The influence of N2-fixation on the carbon balance of leguminous plants

Biological dinitrogen fixation by legume-rhizobia symbiosis is very important both from the economic and from the ecological point of view. Theoretically, the reduction of the N₂-molecule to ammonia requires at least 16 ATP and 1.5 mg C per mg N fixed (N_fix). These values are difficult to determine in situ as this necessitates the determination of that part of root respiration which drives N₂-fixation. New approaches to such determinations and the results obtained are described. The values vary, depending on the plant species studied, the developmental stage of the plants and the genetic variability of macro- (and micro-?) symbionts. The values range between 1.5 and 4 mg C/mg N_fix. In some species (e.g.Vicia faba L. cv. Fribo), the apparent CO₂ assimilation is enhanced in order to meet this high energy need. In others (e.g.Pisum sativum L. cv. Grapis), root growth is restricted. Physiological criteria are discussed which allow an early diagnosis of the energetic efficiency of various combinations of macro-and microsymbionts as a basis for a selection in plant breeding.     

土壤圆锥指数、水分与容重耦合模型的试验比较——Ⅰ.模型性能的统计检验与容重预测

应用一种先进的双变量（土壤圆锥指数与水分）传感器复合测量系统,基于前人提出的土壤圆锥指数、水分与容重的4种半经验模型（Ayers,Upadhyaya,Busscher与Hernanz模型）,以相关系数R^2与统计残差作为检验指标,根据各模型的结构特点,结合两种质地土壤（粘土与粉质壤土）,针对容重预测精度与可应用性进行了深入试验研究．结果表明,Ayers和Upadhyaya模型虽然预测精度较高,但与土壤容重的解析关系为隐函数,在线辨识计算工作量只能取决迭代过程的收敛性,因而在实际应用上受到一定程度的限制．相比之下Busscher与Hernanz模型计算土壤容重方便快捷,但预测精度较低．     

Bottom-up effects of plant diversity on multitrophic interactions in a biodiversity experiment

Biodiversity is rapidly declining, and this may negatively affect ecosystem processes, including economically important ecosystem services. Previous studies have shown that biodiversity has positive effects on organisms and processes across trophic levels. However, only a few studies have so far incorporated an explicit food-web perspective. In an eight-year biodiversity experiment, we studied an unprecedented range of above- and below-ground organisms and multitrophic interactions. A multitrophic data set originating from a single long-term experiment allows mechanistic insights that would not be gained from meta-analysis of different experiments. Here we show that plant diversity effects dampen with increasing trophic level and degree of omnivory. This was true both for abundance and species richness of organisms. Furthermore, we present comprehensive above-ground/below-ground biodiversity food webs. Both above ground and below ground, herbivores responded more strongly to changes in plant diversity than did carnivores or omnivores. Density and richness of carnivorous taxa was independent of vegetation structure. Below-ground responses to plant diversity were consistently weaker than above-ground responses. Responses to increasing plant diversity were generally positive, but were negative for biological invasion, pathogen infestation and hyperparasitism. Our results suggest that plant diversity has strong bottom-up effects on multitrophic interaction networks, with particularly strong effects on lower trophic levels. Effects on higher trophic levels are indirectly mediated through bottom-up trophic cascades.     

不同粗糙度尺度下预测表层土壤孔隙率量化指数比较研究

针对当前精细农业对农田信息快速采集的需求,本研究提出了基于土壤粗糙度预测表层土壤孔隙率的方法,而采用何种量化指数表征土壤粗糙度是深化研究的关键.本文首先系统总结了几种已有的衡量土壤粗糙度的量化指数,进而提出一种新的基于小尺度的土壤粗糙度指数Rd.根据对4种不同耕作方式下应用地面激光扫描仪获取的原始试验数据进行初步处理,并将4种粗糙度量化指数与表层土壤孔隙率的相关性做了比较研究,得出了两个重要结论:(1)与其它粗糙度量化指数相比,Rd与表层土壤孔隙率的相关性最高(R2=0.752);(2)基于激光扫描方法快速分析表层土壤孔隙率具有潜在的应用价值.     

New features of microtubule behaviour observed in vivo

The microtubule cytoskeleton is thought to be intimately involved in generating and maintaining cell polarity and can generate many different morphological structures from a few structural elements. The mechanism by which these structures are generated has been partially elucidated from studies of microtubule polymerization both in vitro and in vivo. Microtubules in vitro exist in growing (polymerizing) and shrinking (depolymerizing) populations that interconvert infrequently. This behaviour, termed dynamic instability, permits microtubules in the cell rapidly to explore different arrangements and allows selective stabilization of specific morphologies. To investigate the regulation of these processes, we have implemented techniques for direct observation of fluorescently labelled microtubules and developed them to observe the dynamic behaviour of individual microtubules in single living cells. Sammak and Borisy recently used this technique to show that the dynamics of microtubules in fibroblasts is explained by dynamic instability. Although we also conclude here that dynamic instability explains much of microtubule behaviour in vivo, we find significant deviations from the properties of tubulin in vitro. These results suggest that local cytoplasmic factors strongly influence microtubule dynamics; such control has important implications for cellular morphogenesis.     

Old-growth forests as global carbon sinks

Old-growth forests remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere at rates that vary with climate and nitrogen deposition. The sequestered carbon dioxide is stored in live woody tissues and slowly decomposing organic matter in litter and soil. Old-growth forests therefore serve as a global carbon dioxide sink, but they are not protected by international treaties, because it is generally thought that ageing forests cease to accumulate carbon. Here we report a search of literature and databases for forest carbon-flux estimates. We find that in forests between 15 and 800 years of age, net ecosystem productivity (the net carbon balance of the forest including soils) is usually positive. Our results demonstrate that old-growth forests can continue to accumulate carbon, contrary to the long-standing view that they are carbon neutral. Over 30 per cent of the global forest area is unmanaged primary forest, and this area contains the remaining old-growth forests. Half of the primary forests (6 x 10(8) hectares) are located in the boreal and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. On the basis of our analysis, these forests alone sequester about 1.3 +/- 0.5 gigatonnes of carbon per year. Thus, our findings suggest that 15 per cent of the global forest area, which is currently not considered when offsetting increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations, provides at least 10 per cent of the global net ecosystem productivity. Old-growth forests accumulate carbon for centuries and contain large quantities of it. We expect, however, that much of this carbon, even soil carbon, will move back to the atmosphere if these forests are disturbed.