Ordination of Plant Communities in Forest Biogeocenoses under Conditions of Air Pollution in the Northern Kola Peninsula

The species diversity and structure of the tree, herb–dwarf shrub, and moss–lichen layers in the biogeocenoses (BGCs) of pine forests of the Kola Peninsula were analyzed in the zone affected by the Pechenganikel Combined Works. Relationships of the diversity of phytocenoses with the amount of atmospheric fallout and the concentrations of accessible compounds of polluting elements (nickel and copper) and nutrients (potassium, magnesium, and nitrogen) in forest litters were revealed.     

Simulation of 137Cs Migration over the Soil–Plant System of Peat Soils Contaminated after the Chernobyl Accident

A mathematical model was constructed to simulate the processes of ¹³⁷Cs migration in peat soils and its uptake by vegetation. Model parameters were assessed and the pattern of ¹³⁷Cs distribution over soil profile was predicted in case of peat soils, which are typical of the Russian regions contaminated after the Chernobyl accident. The ecological half-life of ¹³⁷Cs in the plant-root soil zone was calculated, and a long-term prognosis of the radionuclide uptake by plants was made.     

Medieval Agroecosystems (9th–13th Centuries) in the Region of the Present-Day City of Glazov (Udmurt Republic)

Paleoethnobotanical materials and buried soils from the site of the ancient settlement of Idnakar and neighboring archaeological monuments were analyzed to reconstruct the agroecosystems of the 9th through the 13th centuries AD near the present-day city of Glazov. The results provided data on the main features of the agroecosystem structure and composition, climate, and agriculture in the Middle Ages.     

The Loch Fleet Project in the Context of Acidification Reduction Measures

At Loch Fleet, and in other liming studies in similar environments, catchment liming is successful if an adequate amount of lime is added to hydrological source areas. Geochemical modelling demonstrates that the relatively late acidification of L. Fleet is consistent with the ameliorating effect of an alkaline groundwater input: the presence of this input implies that had the Loch not been limed in 1985 it would have recovered to conditions suitable for fish in about 20 years, given current commitments to sulphur emission reductions. Lakes without similar alkaline groundwater are not likely to recover as quickly. the different consequences of liming and emission reduction as methods of restoring acid waters are reviewed and contrasted. Restoration of waters by liming may result in some undesirable effects on the terrestrial catchment: these are discussed but it is concluded that catchment liming, used with discrimination, can be an acceptable management tool.     

Risk assessment for safety of soils and vegetables around a lead/zinc mine

Concentrations of heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Cd, Cu) were determined in soils and vegetables (chrysanthemum, spinach and four cultivars of Chinese cabbage from the area adjacent to a Pb/Zn mine in Shaoxing, Zhejiang province, China, and compared with the Chinese National Standards for Soil Environmental Quality. The accumulation of heavy metals in cabbage cv. Siyuegreen was investigated at different distances from the center of the mine. The vegetable plantation soils were polluted with Pb, Cd, Cu and Zn, especially by Pb and Cd. The levels of Pb and Cd were 20 and 30 times higher than the permitted standards, indicating that this Pb/Zn mining area is unsuitable for agricultural use. Chinese cabbage, chrysanthemum and spinach had different enrichment coefficients. The enrichment coefficient of Cd from soil to roots of chrysanthemum was >80% and from roots to leaves of cabbage cv. Shanghaigreen was >120%. These vegetables were polluted by heavy metals and could not be regarded as safe for human consumption. Environmental accumulation of heavy metals in the vegetable plantation soils was proportional to heavy metal accumulation in vegetables and both were inversely proportional to the distance from the lead/zinc mine.     

Phytoremediation of Cadmium-Contaminated Soils by Rorippa globosa Using Two-Phase Planting (5 pp)

Background Phytoextraction of contaminated soils by heavy metals can provide a great promise of commercial development. Although there are more than 400 species of hyperaccumulators found in the world, phytoremediation technology is rarely applied in field practice for remedying contaminated soils, partially due to low biomass and long growth duration for most of discovered hyperaccumulating plants. In order to enhance the metal-removing efficiency in a year, the two-phase planting countermeasure of phytoextraction by harvesting anthesis biomass was investigated on the basis of the newly found Cd-hyperaccumulator Rorippa globosa (Turcz.) Thell. with 107.0 and 150.1 mg/kg of the Cd accumulation in stems and leaves, respectively, when soil Cd added was concentrated to 25.0 mg/kg. Methods The field pot-culture experiment was used to observe the distribution property of R. globosa aboveground biomass and to examine characteristics of accumulating Cd by the plant at different growth stages. The concentration of Cd in plants and soils was determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS). Results and Discussion The results indicated that the total dry stem and leaf biomass of R. globosa harvested at the flowering phase was up to 92.3% of that at its full maturity and the concentration of Cd in stems and leaves harvested at the flowering phase was up to 73.8% and 87.7% of that at the mature phase, respectively. The Cd-removing ratio by shoots of R. globosa harvested at the flowering phase was up to 71.4% of that at the mature phase. It was also found, by observing the growth duration of R. globosa, that the frostless period at the experiment site was twice as long as the growth time from the seedling-transplanted phase to the flowering phase of the hyperaccumulator. Conclusion R. globosa could be transplanted into contaminated soils twice in one year by harvesting the hyperaccumulator at its flowering phase based on climatic conditions of the site and traits of the plant growth. In this sense, the extraction efficiency of Cd in shoots of R. globosa increased 42.8% compared to that of at its single maturity when the plant was transplanted into contaminated soils after it had been harvested at its flowering phase and the plant accumulated Cd from soil at the same extraction ratio at its second flowering phase. Thus, the method of anthesis biomass regulation by the two-phase planting is very significant to increase the Cd-removing efficiency by phytoremediation used in practice over the course of a year. Recommendation and Outlook As for some hyperaccumulators that the growth duration from the seedling-transplanted phase to the flowering phase are short and the concentrations of heavy metals accumulated in their shoots at the flowering phase are high, the efficiency of phytoremediation can greatly be improved using the method of the two-phase planting.     

南京及邻近地区新近沉积土的动剪切模量和阻尼比的试验研究

通过对南京及其邻近地区漫滩相成因的粘土、粉质粘土、淤泥质粉质粘土、粉质粘土与粉砂互层土、粉土、粉细砂等 6类新近沉积土的自振柱试验 ,详细探讨了围压大小、剪应变水平、土的颗粒组成和结构性对这 6类新近沉积土的剪切模量G及阻尼比λ的影响。通过与Seed和Idriss建议的砂土G/Gmax～γ和λ～γ曲线变化范围的对比 ,结果表明 ,不能将粉质粘土与粉砂互层土简单地当作砂土或粉质粘土对待。通过试验和理论分析 ,给出了南京及其邻近地区 6类新近沉积土动剪切模量和阻尼比随剪应变变化的平均曲线的拟合曲线、包络线及其参数的推荐值 ,对实际工程具有一定的借鉴作用     

土壤中氧化铁的有机还原溶解动力学

研究了土壤中的氧化铁被两种酚化合物还原而溶解的动力学，结果表明，在ｐＨ恒定和有机还原剂过量的情况下，氧化铁的还原溶解符合一级反应动力学方程，还原溶解速率大小与土壤中氧化铁的结晶形态有关．氧化锰的存在影响着氧化铁的还原溶解，在存在足够的还原剂的条件下，两者可同时还原．实验中求得黄壤和赤红壤中氧化铁的还原溶解反应对［Ｈ＋］的反应级数分别为０．１２６和０．１７４。土壤中氧化铁的还原溶解是一个受表面反应控制的过程，反应的速率控制步骤是表面的电子转移反应，磷酸根在土壤中的吸附占据了氧化铁表面的反应位，因而明显抑制还原溶解反应．     

Simulating the dynamics of sulfur species and zinc in wetland sediments

In situ measurements comparing vertical SO₄²⁻ profiles in vegetated and non-vegetated sediments showed that SO₄²⁻ concentrations in vegetated sediments increased significantly at the beginning of the growing season and then gradually decreased during the rest of the growing season. Throughout the growing season, SO₄²⁻ concentrations remained higher in the vegetated sediments than in the sediments without plants. The higher SO₄²⁻ concentrations in the vegetated sediments indicate that oxygen release from roots and evapotranspiration-induced advection by plants play an important role in the dynamics of sulfur species in sediments. Since the total pool of solid-phase sulfide is relatively large compared to the mass of SO₄²⁻ in the sediments, the gradual decrease of SO₄²⁻ concentrations may result from limitation of the solid-phase sulfide that is in direct contact with or very close to the roots and rhizomes. This would mean that the main pool of solid-phase sulfide and associated trace metals are not affected by the oxygen release from roots, and the associated trace metals will not become bioavailable during the growing season.     

Dissolved Organic Matter in Forest Soils: Sources, Complexing Properties and Action On Herbaceous Plants

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is an important component of plant-soil systems. Its essential role in soil solution chemistry, soil-forming processes and its effects on biota, including soil fauna, bacteria, fungi and plants, is extensively documented in literature. in this contribution several forest leaf litter types are compared as sources of DOM and the released organics are subjected to gel permeation chromatography to reveal their molecular-size distribution. Moreover, complexing properties, as an indication for the podzolization potential of the litter leachates, were established. the occurrence and properties of DOM in different soil horizons were monitored beneath a stand of Scots pine. the effects of the different groups of soluble organics including phenolic, fulvic and humic acids, and of water-extractable humic substances on the performance of herbaceous plants of the forest floor are briefly reviewed.