Quantifying progress toward a conservation assessment for all plants

The Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC) set an ambitious target to achieve a conservation assessment for all known plant species by 2020. We consolidated digitally available plant conservation assessments and reconciled their scientific names and assessment status to predefined standards to provide a quantitative measure of progress toward this target. The 241,919 plant conservation assessments generated represent 111,824 accepted land plant species (vascular plants and bryophytes, not algae). At least 73,081 and up to 90,321 species have been assessed at the global scale, representing 21–26% of known plant species. Of these plant species, at least 27,148 and up to 32,542 are threatened. Eighty plant families, including some of the largest, such as Asteraceae, Orchidaceae, and Rubiaceae, are underassessed and should be the focus of assessment effort if the GSPC target is to be met by 2020. Our data set is accessible online (ThreatSearch) and is a baseline that can be used to directly support other GSPC targets and plant conservation action. Although around one‐quarter of a million plant assessments have been compiled, the majority of plants are still unassessed. The challenge now is to build on this progress and redouble efforts to document conservation status of unassessed plants to better inform conservation decisions and conserve the most threatened species.     

Dynamics of soil organic matter in primary and secondary forest succession on sandy soils in The Netherlands: An application of the ROMUL model

We applied the simulation model ROMUL of soil organic matter dynamics in order to analyse and predict forest soil organic matter (SOM) changes following stand growth and also to identify gaps of data and modelling problems. SOM build-up was analysed (a) from bare sand to forest soil during a primary succession in Scots pine forest and (b) on mature forest soil under Douglas fir plantations as an example of secondary succession in The Netherlands. As some of the experimental data were unreliable we compiled a set of various scenarios with different soil moisture regime, initial SOM pools and amount and quality of above and below ground litter input. This allowed us to find the scenarios that reflect the SOM dynamics more realistically. In the Scots pine forest, total litter input was estimated as 0.50 kg m⁻² year⁻¹. Two scenarios were defined for the test runs: (a) forest floor moisture regimes—‘dry, mesic and hydric’ and (b) augmenting a root litter pool with three ratios of needles and branches to roots: 1:1, 1:1.5 and 1:2.0. The scenario finally compiled had the following characteristics: (a) climate for dry site with summer drought and high winter moisture of forest floor; (b) a litter input of 0.25 kg m⁻² year⁻¹ above ground and 0.50 kg m⁻² year⁻¹ below ground; (c) a low nitrogen and ash content in all litter fall fractions. The test runs for the estimation of the initial SOM pools and the amount and proportion of above and below ground litter fall were also performed in the Douglas fir plantation. The inputs of above ground litter tested in various combinations were 0.30 and 0.60 kg m⁻² year⁻¹, and below ground litter 0.30, 0.60 and 0.90 kg m⁻² year⁻¹. The scenario that fitted the experimental data had an SOM pool of 20–25 kg m⁻², an aboveground litter input of 0.6 kg m⁻² year⁻¹and a below ground litter input of 0.9 kg m⁻² year⁻¹. The long-term simulation corresponded well with the observed patterns of soil organic matter accumulation associated with the forest soil development in primary and secondary succession. During primary succession in Scots pine forest on dry sand there is a consistent accumulation of a raw humus forest floor. The soil dynamics in the Douglas fir plantation also coincide with the observed patterns of SOM changes during the secondary succession, with SOM decreasing significantly under young forest, and SOM being restored in the older stands.     

A botanical importance rating system for estuaries

In many semi-arid areas, estuaries are threatened because of freshwater impoundment. Estuaries are important sites for ecological diversity and, increasingly, for recreation. A system has been developed which rates estuaries according to their botanical importance. A formula allows a single numerical importance score to be calculated. The area cover of each estuarine plant community type (i.e. intertidal salt marsh, submerged macrophytes, reed/sedge swamps and supratidal salt marsh) and its importance in the estuary forms the basis of the score. The ‘ecological condition’ of the plant community and the community richness within the estuary are incorporated into the formula. The formula is effective in determining the botanical importance of estuaries. Further methods to determine the zoological, physical and socio-economic importance of estuaries need to be developed to allow the overall importance of estuaries to be determined.     

Potential allelopathic effect of Pinus halepensis in the secondary succession: an experimental approach

Summary. Recent economic and social changes in north Mediterranean regions have led to an important rural depopulation. Consequently, meadows developed on abandoned agricultural lands (characterized by high species richness) undergo reforestation. These former fields are mainly colonized by Pinus halepensis Miller, which is known to synthetize a wide range of secondary metabolites, among these, some could influence plant succession through allelopathy. The allelopathic potential of P. halepensis, was tested against two target species (Lactuca sativa L. and Linum strictum L.) with aqueous extracts obtained from different organs (root and needle) taking into account the individual age (±10, ±30 and > 60 years old). Root and needle extracts affected differently germination and growth of the two target species, the responses varying with concentration of extracts, age and organs tested. The strongest inhibitory effect was observed on the germination and growth of L. strictum, exposed to needle extracts of young P. halepensis (±10 years old), and root extracts of older P. halepensis (> 30 years old). These extracts contained several phenolic acids (e.g. 4-hydroxybenzoic acid and p-coumaric acid), which are known as allelochemicals and their concentrations vary with age and organ tested. Hence, P. halepensis could influence secondary succession through the release of potential allelochemicals in the environment by leaf leachates or root exudates.     

Effect of low-molecular weight organic acids on phosphorus release and phytoavailabilty of phosphorus in phosphate rocks added to soils

Phosphorus (P) is critically needed to improve soil fertility in many parts of the world. The use of water-soluble P fertilizers, e.g., single super-phosphate and triple super-phosphate in developing countries to improve crop production has been limited primarily by their high cost. The presence of indigenous phosphate deposits in some countries provides an incentive for direct application or local chemical treatment at low cost to improve the solubility of low reactive phosphate rocks (PRs). The use of naturally occurring low-molecular weight organic acids (LMWOAs) that are produced in soil as microbial metabolites or plant exudates from dead or living cells represents a new perspective in PR research. The LMWOAs contain various functional groups that may play a significant role in PR dissolution. Little information is available, however, about the potential of LMWOAs in releasing P from PRs. This study reports P release from 12 PRs, four each of low, medium, and high reactivity, obtained from various deposits (Kodjari, Tahoua, North Carolina, Gafsa, Khouribga, Tilemsi Valley, Central Florida, Sechura, Minjingu, North Florida, Hahotoe, and Parc W) using nine LMWOAs containing mono-, di-, and tri-carboxylic groups and a mineral acid (H₂SO₄). Laboratory studies showed that the organic acids are effective in releasing P from low and medium reactive PRs, but very ineffective in releasing P from high reactive PRs. The average amounts of P released by all the organic acids from the three types of PRs were 65.5 mmol kg⁻¹ PR from the low reactive PRs, 55.1 mmol kg⁻¹ from the medium, and 11.1 mmol kg⁻¹ from the high; those released from across all the PRs were 21.9 by the mono-carboxylic acid group, 54.2 by the di-carboxylic acid group, and 57.0 mmol P kg⁻¹ by the tri-carboxylic acid group. The P released was negatively correlated with the equilibrium pH, but positively correlated with Ca released from the PRs. Laboratory incubation studies on the release of P from PRs added to soils with or without organic acids and incubated at 25 °C for 15, 30, and 45 days showed that the percentage of plant-available P released varied considerably from 0.95 in the Kodjari PR to 40.1% in the North Carolina PR and was related to PR reactivity. A greenhouse study with corn (Zea mays L.) grown for 60 days on soils treated with PRs or with PRs mixed with organic acids showed that corn response to addition of oxalic or citric acid varied with P rates and PR sources, suggesting that organic acids have potential as amendments for increasing plant-available P in PR-treated soils.     

辽河口沉积物环境要素时空动态及影响因素分析

以辽河口为研究区域,利用遥感影像数据、现状调查数据和历史监测数据,系统地分析了辽河口沉积物质量历史变化趋势和空间分异规律,并进一步研究不同海域使用类型和不同植被演替阶段对沉积物环境要素分异特征的影响.结果表明,辽河口区域沉积物质量总体良好,各要素平均含量均符合一类沉积物质量要求;沉积物营养元素呈现显著的带状分布规律,重金属元素空间分布具有一定随机性,未呈现显著规律;不同海域使用类型对沉积物污染物富集的影响具有一定差异显著性,说明重金属及污染物的分布受到人类活动的影响,具有一定的随机性;植被不同演替阶段下主控因子具有显著差异,初级阶段主要受盐度控制,随着由盐生植被向陆生植被逐渐过渡,植被分布特征与总有机碳(TOC)、总氮(TN)和总磷(TP)的内在联系逐渐增大,同时重金属等污染物含量与植被群落内在联系并不显著.     

佳木斯市四丰山风景区环境污染综合治理对策

佳木斯市四丰山风景区是黑龙江省政府确定的省级风景名胜区,由于近些年无序、过度的开发,环境现状急剧恶化,亟需治理。通过对其周边污染源及水库水质状况的调查,提出了污染治理方案,明确了综合治理的必要性。     

胞外酶对堆肥中微生物群落演替的影响

研究了添加黄孢原毛平革菌胞外酶对农业废物堆肥中木质纤维素降解及微生物群落演替的影响.结果表明,堆肥初期,胞外酶对微生物生长具有抑制作用,且随堆肥时间的延长逐渐减弱;堆肥后期,胞外酶可提高微生物群落的多样性和均匀性,并促进木质素和半纤维素的大量降解.醌指纹数据显示,胞外酶并未引起新的优势醌的出现,进入高温期后,以MK-7为主要醌类的微生物作为优势菌群,且这种优势一直存在;堆肥后期胞外酶对甲基萘醌影响较大,可促进长链甲基萘醌的出现.主成分分析表明,胞外酶对醌种类演替的影响主要作用在3d和40d,这与非相似性指数结果一致,并使真菌在整个体系中影响力加大.     

栽植寒富苹果防风固沙修复土壤的效益分析

通过台安县西平林场大兴村栽植寒富苹果防风固沙修复土壤实验,证明在北方沙化土地上种植寒富苹果是可行的.以内蒙古"十五"林业生态建设所产生的生态效益为依据,寒富苹果基地建设,一方面促进农民增收,另一方面具有防风固沙修复土壤、涵养水源,保持水土的作用.能获得生态效益和经济效益双赢,在适宜地区具有广泛的推广价值.     

草原沙化和人工固沙草地生态演替中昆虫群落多样性变化的数值分析

对宁夏沙坡头自然保护区不同沙化和人工固沙草地地段昆虫和植物群落特征参数、环境因子进行了调查．按不同营养层类群、栖息型类群和重要目分别进行了昆虫多样性变化规律的研究,应用主分量分析法和相关分析法,分析了草原沙化和人工固沙草地生态演替中昆虫不同类群多样性间以及多样性变化与植物、环境因子的关系．结果表明,昆虫多样性随草地沙化的加重而降低,以直翅目、膜翅目和食叶类群的下降率最大;随草地的恢复昆虫多样性趋于增加,以鳞翅目、同翅目、半翅目、脉翅目及捕食类群增长率为大．寄生类群和捕食类群多样性取决于植食类群多样性;杂食类群与地栖性类群成显著性相关．影响昆虫多样性变化的主要环境因子为植物种类、层次结构、盖度和表土层厚度、坚硬度等．