Changes of coastline and tidal flat and its implication for ecological protection under human activities: Take China’s Bohai Bay as an example

The change processes and trends of shoreline and tidal flat forced by human activities are essential issues for the sustainability of coastal area,which is also of great significance for understanding coastal ecological environment changes and even global changes.Based on field measurements,combined with Linear Regression(LR)model and Inverse Distance Weighing(IDW)method,this paper presents detailed analysis on the change history and trend of the shoreline and tidal flat in Bohai Bay.The shoreline faces a high erosion chance under the action of natural factors,while the tidal flat faces a different erosion and deposition patterns in Bohai Bay due to the impact of human activities.The implication of change rule for ecological protection and recovery is also discussed.Measures should be taken to protect the coastal ecological environment.The models used in this paper show a high correlation coefficient between observed and modeling data,which means that this method can be used to predict the changing trend of shoreline and tidal flat.The research results of present study can provide scientific supports for future coastal protection and management.

Glutamatergic CYLD deletion leads to aberrant excitatory activity in the basolateral amygdala:association with enhanced cued fear expression

Neuronal activity,synaptic transmission,and molecular changes in the basolateral amygdala play critical roles in fear memory.Cylindromatosis(CYLD)is a deubiquitinase that negatively regulates the nuclear factor kappa-B pathway.CYLD is well studied in non-neuronal cells,yet underinvestigated in the brain,where it is highly expressed.Emerging studies have shown involvement of CYLD in the remodeling of glutamatergic synapses,neuroinflammation,fear memory,and anxiety-and autism-like behaviors.However,the precise role of CYLD in glutamatergic neurons is largely unknown.Here,we first proposed involvement of CYLD in cued fear expression.We next constructed transgenic model mice with specific deletion of Cyld from glutamatergic neurons.Our results show that glutamatergic CYLD deficiency exaggerated the expression of cued fear in only male mice.Further,loss of CYLD in glutamatergic neurons resulted in enhanced neuronal activation,impaired excitatory synaptic transmission,and altered levels of glutamate receptors accompanied by over-activation of microglia in the basolateral amygdala of male mice.Altogether,our study suggests a critical role of glutamatergic CYLD in maintaining normal neuronal,synaptic,and microglial activation.This may contribute,at least in part,to cued fear expression.

Neuroinflammation revisited through the microglial lens

Neuroimmunology is emerging as a pivotal field,shedding light on the intricate dialogues between the central nervous system(CNS)and the immune system.This exploration is particularly significant in understanding microglia,the CNS’s innate immune cells,beyond the conventional conflation of“neuroinflammation”and“microglial activation.”This conflation has clouded the true complexity of these processes,potentially stalling scientific progress and the development of new therapies.We challenge the long-standing perspectives that have oversimplified these interactions,advocating for a deeper exploration of the dynamic relationship between neuroinflammation and microglial activation.By dissecting specific molecular pathways,we aim to illuminate their elaborate roles in neuroinflammatory responses,especially in the context of Alzheimer’s disease(AD).Here,neuroinflammation is not merely a passive observer or a direct antagonist but a complex agent in the disease’s progression.This article calls for a significant paradigm shift towards an integrative,multi-omics approach to neuroimmunology.Adopting such a comprehensive framework is crucial for advancing our understanding of neuroinflammatory conditions and paving the way for targeted therapeutic strategies for brain diseases.

Tuning beneficial calcineurin phosphatase activation to counterα-synuclein toxicity in a yeast model of Parkinson’s disease

Calcineurin(CN)is a calcium-and calmodulindependent serine/threonine that has been studied in many model organisms including yeast,filamentous fungi,plants,and mammals.Its biological functions range from ion homeostasis and virulence in lower eukaryotes to T-cell activation in humans by human nuclear factors of activated T-cells.CN is a heterodimeric protein consisting of a catalytic subunit,calcineurin A(Cna1p),which contains an active site with a dinuclear metal center,and a regulatory Ca^(2+) binding subunit called calcineurin B(Cnb1p)required to activate Cna1p.The calcineurin B subunit has been highly conserved through evolution:For example,the mammalian calcineurin B shows 54%identity with calcineurin B from Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Lighting the shades of hidden pain:a role for spinal cord neurons and microglia in vestibulodynia

Vulvodynia,a chronic pain disorder affecting the vulvar region,represents a significant challenge in both diagnosis and treatment within the field of women’s health.This condition is characterized by chronic pain that significantly affects the quality of life of afflicted women.The present perspective paper examines the role of spinal sensitization and microglial activation in vulvodynia.

An Efficient Boron Source Activation Strategy for the Low‑Temperature Synthesis of Boron Nitride Nanotubes

Lowering the synthesis temperature of boron nitride nanotubes(BNNTs)is crucial for their development.The primary reason for adopting a high temperature is to enable the effective activation of highmelting-point solid boron.In this study,we developed a novel approach for efficiently activating boron by introducing alkali metal compounds into the conventional MgO–B system.This approach can be adopted to form various low-melting-point AM–Mg–B–O growth systems.These growth systems have improved catalytic capability and reactivity even under low-temperature conditions,facilitating the synthesis of BNNTs at temperatures as low as 850℃.In addition,molecular dynamics simulations based on density functional theory theoretically demonstrate that the systems maintain a liquid state at low temperatures and interact with N atoms to form BN chains.These findings offer novel insights into the design of boron activation and are expected to facilitate research on the low-temperature synthesis of BNNTs.

Passive activity enhances residual control ability in patients with complete spinal cord injury

Patients with complete spinal cord injury retain the potential for volitional muscle activity in muscles located below the spinal injury level.However,because of prolonged inactivity,initial attempts to activate these muscles may not effectively engage any of the remaining neurons in the descending pathway.A previous study unexpectedly found that a brief clinical round of passive activity significantly increased volitional muscle activation,as measured by surface electromyography.In this study,we further explored the effect of passive activity on surface electromyographic signals during volitional control tasks among individuals with complete spinal cord injury.Eleven patients with chronic complete thoracic spinal cord injury were recruited.Surface electromyography data from eight major leg muscles were acquired and compared before and after the passive activity protocol.The results indicated that the passive activity led to an increased number of activated volitional muscles and an increased frequency of activation.Although the cumulative root mean square of surface electromyography amplitude for volitional control of movement showed a slight increase after passive activity,the difference was not statistically significant.These findings suggest that brief passive activity may enhance the ability to initiate volitional muscle activity during surface electromyography tasks and underscore the potential of passive activity for improving residual motor control among patients with motor complete spinal cord injury.

Effect of external and internal cues on core muscle activation during the Sahrmann five-level core stability test

BACKGROUND Pain in the back or pelvis or fear of back pain may affect the timing or cocontraction of the core muscles.In both static and dynamic movements,the Sahrmann core stability test provides an assessment of core muscle activation and a person's ability to stabilize the lumbopelvic complex.Preparatory cues and images can be used to increase the activation of these muscles.To attain optimal movement patterns,it will be necessary to determine what cueing will give the most effective results for core stability.AIM To investigate the effects of external and internal cues on core muscle activation during the Sahrmann five-level core stability test.METHODS Total 68 participants(21.83±3.47 years)were randomly allocated to an external(n=35)or internal cue group(n=33).Participants performed the Sahrmann fivelevel core stability test without a cue as baseline and the five-level stability exercises with an internal or external cue.External cue group received a pressure biofeedback unit(PBU),and the internal cue group received an audio cue.A Delsys Trigno^(TM)surface electromyography unit was used for muscle activation from the rectus abdominis,external oblique,and transverse abdominis/internal oblique muscles.RESULTS Linear mixed effects model analysis showed that cueing had a significant effect on core muscle activation(P=0.001);however,there was no significant difference between cue types(internal or external)(P=0.130).CONCLUSION Both external and internal cueing have significant effects on core muscle activation during the Sahrmann five-level core stability test and the PBU does not create higher muscle activation than internal cueing.

Effects of Nitrogen Fertilization on the Growth and N Uptake of Late-sowing Winter Oilseed Rape (Brassica napus L.)

[Objective] The aim of this work was to analyze the N fertilization on the vegetative growth and N uptake of different winter rapeseed varieties at wintering stage. [Method] In two consecutive years （2009-2011）, two winter rapeseed varieties （B. napus L.）, an early maturity variety Zhongyou 116 （ZY116） and a middle-late application maturity variety Zhongyouza 12 （ZYZ12） were employed. Field experiments with different N levels （0, 90, 180, 270, 360 kg N/hm 2 ） were designed. At the wintering stage, the dry matter weight, the nitrogen content and concentration of plants, leaf nitrate reductase activity （NRA） and seed yields were investigated. [Result] The shoot dry matter of ZY116 increased rapidly when N rate ranged from 0 to 180 kg/hm 2 , and it raised slightly when N rate ranged from 180 to 360 kg/hm 2 . The shoot dry matter of ZYZ12 were changed in a single peak curve; the peak of shoot dry matter appeared at 270 kg N/hm 2 . The N concentration and N content in shoot and root increased rapidly when the N rate changed from 90 to 180 kg/hm 2 . Moreover, the N concentration and N content root of in ZYZ12 were much higher than that of ZY116. Present study revealed that the changed trend of leaf nitrate reductase activities （NRA） were significantly increased at the N rate of 180 kg/hm 2 in ZY116 and ZYZ12 compared with the N rate of 90 kg/hm 2 in two years. [Conclusion] Optimal nitrogen application significantly increased the dry weights and N uptake at wintering stage as well as increasing the yield of winter oilseed rape.

FIT interacts with AtbHLH38 and AtbHLH39 in regulating iron uptake gene expression for iron homeostasis in Arabidopsis

Iron is an essential element for plant growth and development. Iron homeostasis in plants is tightly regulated at both transcriptional and posttranscriptional level. Several bHLH transcription factors involved in iron homeostasis have been identified recently. However, their regulatory mechanisms remain unknown. In this work, we demonstrate that the transcription factor FIT interacted with AtbHLH38 and AtbHLH39 and directly conferred the expression regulation of iron uptake genes for iron homeostasis in Arabidopsis. Yeast two-hybrid analysis and transient expression in Arabidopsis protoplasts showed that AtbHLH38 or AtbHLH39 interacted with FIT, a central transcription factor involved in iron homeostasis in Arabidopsis. Expression of FIT/AtbHLH38 or FIT/AtbHLH39 in yeast cells activated GUS expression driven by ferric chelate reductase （FRO2） and ferrous transporter （IRT1） promoters. Overexpression of FITwith either AtbHLH38 or AtbHLH39 in plants converted the expression of the iron uptake genes FRO2 and IRT1 from induced to constitutive. Further analysis revealed that FRO2 and IRT1 were not regulated at the posttranscriptional level in these plants because IRT1 protein accumulation and high ferric chelate reductase activity were detected in the overexpression plants under both iron deficiency and iron sufficiency. The double overexpression plants accumulated more iron in their shoots than wild type or the plants overexpressing either AtbHLH38, AtbHLH39 or FIT. Our data support that ferric-chelate reductase FRO2 and ferrous-transporter IRT1 are the targets of the three transcription factors and the transcription of FRO2 and IRT1 is directly regulated by a complex of FIT/AtbHLH38 or FIT/AtbHLH39.

Association of residual feed intake with abundance of ruminal bacteria and biopolymer hydrolyzing enzyme activities during the peripartal period and early lactation in Holstein dairy cows

Background: Residual feed intake(RFI) in dairy cattle typically calculated at peak lactation is a measure of feed efficiency independent of milk production level. The objective of this study was to evaluate differences in ruminal bacteria, biopolymer hydrolyzing enzyme activities, and overall performance between the most-and the leastefficient dairy cows during the peripartal period. Twenty multiparous Holstein dairy cows with daily ad libitum access to a total mixed ration from d-10 to d 60 relative to the calving date were used. Cows were classified into most-efficient(i.e. with low RFI, n = 10) and least-efficient(i.e. with high RFI, n = 10) based on a linear regression model involving dry matter intake(DMI), fat-corrected milk(FCM), changes in body weight(BW), and metabolic BW.Results: The most-efficient cows had ~ 2.6 kg/d lower DMI at wk 4, 6, 7, and 8 compared with the least-efficient cows. In addition, the most-efficient cows had greater relative abundance of total ruminal bacterial community during the peripartal period. Compared with the least-efficient cows, the most-efficient cows had 4-fold greater relative abundance of Succinivibrio dextrinosolvens at d-10 and d 10 around parturition and tended to have greater abundance of Fibrobacter succinogenes and Megaspheara elsdenii. In contrast, the relative abundance of Butyrivibrio proteoclasticus and Streptococcus bovis was lower and Succinimonas amylolytica and Prevotella bryantii tended to be lower in the most-efficient cows around calving. During the peripartal period, the most-efficient cows had lower enzymatic activities of cellulase, amylase, and protease compared with the least-efficient cows.Conclusions: The results suggest that shifts in ruminal bacteria and digestive enzyme activities during the peripartal period could, at least in part, be part of the mechanism associated with better feed efficiency in dairy cows.

Effect of Nitrate on Root Development and Nitrogen Uptake of Suaeda physophora Under NaCl Salinity

The effects of NaCl salinity and NO^-3 on growth, root morphology, and nitrogen uptake of a halophyte Suaeda physophora were evaluated in a factorial experiment with four concentrations of NaCl （1, 150, 300, and 450 mmol L^-1） and three NO^-3 levels （0.05, 5, and 10 mmol L^-1） in solution culture for 30 d. Addition of NO^-3 at 10 mmol L^-1 significantly improved the shoot （P 〈 0.001） and root （P 〈 0.001） growth and the promotive effect of NO^-3 was more pronounced on root dry weight despite the high NaCl concentration in the culture solution, leading to a significant increase in the root：shoot ratio （P 〈 0.01）. Lateral root length, but not primary root length, considerably increased with increasing NaCl salinity and NO^-3 levels （P 〈 0.001）, implying that Na^＋ and NO3^- in the culture solution simultaneously stimulated lateral root growth. Concentrations of Na^＋ in plant tissues were also significantly increased by higher NaCl treatments （P 〈 0.001）. At 10 mmol L^-1 NO^-3, the concentrations of NO^-3 and total nitrogen and nitrate reductase activities in the roots were remarkably reduced by increasing salinity （P 〈 0.001）, but were unaffected in the shoots. The results indicated that the fine lateral root development and effective nitrogen uptake of the shoots might contribute to high salt tolerance of S. physophora under adequate NO^-3 supply.

A Field Study on Effects of Nitrogen Fertilization Modes on Nutrient Uptake,Crop Yield and Soil Biological Properties in Rice-Wheat Rotation System

Rational application of nitrogen （N） fertilizers is an important measure to raise N fertilizer recovery rate and reduce N loss.A two-year field experiment of rice-wheat rotation was employed to study the effects of N fertilization modes including a N fertilizer reduction and an organic manure replacement on crop yield,nutrient uptake,soil enzyme activity,and number of microbes as well as diversity of microbes.The result showed that 20% reduction of traditional N fertilizer dose of local farmers did not significantly change crop yield,N uptake,soil enzyme activity,and the number of microbes （bacteria,actinomycetes,and fungi）.On the basis of 20% reduction of N fertilizer,50% replacement of N fertilizer by organic manure increased the activity of sucrose,protease,urease,and phosphatase by 46-62,27-89,33-46,and 35-74%,respectively,and the number of microbes,i.e.,bacteria,actinomycetes,and fungi by 36-150,11-153,and 43-56%,respectively.Further,organic fertilizer replacement had a Shannon＇s diversity index （H） of 2.18,which was higher than that of other modes of single N fertilizer application.The results suggested that reducing N fertilizer by 20% and applying organic manure in the experimental areas could effectively lower the production costs and significantly improve soil fertility and biological properties.

Uptake of copper ion by activated sludge and its bacterial community variation analyzed by 16S rDNA

The effect and uptake of copper ion on SBR(sequence batch reactor) biological treatment system was studied. Special nutrient and powder activated carbon(PAC) additive were tested as uptake stimulation technique. Results showed that copper ion had higher effect on unacclimated activated sludge system than on acclimated one. The special nutrient adding could enhance the uptake of copper significantly, while PAC adding could improve the sludge settling and decrease the turbidity of effluent. The variation of bacterial community analyzed by 16S rDNA method showed the acclimation of copper could increase copper resistance species, and excess accumulation could cause some species diminish. It was confirmed that acclimation could improve the resistance and uptake ability of microorganism to heavy metal.

Effects of fertilization and container-type on nutrient uptake and utilization by four subtropical tree seedlings

Seedling quality is important for subtropical tree species endangered by the degradation of natural habitats in southern China.At present,the cultural regime for raising these seedlings involving fertilizer levels and size of container is not clear.In this study,seedlings of three endangered species,red-seed tree(Ormosia hosiei),Zhejiang phoebe(Phoebe chekian gensis),and Zhejiang camphor(Cinnamomum japonicum)were evaluated along with red-bark oak(Cyclobalanopsis gilva)as a reference,a species which is not endangered.Seedlings were raised in 2.8,3.6,5.1,and 6.3 L containers and fertilizer applied at 1.0,2.0,3.0 and 4.0 kg m-3.Seedling height and leaf biomass increased in response to higher fertilizer levels while larger containers resulted in greater stem and root biomass.Root biomass of endangered species seedlings did not respond to neither treatments.Zhejiang phoebe seedlings responded to nitrogen and phosphorus uptake but red-seed tree seedlings were unaffected by any nutrient levels.Red-bark oak seedlings had high nitrogen-use efficiency.Based on the results,it is recommended using at least 5.1 L containers to culture Zhejiang phoebe and Zhejiang camphor seedlings with fertilizer at 3.0 kg m-3.Red-bark oak and red-seed tree seedlings should be cultured with 2.0 kg m-3 in smaller containers.

Maize-legume intercropping promote N uptake through changing the root spatial distribution,legume nodulation capacity,and soil N availability

Legume cultivars affect N uptake,component crop growth,and soil physical and chemical characteristics in maize-legume intercropping systems.However,how belowground interactions mediate root growth,N fixation,and nodulation of different legumes to affect N uptake is still unclear.Hence,a two-year experiment was conducted with five planting patterns,i.e.,maize-soybean strip intercropping(IMS),maize-peanut strip intercropping(IMP),and corresponding monocultures(monoculture maize(MM),monoculture soybean(MS),and monoculture peanut(MP)),and two N application rates,i.e.,no N fertilizer(N-)and conventional N fertilizer(N+),to examine relationships between N uptake and root distribution of crops,legume nodulation and soil N availability.Results showed that the averaged N uptake per unit area of intercrops was significantly lower than the corresponding monocultures.Compared with the monoculture system,the N uptake of the intercropping systems increased by 31.7-45.4%in IMS and by 7.4-12.2%in IMP,respectively.The N uptake per plant of intercropped maize and soybean significantly increased by 61.6 and 31.8%,and that of intercropped peanuts significantly decreased by 46.6%compared with the corresponding monocultures.Maize and soybean showed asymmetrical distribution of roots in strip intercropping systems.The root length density(RLD)and root surface area density(RSAD)of intercropped maize and soybean were significantly greater than that of the corresponding monocultures.The roots of intercropped peanuts were confined,which resulted in decreased RLD and RSAD compared with the monoculture.The nodule number and nodule fresh weight of soybean were significantly greater in IMS than in MS,and those of peanut were significantly lower in IMP than in MP.The soil protease,urease,and nitrate reductase activities of maize and soybean were significantly greater in IMS and IMP than in the corresponding monoculture,while the enzyme activities of peanut were significantly lower in IMP than in MP.The soil available N of maize and soybean was significantly greater increased in IMS and IMP than in the corresponding monocultures,while that of IMP was significantly lower than in MP.In summary,the IMS system was more beneficial to N uptake than the IMP system.The intercropping of maize and legumes can promote the N uptake of maize,thus reducing the need for N application and improving agricultural sustainability.

Microalgae(Chlorella vulgaris Beijerinck)alleviates drought stress of broccoli plants by improving nutrient uptake,secondary metabolites,and antioxidative defense system

Microalgae,such as Chlorella vulgaris Beijerinck(green algae),are beneficial microscopic organisms that may help plants to improve nutrient uptake,growth,and abiotic tolerance to stressors.The current study was performed to investigate the effectiveness of algae(Chlorella vulgaris Beijerinck)foliar applications[1%,3%,or 5%(v/v)]on mitigation of drought stress in broccoli plants subjected to water deficit at 25%of field capacity.The results showed that the broccoli plants grown under drought stress alone exhibited severe disturbance in growth with considerable reductions in the shoot length,and fresh and dry weights,leaf area,relative water content,leaf water potential,and photosynthetic pigment contents and elevated levels of the lipid peroxidation product malondialdehyde in the leaves.Additionally,the foliar application of microalgae mitigated the detrimental effects of drought,leading to better growth performance(increase of 9%–132%)when compared with the drought-stressed plants that had not received an application of microalgae.Microalgae-mediated beneficial effects were particularly evident in the enhancement of the photosynthetic pigment contents,including chlorophyll-a(6%–60%),chlorophyll-b(19%–55%),and total carotenoids(26%–114%).Exogenous microalgae also contributed to the reduction of membrane damage,as proven by significantly decreased levels of malondialdehyde(10%–39%)in the leaves of the broccoli plants exposed to drought stress.The application of microalgae increased the total flavonoid and phenolic contents,and nutrition uptake.Furthermore,the activities of enzymatic antioxidants like ascorbate peroxidase,catalase,glutathione reductase,and superoxide dismutase increased in response to mediation,resulting in significant alleviation of drought-induced oxidative damage.The most effective application concentration of microalgae was determined as 5%.Overall investigations revealed that the foliar application of microalgae could be recommended as a sustainable strategy to improve the defense system of drought-stressed broccoli plants.

Effects of different sources of carbohydrates on intake, digestibility, chewing, and performance of Holstein dairy cows

To investigate the effects of different sources of carbohydrates on intake, digestibility, chewing, and performance, nine lactating Holstein dairy cows （day in milk= 100±21 d; body weight=645.7 ± 26.5 kg） were allotted to a 3 × 3 Latin square design at three 23-d periods. The three treatments included 34.91% （B）, 18.87% （BC）, and 18.86% （BB） barley that in treatment B was partially replaced with only corn or corn plus beet pulp in treatments BC and BB, respectively. The concentration of starch and neutral detergent soluble carbohydrate varied （22.2, 20.2, and 14.5; 13.6, 15.9, and 20.1% of DM in treatments B, BC, and BB, respectively）. Cows in treatment BB showed a higher DMI and improved digestibility of DM, NDF, and EE compared with treatments B or BC Ruminal pH was higher in cows fed on BB （6.83） compared with those that received B or BC treatments （6.62 and 6.73, respectively）. A lower proportion of propionate accompanied the higher pH in the BB group; however, a greater proportion of acetate and acetate： propionate ratio was observed compared with cows fed either on the B or BC diet. Moreover, cows fed on the BB diet showed the lowest ruminal passage rate and longest ruminal and total retention time. Eating time did not differ among treatments, rumination time was greater among cows fed on the BB diet compared with the others, whereas total chewing activity was greater than those fed on BC, but similar to those fed on B. The treatments showed no effect on milk yield. Partially replacing barley with corn or beet pulp resulted in an increase in milk fat and a lower protein concentration. Changing dietary NFC with that of a different degradability thus altered intake, chewing activity, ruminal environment, retention time or passage rate, and lactation performance. The results of this study showed that beet pulp with a higher NDF and a detergent-soluble carbohydrate or pectin established a more consistent ruminal mat than barley and corn, thus resulting in higher mean retention time and chewing activity, whereas no changes in 3.5% ECM and milk fat were observed.

A modified approach to actively remove high viscosity silicone oil through 23-gauge cannula

AIM：To report a simple approach to actively remove high viscosity silicone oil through a 23-gauge cannula via pars plana.METHODS：Forty-eight eyes of 48 patients underwent silicone oil（5700 centistokes） removal（SOR） were enrolled.A section of blood transfusion set was prepared to connect a standard 23-gauge cannula and vitrectomy machine.Silicone oil was removed with suction of500-mm Hg vacuum through the cannula.Main outcome measures were SOR duration,number of sutured sites,intraocular pressure（IOP）,best-corrected visual acuity（BCVA）,and complications.RESULTS：Silicone oil was successfully removed in all cases.The mean SOR time was 5.70±0.85 min.Nine eyes（18.75%） needed suture partial sclerotomies.No intraoperative complications were noted.Transient hypotony（≤8 mm Hg） was seen in 3 eyes（6.25%） on postoperative day 1,but all resolved within 1wk.Retinal reattachment was achieved in all cases and no other postoperative complications were noted during 3-month following-up.BCVA at the final visit improved or stabilized in all patients comparing to the preoperative level.CONCLUSION：Active removal of high viscosity silicone oil through a 23-gauge instrument cannula jointed with blood transfusion set is a practical and reliable technique when considering two sides of efficacy and safety.

Effects of Photosynthetically Active Radiation and Air Temperature on CO_2 Uptake of Pterocarpus macrocarpus in the Open Field

Since trees and plants can absorb CO2, forests are widely regarded as a carbon sink that may control the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. The CO2 uptake rate of plants is affected by the plant species and environmental conditions such as photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), temperature, water and nutrient contents. PAR is the most immediate environmental control on photosynthesis while air temperature affects both photorespiration and dark respiration. In the natural condition, PAR and temperature play an important role in net CO2 uptake. The effects of PAR and air temperature on the CO2 uptake of Pterocarpus macrocarpus grown in a natural habitat were studied in the present work. Due to many uncontrollable factors, a simple rectangular hyperbola could not represent the measured data. The data were divided into groups of 2oC intervals; CO2 uptake in each group may then be related to PAR by a rectangular hyperbola function. Using the obtained functions, the effect of PAR was removed from the original data. The PAR-independent CO2 uptake was then related to air temperature. Finally, the effects of PAR (I) and air temperature (Ta) on the CO2 uptake rate (A) were combined as: (-0.0575Ta2+2.6691Ta-23.264)I A= ——————————————— (-0.00766Ta2+0.40666Ta-3.99924) (-4.8794Ta2+227.13Ta-2456.9)+I