Percentage of biomass remaining of leaf litter (A) and the decomposition rate (<i>k</i>) during each stage of decomposition at the four elevations (B).

<p>Insert figure is the <i>k</i> values of the 2 year of decomposition (means ± SE, n = 5) and different letters denote significant differences at <i>P</i><0.05.</p

Variations of surface soil temperature (A), mean seasonal soil temperature (columns) and numbers of soil freeze-thaw cycles (FTCs) (dots) (B) during each stage of decomposition at the four study sites (elevations).

<p>Variations of surface soil temperature (A), mean seasonal soil temperature (columns) and numbers of soil freeze-thaw cycles (FTCs) (dots) (B) during each stage of decomposition at the four study sites (elevations).</p

Results of the two-way ANOVA for the effects of elevation and species treatments and their interactions on the leaf litter decomposition rate (<i>k</i>).

<p>Bold <i>P</i>-values indicate significant effects (<i>P</i><0.05).</p

Partitioning of deviance in the decomposition rate during each stage calculated with a partial regression method.

<p>In the figure, a and c are the independent components attributed to two groups of biotic factors (litter chemistry and microbe-related factors), respectively; b is the covariance in a component of the two groups; and d is the residual deviance. The group 1 consists of litter chemical variables, whilst the group 2 is the microbe-related factors. See details of these partial regressions in the Material and Methods section.</p

Pearson’s correlation coefficients (<i>r</i>) between elevation and biotic or abiotic factors in decomposing litter.

<p>An asterisk (*) indicates significant difference at <i>P</i><0.05.</p><p>Abbreviations: FTCs = numbers of soil freeze-thaw cycles, MBC = microbial biomass carbon, MBN = microbial biomass nitrogen, MBP = microbial biomass phosphorus, and ACPA = acid (pH 6.5) phosphatase (ACP) activity. An asterisk (*) indicates statistically significant (<i>P</i><0.05).</p

Basic geography, vegetation and soil along the four subalpine and alpine forests in the Bipenggou Nature Reserve, Sichuan, China.

<p>Basic geography, vegetation and soil along the four subalpine and alpine forests in the Bipenggou Nature Reserve, Sichuan, China.</p

Pearson’s correlation coefficients (<i>r</i>) between biotic or abiotic factors and decomposition rate (<i>k</i>).

<p>An asterisk (*) indicates significant difference at <i>P</i><0.05.</p><p>Abbreviations: FTCs = numbers of soil freeze-thaw cycles, MBC = microbial biomass carbon, MBN = microbial biomass nitrogen, MBP = microbial biomass phosphorus, and ACPA = acid (pH 6.5) phosphatase (ACP) activity.</p

Concentrations of leaf litter microbial biology, activity of sucrase and acid phosphatase at different elevations after every sampling date.

<p>Abbreviations: MBC = microbial biomass carbon (A), MBN = microbial biomass nitrogen (B), MBP = microbial biomass phosphorous (C), bacterial biomass (D), fungal biomass (E) sucrase A = Sucrase activity (F) and ACPA = acid (pH 6.5) phosphatase activity (G).</p

Reducing carbon: phosphorus ratio can enhance microbial phytin mineralization and lessen competition with maize for phosphorus

<div><p>We tested the hypothesis that reducing the carbon (C):Phosphorus (P) ratio in rhizosphere soil would reduce bacterial competition with the plant for P from phytin, which would then increase phytin use efficiency for the plant. A three-factor pot experiment was carried out to study the effect of inoculation with a phytin-mineralizing bacterium, <i>Pseudomonas alcaligenes</i> (PA), on maize P uptake from phytin. Two levels of organic P, two levels of inorganic P, and three different PA inoculation treatments were used. When maize plants were grown in low available P soil with phytin, PA transformed soil P into microbial biomass P, which caused competition for available P with plant and inhibited plant uptake. When 5 mg P kg⁻¹ as KH₂PO₄ was added, inoculation with PA increased soil acid phosphatase activity which enhanced the mineralization rate of phytin. PA mobilized more P than it immobilized in microbial pool and enhanced plant P uptake. We conclude that the decreased C:P ratio by adding small amount of inorganic P in the rhizosphere could drive phytin mineralization by the bacteria and improve plant P nutrition.</p></div

Investigation and Analysis of Genetic Diversity of Diospyros Germplasms Using SCoT Molecular Markers in Guangxi

<div><p>Background</p><p>Knowledge about genetic diversity and relationships among germplasms could be an invaluable aid in diospyros improvement strategies.</p><p>Methods</p><p>This study was designed to analyze the genetic diversity and relationship of local and natural varieties in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China using start codon targeted polymorphism (SCoT) markers. The accessions of 95 diospyros germplasms belonging to four species <i>Diospyros kaki</i> Thunb, <i>D</i>. <i>oleifera</i> Cheng, <i>D</i>. <i>kaki</i> var. <i>silverstris</i> Mak, and <i>D</i>. <i>lotus</i> Linn were collected from different eco-climatic zones in Guangxi and were analyzed using SCoT markers.</p><p>Results</p><p>Results indicated that the accessions of 95 diospyros germplasms could be distinguished using SCoT markers, and were divided into three groups at similarity coefficient of 0.608; these germplasms that belong to the same species were clustered together; of these, the degree of genetic diversity of the natural <i>D</i>. <i>kaki</i> var. <i>silverstris</i> Mak population was richest among the four species; the geographical distance showed that the 12 natural populations of <i>D</i>. <i>kaki</i> var. <i>silverstris</i> Mak were divided into two groups at similarity coefficient of 0.19. Meanwhile, in order to further verify the stable and useful of SCoT markers in diospyros germplasms, SSR markers were also used in current research to analyze the genetic diversity and relationship in the same diospyros germplasms. Once again, majority of germplasms that belong to the same species were clustered together. Thus SCoT markers were stable and especially useful for analysis of the genetic diversity and relationship in diospyros germplasms.</p><p>Discussion</p><p>The molecular characterization and diversity assessment of diospyros were very important for conservation of diospyros germplasm resources, meanwhile for diospyros improvement.</p></div