scholarly journals Interactive Effects of Moss-Dominated Crusts andArtemisia ordosicaon Wind Erosion and Soil Moisture in Mu Us Sandland, China

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yongsheng Yang ◽  
Chongfeng Bu ◽  
Xingmin Mu ◽  
Hongbo Shao ◽  
Kankan Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Wind Erosion ◽  
Water Environment ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Vegetative Cover ◽  
Artemisia Ordosica ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Rainwater Infiltration ◽  
Bare Sand ◽  
Soil Crusts

To better understand the effects of biological soil crusts (BSCs) on soil moisture and wind erosion and study the necessity and feasibility of disturbance of BSCs in the Mu Us sandland, the effects of four treatments, including moss-dominated crusts alone,Artemisia ordosicaalone, bare sand, andArtemisia ordosicacombined with moss-dominated crusts, on rainwater infiltration, soil moisture, and annual wind erosion were observed. The major results are as follows. (1) The development of moss-dominated crusts exacerbated soil moisture consumption and had negative effects on soil moisture in the Mu Us sandland. (2) Moss-dominated crusts significantly increased soil resistance to wind erosion, and when combined withArtemisia ordosica, this effect became more significant. The contribution of moss-dominated crusts underArtemisia ordosicawas significantly lower than that of moss-dominated crusts alone in sites where vegetative coverage > 50%. (3) Finally, an appropriate disturbance of moss-dominated crusts in the rainy season in sites with high vegetative coverage improved soil water environment and vegetation succession, but disturbance in sites with little or no vegetative cover should be prohibited to avoid the exacerbation of wind erosion.

Parental breeding age effects on descendants’ longevity interact over two generations in matrilines and patrilines

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zac Wylde ◽  
Foteini Spagopoulou ◽  
Amy K Hooper ◽  
Alexei A Maklakov ◽  
Russell Bonduriansky
Keyword(s):  
Maternal Age ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Age Effects ◽  
Population Variation ◽  
Paternal Age ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Competitive Environment ◽  
Larval Diet ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Two Generations

Individuals within populations vary enormously in mortality risk and longevity, but the causes of this variation remain poorly understood. A potentially important and phylogenetically widespread source of such variation is maternal age at breeding, which typically has negative effects on offspring longevity. Here, we show that paternal age can affect offspring longevity as strongly as maternal age does, and that breeding age effects can interact over two generations in both matrilines and patrilines. We manipulated maternal and paternal ages at breeding over two generations in the neriid fly Telostylinus angusticollis. To determine whether breeding age effects can be modulated by the environment, we also manipulated larval diet and male competitive environment in the first generation. We found separate and interactive effects of parental and grandparental ages at breeding on descendants’ mortality rate and lifespan in both matrilines and patrilines. These breeding age effects were not modulated by grandparental larval diet quality or competitive environment. Our findings suggest that variation in maternal and paternal ages at breeding could contribute substantially to intra-population variation in mortality and longevity.

scholarly journals Vegetation of the Witbank Nature Reserve and its importance for conservation of threatened Rocky Highveld Grassland

Koedoe ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
C.M. Smit ◽  
G.J. Bredenkamp ◽  
N. Van Rooyen ◽  
A.E. Van Wyk ◽  
J.M. Combrinck
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Nature Reserve ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Floristic Composition ◽  
Diversity Indices ◽  
Moisture Gradient ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Soil Moisture Gradient ◽  
Great Escarpment

A vegetation survey of the Witbank Nature Reserve, comprising 847 hectares, was conducted. Phytosociological data were used to identify plant communities, as well as to determine alpha and beta diversities. Eleven plant communities were recognised, two of these are subdivided into sub- communities, resulting in 14 vegetation units. These communities represent four main vegetation types, namely grassland, woodland, wetland and disturbed vegetation. Grassland communities have the highest plant diversity and wetland vegetation the lowest. Floristic composition indicates that the vegetation of the Rocky Highveld Grassland has affinities to the grassland and savanna biomes and also to the Afromontane vegetation of the Great Escarpment. An ordination scatter diagram shows the distribution of the 14 plant communities or sub-communities along a soil moisture gradient, as well as along a soil depth/surface rock gradient. The sequence of communities along the soil moisture gradient is used for calculating beta-diversity indices. It is concluded that the relatively small size of the Witbank Nature Reserve is unlikely to have significant negative effects on the phytodiversity of the various plant communities. This nature reserve is therefore of considerable importance in conserving a representative sample of the Rocky Highveld Grassland.

scholarly journals Soil moisture modifies the response of soil respiration to temperature in a desert shrub ecosystem

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 259-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Wang ◽  
T. S. Zha ◽  
X. Jia ◽  
B. Wu ◽  
Y. Q. Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Soil Respiration ◽  
Seasonal Cycle ◽  
Northwest China ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Co2 Efflux ◽  
Diel Variation ◽  
Desert Ecosystems ◽  
Volumetric Soil Water Content ◽  
Desert Shrub

Abstract. The current understanding of the responses of soil respiration (Rs) to soil temperature (Ts) and soil moisture is limited for desert ecosystems. Soil CO2 efflux from a desert shrub ecosystem was measured continuously with automated chambers in Ningxia, northwest China, from June to October 2012. The diurnal responses of Rs to Ts were affected by soil moisture. The diel variation in Rs was strongly related to Ts at 10 cm depth under moderate and high volumetric soil water content (VWC), unlike under low VWC. Ts typically lagged Rs by 3–4 h. However, the lag time varied in relation to VWC, showing increased lag times under low VWC. Over the seasonal cycle, daily mean Rs was correlated positively with Ts, if VWC was higher than 0.08 m3 m−3. Under lower VWC, it became decoupled from Ts. The annual temperature sensitivity of Rs (Q10) was 1.5. The short-term sensitivity of Rs to Ts varied significantly over the seasonal cycle, and correlated negatively with Ts and positively with VWC. Our results highlight the biological causes of diel hysteresis between Rs and Ts, and that the response of Rs to soil moisture may result in negative feedback to climate warming in desert ecosystems. Thus, global carbon cycle models should account the interactive effects of Ts and VWC on Rs in desert ecosystems.

scholarly journals Interactive effects of ambient ozone and climate measured on growth of mature loblolly pine trees

1996 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 670-681 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.B. McLaughlin ◽  
D.J. Downing
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Loblolly Pine ◽  
Moisture Stress ◽  
Growth Patterns ◽  
Forest Growth ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Forest Trees ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Ambient Ozone

Seasonal growth patterns of mature loblolly pine (Pinustaeda L.) trees over the interval 1988–1993 have been analyzed to evaluate the effects of ambient ozone on growth of large forest trees. Patterns of stem expansion and contraction of 34 trees were examined using serial measurements with sensitive dendrometer band systems. Study sites, located in eastern Tennessee, varied significantly in soil moisture, soil fertility, and stand density. Levels of ozone, rainfall, and temperature varied widely over the 6-year study interval. Regression analysis identified statistically significant influences of ozone on stem growth patterns, with responses differing widely among trees and across years. Ozone interacted with both soil moisture stress and high temperatures, explaining 63% of the high frequency, climatic variance in stem expansion identified by stepwise regression of the 5-year data set. Observed responses to ozone were rapid, typically occurring within 1–3 days of exposure to ozone at ≥40 ppb and were significantly amplified by low soil moisture and high air temperatures. Both short-term responses, apparently tied to ozone-induced increases in whole-tree water stress, and longer term cumulative responses were identified. These data indicate that relatively low levels of ambient ozone can significantly reduce growth of mature forest trees and that interactions between ambient ozone and climate are likely to be important modifiers of future forest growth and function. Additional studies of mechanisms of short-term response and interspecies comparisons are clearly needed.

scholarly journals The Influence of Moss Colonization and Biochar Application on Evaporation Losses and Surface Crack in Shallow Carbonate–Derived Laterite During Dry–Wet Cycles

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lulu Che ◽  
Dongdong Liu ◽  
Dongli She
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Soil Evaporation ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Surface Cracks ◽  
Evaporation Model ◽  
Soil Desiccation ◽  
Evaporation Losses ◽  
Soil Moisture Conservation ◽  
Surface Temperature Field

Abstract AimsSoil water deficit in karst mountain lands is becoming an issue of concern owing to porous, fissured, and soluble nature of underlying karst bedrock. It is important to identify feasible methods to facilitate soil water preservation in karst mountainous lands. This study aims to seek the possibility of combined utilization of moss colonization and biochar application to reduce evaporation losses in carbonate-derived laterite.MethodsThe treatments of the experiments at micro-lysimeter included four moss spore amounts (0, 30, 60, and 90 g·m−2) and four biochar application levels (0, 100, 400, and 700 g·m−3). The dynamics of moss coverage, characteristics of soil surface cracks and surface temperature field were identified. An empirical evaporation model considering the interactive effects of moss colonization and biochar application was proposed and assessed.ResultsMoss colonization reduced significantly the ratio of soil desiccation cracks. Relative cumulative evaporation decreased linearly with increasing moss coverage under four biochar application levels. Biochar application reduced critical moss coverage associated with inhibition of evaporation by 33.26%-44.34%. The empirical evaporation model enabled the calculation of soil evaporation losses under moss colonization and biochar application, with the R2 values ranging from 0.94 to 0.99.Conclusions Our result showed that the artificially cultivated moss, which was induced by moss spores and biochar, decreased soil evaporation by reducing soil surface cracks, increasing soil moisture and soil surface temperature.Moss colonization and biochar application has the potential to facilitate soil moisture conservation in karst mountain lands.

scholarly journals Biochar addition alleviate the negative effects of drought and salinity stress on soybean productivity and water use efficiency

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaojun Zhang ◽  
Jiaqi Ding ◽  
Hong Wang ◽  
Lei Su ◽  
Cancan Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Grain Yield ◽  
Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Salinity Stress ◽  
Crop Growth ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Gaseous Exchange ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Use Efficiency ◽  
Effects Of Drought

Abstract Background: Environmental stress is a crucial factor restricting plant growth as well as crop productivity, thus influencing the agricultural sustainability. Biochar addition is proposed as an effective management to improve crop performance. However, there were few studies focused on the effect of biochar addition on crop growth and productivity under interactive effect of abiotic stress (e.g., drought and salinity). This study was conducted with a pot experiment to investigate the interaction effects of drought and salinity stress on soybean yield, leaf gaseous exchange and water use efficiency (WUE) under biochar addition. Results: Drought and salinity stress significantly depressed soybean phenology (e.g. flowering time) and all the leaf gas exchange parameters, but had inconsistent effects on soybean root growth and WUE at leaf and yield levels. Salinity stress significantly decreased photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, intercellular CO2 concentration and transpiration rate by 20.7%, 26.3%, 10.5% and 27.2%, respectively. Lower biomass production and grain yield were probably due to the restrained photosynthesis under drought and salinity stress. Biochar addition significantly enhanced soybean grain yield by 3.1-14.8%. Drought stress and biochar addition significantly increased WUE-yield by 27.5% and 15.6%, respectively, while salinity stress significantly decreased WUE-yield by 24.2%. Drought and salinity stress showed some negative interactions on soybean productivity and leaf gaseous exchange. But biochar addition alleviate the negative effects on soybean productivity and water use efficiency under drought and salinity stress. Conclusions: The results of the present study indicated that drought and salinity stress could significantly depress soybean growth and productivity. There exist interactive effects of drought and salinity stress on soybean productivity and water use efficiency, while we could employ biochar to alleviate the negative effects. We should consider the interactive effects of different abiotic restriction factors on crop growth thus for sustainable agriculture in the future.

Simulating Efficiency of Resistance to Wind Erosion in Area of Complex Erosion by Wind and Water

2011 ◽  
Vol 183-185 ◽  
pp. 1807-1811 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheng Long Wang ◽  
Jing Liu ◽  
Xu Sun ◽  
Xin Zhang ◽  
Yong Liang Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wind Speed ◽  
Wind Velocity ◽  
Wind Erosion ◽  
Observation Point ◽  
Plant Spacing ◽  
Artemisia Ordosica ◽  
Multiple Sensor ◽  
Better Than

Used the method of transplanting in studying area, simulated different arrangement of plant spacing and observed the wind speed by using HTSW-18 multiple-sensor automatic anemoscope. The results showed that two kinds of plants of different plant spacing can effectively reduce wind speed, the ration of reducing wind velocity of shelterbelts were biggest at the observation point of 1H behind the shelterbelt. The ration of reducing wind velocity and roughness of shelterbelt of Salix psammophila was better than that of Artemisia ordosica Krasch. under the same plant spacing. The increasing of Artemisia ordosica Krasch. was seventeen times higher than that of control at the observation point of 1H. The roughness of Salix psammophila at the observation point of 1H was twenty-five times higher than control, and that of Artemisia ordosica Krasch. was seventeen times higher than control.

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