The Inhibitory Effect of Endophyte-Infected Tall Fescue on White Clover Can Be Alleviated by Glomus mosseae Instead of Rhizobia

In artificial ecosystems, mixed planting of gramineous and leguminous plants can have obvious advantages and is very common. Due to their improved growth performances and stress tolerance, endophyte-infected grasses are considered to be ideal plant species for grasslands. However, endophytic fungi can inhibit the growth of neighboring nonhost leguminous plants. In this study, we chose endophyte-infected and endophyte-free tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum Darbyshire ex. Schreb.) and clover (Trifolium repens) as the experimental materials to explore whether arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and rhizobium can alleviate the inhibitory effect of endophyte infection on clover. The results showed that endophytic fungi significantly reduced clover biomass. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculation significantly increased the biomass of clover in both endophyte-infected tall fescue/clover and endophyte-free tall fescue/clover systems but the beneficial contribution of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi was more obvious in the endophyte-infected tall fescue/clover system. Rhizobia inoculation could alleviate the detrimental effect of tall fescue on the growth of clover but did not alleviate the detrimental effect of endophyte infection on the growth of clover.

Container gardens: Possibilities and challenges for environmental and social benefits in cities

Container gardens are used in cities around the world where access to soil at ground level is limited. They represent artificial ecosystems but often provide the only vegetation in some highly urbanized locations, and have been used in vertical and horizontal forms of living architecture. Although there are many container gardens in urban areas, container gardening as a component of more broadly considered green infrastructure seems to be unappreciated. The aim of this review is to elucidate potential ecosystem services provided by container gardening. The ultimate goal of this review is to recognize the value of container gardens in order to promote them as part of green infrastructure in urban areas. The ecosystem services which container gardens provide were sorted into the following categories (1) Provisioning (food production and security); (2) Regulating (stormwater management, improvement of air quality, energy savings and thermal comfort); (3) Habitat/Supporting (plant biodiversity and creation of animal habitats); (4) Cultural (aesthetic and improvement of visible green ratio, communication and environmental education, material reuse). Container gardens deserve serious attention as a form of urban greening that can provide many direct and indirect benefits to people living in cities. Moreover, it is important for citizens, local authorities and academics to be aware of the ecosystem services associated with container gardening to promote further development of its potential.

Features of cyanobacterial-algal communities in artificial ecosystems of treatment facilities of Meleuz City

In this article, cyanoprokaryotes and algae of activated sludge of biological treatment facilities of the city of Meleuz were studied. The research revealed 27 species of algae and cyanoprokaryotes from 4 divisions. The leading class in terms of the number of species is Cyanophyceae: they accounted for 14 species, or 35.5% of the total number of species. In second place belongs to representatives of the class Bacillariophyceae (19.3%), followed by representatives of the class Chlorophyceae (12.9%). Four classes (Trebouxiophyceae, Mediophyceae, Coscinodiscophyceae, Euglenophyceae) were represented by single species. Most taxa below the class (orders, families, genera) are also represented by single species. The structure-forming species (the most common) include 3 species of cyanoprokaryotes: Microcystis aeruginosa, Oscillatoria planctonica, Arthrospira platensis. The number of saprobity indicator species (degree of organic pollution) was 18 species, or 58% of the total number of species. Indicators of all saprobic zones, except for xenosaprobic ones, were revealed. The degree of organic pollution was 2.96, which corresponds to the mesosaprobic zone. There is no correlation between the number of species and seasonality, and the communities are relatively stable. It can be concluded that the cyanoprokaryotic-algal communities of activated sludge of biological treatment facilities in the city of Meleuz are characterized by a poor species composition, with a predominance of zionoprokaryotes. The level of organic pollution corresponds to a moderately polluted area.

CRITERIA FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE IN COASTAL AREAS

Unlike traditional infrastructure, which only takes into account socio-economic and political factors, or ecological restoration which focuses on the recovery of ecosystem health, resistance and resilience, green infrastructure has multifunctional goals, determined by the ecological and socioeconomic conditions of each, specific site (Silva et al., 2017). Connectivity, multifunctionality, integration and a multiscale approach are the key concepts in green infrastructure projects. Coastal green infrastructure projects include broad and contrasting aspects such as: 1. Recovery of the structure and functionality of natural ecosystems, 2. Creation of artificial ecosystems, 3. Engineering structures that depend on the functioning of the surrounding ecosystems, 4. Traditional engineering projects, adapted to reduce their environmental impact and, 5. Corrective actions applied to structures and land uses which damage the environment and threaten socio-economic aspects.Recorded Presentation from the vICCE (YouTube Link): https://youtu.be/76S-SfbIM4Y

Nitrogen isotopic signatures and fluxes of N2O in response to land-use change on naturally occurring saline–alkaline soil

The conversion of natural grassland to semi-natural or artificial ecosystems is a large-scale land-use change (LUC) commonly occurring to saline–alkaline land. Conversion of natural to artificial ecosystems, with addition of anthropogenic nitrogen (N) fertilizer, influences N availability in the soil that may result in higher N2O emission along with depletion of 15N, while converting from natural to semi-natural the influence may be small. So, this study assesses the impact of LUC on N2O emission and 15N in N2O emitted from naturally occurring saline–alkaline soil when changing from natural grassland (Phragmites australis) to semi-natural [Tamarix chinensis (Tamarix)] and to cropland (Gossypium spp.). The grassland and Tamarix ecosystems were not subject to any management practice, while the cropland received fertilizer and irrigation. Overall, median N2O flux was significantly different among the ecosystems with the highest from the cropland (25.3 N2O-N µg m−2 h−1), intermediate (8.2 N2O-N µg m−2 h−1) from the Tamarix and the lowest (4.0 N2O-N µg m−2 h−1) from the grassland ecosystem. The 15N isotopic signatures in N2O emitted from the soil were also significantly affected by the LUC with more depleted from cropland (− 25.3 ‰) and less depleted from grassland (− 0.18 ‰). Our results suggested that the conversion of native saline–alkaline grassland with low N to Tamarix or cropland is likely to result in increased soil N2O emission and also contributes significantly to the depletion of the 15N in atmospheric N2O, and the contribution of anthropogenic N addition was found more significant than any other processes.

ROLE OF PATHOLOGICAL NEW FORMATIONS AND THEIR AGENTS IN THE FUNCTIONING OF NATURAL ECOSYSTEMS OF FOREST PARK ZONES

In recent years, there has been great interest in pathogenic growths in plants and their pathogens. This is explained by the possibilities of their use in various environmental spheres and covers biological aspects of natural and artificial ecosystems in normal and disturbed state, as well as the assessment and forecasting of natural cycles of biologically active substances, the ability of ecosystems to self-purify, and an assessment of the positive human impact on nature. That is why, it is extremely important (for the preservation and development of the normal functioning of natural ecosystems) to find out the real significance of natural factors and development of gall formation processes in natural ecosystems, as well as the actual scale of anthropogenic impact in them. This is especially important when disturbances have reached high levels and are critical in the natural environment in forest park zones. One of the important parts of the problem is assessment of predicting the natural environment in forest park zones. Therefore, it becomes necessary to consider the relationship between tree plantations in forest park zones and pathogens of pathological neoplasms. It is also necessary to find out what there is a relationship between tree plantations and pathogens of pathological growths.

Periphyton colonization and changes in the diatom assemblages of an artificial urban pond

Artificial ecosystems are sometimes the only opportunity for citizens to experience nature. Maintaining their quality is essential for continuing to enjoy the ecosystem services. We studied an urban pond in the Northwest Iberian Peninsula (Aveiro, Portugal) as a model for testing the suitability of diatom assemblages and indices of water quality in these particular ecosystems. Weekly sampling of three replicas was performed over 28 days on stones and ceramic tiles in a shaded site (Site-SH) and in a sunnier one (Site-SU). The best model of the distance-based analysis included temperature and NH4+as the variables that best explained the diatom assemblages (R 2= 0.43). Chlorophyll-α taken as a proxy for algae biomass, and ash-free dry mass increased until the third week, when a turbid runoff entered the system. After this disturbance, chlorophyll-α increased only at Site-SH (from 14.4 mg m –2 to 62.4 mg m–2); ash-free dry mass increased at Site-SU (from 7.2 mg m–2 to 42.3 mg m–2). The Specific Polluosensitivity Index of the diatoms showed low values below 16 that further decreased with the incubation time. Shannon diversity did not vary between sites, while ANOSIM (analysis of similarity) enabled the identification of differences in the species composition among sites and over time. Cyclotella meneghiniana and Sellaphora nigri were abundant at both sites, but other species showed a prevalence to one of the sites: Nitzschia amphibia and Gomphonema parvulum dominated at site-SH, whereas Amphora pediculus and Grunowia solgensis were abundant at site-SU. This study provides evidence that the use of benthic diatoms is a useful tool for evaluating the ecological potential of artificial ecosystems. Moreover, such systems in the close vicinity of urban areas need better management and monitoring to reduce the risk of deterioration.