Vegetation C–N–P accumulation and allocation patterns at the community level in early restored plantations in the loess hilly-gully region

Accumulation of vegetation biomass is a crucial process for carbon fixation in the early stage of afforestation and a primary driving force for subsequent ecological functions.Accurately assessing the storage and allocation of elements in plantations is essential for their management and estimating carbon sink capacity.However,current knowledge of the storage and allocation patterns of elements within plant organs at the community level is limited.To clarify the distribution patterns of elements in plant organs at the community level,we measured the biomass within plant organs of five typical plantations in the early stage of afforestation in the loess hilly-gully region.We assessed the main drivers of element accumulation and distribution by employing redundancy analysis and random forest.Results revealed significant differences in biomass storages among plantations and a significant effect of plantation type on the storages of elements within plant organs.Furthermore,the dominant factors influencing C–N–P storage and allocation at the community level were found to be inconsistent.While the storage of elements was mainly influenced by stand openness,total soil nitrogen,and plant diversity,the allocation of elements in organs was mainly influenced by stand openness and soil water content.Overall,the spatial structure of the community had an important influence on both element storage and allocation,but soil conditions played a more important role in element allocation than in storage.Random forest results showed that at the community level,factors influencing element storage and allocation within plant organs often differed.The regulation of elemental storage could be regulated by the major growth demand resources,while the allocation was regulated by other limiting class factors,which often differed from those that had a significant effect on element storage.The differences in plant organ elemental storage and allocation drivers at the community level reflect community adaptation strategies and the regulation of resources by ecosystems in combination with plants.Our study provides valuable insights for enhancing plantation C sink estimates and serves as a reference for regulating element storage and allocation at the local scale.

Uptake and translocation of organic pollutants in plants:A review

Organic pollutants, such as polychlorinated dJbenzo-p-dioxins and polychlofinated dibenzofurans （PCDD/Fs）, polychlodnated biphenyls （PCBs）, antibiotics, herbicides, and bisphenol A （BPA）, are commonly found in agricultural environments. They are released into the environment as a result of their use for human health purposes and farm management activities, and are often discharged as waste-water effluents. Most of these organic pollutants are taken up by plants through roots and leaves, and when they enter the tissue, they cause serious damage to the plants. Although the toxicity of organic pollutants to plants, especially to plant cells, has been intensively studied, a systematic review of these studies is lacking. Here we review researches on the toxicity of organic pollutants, their uptake, and translocation in plants. Our objective is to assemble existing knowledge concerning the interaction of organic pollutants with plants, which should be useful for the development of plant-based systems for removing pollutants from aquatic and agricultural environments.

Key Organic Acids in Indigenous Plants in Thailand

Organic acids had various health benefits such as citric acid can inhibit stone formation and break up beginning of small kidney stone. On the other hand, some organic acid showed negative health effects such as oxalic acid acts as anti-nutrients and can cause kidney stone. Most of Thai indigenous plants had sour taste;however general people believed that sour taste of plants could contain high ascorbic acid. In addition, there is limit report of organic acids and ascorbic acid in Thai indigenous plants. This study determined organic acids, ascorbic acid, pH, and total acidity in indigenous plants. Forty samples of 29 types of indigenous plants were analyzed. Results showed that young leaves of Cratoxylum formosum found the highest succinic acid (2454 ± 91 mg/100g fresh weight, FW) and high ascorbic acid (142 ± 35 mg/100g FW). Fruits of Antidesma ghaesembilla had high citric acid levels (5161 ± 109 mg/100g FW) but contained very low ascorbic acid (2 mg/100g FW). The sum of organic acids had significant and inverse correlations with pH (r = -0.680) and positive with total acidity (r = 0.672) but was not significantly correlated for ascorbic acid (r = 0.536). The sour taste of plants could derive from the sum of organic, citric, and formic acids, but not other organic and ascorbic acids. Against traditional belief, plants having a strong sour taste may not contain significantly high amounts of ascorbic acid.

Treated results study on organic substance and ammonia from coke plant wastewater by SBR method in different operating mode and aeration time conditions

In this paper, a research was made on the treatment of distillation ammonia wastewater from Tai'an Coke-Plant by SBR(sequencing batch reactors). The feasibility and cost effectiveness was tested. Performance of SBR process treating organic substance and ammonia was presented for different operating pattern and aeration time. The mechanism of the simultaneous nitrification and denitrification from coke plant were analysed on SBR process.

Decomposition of Organic Compounds in Coke Plant Wastewater by Ultrasonic Irradiation and Its Combined Process

The paper deals with the degradation of the organic compounds in the coke plant wastewater by the combined process of ultrasonic irradiation and activated sludge. The influence factors of the ultrasonic degradation effect such as air atmosphere, initial concentration, ultrasonic power density and the category and consumption of catalyst were investigated. A water quality model was used to explain the degradation of different kinds of organic compounds in the coke plant wastewater by ultrasonic irradiation. After the wastewater was treated by the combined process of ultrasonic irradiation and activated sludge, the COD degradation efficiency was 95.74%, which is 63.49% higher than that by the process of activated sludge alone.

Distribution of Crystal Organic Fertilizer-N in Soil-plant System

The distribution of crystal organic fertilizer, urea and compound fertilizer-N in soil and plant system was researched with 15N-trace under tobacco pot experiment. The results showed that the leaf yield of tobacco used crystal organic fertilizer was 23.1% and 14.6% higher than that of urea and compound fertilizer treatments respectively. Compound fertilizer also resulted in higher yield of 8.5 % comparing with the urea treatment. Nitrogen content of the plant from the crystal organic fertilizer treatment was 138. 6% and 145.7% as high as that of the compound fertilizer and urea treatments respectively. The absorbed N from the organic fertilizer was 25.1% and 27.9% more than that from the compound fertilizer and urea respectively. However, the absorbed N from the soil with the organic fertilizer was 47.4% and 58.3% more than that with compound fertilizer and urea respectively. The N use efficiency of the organic fertilizer was 9.4% and 10.1% higher than that of the compound fertilizer and urea. It indicated that the crystal organic fertilizer not only had high N use efficiency, but also stimulated tobacco taking up more N from soil.

Effects of Plant-derived Humic Acid Organic Fertilizer on Selenium Content of Rice in Northern Guangxi

This study was to find out the suitable application amount of plant-derived humic acid organic fertilizer for selenium-rich rice production in northern Guilin area by applying the fertilizer at different amounts.The results showed that plant-derived humic acid organic fertilizer could effectively activate selenium in selenium-rich soil,and then promote the uptake of selenium by rice.With costs,selenium enrichment and rice yield as the main evaluation indicators,A4 was chosen as the best treatment,that is,the application of 4 500 kg/hm^2 of plant-derived humic acid organic fertilizer as base fertilizer could achieve the best benefit.

The Relationship Between Plant Community Characteristics and Soil Organic Matter Content of Sedentary Grazing Pastures in a Typical Steppe

In order to discuss the relationship between the characteristics of plant communities and the content of topsoil organic matter under the condition of two-season sedentary grazing, authors of this paper selected a Stipa krylovii steppe for research and studied the plant community characteristics and the topsoil organic matter content. The results showed that in the sedentary grazing area, the perennial plant species decreased, the annual plant species increased, and the topsoil organic matter content decreased. There were a negative correlation between plant biomass and topsoil organic matter content, and a positive correlation between total coverage and topsoil organic matter content. The change of plant community characteristics in the sedentary grazing area was related to the implementation of the system of transferring the pasture use rights to the herdsmen and controlled grazing.

Differential volatile organic compounds in royal jelly associated with different nectar plants

The aim of this work was to distinguish volatile organic compound（VOC） profiles of royal jelly（RJ） from different nectar plants. Headspace solid-phase microextraction（HS-SPME） was used to extract VOCs from raw RJ harvested from 10 nectar plants in flowering seasons. Qualitative and semi-quantitative analysis of VOCs extracts were performed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry（GC-MS）. Results showed that VOC profiles of RJ from the samples were rich in acid, ester and aldehyde compound classes, however, contents of them were differential, exemplified by the data from acetic acid, benzoic acid methyl ester, hexanoic acid and octanoic acid. As a conclusion, these four VOCs can be used for distinguishing RJ harvested in the seasons of different nectar plants.

Impact of Plant-Based Antimicrobial Washes on Sensory Properties of Organic Leafy Greens

The objective was to study the sensory attributes of organic leafy greens treated with plant antimicrobials and identify treatments most accepted by panelists. Organic leafy greens were washed with antimicrobials and stored at 4°C for 24 h prior to serving panelists. Antimicrobials evaluated include: 0.1% clove bud, lemongrass, oregano, or cinnamon essential oils;0.1% carvacrol or citral;3% grapeseed, apple, or 10%/7% olive extract;combination of essential oils with extracts;3% hydrogen peroxide;and untreated control. A randomized block design with an affective test was used and 60 panelists were asked to evaluate samples for preference liking based on a 9-point hedonic scale and for sensory attributes based on a 5-point hedonic scale. Changes in texture and color of leafy greens were measured using a Texture analyzer and a Chroma Meter, respectively. On the basis of preference liking, overall acceptability of spinach and lettuce treated with 0.1% cinnamon oil was ranked the highest (7.5 ± 1.4 and 7.1 ± 1.7, moderately liked), respectively. For texture analysis, washing iceberg lettuce with 0.1% oregano oil + 10% olive extract and spinach with 0.1% lemongrass oil + 1% apple extract yielded the highest firmness values of F = 783.1 ± 53.8 Newtons and 939.30 ± 35.2 Newtons, respectively. Based on the International Commission on Illumination CIE LAB color schemes, treatment with 0.1% oregano oil + 10% olive extract had the greatest impact on color of iceberg lettuce with the lowest L value* (44.5 ± 6.2) indicating the darkest color. These results will help identify plant antimicrobials that have the least impact on sensory properties of organic leafy greens and are preferred by consumers.

Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria Enhance the Efficiency of the Combination of Organic and Chemical Fertilisers in Sugarcane

Modern agricultural practices involve the extensive use of chemical fertilisers to increase productivity. However less than half of the applied chemical fertiliser nitrogen is used by the target crops, and much of the remaining pollutes air and waterways. Farming systems that sustain productivity while reducing the negative effect on the environment are crucially needed. One avenue is to use plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) as bio-fertiliser to reduce the dependency on chemical fertiliser. The potential of PGPR to improve the efficiency of the combination of organic and chemical fertilisers has recently been proposed. Here, we demonstrate that this combination benefits sugarcane grown in field conditions.

Organic Ginger (<i>Zingiber officinale</i>Rosc.) Development in a Short Temperate Growing Season: Effect of Seedling Transplant Type and Mycorrhiza Application

Global warming and consumer demand for medicinal plants present an opportunity to introduce ginger growth to the US Delmarva Peninsula. High tunnel and field studies were conducted to assess the development of organic ginger (Zingiber officinalis, Rosc) seedling transplants in mycorrhiza-amended soil. Transplant types were tissue culture derived with less than three tillers (TCS1), three or more tillers (TCS2), and nontissue culture derived (NTCS1). Transplants were grown with or without mycorrhiza (2.8 g per plant) in a split plot design with soil amendments as main plot and transplant type as subplot. Data were collected for air temperatures, plant height, tiller number, leaf chlorophyll index (LCI), rhizome fresh weight, plant biomass, rhizome nutrients, and levels of As and Pb. TCS2 transplants produced significantly higher, or trended to higher rhizome yield than transplants with less than three tillers, except for year two field study. The maximum rhizome fresh weight per plant was 648.3 g for TCS2 in high tunnel in year one. Generally, TCS2 had most tillers throughout the growing season ranging from 6.9 to 25.7 tillers per plant over three studies. Mycorrhiza had no effect on ginger height, tiller number, LCI or rhizome yield. Sustained high temperatures above 37°C, plus high light in the field caused dieback and stunted shoot growth in year two. There were no consistent effects of mycorrhiza or transplant type on rhizome nutrient content. Content of total Pb, As and other elements were at safe threshold levels for rhizome consumption. These results suggest that gingers grown from TCS2 transplants with at least three tillers yielded more rhizome than those grown from S1 transplants with fewer tillers. Introduction of ginger to a short season region such as the Delmarva may require consideration of environmental condition such as high temperature and light to which seedling transplants may be exposed in summer.

Demonstration of Pilot Scale Large Aperture Parabolic Trough Organic Rankine Cycle Solar Thermal Power Plant in Louisiana

During the calendar year of 2012 the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in conjunction with CLECO Power LLC (CLECO) has constructed and commissioned a pilot scale parabolic trough solar thermal power plant for the first time in Louisiana. The large aperture trough (LAT) solar collectors were provided by Gossamer Space Frames and are coupled with an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) power block provided by ElectraTherm, Inc. for study of the feasibility of cost-effective commercial scale solar thermal power production in Louisiana. Supported by CLECO and providing power to the existing CLECO grid, the implementation of state-of-the-industry collector frames, mirrors, trackers, and ORC power block is studied under various local weather conditions which present varied operating regimes from existing solar thermal installations. The solar collectors provide a design output of 650 kWth and preliminary actual performance data from the system level is presented. The optimal size, configuration and location for such a plant in the given solar resource region are being studied in conjunction with CLECO’s search for optimal renewable energy solutions for the region. The pilot scale size of the facility and implementation of the simpler ORC allow remote operation of the facility and flexibility in operating parameters for optimization studies. The construction of the facility was supported by the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Department of Energy, and CLECO. The continued operation of the plant is supported by CLECO Power LLC and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

陕北中部黄土区不同种植年限水稻田有机碳矿化对温度的响应

为了探讨陕北中部黄土区不同种植年限水稻田有机碳矿化对温度的响应,以陕北南泥湾水稻种植基地不同种植年限(3、30、78 a)的稻田土壤为研究对象,基于室内35 d培养试验与矿化动态模型研究方法,解析温度对土壤有机碳矿化的影响。结果表明:土壤有机碳累积矿化量和矿化速率均表现为78 a水稻田>30 a水稻田>3 a水稻田>玉米田。土壤累积矿化量、矿化速率、潜在可矿化有机碳含量(C 0)和潜在可矿化有机碳占总有机碳的比值(C 0/SOC)均表现为30℃处理>20℃处理>10℃处理。水稻田矿化累积量均表现为10℃处理(2015.14 mg·kg^(-1))显著低于20℃(2799.20 mg·kg^(-1))和30℃处理(3078.47 mg·kg^(-1))(P<0.05),但20℃与30℃处理之间无显著差异。玉米田累积矿化量在不同培养温度间没有达到显著差异水平。0~20 cm土层累积矿化量是20~40 cm土层的1.18倍。供试土壤在温度从10℃升高到20℃时的温度系数(Q 10)值(1.38)均高于从20℃升高到30℃时的Q 10值(1.14),土层间的Q 10值大小关系为0~20 cm>20~40 cm。潜在可矿化有机碳含量C 0与总有机碳、易氧化有机碳及溶解性有机碳含量之间均呈正相关关系,C 0与微生物生物量碳含量间呈正相关关系但未能达到显著水平。C 0/SOC随水稻种植年限的增加而降低,说明土壤有机碳的固存能力随水稻种植年限的增加而增强。

祁连山草地生态系统优势物种生长季的生态化学计量特征

植物生态化学计量是许多过程模型的重要参数,为了解高海拔地区优势物种的生态化学计量特征及其与土壤养分的关系,本文测定祁连山高寒草地生态系统5种优势物种叶片和根系的生态化学计量,分析了其与根际土壤养分的关系。结果表明:随着生长季推移,优势物种叶片总有机碳(Total organic carbon, TOC)含量相对稳定,全氮(Total nitrogen, TN)含量下降,而C∶N和C∶P则增加;大部分物候期下,青藏大戟(Euphorbia altotibetica Paulsen)的TN和全磷(Total phosphorus, TP)含量高于其他优势物种,且C∶N和C∶P低于其他优势物种,而垂穗披碱草(Elymus nutans Griseb.)的TN含量低于其他优势物种,且N∶P和C∶P高于其他优势物种;祁连山地区植物生态化学计量受到土壤化学计量的影响,植物生长主要受到N元素的限制。研究结果为相关植被模型和陆面过程模型的参数化提供了重要的基础数据。