Soil Cellulase Activity and Fungal Community Responses to Wetland Degradation in the Zoige Plateau,China

Four soil types(peat, marsh, meadow, and sandy) in the Zoige Plateau of China are associated with the severity of wetland degradation. The effects of wetland degradation on the structure and abundance of fungal communities and cellulase activity were assessed in these 4 soil types at 3 depths using DGGE(Denatured Gradient Gel Electrophoresis), q PCR(Quantitative Real-time PCR),and 3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid assays. Cellulase activity and abundance of the fungal community declined in parallel to the level of wetland degradation(from least to most disturbed). DGGE analysis indicated a major shift in composition of fungal communities among the4 soil types consistent with the level of degradation.Water content(WC), organic carbon(OC), total nitrogen(TN), total phosphorus(TP), available nitrogen(AN), and available phosphorus(AP) were strongly correlated with cellulase activity and the structure and abundance of the fungal community.The results indicate that soil physicochemical properties(WC, OC, TN, TP, AN, and AP), cellulase activity, and diversity and abundance of fungal communities are sensitive indicators of the relative level of wetland degradation. WC was the major factorinvolved in Zoige wetland degradation and lower WC levels contributed to declines in the abundance and diversity of the fungal community and reduction in cellulase activity.     

Comparative Assessment of Tundra Vegetation Changes Between North and Southwest Slopes of Changbai Mountains,China, in Response to Global Warming

Vegetation in high altitude areas normally exhibits the strongest response to global warming. We investigated the tundra vegetation on the Changbai Mountains and revealed the similarities and differences between the north and the southwest slopes of the Changbai Mountains in response to global warming. Our results were as follows: 1) The average temperatures in the growing season have increased from 1981 to 2015, the climate tendency rate was 0.38℃/10 yr, and there was no obvious change in precipitation observed. 2) The tundra vegetation of the Changbai Mountains has changed significantly over the last 30 years. Specifically, herbaceous plants have invaded into the tundra zone, and the proportion of herbaceous plants was larger than that of shrubs. Shrub tundra was transforming into shrub-grass tundra. 3) The tundra vegetation in the north and southwest slopes of the Changbai Mountains responded differently to global warming. The southwest slope showed a significantly higher degree of invasion from herbaceous plants and exhibited greater vegetation change than the north slope. 4) The species diversity of plant communities on the tundra zone of the north slope changed unimodally with altitude, while that on the tundra zone of the southwest slope decreased monotonously with altitude. Differences in the degree of invasion from herbaceous plants resulted in differences in species diversity patterns between the north and southwest slopes. Differences in local microclimate, plant community successional stage and soil fertility resulted in differential responses of tundra vegetation to global warming.     

Soil phosphorus composition and phosphatase activities along altitudes of alpine tundra in Changbai Mountains,China

Alpine tundra ecosystems have specific vegetation and environmental conditions that may affect soil phosphorus(P) composition and phosphatase activities. However, these effects are poorly understood. This study used Na OH-EDTA extraction and solution31 P nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR) spectroscopy to determine soil P composition and phosphatase activities, including acid phosphomonoesterase(Ac P), phosphodiesterase(PD) and inorganic pyrophosphatase(IPP), in the alpine tundra of the Changbai Mountains at seven different altitudinal gradients(i.e., 2000 m, 2100 m, 2200 m, 2300 m, 2400 m, 2500 m, and 2600 m). The results show that total P(TP), organic P(OP), OP/TP, Na OH-EDTA extracted P and AcP, PD, and IPP activities over the altitude range of 2500–2600 m are significantly lower than those below 2400 m. The dominant extracted form of P is OP(73%–83%) with a large proportion of monoesters(65%–72%), whereas inorganic P is present in lower proportions(17%–27%). The activity of Ac P is significantly positively correlated with the contents of soil OP, total carbon(TC), total nitrogen(TN), and TP(P 0.05), indicating that the Ac P is a more sensitive index for responding P nutrient storage than PD and IPP. Soil properties, P composition, and phosphatase activities decrease with increased altitude and soil p H. Our results indicate that the distribution of soil P composition and phosphatase activities along altitude and Ac P may play an important role in P hydrolysis as well as have the potential to be an indicator of soil quality.     

Applying systematic conservation planning to constitute a protection strategy for broad-leaved Korean pine forests in Changbai Mountains,China

The broad-leaved Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis) forest is one of the most biodiverse zonal communities in the North Temperate Zone and an important habitat for many endangered species. Broad-leaved Korean pine forests (BKPFs) are shrinking quickly due to deforestation and rapid urbanization. Thus, scientific protection strategies are urgently needed to change this status. Changbai Mountains contains one of the largest BKPFs and is considered a priority biodiversity conservation area in China. Guided by systematic conservation planning (SCP) methods and procedures, we chose representative species and communities in BKPFs ecosystem as priority conservation objects, and set quantitative conservation target, which is in the light of the biodiversity characteristic of BKPFs. The watershed area is used as planning unit. We used C-Plan software to calculate the irreplaceability (Ir) value of each planning unit and the contribution value (T _i ) of each conservation object to (1) assess the conservation efficiency; (2) identify the conservation gap of the existing conservation network. Then we calculated a human disturbance index (HDI) for planning units in the conservation gaps and combine this with the Ir value to design three conservation scenarios to optimize the conservation network. Results show that planning units with high conservation value 14.16% of the total area, with 3084.36 km² were covered by the existing conservation network. 79.28% of planning units with high conservation value have not been protected which were concentrated mainly in the eight gap areas. Only 25.3% of protection objects achieved their conservation target with the existing conservation network. Conservation efficiency is low. Three conservation scenarios are constituted, each prioritizing a different aim: (1) ecological value; (2) species rescue; and (3) economical avoidance. The three conservation schemes potentially enable 93%, 88% and 51% of conservation objects, respectively, to achieve identified conservation targets, thereby improving conservation efficiency significantly.     

Responses and feedback of litter properties and soil mesofauna to herbaceous plants expansion into the alpine tundra on Changbai Mountain,China

Global climate changes result in the expansion of lower elevation plants to higher elevations.The rapid upward expansion of herbaceous plants into the alpine tu...     

Response of Microbial Community to Petroleum Stress and Phosphate Dosage in Sediments of Jiaozhou Bay,China

The dynamic microcosms were used to evaluate the effect of oil spills on microbial ecological system in marine sedi- ment and the enhancement of nutrient on the oil removal. The function and structure of microbial community caused by the oil pollu-tion and phosphate dosage were simultaneously monitored by dehydrogenase activity assay and PCR-denaturing gradient gel elec- trophoresis （DGGE） techniques. The results indicated that the amount of total bacteria in all dynamic microcosms declined rapidly with incubation time. The number of petroleum-degrading bacteria and the activity of sediment dehydrogenase were gradually en-hanced by petroleum in the oil-treated microcosms, while they both showed no obvious response to phosphate dosage. In comparison, phosphate spiked heterotrophic bacteria and they showed a significant increase in amount. DGGE profiles indicated that petroleum dosage greatly changed community structure, and the bacteria belonged to class Deltaproteobacteria, and phyla Bacteroidetes and Chlorobi were enriched. This study demonstrated that petroleum input greatly impacted the microbial community structure and con- sequently the marine sediment petroleum-degrading activity was enhanced. Phosphate dosage would multiply heterotrophic bacteria but not significantly enhance the petroleum degradation.     

Responses of soil fauna structure and leaf litter decomposition to effective microorganism treatments in Da Hinggan Mountains, China

Microorganisms are nutritious resources for various soil fauna.Although soil fauna grazing affects microorganism composition and decomposition rate,the responses of soil fauna and leaf litter decomposition to added microorganism is little understood.In this study,in the coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest of Tahe County in the northern Da Hinggan Mountains,China,three sampling sites(each has an area of 10 m2) were selected.The first two sites were sprinkled with 250 times(EM1) and 1000 times(EM2) diluted effective microorganism(EM) preparations evenly,and the third site was sprinkled with the same volume of water as a control site.The responses of soil fauna structure and leaf litter decomposition to EM treatment were conducted during three years.The results revealed that EM treatment resulted in significant increase of soil organic matter.The number of soil fauna in the EM1 and EM2 sites increased by 12.88% and 2.23% compared to the control site,and among them springtails and mites showed the highest increase.However,the groups of soil fauna in the EM1 and EM2 sites decreased by 6 and 9,respectively.And the changes in the diversity and evenness index were relatively complicated.EM treatment slowed the decomposition of broad-leaved litter,but accelerated the decomposition of coniferous litter.However,the decomposition rate of broad-leaved litter was still higher than that of coniferous litter.The results of this study suggested that the added microorganisms could help individual growth of soil fauna,and this method led to a change in the process of leaf litter decomposition.This paper did not analyze the activity of soil microorganisms,thus it is difficult to clearly explain the complex relationships among litter type,soil fauna and soil microorganisms.Further research on this subject is needed.     

Interactions between Soil Characteristics,Environmental Factors,and Plant Species Abundance: A Case Study in the Karst Mountains of Longhushan Nature Reserve,Southwest China

The ability to manage and restore plant communities in the face of human-induced landscape change may rely on our ability to predict how species respond to environmental variables.Understanding this response requires examining factors or their interactions that have influence on plant and resource availability.Our objective was to analyze the relationships between changes in plant abundance and the interaction among environmental habitat factors including soil, geological(rock type), and other environmental variables in the Longhushan karst mountains ecosystem.Species density and dominance were examined using ANOVA, ANCOVA,and Generalized Linear Models to establish the single or combined effects of these groups of factors.The results showed that trends in abundance were mainly affected by rock type(related to the percentage content of dolomite and calcite), soil characteristics in association with topography.Both plant indices were higher in dolomite dominated areas and varied positively with moisture, and elevation, but negatively with organic matter, while density also increased with slope degree.The results demonstrate that significant variations in species abundance was produced with the combination of variables from soil, geological, andenvironmental factors, suggesting their interaction influence on plants.We postulate that spatial variations in plant abundance in karst ecosystem depends on the carbonate rock type in addition to water and nutrient availability which are mainly controlled by topography and other factors such as soil texture and temperature.The study suggests that in karst areas carbonate rock type, in addition to local environmental variables, should be taken into account when analyzing the factors that have impact on plant communities.     

Land use effects on soil organic carbon,microbial biomass and microbial activity in Changbai Mountains of Northeast China

Land use changes are known to alter soil organic carbon （SOC） and microbial properties, however, information about how conversion of natural forest to agricultural land use as well as plantations affects SOC and microbial properties in the Changbai Moun- tains of Northeast China is meager. Soil carbon content, microbial biomass carbon （MBC）, basal respiration and soil carbon mineraliza- tion were studied in five selected types of land use： natural old-growth broad-leaved Korean pine mixed forest （NF）; spruce plantation （SP） established following clear-cutting of NF; cropland （CL）; ginseng farmland （GF） previously under NF; and a five-year Mongolian oak young forest （YF） reforested on an abandoned GF, in the Changbai Mountains of Northeast China in 2011. Results showed that SOC content was significantly lower in SP, CL, GF, and YF than in NF. MBC ranged from 304.4 mg/kg in CL to 1350.3 mg/kg in NF, which was significantly higher in the soil of NF than any soil of the other four land use types. The SOC and MBC contents were higher in SP soil than in CL, GF, and YF soils, yielding a significant difference between SP and CL. The value of basal respiration was also higher in NF than in SP, CL, GF, and YF. Simultaneously, higher values of the metabolic quotient were detected in CL, GF, and YF soils, indicat- ing low substrate utilization of the soil microbial community compared with that in NF and SP soil. The values of cumulative mineral- ized carbon and potentially mineralized carbon （Co） in NF were significantly higher than those in CL and GF, while no significant dif- ference was observed between NF and SP. In addition, YF had higher values of Co and C mineralization rate compared with GF. The results indicate that conversion from NF into agricultural land （CL and GF） uses and plantation may lead to a reduction in soil nutrients （SOC and MBC） and substrate utilization efficiency of the microbial community. By contrast, soils below SP were more conducive to the preservation of soil organic matter, which was reflected in the comparison of microbial indicators among CL, GF, and YF land uses. This study can provide data for evaluating soils nutrients under different land use types, and serve as references for the rational land use of natural forest in the study area.     

Grain-size characteristics of sediment in Daniugou peatland in Changbai Mountains,Northeast China: Implications for atmospheric dust deposition

The grain-size distribution characteristics and grain-size parameters of sediment in two vertical sections of Daniugou peatland in the Changbai Mountains were systematically investigated. A comparative analysis of the sediment granularity using a discriminative function with Hongyuan peat, red clay, loess-paleosol, fluvial deposit as well as lacustrine deposit was also conducted. It turns out that the vertical section of Daniugou peat ash is primarily constituted by clay and silt particles, and the content of sand is relatively small. Grain-size frequency curves generally show a single-peak modality while a bimodal pattern is detected in the upper layer. The grain-size component and peak pattern of grain-size frequency curves also illustrate that peat ash materials were transported to the peatland by long-range aeolian dust during the deposition process, while there existed short-distance dust influence in peat deposition of the upper layer. Comparisons of grain-size parameters and the discriminative Y-value of Daniugou peat ash with those of typical aeolian sediments show close similarities, suggesting the possibility that atmospheric dust transport processes were involved in the accumulation of peat again. Moreover, the variations of grain-size distribution suggest the local environmental deterioration which is just the driving force of local dust elevation. Grain-size analysis of peatland sediment is demonstrated to be one effective method to extract information about regional and global environmental evolution, and more attention should be paid to current local ecological environment and to seeking a balance between economic development and environmental protection in Northeast China.     

Morphological characteristics and environmental implications of phytoliths in topsoils from different vegetation zones on northern slope of Changbai Mountains,China

The Changbai Mountains,located in the temperate monsoon climate zone of East Asia,is an ideal loca-tion for the research on timberline response to global changes.In this study,the topsoils were collected from different vertical vegetation zones on the northern slope of the Changbai Mountains,Northeast China in August 2009,and phytoliths in the soil samples were extracted by using wet oxidation method and identified with Motic 2.0 microscope in laboratory.The results show that phytoliths are abundant in the ...     

Effects of logging intensity on structure and composition of a broadleaf-Korean pine mixed forest on Changbai Mountains,northeast China

In order to identify a harvesting model which is beneficial for broadleaf-Korean pine mixed forest(BKF) sustainability, we investigated four types of harvested stands which have been logged with intensities of 0(T0, control), 15%(T1, low intensity), 35%(T2, moderate intensity), and 100%(T3, clear-cutting), and examined the impacts of logging intensity on composition and structure of these stands. Results showed that there were no significant differences between T0 and T1 for all structural characteristics, except for density of seeding and large trees. The mean diameter at breast height(DBH, 1.3 m above the ground), stem density and basal area of large trees in T2 were significantly lower than in T0, while the density of seedlings and saplings were significantly higher in T2 than in T0. Structural characteristics in T3 were entirely different from T0. Dominant tree species in primary BKF comprised 93%, 85%, 45% and 10% of the total basal area in T0, T1, T2 and T3, respectively. Three community similarity indices, the Jaccard′s similarity coefficient(CJ); the Morisita-Horn index(CMH); and the Bray-Curtis index(CN), were the highest for T0 and T1, followed by T0 and T2, and T0 and T3, in generally. These results suggest that effects of harvesting on forest composition and structure are related to logging intensities. Low intensity harvesting is conductive to preserving forest structure and composition, allowing it to recover in a short time period. The regime characterized by low logging intensity and short rotations appears to be a sustainable harvesting method for BKF on the Changbai Mountains.     

阿拉善地块南缘构造活动特征与青藏高原东北缘向外扩展的最新边界

青藏高原向北东方向扩展的方式及最新扩展边界的位置,是目前青藏高原东北缘构造变形研究的热点.基于近年来对阿拉善地块南缘及邻区活动构造运动特征调查和定量研究结果,重点总结了阿拉善地块南缘活动断裂几何图像及运动特征,指出以前普遍认为的稳定阿拉善地块内部在新生代晚期发育了一系列规模不等、运动性质各异的活动断裂,这些活动断裂是青...     

Characteristics and Influencing Factors of the Microbial Concentration and Activity in Atmospheric Aerosols over the South China Sea

Oceans are important sources of microbes in atmospheric aerosols;however, information about the characteristics of airborne microbes and their influencing factors over oceans is lacking. Here we report the characteristics of the microbial abundance and activity in aerosols sampled near the sea surface over the South China Sea(SCS) from May to June 2016. The airborne microbial concentration range in the aerosols was 1.68?105 to 4.84?105 cells m-3 over the SCS, reflecting an average decrease of 40% – 54% over the SCS compared with that in the samples from the coastal region of Qingdao. About 63% – 76% of the airborne microbes occurred in coarse particles(> 2.1 ?m), with a variable size distribution over the SCS. The microbial activity range in aerosols, measured by the fluorescein diacetate(FDA) hydrolysis method, was 2.09 – 11.97 ng m-3 h-1 sodium fluorescein(SF) over the SCS, which was 15% – 79% lower than that over the coastal region. These values reflected a different spatial distribution over the SCS from that of the microbial concentration. Except for certain samples, all samples had 68% of the microbial activity occurring in coarse particles. Correlation analysis showed that the microbial abundance and activity were positively correlated with the aerosol, organic carbon(OC), and water-soluble organic carbon(WSOC) concentrations, indicating that the airborne microbes may be related to the reactions of certain water-soluble organic chemicals in the atmosphere. Moreover, the concentrations of airborne microbes were significantly negatively correlated with the horizontal offshore distance. The microbial concentration and activity were significantly correlated with wind speed.     

Distribution Patterns and Associations of Dominant Tree Species in a Mixed Coniferous-Broadleaf Forest in the Changbai Mountains

In 2012 a plot was established with 1-ha area in a mixed coniferous-broadleaf forest in the Changbai Mountains, northeastern China for examining local forest processes, structure and succession. A method of O-ring statistics(paircorrelation function) was applied to analyze the spatial patterns and associations of the dominant species within different vertical layers. After the evaluation by their importance values, six tree species(or group)(i.e. Abies nephrolepis, Picea jezoensis, Pinus koraiensis, Tilia amurensis, and species group of Betula ssp. and species group of Acer ssp.) were determined as dominant trees species. It was found that some of these species exhibited closely clustered distributions at fine distances. As spatial distance increased, a random or even regular distribution gradually appeared with the exception of the upper layers of A. nephrolepis and P. koraiensis, and the lower layers of P. jezoensis, P. koraiensis and Betula ssp., which were substantially randomly distributed. Intra- and inter-species spatial associations varied in accordance with species, tree height and reciprocal distances. Positive associations were observedbetween the lower and upper height classes of trees of the same species(except for that of P. jezoensis) at fine distances. This may be owing to limited seed dispersal and geological heterogeneity. The aggregation intensity declines with increasing distances and this consistent with the predictions of self-thinning. Some coniferous trees(e.g. Pinus koraiensis) in the lower height class were positively associated with T. amurensis and group of Betula ssp. of the upper height class at some distances, suggesting that saplings of coniferous trees occupy a broader niche and can grow well under the canopy of the adult of broad-leaved trees. Negative associations were observed between upper coniferous trees and lower broad-leaved trees and between upper P. jezoensis and lower P. koraiensis, suggesting that a canopy of these trees might not provide suitable environment for the survival, establishment, and growth of lower individuals, corresponding well to Janzen-Connell hypothesis.     

Characterization of microbial community structure in rhizosphere soils of Cowskin Azalea (Rhododendron aureum Georgi) on northern slope of Changbai Mountains,China

The vegetation and soil are mutual environmental factors, soil characteristics, such as chemical properties and microorganism that affect the vegetation occurrence, development and succession speed. In this study, we evaluated the structure of microbial communities of rhizosphere of Cowskin Azalea(Rhododendron aureum Georgi) populations and compared with non-rhizosphere soils at four sample sites of the Changbai Mountains, China, and analyzed the correlation between chemical properties of soil and microbial communities. The results showed that microbial structure and soil chemical properties are significant superior to non-rhizosphere at all four sample sites. The rhizosphere microorganisms are mainly composed of bacteria, actinomycetes, followed by fungi least. The principal component analysis(PCA) biplot displayed that there are differences between rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soils for microflora; Through correlation analysis, we found that the bacteria is clearly influenced by p H on the Changbai Mountains, besides p H, other soil features such as NO3–-N. These data highlight that R. aureum as the dominant vegetation living in the alpine tundra is a key factor in the formation of soil microorganism and improving soil fertility, and is of great significance for the maintenance of alpine tundra ecosystem.     

Soil Organic Matter Fractions under Different Vegetation Types in Permafrost Regions along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway,North of Kunlun Mountains,China

As a key attribute of soil quality, soil organic matter(SOM) and its different fractions play an important role in regulating soil nutrient cycling and soil properties.This study evaluated the soil carbon(C) and nitrogen(N) concentrations in different SOM fractions(light– and heavy fractions,microbial biomass) under different vegetation types and analyzed their influencing factors in continuous permafrost regions along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway in the North of Kunlun Mountains, China.Soil samples were collected in pits under four vegetation types — Alpine swamp meadow(ASM), Alpine meadow(AM), Alpine steppe(AS) and Alpine desert(AD) — at the depth of 0-50 cm.The vegetation coverage was the highest at ASM and AM, followed byAS and AD.The results indicated that the concentrations of light fraction carbon(LFC) and nitrogen(LFN), and microbial biomass carbon(MBC)and nitrogen(MBN) decreased as follows: ASM AM AS AD, with the relatively stronger decrease of LFC,whereas the heavy fraction carbon(HFC) and nitrogen(HFN) concentrations were lower in AS soils than in the AD soils.The relatively higher proportions of LFC/SOC and MBC/SOC in the 0-10 cm depth under the ASM soils are mainly resulted from its higher substrate input and soil moisture content.Correlation analysis demonstrated that aboveground biomass, soil moisture content, soil organic carbon(SOC) and total nitrogen(TN) positively correlated to LFC, LFN, HFC, HFN, MBC and MBN, while p H negatively correlated to LFC, LFN, HFC, HFN, MBC and MBN.There was no relationship between active layer thickness and SOM fractions, except for the LFC.Results suggested that vegetation cover, soil moisture content, and SOC and TN concentrations were significantly correlated with the amount and availability of SOM fractions, while permafrost had less impact on SOM fractions in permafrost regions of the central Qinghai–Tibet Plateau.     

Residue Return Effects Outweigh Tillage Effects on Soil Microbial Communities and Functional Genes in Black Soil Region of Northeast China

Conservation tillage as an effective alternative to mitigate soil degradation has attracted worldwide attention, but the influences of conservation tillage on soil microbial community and especially function remain unclear. Shotgun metagenomics sequencing was performed to examine the taxonomic and functional community variations of black soils under three tillage regimes, namely no-tillage with residue(maize straw) return(NTS), moldboard plow with residue return(MPS), and moldboard plow without ...     

青藏高原月NDVI时空动态变化及其对气候变化的 响应

青藏高原脆弱的高寒植被对外界干扰十分敏感,使其成为研究植被对气候变化响应的理想区域之一。青藏高原气候变化剧烈,在较短的合成时间研究气候变化对植被的影响十分必要。因此,本文利用GIMMS NDVI时间序列数据集,研究了1982-2012年青藏高原生长季月尺度植被生长的时空动态变化,探讨了其与气温、降水量和日照时数等气候因子的响应关系。结果表明：在区域尺度上,除8月外,其他各月份植被均呈增加趋势,显著增加多发生在4-7月和9月;大部分月份的NDVI增加速率随着时段的延长显著减小,表明NDVI增加趋势放缓;在像元尺度上,月NDVI显著变化的区域多呈增加趋势,但显著减少范围的扩张多快于显著增加。4月和7月植被生长主要是受气温和日照时数共同作用,6月和9月受气温的控制,而8月则主要受降水量的影响。长时间序列NDVI数据集的出现为采用嵌套时段研究植被生长变化趋势奠定了前提,而植被活动变化趋势的持续性则有助于形象表征植被活动变化过程、深入理解植被对气候变化的响应和预测植被未来生长变化趋势。由此推测,青藏高原月NDVI未来增加趋势总体上趋于缓和,但在像元尺度显著变化的区域趋于增加。     

Phenology of different types of vegetation and their response to climate change in the Qilian Mountains,China

The Qilian Mountains(QM) possess a delicate vegetation ecosystem, amplifying the evident response of vegetation phenology to climate change. The relationship between changes in vegetation growth and climate remains complex. To this end, we used MODIS NDVI data to extract the phenological parameters of the vegetation including meadow(MDW), grassland(GSD), and alpine vegetation(ALV) in the QM from 2002 to 2021. Then, we employed path analysis to reveal the direct and indirect impacts of seasonal c...