Bacterial colonization of the phyllosphere of nineteen plant species and antimicrobial activity of their leaf secondary metabolites against leaf associated bacteria

Summary. The scope of this work was to examine whether leaf constitutive secondary metabolites play a role in determining bacterial colonization of the phyllosphere. To this aim, we surveyed nineteen native or cultivated plant species that share a common bacterial pool in a North Mediterranean area, and estimated the size of total and ice nucleation active (INA) bacterial populations on their leaves. Large differences in the colonization of their phyllosphere were found; the population size of epiphytic bacteria ranged from 7.5 × 10² to 1 × 10⁶ CFU/g fresh weight, in eucalypt and celery, respectively. Species native in Mediterranean-type climate areas, particularly those belonging to the group of aromatic plants, are characterized by scarce presence of INA bacteria. The antibacterial activity of essential oils, surface phenolics and leaf tissue extracts was also estimated against the INA strains P. syringae and E. herbicola, isolated from two of these plant species. E. herbicola proved more sensitive than P. syringae. Of the species examined, oregano [Origanum vulgare L. subsp. hirtum (Link.) Ietswaart], an aromatic plant, had the highest antimicrobial activity, whereas six species showed no activity at all. Further experiments were performed with oregano and bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) that represent two extremes in their secondary metabolite content. Both plants were inoculated with P. syringae. By the end of incubation, the bacterial population on bean plants was about 100 times higher than that on oregano leaves. Scanning electron micrographs showed that bacterial growth on oregano leaves was confined to sites away from glandular hairs. Results from the bacterial colonization survey together with those from the toxicity tests showed that all species rich in antibacterial secondary metabolites harbored low leaf bacterial populations. These results provide substantial evidence that leaf secondary metabolites function as constitutive defense chemicals against microbial invasions. However, the fact that species with non- or moderately active leaf secondary metabolites are not always highly colonized suggests mediation of other unknown factors, the contribution of which requires further investigation.     

Validation of a Lagrangian dispersion model implementing different kernel methods for density reconstruction

In this paper the inert version of a Lagrangian particle model named photochemical Lagrangian particle model (PLPM) is described and validated. PLPM implements four density reconstruction algorithms based on the kernel density estimator. All these methods are fully grid-free but they differ each other in considering local or global features of the particles distribution, in treating the Cartesian directions separately or together and in being based on receptors or particles positions in space. Each kernel has been shown to have both advantages and disadvantages, but the overall good performances of the model when compared with the well known Copenhagen and Kincaid data sets are very encouraging in view of its extension to fully chemically active simulations, currently under development.     

Differences in nitrous oxide fluxes from red soil under different land uses in mid-subtropical China

Red soil may play an important role in nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions due to its recent land use change pattern. To predict the land use change effect on N₂O emissions, we examined the relationship between soil N₂O flux and environmental determinants in four different types of land uses in subtropical red soil. During two years of study (January 2005-January 2007), biweekly N₂O fluxes were measured from 09:00 to 11:00 a.m. using static closed chamber method. Objectives were to estimate the seasonal and annual N₂O flux differences from land use change and, reveal the controlling factors of soil N₂O emission by studying the relationship of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), water filled pore space (WFPS) and soil temperature with soil N₂O flux. Nitrous oxide fluxes were significantly higher in hot-humid season than in the cool-dry season. Significant differences in soil N₂O fluxes were observed among four land uses; 2.9, 1.9 and 1.7 times increased N₂O emissions were observed after conventional land use conversion from woodland to paddy, orchard and upland, respectively. The mean annual budgets of N₂O emission were 0.71-2.21 kg N₂O-N ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ from four land use types. The differences were partly attributed to increased fertilizer use in agriculture land uses. In all land uses, N₂O fluxes were positively related to soil temperature and DOC accounting for 22-48% and 30-46% of the seasonal N₂O flux variability, respectively. Nitrous oxide fluxes did significantly correlate with WFPS in orchard and upland only. Nitrous oxide fluxes responded positively to MBC in all land use types except orchard which had the lowest WFPS. We conclude that (1) land use conversion from woodland to agriculture land uses leads to increased soil N₂O fluxes, partly due increased fertilizer use, and (2) irrespective of land use, soil N₂O fluxes are under environmental controls, the main variables being soil temperature and DOC, both of which control the supply of nitrification and denitrification substrates.     

Dissolved organic sulfur in streams draining forested catchments in southern China

Dissolved organic sulfur (DOS) is an important fraction for sulfur mobilization in ecosystem. In this work stream waters were sampled in 25 forested sites in southern China to study the dissolved sulfur fractions. Dissolved sulfur was fractionated into dissolved organic sulfur (DOS) and inorganic sulfate (SO₄^2-) for 95 stream water samples. The results showed that the concentration of DOS ranged from 0 to 13.1 mg/L (average 1.3 mg/L) in all the streams. High concentrations of DOS in stream waters were found in the sites with high concentrations of sulfate. DOS constituted less than 60.1% of dissolved sulfur (average 17.9%). Statistical analysis showed that DOS concentration was correlated with SO₄^2- in streams waters and total sulfur in surface layer soils. The results also showed that DOS concentration in stream waters had a seasonal variation, but no trends were found with it. The implication was that the long term sulfur deposition had led the increase of the concentration and fraction of DOS in stream waters in acid rain prevailing regions     

Fatty acids and algal lipids as precursors of chlorination by-products

Six common algal fatty acids (FAs) with different numbers of double bonds, lipophilic fractions and proteins extracted from the diatom Navicula pelliculosa and algal cells were chlorinated to evaluate their potential in generating disinfection by-products (DBPs). The result showed that the more double bonds in the FAs, the higher the amounts of chloroform and dichloroacetic acid (DCAA) produced, but such a pattern was not observed for trichloroacetic acid (TCAA). Based on the previously reported composition of fatty acids in algal lipids, the DBP generation potentials of algal lipids were calculated. These predicted values were much lower than those measured in the chlorinated algal lipophilic fraction, suggesting unknown lipophilic fraction(s) served as potent DBPs precursors. Another calculation attempted to predict DBP production in algal cells based on algal lipid and protein composition, given quantified measured DBP production per unit algal lipid and proteins. The analysis showed that the observed DBP production was similar to that predicted (< 35% difference), suggesting that algal biochemical compositions may serve as a bioindicator for preliminary estimation of chloroform, DCAA and TCAA formation upon chlorinating algae.     

紫外光降解对生物过滤塔去除氯苯性能的影响机制研究

紫外-生物过滤联合工艺中的紫外单元促进了后续生物过滤单元的氯苯去除性能.为了进一步揭示紫外光降解对生物过滤塔运行性能的影响机制,本研究系统分析了紫外光降解对生物过滤塔填料层pH、生物膜特性和填料层结构特性等方面的影响.结果表明,氯苯紫外光降解产物导致了生物过滤单元填料层pH的下降(从pH 6～8降至pH 4～7);另外,紫外单元产生的臭氧降低了生物过滤单元生物膜厚度和生物膜的EPS含量,改善了生物膜的特性,提高了氯苯和营养物质在生物膜内的传质效率.同时,臭氧可以有效控制生物量过量积累,增加了填料层的比表面积(从784 m2.m-3增加至880 m2.m-3),优化了填料层的结构特性,提高了污染物的反应速率.上述各方面的综合作用最终促进了生物过滤单元的氯苯去除性能.     

长白山温带森林挥发性有机物的排放通量

2010年夏季,在长白山温带森林开展了挥发性有机物(VOC)排放通量以及气象参数、PAR的综合测量.VOC排放通量采用松弛涡度积累(RelaxedEddyAccumulation)技术在森林冠层上进行测量.初步发现长白山阔叶林主要排放α-蒎烯、β-蒎烯、莰烯、香桧烯、月桂烯、蒈烯、柠檬烯、罗勒烯、松油烯、繖花烃、萜品油烯、三环烯等.研究表明,长白山阔叶混交林VOC排放有明显的日变化——早晚较低和中午前后较高.2010年夏季,单萜烯总排放通量的平均值为0.242mg·m·h-2-1,其变化范围为0.005～1.668mg·m·h-2-1;各成分排放通量的平均值(和最大值)分别为α-蒎烯0.072(0.234)、莰烯0.028(0.356)、月桂烯0.027(0.433)、蒈烯0.023(0.173)、柠檬烯0.037(0.197)、罗勒烯0.016(0.168)、萜品油烯0.053(0.320)、繖花烃0.067(0.755)mg·m·h-2-1.研究还发现VOC排放通量与气温之间存在一定的联系.     

基于遥感资料的中国东部地区植被VOCs排放强度研究

本研究充分基于遥感资料获取中国东部地区叶面积指数和叶生物量的最新信息,并广泛调研了植被VOCs排放因子的最新研究进展,以2008—2010年的植被和气象的平均状态为背景,基于MEGAN排放模型,研究了中国东部地区植被VOCs(BVOCs)排放的时空分布特征.结果表明,我国东部地区BVOCs年排放总量为11.3×106t(以C计,下同),其中异戊二烯(ISOP)、单萜烯(MON)和其它VOC(OVOC)质量分数(下同),分别为44.9%、31.5%、23.6%.BVOCs排放呈现明显的季节变化特征,春、夏、秋、冬4个季节分别占全年的11.2%、71.8%、14.1%和3.0%.空间分布上,排放高值区主要分布于大小兴安岭、长白山脉、秦岭大巴山脉、东南丘陵、海南等植被茂密的区域,年均排放强度一般在1500～6000kg·km-·2a-1之间,福建、广东、江西、浙江、湖南、湖北等省份BVOCs的排放总量与平均排放强度均较高.本研究所得到的高时空分辨率的BVOCs排放清单,可以为区域环境与气候的数值模拟研究提供基础.     

道南膜技术测定Ca(NO3)2溶液体系中汞的化学形态

虽然道南膜技术(DMT)已经成功用于土壤/溶液中多种重金属自由态离子浓度的测定,但DMT技术测定Hg的形态尚未解决.采用DMT测定Ca(NO3)2溶液体系中Hg化学形态.实验结果表明,Hg在阳离子交换膜内的吸附除静电吸附外还存在结合力更强的化学吸附,Hg在阳离子交换膜内扩散成为Hg跨膜传输受阻的主要因素,限制道南膜技术用于Hg形态测定.Hg2+和Hg(OH)2都表现出在阳离子交换膜上的强烈吸附,供端(Donor)Hg损失达50%以上.缩短试验时间至8h以内,可在一定程度上降低Hg吸附.计算结果表明,由于大量的Hg滞留在阳离子交换膜内,在计算受端(Acceptor)Hg浓度时引入滞留系数补偿供端Hg的损失,较好地预测了Ca(NO3)2溶液体系中Hg的化学形态.     

中国泥炭地有机碳储量与储存特征分析

根据全国泥炭资源调查的结果, 运用有机质含量、干容重、泥炭储量、泥炭地面积等数据估算中国泥炭地有机碳储量,并探讨其碳储存特征.结果表明,我国泥炭地有机碳总储量约15.03亿t.在各省和各气候区分布不均匀,四川省(6.45亿t)和云南省(2.91亿t)泥炭地有机碳储量最丰富,占总储量的62.29%.各气候区中高原湿润区泥炭地有机碳储量最大(7.14亿t),特别是若尔盖高原泥炭地有机碳储量(6.30亿t)占总储量的41.92%.我国泥炭地有机碳密度一般在80~140kg/m3, 最大值为270~360kg/m3,最小值小于80kg/m3,其分布以燕山、太行山至横断山为界,西北部低,东南部高.泥炭地单位面积有机碳储量均值为143.97kg/m2,滇南高原最高,达到637.06kg/m2.区域平均泥炭地有机碳积累强度为208.23 t/km2,若尔盖高原最高达3972.71t/km2.