Plant polyphenols – implications of different sampling,storage and sample processing in biodiversity-ecosystem functioning experiments

Plant polyphenols are involved in important ecosystem processes and may affect nutrient cycling. Previous investigations have demonstrated detrimental effects of suboptimal sample treatment on the quantity of extractable plant polyphenols. We compared leaf polyphenol concentrations of 20 tree species from East China in two sample sets collected under different conditions: (a) according to established protocols and stored more than three years, (b) under conditions optimised for leaf polyphenols. We investigated the variance brought about by suboptimal sample handling as compared to the variance caused by the taxonomic range of species. Family-affiliation explained the largest proportion of variance, whereas sample handling had only minor effects. Reducing the taxonomic range increased the impact of differences in sample handling. Additionally, we showed that the concentrations of leaf polyphenols were phylogenetically more conserved than other leaf traits. Non-metric-multi-dimensional scaling revealed similar ordination patterns for leaf polyphenol concentrations in both sample sets with both ordinations being closely correlated. Finally, we computed separate ordinations including an extended set of leaf traits and found that both analyses led to similar ecological conclusions. Consequently, in studies comprising a wide taxonomic range, the adverse effects of suboptimal sample handling may be overridden by the variation brought about by phylogeny.     

Trophic Flexibility and the Persistence of Understory Birds in Intensively Logged Rainforest

Effects of logging on species composition in tropical rainforests are well known but may fail to reveal key changes in species interactions. We used nitrogen stable‐isotope analysis of 73 species of understory birds to quantify trophic responses to repeated intensive logging of rainforest in northern Borneo and to test 4 hypotheses: logging has significant effects on trophic positions and trophic‐niche widths of species, and the persistence of species in degraded forest is related to their trophic positions and trophic‐niche widths in primary forest. Species fed from higher up the food chain and had narrower trophic‐niche widths in degraded forest. Species with narrow trophic‐niche widths in primary forest were less likely to persist after logging, a result that indicates a higher vulnerability of dietary specialists to local extinction following habitat disturbance. Persistence of species in degraded forest was not related to a species’ trophic position. These results indicate changes in trophic organization that were not apparent from changes in species composition and highlight the importance of focusing on trophic flexibility over the prevailing emphasis on membership of static feeding guilds. Our results thus support the notion that alterations to trophic organization and interactions within tropical forests may be a pervasive and functionally important hidden effect of forest degradation. Flexibilidad Trófica y la Persistencia de Aves de Sotobosque en un Bosque Lluvioso Talado Intensivamente     

Parameterising competing zooplankton for survival in plankton functional type models

Marine plankton ecosystems are an important component of biogeochemical cycling in the oceans. Operational plankton functional type (PFT) models, that group plankton according to their biogeochemical properties, are currently being developed to resolve biogenic gas exchange between the ocean and atmosphere, and to model the lowest trophic levels in fisheries models. A fundamental problem with these models is that PFTs often go extinct in computer simulations, effectively removing the biogeochemical processes from the models. Cropp and Norbury [Cropp, R., Norbury, J., 2009a. Parameterizing plankton functional type models: insights from a dynamical systems perspective. J. Plankton Res. 31, 939-963] demonstrated that parameter combinations that allowed all PFTs to stay extant for all time in stable, homogeneous environments were rare in a PFT model with two competing phytoplankton and one zooplankton (NP₁P₂Z). In this paper, we examine the dynamical properties of a generic predator-predator-prey PFT model, and apply the analysis techniques developed by Cropp and Norbury to a simple example PFT model with one phytoplankton and two zooplankton (NPZ₁Z₂) in order to explore its properties and parameter space. We find that the properties of predator-predator-prey PFT systems are fundamentally different from those of predator-prey-prey PFT systems. The likelihood of parameter combinations for which all PFTs stay extant for all time in predator-predator-prey PFT systems depends critically on the process formulations used, and the properties of co-existing zooplankton (as defined by their parameter values) are quite different to those of co-existing phytoplankton.     

γ-Fe2O3抗As2O3中毒能力的分子模拟

采用密度泛函理论研究了γ-Fe₂O₃表面As₂O₃的吸附以及掺杂改性提高抗As₂O₃中毒性能的作用机理.计算了As₂O₃在完整以及O缺陷γ-Fe₂O₃（001）表面的吸附性能,包括吸附位点、吸附结构、吸附能、PDOS等.同时建立了Mo、Ti、Mg掺杂的γ-Fe₂O₃模型,探讨了助剂掺杂对抗砷中毒能力的作用机制,并考虑了掺杂量的影响.结果表明：As₂O₃倾向于以O端化学吸附在γ-Fe₂O₃（001）表面Fe_oct位,吸附过程发生强烈的相互作用和电荷转移.当表面存在O缺陷时,As₂O₃的吸附能得到提高.Mo、Ti、Mg倾向于掺杂在Fe_oct位,增强了对As₂O₃的吸附能力,并且增大Mo的掺杂量可以强化As₂O₃的吸附.As₂O₃倾向于与活性较强的Mo、Ti、Mg发生反应,从而保护活性Fe位不受砷中毒,Ti和Mg的掺杂还抑制了相邻Fe位对As₂O₃的吸附.Mo、Ti、Mg的掺杂还促进了催化剂表面对NH₃的吸附,增强了表面酸性强度,有利于SCR反应.Mo、Ti、Mg原子的掺杂有利于提高γ-Fe₂O₃催化剂的抗砷中毒性能.     

硫自养反硝化颗粒表面与间隙微生物群落特征和基因分布

研究了单质硫颗粒自养反硝化柱中表面和间隙生物膜的微生物群落结构、功能基因和代谢途径等生物信息学特征.结果表明,硫颗粒表面生物膜的微生物菌群多样性低于间隙生物膜.氮代谢功能基因丰度差异较为显著,间隙生物膜中硝酸盐和亚硝酸盐的胞外转运蛋白基因丰度远高于表面生物膜,分别为0.0792%、0.109%与0.0157%、0.0314%.对于还原性反硝化代谢,表面生物膜的总基因丰度却明显低于间隙生物膜,分别为0.367%、0.406%.此外,参与反硝化过程的基因丰度明显不同,特别是将NO₃^-还原成NO₂^-以及将N₂O还原成N₂过程中的基因.对于硫代谢,没有观察到明显的差异.APS (硫酸腺苷)氧化是将SO₃^2-氧化为SO₄^2-的主要途径,其基因丰度远远高于直接氧化途径,分别为0.137%与0.0005%(表面)、0.138%与0.0007%(间隙).结果表明,在单质硫自养反硝化过程中,间隙生物膜与表面生物膜中的微生物存在合作关系,协同促进硫自养反硝化脱氮过程.     

黔中木本植物叶功能性状对退化喀斯特土壤特性的响应

研究不同退化背景下优势木本植物功能性状的适应机制,有助于从功能生态学的角度来解释喀斯特山区的群落演替过程。本研究以贵州普定不同退化背景样地优势木本为研究对象,测定LT、LA、SLA、LDMC、LTD、Chlc6个叶片功能性状指标,分析土壤特性对区域内植被叶片功能性状的作用及影响,揭示喀斯特山区植物对不同环境的适应策略及其演替过程。结果表明:①喀斯特区退化环境下植被叶片向增大化趋势发展,以退耕地经济林最显著;火烧、火烧砍伐、退耕下植被性状差异显著,以LA、LTD、SLA变化范围最大,在相应样地可分别高达121.9%、118.08%、86.00%。②退化样地内叶片性状在乔木、灌木和藤本物种间差异显著,总体上灌木与藤本物种种间变异高于乔木物种,群落处于演替前中期阶段。③不同退化背景下土壤特性差异较大,与植被叶功能性状间具有显著相关性,其中土层深度、土壤养分与土壤含水率是植被叶功能性状的关键土壤特性因子。④退化区域植被叶性状表现出LA大、LT较小、SLA和LTD低、LDMC高、Chlc较低,趋向于发展贫瘠干旱性状组合。揭示了黔中退化喀斯特次生林内在差异性的演替规律,为喀斯特次生林的管理和生物多样性保护提供科学依据。     

Adsorption of Cu（Ⅱ） on rice straw char from acidic aqueous solutions

研究了稻草炭对Cu（Ⅱ）的吸附特征,探讨了Cu（Ⅱ）的吸附机制.结果表明,稻草炭对Cu（Ⅱ）有很高的吸附容量,Langmuir方程能很好地拟合Cu（Ⅱ）吸附等温线,因此可以描述稻草炭对Cu（Ⅱ）的吸附,其预测的Cu（Ⅱ）在pH 4.5和pH 5.0时的最大吸附量分别为0.628 mol.kg-1和0.763 mol.kg-1.稻草炭对Cu（Ⅱ）的吸附量随体系pH升高而增加,但吸附Cu（Ⅱ）的解吸率呈相反的变化趋势.当吸附体系pH≤4.5时,Cu（Ⅱ）解吸率大于55%,说明此时以静电吸附为主;在较高pH条件下Cu（Ⅱ）以非静电吸附机制为主.红外光谱的分析结果表明,稻草炭表面有丰富的—COOH和—OH等含氧官能团,Cu2＋与含氧官能团形成有机络合物导致—COOH吸附峰位移.Cu（Ⅱ）吸附使稻草炭颗粒的Zeta电位向正值方向位移.结果说明Cu（Ⅱ）在稻草炭表面发生了专性吸附.     

温带亚高山针叶林土壤碳循环微生物群落的时空动态

选取参与碳固定的二磷酸羧化/加氧酶基因（cbbM）、有机碳降解的淀粉酶基因（amylase）和纤维素酶基因（cellulase）作为分子标记,用实时定量PCR方法对温带亚高山华北落叶松（Larix gmelinii var.principis-rupprechtii）林、白杄（Picea meyeri）林、青杄（P.wilsonii）林和油松（Pinus tabulaeformis）林土壤碳循环功能微生物类群丰度的时空动态开展研究.结果显示,总碳（TC）、总氮（TN）、总硫（TS）、有机质（OM）和有机碳（TOC）、pH值、铵态氮（NH₄⁺-N）、硝态氮（NO₃^--N）、过氧化氢酶、蔗糖酶和脲酶活性在4种森林土壤中都有不同程度的差异,且有显著的季节变化特征.高海拔华北落叶松林土壤TC、TN、TS、C/N、OM和TOC含量最高,而pH值最低.土壤TC、TN、亚硝态氮（NO₂^--N）含量、蔗糖酶和脲酶活性,与碳循环微生物类群的丰度呈极显著相关.土壤NO₃^--N含量与有机碳分解和固碳微生物类群的相对丰度显著相关;土壤C/N、NO₂^--N、pH值、OM、TOC、过氧化氢酶及脲酶活性,与降解易分解碳（labile C）和难分解碳（recalcitrant C）的微生物类群的相对丰度呈极显著相关.植被类型和季节变化共同影响土壤碳循环微生物类群的丰度,而季节变化是主导因素.植被和土壤环境因子通过调控微生物群落碳代谢功能类群的结构,影响森林土壤碳源-汇的平衡.     

改性煤矸石对上覆水磷及底泥磷代谢关键基因的影响

将热活化煤矸石和镧改性煤矸石应用于封闭水体除磷固磷试验,采用16SrRNA高通量测序技术分析底泥微生态群落结构、聚磷细菌和磷代谢功能基因的变化.结果表明：镧改性煤矸石对上覆水TP的去除能力最高,稳定期上覆水TP浓度为0.023~0.028mg/L,较对照组低83.5%以上,热活化煤矸石对上覆水TP的去除能力较差,稳定期上覆水TP浓度为0.15mg/L左右,略低于对照组.热活化煤矸石和镧改性煤矸石均提高了底泥中微生物多样性,变形菌门（Proteobacteria）和绿弯菌门（Chloroflexi）为底泥优势菌种.不同处理组底泥中聚磷细菌为Tetrasphaera和Candidatus_Accumulibacter,镧改性煤矸石显著降低了底泥中聚磷细菌的相对丰度.热活化煤矸石和镧改性煤矸石对多聚磷酸盐激酶（PPK）影响不大,但对外切聚磷酸酶（PPX）的抑制较大,热活化煤矸石抑制最大.