An inhibitor of urease activity effectively reduces ammonia emissions from soil treated with urea under Mediterranean conditions

Urea is an important source of ammonia (NH₃) emissions to the atmosphere from agricultural soils. Abatement strategies are necessary in order to achieve NH₃ emission targets by reducing those emissions. In this context, a field experiment was carried out on a sunflower crop in spring 2006 with the aim of evaluating the effect of the N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT) in the mitigation of volatilized NH₃ from a urea-fertilised soil. Ammonia emission was quantified, using the integrated horizontal flux (IHF) method, following application of urea with and without the urease inhibitor NBPT. Urea and a mixture of urea and NBPT (0.14%, w/w) were surface-applied at a rate of 170 kg N ha⁻¹ to circular plots (diameter 40 m). The soil was irrigated with 10 mm of water just after the application of urea to dissolve and incorporate it into the upper layer of soil. Over the duration of the measurement period (36 days) three peaks of NH₃ were observed. The first peak was associated with hydrolysis of urea after irrigation and the others with the increase of ammonia in soil solution after changes in atmospheric variables such as wind speed and rainfall. The total NH₃ emission during the whole experiment was 17.3 ± 0.5 kg NH₃–N ha⁻¹ in the case of urea treated soils and 10.0 ± 2.2 kg NH₃–N ha⁻¹ where NBPT was included with the urea (10.1 and 5.9%, respectively, of the applied urea–N). The lower NH₃ emissions from plots fertilised with urea + NBPT, compared with urea alone, were associated with a reduction in urease activity during the first 9 days after inhibitor application. This reduction in enzymatic activity promoted a decrease in the exchangeable NH₄⁺ pool.     

15N和18O在桂林岩溶水氮污染源示踪中的应用

为确定桂林东区岩溶含水层氮污染特征及其迁移转化过程,选择桂林东区地下水与地表水共27个采样点,分别在雨季和旱季进行取样分析.结果显示:桂林东区地下水NO3--N污染较严重,是最主要的无机氮形态.雨季地下水采样点的NO3--N平均浓度为12.5mg/L,超过了世界卫生组织的地下水饮用标准界限(10mg/L);旱季地下水采样点的NO3--N平均含量为8.8mg/L,虽有明显的降低,但也濒临超标.而少数地表水采样点由于受到直接排污影响,NH4+和NO2-浓度较高,其余离子浓度均较低.该区地下水中硝酸盐的δ15N值范围在5‰~25‰,δ18O值范围在5‰~10‰,表明该区地下水硝酸盐来源为家畜粪便和生活污水,也可能有土壤有机氮和化肥的混合,并发生微生物的硝化作用产生同位素分馏.其中一部分采样点NO3-的N、O同位素比值在1.3~2.1的变化范围内,而另有一部分采样点NO3-的N、O同位素比值不在这个范围之内,表明该区地下水中反硝化作用并不明显,存在空间差异性.     

华东某铀矿区地表水中放射性核素铀含量特征分析

以华东某铀矿区为研究对象,利用X-Series II电感耦合等离子体质谱仪测定铀矿区和对照区共114个地表水样品中放射性核素铀含量,采用单因子指数法评价放射性铀污染,以查明铀矿区地表水铀污染现状。结果表明:(1)研究区地表水铀平均含量39.89μg/L,分别是含矿未采区、江西省背景值、对照区的32.17倍、64.34倍和199.45倍;各亚区地表水的铀含量平均值从大到小顺序为:水冶场区开采矿井区废弃矿井区尾矿库区;废弃矿井区、水冶场区、开采矿井区等亚区地表水铀含量受到较强人为活动影响;(2)单因子污染指数评价结果表明各亚区地表水铀污染程度为:水冶场区开采矿井区废弃矿井区尾矿库区。其中,水冶场区、开采矿井区、废弃矿井区、尾矿库区地表水的铀污染程度均为重度污染;对照区未污染。结合研究区铀含量特征,铀矿开采、运输与选冶等实际情况,建议从改善矿石运输条件、改善废水处理设备,提高废水处理技术等方面进行地表水铀污染防治。     

小流域生态经济型水土保持综合治理研究

文中介绍了根据辽东山区生态环境和自然资源特点，以市场规律为指导，在水土保持生态环境建设中，将小流域水土流失防治与资源开发紧密结合起来，促进了流域生态经济同步发展的经验，进而探讨了小流域治理生态经济良性循环可持续发展有效途径     

Effects of irrigation and landscape heterogeneity on butterfly diversity in Mediterranean farmlands

Irrigation effects on biodiversity are poorly known, particularly in Mediterranean agro-ecosystems. In this study we analyzed irrigation effects on butterfly species richness, abundance and diversity as well as on species composition in a farmed landscape under Mediterranean climate. The study area consisted of four contiguous agricultural sub-areas with a decreasing degree of intensification: irrigated, mixed (dry and irrigated), dry and environmentally protected (i.e. Special Protection Area, SPA) dry farmland. Forty one km-transects (ten per sub-area) were searched for butterflies in 2008 and 2009. Contrary to expectations, species richness (alfa, beta and gamma diversity) was highest in both years in the most intensified sub-area (i.e. irrigated) followed by SPA, dry and mixed sub-areas. Landscape characteristics accounted for most of the between-subareas differences in species richness. Species richness was negatively related to mean field size at the landscape level and positively related to the number of trees and large shrubs along transects. Therefore, the higher number of butterfly species recorded in the irrigated farmland could be due to a more complex landscape. In contrast, butterfly abundance was highest in cereal steppes (i.e. dry and SPA sub-areas), with abundance being negatively affected by mean field size. Inter-annual change in butterfly abundance was much sharper in rainfed (i.e. dry and SPA) than in irrigated (i.e. irrigated and mixed) sub-areas. Irrigated farmland may provide more favorable conditions for butterflies by buffering the (year-to-year and summer) drought periods characterising Mediterranean climate. Species composition differed among sub-areas, with differences being partly explained by field size and number of trees and shrubs along transects. Our study suggest an important role of landscape characteristics in boosting butterfly biodiversity in intensively managed irrigated croplands and emphasizes the importance of encouraging studies on farmland butterfly diversity in different (bioclimatic) regions allowing the design of region-specific agri-environmental schemes.     

基于叶绿素a分级的东部湖区富营养化标准研究

文章基于东部湖区142个湖泊的水质和水生态数据,选取富营养化的原因变量和响应变量,采用叶绿素a六段分级的方法,得到东部湖区各指标富营养化控制的分级标准值,与GB3838-2002中的各指标值相比,所得到的分级富营养化控制标准值均超过III类水标准,这为东部湖区湖泊的管理和控制提供了理论依据。     

陇东黄土高原石油污染土壤环境因子对金盏菊(Calendula officinalis)-微生物联合修复的响应

为筛选适合陇东黄土高原石油污染土壤修复植物,选取当地"适生"植物金盏菊(Calendula officinalis)联合微生物菌剂开展了为期5个月的原位修复实验.采用常规方法和PCR-DGGE技术分析了修复过程中土壤理化性质、酶活性及土壤微生物群落遗传多样性等15项土壤环境因子的动态变化情况及其对金盏菊生态修复的响应.结果表明,随着原位修复的进行,1土壤脲酶、多酚氧化酶、过氧化氢酶及脱氢酶活性均不同程度呈增加的趋势(p0.05).2土壤TPHs、p H、有机质、含盐率的变化情况不尽相同,但总体呈下降的趋势(p0.05);土壤碱解氮、速效磷及速效钾含量总体呈上升趋势(p0.05).3土壤微生物群落遗传多样性结果显示,Shannon-Wiener多样性指数和Pielou均匀度指数整体呈逐步增加的趋势.4PCA分析结果显示,土壤脲酶、脱氢酶及碱解氮等环境因子对金盏菊修复表现为促进作用,而有机质含量过高将不利于金盏菊的植物修复.金盏菊和微生物菌剂联合修复过程中,土壤多酚氧化酶、速效磷、脱氢酶及速效钾发挥主要作用,而土壤TPHs和含盐率过高则影响了联合修复效果.本研究旨在分析金盏菊用于陇东地区油污土壤的生态响应,结果有助于筛选出适合陇东黄土高原土壤类别-适生植物-土著降解菌群的组合,利用乡土物种的适生性降低修复成本,为陇东地区油污土壤生态修复提供新的技术方案和背景资料.     

海南东部河口和近岸海域总溶解态无机砷的分布及季节变化

利用氢化物发生原子荧光法对2006年12月和2007年8月航次海南东部河流、河口、近岸及地下水中的总溶解态无机砷(total dissolved inorganic arsenic,TDIAs,As5++As3+)进行了测定.2006年12月万泉河及河口、文昌/文教河及河口、近岸TDIAs的浓度分别为4.0～9.4、1.3～13.3、13.3～17.3 nmol.L-1,2007年8月万泉河及河口、文昌/文教河及河口、近岸、地下水TDIAs的浓度分别为1.6～15.5、2.4～15.9、10.8～17.6、未检出～41.7 nmol.L-1.结果表明,万泉河及文昌/文教河河流、河口TDIAs的浓度不存在显著性季节变化,较我国及世界其它河流、河口偏低,处于自然状态.砷在万泉河口和文昌/文教河口混合过程中均表现为保守混合.以文昌/文教河为例,初步估算出2007年文昌/文教河口地下水向沿岸砷的输送通量为1 153 mol.a-1,约为文昌/文教河砷入海通量的二分之一,表明海南东部沿岸地下水也是沿岸海区砷的主要来源之一.     

Total mercury in marine species from the French coast of the Eastern English Channel

Mercury (Hg) in fish can present a potential risk to wildlife and human consumers. Mercury levels were determined in 12 fish species and 2 invertebrate species from the French coast of the Eastern English Channel collected in June and November 2012. Total mercury concentrations in the muscle tissues ranged between 0.04 and 1.63 µg g^-1 (d.w.). Dab and sandeel displayed a significant positive correlation between Hg concentrations and fish length. Seasonal differences in Hg concentrations were observed for dab and shrimp. The lesser weever showed significantly higher concentrations of Hg (0.97 ± 0.34 µg g^-1 d. w.) than all other species. Gobies and sprat, which had the smallest size, showed significantly lower concentrations than herring, whiting, pout and sardine. Among the considered species, flatfish such as dab, flounder, plaice and sole displayed intermediate levels of Hg. In the present study, the fish age expressed as specimen length seems to be one of the major factors governing Hg contents in muscle tissues. Finally, mercury concentrations in commercial fish from the Eastern English Channel were below the levels fixed by the European Union for total mercury in edible parts of fish products.     

Does anthracene affect microbial activities and organic matter decomposition? A comparative study in Pinus halepensis litters from Mediterranean coastal and inland areas

The widespread concern about pollution caused by Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) raises the question of how they affect soil microbial communities which are potentially involved in the transformation of these pollutants. Using microcosms, we describe the effect of anthracene, a model PAH, on microbial communities inhabiting a Pinus halepensis litter from both coastal (COS) and inland (INL) Mediterranean sites. The microcosms were incubated over 3 months (25 °C, 60% WHC) and the effects of anthracene on microbial activities of both litters were monitored. Different enzyme activities (laccase, cellulase, β-glucosidase and acid phosphatase) and microbial respiration were measured and variations in litter chemical composition over incubation were determined using ¹³C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) from both sites. Our results show that lignocellulolytic enzymes increased markedly after a 3-month incubation in COS microcosms, especially in the presence of anthracene, whereas INL microcosms were not similarly affected. These results show that anthracene not only has no toxic effect on the microbial activities tested but actually enhances the lignocellulolytic activities of the fungal communities from coastal litters, demonstrating the detoxification potential and resistance of stressed Mediterranean coastal ecosystems.