Effects of algal bloom formation, outbreak, and extinction on heavy metal fractionation in the surficial sediments of Chaohu Lake.

The effects of algal bloom (AB) on the physicochemical and biochemical properties of water and sediment in lakes have been widely studied. However, limited attention has been directed toward the effects of the processes of AB formation, outbreak, and extinction on heavy metal fractionation in sediment. In this study, water and sediment samples were collected from the AB and free algal bloom (FAB) regions of Chaohu Lake from May to September in 2012. The chemical fractionation of seven heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Fe, and Pb) in sediment was determined by using a modified three-step sequential procedure. Evident processes of AB formation, outbreak, and extinction were observed in the AB region, but not in the FAB region. The TN and TP concentrations in water and sediment in the AB region were significantly higher than those in the FAB region. The water DO concentration was higher in the AB region than that in the FAB region before the early stage of the AB outbreak, but an opposite trend was observed in the stages that followed. Metal fractionation in sediment showed that except for Mn and Cu, the majority of metals were in the residual fraction regardless of the AB process. The AB process slightly altered the concentrations of metal fractions, except for reducible Fe and oxidizable Cu. The result showed that AB formation, outbreak, and extinction slightly affected heavy metal fractionation in sediment though water properties were significantly different among AB processes.

[Effects of outbreak and extinction of algal blooms on the microbial community structure in sediments of Chaohu Lake].

Although impacts of algal bloom on the physicochemical and biological properties of water and sediment in many lakes have been largely studied, less attention is paid to the impact of outbreak and extinction of algal blooms on the microbial community structure in sediment. In this study, outbreak and extinction of algal blooms and their effects on the microbial community structure in sediment of Chaohu Lake were studied by PCR-DGGE method. The results showed that algal blooms formed between May 15 and June 20, sustained from June 20 to September 5, and then went into extinction. In the region without algal blooms, PCR-DGGE analysis showed that microbial species, Shannon-Wiener diversity index and Simpson dominance index changed slightly over time; moreover, the microbial community structure had high similarity during the whole study. Temperature may be the main factor affecting the fluctuation of the microbial community structure in this region. In the region with algal blooms, however, microbial species and Shannon-Wiener diversity index were higher during the formation and extinction of algal blooms and lower in the sustaining blooms stage than those in the region without algal blooms. But the Simpson dominance index showed the opposite trend over time. In addition, the microbial community structure had low similarity during the whole study. The results suggested that outbreak and extinction of algal blooms produced different effects on the microbial community structure and the dominant microbial species, which may be related to the variation of water properties caused by temperature and algal blooms. This study showed that outbreak and extinction of algal blooms caused different effects on microbes in lake sediment, and this is significantly important to deeply evaluate the effects of algal bloom on the aquatic ecosystem of the lake and effectively control algal blooms using sediment microbes.

[Canonical correspondence analysis between phytoplankton community and environmental factors in macrophtic lakes of the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River].

The phytoplankton communities in 4 macrophtic lakes (Longgan Lake, Liangzi Lake, Futou Lake and Baoan Lake) in Middle-Lower Yangtze Plain were investigated in September 2011, and 7 phylum and 231 species of phytoplankton were detected in the waters. The results indicated that phytoplankton was mainly composed of Cyanophyta, Bacillariophyta and Chlorophyta. The four lakes were mesotrophic. And the main phytoplankton was Phormidium foveolarum, Synedra ulna, Phormidium tenu and Tribonema minus. The relationships between the distribution of phytoplankton and environmental factors in each sampling site were studies by canonical correspondence analysis. The results demonstrated that pH and Total phosphorus are the key factors for the distribution of phytoplankton communities in 4 typical macrophtic lakes in Middle-Lower Yangtze Plain.

[Allelopathic effect of Nelumbo nucifera stem and leaf tissue extract on the growth of Microcystis aeruginosa and Scenedesmus quadricanda].

Effects of Nelumbo nucifera stem and leaf tissue extract on the growth of Microcystis aeruginosa and Scenedesmus quadricanda were studied to verify its potential in entriphication control. Five concentrations of Nelumbo nucifera stem and leaf tissue extract were chosen to compare their inhibitory effects on the growth of Microcystis aeruginosa and Scenedesmus quadricanda. The result showed that the leaf extract inhibited the algae bloom more effectively than the stem extract on the whole. When the leaf extract normality was 25 g x L(-1), the highest inhibition rate of Microcystis aeruginosa and Scenedesmus quadricanda was 71.33% and 78.14%, respectively, while for the stem extract, the values were 49.78% and 52.14%. Propanamide was found in both the stem and leaf tissue extracts of Nelumbo nucifera by GC-MS analysis, with concentrations of 1.1 mg x L(-1) and 0.2 mg x L(-1), respectively. The EC50 values of the two kinds of algae were calculated by the probability method.

[Strategies of nutrients control in lakes based on ecoregions of lakes in China].

In order to better reduce lake eutrophication, based on five ecoregions of lakes, the relationships of total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and TN/TP ratio with chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) in 100 lakes were discussed, furthermore, strategies of nutrient control were proposed respectively. Results showed that among the five ecoregions, the lake eutrophication level was the lowest in Dongbei ecoregion and the highest in Huabei ecoregion, but the eutrophication level in lakes of all the five ecoregions is increasing in recent years. Algal growth in lakes of Dongbei and Huabei ecoregions was limited by phosphorus, while it was simultaneously limited by nitogen and phosphorus in lakes of other three ecoregions (Zhongdongbu, Yungui and Mengxin). In lakes with TN/TP < 10, significant correlation between Chl-a concentration and TN was found in lakes of the five ecoregions except for Huabei ecoregion, and significant correlation between Chl-a concentration and TP was found in lakes of Dongbei and Mengxin ecoregions. In lakes with TN/TP > 17, significant correlation between Chl-a concentration and TP was found in lakes of the five ecoregions except for Mengxin ecoregion, and significant correlation between Chl-a concentration and TN was found in lakes of Zhongdongbu, Yungui and Mengxin ecoregions. In lakes with 10 < TN/TP < 17, no significant correlation between Chl-a and TN (or TP) was found in lakes of all ecoregions except for Zhongdongbu ecoregion where Chl-a concentration was significantly affected by TN. As for strategies of nutrient control and reduction in the five ecoregions, lakes of Huabei ecoregion should adopt TP control in priority, and in Dongbei ecoregion, TP and TN should be controlled simultaneously in lakes with TN/TP < 10, while other lakes should focus on TP control. Lakes in other three ecoregions (Zhongdongbu, Mengxin and Yungui) should control TP and TN simultaneously.

[Effects of enhanced CO2 fertilization on phytoremediation of DEHP-polluted soil].

Low efficiency of remediation is one of the key issues to be solved in phytoremediation technology. Based on the necessity of reducing CO2 emission in China and the significance of CO2 in plant photosynthesis, this paper studied the effects of enhanced CO2 fertilization on the phytoremediation of polluted soil, selecting the C3 plant mung bean (Vigna radiate) and the C4 plant maize (Zea mays) as test plants for phytoremediation and the DEHP as the target pollutant. DEHP pollution had negative effects on the growth and rhizosphere micro-environment of the two plants. After enhanced CO2 fertilization, the aboveground dry mass of the two plants and the alkaline phosphatase activity in the rhizosphere soils of the two plants increased, the COD activity in the leaves of the two plants decreased, the microbial community in the rhizosphere soils shifted, and the numbers of the microbes with DEHP-tolerance in the rhizosphere soils increased. These changes indicated that enhanced CO2 fertilization could promote the plant growth and the plant tolerance to DEHP stress, and improve the rhizosphere micro-environment. Enhanced CO2 fertilization also increased the DEHP uptake by the two plants, especially their underground parts. All these effects induced the residual DEHP concentration in the rhizospheres of the two plants, especially that of mung bean, decreased obviously, and the phytoremediation efficiency increased. Overall, enhanced CO2 fertilization produced greater effects on C3 plant than on C4 plant. It was suggested that enhanced CO2 fertilization could be a useful measure to enhance the efficiency of phytoremediation.

[Effect of elevated O3 on the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) structure and glomalin production in two genotypes of snap bean].

In an environment with simulated elevated atmospheric ozone, two genotypes of snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) that differed in O3 sensitivity (O3-sensitive: S156; O3-tolerant: R123) were selected as host plants for arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. The objective was to investigate the effect of elevated O3 on the AM structure and glomalin production in two genotypes, and to understand the effect of elevated O3 the growth of AM fungi and formation of AM structure. The results showed that in comparison with ambient O3 (20 nL x L(-1)), elevated O3 (70 nL x L(-1)) significantly decreased the mycorrhizal colonization rate in both genotypes, particularly the S156 plant (decreased by 43.6%). Elevated O3 exposed a great negative effect on the AM structure in both genotypes. For example, the arbuscule number per unit root, and the length of external hyphae in root compartment and hyphal compartment were significantly decreased, especially in S156 plant. However, the effect of elevated atmospheric O3 was not significant on the vesicule number per unit root in both genotypes. Total glomalin production in mycorrhizosphere and hyphosphere of both genotypes was only slightly affected by elevated O3, however, the production of easily extractable glomalin was significantly increased. In addition, no evident difference in glomalin concentration was observed between two genotypes at either ambient O3 or elevated O3. This study showed that the mycorrhizal colonization rate, AM structure and production of easily extractable glomalin gave great response to elevated O3 especially in the O3-sensitive plant.

[Effect of CO2 fertilization on residual concentration of cypermethrin in rhizosphere of C3 and C4 plant].

In order to achieve sustainable economic and environmental development in China, CO2-emission reduction and phytoremediation of polluted soil must be resolved. According to the effect of biological carbon sequestration on rhizosphere microenvironment, we propose that phytoremediation of polluted soil can be enhanced by CO2 fertilization, and hope to provide information for resolving dilemma of CO2-emission reduction and phytoremediation technology. In this study, effects of CO2 fertilization on cypermethrin reduction in rhizosphere of C3-plant (bush bean) and C4-plant (maize) were investigated. Results showed that dry weight of shoot and root of bush bean (C3 plant) was increased by CO2 fertilization. Relative to ambient CO2, dry weight of root was increased by 54.3%, 31.9% and 30.0% in soil added with 0, 20 and 40 mg x kg(-1) cypermethrin respectively. Microbial biomass was increased by CO2 fertilization in rhizosphere soil added with 0 mg x kg(-1) cypermethrin, but negative effect was found in rhizosphere soil added with 20 and 40 mg x kg(-1) cypermethrin. CO2 fertilization slightly affected residual concentration of cypermethrin in rhizosphere soil added with 0 mg x kg(-1) cypermethrin, but significantly decreased residual concentration of cypermethrin as 24.0% and 16.9% in soil added with 20 and 40 mg x kg(-1) relative to ambient CO2. In maize plant, however, plant growth, microbial biomass and residual cypermethrin concentration in rhizosphere was slightly affected by CO2 fertilization, and even negative effect was observed. This study indicated that CO2 fertilization decreases the residual concentration of cypermethrin in rhizosphere of C3-plant, and it is possible to enhance phytoremediation of organic-polluted soil by C3-plant through CO2 fertilization. However, further study is needed for C4-plant.

[Effect of elevated O3 on rhizosphere microorganisms of two genotypes of snap bean].

In open top chamber (OTC), elevated atmospheric ozone was simulated to investigate effects of elevated O3 or/and arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM) inoculation on microbial biomass and microbial community structure (MCR) in rhizosphere and hyphosphere of two genotypes (O3-sensitive: S156; O3-tolerant: R123) of snap bean by phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) method. The objective was to clarify the effect of elevated ozone on rhizosphere microorganism and provide evidence for evaluating the influence of elevated ozone on soil-plant system. The result showed that mycorrhizal colonization rates in two genotypes presented significantly different responses to elevated O3. Relative to ambient O3, mycorrhizal colonization rate of S156 plant decreased at both 50 nL x L(-1) and 80 nL x L(-1) O3, but it only decreased at 80 nL x L(-1) O3 in R123 plant. Biomass of actinomycetes in rhizosphere and Gram-positive bacteria in hyphosphere showed more sensitive to the treatments than others. Actinomycete biomass was significantly affected by plant genotypes, O3 x AM and O3 x AM x genotype, and Gram-positive bacterial biomass was affected O3, AM and AM x genotype. In S156 plant, AM inoculation and elevated O3 affected alone MCR in rhizosphere, and their interaction showed greater effect on MCR than single factor. But elevated O3 only altered MCR in hyphosphere of mycorrhizal plant. In R123 plant, elevated O3 and AM inoculation altered alone MCR in rhizosphere, but their interaction was slight effect on MCR. MCR in hyphosphere was only affected by 80 nL x L(-1) O3. The conclusion of this study was that elevated O3 and AM inoculation can alter alone microbial biomass and community in rhizosphere and hyphosphere, but their interaction depended on sensitivity of host plant to ozone.