Plant community succession in modern Yellow River Delta, China

Data were collected in different successional stages using a simultaneous sampling method and analyzed through quantitative classification method. Three large groups and 12 classes were made to represent the community patterns of three succession stages and 12 succession communities. The succession series of plant community in the study area was as follows: saline bare land→community Suaeda salsa→community Tamarix chinensis→grassland. Succession degree and succession process of 12 succession communities were calculated. Most of these communities were in the lower succession stage, however, community Phragmites communis+Glycine soja and community Imperata cylindrica+G. soja were close to the succession stage of grassland climax. Five species diversity indices were used to study the changes in species richness, species evenness and diversity during succession of community. Heterogeneity index and richness index increased gradually during the community succession process, but species evenness tended to decrease with succession development. The relation between succession and environment was studied by ordination technique, and the results showed that the soil salt content was an important factor to halarch succession of the modern Yellow River Delta. It affected community structure, species composition and succession process.

Community succession of zooplankton in marine derived saline lakes in antarctic continental margin

Ecological research has been made for quite a long period in some marine-derived saline lakes in the Vest-fold Hills, Antarctica. The results show distinct succession of zooplankton community in those lakes. The change in community structure of zooplankton is related directly to environmental evolution in nature and the variation of lake conditions, such as physical and chemical factors as well. In the Burton Lake, there is a rather stable annual fluctuation in both temperature and salinity, and the community has probably been in the stage of climax succession. The Fletcher Lake is still undergoing a process by unregular tide flood from nearby bay, so that zooplankton community has been changing due to variance in temperature and salinity.

Characteristics of maize residue decomposition and succession in the bacterial community during decomposition in Northeast China

Microbes are decomposers of crop residues,and climatic factors and residue composition are known to influence microbial growth and community composition,which in turn regulate residue decomposition.However,the succession of the bacterial community during residue decomposition in Northeast China is not well understood.To clarify the property of bacterial community succession and the corresponding factors regulating this succession,bags containing maize residue were buried in soil in Northeast China in October,and then at different intervals over the next 2 years,samples were analyzed for residue mass and bacterial community composition.After residue burial in the soil,the cumulative residue mass loss rates were 18,69,and 77%after 5,12,and 24 months,respectively.The release of residue nitrogen,phosphorus,and carbon followed a similar pattern as mass loss,but 79%of residue potassium was released after only 1 month.The abundance,richness,and community diversity of bacteria in the residue increased rapidly and peaked after 9 or 20 months.Residue decomposition was mainly influenced by temperature and chemical composition in the early stage,and was influenced by chemical composition in the later stage.Phyla Actinobacteria,Bacteroidetes,and Firmicutes dominated the bacterial community composition in residue in the early stage,and the abundances of phyla Chloroflexi,Acidobacteria,and Saccharibacteria gradually increased in the later stage of decomposition.In conclusion,maize residue decomposition in soil was greatly influenced by temperature and residue composition in Northeast China,and the bacterial community shifted from dominance of copiotrophic populations in the early stage to an increase in oligotrophic populations in the later stage.

Seasonal Variability of Phytoplankton Community Structure in Relation to Different Nitrogen-Phosphorus Ratios in the Southern Coastal Waters of Zhejiang, China

With the rapid development of economy and increase of population in the drainage areas, the nutrient loading has increased dramatically in the Changjiang estuary and adjacent coastal waters. To properly assess the impact of nutrient enrichment on phytoplankton community, seasonal microcosm experiments were conducted during August 2010-July 2011 in the coastal waters of Zhejiang Province. The results of the present study indicated that the chl a concentration, cell abundance, diversity indices, species composition and community succession of the phytoplankton varied significantly with different N/P ratios and seasons. Higher growth was observed in the 64：1 （spring）, 32：1 （summer）, 16：1 （autumn） and 128：1,256：1 （winter） treatments, respectively. The values of Shannon-Wiener index （H） and Pielou evenness index （J） were lower in the 8：1 and 16：1 treatments in autumn test, while H value was higher in the 128：1 and 8：1 treatments in winter test. A definite community succession order from diatoms to dinoflagel lares was observed in the autumn and winter tests, while the diatoms dominated the community throughout the culture in the spring and summer tests.

Effect of pine wood nematode invasion on pine community functions in the Pinghu region, Zhejiang Province, eastern China

In order to investigate the effect of invastion by pine wood nematode(PWN), this study analyzed several functional indices, i.e., the increment in DBH and stand volume and biomass, in the damaged stands with various mixed percentages of Pinus massoniana and P. thunbergii and with different levels of damage. According to the results of rate of change in increment of DBH and stand volume, the forest ecosystem resistance against PWN increased with a reduction in the mixed ratio of pine. The resistance was highest with a mixed percentage of 50%. The invasion of PWN changed the corresponding relationship of increment between DBH and stand volume(pure stands > 7:3 conifer and broadleaf > 6:4 conifer and broadleaf > 5:5 conifer and broadleaf) among the P. thunbergii stands when there is no damage, but for P. massoniana stands this phenomenon did not occur. For the increment rate of DBH and stand volume, this significant change in P. thunbergii forest indicates that the resistance of pure P. thunbergii forest was higher than that of P. massoniana. The invasion of PWN accelerates the succession from pure stands to mixed stands and then to the broadleaf evergreen stands.

Phylogenetic and functional structures of succession in plant communities on mounds of Marmota himalayana in alpine regions on the northeast edge of the QinghaieTibet Plateau

Few studies have examined the succession of plant communities in the alpine zone.Studying the succession of plant communities is helpful to understand how species diversity is formed and maintained.In this study,we used species inventories,a molecular phylogeny,and trait data to detect patterns of phylogenetic and functional community structure in successional plant communities growing on the mounds of Himalayan marmots(Marmota himalayana)on the southeast edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.We found that phylogenetic and functional diversities of plant communities on marmot mounds tended to cluster during the early to medium stages of succession,then trended toward overdispersion from medium to late stages.Alpine species in early and late stages of succession were phylogenetically and functionally overdispersed,suggesting that such communities were assembled mainly through species interactions,especially competition.At the medium and late stages of succession,alpine communities growing on marmot mounds were phylogenetically and functionally clustered,implying that the communities were primarily structured by environmental filtering.During the medium and late stages of succession the phylogenetic and functional structures of plant communities on marmot mounds differed significantly from those on neighboring sites.Our results indicate that environmental filtering and species interactions can change plant community composition at different successional stages.Assembly of plant communities on marmot mounds was promoted by a combination of traits that may provide advantages for survival and adaptation during periods of environmental change.

Competition between Populus euphratica and Tamarix ramosissima seedlings under simulated high groundwater availability

Desert riparian plants experience high variability in water availability due to hydrological fluctuations. How riparian plants can survive with low water availability has been well studied, however, little is known about the effects of high water availability on plant community structuring. We conducted a mesocosm experiment to test whether seedling competition under simulated high groundwater availability can explain the shift of co-dominance of Populus euphratica and Tamarix ramosissima in early communities to P. euphratica dominance in mature ones along the Tarim River in northwestern China. Seedlings of these two plant species were grown in monoculture and mixture pools with high groundwater availability. Results indicated that the above-ground biomass and relative yield of T. ramosissima were higher than those of P. euphratica. The competitive advantages of T. ramosissima included its rapid response in growth to groundwater enrichment and its water spender strategy, as evidenced by the increased leaf biomass proportion and the inert stomatal response to leaf-to-air vapor pressure deficit （VPD）. In comparison, P. euphratica showed a conservative strategy in water use, with a sensitive response to leaf-to-air VPD. Result of the short-term competition was inconsistent with the long-term competition in fields, suggesting that competition exclusion is not the mechanism structuring the desert riparian plant communities. Thus, our research highlights the importance of mediation by environmental fluctuations （such as lessening competition induced by disturbance） in structuring plant communities along the Tarim riparian zones.

Dynamics of phytoplankton communities in the Jiangdong Reservoir of Jiulong River,Fujian,South China

Phytoplankton blooms occurring in the Jiangdong Reservoir of Jiulong River,Fujian Province,South China,are a potential source of contamination of the drinking water of Xiamen(Amoy)City.To understand the main factors governing phytoplankton composition and succession,we sampled phytoplankton and measured environmental parameters in the reservoir,weekly or biweekly from Jan.2010 to Feb.2012.We identifi ed 123 species of phytoplankton from 7 phyla and 74 genera.The major phyla were Chlorophyta,Bacillariophyta,Cryptophyta,Cyanophyta,and Dinophyta.The main trend in the succession of phytoplankton was from prevalence of Cryptophyta-Bacillariophyta communities to those of Chlorophyta-Cyanophyta.High cell concentrations of Cryptophyta,predominantly Komma caudate,Cryptomonas marssonii,and Cryptomonas erosa,were present in winter,associated with low river discharge and cold water.Bacillariophyta,primarily Cyclotella meneghiniana,Aulacoseira granulata,and Aulacoseira granulata var.angustissima,dominated in early spring,coinciding with high turbulence and low irradiance.During early summer and autumn,Chlorophyta,comprising Scenedesmus quadricauda,Dictyosphaerium ehrenbergianum,and Pandorina sp.were prevalent during conditions of warmer water temperatures and low turbulence.Cyanophyta,with dominance of Pseudanabaena mucicola,Merismopedia tenuissima and Raphidiopsis sp.increased throughout the summer,coinciding with higher water temperatures and lower nutrient concentrations.Dinophyta content was occasionally high during winter and summer.Peridiniopsis penardii(Dinophyta)bloomed during winter 2009,with a persistently high biomass recorded into early spring.Canonical correspondence analysis indicated that phytoplankton communities were infl uenced by river discharge,irradiance,water temperature,and nutrient concentrations.

Succession of bacterial community during composting:dissimilarity between compost mixture and biochar additive

Previous research showed that biochar addition facilitated composting and elevated nutrient retention.However,few of these studies explored bacterial structure and abundance in the compost mixture and biochar additive.Thus,this study aims to distinguish bacterial communities in both compost and bamboo biochar(BB)additive.Results indicated that the dynamics of nutrient contents in compost and BB samples were in a similar pattern,although there were lower levels of nutrients and metals(i.e.,Cu and Zn)in BB additives.The total number of operational taxonomic units(OTUs)in both compost and BB additives peaked on day 7 and then gradually reduced during composting.There was more abundance of bacteria in compost,whereas the diversity of bacteria was more in BB additives.Furthermore,the dominant bacteria in compost and BB samples were distinct at the different stages of composting.The Firmicutes steadily decreased in compost samples(from 34.78%to 7.65%),while it was the dominant phylum in BB additives during the whole composting period.Furthermore,Ruminofilibacter,Pseudoxanthomonas,and Actinomadura were the most abundant genera in compost samples than Pseudoxanthomonas,Azoarcus,and Paenibacillus in BB additives at the final stage of composting.Results from this study could provide a theoretical reference for the sound performance of biochar-added composting.

Effects of soil nitrate:ammonium ratio on plant carbon:nitrogen ratio and growth rate of Artemisia sphaerocephala seedlings

Can soil nitrate： ammonium ratios influence plant carbon： nitrogen ratios of the early succession plant？ Can plant carbon： nitrogen ratios limit the plant growth in early succession？ To address these two questions, we performed a two-factor （soil nitrate： ammonium ratio and plant density） randomized block design and a uniform-precision rotatable central composite design pot experiments to examine the relationships between soil nitrate： ammonium ratios, the carbon： nitrogen ratios and growth rate of Artemisia sphaerocephala seedlings. Under adequate nutrient status, both soil nitrate： ammonium ratios and plant density influenced the carbon： nitrogen ratios and growth rate of A. sphaerocephala seedlings. Under the lower soil nitrate： ammonium ratios, with the increase of soil nitrate： ammonium ratios, the growth rates of plant height and shoot biomass of A. sphaerocephala seedlings decreased significantly; with the increase of plant carbon： nitrogen ratios, the growth rates of shoot biomass of A. sphaerocephala seedlings decreased significantly. Soil nitrate： ammonium ratios affected the carbon： nitrogen ratios of A. sphaerocephala seedlings by plant nitrogen but not by plant carbon. Thus, soil nitrate： ammonium ratios influenced the carbon： nitrogen ratios of A. sphaerocephala seedlings, and hence influenced its growth rates. Our results suggest that under adequate nutrient environment, soil nitrate： ammonium ratios can be a limiting factor for the growth of the early succession plant.

Growth Dynamics of the Middle Devonian Jukoupu Bioherm,Xinshao, Hunan

The growth process, palaeoecological features and the function of organisms in reef-building of the Jukoupu bioherm in Hunan are discussed in detail. The bioherm is divided into 10 microfacies. Organisms are very abundant in the reef. Thirty-two genera Belonging to 7 phyla have been recognized. They make up 5 communities composed mainly of stromatopoids, Corals and algae, each of which has its own salient ecological features. An analysis of all communities shows that the organic functions are very complex. The same organisms may possess diverse functions simultaneously as the reef growth enters the late stage. The growth process of the reef may involve five stages' (l)biostrome stage, (2) stabilization stage, (3) frame-type reef-building stage, (4) binding and covering-type reef-building stage, and (5) baffle- type reef -building stage.

High-throughput sequencing to evaluate the effects of methamphetamine on the succession of the bacterial community to estimate the postmortem interval

In forensic medical examinations,estimating the postmortem interval(PMI)is an important factor.Methamphetamine(MA)is a synthetic stimulant that is commonly abused,and estimation of the PMI after MA abuse has become one of the main tasks in forensic investigation.Microorganisms play a vital role in carrion decomposition.Analysing the bacterial succession patterns can be used as a forensic tool to estimate the PMI.The present study aimed to analyse bacterial succession changes during the decomposition of MA to estimate the PMI.We analysed bacterial communities in rabbits treated with three different concentrations of MA(0,22.5,and 90 mg/kg)under the natural conditions of 20°C and 70%humidity by sequencing 16S rRNA gene amplicons using the Illumina MiSeq system.We obtained 2374209 high-quality sequences and 2937 operational taxonomic units(OTUs).The relative abundances of the bacterial communities varied markedly in response to different MA concentrations.Interestingly,in response to the different concentrations of MA,Bacteroidetes became disparate in the rectum in the late PMI.Increased numbers of bacterial taxa were identified in the rectum and buccal cavity samples,except at the highest concentration of MA in the rectum samples when PMI was 0-h,than were present in live rabbits.Meanwhile,the PMI correlated significantly with bacterial succession at different taxonomic levels.Our results suggested that bacterial community succession could be used as a“microbial clock”to estimate the PMI in cases of MA-related death;however,further study is required to gain a deeper understanding of this concept.

Long-term nutrient variation trends and their potential impact on phytoplankton in the southern Yellow Sea,China

The concentration and composition of nutrients,such as N,P,and Si,respond to biogeochemical processes and in turn,impact the phytoplanktons'community structure and primary production.In this study,historical data was systematically analyzed to identify long-term variations in nutrient trends,red tide frequency,phytoplankton community abundance,and dominant species succession in the southern Yellow Sea(SYS).Results showed that N/P concentration ratios dramatically increased as a function of increasing dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentrations,and Si/N concentration ratios were generally larger than 1,indicating that N limitation morphed to P limitation and potentially to Si limitation,which impacted the phytoplankton community.Furthermore,inter-annual trends over the past 50 years show that phytoplankton community abundance has been higher in spring and summer,relative to autumn and winter.Moreover,with respect to red tide frequency,diatom abundance gradually decreased,while that of dinoflagellates gradually increased.Dominant species succession showed that the phytoplankton community exhibited an evident tendency to transform from diatoms to dinoflagellates.These research results clearly depict the presence of an important correlation between the phytoplankton community and nutrient structure in the SYS.

Changes in Photosystem Ⅱ Activity and Leaf Reflectance Features of Several Subtropical Woody Plants Under Simulated SO2 Treatment

The effects of simulated SO2 treatment on the photosynthetic apparatus were investigated in five subtropical forest plants, namely Plnus massonlana Lamb., Schlma superba Gardn. et Champ., Castanopsls flssa （Champ. ex Benth.） Rehd. et Wils., Acmena acuminatissima （BI.） Merr et Perry, and Cryptocarya concinna Hance. After leaf sections had been immersed in 0, 20, 50, and 100 mmol/L NaHSO3 for 20 h, total chlorophyll （Chl） content, Chl a/b, maximal photochemical efficiency, and the photochemical quantum yields of photosystem Ⅱ of all five woody plants were reduced to different degrees, whereas lutein content （Chl base） was increased. Two protective mechanisms, namely the xanthophyll cycle （de-epoxidation） and an anti-oxidant system （1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical-scavenging capacity）, showed differences in the degree of modulation under simulated SO2 treatment. Compared with control （distilled water treatment）, the revised normalized difference vegetation index, a leaf reflectance index, was lowered with Increasing concentrations of NaHSO3. Cryptocarya conclnna, a dominant species in the late succession stage of subtropical forests in South China, exhibited less sensitivity to NaHSO3. Conversely, Pinus massonlana, the pioneer hellophyte species, was most susceptible to NaHSO3 treatment. It Is suggested that SO2 pollution may accelerate the succession of subtropical forest.

Facilitation by nurse plants contributes to vegetation recovery in human-disturbed desert ecosystems

Aims Facilitation by nurse plants is a common interaction in harsh environments and this positive plant-plant interaction may promote vegetation recovery in ecosystems affected by human activities.Determining the relevance of this process,however,requires assessing how nurse plants influence the establishment of other species,as well as the proportion of species in the regional species pool that would benefit from the presence of nurse plants in human-disturbed areas.Further,since vegetation recovery is a time-dependent process,the community-level consequences of facilitation are likely to vary among landscapes with different disturbance history.Thus,an integrative perspective of the relevance of nurse plants for vegetation recovery could be obtained by measuring their effects across different human-disturbed landscapes of the target region.This study focuses on these issues and uses a regional-scale approach to assess the community-level effects of a widespread nurse plant of American deserts,the creosotebush(Larrea tridentata).Methods This study was conducted in the southernmost portion of Chihuahuan Desert because most floodplain valleys of this region have been affected by human activities during the past centuries.For this study,we selected 10 floodplain valleys differing in their age(i.e.the time elapsed after human activities were ceased).At each landscape,we measured the cover of creosotebushes and the proportion of plant species positively associated with them,as well as the density of seeds in the soil beneath creosotebush canopies.All these data were regressed against the age of the landscapes.Further,to assess whether positive association patterns were due to facilitation or other processes,we conducted field experiments and measured the ecophysiological performance of plant species established beneath and outside creosotebush canopies.Important Findings Most plant species from the target region were positively associated to creosotebushes,and our field experiments and ecophysiological measures indicated that these distribution patterns can be attributed to facilitative interactions.In most landscapes,the density of seeds was higher beneath creosotebushes than in the surrounding habitats,suggesting that these shrubs may also act as seed traps.The community-level effects of creosotebushes increased with landscape age and creosotebush cover,indicating that magnitude of these effects depends on the disturbance history of each site.These results highlight the relevance of performing large-scale assessments for identifying the consequences of facilitation on vegetation recovery across space and time.We then propose that this kind of large-scale approach should be taken into account in the development of conservation programs aimed at the recovery and preservation of plant biodiversity in harsh environments.

Regulation of Light Energy Utilization and Distribution of Photosynthesis in Five Subtropical Woody Plants

The adaptations and responses of photosynthesis to long- and short-term growth light gradient treatments were investigated in five subtropical forest plants, namely Pinus massoniana Lamb., Schima superba Gardn. et Champ., Castanopsis flssa （Champ. ex Benth.） Rehd. et Wils., Acmena acuminatissima （BI.） Merr et Perry, and Cryptocarya concinna Hance. With diurnal changes in sunlight and air temperature, the de-epoxidation state and lutein content in the five woody plants under three light Intensities first increased and then decreased during the day. However, maximal photochemical efficiency （FvFm; where Fm is the maximum fluorescence yield and Fv Is variable fluorescence） and the photochemical quantum yields of photosystem （PS）Ⅱ （φPSⅡ） of the species examined changed in the opposite manner, with those in plants grown under 100% natural light changing the most. After long-term treatment （21 months）, anti-oxidant capacity （1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical （DPPH.）-scavenging capacity） and utilization of excitation energy showed differences in modulation by different light intensities. It was shown that A. acuminatissima and C. concinna, as dominant species in the late succession stage of a subtropical forest in Dinghu mountain, South China, were better able to adapt to different light environments. However, P. massonlana, the pioneer species of this forest, exhibited less adaptation to low light intensity and was definitely eliminated by the forest succession process.

Spatial and temporal variations of two cyanobacteria in the mesotrophic Miyun reservoir, China

Spatial variations in phytoplankton community within a large mesotrophic reservoir （Miyun reservoir, North China） were investigated in relation to variations in physico-chemical properties, nutrient concentrations, temperature and light conditions over a 5 month period in 2009. The dynamics of phytoplankton community was represented by the dominance of cyanobacteria through summer and fall, following with a short term dominance of chlorophyta in late fall, and a relatively high abundance of diatom in October; on the other hand, maximum phytoplankton biomass was recorded in the north shallow region of Miyun reservoir with a higher nutrients level. Particular attention was paid to the impacts of environmental conditions on the growth of two cyanobacteria genera, the toxin-producing Microcystis and the taste ＆ odor-producing Oscillatoria. Microcystis biomass was in general greatly affected by water temperature and mixing depth/local water depth ratio in this reservoir, while the Oscillatoria biomass in the surface and middle layers was greatly affected by total dissolved phosphorus, and that in the bottom layer was related with the Secchi depth/local water depth ratio. Abundant Oscillatoria biomass was observed only in late September when Microcystis biomass decreased and allowed sufficient light go through.

Development of plant communities after restoration of the Antaibao mining site, China

To investigate the dynamic changes in the artificial vegetation in an abandoned mining site,we analyzed the re lationships among community types,environmental variables and community structure in the process of vegetation restoration in the Antaibao mining site,China by survey of the communities and use of biological dating methods.By means of the quantitative classification method(two-way indicator-species analysis,TWINSPAN)and the ordination technique(de-trended correspondence analysis,DCA;and de-trended canonical correspondence analysis,DCCA),the plant communities were classified into seven groups:community I,Robinia pseudoacacia+Pimus tabulaeformis-Caragana kor-shinskii-Agropyron cristatum;community II,Robinia pseudoacacia-Hippophae rhamnoides-Artemisia capil-laries;community II,Ulmus pumila-Elaeagmus angu-stifolia-Artemisia capillaries;community IV,Caragana korshinskii-Agropyron cristatum+Artemisia capillaries;community V,Hippophae rhamnoides-Elymus dahur-icus;community VI,Elaeagnus angustifolia+Hippophae rhamnoides-Brassica jucea;community VII,Hippophae rhammoides+Elaeagnus angustifolia-Salsola collina.We conclude that the community types and diversity are mainly influenced by the succession time and the soil organic matter content.The forest community is more adaptable to the special inhabitation than the shrub community.