Variation of nectar production in relation to plant characteristics in protandrous Aconitum gymnandrum

Aims Floral nectar plays a vital role in plant reproductive success by attracting pollinators.Nectar traits of a flower can depend directly on plant characteristics other than environmental factors and exhibit extensive flower-and plant-level variations.studies on nectar traits frequently focused on intraplant variation for dichogamous plants,but few have paid attention to both intra-and interplant nectar variations in relation to plant characteristics.revealing within-and among-plant variation and its relative magnitude is important for our understanding of how pollinator-mediated selection can act on nectar traits and evolution of nectar traits.Methods Through investigating protandrous Aconitum gymnandrum populations at the alpine meadows and Wetland Ecosystems research station of lanzhou university,we examined the relationships between nectar production per flower and plant characteristics(e.g.flower position within inflorescences,flo-ral sexual phases,flowering time,inflorescence size and floral attractive traits).Important Findings A.gymnandrum exhibited a declining gradient in the nectar volume along inflorescences,with more nectar in basal flowers than distal ones.Protandrous flowers of A.gymnandrum did not show gender-biased nectar production while the nectar volume varied with differ-ent stages of floral sexual phases.The significant correlation between the first flowering date of individuals and the mean nectar volume per flower was positive in 2013,but became negative in 2014,sug-gesting complex effects of biotic and abiotic factors.The mean nectar volume per flower was not related to inflorescence size(the num-ber of total flowers per plant).Furthermore,nectar production was weakly associated with floral attractive traits(the petal width and the galea height),even if the effect of flowering time of individuals was removed,suggesting that the honesty of floral traits as signals of nec-tar reward for pollinators is not stable in this species.

Plant Community Characteristics of Trampling Disturbance Kobresia humilis Community along the Road in Naqu,Tibet

The change of plant community character during recovery succession processes of high mountain meadow in Naqu, Tibet, was investigated. The results show that there are 41 plant species in the inventoried quadrates. The high-plants in four big families plays important roles in natural vegetation recovery, while Kobresia play an important role in climax communities. The plant species components changed with each succession stage. The plant species were mainly annual and biennial during the early succession stage, and perennial during the medium; and dominated by Kobresia humilis during the late. Potentilla bifurca and Potentilla tanaletfolia were both found in all stages. The accumulated number of family, genus, and species during the succession process varied quadric with the stages. The main plant community characteristics varied logistically with the succession stages except the height. The community characteristics mainly affected by dominant species which were changed in same rhythms. The biomass under ground was far more than the upground. The plant diversity inflated in the medium stage.

Characteristics of Photosynthetic Fluorescence of Dominant Submerged Plants in Nanjishan Wetland of Poyang Lake in Winter

Based on the investigation of the species and frequency of submerged plants in Nanjishan Wetland of Poyang Lake in the winter of 2013,chlorophyll contents and photosynthetic fluorescence characteristics of the dominant submerged plants were studied using chlorophyll fluorescence imaging method. The results indicate that the major submerged plants of Nanjishan Wetland in Poyang Lake in winter included Hydrilla verticillata,Vallisneria natans,Najas minor,Potamogeton pectinatus,Nymphoides peltatum,Myriophyllum verticillatum and so on,and the dominant species were mainly H. verticillata and V. natans in different submerged plant communities. The chlorophyll content of H. verticillata is higher than that of V.natans,and the photosynthesis intensity of H. verticillata is stronger than that of V. natans. The value of Ca / Cb of H. verticillata is not large,which shows that the light-harvesting capacity of H. verticillata＇s chlorophyll is considerable in different sampling sites. The highest value of QY-max of V.natans is up to 0. 732,while the lowest value is only 0. 465; the highest value of QY-max of H. verticillata is 0. 677,while the lowest value is 0. 556.All values of QY-max of the submerged plants were lower than 0. 8,which shows that the submerged plants in Nanjishan Wetland of Poyang Lake may be subjected to certain external stress,which indicates that the external stress might cause some damage for the PSII reaction centers.

Characteristics of Rice Plant with Heavy Panicle

Using 15 indica rice varieties with different panicle weight, some ideal plant type characteristics in heavy panicle type of hybrid rice （HPT） and their relation to yield and its components were studied. Results showed that the leaf area index （LAI） of the HPT varieties was lower than that of medium panicle type （MPT） and light panicle type （LPT） varieties, but its decreasing rate of LAI and efficient LAI after heading was slower and had much higher percentage of efficient LAI, specific leaf weight, and ratio of grain to leaf area （cm^2） in comparison with the MPT and the LPT varieties. The length, width, thickness, and area of top three leaves of the HPT varieties were significantly larger than those of the MPT and the LPT varieties, and these components of top three leaves were significantly and positively correlated with the number of spikelets and filled grains, grain weight per panicle, and grain yield. The flag leaf in HPT varieties was erect with sorrow leaf angle, and their leaf angle of 2nd and 3rd leaf from top increased in sequence. The plant height of the HPT varieties was higher than that of the MPT and the LPT varieties, and their leaf site of top three leaves also increased in sequence. Therefore, HPT varieties as an ideal plant type could increase the utilization efficiency of sunlight energy. The ideal plant type characteristics and their adjuncts for the HPT varieties are proposed in this article.

Low Doses of Ionized Radiation and Hypomagnetic Field Alter Redox Properties of Water and Physiological Characteristics of Seeds of the Highest Plants

The influence of a 40-fold attenuated geomagnetic field and its combined action with low doses of α- and γ-irradiation on the physiological characteristics of seeds of the highest plants and redox properties of water was investigated. It established the reduction of seed germination both under direct and indirect effects due to water action of attenuated geomagnetic field. A negative effect of hypomagnetic field on grown characteristics of seeds under indirect effect via water was decreased by the low doses of γ-irradiation, and was increased by low doses of α-irradiation, i.e. ionized radiation was the dominant factor in their combined action. It was revealed the increasing of the value of the oxidation-reduction potential of water under the influence of low-intensive α-ir-radiation (239Pu), γ-irradiation (137Cs) and also that the magnetic induction attenuated pointing to a natural decline. The increasing of the oxidation-reduction potential value testifies about “the regular decreasing of internal energy of water molecules” and the increasing of its oxidative properties, which, in our opinion, is caused the inhibition of the germination of seeds. It is supposed that namely water is the main component in the effects of studying factors on bio-objects, which acts due to the alterations of the properties and structural content of water.

A full-scale integrated-bioreactor with two zones treating odours from sludge thickening tank and dewatering house： performance and microbial characteristics

A full-scale integrated-bioreactor consisting of a suspended zone and an immobilized zone was employed to treat the ordours emitted from a wastewater treatment plant. The inlet concentrations of H,S and NH3 were 1.6-38.6 mg.m-3 and 0.1 6.7 mg.m-3 respectively, while the steady-state outlet concentrations were reduced to 0-2.8mg.m - for H2S and 0-0.5mg.m for NH3. BothH2SandNH3 were eliminated effectively by the integrated-bioreactor. The removal efficiencies of H2S and NH3 differed between the two zones. Four species of microorganisms related to the degradation of H2S and NH3 were isolated. The characteristics and distributions of the microbes in the bioreactor depended on the inlet concentration of substrates and the micro-environmental conditions in the individual zones. Product analysis indicated that most of the H2S was oxidized into sulfate in the immobilized zone but was dissolved into the liquid phase in the suspended zone. A large amount of NH3 was converted into nitrate and nitrite by nitration in the suspended zone, whereas only a small amount of NH3 was transferred to the aqueous phase mainly by absorption or chemical neutralization in the immobilized zone. Different microbial populations dominated the individual zones, and the major biodegradation products varied accordingly.

Reducing residues of tetracycline and its resistance genes in soil-maize system and improving plant growth:Selecting the best remediation substance

Tetracycline(TC)and tetracycline resistance genes(TRGs)in plant edible tissues pose a potential risk to the environment and then to human health.This study used a pot experiment to investigate the effects of different remediation substances(worm castings,fungal chaff,microbial inoculum,and biochar)on the physiological characteristics of maize and the residues of TC and TRGs in the soil-maize system under TC stress.The results showed that TC significantly inhibited growth,disrupted the antioxidant defense system balance,and increased proline and malondialdehyde contents of maize plants.Tetracycline residue contents were significantly higher in root than in shoot,and followed the order root>stem-leaf>grain,which was consistent with the distribution of bioconcentration factors in the different organs of maize plants.The TC residue content in the soil under different treatments was 0.013–1.341 mg kg-1.The relative abundances of different antibiotic resistance genes in the soil-maize system varied greatly,and in maize plants followed the order intI1>tetW>tetG>tet B>tetM>tetX>tetO.In the soil,tetX had the highest relative abundance,followed by tetG and tetW.A redundancy analysis(RDA)showed that TC was positively correlated with TRGs.The addition of different remediation substances alleviated the toxicity of TC on maize physiological characteristics and reduced the TC and TRG residues in the soil-maize system,with biochar being the best remediation substance.These results provide new insights into the effect of biochar on the migration of TC and TRGs from soil to plants.

Mercury mass flow in iron and steel production process and its implications for mercury emission control

The iron and steel production process is one of the predominant anthropogenic sources of atmospheric mercury emissions worldwide. In this study, field tests were conducted to study mercury emission characteristics and mass flows at two iron and steel plants in China. It was found that low-sulfur flue gas from sintering machines could contribute up to41% of the total atmospheric mercury emissions, and desulfurization devices could remarkably help reduce the emissions. Coal gas burning accounted for 17%–49% of the total mercury emissions, and therefore the mercury control of coal gas burning, specifically for the power plant burning coal gas to generate electricity, was significantly important. The emissions from limestone and dolomite production and electric furnaces can contribute29.3% and 4.2% of the total mercury emissions from iron and steel production. More attention should be paid to mercury emissions from these two processes. Blast furnace dust accounted for 27%–36% of the total mercury output for the whole iron and steel production process. The recycling of blast furnace dust could greatly increase the atmospheric mercury emissions and should not be conducted. The mercury emission factors for the coke oven,sintering machine and blast furnace were 0.039–0.047 g Hg/ton steel, and for the electric furnace it was 0.021 g Hg/ton steel. The predominant emission species was oxidized mercury, accounting for 59%–73% of total mercury emissions to air.