Rangeland dynamics of southern Ethiopia: (2). Assessment of woody vegetation structure in relation to land use and distance from water in semi-arid Borana rangelands

The structure and advancement of woody vegetation was studied in a semi-arid rangeland of southern Ethiopia under three land-use systems (communal land, a government ranch and a traditional grazing reserve enclosure) and along a distance gradient (near, middle and far) from water sources. A total of 54 woody plant species were identified. Based on the subjective opinions of the pastoralists, 85% of the identified woody plants have forage values to livestock. Cadaba farinsoa, Ormocarpum trichocarpum, Rhus natalensis, Acacia brevispica, Cordia gharaf and Hibiscus sparseaculeatus were reported to have fair to good palatability. Tree equivalent (TE) density of all woody plants combined was greater (P <0.01) in the government ranch (1) 188 TE ha(-1)) and the communal land (1083 TE ha(-1)) than in the traditional grazing reserve (419 TE ha(-1)), whereas this did not vary significantly (P >0.05) along the distance gradient from water. The most important encroaching woody plant species in the study areas were in descending order: Commiphora africana, Acacia drepanolobium, A. brevispica, Acacia. tortilis, Grewia tembensis and Lannea floccosa. The density of individual encroaching woody plant species along the distance gradient from water was not consistent. All encroaching woody species had the highest TE density in the communal land. The prevalence of these species followed the pattern of intensity of use within the communal grazing area. Most of the woody species had the highest abundance in the height class >0-2m regardless of land use and distance gradient from water. This study investigated the advance of severe woody encroachment in the communal and government sites as well as along the distance gradient from water. Some of the important contributing factors that can be suggested are heavy grazing pressure (in both the communal and government sites), expansion of cultivation and reduced mobility of livestock due to settlement of the pastoralists in the communal land.     

闽江口秋茄红树林凋落物产量及分解动态

于2017年以闽江口粗芦岛秋茄(Kandelia obovata)红树林为研究对象,分别采用凋落物收集框和分解袋法,研究秋茄凋落物产量及其碳(C)、氮(N)、磷(P)含量月动态及凋落叶分解过程中C、N、P含量与水解酶活性.结果表明:①秋茄凋落物年产量为618.79 g·m~(-2)·a~(-1),其中,叶占61.2%,果、枝和花分别占23.7%、10.5%和4.6%.②凋落叶总氮(TN)含量8月显著高于其他月份(p0.05),而TP含量在1—3月显著高于其他月份;C/N在8月显著低于其他月份(p0.05),而C/P及N/P在9月显著升高(p0.05).③在凋落叶分解过程中,C、N、P含量及其化学计量比随时间存在明显差异(p0.01),并且地上组TC、TN、C/N和C/P明显不同于地下组(p0.05).④在分解过程中,4种水解酶随时间存在明显差异(p0.01).⑤凋落叶酸性磷酸酶活性与土壤温度、电导率和凋落叶TP含量存在显著相关关系(p0.01).这些结果说明,秋茄凋落物产量及元素含量随季节变化存在明显差异;沉积作用对凋落叶分解过程中元素含量有显著影响,水解酶活性主要受凋落叶元素含量和土壤环境因子的控制.     

雨雪冰冻灾害后粤北森林各林型凋落物动态

为了考察中国亚热带不同森林类型对雨雪冰冻灾害的响应模式,以粤北天井山3种代表性的林型—针叶林、阔叶林和混交林为对象,于不同森林类型中比较受损森林与未受损森林在凋落物年产量、成分及月际动态方面的差异,从而在凋落物水平上反映不同森林类型在雨雪冰冻灾害后的早期恢复力。研究结果表明,灾后针叶林、阔叶林和混交林的年凋落量分别为0.52、3.21、1.37 t.hm-2,比未受损的同种森林类型年凋落量显著减少,减少程度分别为87.89%、53.46%、76.78%。由此可以看出阔叶林的植被恢复情况最好,说明在凋落物水平上,其灾后恢复的早期阶段恢复力最强。在凋落物成分方面,灾后各森林类型叶凋落物所占比例显著增加,枝凋落物所占比例则显著减少。受损针叶林和阔叶林的凋落物月动态与未受损森林基本一致,但其波动幅度较小;在混交林中,受损和未受损森林其凋落量的季节动态模式则表现出不一致性且为不规则型。根据研究结果,建议在亚热带地区优先考虑种植阔叶林以促进受损森林在类似雨雪冰冻灾害的极端天气后的恢复。     

五爪金龙凋落叶腐解物的化感潜力研究

采用莴苣种子为受体,测试了五爪金龙凋落叶早期腐解物的化感作用,并与其鲜叶及凋落叶的化感潜力进行了比较分析。结果如下:凋落叶40d的腐解物、鲜叶及凋落叶的水提取液均具有较强的化感潜力,并表现出低促高抑的浓度效应,在FW0.1g﹒mL-1高质量浓度下的综合化感抑制强度为凋落叶未能加土壤的腐解物>鲜叶>凋落叶加土壤的腐解物>凋落叶,而在FW0.005g﹒mL-1低质量浓度下的综合化感促进作用是凋落叶>鲜叶>凋落叶加土壤的腐解物>凋落叶未加土壤的腐解物。鲜叶的抑制强度较凋落叶的大,表明叶片在衰老过程中抑制作用减弱。凋落叶未加土壤仅在空气微生物作用下的腐解物抑制作用最强,促进作用最小,而加入土壤后在土壤微生物作用下的腐解物的抑制作用却有所减弱,抑制强度介于鲜叶和凋落叶的之间,促进作用却小于鲜叶和凋落叶,说明凋落叶腐解过程中微生物的参与对化感作用产生了复杂的影响。     

基于Meta分析的土壤呼吸对凋落物输入的响应

凋落物输入是影响土壤呼吸的一个重要因素,然而从国内外目前研究结果来看,土壤呼吸响应凋落物输入的影响因素尚不清楚。利用国内外已发表的30篇研究论文共1393对有效数据,通过Meta分析,从凋落物管理措施、气候、植被、地形、土壤理化性质等因素揭示凋落物输入对土壤呼吸的影响程度。研究发现:与清除凋落物处理相比较而言,(1)凋落物输入后显著增加了土壤呼吸,且土壤呼吸的增加程度呈现出倍增凋落物处理是自然凋落物处理的1.33倍;(2)不同气候条件下的土壤呼吸增加程度呈现出强降雨(>1000 mm)是微弱降雨(<1000 mm)的1.34倍,以及高温气候(>20℃)是低温气候(<20℃)的1.7倍;(3)土壤呼吸的增加程度在不同植被带下呈现出针叶林带(34.1%)>阔叶林带(28%)>混交林带(22%)>草地(17.3%)的趋势;(4)不同海拔梯度条件下土壤呼吸的增加程度呈现出高海拔(59.6%)>中海拔(34.2%)>低海拔(26.7%)的趋势;(5)不同土壤理化性质条件下的土壤呼吸增量呈现出低容重(77.5%)分别是中容重(26.9%)和高容重(18.0%)的2.9倍和4.3倍,同时中性土壤(79.6%)的呼吸增量远远大于酸性(28.2%)和碱性(24.1%)土壤的呼吸增量,以及高土壤碳氮比(81.2%)的土壤呼吸增量远远大于低土壤碳氮比(19.4%)和中土壤碳氮比(29.6%)的土壤呼吸增量。由此可见,凋落物输入后会导致土壤呼吸的显著增加,但是不同气候、不同植被、不同地形、不同土壤理化性质等条件下其土壤呼吸增加的幅度不同。     

东江水源林不同混交组合林地枯落物和土壤持水能力研究

东江是广东省重要的河流,东江水源林的质量直接关系到流域内的社会和经济的发展,关系到深圳和香港的生活用水。作者针对现有水源林生态功能较差的情况,在广东省东源县设计和营造了8种不同混交类型的水源林,并对其林地枯落物和土壤持水能力进行了调查研究。结果表明,与对照的马尾松纯林相比,红锥×枫香混交组合、楠木×锥栗混交组合以及格木×海南红豆混交组合林地枯落物持水能力有较大提高;枫香×樟树混交组合、楠木×锥栗混交组合、红苞木×枫香混交组合以及红锥×枫香混交组合土壤持水能力明显提高。综合枯落物和土壤持水特性对各混交类型进行聚类分析,将8个混交组合进行分类,其中椆木×红锥混交组合、马尾松纯林、火力楠×红锥混交组合以及木荷×椆木混交组合林地持水能力较差；格木×海南红豆混交组合和红锥×枫香混交组合林地持水能力一般;红苞木×枫香混交组合和枫香×樟树混交组合林地持水能力较好;楠木×锥栗混交组合林地持水能力最好。总体上,造林初期,水源涵养试验林在提高原有林地持水能力方面已取得了一定的效果。     

马尾松纯林及其与阔叶树混交林的凋落量与养分通量

在25a生马尾松林下分别套种1a生火力楠、闽粤栲、苦槠、格氏栲、青栲和拉氏栲等阔叶树种的幼苗,16a后形成郁闭的针阔混交异龄林.通过定位监测和化学分析,对上述6种混交林类型及林下未套种阔叶树的马尾松纯林的森林凋落量及养分通量进行了研究.统计结果显示,6个混交群落的年凋落量分别为7137.3kghm-2、6741.1kghm-2、8041.7kghm-2、7151.3kghm-2、7533.2kghm-2和6149.1kghm-2,而马尾松纯林的年凋落量仅3442.8kghm-2.在所有林分的凋落物组成中,枯叶占绝对优势,占凋落物总量的49.7%~71.5%,其余依次为枯枝(5.7%~26.1%)、其它组分(5.5%~17.1%)、树皮(7.7%~18.9%)和果实(0.7%~2.0%).各混交林分中来自马尾松的凋落物占50.4%~58.0%,而来自阔叶树的凋落物占42.0%~49.6%,且两者的组成存在明显差异.各林分总凋落量的季节动态呈双峰型,第1次峰值出现在2~4月份,第2次峰值出现在8、9月份.凋落物中主要养分元素的含量依林分类型、凋落物组分和凋落时间不同而异,N、P、K、Ca和Mg的含量范围依次为3.25~12.98gkg-1、0.23~0.97gkg-1、0.42~4.02gkg-1、7.34~32.57gkg-1和1.34~5.58gkg-1.不同的林分类型,凋落物中各养分元素的年通量大小均为:Ca>N>Mg>K>P.马尾松纯林中,通过凋落物的5种养分元素的年流通量为142.01kghm-2;而在林下分别套种上述6种阔叶树后,其养分年流通量依次增加到204.95kghm-2、223.93kghm-2、304.12kghm-2、288.46kghm-2、213.77kghm-2、238.05kghm-2.图3表4参13     

Gaseous emissions from weaned pigs raised on different floor systems

Gaseous emissions from agriculture contribute to a number of environmental effects. Carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O) are greenhouse gases taking part to the global problem of climate change. Ammonia (NH₃) emissions are responsible of soil acidification and eutrophication and contribute also to indirect emissions of N₂O. This work evaluated the influence of the type of floor on the emissions of these gases in the raising of weaned pigs. Two trials were carried out. In the first trial, the animals were kept either on fully slatted floor or on straw-based deep litter and, in the second one, either on fully slatted floor or on sawdust-based deep litter. For each trial and on each type of floor, 2 successive batches of weaned pigs were raised without changing the litter or emptying the slurry pit between the 2 batches. The rooms were automatically ventilated to maintain a constant ambient temperature.The performance of the animals was not significantly different according to the floor type. In trial 1, the nitrogen contents of the straw deep litter (including the substrate) and slurry were respectively 276 and 389 g pig⁻¹. In trial 2, the sawdust deep litter and slurry nitrogen contents were respectively 122 and 318 g pig⁻¹.Raising pigs on straw deep litter produced proportionately around 100% more NH₃ than raising pigs on slatted floor (0.61 g NH₃-N d⁻¹ pig⁻¹ vs. 0.31 g NH₃-N d⁻¹ pig⁻¹; P < 0.05). Differences in CO₂, H₂O and CH₄ emissions were not significant between systems. Raising pigs on sawdust deep litter produced also proportionately more NH₃ (+52%; 0.55 g NH₃-N d⁻¹ pig⁻¹ vs. 0.36 g NH₃-N d⁻¹ pig⁻¹; P < 0.01) but also more CO₂ (+25%; 427 g d⁻¹ pig⁻¹ vs. 341 g d⁻¹ pig⁻¹; P < 0.001) and H₂O (+65%; 981 g d⁻¹ pig⁻¹ vs. 593 g d⁻¹ pig⁻¹; P < 0.001) and less CH₄ (−40%; 0.52 g d⁻¹ pig⁻¹ vs. 0.86 g d⁻¹ pig⁻¹; P < 0.001) than raising pigs on slatted floor. Practically no N₂O emission was observed from rooms with slatted floor while the N₂O emissions were 0.03 and 0.32 g N₂O-N d⁻¹ pig⁻¹ for the straw and sawdust deep litter respectively. The warming potential of the greenhouse gases (N₂O + CH₄), were about 22, 34 and 168 g CO₂ equivalents per day and per pig on fully slatted floor, straw or sawdust deep litter respectively.In conclusion, pollutant gas emissions from rearing of weaned pig seem lower with fully slatted plastic floor system than with deep litter systems.