Armeniaca Sibirica Research Articles

Effects of almond (Armeniaca Sibirica L. Lam) polysaccharides on gut microbiota and anti-inflammatory effects on LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells

The aim of this study was to investigate the prebiotic properties of the almond polysaccharide AP-1 on intestinal microorganisms by using an in vitro fecal fermentation method and its anti-inflammatory effect on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 cells. The results showed that during the in vitro fermentation of AP-1, the pH value of the fermentation broth decreased obviously, while the concentration of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) increased significantly, especially acetic acid and butyric acid. In genus level, the number of Clostridium and Megamonas increased markedly in the AP-1 group after 24 h of fermentation. After 48 h of fermentation, there was a noticeable increase in the number of beneficial genera Lactobacillaceae and Bifidobacteriaceae, and a considerable decrease in the number of pro-inflammatory genera. In addition, we found that AP-1 had no toxic effect on RAW264.7 cells. In the LPS-induced inflammation model of RAW264.7 cells, AP-1 could effectively inhibit the release of NO, regulate the level of reactive oxides (ROS), and effectively down-regulate the mRNA expression of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and iNOS. In conclusion, the almond polysaccharide AP-1 may be a functional active substance aimed at promoting intestinal health and exerting anti-inflammatory effects.

Response of understory plant species diversity to plant mixture on the Loess Plateau: A case study of Hippophae rhamnoides

AbstractAfforestation with nature‐based solutions is beneficial for restoring biodiversity. On the Loess Plateau of China, numerous monocultures have been converted to mixed plantations following nature‐based solutions. However, the effect of plant mixture on understory plant species diversity remains largely unknown. Here, we investigated the understory plant species diversity of different Hippophae rhamnoides mixed plantations resulting from nature‐based solutions and assessed the relative importance of associated factors driving their changes. The results showed that the response of understory plant species diversity to plant mixture was nonsignificant, except for Armeniaca sibirica, which significantly reduced the understory plant species diversity. However, mixed plantations had higher variability in plant species diversity and environmental factors among individual plots than monocultures. In mixed plantations, understory plant species diversity was mainly affected by shrub stratum, followed by overstory stratum, soil nutrients, herbaceous stratum, and topography. Specifically, understory plant species diversity was positively associated with stand density and herb biomass but negatively associated with elevation and soil nitrogen. In particular, soil nitrogen also had negative impacts on herb biomass but was beneficial for the growth of trees and shrubs, indicating that trees and shrubs outperformed herbs in exploiting soil nutrients, a consequence of intense interspecific competition. In addition, the impacts of canopy cover and slope aspects on understory plant species diversity were nonsignificant. Overall, in mixed plantations on the Loess Plateau, understory plant species diversity was primarily affected by interspecific competition for preempting soil nitrogen.

Ecological stoichiometry of leaf-litter-fine roots in mixed plantations in mountainous area of Southern Ningxia, China.

The southern mountainous areas in Ningxia are representative regions of the Loess Plateau, with extremely fragile ecological environment. Large area of pure plantations established during the project of Grain for Green has suffered from poor nutrient availability and biodiversity loss, while planting mixed plantations is commonly consi-dered as an effective way to improve the ecological benefits. We selected Robinia pseudoacacia + Picea asperata mixed plantation, R. pseudoacacia + Armeniaca sibirica mixed plantation, A. sibirica pure plantation and R. pseudoa-cacia pure plantation located ina Ningnan mountainous area as test objects. Based on the theory and method of ecological stoichiometry, we measured the C, N and P contents of leaves, litter and fine roots to understand nutrient cycling characteristics of different plantations. The results showed that there was significant difference in foliar stoichiometry of each tree species within the four plantations. P. asperata leaves had the highest C content in the R. pseudoacacia + P. asperata mixed plantation, and R. pseudoacacia leaves had the highest N and P contents in the R. pseudoacacia + A. sibirica mixed plantation. N content of R. pseudoacacia and A. sibirica leaves was significantly higher in mixed plantation compared with that in pure plantation. There was no significant difference in litter biomass, litter C, N, P contents and stoichiometric ratios between the pure and mixed plantations of R. pseudoacacia. Litter biomass in A. sibirica pure plantation was significantly higher than that in R. pseudoacacia + A. sibirica mixed plantation, while litter C content was significantly lower than that in the mixed plantation. Fine root biomass decreased with increasing soil depth in the four plantations, with total fine root biomass being the highest in the R. pseudoacacia + A. sibirica mixed plantation. N content and N:P of fine roots in the R. pseudoacacia + A. sibirica mixed plantation were higher than those in R. pseudoacacia and A. sibirica pure plantations. There was significant negative correlation between N content in leaves and fine roots of R. pseudoacacia + A. sibirica mixed plantation. There were significant negative correlations between the N content of leaves and litter, as well as between the P content of leaves and fine roots in the R. pseudoacacia + P. asperata mixed plantation. P content between litter and fine roots in A. sibirica pure plantation was significantly negatively correlated. Nutrient status of mixed plantations was better than pure plantations in the Ningnan mountainous area, with the mixed plantation of R. pseudoacacia and A. sibirica being the best. Mixed planting reduced nutrient limitation on plant growth to a certain extent.

Effects of species mixtures on soil water storage in the semiarid hilly gully region

Mixed-species plantations are promoted to restore degraded ecosystems and improve soil quality worldwide. However, differences of soil water conditions between pure and mixed plantations are still controversial and how species mixtures affect soil water storage (SWS) was not well quantified. In this study, vegetation characteristics, soil properties and SWS were continuously monitored and quantified in three pure plantations (Armeniaca sibirica (AS), Robinia pseudoacacia (RP) and Hippophae rhamnoides (HR)) and their corresponding mixed plantations (Pinus tabuliformis-Armeniaca sibirica (PT-AS), Robinia pseudoacacia-Pinus tabuliformis-Armeniaca sibirica (RP-PT-AS), Platycladus orientalis-Hippophae rhamnoides plantation (PO-HR), Populus simonii-Hippophae rhamnoides (PS-HR)). The results found that SWS of 0–500 cm in RP (333.60 ± 75.91 mm) and AS (479.52 ± 37.50 mm) pure plantations were higher than those in their corresponding mixed plantations (p > 0.05). SWS in the HR pure plantation (375.81 ± 81.64 mm) was lower than that in its mixed plantation (p > 0.05). It is suggested that the effect of species mixing on SWS was species specific. Additionally, soil properties exerted more contributions (38.05–67.24 %) to SWS than vegetation characteristics (26.80–35.36 %) and slope topography (5.96–29.91 %) at different soil depths and the whole 0–500 cm soil profile. Furthermore, by excluding the effects of soil properties and topographic factors, plant density and height were particularly important to SWS (with standard coefficients 0.787 and 0.690 respectively). The results implied that not all the mixed plantations exhibits the better soil water conditions than the compared pure plantations, which was tightly related to species selected for mixing. Our study provides scientific support for revegetation technique improvement (structural adjustment and species optimization) in this region.

Factor contribution to soil carbon and nitrogen accumulation after vegetation restoration on the Loess Plateau, China

Unraveling the distributions and controls of soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) accumulation is conducive to providing guidance for sustainable ecosystem management. Although the factors that affect soil C and N accumulation have been widely investigated, the relative importance of these factors and whether they confer direct or indirect effects remain unclear. Herein, we examined the distributions of soil organic carbon (SOC), soil inorganic carbon (SIC), and total nitrogen (TN) stocks across the 0–200 cm soil profiles in grasslands, forestlands, and shrublands on the Loess Plateau. Moreover, we determined the relative contributions of land use, topography, and soil properties (texture, water, phosphorus, and available nitrogen) to their variations. The results showed that with increasing soil depth, SOC and TN stocks decreased, while SIC stocks fluctuated. However, large amounts of SOC, SIC, and TN were stored in the deep soil layers (100–200 cm), with values of 3.06, 26.63, and 0.50 kg/m2, respectively. In the 0–200 cm soil layers, the total SIC stock was 53.40 kg/m2 and was 6.8 times higher than the total SOC stock. Among different plant communities, grasslands had the highest SIC stock (54.83 kg/m2), while Armeniaca sibirica and Robinia pseudoacacia had the highest SOC stock (10.06 kg/m2) and TN stock (1.49 kg/m2), respectively. Furthermore, approximately 85% of the variations in SOC, SIC, and TN stocks were jointly affected by land use, topography, and soil properties, in which soil properties acted as the most important driving factors, followed by topography and land use. In particular, topography affected SOC, SIC, and TN stocks mainly through its effects on soil texture and water. Overall, vegetation restoration scenarios incorporating grasslands and Robinia pseudoacacia are highly recommended and should be tailored according to specific topographic features.

Structural characterization, α-glucosidase inhibitory activity and antioxidant activity of neutral polysaccharide from apricot (Armeniaca Sibirica L. Lam) kernels

Screening for α-glucosidase inhibitors and antioxidants from natural sources that could reduce postprandial glucose in diabetic patients and reduce oxidative stress had attracted considerable interest. In this study, a neutral polysaccharide (AP-1) with a triple helix structure was isolated and purified from the residue of apricot (Armeniaca sibirica L. Lam.) kernels by using DEAE-52 and Sephadex G-100 columns. The molecular weight of AP-1 was 23.408 kDa and consisted mainly of glucose with trace amounts of arabinose, galactose, and mannose, which had molar percentages of 98.48, 0.63, 0.62 and 0.27 %, respectively. The main chain of AP-1 was composed of →4)-α-D-Glcp-(1 → interlinked, and α-D-Glcp-(1 → was attached as a branched chain at the O-6 position of →4,6)-α-D-Glcp-(1→. In addition, AP-1 exhibited stronger α-glucosidase inhibition and free radical scavenging ability compared to crude polysaccharides. Therefore, AP-1 could be used as a potential natural hypoglycemic agent and antioxidant in the treatment of diabetes mellitus.

Ecological stoichiometric comparison of plant-litter-soil system in mixed-species and monoculture plantations of Robinia pseudoacacia, Amygdalus davidiana, and Armeniaca sibirica in the Loess Hilly Region of China

We examined how afforestation patterns impact carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) stoichiometry in the plant-litter-soil system. Plant leaf, branch, stem, and root, litter, and soil samples were collected from mixed-species plantations of Robinia pseudoacacia with Amygdalus davidiana (RPAD), R. pseudoacacia with Armeniaca sibirica (RPAS), and monocultures of R. pseudoacacia (RP), A. davidiana (AD), and A. sibirica (AS) in the Loess Hilly Region. The results showed that in mixed-species plantations, R. pseudoacacia had lower leaf N and P concentrations than in monocultures, while both A. davidiana and A. sibirica had higher leaf N and P concentrations. Soil P limited tree growth in both afforestation models. Mixing R. pseudoacacia with A. davidiana or A. sibirica reduced N-limitation during litter decomposition. Average soil total N and P concentrations were higher in RPAS than in RPAD, and both were higher than the corresponding monocultures. The average soil C:N ratio was the smallest in RPAS, while the average soil C:P ratio was larger in RPAS than in RP. A positive correlation between N and P concentrations, and between C:N and C:P ratios, was found in litter and all plant organs of mono- and mixed-stands. Alternatively, for N concentration and C:N ratio, the correlations between plant (i.e., leaf, branch, root) and litter and between plant and soil were inverse between plantation types. RPAD has an increased litter decomposition rate to release N and P, while RPAS has a faster rate of soil N mineralization. RPAD was the best plantation (mixed) to improve biogeochemical cycling, as soil nutrient restrictions, particularly for P-limitation, on trees growth were alleviated. This study thus provides insights into suitable tree selection and management by revealing C:N:P stoichiometry in the plant-litter-soil system under different afforestation patterns.

Hemolymph Metabolism Analysis of Honey Bee (Apis mellifera L.) Response to Different Bee Pollens.

Pollen is essential to the development of honey bees. The nutrients in bee pollen vary greatly among plant species. Here, we analyzed the differences in the amino acid compositions of pear (Pyrus bretschneideri), rape (Brassica napus), and apricot (Armeniaca sibirica) pollens and investigated the variation in hemolymph metabolites and metabolic pathways through untargeted metabolomics in caged adult bees at days 7 and 14. The results showed that the levels of five essential amino acids (isoleucine, phenylalanine, lysine, methionine, and histidine) were the highest in pear pollen, and the levels of four amino acids (isoleucine: 50.75 ± 1.93 mg/kg, phenylalanine: 87.25 ± 2.66 mg/kg, methionine: 16.00 ± 0.71 mg/kg and histidine: 647.50 ± 24.80 mg/kg) were significantly higher in pear pollen than in the other two kinds of bee pollen (p < 0.05). The number of metabolites in bee hemolymph on day 14 (615) was significantly lower than that on day 7 (1466). The key metabolic pathways of bees, namely, “sphingolipid metabolism (p = 0.0091)”, “tryptophan metabolism (p = 0.0245)”, and “cysteine and methionine metabolism (p = 0.0277)”, were significantly affected on day 7. There was no meaningful pathway enrichment on day 14. In conclusion, pear pollen had higher nutritional value among the three bee pollens in terms of amino acid level, followed by rape and apricot pollen, and the difference in amino acid composition among bee pollens was reflected in the lipid and amino acid metabolism pathways of early adult honey bee hemolymph. This study provides new insights into the physiological and metabolic functions of different bee pollens in bees.

Community Characteristics and Niche Analysis of Soil Animals in Returning Farmland to Forest Areas on the Loess Plateau

Niche theory is significant for understanding the function of community structure, interspecific relationships, and community dynamic succession. However, there are few studies on the soil animal niche in returning farmland to forest areas on the Loess Plateau, making it challenging to comprehend the utilization of soil animal resources, the stability of the local community, and the succession process in the areas. Therefore, this study collected soil animals in five typical vegetation types: Robinia pseudoacacia (R), Hippophae rhamnoides (H), Populus simonii (P), Pinus tabulaeformis (T), and Armeniaca sibirica x Hippophae rhamnoides (M), with abandoned grassland (G) used as a control group. Then, the number of soil animal taxa, individuals, diversity, and niche were sampled and examined in the study areas during the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn, and winter using the manual sorting method and the Tullgren method. The results revealed that 3872 soil animals from 3 Phyla, 8 Classes, 22 Orders, and 49 Families were captured in the study areas. The dominant groups of soil macrofauna were Diptera larvae, Julidae, and Formicidae, and the dominant groups of meso–micro soil fauna were Oribatida, Protospira, and Collembola juveniles. Soil animals have rich nutritional function groups, with the most saprophytic soil animal groups. The individual density and taxa number of soil animals in G were lower than other vegetation on the whole. H, M, and P had a higher Shannon–Winner index than the other vegetation. Seasonal changes had different effects on macro and meso–micro soil fauna. The diversity of soil macrofauna is higher in spring and summer, and that of meso–micro soil fauna is higher in autumn and winter. Oribatida, Diptera Larvae, and Formicidae had a large niche width in the main taxa of soil animals, with universal adaptability to the environment. Cicadellidae and Culicidae had narrow niche widths and were highly dependent on resources and the environment. There were 67 pairs of highly overlapped (Oik &gt; 0.8) taxa of soil animals and 56 pairs of moderately overlapped (0.6 &lt; Oik ≤ 0.8) taxa, accounting for 80.39% of the total number of taxa. Soil animals had high commonality in resource utilization, intense competition, and poor community stability. As a result, we can conclude that the soil animal community in the study areas was in the stage of succession.

Responses of biological soil crusts to different types of vegetation restoration on the Chinese Loess Plateau: a case study

Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are important components of dryland ecosystems. Vegetation strongly affects the distribution of biocrusts by influencing the soil stability, moisture and light availability. The Loess Plateau has been subjected to large‐scale restoration efforts; however, the type, coverage, and biomass of biocrusts responses to different types of vegetation restoration remain uncertain. Here, we investigated the biocrust characteristics (type, coverage, thickness, biomass, dominant cryptogam species, and relative abundance of major cyanobacteria and algae) in areas restored with different types of vegetation (Caragana korshinskii, Platycladus orientalis, Armeniaca sibirica, Populus hopeiensis, Pinus tabuliformis, Tamarix chinensis) and in a natural grassland on the Loess Plateau. Our results showed that the coverage, thickness, and biomass of the biocrusts were higher in the natural grassland than in the afforested areas, which suggests that the natural grassland is more suitable than the afforested areas for biocrust distribution. The biocrusts were composed mainly of mosses in the Pi. tabuliformis area and of cyanobacteria and algae in most of the other vegetation restoration areas. However, no biocrusts were observed in the T. chinensis area, probably because the dense canopy prevented light from reaching the soil. In addition, soil properties influenced by vegetation restoration may also affect the characteristics of biocrusts. Overall, our study suggests that natural grassland recovery, rather than afforestation, is likely the most suitable method for the development of biocrusts and provides suggestions for restoration and reconstruction on the Loess Plateau.

Regulatory mechanisms of fatty acids biosynthesis in Armeniaca sibirica seed kernel oil at different developmental stages.

BackgroundArmeniaca sibirica seed kernel oil is rich in oleic acid and linoleic acid, thus holding potential value as a source of high-quality edible oils. However, some regulatory factors involved in fatty acids accumulation in A. sibirica seed kernels remain largely elusive. Thus, the aim of this study was to elucidate the regulatory mechanisms underlying fatty acids biosynthesis in A. sibirica developing seed kernels.MethodsSeed kernels from six plants from a single A. sibirica clone were taken at five different developmental stages (days 30, 41, 52, 63, and 73 after anthesis). Fatty acid composition in seed kernel oil was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In addition, transcriptome analysis was conducted using second-generation sequencing (SGS) and single-molecule real-time sequencing (SMRT).ResultsRapid accumulation of fatty acids occurred throughout the different stages of seed kernels development, with oleic acid and linoleic acid as the main fatty acids. A total of 10,024, 9,803, 6,004, 6,719 and 9,688 unigenes were matched in the Nt, Nr, KOG, GO and KEGG databases, respectively. In the category lipid metabolism, 228 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were annotated into 13 KEGG pathways. Specific unigenes encoding 12 key enzymes related to fatty acids biosynthesis were determined. Co-expression network analysis identified 11 transcription factors (TFs) and 13 long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) which putatively participate in the regulation of fatty acid biosynthesis. This study provides insights into the molecular regulatory mechanisms of fatty acids biosynthesis in A. sibirica developing seed kernels, and enabled the identification of novel candidate factors for future improvement of the production and quality of seed kernel oil by breeding.

C, N, P, K stoichiometric characteristics of the “leaf-root-litter-soil” system in dryland plantations

• Tree species and afforestation years affected nutrient cycling of plantations. • The highest C was in fine roots and the highest N, P and K was in green leaves. • Green leaves absorbed more P and maintained P homeostasis to alleviate P limitation. • Caragana korshinskii was more suitable for ecological restoration in drylands. Plantation’s nutrient cycling can regulate and affect the material cycling of ecosystems, which is the key to maintain the sustainable development of the plantation ecosystem. However, the current understanding of the nutrient cycling characteristics of the “leave-root-litter-soil” continuum of dryland plantation ecosystems is limited. Therefore, in the Longzhong Loess Plateau of China, we selected nine typical dryland plantations to carry related research, including two evergreen ( Platycladus orientalis (13-years and 50-years) and Pinus tabuliformis ) and four deciduous ( Caragana korshinskii (13-years, 35-years and 55-years), Armeniaca sibirica , Populus hopeiensis and Tamarix chinensis ) tree species, and measured C, N, P and K contents of green leaves, fine roots, leaf litter and surface soil (0–20 cm). Results showed tree species and afforestation years strongly changed C, N, P and K contents and ratios of green leaves, fine roots, leaf litter and soil components, and also significantly affected leaf N, P and K reabsorption efficiencies. The average N, P and K contents of four components and soil available nitrogen (AN), available phosphorus (AP) and available potassium (AK) contents in deciduous plantations were higher than those in evergreen plantations, resulting in the lower C:N:P:K stoichiometry of deciduous plantations than evergreen plantations. Especially in 55-years C. korshinskii plantation, its soil C, N, AN, AP and AK contents were higher than those in A. sibirica , P. hopeiensis , P. orientalis and P. tabuliformis plantations. Moreover, soil C, N, P, AN, AP and AK contents in C. korshinskii plantations increased significantly with the increase of afforestation years. Thus, C. korshinskii was more suitable for ecological restoration in drylands. Due to the P limitation in plantations, P reabsorption efficiency was higher than N reabsorption efficiency, and significantly negatively correlated with P contents of four components. And green leaves had the homeostasis to soil AP, which may be the nutrient utilization strategies for plantations to alleviate P limitation. Correlation analysis revealed that the C cycling appeared in green leave-fine root and green leave-leaf litter, the N cycling appeared in green leave-leaf litter-soil-fine root, and the P cycling and K cycling appeared in green leave-leaf litter- soil and leaf litter-fine root. These results will provide guidance for ecological restoration and plantation management in drylands.

Understory plant diversity and soil physicochemical properties of Pinus tabuliformis artificial water conservation forests in the upper reaches of Miyun Reservoir, China

We examined the characteristics of understory plant diversity and physicochemical properties and analyzed the correlation between understory plant diversity and soil factors across four Pinus tabuliformis artificial water conservation forests (P. tabuliformis × Larix gmelinii plantation, P. tabuliformis × Quercus mongolica plantation, P. tabuliformis × Armeniaca sibirica plantation, and P. tabuliformis plantation) in Fengning County, upstream of Miyun reservoir. The results showed that the composition and structure of understory community of the four forests were significantly different. The understory community in the P. tabuliformis × A. sibirica plantation was the richest in species composition, with Spiraea salicifolia, Ostryopsis davidiana, and Carex lanceolata as the main dominant species. In terms of species richness, Simpson index, Shannon diversity index, and Pielou index, plant diversity in the P. tabuliformis × A. sibirica plantation was the highest. Species diversity in the shrub layer and the herb layer was the highest in the P. tabuliformis × Q. mongolica plantation and the P. tabuliformis × Q. mongolica plantation, respectively. All physical and chemical indicators except total phosphorus differed significantly among the four forests. Soil physical and chemical properties of the P. tabuliformis × A. sibirica plantation were the best overall, and that in the P. tabuliformis × Q. mongolica plantation was the worst. Soil capillary porosity, pH, and organic matter were the main factors affecting species diversity in the shrub layer, while soil pH and capillary moisture capacity were the main factors affecting plant species diversity in the herb layer. The construction of P. tabuliformis × A. sibirica plantation was more conducive to increasing the diversity of understory plants and promoting soil improvement. Soil pH, organic matter, capillary porosity, and capillary moisture capacity were the dominant soil factors affecting the diversity of understory plants in the study area.

Optimization of In Vitro Germination and storage of Armeniaca sibirica Pollen

Armeniaca sibirica is an important nut species with ecological and economic value. However, low fruit yield has become a significant obstacle to industrial production of A. sibirica. High and stable yield breeding via cross-pollination has become a solution for improving production. Therefore, pollen with high vitality is essential to ensure successful hybridization in the A. sibirica breeding program. In this study, we used pollen from a A. sibirica clone to optimize the composition of germination medium. The orthogonal assay test strategy (OATS) indicated an agar-solidified medium containing 15 g/100 mL sucrose, 0.01 g/100 mL boric acid, and 0.01 g/100 mL calcium nitrate at pH 6.0 was optimal for pollen germination. The pollen germination rate and tube length in the optimal medium were checked at seven different temperatures and times. The results indicated that 25 °C was the optimal temperature. Controlled unfreezing and rehydration experiments showed that the germination rate of cryopreserved pollen reached its highest value when pollen was thawed for 24 h at 4 °C and rehydrated for 4 h at 25 °C, demonstrating that unfreezing and rehydration greatly improved the vitality of pollen. A. sibirica pollen could remain high viability at 25 °C (4 weeks) or 4 °C (8 weeks) for short-term storage, and -20 °C and -80 °C were suitable temperatures for long-term storage (52 weeks). Our results can provide helpful information for pollen sources in the A. sibirica cross breeding program.

Effects of Three Types of Pollen on the Growth and Development of Honey Bee Larvae (Hymenoptera, Apidae)

Pollen serves as an essential protein source for honey bee larvae. The nutrients in pollen greatly influence larval growth and development. Here, the survival, prepupal weight, developmental stage, pollen digestibility and midgut cells in honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) larvae were evaluated by performing in vitro and 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine (EdU) assays on larvae reared on three single pollens (Brassica napus L., Armeniaca sibirica L., and Pyrus bretschneideri Rehd.) and a pollen mixture (mixture of the three pollens in equal proportions). The results showed that the survival rate of larvae fed 10 mg of rape pollen was lowest (P &amp;lt; 0.05), but there were no notable differences in the survival rate among the groups receiving the other types and doses of pollen (P &amp;gt; 0.05). The prepupal weight of larvae fed apricot pollen was significantly lower than those of the other groups (P &amp;lt; 0.05). The digestibility of rape pollen and the pollen mixture were dramatically higher than those of apricot and pear pollen (P &amp;lt; 0.05). Pear and mixed pollen exerted negative effects on the nuclear area of midgut cells in the early larval stage (P &amp;lt; 0.05). In conclusion, detection of larval midgut cells using the EdU assay might be an effective method to assess the pollen nutritive value in honey bees. Compared to apricot and pear pollen, rape pollen was more beneficial in larval honey bee growth and development.

Masting benefits seedling recruitment of Armeniaca sibirica through directed dispersal by rodents

In animal-dispersed plants, masting is often claimed to promote fitness through increasing seed survival (e.g., predator satiation hypothesis) and/or seed dispersal (e.g., predator dispersal hypothesis). Plant fitness is also enhanced when seeds are disproportionally deposited at the safe sites by animals in spatially heterogeneous environments (i.e., directed dispersal hypothesis). However, little is known about the relationship between masting and directed dispersal in animal-dispersed plants. Here, we tracked seed production, seed dispersal and seedling establishment of a rodent-dispersed plant (Armeniaca sibirica) from 2005 to 2017 in a warm-temperate forest in northern China. We hypothesized that masting would improve seed dispersal fitness through directed dispersal mediated by small rodents. Compared to the null model of random dispersal, more seeds were deposited at the safe sites and more seedlings were established from the safe sites in seed-rich years, indicating that directed dispersal occurred in the masting years. The proportions of seed deposition and seedling establishment at the safe sites were positively associated with seed abundance and seed-rodent ratio, suggesting that masting increased directed dispersal effects. Overall, seed abundance was better in predicting directed dispersal effects than rodent abundance or seed-rodent ratio. Beyond the most commonly considered advantages of predator satiation and predator dispersal, our results are the first to suggest that masting is beneficial for seed dispersal through directed dispersal mediated by animals. This finding might contribute to a better understanding of masting effects on plant recruitment.

Dynamics of seasonal changes in introduced plants in Eastern Transbaikalia

The article presents a comparative analysis of the seasonal development of introduced plants in the weather conditions of Eastern Transbaikalia for the growing periods from 2014 to 2019. The results presented are taken from 6-year phenological observations conducted in the arboretum of the Institute of Natural Resources, Ecology and Cryology SB RAS. We constructed the phenological spectra of the studied objects by year. We studied the main phenological indicators of vegetation the East Asian forest-steppe and Manchurian-Daurian preboreal species. We analyzed the meteorological data: the mean daily air temperatures and precipitation for the months of the growing season (2014–2019), and the sum of active temperatures and precipitation for this period. The data on the dynamics of the development of shrubby plant species in conditions of Eastern Transbaikalia for 2014–2019 indicate that plants respond adaptively to changes in weather conditions. Hereditary and physiological characteristics showed that the introduced plants are characterized as cold-resistant and drought-resistant. Corylus heterophylla and Armeniaca sibirica are most sensitive to temperature extremes in spring, in contrast to Euonymus maackii, which were stable. Low above-zero air temperatures in spring and a large amount of precipitation encourage plants to pass the development stages (phenophases) faster than in dry and warm weather (Corylus heterophylla, Armeniaca sibirica). At the same time, low temperatures (frosts) in spring with a wet period at the time of flowering negatively affect the further fruit formation in Corylus heterophylla individuals. Rainy or cloudy days reduce the color intensity of the autumn leaves, and cool, dry, and sunny weather contributes to the autumn color scheme. Armeniaca sibirica and Corylus heterophylla are variable in terms of the onset of the main phenophases; individuals of the Euonymus maackii species have minimal individual variability. The longest growing seasons on the phenological spectrum were registered in 2014 and 2018–2019 (in Corylus heterophylla individuals – 190 days), which contributes to the accumulation of more phytomass. The shortest growing season was registered in 2015 (Armeniaca sibirica – 150 days).

Characteristics of Soil Macrofauna and Its Coupling Relationship with Environmental Factors in the Loess Area of Northern Shaanxi

Even with the in-depth implementation of forestry ecological projects, such as restoring farmland to forest (grass) in the loess area of northern Shaanxi, the characteristics of soil macrofauna communities and their coupling relationship with environmental factors after vegetation restoration in the study area are yet obscure. However, the soil macrofauna community characteristics are of great significance for evaluating the effectiveness of vegetation restoration in the study area. Therefore, the study aims to reveal the characteristics of the soil macrofauna community and their coupling relationships with the environment in the loess area of northern Shaanxi. In this study, all organisms of the five typical vegetation types in the study area were collected by manual sorting (Armeniaca sibirica and Populus simonii mixed forest (M), Robinia pseudoacacia (P), Populus simonii (S), Populus hopeiensis (H) and Hippophae rhamnoides (R)), and the adjacent abandoned grassland (G) was used as a control group. The group number and the individual number of soil macrofauna of different vegetation types in the study area and their coupling relationships with environmental factors are studied, and the following conclusions were drawn. (1) The study shows that there are certain differences in the environmental factors of different vegetation types in the study area, which include the significant differences in the alkaline nitrogen content of various vegetation types (p &lt; 0.05). (2) The effects of different vegetation on soil macrofauna community were different. There were no significant differences in the soil macrofauna community structure between Armeniaca sibirica and Populus simonii mixed forest, Robinia pseudoacacia, Populus simonii and Populus hopeiensis, but there was a large difference from that of the abandoned grasslands. The community density of soil macrofauna in Armeniaca sibirica and Populus simonii mixed forest and Populus simonii were significantly higher than that in the abandoned grassland (p &lt; 0.05), but the other indexes showed no significant differences. The Shannon–Wiener index of Robinia pseudoacacia and Populus hopeiensis were much lower than that of the abandoned grassland (p &lt; 0.05). (3) The diversity of soil macrofauna communities was mainly affected by pH, alkaline nitrogen, potassium available, vegetation coverage and litter production. (4) Different groups of soil macrofauna were closely related and reacted differently to environmental factors, and vegetation coverage, litter production and alkaline nitrogen content were the key factors affecting the composition of soil macrofauna communities.

Optimization of in Vitro Germination and Storage of Armeniaca Sibirica Pollen

Optimization of in Vitro Germination and Storage of Armeniaca Sibirica Pollen

半干旱黄土区植被恢复对土壤团聚体稳定性及抗侵蚀能力的影响

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 半干旱黄土区植被恢复对土壤团聚体稳定性及抗侵蚀能力的影响 DOI: 10.5846/stxb202202090324 作者: 作者单位: 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 山西省回国留学人员科研资助项目（2021-097）；山西省基础研究计划（20210302123333）；国家自然科学基金项目（41971129） Effect of vegetation restoration on stability and erosion resistance of soil aggregates in semi-arid loess region Author: Affiliation: Fund Project: 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:土壤水稳性团聚体强烈影响土壤过程和功能，是反映土壤质量和土壤抗侵蚀能力的重要指标。为探究半干旱黄土区植被恢复对土壤抗侵蚀能力的影响，以甘肃省定西市龙滩流域为研究区，选取3种恢复方式（天然荒草、自然恢复、人工恢复）7种植被类型（大针茅草地、长芒草草地、赖草草地、苜蓿草地、柠条灌丛、山杏林以及油松林）为研究对象，通过测定0-20 cm、20-40 cm和40-60 cm土壤水稳性团聚体，分析土壤团聚体组成、稳定性及抗侵蚀能力特征。结果表明：1）不同恢复方式不同植被类型间土壤水稳性团聚体稳定性差异显著（P<0.05），自然恢复方式的土壤水稳性团聚体平均重量直径显著高于天然荒草和人工恢复方式，且7种植被类型土壤大团聚体质量百分比均在67.97%-90.12%之间；人工恢复方式土壤水稳性团聚体稳定性较差，其中油松林稳定性最差。2）土壤团聚体破坏率和土壤抗侵蚀能力均表现出自然恢复方式更有利于土壤结构稳定性的提高。3）土壤水稳性大团聚体含量越高，土壤团聚体越稳定，土壤结构稳定性就越好；平均重量直径与土壤可蚀性因子K值呈极显著性负相关（P<0.01）。本研究结果表明自然恢复方式能够显著提高土壤团聚体的稳定性，从而提升土壤的抗侵蚀能力，建议当地在未来植被恢复规划中采取自然恢复方式更有利于生态恢复的有效进行。 Abstract:Soil water-stable aggregates strongly affect soil process and function, which is an important index to reflect soil quality and soil erosion resistance. In order to explore the effect of vegetation restoration on soil erosion resistance in semi-arid loess region, in this study, through three restoration methods (natural grassland, natural restoration, artificial restoration) and seven vegetation types (Stipa grandis grassland, Stipa bungeana grassland, Leymus secalinus grassland, Medicago sativa grassland, Caragana korsinskii shrub, Armeniaca sibirica forest and Pinus tabulaeformis forest) were selected in the Longtan catchment of Dingxi in Gansu Province. The composition, stability and erosion resistance characteristics of soil aggregates were analyzed by measuring 0-20 cm, 20-40 cm and 40-60 cm soil water-stable aggregates. The results showed that:1) there are significant differences in the stability of soil water-stable aggregates among different vegetation types and different restoration methods (P<0.05). The average weight diameter of soil aggregates in natural restoration grassland was significantly higher than that in natural restoration and artificial restoration vegetation, and the mass percentage of soil macroaggregates of the seven vegetation types was 67.97%-90.12%. The stability of soil water-stable aggregates under artificial restoration was poor, among which the stability of Pinus tabulaeformis forest was the worst. 2) The destruction rate of soil aggregates and the ability of soil erosion resistance showed that the natural restoration method was more beneficial to the improvement of soil structure stability. 3) The higher the content of water-stable macroaggregates in soil, the more stable the soil aggregate, the better the soil structural stability; there was a very significantly negative correlation between soil average weight diameter and soil erodibility factor K (P<0.01). The results of this study show that the natural restoration method can significantly improve the stability of soil aggregates, thus improving the soil anti-erosion ability, so as to improve the soil erosion resistance, suggested the plant in the future. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献