The effect of ectomycorrhizal Pisolithus tinctorius (Pt) infection was studied on the growth and photosynthetic characteristics of Pinus densiflora seedlings grown at ambient (360 µmol mol-1, AC) and elevated (720 µmol mol-1, EC) CO2 concentrations. After 18 weeks, Pt inoculation had led to significantly increased dry mass and stem diameter of P. densiflora at both CO2 concentrations, relative to non-inoculated seedlings. Moreover, EC significantly increased the ectomycorrhizal development. The phosphate content in needles inoculated with Pt was about three times higher than without inoculation at both CO2 concentrations. The PAR saturated net photosynthetic rates (Psat) of P. densiflora inoculated with Pt were clearly higher than for control seedlings at both CO2 concentrations, and the maximum net photosynthetic rate (PN) at saturated CO2 concentration (Pmax) was higher than in controls. Moreover, the carboxylation efficiency (CE) and RuBP regeneration rate of the PN/Ci curve for P. densiflora inoculated with Pt were significantly higher than for non-inoculated seedlings at both CO2 concentrations, especially at EC. The water use efficiency (WUE) of seedlings inoculated with Pt grown at EC was significantly raised. Allocation of photosynthates to roots was greater in Pt inoculated pine seedlings, because of the enhanced activity of ectomycorrhiza associated with seedlings at EC. Moreover, PN of non-inoculated seedlings grown for 18 weeks at EC tended to be down regulated; in contrast, Pt inoculated seedlings showed no down-regulation at EC. The activity of ectomycorrhiza may therefore be enhanced physiological function related to water and phosphate absorption in P. densiflora seedlings at EC. and D. S. Choi ... [et al.].
Bothriochloa ischaemum L. is an important species in many temperate regions, but information about the interactive effects of water stress and fertilization on its photosynthetic characteristics was inadequate. A pot experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of three water [80% (HW), 40% (MW), and 20% (LW) of field capacity (FC)] and four fertilization regimes [nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), nitrogen with phosphorus (NP), and no fertilization] on leaf photosynthesis. Leaf gas exchange and photosynthetic light-response curves were measured at the flowering phase of B. ischaemum. Water stress decreased not only the leaf gas-exchange parameters, such as net photosynthetic rate (PN), stomatal conductance (gs), transpiration rate (E), and water-use efficiency (WUE) of B. ischaemum, but also downregulated
PN-photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) curve parameters, such as light-saturated net photosynthetic rate (PNmax), apparent quantum efficiency (AQE), and light compensation point (LCP). Fertilization (N, P, and NP) enhanced the daily mean PN values and PNmax under the HW regime. Addition of N (either alone or with P) improved the photosynthetic capacity of B. ischaemum under the MW and LW regimes by increasing PN, PNmax, and AQE and reducing dark respiration rate and LCP, but the addition of P alone did not significantly improve the photosynthetic performance. Decline in PN under each fertilization regime occurred during the day and it was caused mainly by nonstomatal limitation. Our results indicated that water was the primary limiting factor for photosynthesis in B. ischaemum, and that appropriate levels of N fertilization improved its potential photosynthetic capacity under water-deficit conditions. and W. Z. Xu, X. P. Deng, B. C. Xu.
The identification and examination of sources of external loading are important pressure indicators for studying the nutrient balance and eutrophication of water bodies. Focusing on the eastern Gulf of Finland, this paper investigates and decomposes the sources of phosphorus, a limiting factor of eutrophication of the Gulf and its accompanying Neva Bay, and of nitrogen as pressure indicators. The eastern Gulf of Finland’s catchment basin represents Europe’s largest freshwater basin. Both point and non-point sources of pollution, as well as their current and possible withdrawals from the watershed’s nutrient loading, are considered. The investigation identifies poultry plants and animal husbandry enterprises in the coastal watershed as critical contributing sources to eutrophication in the eastern Gulf of Finland. Analyses based on such pressure indicators can help to contribute directly to future policy-making as concerns environmental protection measures and water resources planning in the eastern Gulf of Finland and other regions. and Identifikácia zdrojov externej záťaže živinami je významným indikátorom pre štúdium bilancie živín a eutrofizácie vôd. Tento príspevok prezentuje výsledky výskumu zdrojov fosforu a sodíka východnej časti Fínskeho zálivu a delty rieky Nevy, ako limitujúcich faktorov eutrofizácie. Povodie východnej časti Fínskeho zálivu je najväčším európskym zdrojom sladkej vody. V analýze sú uvažované bodové a plošné zdroje znečistenia a tiež súčasné, ale aj možné odbery vody a znečisťujúcich látok z povodia. Výskumom sa podarilo identifikovať hydinárske farmy a veľkochovy zvierat v pobrežnej zóne povodia ako kritické vzhľadom na eutrofizáciu východnej časti Fínskeho zálivu. Výsledky analýzy môžu priamo prispieť k tvorbe legislatívy týkajúcej sa ochrany životného prostredia a plánovania využitia zdrojov vody vo východnej časti Fínskeho zálivu, ale aj v iných regiónoch.
In 1966, the Černíkovice experiment, Czech Republic, was started when an alluvial meadow dominated by Alopecurus pratensis was subjected to the following fertilizer treatments: non-fertilized control, PK, N50PK, N100PK, N150PK, and N200PK. The experimental plots were cut three times per year in the initial phase of the experiment and twice per year since the late 1980s. In mid May 2005, plant cover was visually estimated, biomass yield and sward height measured in order to detect changes in the grassland ecosystem caused by this long-term fertilizer treatment. After 40 years treatment was a significant predictor of sward structure, explaining 32% of the variability in plant cover data in RDA. Legumes were not detected in the N200PK treatment and achieved the highest cover in the control and PK treatment. Grasses had the lowest cover in the PK treatment and control, which significantly differed from all treatments with N. Alopecurus pratensis prevailed in all NxPK treatments. Herbs had the highest cover in the control followed by the PK treatment and both treatments significantly differed from the NxPK treatments. Achillea millefolium was recorded in all treatments, but the highest cover was recorded in the control treatment. Species richness of vascular plants ranged from 8 per m2 in the N200PK treatment to 24 in the control. A significant decrease in species richness with increase in sward height was detected. The cover of mosses ranged from 1 to 6% like sward height gradually increased with fertilizer application. Aboveground biomass yield was significantly lower in the control than all other treatments. Based on the results of the Černíkovice experiment and a comparison with other long-term fertilizer experiments it is concluded that naturally highly productive grasslands are much less threatened by the inappropriate application of fertilizers than low productive grasslands with a specific plant species composition.