Effects Of Simulated Acid Rain Research Articles

Effects of Simulated Acid Rain on Photosynthesis in Pinus massoniana and Cunninghamia lanceolata in Terms of Prompt Fluorescence, Delayed Fluorescence, and Modulated Reflection at 820 nm.

The effects of simulated acid rain (SAR) on the photosynthetic performance of subtropical coniferous species have not been thoroughly investigated. In this study, we treated two coniferous species, Pinus massoniana (PM) and Cunninghamia lanceolata (CL), with four gradients of SAR and then analyzed their photosynthetic activities through measurements of gas exchange, prompt fluorescence (PF), delayed fluorescence (DF), and modulated reflection at 820 nm (MR820). Gas exchange analysis indicated that the decrease in the net photosynthetic rate (Pn) in PM and CL was unrelated to stomatal factors. For the PF transients, SAR induced positive K-band and L-band, a significant reduction in photosynthetic performance index (PIABS), the quantum yield of electron transfer per unit cross-section (ETO/CSm), and maximal photochemical efficiency of photosystem II (Fv/Fm). Analysis of the MR820 kinetics showed that the re-reduction kinetics of PSI reaction center (P700+) and plastocyanin (PC+) became slower and occurred at later times under SAR treatment. For the DF signals, a decrease in the amplitude of the DF induction curve reduced the maximum value of DF (I1). These results suggested that SAR obstructed photosystem II (PSII) donor-side and acceptor-side electron transfer capacity, impaired the connectivity between PSII and PSI, and destroyed the oxygen-evolving complex (OEC). However, PM was better able to withstand SAR stress than CL, likely because of the activation of a protective mechanism.

Impact of simulated acid rain on chemical properties of Nyalau series soil and its leachate

Greenhouse gases can cause acid rain, which in turn degrades soil chemical properties. This research was conducted to determine the effects of simulated acid rain (SAR) on the chemical properties of Nyalau series (Typic paleudults). A 45-day laboratory leaching and incubation study (control conditions) was conducted following standard procedures include preparing simulated acid rain with specific pH levels, followed by experimental design/plan and systematically analyzing both soil and leachate for chemical changes over the 45-day period. Six treatments five of which were SAR (pH 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0, and 5.5) and one control referred to as natural rainwater (pH 6.0) were evaluated. From the study, the SAR had significant effects on the chemical properties of the soil and its leachate. The pH of 3.5 of SAR treatments decreased soil pH, K+, and fertility index. In contrast, the contents of Mg2+, Na+, SO42−, NO3−, and acidity were higher at the lower SAR pH. Furthermore, K+ and Mg2+ in the leachate significantly increased with increasing acidity of the SAR. The changes in Ca2+ and NH4+ between the soil and its leachate were positively correlated (r = 0.84 and 0.86), whereas the changes in NO3− negatively correlated (r = − 0.82). The novelty of these results lies in the discovery of significant alterations in soil chemistry due to simulated acid rain (SAR), particularly impacting soil fertility and nutrient availability, with notable positive and negative correlations among specific ions where prolonged exposure to acid rain could negatively affect the moderately tolerant to acidic and nutrient-poor soils. Acid rain can negatively affect soil fertility and the general soils ecosystem functions. Long-term field studies are required to consolidate the findings of this present study in order to reveal the sustained impact of SAR on tropical forest ecosystems, particularly concerning soil health, plant tolerance, and potential shifts in biodiversity and ecological balance.

The short-term effect of simulated acid rain and nitrogen deposition on the soil microbial functional profile targeting C, N, and P cycling

Acid rain and nitrogen deposition resulting from fossil fuel combustion and atmospheric NH3 enrichment have inflicted significant damage to ecosystems on a global scale. However, their specific impacts on forest soil ecosystems, particularly in soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) cycling, remain unclear. For this study metagenomic sequencing was employed to study the effects of simulated acid rain and nitrogen deposition on microbial functional genes in a subtropical plantation in the Yangtze River Delta region. Our findings indicated that acid rain and nitrogen deposition did not have significant impacts on overall functional Shannon diversity. However, acid rain treatments did alter microbial functional structures, particularly as relates to C, N, and P cycling. Notably, the soil pH had a significant correlation with microbial functional profiles. In the absence of nitrogen deposition, acid rain led to an increase in the relative abundance of starch and carbon monoxide (CO) oxidation processes, while reducing the relative abundance of multiple systems and reductive tricarboxylic acid (rTCA) pathway processes. Further, acid rain decreased the relative abundance of nitrogen fixation and nitrification processes, as exemplified by hao, nirK, and norZ genes, while increasing the relative abundance of norC and narI genes. Additionally, acid rain was associated with a decrease in the relative abundance of P starvation regulation and inorganic P solubilization processes. However, N deposition did not have a significant effect on microbial functional processes related to C, N, and P cycling. Our study emphasized the negative impacts of short-term acid rain on soil N and P cycling in a subtropical plantation, which surpassed that of short-term N deposition.

Effects of simulated acid rain on hydrochemical factors and microbial community structure in red soil aquifers.

Acid rain can lower the pH of groundwater and affect its hydrogeochemistry and microbial ecology. However, the effects of acid rain on the hydrogeochemistry and microbial ecology of red soil groundwater systems in southern China are poorly understood. Previous research had mainly investigated the sources and patterns of groundwater acidification, but not the microbial mechanisms that contribute to this process and their associations with hydrochemical factors. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a soil column experiment to simulate the infiltration of acid rain through various filter materials (coarse, medium, and fine sand) and to examine the hydrochemical and microbial features of the infiltrate, which can reveal how simulated acid rain (pH 3.5-7.0) alters the hydrochemistry and microbial community composition in red soil aquifers. The results showed that the pH of the leachate decreased due to simulated acid rain, and that the leaching efficiency of nitrogen and metal ions was influenced by the particle size of the filter media. Illumina 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that the leachate was dominated by Proteobacteria, Patescibacteria, Actinobacteria, and Acidobacteria, with Proteobacteria accounting for 67.04-74.69% of the bacterial community and containing a high proportion of nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria. Additionally, several genera with heavy metal tolerance, such as Burkholderia-Caballeronia-Paraburkholderia, Delftia, Methylversatilis, Aquicella, and Ralstonia, were widely distributed in the leachate, indicating the strong adaptive capacity of the microbial population. A correlation analysis between the hydrochemical factors and the microbial community structure revealed that pH was the most influential factor, followed by NO2--N, Fe, Al, Cu, Mn, and others. These results indicate that acidification modifies the hydrochemical conditions of the aquifer, creating an environment that is unfavorable for microbial growth and survival. However, some microorganisms may acquire resistance genes to cope with environmental changes.

Exogenous N-hexanoyl-l-homoserine lactone mitigates acid rain stress effects through modulation of structural and functional changes in Triticum aestivum leaf

Acid rain (AR) is a global environmental problem that causes a number of morphological, physiological and molecular changes in plants. N-acyl homoserine lactones, as bacterial quorum sensing signal molecules, mediate a number of physiological processes in plants. In this study, we have demonstrated for the first time the stress-protective role of AHL foliar treatment under conditions of abiotic stress - acid rain. The effects of simulated acid rain (SAR), treatment of plants with N-hexanoyl-l-homoserine lactone (C6-HSL) solution, and a combination of these two factors on the microstructure of the leaf surface, photosynthetic pigments, secondary metabolites, and lipoxygenase activity in winter wheat plants were analyzed. It was established that on the fourth day following treatment of 14-day-old plants with C6-HSL, the thickness of the outer cell wall of the leaf epidermis, together with the cuticle layer, increased by 15 %. SAR treatment resulted in a significant thinning of the cell wall (33 %), while pretreatment with C6-HSL followed by SAR reduced cell wall thickness by only 9 %. Under SAR, the cuticular wax layer was destroyed and there were unequal wax lamellae on the epidermal surface, while in C6-HSL treated plants only partial cracking of the cuticular wax layer, slight destruction of the wax lamellae, and formation of wax crusts took place. C6-HSL induced a significant increase in total chlorophyll content under non-SAR conditions, and significantly mitigated the decrease of total chlorophyll content caused by SAR. Lipoxygenase activity, the content of total phenols, flavonoids, and proline increased after treatment of plants with C6-HSL solution alone and in combination with SAR. This is the first report on the possibility of using C6-HSL as an ecological biostimulator under conditions of AR.

Stabilization of Ni by rhamnolipid modified nano zero-valent iron in soil: Effect of simulated acid rain and microbial response

Nickel (Ni), as one of the essential micronutrients, exists widely in nature, but high concentration of Ni in soil can pose certain biological toxicity. Nano zero-valent iron (nZVI) and rhamnolipid modified nZVI (RL@nZVI) can effectively stabilize Ni in soil. In this study, the stabilization effect of nZVI and RL@nZVI on the Ni-polluted soil under simulated acid rain and the microbial community response during the soil remediation under different Ni levels (200, 600, and 1800 mg/kg) were investigated. The results show that the addition of nZVI and RL@nZVI increased the pH of leachate to neutral and decreased the amount of Ni in leachate (23.33%–47.06% by nZVI and 50.01%–70.47% by RL@nZVI), indicating that nZVI and RL@nZVI could reduce the potential radial migration risk of Ni in soil under simulated acid rain. The addition of RL@nZVI was beneficial to recover the soil bacterial community diversity, which was inhibited by Ni pollution, and rhamnolipid coating could reduce the toxicity of nZVI. The dominant bacteria in RL@nZVI-treated soil with low, medium, and high Ni pollution were Firmicutes, Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria, respectively. Soil potential, total organic carbon, and pH were the main driving factors affecting the bacterial community structure, while Ni stress only caused changes in the relative abundance of some tolerant bacteria.

Effects of simulated acid rain and carbon-rich water on mercury mobilization in soils amended with aluminum-based drinking water treatment residuals

Mercury (Hg) contamination in soils is of concern because of its known adverse effects on ecosystem functions and human health. Research on how to reduce Hg contamination in soil is still needed, mainly because of the difficulties in remediating Hg-contaminated soils while minimizing adverse effects on treated systems. We investigated the potential of a waste substrate, aluminum (Al)-based drinking water treatment residuals (Al-WTRs), as a low-cost sorbent for immobilizing the mobile fraction of Hg in contaminated soils using column leaching studies. Because of the known role of acidic deposition and dissolved organic matter on the environmental cycling of Hg, columns packed with Hg-contaminated alluvial soils collected from the watershed of Poplar Creek in Tennessee of USA were leached using either the synthetic precipitation leaching procedure (SPLP) to simulate the effects of acid rain or low pH dissolved organic carbon (DOC) rich river water (Suwannee River water, pH 4.20) to mimic soil flooding events with DOC-rich waters. The results show that, for soils with very high mobile Hg fractions, control columns without Al-WTR leached with the SPLP solution retained only 51% of total-Hg, which was significantly less (p ​< ​0.05) than in the Al-WTR treated soil columns (up to 80%). Leaching with DOC-rich river water (53.3 ​mg ​C/L) decreased the sorption capacity of Al-WTR. Using waters with increasing DOC concentrations (from 5.33 to 40 ​mg ​C/L) resulted in the removal of 63% of the initial mass of Hg in the control columns compared to 22–29% in the columns amended with 2 and 5% Al-WTR. Overall, Al-WTR can immobilize Hg under extreme leachability conditions and should be considered as a potential sorbent for in situ remediation of Hg-contaminated soils. However, further studies are needed on the fate of Al-WTR-immobilized Hg.

Effects of Simulated Acid Rain and Nitrogen Deposition on Soil Bacterial Community Structure and Diversity in the Masson Pine Forest

By analyzing the effects of acid rain and nitrogen deposition on the structure and diversity of soil bacterial communities, the response mechanism of Masson pine forests to environmental stress was investigated, providing a theoretical reference basis for resource management and conservation in Tianmu Mountain National Nature Reserve. Four treatments of the simulated acid rain and nitrogen deposition were set up in 2017 to 2021 in Tianmu Mountain National Nature Reserve (pH value of 5.5 and 0 kg·(hm2·a)-1, CK; pH value of 4.5 and 30 kg·(hm2·a)-1, T1; pH value of 3.5 and 60 kg·(hm2·a)-1, T2; pH value of 2.5 and 120 kg·(hm2·a)-1, T3). The differences in soil bacterial community composition and structure among treatments and their influencing factors were analyzed by collecting soils from four treatments, using the Illumina MiSeq PE300 second-generation high-throughput sequencing platform. The results showed that acid rain and nitrogen deposition significantly reduced soil bacterial α-diversity (P<0.05) in a Masson pine forest. The Masson pine forest soils consisted of 36 phylum groups of mycota, with Acidobacteria, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Chloroflexi as the main bacterial phyla (relative abundance>1%) in the Masson pine forest soils. Flavobacterium, Nitrospira, Haliangium, Candidatus_Koribacter, Bryobacter, Occallatibacter, Acidipla, Singulisphaera, Pajaroellobacter, and Acidothermus, which showed significant changes in relative abundance under the four treatments, could be used as indicator species for changes in soil bacterial communities under acid rain and nitrogen deposition stress. Soil pH and total nitrogen were influential factors in the diversity of soil bacterial communities. As a result, acid rain and nitrogen deposition increased the potential ecological risk, and the loss of microbial diversity will change the ecosystem function as well as reduce the stability of the ecosystem.

Activation of endogenous cadmium from biochar under simulated acid rain enhances the accumulation risk of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.)

Biochar has been widely applied to remediate heavy metal-contaminated soils, but the environmental risk of the endogenous pollutants in biochar remains unclear. Two biochars with different endogenous cadmium (Cd) concentrations were prepared from background soil (BCB) and contaminated soil (BCC), respectively. We studied the effects of simulated acid rain (SAR) on the activation mechanism of endogenous Cd in biochar and Cd uptake of Cd by lettuce from the biochar-amended soils. SAR aging significantly increased Cd bioavailability by 27.5 % and 53.9 % in BCB and BCC, respectively. The activation of Cd from biochar may be due to the decrease of biochar pH and persistent free radicals (PFRs) and the increase of specific surface area (SSA) and O-contained functional groups in biochars. Two biochars at dosages of 2 % and 5 % rates did not change soil pore water Cd, but BCB and BCC at 10 % increased pore water Cd by 17.3 % and 219 %, respectively after SAR aging. SAR aging significantly increased the bioavailability of Cd in BCB and BCC treated soils than those before SAR aging. BCB application enhanced the biomass of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) and decreased the uptake of Cd. However, BCC addition at 10 % decreased the biomass of lettuce and increased the accumulation of Cd. In summary, endogenous Cd in biochar from contaminated soils has a potential environmental risk to plants and human health and the negative effects of endogenous pollutants from the biochars should be further investigated.

The Effects of Simulated Acid Rain on Growth of Bean

The Effects of Simulated Acid Rain on Growth of Bean

Chromium Transport and Fate in Vadose Zone: Effects of Simulated Acid Rain and Colloidal Types

Chromium (Cr) can enter groundwater through rainfall infiltration and significantly affects human health. However, the mechanisms by which soil colloids affect chromium transport are not well investigated. In this study, column experiments were conducted to simulate the chromium (Cr) transport mechanism in two typical soils (humic acid + cinnamon soil and montmorillonite + silt) in the vadose zone of a contaminated site and the effects of acid rain infiltration conditions. The results showed that Mt colloids have less influence on Cr. The fixation of Cr by colloid mainly occurs in the cinnamon soil layer containing HA colloid. The adsorption efficiency of Cr was increased by 12.8% with the addition of HA. In the HA-Cr system, the introduction of SO42- inhibited the adsorption of Cr, reducing the adsorption efficiency from 31.4% to 24.4%. The addition of Mt reduced the adsorption efficiency of Cr by 15%. In the Mt-Cr system, the introduction of SO42- had a promoting effect on Cr adsorption, with the adsorption efficiency increasing from 4.4% to 5.1%. Cr release was inhibited by 63.88% when HA colloid was present, but the inhibition owing to changes in acidity was only 14.47%. Mt colloid promotes Cr transport and increases the leaching rate by 2.64% compared to the absence of Mt. However, the effect of acidity change was not significant. Intermittent acid rain will pose a higher risk of pollutant release. Among the influencing factors, the type of colloid had the most significant influence on the efficiency of Cr leaching. This study guides the quantitative assessment of groundwater pollution risk caused by Cr in the vadose zone.

Improving yield and quality of rice under acid rain stress by regulating nitrogen assimilation with exogenous Ca2.

Acid rain threatens crop yield and nutritional quality, and Ca2+ can regulate plant responses to abiotic stresses. To improve the yield and nutritional quality of crops under acid rain stress, we applied exogenous Ca2+ to regulate nitrogen assimilation in rice seedlings under simulated acid rain stress (pH 4.5 or 3.0), taking yield and nutritional quality of rice as evaluation criteria. We found that Ca2+ (5mM) maintained the total nitrogen content of rice at the seedling and booting stages to alleviate the inhibitory effect of simulated acid rain on rice yield. Meanwhile, Ca2+ improved the activity of glutamate synthase to eliminate the disruption of glutamine synthetase/glutamate synthase balance under simulated acid rain. It decreased the efficiency of nitrogen assimilation, thereby reducing the inhibition of essential amino acid content in rice. The mitigation effect on simulated acid rain at pH 4.5 was better than that of simulated acid rain at pH 3.0. Overall, Ca2+ may reduce the negative effect of acid rain on the yield and nutritional quality of crops.

Effects of simulated acid rain on rhizosphere microorganisms of invasive Alternanthera philoxeroides and native Alternanthera sessilis.

Acid rain not only has serious harm to the environment, but also has the same threat to plants, but the invasive plant Alternanthera philoxeroides still grows well compared to the native plant Alternanthera sessilis under acid rain stress. However, the underlying mechanism of resistance to the acid rain environment in invasive Alternanthera philoxeroides remains unclear. In the current study, we comparatively analyzed the plant physiological characteristics, soil physicochemical properties, and rhizosphere microbial communities of invasive A. philoxeroides and native A. sessilis under different pH condition. The simulated acid rain had a significant inhibitory effect on the morphological and physiological traits of A. philoxeroides and A. sessilis and reduced the soil nutrient content. However, A. philoxeroides was more tolerant of acid rain. Compared with CK, simulated acid rain treatment at pH 2.5 significantly increased the Chao1, ACE, and Shannon indexes of A. philoxeroides microorganisms. Under simulated acid rain treatment at pH 2.5, the fungal flora Chao1, ACE and Shannon index were significantly higher than those of CK by 14.5%, 12.4%, and 30.4%, respectively. The dominant bacterial phyla of soil bacteria were Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidota, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, Myxococcota, Chloroflexi, Patescibacteria, Gemmatimonadota, Verrucomicrobiota, and Armatimonadota. The dominant fungi were Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Rozellomycota, and Olpidiomycota. The bacterial and fungal diversity and structure of A. philoxeroides and A. sessilis showed the greatest difference between the pH 2.5 treatment and CK. Redundancy analysis showed that electrical conductivity (EC) and total phosphorus (TP) were the main factors changing the bacterial communities, and available phosphorus (AP), organic matter (OM), EC, and pH were the main factors changing the fungal communities. This study contributes to the microbial community structure of the invasive plant A. philoxeroides and provides a theoretical basis for studying the invasion mechanism of invasive plants under acid rain.

Interactive effect of simulated acid rain, calcium silicate, and γ-aminobutyric acid on physiological processes in corn and wheat

The effect of calcium silicate, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and their mixture on the adaptation of wheat and corn to simulated acid rain has been evaluated in the pot experiments. Acid rain was simulated by watering twice with distilled water acidified with sulfuric acid to pH = 2. Test plants were grown in a plant growth chamber under controlled conditions of temperature, illumination and relative humidity for 18 days. The physiological state of the test plants was assessed by characteristics of growth (shoot height, root length, dry weight of shoots and roots), the content of photosynthetic pigments, flavonoids, and proline in leaves. For the corn, the content of anthocyanins in shoots and roots was also evaluated. In parallel, the physical and chemical characteristics of the soil (pH, electrical conductivity, redox potential, content of soluble carbonates, and nitrates) were determined.It was established that simulated acid rain inhibited the growth and accumulation of photosynthetic pigments in the leaves of wheat and corn. The content of protective metabolites (proline, flavonoids, and anthocyanins) increased. Wheat showed greater sensitivity to the inhibiting effect of acidification compared to corn. The application of CaSiO3 was more effective than GABA in restoring pH value and HCO3- concentration in soil, while the application of GABA more effectively promoted the accumulation of NO3- anions in soil. Combining CaSiO3 with GABA was the most effective in restoring soil physical and chemical properties altered by simulated acidification and stimulating the growth and photosynthesis in the test-plants. Thus, the mixture of CaSiO3 with GABA is promising for further studies of the possibility of its application to mitigate the negative impact of acid depositions on vegetation and soil.

Effects of Simulated Acid Rain on Soil Enzyme Activity and Related Chemical Indexes in Woodlands

In order to explore the effects of different concentrations of acid rain on soil nutrient content and nutrient utilization efficiency, and to provide a basis for an improvement in acidified soil in acid rain regions, a year-long acid rain experiment was conducted in a typical evergreen broad-leaved forest and coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest in Jinyun Mountain of Chongqing. Four pH treatments (pH 4.5, 4.0, 3.25, and 2.5) were established to simulate acid rain. The results showed that: (1) Acid rain promoted the accumulation of soil nutrients, and the contents of organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), and hydrolyzed nitrogen (HN) significantly increased during the experiment (p &lt; 0.05). (2) Soil SOC content was significantly positively correlated with acid rain concentration (p &lt; 0.01), HN content was negatively correlated with acid rain concentration, and TN and total phosphorus (TP) contents were not significantly correlated with acid rain concentration. (3) The activities of soil sucrase, urease, and acid phosphatase were negatively correlated with acid rain concentration (p &lt; 0.01) and the activity of soil cellulase was positively correlated with acid rain concentration (p &lt; 0.01). (4) The enzyme activity changed differently, depending on the concentration of acid rain during the study period. (5) According to RDA analysis, soil total nitrogen content and hydrolyzed nitrogen content had significant effects on enzyme activity (p &lt; 0.05). Conclusions: Acid rain did not significantly alter the overall soil nutrient content but reduced the available nutrient content and seriously inhibited enzyme activity—most notably, the soil enzymes involved in nutrient utilization efficiency.

Impact of simulated acid rain on the growth of three species Brassica integrifolia, Brassica rapa, Brassica juncea in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Over the past decade, the extent and magnitude of acid rain in Vietnam and other Asian countries have become more apparent. In this study, the effect of simulated acid rain (pH 5.0, 4.0, and 3.0) and control treatment (pH 6.0) are observed for three species Brassica integrifolia, Brassica rapa, and Brassica juncea in Hanoi. The pot experiment was conducted for 42days and arranged according to a randomized complete block design (RCBD), replicated 3 times with acid rain exposure being supplied every 4days. The results show that acid rain causes direct damage to leaves. Observations reveal white spots on leaves; leaves getting discolored and gradually turning yellow, curling leaf marginals, and turning dark blue, with the most severe symptoms being necrotic leaves. Parameters of the shoot and root length, leaf area, biomass, and chlorophyll content all decrease as pH drops. However, the accumulation of proline content in leaves tends to increase with greater acidity. In conclusion, Brassica rara has the highest resistance capability to acid rain compared with Brassica integrifolia and Brassica juncea, especially its proline content is the highest at pH 3.0 in three Brassicaceae species.

The effects of simulated acid rain and cadmium-containing atmospheric fine particulate matter on the pakchoi (Brassica campestris. L) seedlings growth and physiology

ABSTRACT Acid rain (AR) and atmospheric particulate matter (APM) are important environmental issues that often occur simultaneously in agricultural regions, the combined pollution of AR and atmospheric fine particles (PM2.5) containing heavy metals has negatively affected the growth of seedlings and has become a hot research topic. In this paper, we established exposure scenarios to simulate the AR and the cadmium-containing PM2.5 (PM2.5-Cd) pollutions. Under the scenarios, hazardous impacts of AR and PM2.5-Cd on growth, physiological and biochemical characteristics of pakchoi were evaluated. After being exposed simulated AR and PM2.5-Cd for 21 days, our results indicate that: single treatment with either AR (pH 5.5) or PM2.5-Cd, or a combined treatment of AR (pH 5.5) and PM2.5-Cd (150, 300 μg·m−3) increased the growth of pack hoi seedlings. Combined treatments with low-acidity AR (pH 3.5) and PM2.5-Cd (500 μg·m−3), significantly decreased the growth and the Soil and Plant Analyzer Development (SPAD) of pakchoi, and it also induced a significantly increase in foliar MDA content and catalase (CAT) activity, while decreasing peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. The Cd concentration of leaves increased with an increasing PM2.5-Cd concentration. Correlation analysis indicated that the growth and SPAD of pakchoi were highly correlated with the foliar MDA content and enzyme activities under the combined treatments with AR and PM2.5-Cd treatment. Our results might serve as a guide to increase agricultural production and food crop safety in areas with high levels of AR and PM2.5 pollution.

Effects of simulated acid rain on the competitive relationship between invasive &lt;i&gt;Ambrosia artemisiifolia&lt;/i&gt; and its co-occurring indigenous forb &lt;i&gt;Bidens bipinnata&lt;/i&gt;

Effects of simulated acid rain on the competitive relationship between invasive &lt;i&gt;Ambrosia artemisiifolia&lt;/i&gt; and its co-occurring indigenous forb &lt;i&gt;Bidens bipinnata&lt;/i&gt;

Transport of Mobile Particles in Heavy Metal Contaminated Soil with Simulated Acid Rain Leaching.

The soil contaminated with heavy metals requires special attention due to its adverse effects on health of human and animals. The effects of simulated acid rain with different pH values on transport of heavy metal in contaminated soil of Phyllostachys pubescens forest were studied by indoor leaching column test. The results revealed that particle size of soil was mainly concentrated in range of more than 50μm. The content of heavy metals in particles less than 50μm was relatively high. The Pb and Zn were mainly adsorbed on colloidal particles and were transported during simulated acid rain. The release of Fe and Al increased the release of particulate matter in soil leaching solution. The mobility of Zn was increased at low pH.

Effects of simulated acid rain on soil N2O emission from typical forest in subtropical sou-thern China.

Based on a long-term simulated acid rain experiment, soil N2O emission fluxes were measured using static chambers and the gas chromatography method in a coniferous and broadleaved mixed forest and a monsoon evergreen broadleaved forest in southern China. During the five-year observation periods (2014-2018), soil N2O emission fluxes in the two forests showed obvious seasonal variation. The soil N2O emission fluxes in wet season were significantly higher than that in dry season, with a large annual variation. Due to the decreases of precipitation, soil N2O emission fluxes of the two forests in 2017 and 2018 were generally low. Soil N2O emission flux was positively correlated with soil temperature and soil moisture. In the monsoon evergreen broadleaved forest, soil N2O emission flux in the control plot was 12.6 μg N2O·m-2·h-1. Soil N2O emission fluxes under the pH 3.5 and pH 3.0 treatments increased by 42.9% and 61.1%, respectively. Soil N2O emission was significantly increased under simulated acid rain in the monsoon evergreen broadleaved forest. Acid rain promoted soil N2O emission in the coniferous and broadleaved mixed forest, but without significant difference among the treatments. Under the scenario of increasing acid rain, soil N2O emission fluxes in typical subtropical southern China forests would increase, and the magnitude of such increase was different among forest types.