Impacts of environmental conditions on woody plant diversity,structure and regeneration in forest patches of Guna Mountain:Este District,South Gondar Zone,Ethiopia

Environmental conditions determine woody plant life such as species diversity,structure and regeneration status.This research aimed to assess the impact of environmental conditions on woody plant species diversity,structure and regeneration in forest patches of Guna Mountain:the case of Este District,South Gondar Zone,north-west Ethiopia.A total of 71 square sample plots(400 m~2 each) were established at 10 transects laid in five forest patches of the study area to collect vegetation data including the abundance of species,height and diameter at breast height(DBH).Environmental data including available potassium,available phosphorus,cation exchange capacity,soil texture,electrical conductivity,soil acidity,total nitrogen,organic matter,organic carbon,sodium adsorption ratio,exchangeable sodium percentage,bulk density,aspect,elevation,slope,latitude and longitude data were collected in the same plots.A correlation analysis between vegetation and environmental data was performed using rcorr(x) function in package Hmisc in R Programming Language.The most pronounced impacts were observed in altitude,grazing and pH,positively and silt,sand,electrical conductivity and cation exchange capacity,negatively.In addition,strong and significant impacts on plant structure were also observed due to the variation in soil texture and p H.The difference in aspect,sand and slope also impacted plant regeneration.The study showed that environmental parameters influence the diversity,structure and regeneration of woody plants.These parameters can be considered in the rehabilitation of the vegetation cover and conservation efforts of the rare woody species.Conservation measures that can minimalize the negative influences of environmental conditions can be applied through collaboration with communities around the forest patches.

A Full-Scale Optimization of a Crop Spatial Planting Structure and its Associated Effects

Driven by the concept of agricultural sustainable development,crop planting structure optimization(CPSO)has become an effective measure to reduce regional crop water demand,ensure food security,and protect the environment.However,traditional optimization of crop planting structures often ignores the impact on regional food supply–demand relations and interprovincial food trading.Therefore,using a system analysis concept and taking virtual water output as the connecting point,this study proposes a theoretical CPSO framework based on a multi-aspect and full-scale evaluation index system.To this end,a water footprint(WF)simulation module denoted as soil and water assessment tool–water footprint(SWAT-WF)is constructed to simulate the amount and components of regional crop WFs.A multi-objective spatial CPSO model with the objectives of maximizing the regional economic water productivity(EWP),minimizing the blue water dependency(BWFrate),and minimizing the grey water footprint(GWFgrey)is established to achieve an optimal planting layout.Considering various benefits,a fullscale evaluation index system based on region,province,and country scales is constructed.Through an entropy weight technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution(TOPSIS)comprehensive evaluation model,the optimal plan is selected from a variety of CPSO plans.The proposed framework is then verified through a case study of the upper–middle reaches of the Heihe River Basin in Gansu province,China.By combining the theory of virtual water trading with system analysis,the optimal planting structure is found.While sacrificing reasonable regional economic benefits,the optimization of the planting structure significantly improves the regional water resource benefits and ecological benefits at different scales.

Community Structure and Diversity of Ground Cover Plants in Tianjin Binhai International Airport

By using quadrat sampling method, the community structure and diversity of ground cover plants in the flight area in Tianjin Binhai International Airport were investigated from spring to autumn in 2015. The results showed that 58 plant species were recorded at the airport, belonging to 18 families and 48 genera. Dominant plant species showed seasonal characteristics. Specifically, lxeri chinensis （ Thunb. ） Nakai and Lagopsis supina （ Steph. ） Ik. -Gal. ex Knorr. were the dominant species in spring; Lagopsis supina, Cirsium setosum （Willd.） MB, Plantago asiatica L. , Cynanchum chinense R. Br. and Humulus scandens （I_our.） Merr. were the dominant species in summer; Chloris virgata Sw. and Eleusine indica （L.） Gaertn. were the dominant species in autumn. Quantitative characteris- tics of the dominant species, including the density, frequency, coverage and height, varied in different seasons. In different seasons, changes in the diversity of plant communities in three sampling points were analyzed. The results indicated that plant communities in summer exhibited the highest diversity and the most uni- form distribution. This study provided a theoretical basis for avoidance of bird strike in Tianjin Binhai International Airport.

Synthesis,Crystal Structure and Plant Growth Regulatory Activity of 1-(3-Amino-[1,2,4]triazol-1-yl)-3,3-dimethyl-butan-2-one

The title compound 1-（3-amino-[1,2,4]triazol-1-yl）-3,3-dimethyl-butan-2-one（3） was synthesized by Hofmann-alkylation reaction of 1-chloro-3,3-dimethyl-butan-2-one（1） and ~1H-[1,2,4]triazol-3-ylamine（2） with equal amount of K_2CO_3 as acid acceptor. The structure of compound 3 was characterized by ~1H NMR, 13 C NMR, HRMS and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The compound crystallizes in the monoclinic system, space group P21/n with a = 5.7227（8）, b = 27.924（4）, c = 6.2282（7） ？, β = 101.892（11）°, V = 973.9（2） ？~3, Z = 4, T = 180.00（10） K, μ（MoKα） = 0.087 mm^（-1）, Dc = 1.243 g/cm^3, 3832 reflections measured（3.648≤θ≤26.022°）, 1916 unique reflections（Rint = 0.0359, Rsigma = 0.0572） used in all calculations. The final R = 0.0557（I 〉 2σ（I）） and w R = 0.1276（all data）. Bioassay showed that 3 displayed excellent activity as plant growth regulator with inducing lateral root formation and enhancing primary root elongation at 0.27 mmol/L（50 ppm） in soybeen（He Feng-50）. Good water solubility was found with 50 mg in 1 m L of water. Therefore, application of 3 in agriculture is more environmentally friendly due to cosolvent-free condition, and results in improved abiotic-stress tolerance by affecting the root growth. And furthermore, it can be used as a precursor to investigate the function of regulating plant root growth.

Comparison of anatomical structure and photosynthetic characteristics between the two photosynthetic organs of the desert plant Hedysarum scoparium

The desert plant Hedysarum scoparium uses leaflets and rachises as its photosynthetic organs. The abundance of leaflets was lower under unfavorable environmental conditions and higher with improved water conditions. To examine the characteristics associated with the adaptation of H. scoparium to its environment, we selected plants with both compound leaves and rachis without leaflets to study the anatomical structures and gas exchange characteristics of the two organs. The results show that the water storage tissues in rachises were more developed compared with the leaflets. The diurnal courses of the net photosynthetic rate for the rachis and the leaflet were both in a bimodal pattern. Meanwhile, both two peak values of the rachis were significantly higher than those of the leaflet. The daily average transpiration rate was significantly higher in the rachis than in the leaflet in order to lower the temperature of the rachises. It was concluded that under desert drought conditions, the leaflets of H. scoparium were partially or completely degraded to reduce the transpiration area as an adaptive response to water deficit, and only the rachises were retained as photosynthetic organ. The rachises were found to be better suited to a desert habitat than the leaflets.

Investigation on the Concurrent-Business Behavior of Peasant Households during the Planting Structure Adjustment in Karst Mountainous Area

Based on the survey data of 150 peasant households in typical Karst mountainous area in the year 2009, causations, characteristics and influence factors of the concurrent-business behavior of peasant households during planting structure adjustment are analyzed. Result shows that there is significant positive correlation between the concurrent-business income and the household income of farmers. And the concurrent-business behavior has the tendency to be popular among the young farmers with the characteristics of relative concentration, strong will of farmers and the significant impact of education degree on the concurrent-business income. Information, capital, skill, and market awareness are the main factors affecting the concurrent-business behavior of peasant households. Countermeasures to optimize the concurrent-business behavior of peasant households are put forward, such as strengthening the skills training for farmers to improve the cultural quality of peasant households, establishing modern rural financial service system to offer capital support for the development of peasant households, setting up information base of rural labor force to provide more information and channels for the concurrent-business behavior of peasant households, and enhancing the cultivation of farmers' market awareness to improve their ability to adapt to market economy.

Analysis and Optimization of Crop Planting Structure in Ningxia

[Objectives]To analyze and optimize the crop planting structure in Ningxia based on the shortage of water resources and the large proportion of agricultural water consumption in Ningxia.[Methods]The change trend of crop planting area and planting structure in Ningxia in 2004-2018 was analyzed,and a multi-objective optimization model was constructed with the objectives of maximum crop profit and minimum water demand.The STEM method was applied to solve the problem,and the optimization scheme of crop planting in Ningxia was obtained.[Results]In Ningxia in 2004-2018,the planting area showed the characteristics of"increase-decrease-increase";the area and proportion of cash crops were increasing,and the proportion of grain crops was gradually decreasing,but the proportion of crops with high water consumption was still high.After the planting structure was optimized,the economic benefit was increased by 34.85×10^(8) yuan,and the water demand was reduced by 3.9×10^(8) m^(3).[Conclusions]Under the premise of ensuring food security,the optimized scheme not only saves water resources but also obtains higher economic benefits.It provides a reference for alleviating water shortage and increasing farmers'income.

Mycorrhizal fungi mitigate nitrogen losses of an experimental grassland by facilitating plant uptake and soil microbial immobilization

Nitrogen(N)is one of the most limited nutrients of terrestrial ecosystems,whose losses are prevented in tightly coupled cycles in finely tuned systems.Global change-induced N enrichment through atmospheric deposition and application of vast amounts of fertilizer are now challenging the terrestrial N cycle.Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi(AMF)are known drivers of plant-soil nutrient fluxes,but a comprehensive assessment of AMF involvement in N cycling under global change is still lacking.Here,we simulated N enrichment by fertilization(low/high)in experimental grassland microcosms under greenhouse conditions in the presence or absence of AMF and continuously monitored different N pathways over nine months.We found that high N enrichment by fertilization decreased the relative abundance of legumes and the plant species dominating the plant community changed from grasses to forbs in the presence of AMF,based on aboveground biomass.The presence of AMF always maintained plant N:phosphorus(P)ratios between 14 and 16,no matter how the soil N availability changed.Shifts in plant N:P ratios due to the increased plant N and P uptake might thus be a primary pathway of AMF altering plant community composition.Furthermore,we constructed a comprehensive picture of AMF’s role in N cycling,highlighting that AMF reduced N losses primarily by mitigating N leaching,while N_(2)O emissions played a marginal role.Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi reduced N_(2)O emissions directly through the promotion of N_(2)O-consuming denitrifiers.The underlying mechanism for reducing N leaching is mainly the AMF-mediated improved nutrient uptake and AMF-associated microbial immobilization.Our results indicate that synergies between AMF and other soil microorganisms cannot be ignored in N cycling and that the integral role of AMF in N cycling terrestrial ecosystems can buffer the upcoming global changes.

Agricultural Luminous Energy Resource and Its Utilization in Fushun City

The solar global radiation from 1957 to 2006 was calculated in Fushun region and its seasonal,geographical and inter-annual variation were analyzed.Moreover,relationship between yield and solar energy use efficiency of rice,corn and soybean were analyzed concretely.The results showed that Fushun County had the most solar global radiation in Fushun region,while Xinbin County had the least.The solar global radiation in warm season accounted for 72% of the total solar radiation in one year.The maximum solar global radiation occurred in May,while theminimum value in December,with a period of 19 years.In addition,crop yield was proportional to solar energy use efficiency.

Degradation leads to dramatic decrease in topsoil but not subsoil root biomass in an alpine meadow on the Tibetan Plateau, China

Understanding the effects of degradation on belowground biomass(BGB)is essential for assessment of carbon budget of the alpine meadow ecosystem on the Tibetan Plateau,China.This ecosystem has been undergoing serious degradation owing to climate change and anthropogenic activities.This study examined the response of the vertical distribution of plant BGB to degradation and explored the underlying mechanisms in an alpine meadow on the Tibetan Plateau.A field survey was conducted in an alpine meadow with seven sequential degrees of degradation in the Zoige Plateau on the Tibetan Plateau during the peak growing season of 2018.We measured aboveground biomass(AGB),BGB,soil water content(SWC),soil bulk density(SBD),soil compaction(SCOM),soil organic carbon(SOC),soil total nitrogen(STN),soil total phosphorus(STP),soil available nitrogen(SAN),and soil available phosphorus(STP)in the 0-30 cm soil layers.Our results show that degradation dramatically decreased the BGB in the 0-10 cm soil layer(BGB0-10)but slightly increased the subsoil BGB.The main reason may be that the physical-chemical properties of surface soil were more sensitive to degradation than those of subsoil,as indicated by the remarked positive associations of the trade-off value of BGB0-10 with SWC,SCOM,SOC,STN,SAN,and STP,as well as the negative correlation between the trade-off value of BGB0-10 and SBD in the soil layer of 0-10 cm.In addition,an increase in the proportion of forbs with increasing degradation degree directly affected the BGB vertical distribution.The findings suggest that the decrease in the trade-off value of BGB0-10 in response to degradation might be an adaptive strategy for the degradation-induced drought and infertile soil conditions.This study can provide theoretical support for assessing the effects of degradation on the carbon budget and sustainable development in the alpine meadow ecosystem on the Tibetan Plateau as well as other similar ecosystems in the world.

Genotypic variation in spatiotemporal distribution of canopy light interception in relation to yield formation in cotton

Background: Within-canopy interception of photosynthetically active radiation(PAR) impacts yield and other agronomic traits in cotton(Gossypium hirsutum L.). Field experiments were conducted to investigate the influence of 6 cotton varieties(they belong to 3 different plant types) on yield, yield distribution, light interception(LI), LI distribution and the relationship between yield formation and LI in Anyang, Henan, in 2014 and 2015.Result: The results showed that cotton cultivars with long branches(loose-type) intercepted more LI than did cultivars with short branches(compact-type), due to increased LI in the middle and upper canopy. Although loose-type varieties had greater LI, they did not yield significantly higher than compact-type varieties, due to decreased harvest index. Therefore, improving the harvest index by adjusting the source-to-sink relationship may further increase cotton yield for loose-type cotton. In addition, there was a positive relationship between reproductive organ biomass accumulation and canopy-accumulated LI, indicating that enhancing LI is important for yield improvement for each cultivar. Furthermore, yield distribution within the canopy was significantly linearly related to vertical LI distribution.Conclusion: Therefore, optimizing canopy structure of different plant type and subsequently optimizing LI distribution within the cotton canopy can effectively enhance the yield.

Imitated Ecological Cultivation Technology of Dendrobium offcinale: A Case Study of Longshitou Village,Longmen County

In order to optimize the planting structure of Longshitou Village in Longmen County and promote the efficient cultivation of Dendrobium offcinale industry,the imitate ecological cultivation technology of D.offcinale is studied from the aspects of site selection,seedling domestication,seedling colonization,and disease and pest control after colonization according to the natural environmental conditions of Longshitou Village.

Detection of Adaptive Genetic Diversity in Wild Potato Populations and Its Implications in Conservation of Potato Germplasm

A better understanding on how genetic diversity is structured at natural habitats can be helpful for exploration and acquisition of plant germplasm. Historically, studies have relied on DNA markers to elucidate potato genetic diversity. Current advances in genomics are broadening applications allowing the identification of markers linked to genomic regions under selection. Those markers, known as adaptive markers, unlock additional ways to value and organize germplasm diversity. For example, conservation priorities could be given to germplasm units containing markers associated to unique geographic identity, and/or linked to traits of tolerance to abiotic stresses. This study investigated if adaptive marker loci were possible to be identified in a large AFLP marker dataset of ninety-four populations of the wild potato species S. fendleri. These populations originated from six different mountain ranges in southern Arizona, USA. A total of 2094 polymorphic AFLP markers were used to conduct genetic diversity analyses of populations and mountain ranges. Adaptive markers were detected using Bayesian methods which distinguished marker loci departing significantly from frequencies expected under neutral models of genetic differentiation. This identified 16 AFLP loci that were considered to be adaptive. To contrast diversity parameters generated with each set of markers, analyses that included all the 2094 AFLP markers, and only the 16 adaptive markers were conducted. The results showed that both were efficient for establishing genetic associations among populations and mountain ranges. However, adaptive markers were better on revealing geographic patterns and identity which would suggest these markers were linked to selection at the natural sites. An additional test to determine if adaptive markers associated to climate variables found two loci associated to specific climate variables in populations from different regions but sharing similar environmental structure. The distribution of adaptive markers among populations revealed that only two were needed to build a core subset able to keep all the markers. This preliminary assessment shows that adaptive genetic diversity could offer an additional way to measure diversity in potato germplasm and to set up options for conservation and research.

Evaluating agricultural water-use efficiency based on water footprint of crop values: a case study in Xinjiang of China

Efficient agricultural water use is crucial for food safety and water conservation on a global scale. To quantitatively investigate the agricultural water-use efficiency in regions exhibiting the complex agricultural structure, this study developed an indicator named water footprint of crop values(WFV) that is based on the water footprint of crop production. Defined as the water volume used to produce a unit price of crop(m^3/CNY), the new indicator makes it feasible to directly compare the water footprint of different crops from an economic perspective, so as to comprehensively evaluate the water-use efficiency under the complex planting structure. On the basis of WFV, the study further proposed an indicator of structural water-use coefficient(SWUC), which is represented by the ratio of water-use efficiency for a given planting structure to the water efficiency for a reference crop and can quantitatively describe the impact of planting structure on agricultural water efficiency. Then, a case study was implemented in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China. The temporal and spatial variations of WFV were assessed for the planting industries in 14 prefectures and cities of Xinjiang between 1991 and 2015. In addition, contribution rate analysis of WFV for different prefectures and cities was conducted to evaluate the variations of WFV caused by different influencing factors: agricultural input, climatic factors, and planting structure. Results from these analyses indicated first that the average WFV of planting industries in Xinjiang significantly decreased from 0.293 m^3/CNY in 1991 to 0.153 m^3/CNY in 2015, corresponding to an average annual change rate of –3.532%. WFV in 13 prefectures and cities(with the exception of Karamay) has declined significantly during the period of 1991–2015, indicating that agricultural water-use efficient has effectively improved. Second, the average SWUC in Xinjiang decreased from 1.17 to 1.08 m^3/CNY in the 1990 s, and then declined to 1.00 m^3/CNY in 2011–2015. The value of SWUC was highly consistent with the relative value of WFV in most prefectures and cities, showing that planting structure is one of the primary factors affecting regional agricultural water-use efficiency. Third, the contribution rate of WFV variations from human factors including agricultural input and planting structure was much more significant than that from climatic factors. However, the distribution of agricultural input and the adjustment of planting structure significantly differed among prefectures and cities, suggesting regional imbalances of agricultural development. This study indicated the feasibility and effectiveness of controlling agricultural water use through increasing technical input and rational selection of crops in the face of impending climate change. Specifically, we concluded that, the rational application of chemical fertilizers, the development of the fruit industry, and the strict restriction of the cotton industry should be implemented to improve the agricultural water-use efficiency in Xinjiang.

Inheritance of the Anatomy--Morphological Structure of the Stalk by Interspecific Hybrids of the Glycine L.

The research focuses on the study of anatomical and morphological stalk structure ofsoya interspecific hybrids of the third generation （F3） between （Glycine max （L.） Merr.） and G. soja Sieb. et Zucc. in comparison with parent plant species. The parent plant species and interspecific hybrids were sowed and grew under similar conditions. The similarity of the anatomic structure of stalks of cultivated plants and Glycine soja （wild soya） proves the hypothesis the studied species have the same origin. However, the obtained results show the considerable degree of phylogenetic dissociation between the studied soya species. Interspecific hybrids inherit from G. soja the ability to high intensive growth. The G. soja use in practical selective breeding is of great interest.

Effects of mosaic biological soil crusts on vascular plant establishment in a coastal saline land of the Yellow River Delta, China

Aims The effects of biocrusts on vascular plants are rarely evaluated in coastal saline lands.Our aim was to examine whether and how a mosaic of biocrusts affect seed germination of two typical herbaceous plants in a coastal saline land of the Yellow River Delta,to enhance our understanding by which substrate heterogeneity influences plant community dynamics.Methods We conducted growth chamber experiments to investigate the effects of biocrusts and uncrusted soil from bare patch-,Phragmites australis-,Suaeda glauca-and Tamarix chinensis-dominated habitats on seed germination percentage and mean germination time of two herbaceous plants:the perennial P.australis and the annual S.glauca.We also explored the mechanisms underlying the effects of substrate on seed germination.Important Findings Compared with uncrusted soil,biocrusts increased water content,nutrient accumulation and concentration of most salt ions,but they reduced soil pH value.Biocrusts with mosses directly decreased soil pH value and concentration of Mg2+,resulting in an indirect increase in seed germination percentage of S.glaucas.The low soil pH value also resulted in an indirect decrease in seed germination speed of P.australis in their own habitats.Bare patch directly increased accumulation of Cl?,resulting in an indirect decrease in seed germination speed of P.australis.These results suggest that biocrusts with mosses in P.australis habitats offer a window of opportunity for germination of S.glaucas.Biocrusts combined with habitat type have the potential to influence plant community structure through an effect on seed germination and establishment.

Structure and mechanism of plant histone mark readers

In eukaryotes, epigenetic-based mechanisms are involved in almost all the important biological processes. Amongst different epigenetic regulation pathways, the dynamic covalent modifications on histones are the most extensively investigated and characterized types. The covalent modifications on histone can be "read" by specific protein domains and then subsequently trigger downstream signaling events. Plants generally possess epigenetic regulation systems similar to animals and fungi, but also exhibit some plant-specific features. Similar to animals and fungi, plants require distinct protein domains to specifically"read" modified histones in both modification-specific and sequence-specific manners. In this review, we will focus on recent progress of the structural studies on the recognition of the epigenetic marks on histones by plant reader proteins, and further summarize the general and exceptional features of plant histone mark readers.

Integrated uncertain models for runoff forecasting and crop planting structure optimization of the Shiyang River Basin,north-west China

To improve the accuracy of runoff forecasting,an uncertain multiple linear regression(UMLR) model is presented in this study. The proposed model avoids the transfer of random error generated in the independent variable to the dependent variable, as this affects prediction accuracy. On this basis, an inexact two-stage stochastic programming(ITSP) model is used for crop planting structure optimization(CPSO) with the inputs that are interval flow values under different probabilities obtained from the UMLR model. The developed system, in which the UMLR model for runoff forecasting and the ITSP model for crop planting structure optimization are integrated, is applied to a real case study. The aim of the developed system is to optimize crops planting area with limited available water resources base on the downstream runoff forecasting in order to obtain the maximum system benefit in the future. The solution obtained can demonstrate the feasibility and suitability of the developed system, and help decision makers to identify reasonable crop planting structure under multiple uncertainties.

Carry over from previous year environmental conditions alters dominance hierarchy in a prairie plant community

Aims To determine if an experimentally applied anomalous weather year could have effects on species composition and community structure that would carry over into the following year.Methods We conducted a field experiment applying two levels of temperature(ambient and+4
C)and two levels of precipitation(ambient and doubled)and followed cover of plant species during the treatment year and one post-treatment year.Data analysis included ordination analysis,examination of species frequency distributions and comparison of cover of functional groups and individual species.Important Findings A drought during the summer and fall of the treatment year resulted in significant differences in community structure between the 2 years.C3 and winter annual species were depressed in the spring of the second year following the dry autumn.Species richness and legume cover increased in the second,wetter,year.Treatments caused no overall differences in community structure but did alter the dominance hierarchy of species among treatments as well as years.Warming decreased relative cover of winter annuals and early spring-flowering species but increased other annuals.Warming and double precipitation together increased cover of C4 perennial graminoids.In particular,the warming and precipitation treatments both increased the abundance of Andropogon gerardii,not individually altering the dominance hierarchy but together nearly doubling the relative cover of A.gerardii,making it the most abundant species in the combined treatment,while the cover of Bromus arvensis,the former dominant,decreased by 25%.The following year,Andropogon relative cover increased further in the former warmed plots,becoming dominant in both the formerly warmed and warmed plus double precipitation treatments.The year following treatments also saw an increase in relative cover of summer-blooming species in the formerly warmed plots and differences among the former treatments in species richness of functional groups.If the effects of one anomalous year on plant abundance can carry over into the following year,several warm years could have a significant impact on plant community structure.