Litter breakdown of invasive alien plant species in a pond environment: Rapid decomposition of Solidago canadensis may alter resource dynamics

Alien plant invasions of riparian zones can trigger bottom-up effects on freshwater ecosystems through changes in leaf litter supply. Riparian zones of ponds are often invaded by alien species, and although these habitats are common, the effect of invasive alien species on ponds has rarely been studied. We performed a leaf litter experiment in a pond and compared within- and between-species variation in the breakdown rates of three native species (Alnus glutinosa, Phragmites australis and Typha angustifolia) and two aggressive alien invaders of riparian zones (Fallopia japonica and Solidago canadensis). The litter of S. canadensis decomposed faster than the litter of the other plants; more than 50 % of the S. canadensis biomass decomposed within a week. This contradicts the home-field advantage hypothesis, and we argue that the quality rather than the origin of litter might be the key factor driving breakdown rates. We also reported considerable intra-specific variation; old leaves (collected in spring after a partial aerial breakdown on stems) decomposed two to seven times slower than senescent leaves (collected in autumn just after abscission). The continuous seasonal supply of leaves of different quality into freshwaters may be disrupted by terrestrial invasions, especially if an invader forms monoculture stands and produces a highly palatable litter, as is the case with S. canadensis. This may fundamentally alter the resource dynamics in the pond environment through a rapid depletion of litter mass before the next litterfall.     

The replacement of native plants by exotic species may affect the colonization and reproduction of aquatic hyphomycetes

The tropical riparian zone has a high diversity of plant species that produce a wide variety of chemical compounds, which may be released into streams. However, in recent decades there has been an extensive replacement of tropical native vegetation by Eucalyptus monocultures. Our objective was to compare fungal colonization of Eucalyptus camaldulensis leaves with fungal colonization of native plant species from riparian zones in Brazilian Cerrado (savannah) streams. The fungal colonization and enzymatic activity significantly influenced leaf litter decomposition. Fungal sporulation rates from leaf litter varied significantly with leaf species, with E. camaldulensis showing the highest sporulation rate (1226 conidia mg⁻¹AFDM day⁻¹) and leaf mass loss (23.2 ± 0.9%). This species has the lowest lignin content and highest N concentration among the studied species. Among the studied native species, we observed the highest sporulation rate for Protium spruceanum (271 conidia mg⁻¹AFDM day⁻¹), Maprounea guianensis (268 conidia mg⁻¹AFDM day⁻¹) and Copaifera langsdorffii (196 conidia mg⁻¹AFDM day⁻¹). Overall, native plant species of the Brazilian Cerrado exhibited recalcitrant characteristics and a higher lignin:N ratio. Therefore, variations in the physical and chemical characteristics of the leaf litter could explain the higher decay rate and reproductive activity observed for E. camaldulensis. However, the detritus of this species were colonized almost exclusively by Anguillospora filiformis (99.6 ± 0.4%) and exhibited a reduction in aquatic hyphomycetes species diversity. Our results suggest that the disturbance in the composition of riparian vegetation and consequently, in the diversity of leaf litter input into streams, could change the patterns and rates of leaf litter utilization by microbial decomposers. These changes may have important consequences in the processing of organic matter and, consequently, in the functioning of freshwater ecosystems.     

The conversion of natural riparian forests into agricultural land affects ecological processes in Atlantic forest streams

Agricultural practices affect the integrity of riparian areas of small streams. In this study we tested the hypothesis that the increase of agricultural activities influences negatively the functional conditions of the low order streams in the Atlantic forest of southern Brazil. Litter bags with leaves of Nectandra megapotamica (Spreng.) Mez were located in eight streams with different amounts of woody vegetation and agriculture land uses in their riparian zones. After 7, 15 and 30 days, the litter bags were removed for identification of associated invertebrates and determination of decomposition rate. Decomposition rates were negatively influenced by agriculture in the riparian zone while primary production was positively influenced. On the other hand, the decomposition mediated by microorganisms did not vary along the degradation gradient. The abundance of collectors increased in streams adjacent to agricultural land while the abundance of shredders was decreased. Our results showed that algae biomass and leaf decomposition were sensitive to the replacement of native vegetation by agricultural use. However, the trophic structure of invertebrates was moderately sensitive to agricultural land use.     

Response of cladoceran assemblages to restoration of riparian vegetation: A case study in a tropical reservoir of Brazil

In recent decades, riparian vegetation has been removed from important ecosystems around the world, in spite of its high ecological importance for aquatic biota. Nevertheless, the effects of catchment land use on zooplankton have been little studied. The present study investigated if replanting riparian vegetation in a tropical reservoir influences the richness and abundance of cladoceran communities, by addressing the question of whether cladocerans show differences in richness and abundance among four levels of riparian vegetation conditions: 1) native forest (NF); 2) 30 years after forest replanting (R1); 3) 10 years after forest replanting (R2); and 4) no forest (No-F). Zooplankton samples were obtained from 9 stations in the Volta Grande Reservoir, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Cladocerans in zones NF and R1 showed higher levels of richness and abundance than in zones No-F and R2. Ceriodaphnia reticulata, Ceriodaphnia laticaudata, and Diaphanosoma spinulosum showed higher abundances in zones NF and R1. Cladoceran community structure was influenced by the different levels of riparian vegetation. This study showed that the presence and age of riparian forest positively influence the abundance, richness and diversity of cladoceran assemblages. Furthermore, our results indicated that C. reticulata, C. laticaudata and D. spinulosum are more efficient than other cladocerans in exploiting allochthonous resources provided by riparian forest. Functional diversity was higher in zones NF and R1, suggesting that the trait composition of cladoceran assemblages responds positively to recovery of riparian forest. Overall, our research suggests that cladocerans are good indicators of riparian vegetation conditions and that restoration of riparian forest positively affects cladoceran assemblages of tropical reservoirs.     

Relevant effects of vegetal cover and litter on the soil hydrological response of two contrasting Mediterranean hillslopes at the end of the dry season (south of Spain)

In Mediterranean regions, hillslopes are generally considered to be a mosaic of sink and source areas that control runoff generation and water erosion processes. These hillslopes used to be characterized by a complex hydrological and erosive response combining Hortonian and saturation excess overland flows. The hydrological response of soils is highly dependent on the soil surface components (e.g. vegetation patches, bare soil, rock fragment cover, crusts), which each one of them is dominated by a certain hydrological process. One of these soil surface components, not widely considered in studies of soil hydrology under Mediterranean conditions, is the accumulation of litter beneath shrubs enhancing water repellency in soils. This study investigates the influence of soil surface components, especially the litter accumulated beneath Cistus spp., in the hydrological and erosive responses of soils on two Mediterranean hillslopes having different exposures. The study was performed by means of rainfall simulation experiments and the Water Drop Penetration Time for measuring water repellency of soils, both techniques being carried out at the end of summer (September 2010) with very dry soils. The results indicate that (i) soil surface components from the north facing hillslope are characterized by a more uniform hydrological and erosive response than those from the south‐facing ones; (ii) the water repellency is more influential on the hydrological response of the north‐facing hillslope due to a greater accumulation of organic rest on the soils as the vegetation cover is also higher; (iii) the south‐facing hillslope seemed to follow the fertility island theory with very degraded bare soil areas, which are the most generated areas of runoff and mobilized sediments; (iv) the experimental area can be considered as a threshold area between the semiarid and subhumid Mediterranean environments, with the south‐facing hillslope being comparable with the former and the north facing one with the latter. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Relationship between dynamics of litterfall and riparian plant species in a tropical stream

We investigated the dynamics of organic matter and type of detritus in a riparian zone of the Atlantic Rain Forest domain, and specifically determined the inputs and stock of detritus contributed by plant species, and their relationship to temperature and precipitation. Our hypotheses tested were: (1) the species composition of riparian vegetation influences the amount and type of detritus delivered to a stream in an Atlantic Rain Forest, and (2) the dynamics of litterfall in the riparian zone is influenced by climate factors. The plant community was formed principally by pioneer and early successional species such as Apuleia leiocarpa, Erytrina velutina, Erytrina verna, Eucalyptus torelliana, Ficus glabra, Ficus insipida, Guarea guidonea, Guarea guidonia, Maprounea guianensis and Psidium guajava. There was a large number of G. guidonea (318 individuals/ha), followed by Cupania oblongifolia (91), Trichilia pallida (52), Piptadenia gonoacantha (26) and E. torelliana (14). G. guidonea contributed >50% of the total litterfall; however, some species which were present in high density in the plant community and did not yield significant biomass, indicating that detritus production was based on the contribution of a few species. We found 697, 856 and 804 g/m²/year from vertical, terrestrial, and lateral inputs, respectively, whereas to the annual benthic standing stock was 3257 g/m². Detritus was formed by leaves (60%), branches (32%), reproductive parts (3%), and unidentifiable fragments of organic-matter (5%). Inputs and benthic stock were markedly seasonal, with an increase of leaf litter during the dry season. Our results indicate that litterfall dynamics is basically composed of a few species that contribute with higher values of biomass. Moreover, ecological characteristics together with environmental factors can be viewed as the principal factors determining the energy balance of riparian ecosystems. The biological implications of the dynamics of organic matter have high importance for the maintenance and restoration of riparian zones. However, the amount of litterfall required to maintain the balance of the riparian community remains unclear in the tropical zone.     

Leaf breakdown in two tropical streams: Differences between single and mixed species packs

We assessed leaf breakdown of five native riparian species from Brazilian Cerrado (Myrcia guyanensis, Ocotea sp., Miconia chartacea, Protium brasiliense, and Protium heptaphyllum), incubated in single and mixed species packs in two headwater streams with different physico-chemical properties in the Espinhaço Mountain range (Southeastern Brazil). Leaves were placed in plastic litter bags (15 cm×20 cm, 10 mm mesh size) and the experiments were carried out during the dry seasons of 2003 and 2004. Leaf nitrogen and phosphorus contents were similar in all species, but polyphenolic contents were different (P<0.001). M. guyanensis showed higher polyphenolics content (8.48% g⁻¹ dry mass) and leaf toughness. Individually, higher breakdown rates were found in M. guyanensis at Indaiá stream (k=0.0063±0.0005 d⁻¹) and in Ocotea sp. at Garcia stream (k=0.0088±0.0006 d⁻¹). However, P. brasiliense and P. heptaphyllum showed lower breakdown rates at Indaiá and Garcia streams (Indaiá: k=0.0020±0.0002 and 0.0019±0.0001 d⁻¹; Garcia: k=0.0042±0.0001 and 0.0040±0.0002 d⁻¹). Single and mixed breakdown processes of each species were not statistically different on both streams. However, all species showed higher breakdown rates at Garcia stream (P<0.01). These results suggest that leaf breakdown is not altered when litter benthic patches are composed by a mixture of species in the same proportions that they occur on riparian leaf falls.     

A spatially distributed model for the assessment of land use impacts on stream temperature in small urban watersheds

Stream temperatures in urban watersheds are influenced to a high degree by changes in landscape and climate, which can occur at small temporal and spatial scales. Here, we describe a modelling system that integrates the distributed hydrologic soil vegetation model with the semi‐Lagrangian stream temperature model RBM. It has the capability to simulate spatially distributed hydrology and water temperature over the entire network at high time and space resolutions, as well as to represent riparian shading effects on stream temperatures. We demonstrate the modelling system through application to the Mercer Creek watershed, a small urban catchment near Bellevue, Washington. The results suggest that the model was able to produce realistic streamflow and water temperature predictions that are consistent with observations. We use the modelling construct to characterize impacts of land use change and near‐stream vegetation change on stream temperatures and explore the sensitivity of stream temperature to changes in land use and riparian vegetation. The results suggest that, notwithstanding general warming as a result of climate change over the last century, there have been concurrent increases in low flows as a result of urbanization and deforestation, which more or less offset the effects of a warmer climate on stream temperatures. On the other hand, loss of riparian vegetation plays a more important role in modulating water temperatures, in particular, on annual maximum temperature (around 4 °C), which could be mostly reversed by restoring riparian vegetation in a fairly narrow corridor – a finding that has important implications for management of the riparian corridor. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Nutrient enrichment does not affect diet selection by a tropical shredder species in a mesocosm experiment

The decomposition of plant litter is a fundamental ecological process in small forest streams. Litter decomposition is mostly controlled by litter characteristics and environmental conditions, with shredders playing a critical role. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of leaf species (Maprounea guianensis and Inga laurina, which have contrasting physical and chemical characteristics) and water nutrient enrichment (three levels) on leaf litter chemical characteristics and fungal biomass, and subsequent litter preference and consumption by Phylloicus sp. (a typical shredder in tropical streams). Maprounea guianensis leaves had lower lignin and nitrogen (N) concentrations, higher polyphenols concentration and lower lignin:N ratio than I. laurina leaves. Phosphorus concentrations were higher for both leaf species incubated at the highest water nutrient level. Fungal biomass was higher on M. guianensis than on I. laurina leaves, but it did not differ among nutrient levels. Relative consumption rates were higher when shredders fed on M. guianensis than on I. laurina leaves, due to the lower lignin:N ratio and higher fungal biomass of M. guianensis. Consumption rates on M. guianensis leaves were higher for those exposed to low water nutrient levels than for those exposed to moderate water nutrient levels. Feeding preferences by shredders were not affected by leaf species or nutrient level. The low carbon quality on I. laurina leaves makes it a less attractive substrate for microbial decomposers and a less palatable resource for shredders. Changes in litter input characteristics may be more important than short-term nutrient enrichment of stream water on shredder performance and ecosystem functioning.     

Water isotopic composition traces source and dynamics of water supply in a semi-arid agricultural landscape

Changes in seasonality and form of precipitation alter the structure and function of grassland and steppe ecosystems and pose challenges for land management and crop production in regions like the Northern Great Plains, North America. This research uses isotopic composition of water (δ¹⁸O and δ²H) to explore the sources and fate of soil water in lower-elevation agricultural areas of the Judith River watershed, in the headwaters of the Missouri River, USA. Extensive non-irrigated cereal crop production in this area occurs on well-drained soils and depends on careful water management. Our observations indicate that colder precipitation contributes isotopically distinct water to cultivated terrace soils relative to downgradient groundwaters and streams. Riparian waters also exhibit a higher fraction of contributions from colder precipitation relative to terrace groundwaters and streams. Apparent contributions from colder precipitation in terrace and riparian soil waters suggest that snowmelt is a key component of the water supply to these systems. Riparian waters also show evidence of evaporation suggesting that water spends sufficient time in some ponds and open channels in the riparian corridor to reflect fractionation by evaporation. The evolution of water isotopic composition from soils to shallow aquifers to stream corridors indicates source water partitioning as precipitation moves through this semi-arid agricultural landscape. The apparent mixing processes evident in this evolution reveal source water dynamics that are necessary to understand plant transpiration, solute processing, and contaminant leaching processes.     

Nonpoint source pollution control effectiveness of riparian forests along a coastal plain river

A detention-time model of water quality buffer zones is used to evaluate the nonpoint source pollution control effectiveness of riparian forests in a two-county area of the lower Tar River basin, North Carolina. Soil map units, which represent specific combinations of soil, topography, and vegetation characteristics, are compared in terms of their relative ability to filter nitrate in agricultural runoff. All typical riparian forests provide significant water quality protection, but there is a wide variation in buffer effectiveness. This suggests a need for flexibility in determining buffer widths. A range of 15–80 m is appropriate for the soil-landform-vegetation complexes found in riparian zones within the study area. Buffer widths of 60 m — and often much less — are generally adequate on the soils likely to be used for agricultural production.     

Riparian land use and stream habitat regulate water quality

Riparian land use is a key driver of stream ecosystem processes but its effects on water quality are still a matter of debate when proposing measures to improve freshwater quality. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of riparian land use on stream habitat and water chemistry, and to assess in what extent stream habitat also affects water quality. To that end, we selected eight reaches in the Ave River basin (northwestern Portugal) and compared longitudinal variations in water chemistry and stream habitat between reaches with different land use (urban, agricultural and natural), and between reaches with natural riparian areas and different habitats. Stream habitat was assessed using the Fluvial Functional Index, the HABSCORE, and the Riparian Forest Quality Index. Longitudinal variations in water chemistry were determined measuring differences in concentrations of ammonium, nitrate, phosphate and oxygen, and conductivity, pH and temperature between the downstream and the upstream ends of each reach. Nitrate concentration tended to decrease along reaches with more natural riparian areas and to increase along reaches with more urban and agricultural land uses. Longitudinal variations in water chemistry also differed between reaches with natural riparian areas, suggesting that water quality also depends on stream habitat. Moreover, longitudinal variation in water chemistry was proven a simple, useful and low-cost approach to assess the influence of land cover and stream habitat on water quality. Overall results demonstrated that both riparian land use and stream habitat influence water quality and that riparian forests are essential to reduce nutrient export to downstream ecosystems.     

Soil water depletion depth by planted vegetation on the Loess Plateau

Evapotranspiration of much planted vegetation exceeds precipitation, and this can deplete soil water and cause a deep dry layer in the soil profile, which is a serious obstacle to sustainable land use on the Loess Plateau, China. This study aimed to determine water depletion depth of planted grassland, shrub, and forest in a semiarid area on the Loess Plateau. Soil moisture of five vegetation types was measured to >20 m in depth. The vegetation types were crop, natural grasse, seven-year-old planted alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), 23-year-old planted caragana (Caragana microphylla Lam.) shrub, and 23-year-old planted pine (Pinus tabulaeformis L) forest land. Through comparing moisture of planted alfalfa grass, caragana shrub, and pine forest to crop and natural grassland, the depth and amount of soil water consumed by grassland, caragana brush and pine forest was determined. The depth of soil water depleted by alfalfa, caragana brush, and pine forest reached 15.5, 22.4 and 21.5 m, respectively. Supported by National Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2007CB407204) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 40471082)     

Natural variation in immersion and emersion affects breakdown and invertebrate colonization of leaf litter in a temporary river

Flow pulses that alternately immerse and expose benthic habitats are widely recognized as key determinants of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in rivers. Terrestrial leaf litter input, colonization, and breakdown are also key processes in river ecosystems, but little is known about the effects of alternating immersion and emersion on these processes. We used litterbags to examine breakdown, microbial activity, and colonization of Populus sp. leaves by invertebrates along a natural gradient in immersion and emersion (i.e., submergence and exposure to air) in a temporary river. Rates of leaf litter mass loss, microbial activity and colonization by invertebrates differed among litterbags that were permanently immersed, intermittently immersed and permanently emersed, and breakdown rate coefficients (k) decreased with increasing cumulative emersed duration (the total number of day of emersion during the experiment). In contrast, the frequency of emersed periods had no detectable effects on these variables. k was positively correlated with the density of invertebrate shredders in immersed litterbags, with microbial activity and shredder density in intermittent litterbags, and with microbial activity in emersed litterbags. These correlations suggest that the relative importance of microbial activity on k increases with emersed duration, due to the periodic elimination of aquatic shredders and the scarcity of terrestrial detritivores. The fact that leaf litter breakdown was detectable under permanently emersed conditions indicates that mechanisms other than shredding by invertebrates, such as leaching and photodegradation, are dominant in dry river habitats.     

Microbial colonization and decomposition of invasive and native leaf litter in the littoral zone of lakes of different trophic state

Riparian invasion by non-native trees may lead to changes in the quality of leaf litter inputs into freshwater ecosystems. Different plant species may affect the community of decomposers and the rate of litter decay in different ways. We studied the microbial colonization and decomposition of leaf litter of the invasive to Lithuania Acer negundo and native Alnus glutinosa during 64-day litterbag experiments in the littoral zones of mesotrophic and eutrophic lakes. The decomposition of A. negundo leaf litter proceeded faster than that of A. glutinosa irrespective of differences in the trophic conditions of the lakes. The amount of terrestrial and cellulose-degrading fungi (during the initial period) and bacterial numbers (during the experiment) were higher on A. negundo leaves than on A. glutinosa in both lakes. Differences in the assemblages of aquatic fungi colonizing the leaves of both types might be one of the reasons causing variation in their decay. The trophic conditions of the lakes did not significantly determine the extent of differences in decomposition rates between the two leaf species, but affected the microbial decomposers. The sporulation rate and diversity of aquatic fungi, especially on A. glutinosa leaves, was higher in the mesotrophic lake than in the eutrophic lake, while heterotrophic bacteria were more numerous on the leaves in the eutrophic lake. Generally, differences in the colonization dynamics of heterotrophs and the faster decay of A. negundo litter than of A. glutinosa suggest that the replacement of native riparian species such as the dominating A. glutinosa by invasive A. negundo may cause changes of organic matter processing in the littoral zones of lakes.     

Low-decomposition rates of riparian litter in a North Patagonian ultraoligotrophic lake

Littoral zones of lakes are important for carbon and nutrient recycling because of the accumulation and decomposition of organic matter (OM) coming from terrestrial and aquatic plants. Here, we aimed to study OM decomposition from the most abundant riparian trees (Nothofagus dombeyi and Myrceugenia exsucca), and an emergent macrophyte (Schoenoplectus californicus), in the littoral zone of an ultraoligotrophic North-Patagonian Andean lake. We analysed the initial 2-days leaching, and litter mass loss and litter nutrient changes after one year of decomposition in a litter-bag experiment. The three studied species had very slow decay rates (k < 0.005 day⁻¹), and initial nutrient release by leaching was not related to differences in decomposition rates. However, differences in leaf traits (lignin content) were related to interspecific variation in decomposition rates. The highest decomposition rates were observed for the macrophyte S. californicus, the species with the lower lignin content, while the opposite was observed in the Myrtaceae M. exsucca. In the three studied species, nitrogen content increased during decomposition. Our results indicated that in the shore of ultra-oligotrophic lakes, litter remains for long periods with net nutrient immobilization, thus OM of the riparian vegetation represents a carbon and nutrient sink.     

Variations in dissolved CO2 and CH4 in a first‐order stream and catchment: an investigation of soil–stream linkages

Spatial and seasonal variations in CO₂ and CH₄ concentrations in streamwater and adjacent soils were studied at three sites on Brocky Burn, a headwater stream draining a peatland catchment in upland Britain. Concentrations of both gases in the soil atmosphere were significantly higher in peat and riparian soils than in mineral soils. Peat and riparian soil CO₂ concentrations varied seasonally, showing a positive correlation with air and soil temperature. Streamwater CO₂ concentrations at the upper sampling site, which mostly drained deep peats, varied from 2·8 to 9·8 mg l^?1 (2·5 to 11·9 times atmospheric saturation) and decreased markedly downstream. Temperature‐related seasonal variations in peat and riparian soil CO₂ were reflected in the stream at the upper site, where 77% of biweekly variation was explained by an autoregressive model based on: (i) a negative log‐linear relationship with stream flow; (ii) a positive linear relationship with soil CO₂ concentrations in the shallow riparian wells; and (iii) a negative linear relationship with soil CO₂ concentrations in the shallow peat wells, with a significant 2‐week lag term. These relationships changed markedly downstream, with an apparent decrease in the soil–stream linkage and a switch to a positive relationship between stream flow and stream CO₂. Streamwater CH₄ concentrations also declined sharply downstream, but were much lower (<0·01 to 0·12 mg l^?1) than those of CO₂ and showed no seasonal variation, nor any relationship with soil atmospheric CH₄ concentrations. However, stream CH₄ was significantly correlated with stream flow at the upper site, which explained 57% of biweekly variations in dissolved concentrations. We conclude that stream CO₂ can be a useful integrative measure of whole catchment respiration, but only at sites where the soil–stream linkage is strong. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

三峡库区丰都-忠县段消落带不同高程土壤镉及其形态的分布特征

镉(Cd)是目前三峡库区消落带主要的污染物之一,其迁移和形态转化直接威胁水环境安全.选择库区丰都-忠县段消落带,按照高程差异分别于不同土地利用类型(农田、林地、果园和村庄)下采集土壤样品,利用化学连续提取法测定Cd的形态组成,探讨影响消落带土壤中Cd及其形态空间分布的关键因素.结果表明,消落带土壤中Cd的平均含量为0.65 mg/kg,可交换态及碳酸盐结合态是土壤中Cd的主要形态,占比达到41.21%,残渣态和铁锰氧化物结合态次之,有机物及硫化物结合态占比最低.不同土地利用类型下消落带土壤Cd的含量整体上不存在显著性差异,表明当地人类活动对土壤Cd的直接贡献较弱.消落带土壤Cd及其形态的含量与高程呈显著负相关,且在160～165 m区域发生明显转变,水位变化导致的泥沙沉积可能是控制消落带Cd空间分布的主要因素.此外,土壤理化性质,尤其是细颗粒泥沙对Cd及其形态分布具有明显影响,将来需重点关注泥沙理化属性对Cd迁移及形态转化的影响.     

Large‐scale regional delineation of riparian vegetation in the arid and semi‐arid Pilbara region,WA

Multiscene Landsat 5 TM imagery, Principal Component Analysis, and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index were used to produce the first region‐scale map of riparian vegetation for the Pilbara (230,000 km²), Western Australia. Riparian vegetation is an environmentally important habitat in the arid and desert climate of the Pilbara. These habitats are supported by infrequent flow events and in some locations by groundwater discharge. Our analysis suggests that riparian vegetation covers less than 4% of the Pilbara region, whereas almost 10.5% of this area is composed of groundwater dependent vegetation (GDV). GDV is often associated with open water (river pools), providing refugia for a variety of species. GDV has an extremely high ecological value and are often important Indigenous sites. This paper demonstrates how Landsat data calibrated to Top of Atmosphere reflectance can be used to delineate riparian vegetation across 16 Landsat scenes and two Universal Transverse Mercator spatial zones. The proposed method is able to delineate riparian vegetation and GDV, without the need for Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function correction. Results were validated using ground truth data from local and regional scale vegetation surveys.     

Effects of whole-stream nitrogen enrichment and litter species mixing on litter decomposition and associated fungi

Nutrient enrichment and changes in riparian tree species composition affect many streams worldwide but their combined effects on decomposers and litter decomposition have been rarely assessed. In this study we assessed the effects of experimental nitrogen (N) enrichment of a small forest stream on the decomposition of three leaf litter species differing in initial chemical composition [alder (Alnus glutinosa), chestnut (Castanea sativa) and poplar (Populus nigra)], incubated individually and in 2-species mixtures during late spring-early summer. To better understand the effects of litter mixing on litter decomposition, component litter species were processed individually for remaining mass and fungal reproductive activity. Litter decomposition rates were high. Nitrogen enrichment significantly stimulated litter decomposition only for alder incubated individually. Differences among litter treatments were found only at the N enriched site where the nutrient rich alder litter decomposed faster than all other litter treatments; only at this site was there a significant relationship between litter decomposition and initial litter N concentration. Decomposition rates of all litter mixtures were lower than those expected from the decomposition rates of the component litter species incubated individually, at the N enriched and reference sites, suggesting antagonistic effects of litter mixing. Conidial production by aquatic hyphomycetes for each sampling date was not affected by nutrient enrichment, litter species or mixing. Aquatic hyphomycetes species richness for each sampling date was higher at the N enriched site than at the reference site and higher for alder litter than for chestnut and poplar, but no effect of mixing was found. Aquatic hyphomycetes communities were structured by litter identity and to a lesser extent by N enrichment, with no effect of mixing. This study suggests that nutrient enrichment and litter quality may not have such strong effects on decomposers and litter decomposition in warmer seasons contrary to what has been reported for autumn-winter. Changes in the composition of the riparian vegetation may have unpredictable effects on litter decomposition independently of streams trophic state.