Biomonitoring of the distribution of dust emissions by means of a new SEM/EDX technique

A new application of the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) equipped with an Energy Dispersive X-ray Microanalyzer (EDX) has been developed to study the distribution of airborne dust emissions. This technique makes it possible to identify the particles and measure the amount of dust deposition on the surface of the biomonitoring material. Pine bark or needles and moss can easily be used as the study material. A map indicating pollution levels and distribution can be drawn on the basis of the measured data.     

铝胁迫下马尾松幼苗有机酸分泌和根际pH值的变化

以马尾松幼苗为试验材料,选用砂培法研究铝胁迫对马尾松根际pH值、有机酸分泌以及植株中铝累积变化的影响。结果表明,高浓度铝导致根际pH值增加,当铝浓度高于300μmol.L-1时,根际pH值则趋于平稳。在测试的5种有机酸(草酸、苹果酸、柠檬酸、琥珀酸、乙酸)中,当铝浓度由0升至300μmol.L-1时,草酸和苹果酸根系分泌量随之升高,与根际pH值呈正相关关系;而当铝浓度高于300μmol.L-1时,草酸和苹果酸分泌量则趋于平稳,草酸和苹果酸的分泌影响根际pH值的变化。其次,活性铝通过根系进入植株后,由于营养作用和运输机制,出现分布差异,根部铝积累量明显高于茎和叶。当根系接触的铝浓度低于300μmol.L-1时,植株铝积累量与根际pH值,以及草酸、苹果酸分泌量呈显著正相关。     

Simulating the impacts of fire: A computer program

Recurrent fire has played a dominant role in the ecology of southwestern ponderosa pine forests. To assess the benefits or losses of fire in these forests, a computer simulation model, called BURN, considers vegetation (mortality, regeneration, and production of herbaceous vegetation), wildlife (populations and habitats), and hydrology (streamflow and water quality). In the formulation of the model, graphical representations (time-trend response curves) of increases or losses (compared to an unburned control) after the occurrence of fire are converted to fixedterm annual ratios, and then annuities for the simulation components. Annuity values higher than 1.0 indicate benefits, while annuity values lower than 1.0 indicate losses. Studies in southwestern ponderosa pine forests utilized in the development of BURN are described briefly.     

杉木优良无性系苗造林的效益估算

未来的林业是无性系林业,优良无性系苗造林能把种源选择,种子园的遗传改进、杂交育种、个体选择等成果择其最优部分加以基因复制、利用,从而获得较高的增产效益。本文介绍了12个杉木优良无性系造林后各因子的遗传力和遗传增益。估算了12个优良无性系造林的效益。     

Impact of Harvest Intensity on Long-Term Base Cation Budgets in Swedish Forest Soils

The effects of harvesting on the long-term mass balances of calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and potassium (K) were evaluated on a regional level in Sweden. A new high-resolution weathering database was used together with estimates of total deposition, losses through harvest and leaching. Estimates were made for pine and spruce separately and for two harvesting intensity scenarios: stem harvesting and whole-tree harvesting. The mass balance calculations showed net losses of Ca and Mg in almost the whole country for both scenarios. The losses were smaller for pine than for spruce. The K balances were mainly positive for pine but negative for spruce. Leaching was a main factor in the mass balances, especially for Ca and Mg. Whole-tree harvesting in spruce forests led to substantially higher net losses of K and Ca than stem harvesting, according to the calculations. In the whole-tree harvesting scenario in spruce forests the estimated yearly net losses of Ca, Mg and K corresponded to at least 5%, 8% and 3% of the pools of exchangeable base cations, respectively, at 25% of the analysed sites. If losses of this magnitude continue the depletion of the pools of Ca, Mg and K may lead to very low base saturation of the soils, possibly accompanied by negative effects on soil fertility, runoff water quality, tree vitality and tree growth within a forest rotation in parts of Sweden. Avoiding whole-tree harvesting can improve the situation substantially for K, but the losses of Ca and Mg will still be significant.     

Concentrations of heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in needles of Masson pine (Pinus massoniana L.) growing nearby different industrial sources

Emissions from industrial activities pose a serious threat to human health and impose the need for monitoring both inorganic and organic pollutants in industrial areas.We selected Masson pine (Pinus massoniana L.) as potential biomonitor and collected the current (C) and previous year (C+1) needles from three industrial sites dominated by petrochemical,ceramics manufacturing,and iron and steel smelting plants and one remote site to determine heavy metals (Cu,Cd,Pb,Zn,Cr,Ni and Co) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in unwashed and water-washed needles.Both unwashed and washed C+1 needles showed generally higher concentrations of heavy metals and PAHs than C needles,although the washed needles more clearly spotlighted the accumulation effect of PAHs over exposure time.Water-washing resulted in a significant decrease in needle PAH concentrations with more significant effects shown in C needles.By contrast,needle heavy metal concentrations were much less affected by washing.Although heavy metals and PAHs might differ in adsorption and uptake strategies,their higher concentrations in the needles at the industrial sites indicated conspicuous contamination due to industrial emissions there,The PAH distribution patterns in pine needles accorded with the real types of energy consumption in the study sites and were efficiently used for pinpointing local pollutant sources.     

The hypothesis of hydrochorous dissemination of populations of conifers

A comparative analysis of field observations and experiments on the distance and rate of dispersal of self-sown Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) progeny has shown that the rate of their hydrochorous dissemination downstream is an order of magnitude higher than the rate of dispersal in upland areas. A hypothesis assigning priority to the role of hydrochory in the expansion of conifer populations to the tundra (periglacial) zone along with climate warming has been formulated and substantiated by comparative isozyme analysis of populations in transects lying along and across rivers.     

我国西南地区氮饱和马尾松林土壤和植物15N自然丰度对长期氮施加的响应

我国快速增长的氮沉降可能造成森林生态系统的氮饱和,进而导致一系列严重的环境后果.为了深入研究氮沉降对我国森林生态系统的影响,进而评价和预测森林生态系统的氮状态,本研究选取我国西南地区典型的马尾松林生态系统,对土壤和植物的15N自然丰度(δ15N)进行了测定,探讨用15N富集因子(εp/s)作为氮状态指标的可行性.对该马尾松林连续7 a施加NH4NO3或Na NO3的控制实验结果表明,长期的高氮输入显著增加了土壤和植物的δ15N.同时,该生态系统对不同形态的氮输入有不同的响应,即在NH+4沉降下δ15N显著高于NO-3沉降下的值.15N富集因子与氮沉降量、净硝化速率和淋溶量均呈显著的正相关关系,特别是本研究与之前研究的所有马尾松林的15N富集因子与氮沉降量之间线性相关,表明15N富集因子可用来表征氮状态.由于在相同氮沉降的情况下,NH+4的效应强于NO-3,建议我国在未来控制氮氧化物排放的同时也应当重视氨的排放控制.