Long‐term nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization effects on N2 fixation rates and nifH gene community patterns in mangrove sediments

The bioavailability of nutrients is important in controlling ecological processes and nitrogen cycling in oligotrophic mangrove forests, yet the variation of diazotrophic community structure and activity with nutrient availability in sediments remains largely unexplored. To investigate for the first time how nutrients in sediments affect spatial and temporal patterns of diazotrophic community structure and activity, the sedimentary environment of Twin Cays, Belize, was examined with respect to the effects of long‐term fertilization [treatments: control (Ctrl), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P)] on N₂ fixation rates and nifH gene community structure. We found that N₂ fixation rates were significantly higher at the P‐treatment, intermediate at the Ctrl‐treatment and lower in the N‐treatment (P: 4.2 ± 0.5, Crtl: 0.8 ± 0.1, N: 0.4 ± 0.1 nmol·N·g^?1·h^?1; P < 0.001) with spatial (Ctrl‐ and P‐treatments) and temporal (only P‐treatment) variability positively correlated with live root abundance (r² = 0.473, P < 0.001) and concentration (r² = 0.458, P < 0.0001). The community structure of diazotrophs showed larger spatial and temporal variability in the fertilized treatments than in the Ctrl‐treatment, with the relative abundance of OTUs (nifH operational taxonomic units) at the fertilized treatments inversely related to live root abundance. Overall, long‐term fertilization (with either N or P) affects not only nutrient levels in mangrove sediments directly, but also spatial and temporal patterns of both community structure and activity and likely plant‐microbe interactions as well. Our findings suggest that the maintenance of natural nutrient conditions in mangrove sediments is important to ensure the stability of microbial functional groups like diazotrophs.     

氨氮胁迫对刺参几种免疫酶活性的影响

以养殖刺参(Apostichopus japonicus)为研究对象,对不同浓度的氨氮处理及病菌感染条件下刺参体腔液免疫酶的变化进行了测定.结果表明:随着氨氮处理强度的增加,刺参体腔液中超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、碱性磷酸酶(ALP)、谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶(GPx)及溶菌酶(LSZ)活性呈现先升高后降低的趋势,而同时感染病菌的情况下,较低质量浓度的氨氮胁迫可使SOD、GPx、ALP及LSZ活性上升,但在较高浓度氨氮处理时,酶活性的诱导则受到抑制.说明适宜浓度的氨氮处理可增强刺参的免疫力,从而减轻病菌感染对刺参造成的免疫功能损伤和提高刺参抗病力.刺参在感染病原菌假交替单胞菌(Pseudoalte-romonas sp)的条件下,3 mg/L、4 mg/L和6 mg/L浓度的氨氮处理第6天,刺参的累积发病死亡率分别为44.4％、55.6％和72.2％,高于对照组,表明较高浓度的氨氮胁迫能够显著降低刺参的免疫力,增加对病原菌的易感性.因此,在刺参养殖过程中,氨氮浓度的调控具有重要的意义.     

Metabolic plasticity of nitrogen assimilation by Porphyra umbilicalis (Linnaeus) Kützing

The physical stresses associated with emersion have long been considered major factors determining the vertical zonation of intertidal seaweeds.We examined Porphyra umbilicalis(Linnaeus) Kützing thalli from the vertical extremes in elevation of an intertidal population(i.e.upper and lower intertidal zones) to determine whether Porphyra thalli acclimate to different vertical elevations on the shore with different patterns of nitrate uptake and nitrate reductase(NR) and glutamine synthetase(GS) activities in response to different degrees of emersion stress.We found that the nitrate uptake and NR recovery in the emersed tissues took longer in lower intertidal sub-population than in upper intertidal sub-population;and GS activity was also significantly affected by emersion and,interestingly,such an activity was enhanced by emersion of thalli from both upper and lower intertidal zones.These results suggested that intra-population variability in post-emersion recovery of physiological functions such as nutrient uptake and NR activity enables local adaptation and contributes to the wide vertical distribution of P.umbilicalis.The high GS activity during periodic emersion stress may be a protective mechanism enabling P.umbilicalis to assimilate nitrogen quickly when it again becomes available,and may also be an evidence of photorespiration during emersion.     

科尔沁沙质草地优势多年生植物氮素回收效率的分异特征

养分回收是多年生植物重要的适应策略,通过这种方式可以使植物重新利用体内养分。尤其在养分贫瘠的环境中,养分条件的微小变化都会影响植物的生长、竞争和适合度。但是,不同物种和不同生活型植物的氮素回收效率具有较高的变异,这对理解不同物种或生活型植物在生态系统功能中的作用具有重要意义。本研究分析了科尔沁沙质草地生态系统中39种多年生植物成熟绿叶和枯叶的氮素含量和氮素回收效率,以揭示不同物种或生活型植物氮素回收效率的分异特征。结果表明：科尔沁沙质草地优势多年生植物成熟绿叶氮素含量的变化范围在12.2～33.4 mg·g-1,平均值为23.3 mg·g-1;与全国及全球尺度上的研究结果相比,科尔沁沙质草地成熟绿叶氮含量平均值偏高,说明干旱荒漠环境植物叶片平均氮含量相对较高;多年生植物枯叶的氮素含量明显小于成熟绿叶氮素含量,变化范围在6.2～18.8 mg·g-1,平均值为11.3 mg·g-1;多年生植物氮素回收效率的范围在29%至74%之间变化,平均值为50.3%。这说明氮素回收是科尔沁沙质草地生态系统多年生植物重要的养分保留策略之一。另外,沙质草地不同生活型植物的氮素回收效率存在显著的差异。固氮植物和禾本科植物的氮素回收效率显著低于灌木和杂类草植物。这一结果间接说明植物氮素保持能力的分异是半干旱沙质草地植物共存的机理之一。     

非均质包气带三氮累积转化模拟砂箱试验

为研究包气带非均质结构对氮素迁移转化的影响,采用室内砂箱实验模拟了1.72 mm/h降雨强度下NH₄-N污染非均质包气带的过程。通过观测出水及土壤溶液中NH₄-N、NO₂-N和NO₃-N质量浓度变化,分析探讨了NH₄-N在含有两个亚粘土透镜体的非均质包气带介质中的迁移转化和累积时空分布特征。结果表明：经过89 d物理吸附和微生物作用,出水NH₄-N首先迅速增加然后逐渐减小,而出水NO₃-N含量持续增加,其间NO₂-N出现累积峰,系统最终达到平衡稳定状态;土壤溶液中NH₄-N在两亚粘土透镜体上表面累积较多,NO₃-N和NO₂-N在上透镜体中的累积含量大于下透镜体;而砂槽上部土壤中出现明显的NO₃-N累积,NH₄-N和NO₂-N则在下部土壤和亚粘土透镜体中累积较多。包气带介质质地、粗 细交互结构及降雨淋溶、水分运移对“三氮”的迁移转化和富集有重要影响。     

草原化荒漠植被草本层片植物对人工施加氮素的响应

水分是干旱区生态过程的第一非生物限制因子,土壤氮由于直接影响着生物生产力和土壤生态过程而被认为是仅次于水分的限制因子。利用人工施加氮肥的控制试验研究了荒漠植被草本层片植物在多度、物种丰富度、高生长以及地上部分生物量等群落学特征对不同施肥处理的响应。结果表明,在施肥量分别为12.5、25、50 g·m-2时,样方植物多度和物种丰富度在施肥当年和第二年较对照均有不同程度的降低,且施肥量越高,降低越明显,这一结果支持来自典型草地和森林植被生物多样性对氮素增加或氮降沉增加响应的结论,即氮素的增加会使生物多样性减少。地上部分生物量对施氮肥的响应在施肥当年(年降水量为多年平均值的1.4倍)和第二年(年降水量为多年平均值的0.7倍)表现出相反的规律,即施肥当年随着施肥量的增加生物量显著增加,而在第二年则显著减小,说明水肥耦合同样有利于荒漠生态系统生物生产力的提高。氮素对植物高生长的影响不明显,各施肥梯度与对照相比均无显著性差异(P>0.05),这可能主要取决于荒漠草本植物本身固有的生物学特性。