Earthworm Invasion as the Driving Force Behind Plant Invasion and Community Change in Northeastern North American Forests

Abstract:  Identification of factors that drive changes in plant community structure and contribute to decline and endangerment of native plant species is essential to the development of appropriate management strategies. Introduced species are assumed to be driving causes of shifts in native plant communities, but unequivocal evidence supporting this view is frequently lacking. We measured native vegetation, non-native earthworm biomass, and leaf-litter volume in 15 forests in the presence and absence of 3 non-native plant species ( Microstegium vimineum, Alliaria petiolata, Berberis thunbergii ) to assess the general impact of non-native plant and earthworm invasions on native plant communities in northeastern United States. Non-native plant cover was positively correlated with total native plant cover and non-native earthworm biomass. Earthworm biomass was negatively associated with cover of native woody and most herbaceous plants and with litter volume. Graminoid cover was positively associated with non-native earthworm biomass and non-native plant cover. These earthworm-associated responses were detected at all sites despite differences in earthworm species and abundance, composition of the native plant community, identity of invasive plant species, and geographic region. These patterns suggest earthworm invasion, rather than non-native plant invasion, is the driving force behind changes in forest plant communities in northeastern North America, including declines in native plant species, and earthworm invasions appear to facilitate plant invasions in these forests. Thus, a focus on management of invasive plant species may be insufficient to protect northeastern forest understory species.     

Responding to Pressure on Local Natural Resources: the Story of Three Villages in South-Eastern Nigeria

There has been a recent move by development professionals away from formal “scientific” attempts to address problems caused by changing environmental conditions, towards a greater reliance on the innovative ability and indigenous knowledge of local people. This has necessitated a greater understanding of the way in which communities respond to environmental and socio-economic change. Using a model that predicts community responses to pressure on local natural resources, and data collected in three villages in south-eastern Nigeria, an attempt is made to document the way in which people react and adapt to change. It is concluded that with sufficient time communities will usually develop new resource management and agricultural systems. However, where change is occurring rapidly, a facilitator is required to encourage and accelerate local innovation so that farming and natural resource management systems can be appropriately adjusted before severe environmental degradation takes place.     

低总氮浓度下Fe2+促进ANAMMOX生物膜反应器脱氮

在低总氮（TN）浓度条件下考察了Fe²⁺促进串联两级ANAMMOX生物膜反应器脱氮性能的可行性.结果表明,ρ（Fe²⁺）为5、10和15 mg·L^-1能够有效促进厌氧氨氧化反应,ρ（Fe²⁺）为10 mg·L^-1对两级ANAMMOX生物膜反应器的促进程度最大,在进水ρ（TN）约为150 mg·L^-1,总氮负荷（NLR）为0.62 kg·（m³·d）^-1条件下,最高总氮去除率（NRE）可达81.71%.添加Fe²⁺可促进系统胞外聚合物（EPS）的分泌以及亚铁血红素c的合成.批次试验结果进一步验证了ρ（Fe²⁺）为5、10和15 mg·L^-1时对厌氧氨氧化菌活性的促进作用,其中ρ（Fe²⁺）为10 mg·L^-1时的比厌氧氨氧化活性（SAA）是对照组的3.6倍,而当ρ（Fe²⁺）为20 mg·L^-1时,AnAOB活性受到明显抑制.高通量测序结果显示,投加Fe²⁺均促进了反应器中Candidatus_Kuenenia丰度的增加,其中ρ（Fe²⁺）为10 mg·L^-1时两个反应器中Candidatus_Kuenenia的相对丰度分别增至16.18%和4.22%.基于Fe²⁺促进下两级厌氧氨氧化的稳定运行为厌氧氨氧化生物膜工艺处理低总氮浓度废水提供了参考.