Community Structure, Diversity, Biomass and Net Production in a Rehabilitated Subtropical Forest in North India

Gangetic alluvial plain in north India constitutes significant proportions of barren sodic lands. A representative site, where afforestation was carried out during 1960s to rehabilitate the site under forest ecosystem, was selected to assess the restoration success. Three stands (S1, S2, and S3) were selected in a semi-natural subtropical forest at Banthra, Lucknow (26°45’ N, 80°53’ E) on the basis of different vegetation morphology and basal area gradient. Species composition and their growth forms were studied in overstory, understory and ground layer vegetation, in which dominants were assorted. Among the dominants few species were common in the three stands as also in different strata, which perhaps indicate their natural regeneration. Classification of individuals among the different size classes indicated ‘L’ shape distribution in which most of the individuals remained confined in younger groups. Biomass increased from the stand S1 to S3 stand in overstory, and vise versa for understory. Stand S2 consisted of predominance of ground layer biomass over the other stands. Biomass allocation in different plant components differed significantly between the overstory and understory for aerial woody components (stem and branch). Annual litter fall did not differ significantly among the stands, where as fine root biomass (up to 45 cm soil depth) decreased from S1 to S3 stands. Rainy and summer seasons contributed to two-third proportion of total annual fine root production. The state of this rehabilitated forest when compared with the degraded and reference forest of the region indicated that structural complexity, biomass and production levels have been achieved to 70% of the reference forest site even after having a different species composition.

Response of microbial biomass and bacterial community composition to fertilization in a salt marsh in China

The effects of nitrogen （N） addition on microbial biomass, bacterial abundance, and community composition in sediment colonized by Suaeda heteroptera were examined by chloroform fumigation extraction method, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis （DGGE） in a salt marsh located in Shuangtai Estuary, China. The sediment samples were collected from plots treated with different amounts of a single N fertilizer （urea supplied at 0.1, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.8 g/kg （nitrogen content in sediment） and different forms of N fertilizers （urea, （NH4）2SO4, and NH4NO3, each supplied at 0.2 g/kg （calculated by nitrogen）. The fertilizers were applied 1-4 times during the plant-growing season in May, luly, August, and September of 2013. Untreated plots were included as a control. The results showed that both the amount and form of N positively influenced microbial biomass carbon, microbial biomass nitrogen, and bacterial abundance. The DGGE profiles revealed that the bacterial community composition was also affected by the amount and form of N. Thus, our findings indicate that short-term N amendment increases microbial biomass and bacterial abundance, and alters the structure of bacterial community.

Urban land-use impacts on composition and spatiotemporal variations in abundance and biomass of earthworm community

Soil fauna can sensitively respond to alterations in soil environment induced by land-use changes.However,little is known about the impact of urban land-use changes on earthworm communities.In this study,three land-use types(i.e.,forest,nursery and abandoned lands)were chosen to identify differences in diversity,abundance and biomass of earthworm community in Kunming City.Urban land-use had a pronounced difference in species composition,evenness and diversity of earthworm communities.Forest land had the highest density,biomass and diversity of the earthworm communities.Total abundance was dominated by endogeic species in nursery land(70%)and abandoned land(80%),whereas in the forest land,the earthworm community comprised epigeic,endogeic and anecic species.Temporal changes in earthworm density and biomass were also significantly affected by land-use change.Total density and biomass of earthworms in the forest and nursery lands were highest in September,but highest in the abandoned land in October.The influence of soil physicochemical properties on the earthworm density and biomass also varied with land-use types.Soil temperature significantly affected earthworm density and biomass in the three land-use types.Soil pH was positively correlated with earthworm biomass in the forest land,but negatively associated with earthworm density in the abandoned land.Soil organic matter was positively correlated only with density and biomass of earthworms in the nursery and abandoned lands.Our results suggest that the species composition,abundance and biomass of earthworm communities can be determined by the modification of soil properties associated with urban land-use type.

Storage of biomass and net primary productivity in desert shrubland of Artemisia ordosica on Ordos Plateau of Inner Mongolia, China

Biomass and net primary productivity （NPP） are two important parameters in determining ecosystem carbon pool and carbon sequestration. The biomass storage and NPP in desert shrubland of Artemisia ordosica on Ordos Plateau were investigated with method of harvesting standard size shrub in the growing season （June-October） of 2006. Results indicated that above- and belowground biomass of the same size shrubs showed no significant variation in the growing season （p〉0.1）, but annual biomass varied significantly （p〈 0.01）. In the A. ordosica community, shrub biomass storage was 699.76-1246.40 g.m^-2 and annual aboveground NPP was 224.09 g-m^-2·a^-1. Moreover, shrub biomass and NPP were closely related with shrub dimensions （cover and height） and could be well predicted by shrub volume using power regression.

Aboveground biomass and net primary production of semi-evergreen tropical forest of Manipur,north-eastern India

The aboveground biomass dynamics and net primary productivity were investigated to assess the productive potential of Dipterocarpus forest in Manipur, Northeast India.Two forest stands(stand I and II) were earmarked randomly in the study site for the evaluation of biomass in the different girth classes of tree species by harvest method.The total biomass was 22.50 t·ha-1 and 18.27 t·ha-1 in forest stand I and II respectively.Annual aboveground net primary production varied from 8.86 to 10.43 t·ha-1 respectively in two forest stands(stand I and II).In the present study, the values of production efficiency and the biomass accumulation ratio indicate that the forest is at succession stage with high productive potential.

Linkages between the biomass of Scomber japonicus and net primary production in the southern East China Sea

Fish biomass is a critical component of fishery stock assessment and management and it is often estimated from ocean primary production（OPP）. However, the relationship between the biomass of a fish stock and OPP is always complicated due to a variety of trophic controls in the ecosystem. In this paper, we examine the quantitative relationship between the biomass of chub mackerel（Scomber japonicus） and net primary production（NPP） in the southern East China Sea（SECS）, using catch and effort data from the Chinese mainland large light-purse seine fishery logbook and NPP derived from remote sensing. We further discuss the mechanisms of trophic control in regulating this relationship. The results show a significant non-linear relationship exists between standardized CPUE（Catch-Per-Unit-Effort） and NPP（P〈0.05）. This relationship can be described by a convex parabolic curve, where the biomass of chub mackerel increases with NPP to a maximum and then decreases when the NPP exceeds this point. The results imply that the ecosystem in the SECS is subject to complex trophic controls. We speculate that the change in abundance of key species at intermediate trophic levels and/or interspecific competition might contribute to this complex relationship.

Regulation of different light conditions for efficient biomass production and protein accumulation of Spirulina platensis

Light plays an important role in the photosynthesis and metabolic process of microalgae.However,how different light conditions regulate the biomass production and protein accumulation of microalgae is mostly unknown.In this study,the influence of different light conditions,including light colors,densities,and light:dark cycles on the cell growth and biochemical composition of Spirulina platensis was symmetrically characterized.Under different colored lights,S.platensis all shows an increase trend within the increased light intensity ranges;however,each showing different optimal light intensities.At the same light intensity,different colored lights show different growth rate of S.platensis following the sequence of red>white>green>yellow>blue.The maximum growth rate and protein accumulation were determined as 21.88 and 5.10 mg/(L·d)when illuminated under red LED.The energy efficiency of different light sources was calculated and ranked as red>white>blue≈green>yellow.Transcriptomic analysis suggests that red light can promote cell growth and protein accumulation by upregulating genes related to photosynthesis,carbon fixation,and C-N metabolism pathways.This study provides a conducive and efficient way to promote biomass production and protein accumulation of S.platensis by regulating light conditions.

Kinetics study on biomass pyrolysis for fuel gas production

Kinetic knowledge is of great importance in achieving good control of the pyrolysis and gasification process and optimising system design. An overall kinetic pyrolysis scheme is therefore addressed here. The ki-netic modelling incorporates the following basic steps: the degradation of the virgin biomass materials into pri-mary products ( tar, gas and semi-char), the decomposition of primary tar into secondary products and the continuous interaction between primary gas and char. The last step is disregarded completely by models in the literature. Analysis and comparison of predicted results from different kinetic schemes and experimental data on our fixed bed pyrolyser yielded very positive evidence to support our kinetic scheme.

Aboveground biomass and net primary production of semi-evergreen tropical forest of Manipur, north-eastern India

The aboveground biomass dynamics and net primary productivity were investigated to assess the productive potential of Diptero- carpus forest in Manipur, Northeast India. Two forest stands （stand Ⅰ and Ⅱ） were earmarked randomly in the study site for the evaluation of biomass in the different girth classes of tree species by harvest method. The total biomass was 22.50 t.ha^-1 and 18.27 t.ha^-1 in forest stand I and II respectively. Annual aboveground net primary production varied from 8.86 to 10.43 t.ha^-1 respectively in two forest stands （stand Ⅰ and Ⅱ）. In the present study, the values of production efficiency and the biomass accumulation ratio indicate that the forest is at succession stage with high productive potential.

Variation patterns of fine root biomass, production and turnover in Chinese forests

China's forests cover 208.3 million ha and span a wide range of climates and a large variety of forest types, including tropical, temperate, and boreal forests. However, the variation patterns of fine root (< 2 mm in diameter) biomass, production, and turnover from the south to the north are unclear. This study summarizes fine root biomass (FRB), production (FRP) and turnover rate (FRT) in China's forests as reported by 140 case studies published from 1983 to 2014. The results showed that the mean values of FRB, FRP and FRT in China's forests were 278 g m(-2), 366 g m(-2) a(-1), and 1.19 a(-1), respectively. Compared with other studies at the regional or global scales, FRB in China's forests was lower, FRP was similar to estimates at the global scale, but FRT was much higher. FRB, FRP, and FRT in China's forests increased with increasing mean annual precipitation (MAP), indicating that fine root variables were likely related to MAP, rather than mean annual temperature or latitude. This is possibly due to the small variation in temperature but greater variation in precipitation during the growing season. These findings suggest that spatiotemporal variation in precipitation has a more profound impact on fine root dynamics in China's forests, and this will impact carbon and nutrient cycles driven by root turnover in the future.

Influence of fly ash and sewage sludge application on wheat biomass production,nutrients availability,and soil properties

The influence of fly ash(FA)applied alone and/or with sewage sludge(SS)on wheat(Triticum vulgare)grain yield,biomass production and soil properties was studied in a field experiment.The results showed that both FA and SS significantly increased grain yield and plant biomass.FA applied alone increased significantly soil pH and EC while FA applied together with SS did not significantly affect them compared to mono FA treatment.Soil pH and EC values increased with time in FA and FA-SS treatments.SS increased soil organic matter and total N content and SS applied together with FA increased also available soil B.From the plant nutrients tested only tissue N concentration was increased significantly in all treatments compared to control.Copper,Zn,Mn,Ni,and Pb at both available and total concentrations are significantly affected.

Techno-Economic Analysis of Power Production by Using Waste Biomass Gasification

Energy recovery from waste biomass can have significant impacts on the most pressing development challenges of rural poverty and environmental damages. In this paper, a techno-economic analysis is carried out for electricity generation by using timber and wood waste (T & WW) gasification in Iceland. Different expenses were considered, like capital, installation, engineering, operation and maintenance costs and the interest rate of the investment. Regarding to revenues, they come from of the electricity sale and the fee paid by the Icelandic municipalities for waste collection and disposal. The economic feasibility was conducted based on the economic indicators of net present value (NPV) and discounted payback period (DPP), bringing together three different subgroups based on gasifier capacities, subgroup a: 50 kW, subgroup b: 100 kW and subgroup c: 200 kW. The results show that total cost increases as the implemented power is increased. This indicator varies from 1228.6 k€ for subgroups a to 1334.7 k€ for subgroups b and 1479.5 k€ for subgroups c. It is worth mentioning that NPV is positive for three subgroups and it grows as gasifier scale is extended. NPV is about 122 k€ (111,020 $), 1824 k€ (1,659,840 $) and 4392 k€ (3,996,720 $) for subgroups a, b and c, respectively. Moreover, DPP has an inversely proportional to the installed capacity. It is around 5.5 years (subgroups a), 9.5 months (subgroups b) and 6 months (subgroups c). The obtained results confirm that using small scale waste biomass gasification integrated with power generation could be techno-economically feasible for remote area in Iceland.

Water yield and biomass production for on a eucalypt-dominated Mediterranean catchment under different climate scenarios

Worldwide,forests are vital in the regulation of the water cycle regulation and in water balance allocation.Knowledge of ecohydrological responses of production forests is essential to support management strategies,especially where water is already scarce.Shifting climatological patterns are expected to impact thermopluviometric regimes,water cycle components,hydrological responses,and plant physiology,evapotranspiration rates,crop productivity and land management operations.This work(1)assessed the impacts of different predicted climate conditions on water yield;(2)inferred the impacts of climate change on biomass production on eucalypt-to-eucalypt succes sion.To this end,the widely accepted Soil and Water Assessment Tool(SWAT)was run with the RCA,HIRHAM5 and RACMO climate models for two emission scenarios(RCP 4.5 and8.5).Three 12-year periods were considered to simulate tree growth under coppice regime.The results revealed an overall reduction in streamflow and water yield in the catchment in line with the projected reduction in total annual precipitation.Moreover,HIRHAM5 and RACMO models forecast a slight shift in seasonal streamflow of up to 2 months(for2024-2048)in line with the projected increase in precipitation from May to September.For biomass production,the extreme climate model(RCA)and severe emis sion scenario(RCP 8.5)predicted a decrease up to 46%.However,in the less extreme and more-correlated(with actual catchment climate conditions)climate models(RACMO and HIRHAM5)and in the less extreme emission scenario(RCP 4.5),biomass production increased(up to 20%),and the growth cycle was slightly reduced.SWAT was proven to be a valuable tool to assess climate change impacts on a eucalypt-dominated catchment and is a suitable decision-support tool for forest managers.

Biomass and Community Structure of Epilithic Biofilm on the Yellow and East Coasts of Korea

Spatial biomass variation and community structure of epilithic biofilms were examined using cell counts, chlorophyll a extraction, and remote-sensing techniques. Samples were collected at two levels of wave exposure along the Yellow and East Coasts of Korea in December 2010. Cyanobacteria were dominant, occupying about 88% of biofilm, irrespective of wave exposure levels. The cyanobacteria species, Aphanotece spp. was abundant in the Yellow Coast location and Lyngbya spp. was abundant in the East coast location. The representative diatoms were Navicula spp. and Achnanthes spp. on the rocky shores of all study sites. Average Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was significantly greater in the Yellow Coast (mean 0.46) than that in the East Coast (mean 0.21);a similar pattern was observed in Vegetation Index (VI). Chlorophyll a content was three times greater on the Yellow Coast (20.50 μg/cm2) than that on the East Coast (8.21 μg/cm2), and it was greater at the Gosapo and Bangpo shore sites than that at the Gyeokpo site, on the Yellow Coast. However, chlorophyll a contents were not different between 23.33 and 17.66 μg/cm2 at exposed- and sheltered-shores of Yellow Coast, and were 9.62 μg/cm2 and 6.80 μg/cm2 on the East Coast. Vegetation indices were positively correlated with chlorophyll a contents. In conclusion, biofilm of Korean upper rocky shore was mainly composed of cyanobacteria and biofilm biomass that differed between the Yellow and East Coast.

Mitigating the Environmental Effects of Oil and Gas Exploitation: Issues of Compliance, Cost of Production, and Community Awareness

This study assessed the effectiveness of mitigation measures adopted to address the environmental effects of oil and gas industries from the perspective of compliance, cost of production, and community awareness. The research applied a case study through multi-method-qualitative and quantitative approaches. The target population of 547,368 people involved people in Takoradi, Shama and Newtown communities. A sample size of 150 was selected and categorised under 36% for Shama, 30% for Newtown and 34% for Takoradi. A combination of probability (simple random) and non-probability (cluster and convenience) sampling frames were used to access the respondents for the study. Data collection tools were limited to questionnaires and interview sessions. The descriptive statistics, Relative Importance Index (RII) and significance testing using a one-sample t-test module guided the analysis. Interview sessions were compiled into transcripts and later categorized into themes that directly reflected the patterns of the questions on the questionnaire. The conclusion rated major decisions in mitigating oil and gas impacts on the environment as first for conscious effort to package fuel and other chemicals in safe storages, followed by the use of best road systems to reduce the risk of accidents, then application of strict rules and regulations to curb impacts and lastly capacity building for participants in the oil and gas production industry. While significant measures have been adopted to mitigate the effects of oil and gas exploration, there remain challenges with effectiveness as a result of weakness in community involvement efforts, lack of motivation, weak laws and regulations and loss of respect. For effectiveness in reducing the challenges to mitigate the environmental impacts of the oil and gas production activity, policymakers, as well as the practitioners in the oil production industry, are advised to motivate people into buying into their policy to reduce such impacts.

Bamboo Biomass for Bioenergy Production in Mauritius

Bamboo, globally renowned as being one of the fastest-growing plants in the world with versatile applications, has gained increasing attention during the past decades. It is being used by millions of people around the globe as a biomass resource for energy production, as timber for furniture making, in the food industry and many more. So far, on the Island of Mauritius, little to no consideration has been given to this fascinating plant. This paper presents the physical and chemical properties of two species of bamboo—Bambusia vulgaris and Bambusia bambos, compared to sugarcane bagasse for bio-energy production. Ten samples of each species were tested for gross calorific value (GCV), moisture, ash and chloride content. The results show that both species have a very good potential for energy recovery with a GCV of 16.77 MJ/kg for Bambusia vulgaris and 17.44 MJ/kg for Bambusia bambos, and are valuable sources of biomass with an average energetic yield of 717.8 GJ/ha/yr and 1587.1 GJ/ha/yr respectively. In comparison, the GCV for sugarcane bagasse was found to be 18.33 MJ/kg with an energetic yield of 824.9 GJ/ha/yr. Simultaneously, a research survey on community acceptance and perception of the Mauritian citizens towards the utilisation of bamboo biomass as an alternative to fossil fuels for bio-energy production was conducted via semi-structured questionnaires. The questionnaires were administered to a total of 54 respondents. 3 women and 3 men were randomly interviewed in each of the 9 districts of the island. The results show that the participants are very much aware of the many issues related to the exploitation of fossil fuels and support the use and implementation of renewable sources of energy for bio-energy production. Eighty percent of the participants supported the implementation of bamboo biomass in the overall energy generation mix in a bold move to lessen their ecological footprint.

Dominance by an obligate annual affects the morphological characteristics and biomass production of a planted wetland macrophyte community

Aims Biodiversity-ecosystem function experiments can test for causal relationships between planting diversity and community productivity.Planting diversity is routinely introduced as a design element in created wetlands,yet substantive support for the finding that early diversity positively affects ecosystem functioning is lacking for wetlands.We conducted a 2-year diversity-productivity experiment using freshwater wetland mesocosms to investigate community biomass production as affected by planted macrophyte functional richness.Methods A richness gradient of macrophytes in four emergent wetland plant functional groups was established in freshwater mesocosms for two consecutive years.Species-specific aboveground morphological traits of plant size were measured at peak growth in both years;rooting depth was measured for each species in the second year.Aboveground biomass(AGB)and belowground biomass(BGB)were harvested after peak growth in the second year;first year AGB was estimated from morphological traits in constructed regression equations.Net richness effects(i.e.both complementarity effects and selection effects)were calculated using an additive partitioning method.Important Findings Species richness had a positive effect on community AGB relative to monocultures in the first year.In the second year,mean AGB was significantly reduced by competition in the most species-rich mixtures and all mixtures underyielded relative to the average monoculture.Competition for soil resources was weaker belowground,whereby root distribution at depths>20cm was reduced at the highest richness levels but overall BGB production was not affected.Changes in species biomass were strongly reflected by variation in species morphological traits,and species above and belowground performances were highly correlated.The obligate annual(Eleocharis obtusa),a dominant competitor,significantly contributed to the depression of perennial species’growth in the second growing season.To foster primary productivity with macrophyte richness in early successional communities of created wetlands where ruderal strategies are favored and competition may be stronger than species complementarity,unsystematic planting designs such as clustering the same or similar species could provide protection for some individuals.Additionally,engineering design elements fostering spatial or temporal environmental variability(e.g.microtopography)in newly created wetlands helps diversify the responses of wetland macrophyte species to their environment and could allow for greater complementarity in biomass production.

Science Letters:Culture of Spirulina platensis in human urine for biomass production and O_2 evolution

Attempts were made to culture Spirulina platensis in human urine directly to achieve biomass production and O2 evolution, for potential application to nutrient regeneration and air revitalization in life support system. The culture results showed that Spirulinaplatensis grows successfully in diluted human urine, and yields maximal biomass at urine dilution ratios of 140-240. Accumulation of lipid and decreasing of protein occurred due to N deficiency. O2 release rate of Spirulina platensis in diluted human urine was higher than that in Zarrouk medium.

Size structure of biomass and primary production of phytoplankton：environmental impact analysis in the Dongsha natural gas hydrate zone, northern South China Sea

The size-fractionated biomass and primary production of phytoplankton, and the influence of environmental factors on it were studied in the Dongsha natural gas hydrate zone of the northern South China Sea in May 2013.Low nutrient, low chlorophyll a（Chl a） and primary productivity characteristics were found in these waters. The phenomena of subsurface Chl a maximum layers（SCMLs） and primary production maximum layers（SPMLs）were observed in the Dongsha waters. There were significant differences in the size-fractionated biomass and primary production that showed picophytoplankton〉nanophytoplankton〉microphytoplankton in terms of biomass and degree of contribution to production. Vertical biomass distribution indicated there were considerable differences among different phytoplankton within the euphotic zone（Zeu） in spring. For example,microphytoplankton was distributed evenly in the euphotic layer and nanophytoplankton was mainly distributed in the subsurface or in the middle of the euphotic layer, while picophytoplankton was mainly distributed in the middle or bottom of the euphotic layer. Smaller cell size and larger relative surface area allow picophytoplankton to benefit from nutrient competition and to hold a dominant position in the tropical oligotrophic waters of low latitudes. There was a positive correlation between size-fractionated biomass and temperature with pH and a negative correlation between size-fractionated biomass and silicate with phosphate. There was a positive correlation between size-fractionated primary production and temperature and a negative correlation between size-fractionated biomass and salinity with phosphate. Phosphate was an important factor influencing the size structure of phytoplankton. Meanwhile, irradiation and the euphotic layer were more important in regulating the vertical distribution of size-fractionated phytoplankton in the Dongsha natural gas hydrate zone.

The importance of proleptic branch traits in biomass production of poplar in high-density plantations

Branch phenotypic traits determine tree crown architecture,which in turn governs leaf display,light interception,and biomass production.Sylleptic and proleptic branches are the obviously different branch phenotypes in the poplar crown.Many studies have focused on the influence of sylleptic branch numbers(SBN)on biomass production,but the research on the influence of proleptic branch phenotypes was only a few.To explore the relationship between proleptic branch traits and biomass generation production in a high-density poplar plantation,we investigated the branch phenotypic traits of three poplar genotypes,all of which have high survival rates in forests(>95%)and significantly different crown architecture and biomass performance in the high-density plantations(1667 stems ha−1).The plantation site was established in 2007.A terrestrial laser scanner was used to measure branch characteristics such as length,angle of origin and termination,and azi-muth angle.A hierarchical cluster analysis performed on branch characteristics showed that SBN,crown depth,and proleptic branch curvature(PBC)were clustered with bio-mass production and leaf area index(LAI).Among all of the monitored traits,PBC played the second most important role in biomass production after SBN and was significantly correlated with SBN,LAI,and biomass production.The positive correlation between PBC and SBN indicated that a larger PBC was associated with more sylleptic branches within the monitored genotypes planted in the high-density plantation,providing greater leaf area and biomass produc-tion.The results of this study will improve the identification of high-production poplar varieties for cultivation in high-density plantations for biofuel production.