A Case Study on Microbial Diversity Impacts of a Wastewater Treatment Plant to the Receiving River

The discharge from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) into the receiving river is of concern for the health of the ecosystem. In this study, the microbial diversity impact of Fuxin Meng (FM) WWTP was completed with three pairs of primers. At the time of impact assessment, biochemical tests were carried out as well to investigate the water quality downstream and upstream FMWWTP. The general results showed this plant increased downstream biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) by 4.3- and 8.1-fold respectively, in comparison with the upstream. The microbial diversity impact from the plant was also investigated with three pairs of universal primers targeting rRNA genes and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) by high-throughput sequencing. The downstream diversity of the bacterial and fungal communities was generally higher than upstream, with the exception of the eukaryotic community. Both biochemical and microbial assessments suggested that FMWWTP deteriorate Xi River water quality, potentially acting as a pollutive source. Of the receiving water. Accordingly, it was necessary to improve the operation of WWTP to live up to the environmental quality standards.

Spatio-temporal pattern and changes of evapotranspiration in arid Central Asia and Xinjiang of China

Accurate inversion of land surface evapotranspiration （ET） in arid areas is of great significance for understanding global eco-hydrological process and exploring the spatio-temporal variation and ecological response of water resources. It is also important in the functional evaluation of regional water cycle and water balance, as well as the rational allocation and management of water resources. This study, based on model validation analysis at varied scales in fiwe Central Asian countries and China＇s Xinjiang, developed an appropriate approach for ET inversion in arid lands. The actual ET during growing seasons of the study area was defined, and the changes in water participating in evaporation in regional water cycle were then educed. The results show the simulation error of SEBS （Surface Energy Balance System） model under cloud amount consideration was 1.34% at 30-m spatial scale, 2.75% at 1-km spatial scale and 6,37% at 4-kin spatial scale. ET inversion for 1980-2007 applying SEBS model in the study area indicates： （1） the evaporation depth （May-September） by land types descends in the order of waters （660.24 ram） 〉 cultivated land （464.66 mm） 〉 woodland （388.44 mm） 〉 urbanized land （168.16 mm） 〉 grassland （160.48 mm） 〉 unused land （83.08 mm）; and （2） ET during the 2005 growing season in Xinjiang and Central Asia was 2,168.68x108 m3 （with an evaporation/precipitation ratio of 1.05） and 9,741.03x108 m3 （with an evaporation/precipitation ratio of 1.4）, respectively. The results unveiled the spatio-temporal variation rules of ET process in arid areas, providing a reference for further research on the water cycle and water balance in similar arid regions.

Factors influencing direct shoot regeneration from leaves,petioles,and plantlet roots of triploid hybrid Populus sect.Tacamahaca

Since the generation of full-sib artificial triploid families, rapid clone establishment and genetic improvements have been needed. Here, we report an in vitro method of direct shoot regeneration of a triploid hybrid poplar[(Populus simonii × P. nigra ’Italica’)×(P. × ’popularis’)]. Using different randomized block designs, we selected one triploid to evaluate the explant type, optimal concentrations of plant growth regulators and agar, and culture time under light or dark conditions over 60 days. The highest rate of shoot induction, 80.0%, was obtained using Murashige and Skoog(MS) medium supplemented with 0.2 mg/L benzyladenine, 0.04 mg/L naphthaleneacetic acid(NAA), and 5.5 g/L agar for the first 30 days in the dark,then 3 g/L agar for the next 30 days in light. This last medium yielded the best rate of shoot induction(6.32 shoots/explant). These three media were also used to evaluate the influence of the genotypes of the parents and hybrid triploids on regeneration. Two parents and three of the four full-sib triploids were regenerated successfully;different genotypes and explant types significantly affected the rate of shoot induction and average number of shoots.Leaves but not petioles were a suitable explant. One genotype produced the highest rate of shoot induction of 96.67%.Half-strength MS medium supplemented with 0.2 mg/L indole butyric acid and 0.04 mg/L NAA was the most effective for rooting; rooting rate was 96.67%, survival rate of transplants was 73.33%, and rooting frequency surpassed 85% for each genotype. Overall, this in vitro regeneration system will be useful for the propagation and genetic modification of triploid poplars.