Indigenous Uses, Population Density, and Conservation of Threatened Medicinal Plants in Protected Areas of the Indian Himalayas

Abstract:  For 10 years I monitored the population density of threatened medicinal plant species in seven protected areas in the Indian Himalayas. I also documented the indigenous uses of threatened medicinal plants through interviews with 138 herbal healers (83 Tibetan healers and 55 Ayurvedic healers) residing in the buffer zone villages of these protected areas. To assess the population status of threatened medicinal plant species, I sampled the 10 major habitat types in the protected areas. In all, I found 60 threatened medicinal plant species during the study period, of which 54 species occurred in the sampling plots. Twenty-two percent of threatened medicinal plant species were critically endangered, 16% were endangered, and 27% were vulnerable. Thirty-two threatened medicinal plant species were endemic to the Himalayan region. The density of threatened medicinal plant species varied with protected areas. The Valley of Flowers protected area had the highest number of threatened medicinal plant species. The "moist" habitat type was richest in these species among all 10 habitat types sampled. Arnebia euchroma (Royle ex Benth.) Johnston and Ephedra gerardiana Wall. ex Stapf. were the most common threatened medicinal plant species. The indigenous groups of healers used these threatened species in curing about 45 different ailments. Based on my findings, I believe that to ensure the long-term sustainability of threatened medicinal plants, medicinal-plant conservation areas should be established.     

Variations between rice cultivars in root secretion of organic acids and the relationship with plant cadmium uptake

To attempt to understand certain mechanisms causing the variations between rice cultivars with regard to Cd uptake and accumulation, pot soil experiments were conducted with two rice cultivars at different levels of Cd, i.e., 0 (the control), 10, 50 mg Cd kg⁻¹ soil. The two rice cultivars differ significantly with regard to Cd uptake and accumulation. Root secretions of low-molecular-weight organic acids (LMWOA) for each treatment were measured with ion chromatography. The results showed that LMWOA concentrations in the soil planted with Shan you 63 (a high soil Cd accumulator) were all higher than those in the soil planted with Wu yun jing 7 (low soil Cd accumulator) at different soil Cd levels, although the magnitudes of the differences varied for individual LMWOA and depend on soil Cd concentrations. For all six LMWOA, there were significant differences at P < 0.05 or < 0.01 levels for soils treated with 10 and 50 mg kg⁻¹ Cd. The magnitude of the differences was greater under soil Cd treatments, especially at relatively low levels (for example, 10 mg Cd kg⁻¹ soil), than in the control. Acetic acid and formic acid constituted more than 96% of the total concentration of the six LMWOA, while citric acid constituted only about 0.1%. The rice cultivar with higher concentrations of LMWOA in soil accumulated more Cd in the plants. The results indicate that LMWOA secretion by rice root, especially in Cd-contaminated soils, is likely to be one of the mechanisms determining the plant Cd uptake properties of rice cultivars.     

Ecologically neglected tannins and their biologically relevant activity: chemical structures of plant ellagitannins reveal their in vitro oxidative activity at high pH

Summary.  Chemical structures of 27 ellagitannins were systemically compared in respect of their in vitro oxidative activity at high pH found e.g. in lepidopteran insects. The analysis revealed over six-fold differences in the oxidative activities of individual ellagitannins which could be explained by the chemical divergences of the ellagitannins. These findings allowed the formulation of a simple equation that can be used to estimate the oxidative activities of other ellagitannins with known structures. The results suggest that, in future studies of plant-herbivore interactions, ellagitannins should be (1) taken into account as possible oxidative stress -based defences of plants against herbivores, (2) chemically characterized from the study plants, and (3) quantified individually, not as chemically ill-defined group. These actions together with the utilization of the created equation would allow the clarification of the role of ellagitannins in plant-herbivore interactions as natural pro-oxidants.     

湿地植物对郊区污水中氨氮净化效果的研究

采用实验模拟潜流式人工湿地的方法,通过测定污水中的氨氮指标,研究芦苇、香蒲对污水的净化效果。结果表明：单种芦苇、单种香蒲及芦苇香蒲交叉种植对氨氮的去除率分别为84．45％、72．77％、72．10％。     

赤泥强化型河岸带模拟系统对再生水中磷去除效果的研究

为了探讨不同比例赤泥施入量对再生水磷去除效果的影响以及植物在再生水净化过程的作用,利用赤泥中富含钙、铁、铝等金属氧化物对磷具有较强吸附性能的特点,构建了室内赤泥强化型河岸带模拟系统.结果表明,赤泥最适施入质量分数为2.5%～5.0%,此时TP去除率为82%～76%,出水磷浓度约为0.22～0.29 mg/L,SRP/TP比值为74%～75%.当赤泥施入量为2.5%时,相比无植物系统,有植物系统的磷净化效率提高了4%,约为86%,出水磷浓度为0.17mg/L.这些结果表明赤泥可以适当比例直接掺混于河岸带的土壤中,这为其提高对再生水中磷的去除能力提供了一种新途径.