Salinity and periodic inundation controls on the soil‐plant‐atmosphere continuum of gray mangroves

Salinity and periodic inundation are both known to have a major role in shaping the ecohydrology of mangroves through their controls on water uptake, photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, gas exchanges, and nutrient availability. Salinity, in particular, can be considered one of the main abiotic regulating factors for halophytes and salt‐tolerant species, due to its influence on water use patterns and growth rate. Ecohydrological literature has rarely focused on the effects of salinity on plant transpiration, based on the fact that the terrestrial plants mostly thrive in low‐saline, unsaturated soils where the role of osmotic potential can be considered negligible. However, the effect of salinity cannot be neglected in the case of tidal species like mangroves, which have to cope with hyperosmotic conditions and waterlogging. We introduce here a first‐order ecohydrological model of the soil/plant‐atmosphere continuum of Avicennia marina—also known as gray mangrove—a highly salt‐tolerant pioneer species able to adapt to hyperarid intertidal zones and characterized by unique morphological and ecophysiological traits. The A. marina's soil‐plant‐atmosphere continuum takes explicitly into account the role of water head, osmotic water potential, and water salinity in governing plant water fluxes. A. marina's transpiration is thus modeled as a function of salinity based on a simple parameterization of salt exclusion mechanisms at the root level and a modified Jarvis' expression accounting for the effects of salinity on stomatal conductance. Consistently with previous studies investigating the physiology of mangroves in response to different environmental drivers, our results highlight the major influence of salinity on mangrove transpiration when contrasted with other potential stressors such as waterlogging and water stress.     

Water uptake of riparian plants in the lower Lhasa River Basin,South Tibetan Plateau using stable water isotopes

Riparian plants can adapt their water uptake strategies based on climatic and hydrological conditions within a river basin. The response of cold-alpine riparian trees to changes in water availability is poorly understood. The Lhasa River is a representative cold-alpine river in South Tibet and an under-studied environment. Therefore, a 96 km section of the lower Lhasa River was selected for a study on the water-use patterns of riparian plants. Plant water, soil water, groundwater and river water were measured at three sites for δ¹⁸O and δ²H values during the warm-wet and cold-dry periods in 2018. Soil profiles differed in isotope values between seasons and with the distance along the river. During the cold-dry period, the upper parts of the soil profiles were significantly affected by evaporation. During the warm-wet period, the soil profile was influenced by precipitation infiltration in the upper reaches of the study area and by various water sources in the lower reaches. Calculations using the IsoSource model indicated that the mature salix and birch trees (Salix cheilophila Schneid. and Betula platyphylla Suk.) accessed water from multiple sources during the cold-dry period, whereas they sourced more than 70% of their requirement from the upper 60–80 cm of the soil profile during the warm-wet period. The model indicated that the immature rose willow tree (Tamarix ramosissima Ledeb) accessed 66% of its water from the surface soil during the cold-dry period, but used the deeper layers during the warm-wet period. The plant type was not the dominant factor driving water uptake patterns in mature plants. Our findings can contribute to strategies for the sustainable development of cold-alpine riparian ecosystems. It is recommended that reducing plantation density and collocating plants with different rooting depths would be conducive to optimal plant growth in this environment.     

Root‐zone moisture replenishment in a native vegetated catchment under Mediterranean climate

The root‐zone moisture replenishment mechanisms are key unknowns required to understand soil hydrological processes and water sources used by plants. Temporal patterns of root‐zone moisture replenishment reflect wetting events that contribute to plant growth and survival and to catchment water yield. In this study, stable oxygen and hydrogen isotopes of twigs and throughfall were continuously monitored to characterize the seasonal variations of the root‐zone moisture replenishment in a native vegetated catchment under Mediterranean climate in South Australia. The two studied hillslopes (the north‐facing slope [NFS] and the south‐facing slope [SFS]) had different environmental conditions with opposite aspects. The twig and throughfall samples were collected every ~20 days over 1 year on both hillslopes. The root‐zone moisture replenishment, defined as percentage of newly replenished root‐zone moisture as a complement to antecedent moisture for plant use, calculated by an isotope balance model, was about zero (±25% for the NFS and ± 15% for the SFS) at the end of the wet season (October), increased to almost 100% (±26% for the NFS and ± 29% for the SFS) after the dry season (April and May), then decreased close to zero (±24% for the NFS and ± 28% for the SFS) in the middle of the following wet season (August). This seasonal pattern of root‐zone moisture replenishment suggests that the very first rainfall events of the wet season were significant for soil moisture replenishment and supported the plants over wet and subsequent dry seasons, and that NFS completed replenishment over a longer time than SFS in the wet season and depleted the root zone moisture quicker in the dry season. The stable oxygen isotope composition of the intraevent samples and twigs further confirms that rain water in the late wet season contributed little to root‐zone moisture. This study highlights the significant role of the very first rain events in the early wet season for ecosystem and provides insights to understanding ecohydrological separation, catchment water yield, and vegetation response to climate changes.     

Ontogenic variation and effect of collection procedure on leaf biomechanical properties of Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile

Leaf mechanical traits are important to understand how aquatic plants fracture and deform when subjected to abiotic (currents or waves) or biotic (herbivory attack) mechanical forces. The likely occurrence of variation during leaf ontogeny in these traits may thus have implications for hydrodynamic performance and vulnerability to herbivory damage, and may be associated with changes in morphologic and chemical traits. Seagrasses, marine flowering plants, consist of shoot bundles holding several leaves with different developmental stages, in which outer older leaves protect inner younger leaves. In this study we examined the long‐lived seagrass Posidonia oceanica to determine ontogenic variation in mechanical traits across leaf position within a shoot, representing different developmental stages. Moreover, we investigated whether or not the collection procedure (classical uprooted shoot versus non‐destructive shoot method: cutting the shoot without a portion of rhizome) and time span after collection influence mechanical measurements. Neither collection procedure nor time elapsed within 48 h of collection affected measurements of leaf biomechanical traits when seagrass shoots were kept moist in dark cool conditions. Ontogenic variation in mechanical traits in P. oceanica leaves over intermediate and adult developmental stages was observed: leaves weakened and lost stiffness with aging, while mid‐aged leaves (the longest and thickest ones) were able to withstand higher breaking forces. In addition, younger leaves had higher nitrogen content and lower fiber content than older leaves. The observed patterns may explain fine‐scale within‐shoot ecological processes of leaves at different developmental stages, such as leaf shedding and herbivory consumption in P. oceanica.     

基于SPOT6遥感影像的滩涂湿地入侵种互花米草植株高度的反演研究

本文以SPOT6 高空间分辨率遥感影像为数据源,通过植被覆盖度和地上生物量两个参数进行滩涂湿地入侵种互花米草植株高度的估算研究。结果表明,三沙湾滩涂湿地互花米草植株高度平均值为2.04 m,以1~2 m和2~3 m植株为主要分布高度,分布面积分别为6.83 km2和10.31 km2,占研究区互花米草总面积的33.83%和51.06%,小于1 m和大于3 m的互花米草仅占9.26%和5.84%。估算值与真实值之间的均方根误差为0.204,绝对误差为0.04~0.37 m。该方法是对高空间分辨率光学影像应用研究的重要尝试,其反演方法具有较好的可行性,可较为准确的获取滩涂湿地植株高度信息。     

台山核电邻近海域春秋季浮游植物群落结构特征

根据2013年4月(春季)和9月(秋季)2个航次调查数据,对台山核电邻近海域浮游植物种类组成、时空分布及多样性指数等群落特征进行了分析。共鉴定浮游植物3门61种,其中硅藻类48种,占78.69%;甲藻类11种,占18.03%;金藻类2种,占3.28%。种类组成以暖水种和广温种为主。浮游植物丰度均值春季(11.78×107个/m3)与秋季(29.37×107个/m3)无明显差异;然而丰度水平变化较大,整体表现为春秋两季核电站温排水口附近站位均低于远离站位。春秋两季浮游植物优势种共出现了7种,春季仅出现了中肋骨条藻Skeletonema costatum1种,优势度高达0.996;秋季出现了7种,包括中肋骨条藻(0.291)、柔弱拟菱形藻Pseudo-nitzschia delicatissima(0.222)、拟弯角毛藻Chaetoceros pseudocurvisetus(0.214)和并基角毛藻Chaetoceros decipiens(0.056)等。海域春季Shannon-Wiener多样性指数H′、Pielou均匀度指数J′和Margalef物种丰富度指数D均值分别为0.55、0.18和0.50;秋季分别为2.80、0.62和0.80。多样性指数显示台山核电附近海域水质状态受到了一定程度的污染。     

Effect of the Dry Ashing Method on Cadmium Isotope Measurements in Soil and Plant Samples

A dry ashing method is commonly used to remove organic material from samples prior to geochemical analysis. In the course of this study, the Cd isotope ratios of a series of soil and plant reference materials and samples were studied to evaluate the effect of the dry ashing method on measurement results of Cd isotope ratios. The samples were pre‐treated using the dry ashing method and high‐pressure bomb for comparison. The results show that the digestion using high‐pressure bombs did not lead to Cd loss, but using the dry ashing method would cause different proportions of Cd loss. The whole range of Cd isotope difference between two methods was from ?0.07‰ to 3.01‰. There was also an obvious difference in measured Cd isotope ratios from the same leaf sample pre‐treated independently by the dry ashing method, indicating that the amount of Cd loss and the effect on Cd isotope measurement during dry ashing is related to the properties of the samples. Therefore, dry ashing may not be appropriate for the removal of organic material in Cd isotope ratio measurement, especially for samples with high organic contents. The δ^114/110Cd values of reference materials NIST SRM 1573a and GSD‐30 are reported for the first time in this study.     

地下RC结构物地震响应特征土工离心试验的模拟

地下结构物抗震稳定性的研究具有重要实际意义。基于动态土工离心试验,应用有效应力法分析了不同水平地震作用下土层和地下RC结构物的最大水平位移、不同埋深的土层加速度和超孔隙水压力变化规律,以及结构物的破坏发展特征,并进一步与试验结果进行了相互验证和对比,取得了较好效果,为重要地下结构物的抗震设计提供了依据和参考。     

天山南麓山前平原土壤盐分空间异质性对植物群落组成及结构的影响

将轮台天山南麓山前平原中下部自北至南分为4个地貌带:洪水剥蚀带、溢出带、三角洲带及两河交汇区带。并以土壤电导作为积盐程度的指标,分析了天山南麓山前平原4个地貌带土壤盐的分布特征:溢出带和三角洲带土壤盐分含量高,两端洪水剥蚀带和两河交汇区带盐分含量低。物种多样性及物种组成分析结果表明,自北至南物种多样性及物种数量都在下降,洪水剥蚀带主要为柽柳群落、琵琶柴群落,溢出带主要为柽柳群落、盐节木群落、盐角草群落,三角洲带及两河交汇区均为柽柳群落。通过相关性分析,土壤盐分与群落物种多样性相关性不显著。但是,土壤盐渍化的变化明显影响到植物群落物种组成的变化、群落类型的空间分布和演替。     

Approach to modeling and virtual-reality-based simulation for plant canopy lighting

Over the past 20 years, significant progress has been made in virtual plant modeling corresponding to the rapid advances in information technology. Virtual plant research has broad applications in agronomy, forestry, ecology and remote sensing. As many biological processes are driven by light, it is the key for virtual plant to estimate the light absorbed by each organ. This paper presents the radiance equation suitable for calculating sun and sky light intercepted by plant organs based on the principles of the interaction between light and plant canopy firstly; analyzes the process principles of plant canopy primary lighting based on ray casting and projection secondly; describes the multiple scattering of plant lighting based on Monte Carlo ray tracing method and on the radiosity method thirdly; and confirms the research with 3D visualization based on Virtual Reality Modeling Language （VRML） finally. The research is the primary work of digital agriculture, and important for monitoring and estimating corn growth in Northeast China.