N-cycle gene abundance determination of N mineralization rate following re-afforestation in the Loess Plateau of China

Afforestation effectively improved soil microbial communities and significantly increased soil nitro-gen mineralization rate(Rm).Soil microorganisms drive Rm by regulating soil N-cycling genes.Soil nitrification genes had a major effect on soil Rm than denitrification genes after afforestation.Assessing the function of forest ecosystems requires an understanding of the mechanism of soil nitrogen mineralization.However,it remains unclear how soil N-cycling genes drive soil nitrogen mineralization during afforestation.In this study,we collected soil samples from a chrono-sequence of 14,20,30,and 45 years of Robinia pseudoacacia L.(RP14,RP20,RP30,and RP45)with a sloped farmland(FL)as a control.Through metagenomic sequencing analysis,we found significant changes in the diversity and composition of soil microbial communities involved in N-cycling along the afforestation time series,with afforestation effectively increasing the diversity(both alpha and beta diversity)of soil microbial communities.We conducted indoor culture experiments and analyzed correlations,which revealed a significant increase in both soil nitrification rate(Rn)and soil nitrogen mineralization rate(Rm)with increasing stand age.Furthermore,we found a strong correlation between soil Rm and soil microbial diversity(both alpha and beta diversity)and with the abundance of soil N-cycling genes.Partial least squares path modeling(PLS-PM)analysis showed that nitrification genes(narH,narY,nxrB,narG,narZ,nxrA,hao,pmoC-amoC)and denitrification genes(norB,nosZ,nirK)had a greater direct effect on soil Rm compared to their effect on soil microbial communities.Our results reveal the relationships between soil nitrogen mineralization rate and soil microbial communities and between the mineralization rate and functional genes involved in N-cycling,in the context of Robinia pseudoacacia L.restoration on the Loess Plateau.This study enriches the understanding of the effects of microorganisms on soil nitrogen mineralization rate during afforestation and provides a new theoretical basis for evaluating soil nitrogen mineralization mechanisms during forest succession.

Spatial distribution and driving factors of sediment net nitrogen mineralization in riparian zone of the Three Gorges Reservoir

Inorganic nitrogen(N)loss through sediment N mineralization is important for eutrophication surrounding riparian zone.Sediment physicochemical properties have been changed at water-level elevation in riparian zone of the Three Gorges Reservoir(TGR)due to differences in hydrological stress and human activity intensity.However,spatial distribution and driving factor of net N mineralization rate(Nmin)and its temperature sensitivity(Q10)based on the changes in sediment physicochemical properties are still unclear at waterlevel elevation in the riparian zone.A total of 132 sediment samples in the riparian zone were collected including 11 transections and 12 water-level elevations on basin scale of the TGR during drying period,to conduct a 28-day incubation at 15℃,22℃,29℃and 36℃.Nmin,total N(TN)and substrate quality(SQ)increased with water-level elevation,while Q10 showed an opposite trend(P<0.001).Results of the structural equation model showed that water-level elevation had direct positive effects on TN and SQ(P<0.01).In addition,TN was the major factor that had a direct positive effect on Nmin,and SQ was the crucial factor that had a direct negative effect on Q10(P<0.001).In conclusion,increases in TN and SQ were major driving factors of Nmin and its Q10 at water-level elevation,respectively,in riparian zone of the TGR during drying period.

High concentration xylene decomposition and diagnostic analysis by non-thermal plasma in a DBD reactor

Dielectric barrier discharge（DBD） is utilized to decompose xylene vapor in mobile gas under normal atmospheric pressure.The plasma is generated by an AC power source with a frequency of 6 kHz.In the experiment,the discharge power on the DBD reactor was calculated by a Lissajous figure,and the specific input energy（SIE） of different discharge voltage or residence time was obtained.The concentrations of xylene,carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide in the gas were analyzed by gas chromatography.The spectra of DBD were diagnosed using a spectrometer.We calculated the conversion rate（CR）,mineralization rate（MR） and carbon dioxide selectivity.The relationship between these quantities and the SIE was analyzed.The experimental results show that high concentration xylene can be decomposed mostly by DBD plasma.The CR can reach as high as 90%with the main product of carbon dioxide.

Province-scale commonalities of some world-class gold deposits:Implications for mineral exploration

Discovery rates for all metals, including gold, are declining, the cost per significant discovery is increasing sharply, and the economic situation of the industry is one of low base rate. The current hierarchical structure of the exploration and mining industry makes this situation difficult to redress. Economic geologists can do little to influence the required changes to the overall structure and philosophy of an industry driven by business rather than geological principles, However, it should be possible to follow the lead of the oil industry and improve the success rate of greenfield exploration, necessary for the next group of lower-exploration-spend significant mineral deposit discoveries. Here we promote the concept that mineral explorers need to carefully consider the scale at which their exploration targets are viewed. It is necessary to carefully assess the potential of drill targets in terms of terrane to province to district scale, rather than deposit scale, where most current economic geology research and conceptual thinking is concentrated. If orogenic, IRGD, Carlin-style and IOCG gold-rich systems are viewed at the deposit scale, they appear quite different in terms of conventionally adop- ted research parameters. However, recent models for these deposit styles show increasingly similar source-region parameters when viewed at the lithosphere scale, suggesting common tectonic settings. It is only by assessing individual targets in their tectonic context that they can be more reliably ranked in terms of potential to provide a significant drill discovery. Targets adjacent to craton margins, other lithosphere boundaries, and suture zones are clearly favoured for all of these gold deposit styles, and such exploration could lead to incidental discovery of major deposits of other metals sited along the same tectonic boundaries.

Fundamental mechanism of effects of MgO on sinter strength

MgO-containing flux may have a series of effects on the quality of sinter and performances of the blast furnace.Thus,the fundamental mechanism of the effects of MgO on the sinter strength was investigated.Both the chemical reagent and industrial flux were used for preparing the specimens.The experimental results show that the sinter strength decreases with MgO addition.There are three reasons for it.The first reason is diffusion rate.Almost all of the CaO may react with Fe2O3 and generate CaO Fe2O3,but most of MgO cannot react with Fe2O3,and it still remains in the state of original minerals.The diffusion rate of MgO in iron oxide is only 17.51μm/min in 30 min.The second reason is the fluidity and ability to generate liquid phase.In the case of Fe2O3 mixed with CaO,there is some liquid phase formed above 1200℃,while in the case of Fe2O3 mixed with MgO,even at 1200 and 1220℃,there is still no liquid phase.The third reason is self-strength.In the case of industrial flux,the compression strength of the specimens made of Fe2O3 and limestone is 0.52 and 0.71 kN at 1150 and 1180℃,respectively,while that of the specimens made of Fe2O3 and magnesite is 0.48 and 0.56 kN,respectively.Therefore,the fundamental mechanism of the effects of MgO additive on sinter strength can be better understood based on the diffusion rate of MgO in iron oxides,the fluidity of liquid phase,and the self-strength of bonding phase.