EDTA) addition to the soil to forecast the plant’s accumulation pattern at elevated Cr environment. Accumulation of Cr in the leaves of the plant increased with increase in substrate metals concentration. It further increased with the addition of EDTA by 1437% and 487% in GS and CS, respectively at the highest treatment level. The lipid peroxidation increased proportionately with increase in Cr accumulation in the leaves. All the activity of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, GPX and APX) and the level of cysteine increased with dose dependant manner. SOD and cysteine were observed to be higher in the GS than in CS, but APX and GPX were found to be higher in CS than in GS. The increase in GPX and APX activities with the increase in Cr concentration could be assumed that these two enzymes have a major role in the defense mechanism towards stress induced by Cr in C. utillissimus.     

Methanotrophic community structure of aged refuse and its capability for methane bio-oxidation

Aged refuse from waste landfills closed for eight years was examined and found to contain rich methanotrophs capable of biooxidation for methane. Specially, community structure and methane oxidation capability of methanotrophs in the aged refuse were studied. The amount of methanotrophs ranged 61.97 103–632.91 103 cells/g (in dry basis) in aged refuse from Shanghai Laogang Landfill. Type I and II methanotrophs were found in the aged refuse in the presence of sterilized sewage sludge and only Type I methanotrophs were detected in the presence of nitrate minimal salt medium (NMS). The clone sequences of the pmoA gene obtained from the aged refuse were similar to the pmoA gene of Methylobacter, Methylocaldum, and Methylocystis, and two clones were distinct with known genera of Type I methanotrophs according to phylogenetic analysis. Aged refuse enriched with NMS was used for methane biological oxidation and over 93% conversions were obtained.     

Efficacy of natural biocide on control of microbial induced corrosion in oil pipelines mediated by Desulfovibrio vulgaris and Desulfovibrio gigas

We compared the efficacy of a natural biocide with four chemical tetrakishydroxymethyl phosphonium sulfonate, benzyl trimethyl ammonium chloride, and formaldehyde, glutaraldehyde, to control microbial induced corrosion in oil pipelines. The efficacy of biocides were monitored against Desulfovibrio vulgaris and Desulfovibrio gigas in experimental pipes by measuring cell counts, H2S production, Fe(II) production, production of extracellular polymeric substances and structure of biofilm. The treatment with cow urine had minimum planktonic cell counts of 3 102 CFU/mL as well as biofilm cell counts of 9 101 CFU/mL as compared with tetrakishydroxyl methyl phosphonium sulfonate, benzyl trimethyl ammonium chloride, formaldehyde and glutaraldehyde. Sulfide production was the lowest with cow urine (0.08 mmol/L), followed by tetrakishydroxymethyl phosphonium sulfonate 0.72 mmol/L. On day 90 of treatment, Fe(II) production was also found to be the lowest with cow urine. The scanning electron microscopic studies indicated that the biofilm bacteria were killed by cow urine. These results demonstrate the cow urine mediated control of microbially induced corrosion, and this is indicative of its potential as a viable substitute of toxic biocides. To the best of our knowledge, this seems to be the first report which screens possible biocidal activity by cow urine as compared to the most common biocides which oil industry is currently using.     

中国首个世界农业文化遗产:青田稻鱼共生系统

青田县位于浙江省中南部,瓯江流域的中下游,县域总面积为2493平方公里。全县共辖31个乡镇,总人口48.7万。青田县是中国有名的侨乡,有遍布世界120多个国家和地区的华侨23万多人。青田物产丰富,不仅拥有丰富的动植物资源,而且拥有石雕工艺品的珍贵原料青田石。最为奇特的是,这个面积不大、人口不多的小县1200     

福禄吉祥与生物安全

再过十来天就是春节了!受几千年传统文化的影响,中国人过年总爱与吉祥、如意和福禄之类的祝福挂钩。文玩市场应该说是许多人在春节前乃至春节期间十分乐意光顾的地方。但最近有媒体报道说,在北京的文玩市场,一直以来很受顾客青睐的手捻儿葫芦(寓意福禄)几乎全是美国品种。     

全球重要农业文化遗产的保护与适应性管理

全球重要农业文化遗产 联合国粮农组织（FAO）于2002年发起一项全球性计划,即全球重要农业文化遗产（GIAHS）。并将其定义为：“农村与其所处环境长期协同进化和动态适应下所形成的独特的土地利用系统和农业景观,这些系统与景观具有丰富的生物多样性,而且可以满足当地社会经济与文化发展的需要,有利于促进区域可持续发展。”     

响应面法优化复合微生物吸附剂对低浓度Cr3+的吸附

根据已有4种微生物吸附剂的吸附基团存在的差异特征,将其复配成复合吸附剂,借助统计学方法研究其对低ρ(Cr3+)废水的吸附性能.在单因素试验基础上,利用P-B(Plackett-Burman)法筛选出吸附过程4个主要影响因素分别为pH,初始ρ(Cr3+)及微生物吸附剂XB和TQ的投加量,应用最陡爬坡试验接近主要因素最优水平,采用Box-Behnken试验设计和响应面分析得到对低浓度Cr3+吸附过程的二阶模型.结果表明,最优吸附条件为pH 4.0,初始ρ(Cr3+)为4.86mg/L,XB和TQ的投加量分别为0.20和0.13 g/L,实际吸附率达到87.54%,与理论预测值(87.68%)接近,且高出单一吸附剂吸附率7.79%～17.35%.FT-IR扫描显示,复合微生物吸附剂性能提高与表面基团增多有关.通过响应面分析法优化复合微生物吸附,吸附性能明显提高.     

英国可替代能源及节能

人类正面临着严重的石油短缺,因此正在努力减少化石燃料的使用以抑制温室气体排放所造成的全球变暖趋势。在此紧要关头,风能、太阳能、生物燃料等可替代能源就显示出了重要性。由于目前西欧正逐渐成为世界上人口最稠密的地区之一,这使得西欧在推行替代能源的过程中面临     

为了下一代——索尼(中国)企业社会责任报告2010(环境部分)

概况随着全球经济一体化的推进和全球气候变暖趋势逐渐明显,索尼(中国)在履行社会责任、实施可持续发展过程中,在生态环境保护、社区和谐稳定、消费者及其他利益相关群体权益保护等诸多方面不断强化并完善各项举措,收到了良好的效果。索尼集团于2010年4月提出"环境零负荷"的目标,即计划到2050年,在企业运营行为和产品使用周期中,将对环境的负荷降低至零。作为集团中的一员,索尼(中国)在致力于为人们提供更多新颖、时尚的高科技产品同时,也在对产品研