Direct and Indirect Effects of Soil Pollution by Lignite Mining

Lignite mining and processing has caused a pronounced impact both directly and indirectly on soils and ecosystems across large areas of the former GDR. We studied soils of pine forest ecosystems at sites affected by severe alkaline dust and sulphur deposition, stemming from lignite fired power plant emission, and at dumped sites from lignite mining. In this paper we summarize our main results and evaluate the long-term impact of lignite mining and combustion on the environment. The pine ecosystems on naturally developed soils show a clear effect of deposition history along a former deposition gradient with distinct changes in chemical properties of organic surface layers and mineral soil as well as in element turnover and cycling rates. Afforested sites on mining dumps are directly affected by the composition of the dumped substrates. Over a large area (800 km²) these substrates are dominated by Tertiary sediments with varying amounts of lignitic particles and pyrite that result in phytotoxic site conditions (pH < 3, high salt and metal contents). High amelioration doses of liming material (up to 200 t ha⁻¹) were applied for restoration purposes. We studied the development of these sites over a period of 60 years using a false-time series approach. Beside the extreme soil conditions, element budgets of these sites are characterized by very high element release rates over decades caused by pyrite oxidation and primary mineral weathering.     

CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS ON THE HYDROLOGY AND PRODUCTIVITY OF A PINE PLANTATION1

ABSTRACT: There are increasing concerns in the forestry community about global climate change and variability associated with elevated atmospheric CO₂. Changes in precipitation and increases in air temperature could impose additional stress on forests during the next century. For a study site in Carteret County, North Carolina, the General Circulation Model, HADCM2, predicts that by the year 2099, maximum air temperature will increase 1.6 to 1.9°C, minimum temperature will increase 2.5 to 2.8°C, and precipitation will increase 0 to 10 percent compared to the mid‐1990s. These changes vary from season to season. We utilized a forest ecosystem process model, PnET‐II, for studying the potential effects of climate change on drainage outflow, evapotranspiration, leaf area index (LAI) and forest Net Primary Productivity (NPP). This model was first validated with long term drainage and LAI data collected at a 25‐ha mature loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) experimental watershed located in the North Carolina lower coastal plain. The site is flat with poorly drained soils and high groundwater table. Therefore, a high field capacity of 20 cm was used in the simulation to account for the topographic effects. This modeling study suggested that future climate change would cause a significant increase of drainage (6 percent) and forest productivity (2.5 percent). Future studies should consider the biological feedback (i.e., stomata conductance and water use efficiency) to air temperature change.     

Interactions of Atmospheric Deposition with Coniferous Canopies in Estonia

Throughfall and open field bulk precipitation were measured at three coniferous sites during 1995–2002 in the framework of ICP Integrated Monitoring and at five coniferous sites during 1996–2002 in the framework of ICP Forests (Level II). The coniferous canopies acted as a sink for nitrate and ammonium and as a source for base cations: Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺ and K⁺. The estimated share of SO₄–S dry deposition from total deposition was 1.5–4 times higher for dormant period compared to growing period. During the study period average annual throughfall and bulk deposition of SO₄–S decreased significantly, 2.8 and 2.3 times, respectively. Throughfall enrichment with base cations increased in the order Mg < Na < Ca < K. Using Na as a tracer ion, average dry deposition and canopy leaching were calculated. Leaching was the dominant process for TF enrichment by potassium. Leaching of base cations occurred during growing as well as dormant period. The calculated internal flux of Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ varied in the range of 0.6–2.0 and 0.6–1.2 kg ha⁻¹ per year in spruce and pine stands, respectively. The internal circulation of K⁺ was significantly higher (8.9–10.9 kg ha⁻¹ per year) in spruce stands than in pine stands (2.7–4.4 kg ha⁻¹ per year).     

青岛市松针中多环芳烃污染状况研究

松针、苔藓类等植物可有效的监测环境空气中多环芳烃等有机污染物。为了解青岛市松针中多环芳烃的污染状况,本文使用索氏提取、氧化铝-硅胶净化柱净化、气相色谱-质谱（GC-MS）分析的方法,研究了青岛市6个不同区域的松针中多环芳烃的含量。该方法的提取净化效率在70．8％以上。在6个采样点中,1号采样点松针中的多环芳烃含量最低,平均为7．54ng/g（湿重含量）,5号和6号采样点最高,分别为41．0ng/g和39．6ng/g。多环芳烃浓度季节变化规律为春季〉冬季〉夏季;松针中三、四环多环芳烃占总量的82％～90％,苯并（a）芘与多环芳烃总量具有较好的相关性。     

Assessment of growth and stemwood quality of Scots pine on territory influenced by alkaline industrial dust

Long-term influence of alkaline dust (pH 12.3–12.7) pollution emitted over 40 years from a cement plant in Estonia was the reason of alkalisation (pH 6.7–7.9) and high concentrations of K, Ca and Mg in the soil of affected territories. Although dust emission has diminished during the last 10 years, the disbalances in nutrition substrate and their influence on the growth of trees are notable up to now. The study of morphological and physical properties of 70–80-year-old Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) crown, stems and stemwood from three different air pollution zones showed serious deviations in comparison with a relatively healthy forest in an unpolluted area. The specimens from polluted trees, if compared to reference site, showed significantly smaller height growth, radial increment and width of annual rings of sapwood. In heartwood wider annual rings were found in polluted areas. In the period of heartwood formation the dust pollution level emitted from the plant was relatively modest and cement dust, which contains elements necessary for mineral nutrition of trees, may have acted as fertiliser. The moisture content in sapwood and heartwood, especially in the upper layers of stems, was lower in the polluted area than in reference site trees. Regression analysis revealed a strong dependence between latewood percentage and sapwood or heartwood in stems of Scots pine in all sample plots.     

Long-Term Monitoring of Scots Pine Litter Decomposition Rates Throughout Sweden Indicates Formation of a More Recalcitrant Litter in the South

Decomposition studies were carried out at sites throughout Sweden, including the four Integrated Monitoring sites. Scots pine needle litterbag weight loss measurements over 3 or 5 years were determined at 26 sites and repeated up to 27 times, depending on the site. Humus layer respiration rates were determined for 20 sites in 1987–1989 and repeated in 2007–2008. Partial Least Squares (PLS) regression was used to elucidate the relative importance of climatic and soil factors. Annual needle weight losses decreased only slowly (20–10%) over 3–5 years for all northern (>60°N) sites but decreased sharply from 30 to 10% in the third year in southern (<60°N) sites. Respiration rates of southern sites were less (40% on average) than those of northern sites. Humus layer N was positively correlated to needle weight loss during the first and the second years, but negatively correlated in the third year and to respiration rates. The results indicated that litter formed in southern Sweden became more recalcitrant in later stages of decomposition compared to litter produced in northern Sweden.     

东北地区落叶松毛虫灾害气象风险区划初步研究

利用黑龙江省牡丹江市海林市松毛虫发生情况与气象因子进行相关性分析,筛选出≥10℃积温正距平、夏季气温正距平和日最高气温≥30℃天数正距平、冬季气温正距平以及3-10月降水量负距平与松毛虫大发生有较好的相关性。其次,基于东北地区76个气象站,利用上述关键气象因子作为利于东北地区松毛虫大发生的气象条件进行分析。结果表明,1971-2010年40年东北地区年≥10℃积温、夏季和冬季气温均呈明显增加趋势,3-10月降水呈微弱的降低趋势,也就是说40年来东北地区气候变化趋向于利于松毛虫灾害发生。另外,对东北地区1971-2010年上述关键气象因子单因子利于松毛虫灾害发生的历史风险以及综合气象因子利于松毛虫灾害发生的历史风险进行分析,得出东北地区松毛虫灾害气象风险区划分布,结果表明吉林省中部、黑龙江大小兴安岭、牡丹江半山区的南部和西部松毛虫灾害气象风险约为10年二、三遇;辽宁大部,吉林省东南部、黑龙江松嫩平原和三江平原松毛虫灾害气象风险约为10年三至四遇。     

改性松针对水体中铅(II)的吸附

探讨了改性松针(GXLsp)作为吸附剂对水体中铅离子的吸附性能,考察了吸附时间、溶液pH值、吸附剂用量、盐离子浓度、Pb(II)初始浓度及温度对改性松针吸附Pb(II)的影响。利用Langmuir和Freundlich等温线模型对实验数据进行非线性拟合分析,结果表明,Freundlich等温线模型能很好地描述松针对Pb(II)的吸附过程。热力学参数表明吸附是一个自发的吸热过程。改性松针对铅的吸附行为符合拟二级动力学方程,表明吸附过程是以化学吸附为主。在293K时松针对Pb(II)的饱和吸附量为318.3 mg/g,因此,GXLsp可作为一种高效低值生物质吸附剂以去除水体中重金属Pb(II)的污染。     

Specific features of the oribatid fauna in high-mountain pine forests of the Eastern Caucasus in relation to altitudinal zonality

The abundance, structure, and distribution of oribatid communities in high-mountain pine forest biotopes of the Eastern Caucasus are described in dependence on elevation above sea level. The oribatid fauna of high-mountain pine forests proved to be characterized by high abundance, an assortment of dominants, and species richness. It was shown that, as the elevation increases, specific dominants typical of particular altitudinal zones appear in communities, and changes in the mass species occur. These species are stable in terms of their long-term dynamics, and zonal groups (communities) demonstrate a high species diversity.     

酸性土壤抗铝处理对土壤特性及马尾松幼苗生长的影响

为控制土壤酸化对马尾松林的危害,本文通过马尾松幼苗盆栽的试验方法研究了3种土壤处理剂(石灰、泥炭和磷酸盐)对重庆南山酸性土壤的特性及马尾松幼苗生长的影响。结果表明,石灰、泥炭和磷酸盐的单独和复合处理均能明显地提高土壤pH值,降低土壤活性铝含量,增加土壤活性钙和有效磷的水平,土壤处理还明显有利于马尾松幼苗的生长。3种处理剂中以石灰的改良效果最佳。5种处理组合中以石灰－泥炭－磷酸盐结合处理的作用最强。