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Growth rate varies across plant species and represents an important ecological strategy for competition, resource-use and fitness. However, empirical studies often show a low predictability of functional traits to tree growth. We measured stem diameter and height growth rates (DGRs and HGRs) of 96 juvenile trees (2–5 m tall) of eight evergreen and eight deciduous broadleaf tree species over three consecutive years in a subtropical forest in south-western China. We examined the relationships between tree growth rates and 20 leaf/stem traits that are associated with carbon gain, stem hydraulics and nutrient-use efficiency, as well as the difference between evergreen and deciduous trees. We found that cross-species variations of stem DGR/HGR can be predicted by leaf photosynthetic capacity, leaf mass per area, xylem-theoretical-specific hydraulic conductivity, wood density (WD) and photosynthetic-nutrient-use efficiencies. Higher leaf carbon assimilation and lower leaf/stem constructing costs facilitate deciduous species to be more resource acquisitive and consequently faster growth within a relatively shorter growing season, whereas evergreen species exhibit more conservative strategies and thus slower growth. Furthermore, stem growth rates of evergreen species showed were more dependence on leaf carbon gains, whereas stem hydraulic efficiency was more important for deciduous tree growth. Our results suggest that physiological traits (photosynthesis, hydraulics and nutrient-use efficiency) can predict tree diameter and height growth of subtropical tree species. The differential resource acquisition and use strategies and their associations with tree growth between evergreen and deciduous trees provide insights into explaining the coexistence of evergreen and deciduous tree species in subtropical forests.

Identifying differences in ecophysiology between simple and compound leaves can help understand the adaptive significance of the compound leaf form and its response to climate change. However, we still know surprisingly little about differences in water and nutrient use, and photosynthetic capacity between co-occurring compound-leaved and simple-leaved tree species, especially in savanna ecosystems with dry-hot climate conditions. From July to September in 2015, we investigated 16 functional traits associated with water use, nutrients, and photosynthesis of six deciduous tree species (three simple-leaved and three compound-leaved species) coexisting in a valley-savanna in Southwest China. Our major objective was to test the variation in these functional traits between these two leaf forms. Overall, overlapping leaf mass per area (LMA), photosynthesis, as well as leaf nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations were found between these coexisting valley-savanna simple- and compound-leaved tree species. We didn&rsquo, t find significant differences in water and photosynthetic nitrogen or phosphorus use efficiency between simple and compound leaves. Across these simple- and compound-leaved tree species, photosynthetic phosphorus use efficiencies were positively related to LMA and negatively correlated with phosphorus concentration per mass or area. Water use efficiency (intrinsic water use efficiency or stable carbon isotopic composition) was independent of all leaf traits. Similar ecophysiology strategies among these coexisting valley-savanna simple- and compound-leaved species suggested a convergence in ecological adaptation to the hot and dry environment. The overlap in traits related to water use, carbon assimilation, and stress tolerance (e.g., LMA) also suggests a similar response of these two leaf forms to a hotter and drier future due to the climate change.

Characterizing differences in key functional traits between simple-leaved (SL) and compound-leaved (CL) tree species can contribute to a better understanding of the adaptive significance of compound leaf form. In particular, this information may provide a mechanistic explanation to the long-proposed fast-growth hypothesis of CL tree species. Here, using five SL and five CL tree species co-occurring in a typical temperate forest of Northeast China, we tested whether higher hydraulic efficiency underlies potentially high photosynthetic capacity in CL species. We found that the CL species had significantly higher hydraulic conductance at the whole-branch level than the SL species (0.52 ± 0.13 vs 0.15 ± 0.04 × 10-4 kg m-2 s-1 Pa-1, P = 0.029). No significant difference in net photosynthetic rate (14.7 ± 2.43 vs 12.5 ± 2.05 μmol m-2 s-1, P = 0.511) was detected between these two groups, but this was largely due to the existence of one outlier species in each of the two functional groups. Scrutinization of the intragroup variations in functional traits revealed that distinctions of the two outlier species in wood type (ring- vs diffuse-porous) from their respective functional groups have likely contributed to their aberrant physiological performances. The potentially high photosynthetic capacity of CL species seems to require ring-porous wood to achieve high hydraulic efficiency. Due to its limitation on leaf photosynthetic capacity, diffuse-porous wood with lower hydraulic conductivity largely precludes its combination with the 'throw-away' strategy (i.e., annually replacing the stem-like rachises) of compound-leaved tree species, which intrinsically requires high carbon assimilation rate to compensate for their extra carbon losses. Our results for the first time show clear differentiation in hydraulic architecture and CO2 assimilation between sympatric SL and CL species, which contributes to the probing of the underlying mechanism responsible for the potential fast growth of trees with compound leaves.

In this work, a novel two-dimensional (2D) ultrathin metal-organic layer (MOL) based on the aggregation-induced emission (AIE) ligand H4ETTC (H4ETTC = 4',4''',4''''',4'''''''-(ethene-1,1,2,2-tetrayl)tetrakis(([1,1'-biphenyl]-4-carboxylic acid))) was developed and used to construct a novel electrochemiluminescence (ECL) aptasensor for ultrasensitive detection of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). The newly synthesized AIE luminogen (AIEgen)-based MOL (Hf-ETTC-MOL) yielded a higher ECL intensity and efficiency than did H4ETTC monomers, H4ETTC aggregates and 3D bulk Hf-ETTC-MOF. This improvement occurred not only because the ETTC ligands were coordinatively immobilized in a rigid MOL matrix, which restricted the intramolecular free rotation and vibration of these ligands and then reduced the non-radiative transition, but also because the porous ultrathin 2D MOL greatly shortened the transport distances of ions, electrons, coreactant (triethylamine, TEA) and coreactant intermediates (TEA˙ and TEA˙+), which made more ETTC luminophores able to be excited and yielded a high ECL efficiency. On the basis of using the Hf-ETTC-MOL as a novel ECL emitter and rolling circle amplification (RCA) as a signal amplification strategy, the constructed ECL aptasensor exhibited a linear range from 1 fg mL-1 to 1 ng mL-1 with a detection limit of 0.63 fg mL-1. This work has opened up new prospects for developing novel ECL materials and is expected to lead to increased interest in using AIEgen-based MOLs for ECL sensing.

Marginal water-use efficiency plays a critical role in plant carbon–water coupling relationships. We investigated the ecosystem marginal water-use efficiency (λ) of a tropical seasonal evergreen forest to (1) determine the general pattern of λ across time, (2) compare different models for calculating λ, and (3) address how λ varies with soil water content during different seasons. There was a U-shaped diurnal pattern in λ, which was higher in the early morning and late afternoon. At other times of the day, λ was lower and remained constant. Ecosystem λ was higher in the wet season than in the dry season. All three models successfully captured the diurnal and seasonal patterns of λ but differed in the calculated absolute values. The idea that λ is constant on a subdaily scale was partly supported by our study, while a constant λ was only true when data from the early morning and late afternoon were not included. The λ increases with soil water content on a seasonal scale, possibly because early morning λ remained low in dry conditions when the soil water content was low.

Tropical forests play important roles in global carbon cycling. Tree-ring analysis can provide important information for understanding long-term trends in carbon-fixation capacity under climate change. However, tree-ring studies in tropical regions are limited. We carried out a tree-ring analysis to investigate the dendrochronological potential of the tropical forest tree Choerospondias axillaris (Anacardiaceae) in east-central Thailand. Our study focused on growth-climate relationships and long-term growth trends. A chronology was constructed covering the period from 1932 to 2019. The tree-ring width index of C.axillaris was positively correlated with precipitation in June, July, and October. Furthermore, growth of C.axillaris was positively correlated with the Standardized Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) from July to October, indicating that growth of C.axillaris is mainly limited by moisture availability in the late monsoon season. Moving correlation analysis further revealed the consistency and temporal stability of the relationship of tree growth with monsoon season precipitation and SPEI during the period under study. There was a significant increasing trend in long-term growth from 1932 to 2002 (slope = 0.017, p < 0.001); however, long-term growth decreased from 2003 to 2019 (slope = −0.014, p < 0.001). Our study provides important insight into the growth-climate correlations of a broad-leaved tree species in a dry evergreen forest in tropical Asia.

Vascular epiphytes play an important role in the water and carbon cycles of forest ecosystems. While trichomes are found on the leaf surface of many epiphytic species, few studies have investigated the effect of leaf trichomes on their foliar water uptake, leaf surface wettability, and water balance. In our study, leaf water absorption, storage, and retention capacities, as well as leaf surface wettability of twelve Dendrobium species with glabrous (n = 6) and piliferous (n = 6) leaves were investigated and related to their leaf morphological and anatomical characteristics. Our results showed that no significant difference in foliar water uptake capacity was found between groups with different leaf surface types (with and without trichomes). However, the piliferous Dendrobium species showed a significantly larger increase in leaf water content (%LWC) and lower values for both saturated water content per unit mass and water retention capacity compared to glabrous ones. Across Dendrobium species with piliferous leaves, the trichome density on leaf abaxial surface was positively correlated with foliar water uptake capacity per unit area, contact angle, stomatal density and stomata area per unit index. Besides, species with a higher %LWC after leaf immersion dried faster from saturated leaves to a relative water content of 70 %, which suggests a potential trade-off between leaf water absorption and conservation in epiphytic Dendrobium species. The variation in leaf water absorption and conservation suggests that different water use strategies are utilized by epiphytic orchids with glabrous and piliferous leaves.

The differences in crown conductance sensitivity (m) to vapor pressure deficit (VPD) and water consumption between tropical evergreen and deciduous tree are not well-understood despite the importance of such information for the development of plantation and water-resource management strategies in regions that experience seasonal drought and increasing water deficits. To this end, during the wet season we measured sap flow in 60 individual trees representing 21 tropical angiosperm broadleaf timber species (11 evergreen and 10 deciduous) growing in plantations in a marginal tropical area of southwestern China. The results showed that m was strongly correlated with reference crown conductance (Gcref) at 1 kPa VPD across all species, with a slope value of 0.46, which was significantly different from the proposed theoretical value of 0.6, suggesting the study species as anisohydric. The m was positively correlated with tree diameter at the height of 1.3 m (diameter at breast height, DBH) but for a given DBH, m was significantly higher in evergreens than in deciduous trees. Further, whole-tree mean daily water consumption was strongly and positively correlated with DBH, but at a given DBH, evergreen species exhibited larger water consumption than deciduous species. Vessel diameter (related to xylem hydraulic conductance) and sapwood area were also positively correlated with DBH, and evergreen species had significantly larger sapwood area than deciduous species at a given DBH. In conclusion, we found that 1) crown conductance of evergreen trees is more sensitive to VPD compared to deciduous species and 2) evergreen trees consume more water than deciduous trees, partly because of having higher peak transpiration rate and, larger sapwood area (i.e., larger xylem area for water transport and storage). Therefore, we suggest that in tropical regions associated with seasonal drought timber plantations with more deciduous species could potentially be considered as a management possibility for achieving a balance between timber production and water conservation, even in the wet season, which needs to be tested at the plantation level.

The time scale of stomatal closure and xylem cavitation during plant dehydration, as well as the fate of embolized organs, are under debate, largely due to methodological limitations in the evaluation of embolism. While some argue that complete stomatal closure precedes the occurrence of embolism, others believe that the two are contemporaneous processes that are accompanied by daily xylem refilling. Here, we utilize an optical light transmission method to continuously monitor xylem cavitation in leaves of dehydrating grapevine (Vitis vinifera) in concert with stomatal conductance and stem and petiole hydraulic measurements. Magnetic resonance imaging was used to continuously monitor xylem cavitation and flow rates in the stem of an intact vine during 10 d of dehydration. The results showed that complete stomatal closure preceded the appearance of embolism in the leaves and the stem by several days. Basal leaves were more vulnerable to xylem embolism than apical leaves and, once embolized, were shed, thereby preventing further water loss and protecting the hydraulic integrity of younger leaves and the stem. As a result, embolism in the stem was minimal even when drought led to complete leaf shedding. These findings suggest that grapevine avoids xylem embolism rather than tolerates it.

The physiological mechanisms underlying drought responses are poorly documented in mangroves, which experience nearly constant exposure to saline water. We measured gas exchange, foliar abscisic acid (ABA) concentration, and vulnerability to embolism in a soil water-withholding experiment of two co-occurring mangroves, Avicennia marina (Forsskål) Vierhapper (Verbenaceae) and Bruguiera gymnorrhiza (L.) Savigny (Rhizophoraceae). A. marina showed higher photosynthesis and transpiration than B. gymnorrhiza under well-watered conditions. Cavitation resistance differed significantly between species, with 50% cavitation occurring at a water potential (P50) of −8.30 MPa for A. marina and −2.83 MPa for B. gymnorrhiza. This large difference in cavitation resistance was associated with differences in stomatal closure and leaf wilting. The rapid stomatal closure of B. gymnorrhiza was correlated with ABA accumulation as water potential declined. Meanwhile, stomatal closure and declining water potentials in A. marina were not associated with ABA accumulation. The safety margins, calculated as the difference between stomatal closure and embolism spread, differed between these two species (1.59 MPa for A. marina vs. 0.52 MPa for B. gymnorrhiza). Therefore, A. marina adopts a drought tolerance strategy with high cavitation resistance, while B. gymnorrhiza uses a drought avoidance-like strategy with ABA-related sensitive stomatal control to protect its vulnerable xylem.

In recent years, plants in sandy soils have been impacted by increased climate variability due to weak water holding and temperature buffering capacities of the parent material. The projected impact spreads all over the world, including New England, USA. Many regions of the world may experience an increase in frequency and severity of drought, which can be attributed to an increased variability in precipitation and enhanced water loss due to warming. The overall benefits of biochar in environmental management have been extensively investigated. This review aims to discuss the water holding capacity of biochar from the points of view of fluid mechanics and propose several prioritized future research topics. To understand the impacts of biochar on sandy soils in-depth, sandy soil properties (surface area, pore size, water properties, and characteristics) and how biochar could improve the soil quality as well as plant growth, development, and yield are reviewed. Incorporating biochar into sandy soils could result in a net increase in the surface area, a stronger hydrophobicity at a lower temperature, and an increase in the micropores to maximize gap spaces. The capability of biochar in reducing fertilizer drainage through increasing water retention can improve crop productivity and reduce the nutrient leaching rate in agricultural practices. To advance research in biochar products and address the impacts of increasing climate variability, future research may focus on the role of biochar in enhancing soil water retention, plant water use efficiency, crop resistance to drought, and crop productivity.

We report a novel form of xylem dysfunction in angiosperms: reversible collapse of the xylem conduits of the smallest vein orders that demarcate and intrusively irrigate the areoles of red oak (Quercus rubra) leaves. Cryo-scanning electron microscopy revealed gradual increases in collapse from approximately −2 MPa down to −3 MPa, saturating thereafter (to −4 MPa). Over this range, cavitation remained negligible in these veins. Imaging of rehydration experiments showed spatially variable recovery from collapse within 20 s and complete recovery after 2 min. More broadly, the patterns of deformation induced by desiccation in both mesophyll and xylem suggest that cell wall collapse is unlikely to depend solely on individual wall properties, as mechanical constraints imposed by neighbors appear to be important. From the perspective of equilibrium leaf water potentials, petioles, whose vessels extend into the major veins, showed a vulnerability to cavitation that overlapped in the water potential domain with both minor vein collapse and buckling (turgor loss) of the living cells. However, models of transpiration transients showed that minor vein collapse and mesophyll capacitance could effectively buffer major veins from cavitation over time scales relevant to the rectification of stomatal wrong-way responses. We suggest that, for angiosperms, whose subsidiary cells give up large volumes to allow large stomatal apertures at the cost of potentially large wrong-way responses, vein collapse could make an important contribution to these plants’ ability to transpire near the brink of cavitation-inducing water potentials.

Xylem vulnerability to cavitation and hydraulic efficiency are directly linked to fine-scale bordered pit features in water-conducting cells of vascular plants. However, it is unclear how pit characteristics influence water transport and carbon economy in tropical species. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate functional implications of changes in pit characteristics for water relations and photosynthetic traits in tropical Ficus species with different growth forms (i.e. hemiepiphytic and non-hemiepiphytic) grown under common conditions. Intervessel pit characteristics were measured using scanning electron microscopy in five hemiepiphytic and five non-hemiepiphytic Ficus species to determine whether these traits were related to hydraulics, leaf photosynthesis, stomatal conductance and wood density. Ficus species varied greatly in intervessel pit structure, hydraulic conductivity and leaf physiology, and clear differences were observed between the two growth forms. The area and diameter of pit aperture were negatively correlated with sapwood-specific hydraulic conductivity, mass-based net assimilation rate, stomatal conductance (gs), intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci) and the petiole vessel lumen diameters (Dv), but positively correlated with wood density. Pit morphology was only negatively correlated with sapwood- and leaf-specific hydraulic con- ductivity and Dv. Pit density was positively correlated with gs, Ci and Dv, but negatively with intrinsic leaf water-use efficiency. Pit and pit aperture shape were not significantly correlated with any of the physiological traits. These findings indicate a significant role of pit characteristics in xylem water transport, carbon assimilation and ecophysiological adaptation of Ficus species in tropical rain forests.

Because the xylem in leaves is thought to be at the greatest risk of cavitation, reliable and efficient methods to characterize leaf xylem vulnerability are of interest. We report a method to generate leaf xylem vulnerability curves (VCs) by gas injection. Using optical light transmission, we visualized embolism propagation in grapevine (Vitis vinifera) and red oak (Quercus rubra) leaves injected with positive gas pressure. This resulted in a rapid, stepwise reduction of transmitted light, identical to that observed during leaf dehydration, confirming that the optical method detects gas bubbles and provides insights into the air-seeding hypothesis. In red oak, xylem VCs generated using gas injection were similar to those generated using bench dehydration, but indicated 50% loss of conductivity at lower tension (∼0.4 MPa) in grapevine. In determining VC, this method eliminates the need to ascertain xylem tension, thus avoiding potential errors in water potential estimations. It is also much faster (1 h per VC). However, severing the petiole and applying high-pressure gas could affect air-seeding and the generated VC. We discuss potential artifacts arising from gas injection and recommend comparison of this method with a more standard procedure before it is assumed to be suitable for a given species.

Xylem vessels are used by most angiosperm plants for long-distance water and nutrient transport. Vessel length is one of the key functional traits determining plant water-transport efficiency. Additionally, determination of maximum vessel length is necessary for correct sample collection and measurements in hydraulic studies to avoid open-vessel and cutting-under-tension artifacts. Air injection and silicone injection (BLUESIL RTV141A and B mixtures) are two widely used methods for maximum vessel length determination. However, the validity of both methods needs to be carefully tested for species with different vessel lengths. In this study, we tested the air-injection and silicone-injection methods using eight species with different vessel lengths: short (1 m). We employed a novel approach using RTV141A injection without the RTV141B hardener as a reference method because RTV141A cannot penetrate inter-vessel pit membranes and is not prone to hardening/solidification effects during the injection process. The results revealed that the silicone-injection method substantially underestimated the maximum vessel length of all eight species. However, the air-injection method tended to overestimate the maximum vessel length in five out of eight species. The ratio of underestimation of the silicone-injection method was higher for species with longer vessels, but the overestimation of the air-injection method was independent of the vessel length. Moreover, air injection with different pressures—ranging from 40 to 300 kPa—resulted in comparable results. We conclude that the conventional silicone-injection method can underestimate the vessel length, whereas the air-injection method can overestimate the maximum vessel length, particularly for long-vessel led species. We recommend RTV141A-only injection for determining the maximum vessel length, and it can also be used to validate the use of the air-injection and conventional silicone-injection methods for a given species.

We tested for a tradeoff across species between plant maximum photosynthetic rate and the ability to maintain photosynthesis under adverse conditions in the unfavorable season. Such a trade-off would be consistent with the observed trade-off between maximum speed and endurance in athletes and some animals that has been explained by cost-benefit theory. This trend would have importance for the general understanding of leaf design, and would simplify models of annual leaf carbon relations. We tested for such a trade-off using a database analysis across vascular plants and using an experimental approach for 29 cycad species, representing an ancient plant lineage with diversified evergreen leaves. In both tests, a higher photosynthetic rate per mass or per area in the favorable season was associated with a stronger absolute or percent decline in the unfavorable season. We resolved a possible mechanism based on biomechanics and nitrogen allocation; cycads with high leaf toughness (leaf mass per area) and higher investment in leaf construction than in physiological function (C/N ratio) tended to have lower warm season photosynthesis but less depression in the cool season. We propose that this trade-off, consistent with cost-benefit theory, represents a significant physio-phenological constraint on the diversity and seasonal dynamics of photosynthetic rate.

Tropical lianas deploy most of their leaves towards the top of the forest canopy, whereas trees exhibit a more stratified crown. Forest canopies are often exposed to hot and windy conditions, and how lianas cope with the extremely high transpirational demands under these environments remains unknown. We investigated stem hydraulic properties, leaf drought tolerance, diurnal changes in leaf and stem water potentials (Ψleaf and Ψstem), stomatal conductance (gs), photosynthetic rate, sap flow and stem native percentage loss of conductivity (PLC) for four liana species in a tropical forest in southwest China. Five co-occurring tree species were also selected for comparison. Lianas reached maximal transpiration at a relatively lower vapour pressure deficit (

The consequences of sharp rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration ([CO2]) and global warming on vascular plants have raised great concerns, but researches focusing on non-vascular epiphytes remain sparse. We transplanted nine common cryptogamic epiphyte species (3 bryophytes, 6 lichens) from field sites to growth chambers (control, elevated [CO2], elevated temperature, elevated [CO2] and temperature) and monitored their growth and health at regular intervals in a subtropical montane forest in Ailao Mountains in southwestern China. Our results implied a dim future for nonvascular epiphytes, especially lichens, in a warming world. The initial rise in temperature and decrease in water availability from field sites to the control chamber had remarkable negative impacts on growth and health of nonvascular epiphytes, many of which turned brown or died back. Although elevated [CO2] in chambers had no significant effects on growth of any of the experimental species, further warming caused significant negative impacts on growth of Lobaria retigera (Bory) Trev. In addition, elevated [CO2] and temperature have a significant interaction on growth of four experimental lichens. Considering the ecological importance of epiphytic bryophytes and lichens for the subtropical montane forest ecosystems and high sensitivity to environmental changes, people may underestimate global change impacts to nonvascular epiphytes, or even the whole forest ecosystems.

The effect of gas extraction would be significantly increased by the way of coal section drilling hole diameter expansion. For the existing technical problems and limitating of constructing large diameter borehole directly or using the reaming way of SKP high pressure water jet, and based on heterogeneous crushing mechanism of high pressure water jet, the integrative hydraulic drilling and reaming completely technology is proposed, the system structure of the technology is researched, the main equipments are integrative selected, and the process characteristics and application prospect of the technology are concluded. The results show that the integration technology of the integrative hydraulic drilling and reaming obvious improves the permeability of coal, promotes gas release, realizes continuous drilling between coal and seam and carried out simultaneously with drilling and reaming. It could significantly increase reaming efficiency and adaptability of evil working condition, which has important popularized and applied values.

According to the theory of gas flow in coal seams, and according to drainage standard and the other relevant laws and regulations, derived the calculating equation of efficient radium of drilling hole gas extracting in drill holes in coal seam and drill holes along seam. Efficient radium of drilling hole gas extracting was calculated, combining with field practice of coal seam named 1 in Xinji No. 2 coal mine, the comparison with efficient radium of drilling hole gas extracting tested in field. Analysis on influencing factors of efficient radium of drilling hole gas extracting, and obtain the influence law on the efficient radium of drilling hole gas extracting.

In this paper,in the case of upper protective layer mining of a mine for the engineering background, based on the model of semi-infinite plane body in elastic mechanics, the theoretical calculation model of verticalhorizontalshear stress of floor coal rock is established, and it is concluded that the stress expression of any point in the impact of distributed force. By introducing the rock strength index I and generalized Hooke's law, it is concluded that the discrimination criterion of guide gas fissure zone and pressure relief desorption belt of underlying coal rock with upper protective layer mining. The pressure relief scope of protection with the mining of upper protective layer is determined. Theoretical analysis shows that: the "pressure relief desorption zone" of the underlying protected coal seam that the vertical distance to the protective layer is 40m lags behind 22.2m.Through field test, the results show that the obtained pressure relief scope of protection is 26.98m,and the theoretical analysis results are basically similar.

Mine into the deep mining, the power disaster occurs mechanism more complex features fuzzy disasters and hazards common. Outburst and rock burst and other disasters are common differences, the use of traditional coal seam outburst hazard identification method has limitations. According to the kilometers deep test area, the individual indicators law 13-1 coal seam the outburst hazard identification,13-1 coal seam first mining area were identified as non-prominent seam. While outburst identification test area seam burst tendency identification,13-1 coal seam has a strong burst tendentious. The test mine disaster prevention should also consider bumping prevention and control not only consider the gas control. Project research results have important reference conditions similar to mine.

The patterns, components, and controls of soil respiration in an old-growth subtropical forest were investigated using an automatic chamber system. We measured soil respiration in three treatments (control, trenching, litter removal) over 15 months. The annual total soil respiration (1248 gC m-2 yr-1) showed considerable spatial variation (coefficient of variation=27.8%) within the forest. Thirty samples were required to obtain results within 10% of the mean value at a 95% confidential level. A distinctive cosine-like diel pattern of soil respiration was observed; the time lag between gross primary production and soil respiration at this scale was calculated to be 4-5 h. Seasonality of soil respiration was strong (similar to 1 mu mol m-2 s-1 near the end of winter; similar to 6 mu mol m-2 s-1 in midsummer). No time lag was discerned between gross primary production and soil respiration at the seasonal scale. Soil temperature at 5 cm below surface can explain most (>91%) of the observed annual variation in soil respiration. The apparent respiration temperature sensitivity index (Q10) was 3.05. The lowest Q10 value was observed in winter, when soil moisture was low. Soil respiration was overestimated by a Q10 function during both dry and wet periods. The relative contributions of soil organic matter (RSOM), litterfall decomposition (RL), and root respiration (RR) to total soil respiration are 65.25%, 18.73%, and 16.01%, respectively; the temperature sensitivity of these components differ: RL (Q10=7.22)>RSOM (2.73)>RR (1.65). This relationship between Q10 values for litter respiration, soil organic matter decomposition, and root respiration still holds after minimizing the confounding effect of moisture. A relatively constant substrate supply and/or thermal acclimation could account for the observed low-temperature sensitivity in root respiration. Given the high carbon stocks and fluxes, the old-growth subtropical forests of China seem important in the global carbon budget and climate change.

Gas treatment of high gas outburst coal seam group with protection layer mining, based on the engineering geological conditions of the mine, combined with the field engineering test, study on the effect of B10 coal seam mining on the upper cover B11b and down to B8 under the protective layer in the protection layer 22108. The results showed that the protective layer mining combined with drilling pre pumping protected layer gas, the coal and gas outburst danger of the middle and lower coal seams were reduced, the coal seam gas occurrence law was changed, the permeability of coal seam was increased, and the effect of extraction was improved, which provided the technical basis and support for the regional gas control in the protective layer of the mine.

Coal and gas power risk was increased under the condition of high stress, high gas and low permeability of coal seam in deep mine, low permeability coal seam gas pre pumping was very difficult. Drilling enlarging by high-pressure water jet used high pressure water as the driving force to wash and peel the coal body in the drilling, it aimed to discharge the coal and release the gas in the coal seam quickly, the gas pumping efficiency was improved, the stress of coal seam was declined, and the goal of rapid pressure relief and permeability was achieved. It applied in some serious outburst rock cross-cut coal uncovering area, with drilling enlarging by high-pressure water jet technology, drilling equivalent get to 500~800mm after drilling enlarging, about 3~9 times of the original diameter, gas extraction concentration was 1~2 times higher than before, coal uncovering time was shortened by 1/3~1/2, the effect of field application was obvious.

Habitat differentiation between polyploid and diploid plants are frequently observed, with polyploids usually occupying more stressed environments. In woody plants, polyploidization can greatly affect wood characteristics but knowledge of its influences on xylem hydraulics is scarce. The four Betula species in NE China, representing two diploids and two polyploids with obvious habitat differentiation, provide an exceptional study system for investigating the impact of polyploidization on environmental adaptation of trees from the point view of xylem hydraulics. To test the hypothesis that changes in hydraulic architecture play an important role in determining their niche differentiation, we measured wood structural traits at both the tissue and pit levels and quantified xylem water transport efficiency and safety in these species. The two polyploids had significantly larger hydraulic weighted mean vessel diameters than the two diploids (45.1 and 45.5 vs 25.9 and 24.5 μm) although the polyploids are occupying more stressed environments. As indicated by more negative water potentials corresponding to 50% loss of stem hydraulic conductivities, the two polyploids exhibited significantly higher resistance to drought-induced embolism than the two diploids (-5.23 and -5.05 vs -3.86 and -3.13 MPa) despite their larger vessel diameters. This seeming discrepancy is reconciled by distinct characteristics favoring greater embolism resistance at the pit level in the two polyploid species. Our results showed clearly that the two polyploid species have remarkably different pit-level anatomical traits favoring greater hydraulic safety than their congeneric diploid species, which have likely contributed to the abundance of polyploid birches in more stressed habitats; however, less porous inter-conduit pits together with a reduced leaf to sapwood area may have compromised their competitiveness under more favorable conditions. Contrasts in hydraulic architecture between diploid and polyploid Betula species suggest an important functional basis for their clear habitat differentiation along environmental gradients in Changbai Mountain of NE China.

Freezing resistance through avoidance or tolerance of extracellular ice nucleation is important for plant survival in habitats with frequent subzero temperatures. However, the role of cell walls in leaf freezing resistance and the coordination between leaf and stem physiological processes under subzero temperatures are not well understood. We studied leaf and stem responses to freezing temperatures, leaf and stem supercooling, leaf bulk elastic modulus and stem xylem vessel size of six Patagonian shrub species from two sites (plateau and low elevation sites) with different elevation and minimum temperatures. Ice seeding was initiated in the stem and quickly spread to leaves, but two species from the plateau site had barriers against rapid spread of ice. Shrubs with xylem vessels smaller in diameter had greater stem supercooling capacity, i.e., ice nucleated at lower subzero temperatures. Only one species with the lowest ice nucleation temperature among all species studied exhibited freezing avoidance by substantial supercooling, while the rest were able to tolerate extracellular freezing from −11.3 to −20 °C. Leaves of species with more rigid cell walls (higher bulk elastic modulus) could survive freezing to lower subzero temperatures, suggesting that rigid cell walls potentially reduce the degree of physical injury to cell membranes during the extracellular freezing and/or thaw processes. In conclusion, our results reveal the temporal–spatial ice spreading pattern (from stem to leaves) in Patagonian shrubs, and indicate the role of xylem vessel size in determining supercooling capacity and the role of cell wall elasticity in determining leaf tolerance of extracellular ice formation. Fil: Zhang, Yong Jiang. Chinese Academy of Sciences; República de China. Harvard University; Estados Unidos Fil: Bucci, Sandra Janet. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia ; Argentina Fil: Arias, Nadia Soledad. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia ; Argentina Fil: Scholz, Fabian Gustavo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia ; Argentina Fil: Hao, Guang You. Chinese Academy of Sciences; República de China Fil: Cao, Kun Fang. Guangxi University; China Fil: Goldstein, Guillermo Hernan. University of Miami; Estados Unidos. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina

Test mine is a large modern mine, the 13-1 coal-seam original permeability coefficient was low, gas pressure and content were higher, coal seam outburst danger of serious, directly extracting coal gas is difficult. Using a new type of high pressure water jet reaming technology, can achieve the expansion of borehole diameter, increase coal seam exposed area and pressure relief range, thereby improving the coal seam permeability, increased coal seam drainage radius. Investigated on the basis of determination of the original coal seam gas pressure and content of the coal extraction radius after the hydraulic reaming. Provide the basis for the seam of the test area borehole design

Midday depressions in stomatal conductance (gs) and pho- tosynthesis are common in plants.The aim of this study was to understand the hydraulic determinants of midday gs, the coordination between leaf and stem hydraulics and whether regulation of midday gs differed between deciduous and evergreen broadleaf tree species in a subtropical cloud forest of Southwest (SW) China. We investigated leaf and stem hydraulics, midday leaf and stem water potentials, as well as midday gs of co-occurring deciduous and ever- green tree species. Midday gs was correlated positively with midday stem water potential across both groups of species, but not with midday leaf water potential. Species with higher stem hydraulic conductivity and greater daily reliance on stem hydraulic capacitance were able to main- tain higher stem water potential and higher gs at midday. Deciduous species exhibited significantly higher stem hydraulic conductivity, greater reliance on stem capaci- tance, higher stem water potential and gs at midday than evergreen species. Our results suggest that midday gs is more associated with midday stem than with leaf water status, and that the functional significance of stomatal regulation in these broadleaf tree species is probably for preventing stem xylem dysfunction.

In Xinji Coal Mine under complicated geological conditions, regional faults. Experimental zone for near coal seam group mining(6-1,7-1,7-2,8 seam), The objective conditions with protective layer . The minefield of soft broken coal seam, Soft layered coal firmness coefficient f = 0.18. In the test area of 210601,210603 6-1seam protective layer mining face during the period, there were 8 abnormal gas dynamic phenomenon, To the coal mine safety production brought hidden trouble. On the basis of dynamic phenomenon occurring phenomenon, analysis of the dynamic phenomena, combined with the test area actual situation, summed up the6-1coal power causes, for guiding the 6-1safety mining and provide a theoretical basis, has important significance.

Grasses such as bamboos can produce upright stems more than 30 m tall, yet the processes that constrain plant height in this important group have never been investigated. Air embolisms form commonly in the water transport system of grasses and we hypothesised that root pressure-dependent refilling these embolisms should limit the maximum height of grass species to the magnitude of their root pressure. Confirming this hypothesis, we show that in 59 species of bamboo grown in two common gardens, the maximum heights of culms of 67 clones are closely predicted by the maximum measured root pressure overnight. Furthermore, we demonstrate that water transport in these bamboo species is dependent on root pressure to repair hydraulic dysfunction sustained during normal diurnal gas exchange. Our results established the critical importance of root pressure in the tallest grass species and provide a new basis for understanding the limits for plant growth.

Composite TiO 2 –Al 2 O 3 supports were prepared by the sol–gel methods, and a series of Ni–P hydrotreating catalysts supported on TiO 2 –Al 2 O 3 supports were prepared by impregnation of nickel phosphate precursors followed by reduction in hydrogen at 973 K. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), N 2 -adsorption specific surface area measurements (BET), transmission electron microscope (TEM), infrared spectroscopy (IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and thermogravimetry differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA). The effect of Ti/Al molar ratio and initial Ni/P molar ratio on catalyst structure as well as HDS performance was studied. The results indicated that the TiO 2 can inhibit the formation of AlPO 4 , and act as an electronic promoter for the Ni–P catalyst. When the initial Ni/P molar ratio is lower than 1/1, the main phase obtained is Ni 2 P. The Ni 2 P/TiO 2 –Al 2 O 3 catalyst prepared with initial Ni/P ratios of 1/1 and Ti/Al molar ratio of 1/1.6 exhibited the highest activity. At a reaction temperature of 606 K, a pressure of 3.0 MPa, a H 2 /oil ratio of 500 (V/V), and a weight hourly space velocity (WHSV) of 2.0 h − 1 , the HDS conversion reached 96.00%.

Huainan mining area for the serious outburst Xinzhuangzi B4 soft coal mines in high stress, In order to improve the mining face outburst forecast accuracy, reduce the amount of works against sudden, With the theoretical analysis, lab tests and field trials of the combination of a variety of means, Of pilot area received 56204 B4 coal mining Face of sensitive indicators of the critical value: S0＝4.0kg/m,K1=0.3 mL/(g·min1/2), The test area 1380m mining engineering application results show that the face is not obvious prediction accuracy rate of 100%. Study to determine the indicators and their threshold reasonable and effective, in line with the actual situation of test area, with a certain application value.

In order to determine the impacts of different traditional forest management types on plant diversity of the seasonal tropical rainforests and infer effective conservation strategies, four types of forests with different management histories were studied in Nabanhe National Nature Reserve (NNNR), Xishuangbanna, China. They were: old-growth forest (non-timber product collection allowed), understorey planted old-growth forests, old secondary forests (∼200-years after slash and burn), and young secondary forest (15–50-years after slash and burn). Although human activities affected tree diversity and composition of the forests in NNNR, the forest regeneration potential of the different management systems were good. Even the young secondary forests, that showed the lowest Fisher’s alpha diversity at the plot level, had similar diversity levels to old-growth forest when all plots were combined. Number of red list tree species, timber species, and edible plant species in young secondary forests was as high as those of old-growth forests, and higher than old secondary forests. Additionally, there were a number of vulnerable and endangered species that were more common in the secondary than old-growth forests, indicating the high conservation value of secondary forests. Understorey plantation in old-growth forest, however, impaired regeneration of the climax species. The beneficial effects of traditional forest use depend strongly on its small scale and its close proximity to undisturbed forest, which serves as a species source during secondary forest regeneration. Unfortunately, traditional forest use is now under serious threat by expanding large-scale monoculture rubber plantations.

In view of the Huai Nan mining area deep mine Dingji mine fully mechanized mine head face low-index outburst suddenly extrusion the region gas geological feature, analysis mechanism of the suddenly extrusion frictional sliding instability. The research gain sensitive index critical value drilling bits S and depth of hole coefficient S′, drilling gas inrush initial velocity q and attenuation coefficients Cq, its innovative index S′ the forecast enhanced the rate of accuracy take the ground stress as the leading role low- index outburst. The results show that the forecasting non-outbursting risk rate is 87%, and the forecasting non-outbursting accuracy rate is 100% during 2000m tunnel driving in test area.

According to the different engineering mechanical states of top coal caving and normal stoping of gaseous loose thick coal seams, the dialectical relation between this caving method and dynamic disasters was analyzed by simulating the change of stress states in the process of top coal initial caving with different mining and caving ratios based on the ANSYS10.0. The variation of elastic energy and methane expansion energy during first top coal caving was analyzed by first weighting and periodic weighting and combining with coal stress and deformation distribution of top coal normal stoping as well as positive and negative examples in top coal caving of outburst coal seam. The research shows that the outburst risk increases along with the increase of the caving ratio in the initial mining stage. In the period of normal stoping, when the mining and caving ratio is smaller than 1:3 and hard and massive overlying strata do not exist (periodic weighting is not obvious), it is beneficial to control ground stress leading type outburst. Thus, it is unreasonable to prohibit top coal caving in dangerous and outburst prone areas.

Despite lianas being fundamental components of tropical and subtropical forest ecosystems throughout the world, the physiological characteristics of this growth form are not well known. Different behaviors at the seedling stage were until recently largely unnoticed. In one extreme of a continuum of adaptive traits, freestanding liana seedlings invest a large proportion of biomass in self-support tissue while on the other extreme support-seeker seedlings invest more resources in rapid elongation of slender stems with an efficient hydraulic conductive system. Adult lianas often have lower wood density and higher specific leaf area than trees and have most of their leaves deployed at the top of the canopy, experiencing high irradiance and transpirational demands, which requires effective regulation of water loss to avoid desiccation. Recent studies show that lianas have faster stomatal responses to increasing vapor pressure deficit (VPD) and exhibit stronger partial stomatal closure compared to trees. Strong stomatal control and efficient water transport help lianas maintain leaf water potential (Ψleaf) within a safe hydraulic range to avoid xylem dysfunction despite their low stem water storage capacity, which is achieved at a minimum cost in terms of carbon assimilation. Liana colonization of tree crowns can significantly reduce tree growth and transpiration with consequences for carbon and water economy at individual tree and ecosystem levels.

Compared to tropical and temperate forests, subtropical forests have received little attention in physiological and ecological studies until now, and the contribution of this ecosystem type to the global carbon cycle has not been fully assessed. In this chapter we discuss results on the carbon balance of subtropical forests at different spatial and temporal scales, analyze the potential limitation of seasonal low temperatures and water deficits on physiological processes of subtropical trees, and characterize the uniqueness of subtropical forest ecosystems in terms of carbon economy. Results from multiple techniques and scales were included in the carbon balance assessment. The largest two regions with subtropical forests are located in Asia and South America. The net ecosystem carbon gain of subtropical forests in these two regions, which have annual precipitations larger than 800 mm, is probably neither strongly limited by soil water availability nor by seasonal low temperatures. Relatively low evapotranspiration in the winter/dry season and high soil water-holding capacity help maintain good water availability for trees in most subtropical forests. High solar radiation, light penetration and low ecosystem respiration in winter may compensate for the negative effects of low temperatures on gross photosynthesis . Therefore, subtropical forests in many areas can assimilate carbon in excess of respiration throughout the year and they are, probably, among the largest terrestrial carbon sinks across terrestrial ecosystems worldwide. In addition, because leaf and ecosystem respiration respond to temperature changes to a larger extent compared to ecosystem carbon assimilation, a negative relationship between net ecosystem carbon gain and mean annual temperature was found in Asian subtropical and tropical forests. This relationship suggests that global warming may weaken the carbon sink strength of these forest ecosystems. These results indicate the important contribution of subtropical forests to the global carbon cycle and the potentially negative response of these forests to global warming. We hope this information will promote additional physiological and ecological research and conservation in subtropical forests.

Light is critical for plant establishment, growth, and survival in wet tropical forests. The objective of this chapter is to analyze paradigms of photosynthetic performance and life history traits of tropical forest trees to contrasting light environments across the forest floor, gaps and upper canopy. Physiological and morphological plasticity as well as genetically fixed adaptive traits are analyzed, including leaf optical properties and photoprotection from high irradiance. Photosynthetic adaptations to contrasting light environments of closely related species are discussed. This approach has the advantage among comparative studies of adaptations across species in that genetic relationships among species are known. Species-specific variations in maximum photosynthetic rates, which reflect the degree of adaptation to growth irradiance, are shown to be gradual, suggesting that classification into two distinct functional groups in terms of light requirements is somewhat arbitrary. Trees growing in gaps or in the upper canopy rely strongly on biochemical mechanisms to dissipate excess energy and to avoid damage to the light reaction centers and photosystems. Consistent with their high photosynthetic capacity, light demanding species are capable of plastic changes in hydraulic architecture , such as increases in hydraulic conductivity under high irradiance, which makes them more competitive in open habitats.

Forests play an important role in global mercury (Hg) cycling. To explain the high Hg accumulation in subtropical forest ecosystems, we studied temporal dynamics of Hg, carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and sulfur (S) in forest soil profiles, as well as litterfall flux and precipitation, in an old-growth moist evergreen broadleaf (EB) forest and a mossy coppice (MC) forest from South China over seven years. The mean soil Hg concentration was 257 ± 14 ng g −1 in the O-horizon and 248 ± 15 ng g −1 in the A-horizon for the EB forest, and 94 ± 27 ng g −1 in the O-horizon and 70 ± 11 ng g −1 in the A-horizon for the MC forest. Annual variations in Hg concentration were suggested to be associated with variations in precipitation and litterfall biomass. Significant vertical Hg transport was only observed in the MC forest, which was attributed to its lower organic matter content. Correlation and stoichiometry analyses further suggested that the dynamics in Hg concentration in the forest floor was also closely linked to the variation in S concentration. Additionally, the difference in the soil Hg pool between these two forests was attributed to different litterfall biomass fluxes.

The area of tree plantations in the humid subtropical region of Northern Argentina has recently increased five folds. However, the impact of this land use change on evapotranspiration (ET), one of the main components of the hydrologic cycle, has not been evaluated. We studied the ET at tree and ecosystem levels for native forests and three tree plantations (Pinus taeda, Araucaria angustifolia and Eucalyptus grandis). Water consumption of individual trees was estimated using sap flow measurements. Ecosystem ET was characterized using both remote sensing derived data products (ETMODIS) for 2000-2011 and scaling up from tree sap flow measurements to stand level. Canopy conductance (gc) was estimated using both sap flow measurements and ETMODIS data. At individual level, transpiration was positively related to the size of the tree, and the relationship was well described by an exponential function when all species (both native and cultivated trees) were included in the analysis. The average annual leaf area index was similar between native forest and tree plantations. The ET estimates obtained from scaling up sap flow measurements and from ETMODIS were relatively similar in most cases and differed by 4-34%, depending on the ecosystem. The tree plantations, regardless of density or age, did not show higher ETMODIS than native forests. The ET ranged from 1161 to 1389mm per year across native forests and tree plantations according to remote sensing, representing 58-69% of the annual precipitation. Furthermore, the good agreement between ET estimates, with the exception of E. grandis, obtained using sap flow and remote sensing provide a good basis for predicting the effects of land conversion from native forest to most non-native tree plantations on regional ET. Monthly ETMODIS increased with increasing monthly air saturation deficit (ASD) up to 0.8kPa, value at which ETMODIS did not increase further probably due to stomatal control and low values of gc. Different negative exponential relationships between gc and ASD were obtained when gc was calculated by scaling up daily tree sap flow to ecosystem level. Canopy conductance (estimated by remote sensing) declined in a similar negative exponential fashion with increasing ASD, and no differences were observed across ecosystem types. The result of increasing the time step, from daily to monthly, and the spatial scale from individual tree to stand level, had the consequence to lower, even to eliminate differences in annual ET and gc among ecosystems in their responses to climate drivers. This suggests that the nature of ET regulation at individual and ecosystem levels could be different, which should be taken into account when predicting the effects of changes in land use on regional hydrology. Fil: Cristiano, Piedad María. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución. Laboratorio de Ecología Funcional; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Campanello, Paula Inés. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú; Argentina Fil: Bucci, Sandra Janet. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia; Argentina Fil: Rodríguez, Sabrina Andrea. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución. Laboratorio de Ecología Funcional; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Lezcano, Oscar A.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú; Argentina Fil: Scholz, Fabian Gustavo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia; Argentina Fil: Madanes, Nora. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución. Laboratorio de Ecología Funcional; Argentina Fil: Di Francescantonio, Débora. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú; Argentina Fil: Oliva Carrasco, Laureano. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú; Argentina Fil: Zhang, Yong Jiang. Harvard University; Estados Unidos. Chinese Academy of Sciences; República de China Fil: Goldstein, Guillermo Hernan. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución. Laboratorio de Ecología Funcional; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. University of Miami; Estados Unidos

Summary: Cycads are the most ancient lineage of living seed plants, but the design of their leaves has received little study. We tested whether cycad leaves are governed by the same fundamental design principles previously established for ferns, conifers and angiosperms, and characterized the uniqueness of this relict lineage in foliar trait relationships. Leaf structure, photosynthesis, hydraulics and nutrient composition were studied in 33 cycad species from nine genera and three families growing in two botanical gardens. Cycads varied greatly in leaf structure and physiology. Similarly to other lineages, light-saturated photosynthetic rate per mass (Am) was related negatively to leaf mass per area and positively to foliar concentrations of chlorophyll, nitrogen (N), phosphorus and iron, but unlike angiosperms, leaf photosynthetic rate was not associated with leaf hydraulic conductance. Cycads had lower photosynthetic N use efficiency and higher photosynthetic performance relative to hydraulic capacity compared with other lineages. These findings extend the relationships shown for foliar traits in angiosperms to the cycads. This functional convergence supports the modern synthetic understanding of leaf design, with common constraints operating across lineages, even as they highlight exceptional aspects of the biology of this key relict lineage. Fil: Zhang, Yong Jiang. Chinese Academy of Sciences; República de China. Harvard University; Estados Unidos Fil: Cao, Kun Fang. Guangxi University; China Fil: Sack, Lawren. University of California at Los Angeles; Estados Unidos Fil: Li, Nan. Chinese Academy of Sciences; República de China Fil: Wei, Xue Mei. Chinese Academy of Sciences; República de China Fil: Goldstein, Guillermo Hernan. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires; Argentina

To understand water-use strategies of woody bamboo species, sap flux density (Fd) in the culms of a woody bamboo (Bambusa vulgaris Schrader ex Wendland) was monitored using the thermal dissipation method. The daytime and night-time Fd were analyzed in the dry and rainy seasons. Additionally, diurnal changes in root pressure, culm circumference, and stomatal conductance (gs) were investigated to characterize the mechanisms used to maintain diurnal water balance of woody bamboos. Both in the dry and rainy seasons, daytime Fd responded to vapor pressure deficit (VPD) in an exponential fashion, with a fast initial increase in Fd when VPD increased from 0 to 1 kPa. The Fd and gs started to increase very fast as light intensity and VPD increased in the morning, but they decreased sharply once the maximum value was achieved. The Fd response of this woody bamboo to VPD was much faster than that of representative trees and palms growing in the same study site, suggesting its fast sap flow and stomatal responses to changes in ambient environmental factors. The Fd in the lower and higher culm positions started to increase at the same time in the morning, but the Fd in the higher culm position was higher than that of the lower culm in the afternoon. Consistently, distinct decreases in its culm circumference in the afternoon were detected. Therefore, unlike trees, water storage of bamboo culms was not used for its transpiration in the morning but in the afternoon. Nocturnal sap flow of this woody bamboo was also detected and related to root pressure. We conclude that this bamboo has fast sap flow/stomatal responses to irradiance and evaporative demands, and it uses substantial water storage for transpiration in the afternoon, while root pressure appears to be a mechanism resulting in culm water storage recharge during the night.

By using single rice cultivation as a control, the effect of rice-fish culture on growth dynamic, plant type and yield formation of rice was studied. The results showed as follows: rice-fish culture improved the physical-chemical properties of arable layer soil of paddy field, extended growth period of rice, increased dry matter and LAI of different growth stages, improved three top leaves area, deterred the degeneration of leaves function, increased the diameter of stem, promoted the growth of roots and the formation of roots in the extended stem. At the same time, rice-fish culture extended the length of basal internodes, increased the number of internodes, uplifted the gravity of plant, and depressed the root vigor. For the grain yield and yield structure of rice, rice-fish culture decreased ear/tillering ratio, spikelet/panicle and seed set percentage, increased grain weight. If variety choice and cultivation technology were controlled appropriately, rice-fish culture could increase the effective panicles and improve grain yield of rice.