Food habits of two-year-old Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) stocked in Lake Bao'an, China

Gastric mills of 362 specimens of two-year-old Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis), which contained recognizable food items, from Lake Bao'an, China were examined. The food items were macrophytes, algae, arthropods, oligochaetes, fish, protozoa, rotifers, gastropods, and detritus, and the percent frequencies of occurrence (FO) for these items were 87.3%, 82.0%, 48.2%, 28.2%, 28.7%, 0.3%, 0.6%, 0.3% and 88.7%, respectively. Unidentified animal tissue was often observed and had a FO of 46.1%. In total, FO of plants (macrophytes + algae) was 87.7% and of animals was 89.8%. However, 5.8% of the gastric mills contained only animals, 5.3% had only macrophytes, and 0.3% contained only algae. There was no significant difference (p>0.05) in food habits between male and female crabs. The ratio of cell number of macrophytes to algae was about 156:1.

Heavy metals in plants and phytoremediation - A state-of-the-art report with special reference to literature published in Chinese journals

Goal, Scope and Background. In some cases, soil, water and food are heavily polluted by heavy metals in China. To use plants to remediate heavy metal pollution would be an effective technique in pollution control. The accumulation of heavy metals in plants and the role of plants in removing pollutants should be understood in order to implement phytoremediation, which makes use of plants to extract, transfer and stabilize heavy metals from soil and water. Methods. The information has been compiled from Chinese publications stemming mostly from the last decade, to show the research results on heavy metals in plants and the role of plants in controlling heavy metal pollution, and to provide a general outlook of phytoremediation in China. Related references from scientific journals and university journals are searched and summarized in sections concerning the accumulation of heavy metals in plants, plants for heavy metal purification and phytoremediation techniques. Results and Discussion. Plants can take up heavy metals by their roots, or even via their stems and leaves, and accumulate them in their organs. Plants take up elements selectively. Accumulation and distribution of heavy metals in the plant depends on the plant species, element species, chemical and bioavailiability, redox, pH, cation exchange capacity, dissolved oxygen, temperature and secretion of roots. Plants are employed in the decontamination of heavy metals from polluted water and have demonstrated high performances in treating mineral tailing water and industrial effluents. The purification capacity of heavy metals by plants are affected by several factors, such as the concentration of the heavy metals, species of elements, plant species, exposure duration, temperature and pH. Conclusions. Phytoremediation, which makes use of vegetation to remove, detoxify, or stabilize persistent pollutants, is a green and environmentally-friendly tool for cleaning polluted soil and water. The advantage of high biomass productive and easy disposal makes plants most useful to remediate heavy metals on site. Recommendations and Outlook. Based on knowledge of the heavy metal accumulation in plants, it is possible to select those species of crops and pasturage herbs, which accumulate fewer heavy metals, for food cultivation and fodder for animals; and to select those hyperaccumulation species for extracting heavy metals from soil and water. Studies on the mechanisms and application of hyperaccumulation are necessary in China for developing phytoremediation.

Effects of multiple environmental factors on CO2 emission and CH4 uptake from old-growth forest soils

National Key Research and Development Program [2010CB833502]; National Natural Science Foundation of China [30600071, 40601097, 30590381, 30721140307]; Knowledge Innovation Project of the Chinese Academy of Sciences [KZCX2-YW-432, O7V70080SZ, LENOM07LS-01

碎屑锆石年龄和Nd-Hf同位素组成对扬子基底演化的制约

The South China craton was formed by the collision of the Yangtze and Cathaysia blocks during the Neoproterozoic Jiangnan orogeny (also termed as the Jingnin or Sibao orogeny in Chinese literature). Basement rocks within the Yangtze block consist mainly of Proterozoic sediments of the Lengjiaxi and Banxi Groups. U-Pb ages of detrital zircons obtained by the LA-ICP-MS dating technique imply that the deposition of the Lengjiaxi Group continued until the Neoproterozoic. The youngest detrital zircons suggest a maximum deposition age of ~830 Ma for the Lengjiaxi Group, consistent with the initiation time of the deposition of the overlying Banxi Group, likely indicating continuous deposition of these two groups and a short temporal hiatus (~10 Ma) between the Neoproterozoic sedimentary rocks distributed in the South China craton. Detrital zircons from both the Lengjiaxi and Banxi Groups have a wide range of εHf(t) values from -12 to 14.2 and a continuous Nd and Hf model age spectrum from ~820 Ma to 2200 Ma. Some grains have model ages ranging up to ca. 2.9-3.5 Ga, indicating that both juvenile mantle material and ancient crust provided sedimentary detritus. This is also consistent with the Nd isotopic signature of sedimentary rocks recorded in the Lengjiaxi Group, suggesting a back-arc tectonic setting. The Banxi Group has slightly enriched Nd isotopic signatures relative to the Lengjiaxi Group, implying a higher percentage of old continental material in the sedimentary source. Combined with previously published data, new results can help us to reconstruct the Neoproterozoic tectonic evolution of the South China craton. The age spectrum of detrital zircons and Nd-Hf isotopic composition suggests a two-stage collision: Between 1000 Ma to 870 Ma, a continental magmatic arc was build up along the eastern margin of the Yangtze block. Convergence led to continent-based back-arc extension, subsidence and formation of a back-arc basin. Detritus originating from arc-related magmatic and old basement rocks was transported into this back-arc basin resulting in formation of the Lengjiaxi Group and its equivalents. At around 870 Ma, a second (oceanic) arc was formed by extension of an inter-arc basin, subduction subsequently led to the first collision and the emplacement of the blueschist mélange. Accretion of the magmatic arc lasted until the closure of an oceanic basin between the Yangtze and Cathaysia blocks at about 830 Ma. Shortly after the collision, subsequent uplift, further extension of the former back-arc basin and post-collisional granitoid magmatism caused a tilting of the Lengjiaxi sediments. Between 830 Ma and 820 Ma, subsequent closure of the oceanic back-arc basin and formation of the Jiangnan orogen took place, leaving a regional unconformity above the Lengjiaxi Group. Above this unconformity the Banxi Group was immediately deposited during the post-tectonic stage.