Effects of drought on non-structural carbohydrates and C,N,and P stoichiometric characteristics of Pinus yunnanensis seedlings

To study non-structural carbohydrate character-istics and nutrient utilization strategies of Pinus yunnanen-sis under continuous drought conditions,2-year-old seed-lings were planted in pots with appropriate water,light and moderate and severe drought treatments[(80±5),(65±5),(50±5),and(35±5)%of field water-holding capacity].Non-structural carbohydrates,carbon(C),nitrogen(N),and phosphorus(P)concentrations were measured in each plant component.The results show that:(1)With increasing drought,non-structural carbohydrates gradually increased in leaves,stems,and coarse roots,while gradually decreased in fine roots;(2)C concentrations of all were relatively stable under different stress levels.Phosphorous utilization of each component increased under light and moderate drought conditions,while N and P utilization efficiency of each plant component decreased under severe drought.Growth was mainly restricted by N,first decreasing and then increasing with increased drought;(3)There was a correlation between the levels of non-structural carbohydrates and C,N,and P in each component.Changes in N concentration affected the interconversion between soluble sugar and starch,which play a regulatory role in the fluctuation of the concentration of non-structural carbohydrates;and,(4)Plasticity analysis showed that P.yunnanensis seedlings responded to drought mainly by altering starch concentration,the ratio of soluble sugar to starch in leaves and stems,and further by alter-ing N and P utilization efficiencies.Overall,these results suggest that the physiological activities of all organs of P.yunnanensis seedlings are restricted under drought and that trade-offs exist between different physiological indicators and organs.Our findings are helpful in understanding non-structural carbohydrate and nutrient adaptation mechanisms under drought in P.yunnanensis seedlings.

Impacts of Defoliation on Morphological Characteristics and Non-Structural Carbohydrates of Populus talassica × Populus euphratica Seedlings

Leaves are important‘source’organs that synthesize organic matter,providing carbon sources for plant growth.Here,we used Populus talassica×Populus euphratica,the dominant species in ecological and timber forests,to simulate carbon limitation through artificial 25%,50%,and 75%defoliation treatments and explore the effects on root,stem,and leaf morphology,biomass accumulation,and carbon allocation strategies.At the 60th d after treat-ment,under 25%defoliation treatment,the plant height,specific leaf weight,root surface area and volume,and concentrations of non-structural carbohydrates in stem and root were significantly increased by 9.13%,20.00%,16.60%,31.95%,5.12%,and 9.34%,respectively,relative to the control.There was no significant change in the growth indicators under 50%defoliation treatment,but the concentrations of non-structural carbohydrates in the leaf and stem significantly decreased,showing mostly a negative correlation between them.The opposite was observed in the root.Under 75%defoliation treatment,the plant height,ground diameter,leaf number,single leaf area,root,stem,and total biomass were significantly reduced by 14.15%,10.24%,14.86%,11.31%,11.56%,21.87%,and 16.82%,respectively,relative to the control.The concentrations of non-structural carbohydrates in various organs were significantly reduced,particularly in the consumption of the starch concentrations in the stem and root.These results indicated that carbon allocation strategies can be adjusted to increase the con-centration of non-structural carbohydrates in root and meet plant growth needs under 25%and 50%defoliation.However,75%defoliation significantly limited the distribution of non-structural carbohydrates to roots and stems,reduced carbon storage,and thus inhibited plant growth.Defoliation-induced carbon limitation altered the carbon allocation pattern of P.talassica×P.euphratica,and the relationship between carbon reserves in roots and tree growth recovery after defoliation was greater.This study provides a theoretical basis for the comprehen-sive management of P.talassica×P.euphratica plantations,as well as a reference for the study of plantation car-bon allocation strategies in the desert and semi-desert regions of Xinjiang under carbon-limitation conditions.

Study on the Changes of Non-structural Carbohydrates and Nitrogen Contents of Quercus aquifolioides Scrub along Different Elevation Gradient

[Objective] The aim was to compare the content changes between the non-structural carbohydrates（NSC）and the total nitrogen in various growing seasons,and to explore the response relationship between altitude and the contents.[Method] Taking Quercus aquifolioides scrub which widely distributed in Zheduoshan in the west of Sichuan as the experimental objects,the changes between NSC and the toal nitrogen in various growing seasons at different altitude were studied.[Result] The results showed that the content of NSC in Quercus aquifolioides underground increased with the lift of elevation in the dormancy,but decreased in the early germination,growing period and growth stage.The content of NSC in the ground tissue changed non-linearly with increasing elevation.In addition,the total nitrogen of Quercus aquifolioides organizations was decreasing with increasing elevation in the dormant period,which did not change significantly in the other periods.This result implied that the content of NSC in Quercus aquifolioides underground was more sensitive to temperature.[Conclusion] The experiment laid basis for the exploration of the physical and ecological mechanism of underground plants adaptability to highland environment,their response to global climate changes and adjustment to high altitude ecological system.

Irrigation regimes modulate non-structural carbohydrate remobilization and improve grain filling in rice(Oryza sativa L.)by regulating starch metabolism

Recently developed ‘super’ rice cultivars with greater yield potentials often suffer from the problem of poor grain filling, especially in inferior spikelets. Here, we studied the activities of enzymes related to starch metabolism in rice stems and grains, and the microstructures related to carbohydrate accumulation and transportation to investigate the effects of different water regimes on grain filling. Two ‘super’ rice cultivars were grown under two irrigation regimes of well-watered(WW) and alternate wetting and moderate soil drying(AWMD). Compared with the WW treatment,the activities of ADP glucose pyrophosphorylase(AGPase), starch synthase(StSase) and starch branching enzyme(SBE), and the accumulation of non-structural carbohydrates(NSCs) in the stems before heading were significantly improved, and more starch granules were stored in the stems in the AWMD treatment. After heading, the activities of α-amylase, β-amylase, sucrose phosphate synthase(SPS) and sucrose synthase in the synthetic direction(SSs)were increased in the stems to promote the remobilization of NSCs for grain filling under AWMD. During grain filling, the enzymatic activities of sucrose synthase in the cleavage direction(SSc), AGPase, StSase and SBE in the inferior spikelets were increased, which promoted grain filling, especially for the inferior spikelets under AWMD.However, there were no significant differences in vascular microstructures. The grain yield and grain weight could be improved by 13.1 and 7.5%, respectively, by optimizing of the irrigation regime. We concluded that the low activities of key enzymes in carbon metabolism is the key limitation for the poor grain filling, as opposed to the vascular microstructures, and AWMD can increase the amount of NSC accumulation in the stems before heading, improve the utilization rate of NSCs after heading, and increase the grain filling, especially in the inferior spikelets, by altering the activities of key enzymes in carbon metabolism.

The effects of stump size and within-gap position on sprout non-structural carbohydrates concentrations and regeneration in forest gaps vary among species with different shade tolerances

Background:To restore secondary forests(major forest resources worldwide),it is essential to accelerate the natural regeneration of dominant trees by altering micro-environments.Forest gaps are products of various disturbances,ranging from natural storms or wildfires to anthropogenic events like logging and slashing-andburning,and sprouts of most tree species with non-structural carbohydrates(NSCs)storage can regenerate from stumps after gap formation.However,how the stump sprouts with diverse NSCs storages and stump sizes(i.e.,diameters)adapt to various micro-environments of within-gap positions remains unclear.Therefore in this study,we monitored the stump sprout regeneration(density,survival,and growth)and NSCs concentrations of three dominant tree species with different shade tolerances and varying stump diameters at five within-gap positions for the first two consecutive years after gap formation.Results:Stump diameter was positively correlated with sprout density,growth,and survival of all three tree species,but insignificantly related with sprout NSCs concentrations at the early stage after gap formation.The effect of within-gap position on sprout NSCs concentrations was different among species.After an environmental adaptation of two growing seasons,the north of gap(higher light availability and lower soil moisture habitat)was the least conducive for shade-intolerant Quercus mongolica to accumulate leaf NSCs,and the east of gap(shadier and drier habitat)was conducive to increasing the leaf NSCs concentrations of shade-tolerant Tilia mandshurica.Conclusions:Within-gap position significantly affected leaf NSCs concentrations of all three tree species,but most of the sprout growth,survival,and stem NSCs concentrations were independent of the various within-gap positions.Besides stump diameter,the NSCs stored in stump and root systems and the interspecific differences in shade tolerance also contributed more in sprout regeneration at the early stage(2 years)of gap formation.A prolonged monitoring(>10 years)is needed to further examine the long-term effects of stump diameter and within-gap position on sprout regeneration.All of these findings could be applied to gap-based silviculture by promoting sprout regeneration of dominant tree species with different shade tolerances,which would help accelerate the restoration of temperate secondary forests.

Non-structural carbohydrate levels of three co-occurring understory plants and their responses to forest thinning by gap creation in a dense pine plantation

We investigated non-structural carbohydrates（NSC） levels and components（starch,glucose,fructose and sucrose） in the leaves of three typical co-occurring forestfloor plants,moss Eurhynchium savatieri（ES）,fern Parathelypteris nipponica（PN） and forb Aruncus sylvester（AS） in a 30-year-old Chinese pine（Pinus tabulaeformis）plantation forest on the eastern Tibetan Plateau.We also explored their responses to three gap creation treatments（control and two gap creations of 80 and 110 m2） based on NSC levels.PN had the highest leaf NSC level of the three plants,with AS second and ES lowest.Starch was the predominant component of NSC and the contents of glucose were higher than those of fructose or sucrose for all three species.The NSC level of ES in intermediate gaps was significantly higher than at control sites.PN also had higher NSC levels in both small and intermediate gaps than in control sites.But the differences between treatments were not obvious for AS.Our results suggest that ES and PN benefit from gap formation while the two species have different NSC response sensitivities to gap size,but the leaf NSC level of AS is less sensitive to the disturbance.

Effects of Panicle Nitrogen Fertilization on Non-Structural Carbohydrate and Grain Filling in Indica Rice

Grain filling, a crucial stage of grain yield formation in rice, is usually affected by the panicle nitrogen （N） fertilization. Field and pot culture experiments were conducted to explore the underlying mechanisms of N effect. Two rice cultivars with high lodging resistance were grown in the field and pot. Four panicle N fertilization treatments were conducted in 2006 and repeated in 2007. The result showed that medium level of panicle N fertilization treatment （NM） enhanced the accumulation and translocation of non-structural carbohydrate （NSC） in the stem and sheath. Compared with non-nitrogen treatment （NO）, NM promoted the translocation of labeled ^13C from stem and sheath to grain. But, low level of panicle N fertilization treatment （NL） and high level of panicle N fertilization treatment （NH） showed the negative effect. The endosperm cell, grain length, and grain width of NM increased more quickly than that of NO from 4 to 10 d after anthesis. During the early period of grain filling, sucrose-phosphate synthase （EC 2.4.1.14, SPS） activity were significantly higher for the NM treatment than those of the NL and NH treatments. Sucrose synthase （EC 2.4.1.13, SuSase） activity in the grains was substantially enhanced by NM, with the duration of higher activity being longer than those of the other treatments. At maturing stage, NM significantly increased the filled grain number, the seed-setting rate, and the grain weight compared with NL and NH. The results suggest that NM have a positive effect on the activities of enzymes of physiological importance, thereby increasing the grain size and promoting grain filling.

Advances in selective conversion of carbohydrates into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural

Converting carbohydrates into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural(5-HMF) is an attractive and promising route for value-added utilization of agricultural and forestry biomass resource. As an important platform compound, 5-HMF possesses high active furan structure with hydroxymethyl and aldehyde group for production of various bio-chemicals and materials, meanwhile, which suffer from low stability and poor yield during the industrial biorefinery process. Hence, selective production of 5-HMF with high-yield and low-cost has attracted extensive attention from scientific and industrial researchers. This review sorted and described the latest advanced research on solvent and catalyst system, as well as energy field effect for production of 5-HMF with different feedstock in detail, emphatically discussing the solvent effect and its synergistic effect with other aspects. Besides, the future prospects and challenges for production of 5-HMF from carbohydrates were also presented, which provide a profound insight into industrial 5-HMF process with economic and environmental feature.

Increasing grain weight and yield stability by increasing pre-heading non-structural carbohydrate reserves per spikelet in short-growth duration rice

Rice yield stability is a breeding goal,particularly for short-growth duration rice,but its underlying mechanisms remain unclear.In an attempt to identify the relationship between yield stability and source–sink characteristics in short-growth duration rice,a field experiment was conducted at three sites(Yueyang,Liuyang,and Hengyang)in 2021 and 2022.This study compared yield,yield components,source–sink characteristics,and their stability between two stable-yielding short-growth duration rice cultivars,Zhongzao 39(Z-39)and Lingliangyou 268(L-268),and two unstable-yielding short-growth duration rice cultivars,Zhongjiazao 17(Z-17)and Zhuliangyou 819(Z-819).The stability of agronomic parameters was represented by the coefficient of variation(CV).The respective CVs of yield in Z-17,Z-819,Z-39,and L-268 were 10.2%,10.1%,4.5%,and 5.7%in 2021 and 19.7%,15.0%,5.4%,and 6.5%in 2022.The respective CVs of grain weight were 6.3%,5.7%,3.4%,and 4.5%in Z-17,Z-819,Z-39,and L-268 in 2021,and 8.1%,6.3%,1.5%,and 0.8%in 2022.The mean source capacity per spikelet and pre-heading non-structural carbohydrate reserves per spikelet(NSC_(pre))were 7%–43%and7%–72%lower in Z-819 and Z-17than in L-268 and Z-39 in 2021 and 2022.The mean quantum yield of photosystem II photochemistry of leaf,leaf area index,and specific leaf weight of L-268 and Z-39 were higher than those of Z-819 and Z-17 at the heading stage.This study suggests that high NSC_(pre),caused by great leaf traits before heading,increases source capacity per spikelet and its stability,thereby increasing the stability of grain weight and yield.Increasing NSC_(pre)is critical for achieving grain weight and yield stability in short-growth duration rice.

The storage and utilization of carbohydrates in response to elevation mediated by tree organs in subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests

Global climate change can affect tree growth and carbon sink function by influencing plant carbohydrate synthesis and utilization,while elevation can be used as an ideal setting under natural conditions to simulate climate change effects.The effect of elevation on tree growth may depend on organ type.However,the allocation patterns of nonstructural and structural carbohydrates(NSCs and SCs,respectively)in different tree organs and their response to elevation remain unclear.We selected four dominant tree species,Schima superba,Castanopsis eyrei,Castanopsis fargesii and Michelia maudiae,along an elevation gradient from 609 to 1,207 m in subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests and analyzed leaf,trunk,and fine root NSCs,carbon(C),nitrogen(N)and phosphorus(P)concentrations and the relative abundance of SCs.Leaf NSCs increased initially and then decreased,and trunk NSCs increased with increasing elevation.However,root NSCs decreased with increasing elevation.The relative abundance of SCs in leaves and trunks decreased,while the relative abundance of root SCs increased with increasing elevation.No significant correlations between SCs and NSCs in leaves were detected,while there were negative correlations between SCs and NSCs in trunks,roots,and all organs.Hierarchical partitioning analysis indicated that plant C/N and C/P were the main predictors of changes in SCs and NSCs.Our results suggest that tree organs have divergent responses to elevation and that increasing elevation will inhibit the aboveground part growth and enhance the root growth of trees.A tradeoff between the C distribution used for growth and storage was confirmed along the elevation gradient,which is mainly manifested in the"sink"organs of NSCs.Our results provide insight into tree growth in the context of global climate change scenarios in subtropical forest ecosystems.

Multi-year throughfall reduction enhanced the growth and non-structural carbohydrate storage of roots at the expenses of above-ground growth in a warm-temperate natural oak forest

The more frequent occurrence and severer drought events resulting from climate change are increasingly affecting the physiological performance of trees and ecosystem carbon sequestration in many regions of the world.However,our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the responses and adaption of forest trees to prolonged and multi-year drought is still limited.To address this problem,we conducted a long-term manipulative throughfall reduction(TFR,reduction of natural throughfall by 50%–70%during growing seasons)experiment in a natural oriental white oak(Quercus aliena var.acuteserrata Maxim.)forest under warm-temperate climate.After seven years of continuous TFR treatment,the aboveground growth in Q.aliena var.acuteserrata started to decline.Compared with the control plots,trees in the TFR treatment significantly reduced growth increments of stems(14.2%)and leaf area index(6.8%).The rate of net photosynthesis appeared to be more susceptible to changes in soil water in trees subjected to the TFR than in the control.The TFR-treated trees allocated significantly more photosynthates to belowground,leading to enhanced growth and nonstructural carbohydrates(NSC)storage in roots.The 7-year continuous TFR treatment increased the biomass,the production and the NSC concentration in the fine roots by 53.6%,153.6%and 9.6%,respectively.There were clear trade-offs between the aboveground growth and the fine root biomass and NSC storage in Q.aliena var.acuteserrata trees in response to the multi-year TFR treatment.A negative correlation between the fine root NSC concentration and soil water suggested a strategy of preferential C storage over growth when soil water became deficient;the stored NSC during water limitation would then help promote root growth when drought stress is released.Our findings demonstrate the warm-temperate oak forest adopted a more conservative NSC use strategy in response to long-term drought stress,with enhanced root growth and NSC storage at the expenses of above-ground growth to mitigate climate changeinduced drought.

Radial growth and non-structural carbohydrate partitioning response to resin tapping of slash pine(Pinus elliottii Engelm.var.elliottii)

Slash pine(Pinus elliottii Engelm.var.elliottii)is a resin-producing species grown worldwide for significant economic benefits for wood production.Resin tapping cre-ates a carbon sink at the expense of carbon allocation for growth and consequently,wood production may be reduced.Non-structural carbohydrates comprising starch and sugars stored in plant organs,may serve as intermediate pools between assimilation and utilisation.However,the effect of resin tapping between tree growth and non-structural carbo-hydrates is not well understood.This study investigated(1)the effects of resin tapping on radial growth,(2)the effects of resin tapping on non-structural carbohydrate pools in different compartments,and(3)the feasibility of resin pro-duction without disruption of tree growth.Twenty one-year-old slash pines were subjected to resin tapping over two suc-cessive years.Non-structural carbohydrate concentrations in needles,branches,stem phloem,and roots of tapped and untapped trees in summer and winter were determined after the second year of resin harvest.The results showed that tapping had no significant effects on annual increments.Starch was the dominant non-structural carbohydrate frac-tion,regardless of tissues and season,and constituted up to 99%of the total non-structural carbohydrates in the phloem and roots.Glucose and fructose were the dominant sugars;sucrose was negligible.Compared with the controls,tapped trees showed 26%lower non-structural carbohydrate concen-tration in the phloem above the tapping wound in summer,which was attributable to the decreased abundance of starch,glucose,fructose,and sucrose.In winter,the altered non-structural carbohydrate profiles in the phloem above the tap-ping wounding were minimised as a result of recovery of the sugar concentrations.In contrast to free sugars,which accu-mulated substantially in needles and branches during winter,starch was enriched in the phloem,roots,and current-year needles.The results provide evidence for a localised effect of resin tapping,and highlight the observation that resin extrac-tion does not always cause a sacrifice in wood growth under a moderate resin-tapping intensity in slash pine plantations.

Structures and characteristics of carbohydrates in diets fed to pigs: a review

The current paper reviews the content and variation of fiber fractions in feed ingredients commonly used in swine diets.Carbohydrates serve as the main source of energy in diets fed to pigs.Carbohydrates may be classified according to their degree of polymerization: monosaccharides,disaccharides,oligosaccharides,and polysaccharides.Digestible carbohydrates include sugars,digestible starch,and glycogen that may be digested by enzymes secreted in the gastrointestinal tract of the pig.Non-digestible carbohydrates,also known as fiber,may be fermented by microbial populations along the gastrointestinal tract to synthesize short-chain fatty acids that may be absorbed and metabolized by the pig.These non-digestible carbohydrates include two disaccharides,oligosaccharides,resistant starch,and non-starch polysaccharides.The concentration and structure of non-digestible carbohydrates in diets fed to pigs depend on the type of feed ingredients that are included in the mixed diet.Cellulose,arabinoxylans,and mixed linked β-(1,3)(1,4)-D-glucans are the main cell wall polysaccharides in cereal grains,but vary in proportion and structure depending on the grain and tissue within the grain.Cell walls of oilseeds,oilseed meals,and pulse crops contain cellulose,pectic polysaccharides,lignin,and xyloglucans.Pulse crops and legumes also contain significant quantities of galacto-oligosaccharides including raffinose,stachyose,and verbascose.Overall,understanding the structure,characteristics and measurable chemical properties of fiber in feed ingredients may result in more accurate diet formulations,resulting in an improvement in the utilization of energy from less expensive high-fiber ingredients and a reduction in reliance on energy from more costly cereal grains.

Effect of Different Rice-Crab Coculture Modes on Soil Carbohydrates

Traditional agricultural systems have contributed to food and livelihood security. Rice-crab coculture （RC） is an important eco-agricultural process in rice production in northern China. Recognizing the soil fertility in RC may help develop novel sustainable agriculture. Soil carbohydrates are important factors in determining soil fertility in different culture modes. In this study, soil carbohydrates were analyzed under three different culture modes including rice monoculture （RM）, conventional rice-crab coculture （CRC） and organic rice-crab coculture （ORC）. Results showed that the contents of soil organic carbon and carbohydrates were significantly higher in the ORC than those in RM. The increasing effect was greater with increased organic manure. Similar tendency was found in CRC, but the overall effect was less pronounced compared with ORC. Carbohydrates were more Sensitive to RC mode and manure amendment than soil organic carbon. Compare to RM, the （Gal＋Man）/（Ara＋Xyl） ratio decreased in all the RC modes, indicating a relative enrichment in plant-derived carbohydrates due to the input of crab feed and manure. While the increasing （Gal＋Man）/（Ara＋Xyl） ratio in ORC modes with increased organic manure suggested that crab activity and metabolism induced microbially derived carbohydrates accumulation. The lower GluN/MurA ratio in ORC indicated an enhancement of bacteria contribution to SOM turnover in a short term. The findings reveal that the ORC mode could improve the quantity and composition of soil carbohydrates, effectively, to ensure a sustainable use of paddy soil.

Efficient one-pot synthesis of n-butyl levulinate from carbohydrates catalyzed by Fe_2(SO_4)_3

Butyl levulinate（BL） is a promising new candidate as diesel fuel and fuel additive. In this study, an efficient process for a one-pot synthesis of BL from biomass-derived carbohydrates in butanol medium with the catalysis of metal sulfates was developed. The catalytic activity of a series of metal sulfates for the synthesis of BL from fructose was investigated. Among various metal sulfates, ferric sulfate Fe（SO）was found to be the most efficient catalyst, which gave a remarkably high BL yield of 62.8 mol% under the conditions of 463 K, 3 h, a catalyst dosage of 5.0 g/L, and fructose concentration of 25 g/L. Different carbohydrates including glucose, cellulose, inulin and sucrose were also used for one-pot synthesis of BL with the catalysis of Fe（SO）, showing the yields of 39.6, 30.5, 56.6 and 50.1 mol%, respectively. In addition,the recycling and reuse of Fe（SO）was studied by characterizing them using powder X-ray diffraction（XRD）, scanning electron microscope（SEM）, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy（XPS）. A plausible reaction pathway for the one-pot synthesis of BL from fructose was proposed. This study provides a facile and feasible way for the synthesis of BL from biomass.

p-Hydrazinobenzenesulfonic Acid Derivatives of Carbohydrates andTheir Capillary Zone Electrophoresis

p-Hydrazinobenzenesulfonic acid is explored as a novel ultraviolet labeling reagent for capillary electrophoresis (CE) of mono- and disaccharides. The labeling reaction takes less than 10 minutes and introduces both of absorption and charge groups into the sugars.

Dynamics of nonstructural carbohydrates in seagrass Thalassia hemprichii and its response to shading

A field survey was performed to examine nonstructural carbohydrate （NSC） dynamics in seagrass Thalassia hemprichii at the Xincun Bay in southern China. An indoor experiment to investigate the response of NSC in T. hemprichiito shade was conducted. Belowground tissue of T. hemprichiiwas the dominant site of NSC reserves, and soluble sugar was the primary storage compound. The starch content of belowground tissue was lower in high intertidal areas than in low intertidal areas, indicating that the longer air exposure in high intertidal areas resulted in less NSC synthesis and less accumulation of NSC in T. hemprichii. The lowest level of soluble sugar and its proportion to NSC in belowground tissue were observed near the cage culture area, where the nutrient concentration in water and sediment was the highest; while the highest level of that was observed near the coastal shrimp farm, where salinity was the lowest. Soluble sugar in belowground tis- sue showed the following trend： summer〉spring〉winter〉autumn. This corresponded to seasonal changes in the intensity of light. Leaf sugar accumulated during the autumn-winter period, providing a carbon and energy source for flower bud formation and seed germination. Short-term shading decreased NSC accumu- lation. Collectively, these results suggest that nutrient enrichment, freshwater discharge and exposure to air affect NSC dynamics in T. hemprichii. Light intensity, flower bud formation, and seed germination were all found to induce seasonal variations in NSC in T. hemprichii.

Catalysis performance comparison of a Br?nsted acid H_2SO_4 and a Lewis acid Al_2(SO_4)_3 in methyl levulinate production from biomass carbohydrates

An experimental investigation was conducted to understand the roles of the Br？nsted acid H2SO4 and Lewis acid Al2（SO4）3 in methyl levulinate（ML） production from biomass carbohydrates, including glucose,fructose and cellulose. The product distributions with different catalysts revealed that the Lewis acid was responsible for the isomerization of methyl glucoside（MG）, producing a significant amount of the subsequent product 5-methoxymethylfurfural（MMF）, while the Br？nsted acid facilitated the production of ML from MMF. Al2（SO4）3 was efficient for monosaccharide conversion but not for cellulose. Using ball-milled cellulose with Al2（SO4）3 resulted in a desired ML yield within a reasonable reaction time. The significant catalysis performances of two types of acids will guide the design of efficient catalytic processes for the selective conversion of biomass into levulinate esters.

Modified solid acids derived from biomass based cellulose for one-step conversion of carbohydrates into ethyl levulinate

A series of metal salt-modified carbon catalysts had been prepared to study the selective transformation of various carbohydrates into ethyl levulinate in an ethanol medium. The specific textural and chemical characteristics of prepared carbon samples were identified by Raman, XRD, XPS, NH;-TPD, FT-IR and nitrogen physisorption. Various parameters such as ethanol/water volume ratio, Na Cl addition, reaction temperature, and catalyst dosage played a great role in ethyl levulinate production. A desirable ethyl levulinate yield of 58.0 mol% with a highest ROF（rate of ethyl levulinate formation per gram of catalyst per hour） value of 2148.3 μmol/(g;·h) was achieved at 468 K over FeCl;modified carbon catalyst with respect to fructose conversion. The recycling experiments revealed that the sulfonated carbon catalysts exhibited relatively satisfied activity and stability.

Effect of Phosphorus Deficiency on Leaf Photosynthesis and Carbohydrates Partitioning in Two Rice Genotypes with Contrasting Low Phosphorus Susceptibility

To study the effect of phosphorus （P） deficiency on leaf photosynthesis and carbohydrates partitioning and to determine whether the characteristics of leaf photosynthesis and carbohydrates partitioning are related to low P tolerance in rice plants, a hydroponic culture experiment supplied with either sufficient P （10 mg/L） or deficient P （0.5 mg/L） was conducted by using two rice genotypes different in their responses to low P stress. Results showed that the plant growth of Zhenongda 454 （low P tolerant genotype） was less affected by P deficiency compared with Sanyang＇ai （low P sensitive genotype）. Under P-deficient conditions, photosynthetic rates of Zhenongda 454 and Sanyang＇ai were decreased by 16% and 35%, respectively, and Zhenongda 454 showed higher photosynthetic rate than Sanyang＇ai. Phosphorus deficiency decreased the stomatal conductance for both genotypes, but had no significant influence on leaf internal CO2 concentration （Ci）, suggesting that the decrease in leaf photosynthetic rate of rice plants induced by P deficiency was not due to stomatal limitation. Phosphorus deficiency increased the concentration of soluble carbohydrates and sucrose in shoots and roots for both genotypes, and also markedly increased the allocation of soluble carbohydrates and sucrose to roots. Under deficient P supply, Zhenongda 454 had higher root/shoot soluble carbohydrates content ratio and root/shoot sucrose content ratio than Sanyang＇ai. In addition, phosphorus deficiency increased the concentration of starch in roots for both genotypes, whereas had no effect on the content of starch in shoots or roots. Compared to genotype Sanyang＇ai, the better tolerance to low-P stress of Zhenongda 454 can be explained by the fact that Zhenongda 454 maintains a higher photosynthetic rate and a greater ability to allocate carbohydrates to the roots under P deficiency.