Global negative vegetation feedback to climate warming responses of leaf litter decomposition rates in cold biomes

Whether climate change will turn cold biomes from large long-term carbon sinks into sources is hotly debated because of the great potential for ecosystem-mediated feedbacks to global climate. Critical are the direction, magnitude and generality of climate responses of plant litter decomposition. Here, we present the first quantitative analysis of the major climate-change-related drivers of litter decomposition rates in cold northern biomes worldwide. Leaf litters collected from the predominant species in 33 global change manipulation experiments in circum-arctic-alpine ecosystems were incubated simultaneously in two contrasting arctic life zones. We demonstrate that longer-term, large-scale changes to leaf litter decomposition will be driven primarily by both direct warming effects and concomitant shifts in plant growth form composition, with a much smaller role for changes in litter quality within species. Specifically, the ongoing warming-induced expansion of shrubs with recalcitrant leaf litter across cold biomes would constitute a negative feedback to global warming. Depending on the strength of other (previously reported) positive feedbacks of shrub expansion on soil carbon turnover, this may partly counteract direct warming enhancement of litter decomposition.

土壤微生物和酶对大气CO2浓度与温度升高的响应

土壤微生物(Soil microbes)是生态系统的重要组成部分，它参与土壤中复杂有机物质的分解和再合成，也参与C、N、S、P等的循环。土壤酶(Soil enzyme)是土壤中具有生物活性的蛋白质，它与微生物一起推动着土壤的生物化学过程，并在树木营养物质的转化中起着重要的作用。鉴于土壤微生物和土壤酶对环境变化的敏感性，它们在CO2浓度和温度升高时的反应将在很大程度上影响森林生态系统的结构和功能。因此，要全面评价大气CO2浓度和温度升高对整个生态系统的影响，有必要对CO2浓度和温度升高条件下的土壤微生物的反应进行深入的研究与探讨。本文应用自控、封闭、独立的生长室系统，研究了川西亚高山岷江冷杉（Abies faxoniana）根际、非根际土壤微生物数量，红桦（Betula albosinensis）根际微生物数量以及根际、非根际土壤酶活性对大气CO2浓度(环境CO2浓度+350±25μmol·mol-1，EC)和温度(环境温度+2.0±0.5℃，ET)升高及两者同时升高(ECT)的响应。结果表明： 1) EC和ET显著增加岷江冷杉根际微生物数量，但不同微生物种类对EC和ET的反应有所差异。6、8和10月，岷江冷杉根际微生物数量与对照(CK)相比，EC处理的根际细菌数量分别增加了35%、164%和312%，ET处理增加了30%、115%和209%；EC和ET处理对根际放线菌和根际真菌数量影响不显著。ECT处理的根际放线菌数量分别增加了49%、50%和96%，根际真菌数量增加了151%、57%和48%；而ECT对根际细菌数量影响不显著。EC、ET和ECT处理对岷江冷杉土壤微生物总数的根际效应明显，其R/S值分别为1.93、1.37和1.46(CK的R/S值为0.81)。 2) 红桦根际微生物数量对EC、ET和ECT的响应不同。生长季节(5~10月)，高密度的红桦根际细菌数量与CK 相比，EC的根际细菌数量分别增加28%、33%、423%、65%、43%和79%，而低密度的红桦根际细菌数量增加不显著。ET能显著增加根际细菌数量(7~10月)，其中高密度的根际细菌数量分别增加了377%、107%、35%、22%，而低密度的根际细菌数量分别增加了27%、27%、64%、48%；ECT对两个密度水平下根际细菌数量均未产生有显著的影响。高、低密度的红桦根际放线菌和根际真菌数量与 CK 相比，EC显著增加了低密度的红桦根际放线菌数量，而对高密度的根际放线菌数量无显著影响；ET和ECT对高低密度的红桦根际放线菌数量均未产生显著影响。EC和ET对高低密度的根际真菌数量也无显著影响，而ECT却显著增加了高低密度的根际真菌数量。 3) EC、ET和ECT处理的低密度红桦根际微生物(细菌、放线菌和真菌)数量没有显著高于或低于高密度根际微生物数量，表明短期内密度对红桦根际微生物数量不产生影响。 4) 不同种类的氧化还原酶对EC、ET和ECT的响应不同。5~10月，EC的红桦根际过氧化氢酶活性是CK 的1.44、1.06、1.11、1.10、1.12和1.24倍，差异显著(6月除外)；ET和ECT处理根际过氧化氢酶活性无显著增加。EC的红桦根际多酚氧化酶活性比CK显著增加；ET的根际多酚氧化酶活性显著高于CK(8月除外)。ECT的根际多酚氧化酶活性高于CK，差异不显著。EC的根际脱氢酶活性分别增加了46%、40%、133%、48%、17%和26%，差异显著。5~7月，ET和ECT的根际脱氢酶活性高于CK的脱氢酶活性，而8~9月则相反，差异性均不显著。 5) EC、ET和ECT对不同种类的水解酶的影响不同。EC能显著增加红桦根际脲酶活性，5~10月分别增加了29%、42%，、70%、67%、59%和57%。ET和ECT 对根际脲酶活性未产生显著影响。EC显著提高根际转化酶活性，5、6和9月EC的根际转化酶活性分别比CK高51%、42%和40%。5和10月，ET的根际转化酶活性低于CK，而其余月份却高于CK，但均具有显著性差异。ECT的根际转化酶活性与CK的根际转化酶活性有显著性差异(9月除外)，5、6和7月的根际转化酶活性分别提高了94%、198%和67%。 6) 与CK相比，EC、ET和ECT的非根际土壤微生物数量以及非根际土壤酶活性均无显著提高。EC、ET和ECT的过氧化氢酶、脲酶的根际效应明显，而多酚氧化酶和脱氢酶根际效应不明显。EC和ECT的转化酶根际效应明显，而ET的转化酶根际效应不明显。 It is well known that atmospheric CO2 concentration and temperature are increasing as a consequence of human activities. In past decades, considerable efforts had been put into investigating the effects of climate change on processes of forest ecological system. In general, studies had been mainly focused on the effects of elevated atmospheric CO2 on plant physiology and development, litter quality, and soil microorganisms. Studies showed that there was variation in the responses of root development and below-ground processes to climate between different plant communities. Since the concentration of CO2 in soil was much higher (10~50 times) than in the atmosphere, increasing levels of atmospheric CO2 may not directly in fluence below ground processes. Betula albosinensis and Abies faxoniana, as the dominated tree species of subalpine dark coniferous forest in the western Sichuan province, which play an important role in the structure and function of this kind of forest ecosystem. In our study, effects of elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration (350±25μmol·mol-1), increased temperature (2.0±0.5℃) and both of the two on the number of rhizospheric microbe and rhizospheric enzyme activity were studied by the independent and enclosed-top chamber’ system under high-frigid conditions. Responses of rhizospheric bacteria, actinomycetes and fungi number of Betula albosinensis and Abies faxoniana under different densities(high density with 84 stems·m-2, low density with 28 stems·m-2 ), and rhizospheric enzyme activity of Betula albo-sinensis to elevated CO2 concentration and increased temperature were analyzed and discussed. The results are as the following, 1) In comparion with the control, the numbers of rhizospheric bacteria of Abies faxoniana were increased by 35%, 164% and 312% significantly in June, August and October respectively of EC, and were increased by 30%, 115% and 209% respectively of ET.However the effect of EC and ET on rhizospheric actinomycetes and fungi was not significant. The number of rhizospheric actinomycetes of ECT were increased significantly by 49%, 50% and 96% respectively, and the increment of rhizospheric fungi were 151%, 57% and 48% respectively .The effect of ECT on rhizospheric bacteria was not significant. Rhizospheric effect of soil microbe for all treatments was significant, with the R/S of 1.93, 1.27 and 1.46 for EC, ET and ECT, respectively. 2) Treatment EC improved the number of rhizospheric bacteria of Betula albosinensis under high density significantly in comparison with the control, over the growing season, the greatest increment of rhizospheric bacteria was from July. However, EC had no effect on the number of rhizospheric bacteria under low density. Except May and June, treatment ET improved the number of rhizospheric signifcantly. The effect of treatment ECT on the number of rhizospheric bacteria under different densities was not significant. Of treatment EC, the number of rhizospheric actinomycetes of Betula albosinensis under low density were increased significantly, however, treatment EC did not stimulate the number of rhizospheric actinomycetes under high density. Simultaneously, treatment ET and ECT did not stimulate the number of rhizospheric actinomycetes. Finally, in treatment ECT, the number of rhizospheric fungi under high density were increased significantly, however treatment EC and ET did not stimulate the number of rhizospheric fungi under different densities. 3) Of treatment EC, ET and ECT, the number of rhizospheric microbe of Betula albosinensis under low density were not more or fewer than that of microbe under hign density along the growing season, which showed that plant density had no effect on the nmber of microbe. 4) From May to October, 2004，rhizospheric catalase activity of Betula albosinensis of treatment EC was 1.44, 1.06, 1.11, 1.10, 1.12 and 1.24 times as treatment CK respectively, and the difference was statistically significant(except June). Treatment ET and ECT did not increase rhizospheric catalase activity significantly. In treatment EC, the rhizospheric pohyphenol oxidase activity was higher than treatment CK significantly. The rhizospheric pohyphenol oxidase activity of treatment ET was higher than CK significantly (except August). The rhizospheric pohyphenol oxidase activity of treatment ECT was higher than CK, but the difference was not statistically significant. Over the growing period, the rhizospheric dehydrogenase activity were increased 46%, 40%, 133%, 48%, 17% and 26% respectively by treatment EC, and the difference was statistically significant. From May to July, the rhizospheric dehydrogenase activity in treatment ET and ECT was higher than CK, but from August to October, the rhizospheric dehydrogenase activity was lower than CK, the difference was not significant. 5) Treatment EC increased rhizospheric urease activity significantly, from May to October, rhizospheric urease activity were increased 29%, 42%, 70%, 67%, 59% and 57% respectively by EC. Treatment ET and ECT had no effect on rhizospheric urease activity. Treatment EC improved rhizospheric invertase activity significantly, in May, June and September, the rhizospheric invertase activity of treatment EC were increased 51%, 42% and 40% in comparison with the control. Except May and October, the rhizospheric invertase activity of treatment ET was markly higher than CK. The rhizospheric invertase activity of treatment ECT was significantly different from CK (except September), in May, June and July treatment ECT increased rhizospheric invertase activity by 94%, 198% and 67% respectively. 6) In comparison with the control, treatment EC, ET, and ECT had no effect on the number of non-rhizospheric microbe and non-rhizospheric enzyme activity. Rhizospheric effect of catalase and urease for all treatments was significant, but rhizospheric effect of pohyphenol oxidase and dehydrogenase was not significant. Rhizospheric effect of invertase of EC and ECT was significant, but rhizospheric effect of invertase of ET was not significant.

瑞香狼毒（Stellera chamaejasme L.）对高寒草甸系统生长和非生长季节碳氮循环的影响及其花粉化感效应

瑞香狼毒（Stellera chamaejasme L.）是瑞香科（Thymelaeaceae）狼毒属的一种多年生野草，有毒。据调查，从20 世纪60 年代开始至今，狼毒在青藏高原东缘的高寒草甸上不断蔓延、密度不断变大，在一些地段甚至成为优势物种。有关狼毒在高寒草甸蔓延的生态系统效应的研究尚未见报道。本文从系统碳、氮循环的角度，分别研究狼毒在生长和非生长季节对高寒草甸生态系统的影响。同时，从花粉化感的角度，深入研究狼毒对当地同花期物种有性繁殖的影响。系统地研究高寒草甸生态系统物质循环过程，特别是非生长季节微生物和土壤碳氮库的动态变化，有助于揭示狼毒在系统物质循环方面的“物种效应”以及这种效应的季节变化，为丰富有关高海拔生态系统，特别是其非生长季的物质循环的科学理论做出贡献。同时，碳氮循环和花粉化感的研究还有助于深刻地理解狼毒作为一种入侵性很强的杂草的特殊的蔓延机制，从而为狼毒的有效防治、高寒草甸的科学管理提供依据。 针对狼毒在青藏高原高寒草甸上蔓延的生态系统碳氮循环方面的影响，开展以下2 方面的研究：（1）在生长季，研究松潘县尕米寺附近（北纬32°53'，东经103°40'，海拔3190 m）的两种地形（平地和阳坡）条件下狼毒对土壤碳氮循环影响及可能的原因。狼毒和其它几个主要物种（圆穗蓼（Polygonummacrophyllum D. Don var. Macrophyllum），草地早熟禾（Poa pretensis L.），四川嵩草（Kobresia setchwanensis Hand.-Maizz.），鹅绒委陵菜（Potentilla anserina L.var. anserine）和鳞叶龙胆（Gentiana squarrosa Ledeb.）的地上凋落物产量以及地上凋落物和根的化学组成被测量。在有-无狼毒斑块下，各种土壤的库（比如，铵态氮、硝态氮、无机磷和微生物生物量）和周转率（包括净矿化、净硝化、总硝化、反硝化和微生物呼吸速率）被测量和比较。（2）在非生长季节，尤其是春季冻融交替期，选取了两个研究地点——尕米寺和卡卡沟（北纬32°59'，东经103°41'，海拔3400 m），分别测定有狼毒和无狼毒斑块下土壤微生物生物量碳和氮、可溶性有机碳和氮以及铵态氮和硝态氮的动态变化。同时，分别在上述两个地点有-无狼毒的样地上，研究6 个主要物种（狼毒、圆穗蓼、草地早熟禾、四川嵩草、鹅绒委陵菜和鳞叶龙胆）从秋季开始、为期1 年的凋落物分解过程。 针对狼毒花粉化感对同花期其它物种可能的花粉化感作用开展以下工作：在实验室中，用一系列浓度的狼毒花粉水浸提液对与它同花期的其它物种以及自身花粉进行测试，测定花粉萌发率；在野外自然条件下的其它物种的柱头上施用上述浓度的狼毒花粉水浸提液，观测种子结实率，同时，观察狼毒花粉的种间花粉散布数量。 生长季节的研究结果表明，狼毒地上凋落物氮含量比其它几个主要物种更高，而木质素-总氮比更低。狼毒显著地增加其斑块下表层土壤中有机质的含量，而有-无狼毒的亚表层土壤在有机碳和总磷方面没有显著差异。狼毒表土中硝态氮含量在平地和阳坡比无狼毒土壤分别高113%和90%。狼毒表土中微生物生物量碳和氮量显著高于无狼毒表土。无论是平地还是阳坡，狼毒土壤的总硝化和微生物呼吸速率显著高于无狼毒土壤；而它们的反硝化速率只在平地有显著的差异。狼毒与其它物种间地上凋落物的产量和质量的差异可能是导致有-无狼毒土壤碳氮循环差异的原因。我们假设，狼毒可能通过增加贫氮生态系统土壤中的有效氮含量提高其入侵能力。 非生长季的研究结果表明，在青藏高原东缘的高寒草甸上，土壤微生物生3物量在11 月的秋-冬过渡期达到第一个峰值；在春季的冻融交替期，微生物生物量达到第二个峰值后又迅速降低。无机氮以及可溶性有机碳氮与微生物生物量有相似的变化过程。微生物碳氮比呈现显著的季节性变化。隆冬季节的微生物生物量碳氮比显著高于生长旺季的微生物碳氮比。这种变化可能暗示冬、夏季微生物的群落组成和对资源的利用有所不同。有-无狼毒斑块下土壤微生物和土壤碳、氮库一般只在秋-冬过渡期有显著差异，有狼毒土壤微生物生物量和土壤碳、氮库显著高于无狼毒土壤；而在之后的冬季和春季没有显著差异。所有6 个物种凋落物在非生长季分解率为24%-50%，均高于生长季的10%到30%。其中在秋-冬过渡期，凋落物开始埋藏的两周时间内，分解最快，达10%-20%。不同物种凋落物全年的分解率和分解过程有显著差异。圆穗蓼在全年的分解都较缓慢（非生长季26%，生长季15%），草地早熟禾和四川嵩草等全年的分解速率比较均匀（非生长季和生长季均为30%，非生长季略高），而狼毒在非生长季分解较快（约50%），而在接下来的生长季分解变得缓慢（约12%）。所有物种的凋落物氮含量在非生长季下降，而在随后的生长季上升。 实验室的花粉萌发试验证明，狼毒花粉对自身花粉萌发没有自毒作用，而其它受试的所有物种（圆穗蓼，秦艽（Gentiana macrophylla Pall. var. fetissowii），湿生扁蕾（Gentianopsis paludosa (Hook. f.) Ma var. paludosa），鳞叶龙胆，椭圆叶花锚（Halenia elliptica D. Don var. elliptica），蓝钟花（Cyananthus hookeri C. B.Cl. var. grandiflorus Marq.），小米草（Euphrasia pectinata Ten.），川西翠雀花（Delphinium tongolense Franch.），高原毛茛（Ranunculus tanguticus (Maxim.)Ovcz. var. tanguticus）和鹅绒委陵菜）的花粉萌发率随着狼毒花粉浸提液浓度的增加呈显著的非线性降低。大约3 个狼毒花粉的浸提液就可以抑制受试的多数物种的50%的花粉萌发。在鳞叶龙胆和小米草柱头上狼毒花粉的数量分别为5.76 个和3.35 个。狼毒花粉散布数量的差异最可能的原因在于是否有共同的传粉昆虫。花的形状（辐射对称VS 左右对称）、植株或花的密度以及花期重叠性可以部分解释这种差异。在野外试验中，我们发现6 个物种（秦艽、湿生扁蕾、鳞叶龙胆、椭圆叶花锚、蓝钟花和小米草）的种子结实率随狼毒花粉浸提液浓度的增加呈显著的非线性降低。鳞叶龙胆和小米草柱头上狼毒花粉的数量（分别是5.76 个和3.35 个）分别达到了抑制它们63%和55%种子结实率的水平。因此，狼毒对鳞叶龙胆和小米草可能存在明显的花粉化感抑制作用。狼毒周围的物种可能通过花期在季节或昼夜上的分异避免受到狼毒花粉化感的影响或者通过无性繁殖来维持种群繁衍，因此狼毒通过花粉化感作用对其周围物种繁殖的影响程度还需要进一步地研究。如果狼毒的花粉化感抑制作用确实存在，那么它可能成为一种自然选择压力，进而影响物种的进化。 Stellera chamaejasme L., a perennial toxic weed, has emerged and quicklydominated and spread in the high-frigid meadow on the eastern Tibetan Plateau ofChina since the 1960s. In the present study, effects of S. chamaejasme on carbon andnitrogen cycles on the high-frigid meadow on the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau ingrowing and non-growing season, and its pollen allelopathic effects on the sympatricspecies were determined. The present study that focused on carbon and nitrogencycles, especially on microbial biomass and pools of carbon and nitrogen innon-growing season, could profoundly illuminate plant-species effects on carbon andnutrient cycles and its seasonal pattern and help to understand spread mechanism ofS. chamaejasme as an aggressive weed. The present study also contributed to furtherunderstand carbon and nutrient cycles on alpine regions in non-growing season andprovide a basis on weed control of S. chamaejasme and scientific management in thehigh-frigid ecosystem. Effects of S. chamaejasme on carbon and nitrogen cycles on the high-frigidmeadow on the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau were determined. The study couldbe divided into two parts. (1) In the growing season, we quantified the effects of S.chamaejasme on carbon and nitrogen cycles in two types of topographic habitats, theflat valley and the south-facing slope, where S. chamaejasme was favored to spreadlitter and root were measured to explain the likely effects of S. chamaejasme on soilcarbon and nutrient cycles. The sizes of various soil pools, e.g. nitrite, ammonium,inorganic phosphorus and microbial biomass, and turnover rates including netmineralization, gross nitrification, denitrification and microbial respiration weredetermined. (2) In the non-growing season study, microbial biomass carbon andnitrogen, soluble organic carbon and nitrogen, ammonium and nitrate weredetermined through the non-growing season, especially in the processes offreeze-thaw of spring in two high-frigid sites, i.e. Kaka valley and Gami temple, onthe eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Meanwhile, litter decomposition of six commonspecies, including Stellera chamaejasme L., Polygonum macrophyllum D. Don var.Macrophyllum, Poa pretensis L., Kobresia setchwanensis L., Potentilla anserina L.var. anserine and Gentiana squarrosa Ledeb., were also examined under theabove-mentioned experimental design through one whole-year, which began in theautumn in 2006. In the study of pollen allelopathy, several work, including in vitro study oneffects of extract of pollen from S. chamaejasme on sympatric species and pollenfrom itself, field experiments on effects of pollen extract with the same regime ofconcentrations on seed set and field observation on heterospecific pollen transfer ofS. chamaejasme to six of those sympatric species has been done. The results in the growing season showed that aboveground litter of S.chamaejasme had higher tissue nitrogen and lower lignin: nitrogen ratio than thoseco-occurring species. S. chamaejasme significantly increased topsoil organic matter,whereas no significant differences were found for organic C and total P in subsoilbetween under-Stellera and away-Stellera locations. The nitrate in Stellera topsoilwas 113% and 90% higher on the flat valley and on the south-facing slope,respectively. Both microbial biomass C and N were significantly higher in Stelleratopsoil. Gross nitrification and microbial respiration were significantly higher inStellera topsoil both on the flat valley and on the south-facing slope, whereassignificant differences of denitrification were found only on the flat valley. Thedifferences in the quantity and quality of aboveground litter are a likely mechanismresponsible for the changes of soil variables. We assumed that S. chamaejasme couldenhance their spread by increasing nutrient availability in N-deficient ecosystems. The results in the non-growing season showed that microbial biomass achievedthe first summit in late autumn and early winter on the eastern Qinghai-TibetanPlateau. In the stages of freeze-thaw of spring, microbial biomass firstly achieved thesecond summit and subsequently sharply decreased. Inorganic nitrogen, solubleorganic carbon and nitrogen had a similar dynamics with that of microbial biomass.Ratio of microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen had an obviously seasonal pattern.The highest microbial C: N were in the non-growing season, which weresignificantly higher than those in the growing season. The seasonal pattern inmicrobial biomass C: N suggested that large changes in composition of microbialpopulation and in resources those used by microbes between summer and winter.Generally, microbial biomass and pools size of carbon and nitrogen in Stellera soilwere significantly higher than those under adjacent locations in late autumn andearly winter, but there were not significant differences in winter and in spring. Litterof all the focal species (Stellera chamaejasme L., Polygonum macrophyllum D. Donvar. Macrophyllum, Poa pretensis L., Kobresia setchwanensis Hand.-Maizz.,Potentilla anserina L. var. anserine and G. squarrosa Ledeb.) decomposed about24%-50% in the non-growing season, which were higher than those in the growingseason (ranged from 10% to 30%). Litter decomposed 10%-20% within the first twoweeks in late autumn and early winter. Significant differences in the whole-yeardecomposition rate and in the processes of decomposition were found among species.Polygonum macrophyllum decomposed slowly through the whole year (26% and15% in the non-growing season and in the growing season, respectively). Certainspecies, such as P. pretensis L. and K. setchwanensis, decomposed at a similar rate(30% both in the non-growing and in the growing season, slightly higher in the8growing season than those in the growing season), whereas S. chamaejasmedecomposed more rapidly (about 50%) in the non-growing season and subsequentlydecomposition became slow (about 12%) in the growing season. Litter nitrogencontents of all the focal species firstly decreased in the non-growing season and thenincreased in the growing season. In vitro experiments of pollen allelopathy, the results showed that pollen from S.chamaejasme was not autotoxic, whereas pollen germination in all the sympatricspecies (Polygonum macrophyllum D. Don var. Macrophyllum, Gentianamacrophylla Pall. var. fetissowii, Gentianopsis paludosa (Hook. f.) Ma var. paludosa,Gentiana squarrosa Ledeb., Halenia elliptica D. Don var. elliptica, Cyananthushookeri C. B. Cl. var. grandiflorus Marq., Euphrasia pectinata Ten., Delphiniumtongolense Franch., Ranunculus tanguticus (Maxim.) Ovcz. var. tanguticus andPotentilla anserina L. var. anserina) decreased nonlinearly as the increasingconcentrations of extract of pollen from S. chamaejasme. Pollen Extract of threepollens from S. chamaejasme generally inhibited 50% pollen germination of most ofthe focal species. 5.76 and 3.35 pollens from S. chamaejasme were observed in fieldon stigmas of G. squarrosa and E. pectinata, respectively. Differences inheterospecific pollen transfer of S. chamaejasme could be attributed to the primaryreason whether they shared common pollinators. Flower morphology (e.g.zygomorphic or actinomorphic), plant or floral density and concurrence in floweringphonologies could explain, in part, the differences in heterospecific pollen transfer.In field experiments, the results showed that seed set in six sympatric species(Gentiana macrophylla Pall. var. fetissowii, Gentianopsis paludosa (Hook. f.) Mavar. paludosa, Gentiana squarrosa Ledeb., Halenia elliptica D. Don var. elliptica,Cyananthus hookeri C. B. Cl. var. grandiflorus Marq. and Euphrasia pectinata Ten.)decreased nonlinearly as the increasing concentrations of extract of pollen from S.chamaejasme. According to the nonlinear curves, the amounts of pollens from S.chamaejasme on stigmas of G. squarrosa and of E. pectinata (i.e. 5.76 grains and3.35 grains, respectively) could reduce 63% and 55% seed set of G. squarrosa and ofE. pectinata, respectively. Thus, allelopathic effects of S. chamaejasme on G.squarrosa and E. pectinata could be realistic. The sympatric species of S.chamaejasme could avoid pollen allelopathy of S. chamaejasme to sustainthemselves. This highlights the need to study how much pollen allelopathy in S.chamaejasme influences the sympatric species through divergence in seasonal ordiurnal flowering phonologies or through asexual reproduction. If pollen allelopathyin S. chamaejasme was confirmed, it could be as a pressure of natural selection andthus play an important role in species evolution.

Improving Nucleation in the Fabrication of High-Quality 3D Macro-Porous Copper Film through The Surface-Modification of A Polystyrene Colloid-Assembled Template

A new approach is developed to the fabrication of high-quality three-dimensional macro-porous copper films. A highly-ordered macroporous copper film is successfully produced on a polystyrene sphere (PS) template that has been modified by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). It is shown that this procedure can change a hydrophobic surface of PS template into a hydrophilic surface. The present study is devoted to the influence of the electrolyte solution transport on the nucleation process. It is demonstrated that the permeability of the electrolyte solution in the nanochannels of the PS template plays an important role in the chemical electrodeposition of high-quality macroporous copper film. The permeability is drastically enhanced in our experiment through the surface modi. cation of the PS templates. The method could be used to homogeneously produce a large number of nucleations on a substrate, which is a key factor for the fabrication of the high-quality macroporous copper film.

Pressure Controlled Self-Assembly of High Quality Three-Dimensional Colloidal Photonic Crystals

A concise pressure controlled isothermal heating vertical deposition (PCIHVD) method is developed, which provides an optimal growing condition with better stability and reproducibility for fabricating photonic crystals (PCs) without the limitation of colloidal sphere materials and sizes. High quality PCs are fabricated with PCIHVD from polystyrene spheres with diameters ranging from 200 nm to 1 mu m. The deep photonic band gap and steep photonic band edge of the samples are most favorable for realizing ultrafast optical devices, photonic chips, and communications. This method makes a meaningful advance in the quality and diversity of PCs and greatly promotes their wide applications.

The Key Factors In Fabrication Of High-Quality Ordered Macroporous Copper Film

The template-directed fabrication of highly-ordered porous film is of significant importance in implementation of the photonic band gap structure. The paper reports a simple and effective method to improve the electrodeposition of metal porous film by utilizing highly-ordered polystyrene spheres (PSs) template. By surface-modification method, the hydrophobic property of the PSs template surfaces was changed into hydrophilic one. It was demonstrated that the surface modi. cation process enhanced the permeability of the electrolyte solution in the nanometer-sized voids of the colloidal template. The homogeneously deposited copper film with the highly-ordered voids in size of less than 500 nm was successfully obtained. In addition, it was found that large defects, such as microcracks in the template, strongly influenced the macroporous films quality. An obvious preferential growth in the cracked area was observed. (C) 2008 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.

Generation of a high-quality partially coherent dark hollow beam with a multimode fiber

We report the experimental generation of a high-quality partially coherent dark hollow beam (DHB) by coupling a partially coherent beam into a multimode fiber (MMF) with a suitable incidence angle. The interference experiment of the generated partially coherent DHB passing through double slits is demonstrated. It is found that the coupling efficiency of the MMF, the quality, and the coherence of the generated partially coherent DHB are closely controlled by the coherence of the input beam. (c) 2008 Optical Society of America.

Novel method to construct a quality map for phase unwrapping based on modulation and the phase gradient

A novel method to construct a quality map, called modulation-phase-gradient variance (MPGV), is proposed, based on modulation and the phase gradient. The MPGV map is successfully applied to two phase-unwrapping algorithms - the improved weighted least square and the quality-guided unwrapping algorithm. Both simulated and experimental data testify to the validity of our proposed quality map. Moreover, the unwrapped-phase results show that the new quality map can have higher reliability than the conventional phase-derivative variance quality map in helping to unwrap noisy, low-modulation, and/or discontinuous phase maps. (c) 2006 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers.

A reliable phase unwrapping algorithm based on the local fitting plane and quality map

A fast and reliable phase unwrapping (PhU) algorithm, based on the local quality-guided fitting plane, is presented. Its framework depends on the basic plane-approximated assumption for phase values of local pixels and on the phase derivative variance (PDV) quality map. Compared with other existing popular unwrapping algorithms, the proposed algorithm demonstrated improved robustness and immunity to strong noise and high phase variations, given that the plane assumption for local phase is reasonably satisfied. Its effectiveness is demonstrated by computer-simulated and experimental results.

Novel method to construct a quality map for phase unwrapping based on modulation and the phase gradient

A novel method to construct a quality map, called modulation-phase-gradient variance (MPGV), is proposed, based on modulation and the phase gradient. The MPGV map is successfully applied to two phase-unwrapping algorithms - the improved weighted least square and the quality-guided unwrapping algorithm. Both simulated and experimental data testify to the validity of our proposed quality map. Moreover, the unwrapped-phase results show that the new quality map can have higher reliability than the conventional phase-derivative variance quality map in helping to unwrap noisy, low-modulation, and/or discontinuous phase maps. (c) 2006 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers.

Technique for diagnosing x-ray laser beam quality by use of the moire signal

We present what we believe is a novel technique based on the moire effect for fully diagnosing the beam quality of an x-ray laser. Using Fresnel diffraction theory, we investigated the intensity profile of the moire pattern when a general paraxial beam illuminates a pair of Ronchi gratings in the quasi-far field. Two formulas were derived to determine the beam quality factor M-2 and the effective radius of curvature R-e from the moire pattern. On the basis of the results, the far-field divergence, the waist location, and the radius can be calculated further. Finally, we verified the approach by use of numerical simulation. (C) 1999 Optical Society of America [S0740-3232(99)01502-1].

Analysis of beam-quality degradation in nonlinear frequency conversion

Based on the ripple transfers of electric-field amplitude and phase in frequency tripling, simple formulas are derived for the harmonic laser's beam-quality factor M-3omega(2), with an arbitrary fundamental incidence to ideal nonlinear crystals. Whereas the harmonic beam's quality is generally degraded, the beam's divergence is similar to that of the fundamental after nonlinear frequency conversion. For practical crystals with periodic surface ripples that are caused by their machining, a multiorder diffractive model is presented with which the focusing properties of harmonic beams can be studied. Predictions of the theories are shown to be in excellent agreement with full numerical simulations. (C) 2002 Optical Society of America.