Tourists’ Safety Perception Clues in the Urban Forest Environment: Visual Quality, Facility Completeness, Accessibility—A Case Study of Urban Forests in Fuzhou, China

The service quality and safety perception of urban forests are important factors that influence tourists to choose them as recreation destinations. This study aims to propose a theoretical model of multivariate relationships to explore the relationship between service quality (including visual quality, facility completeness, and accessibility) and safety perception to examine whether visual quality, facility completeness, and accessibility on tourists’ safety perception in the urban forest and to explain the specific reasons for the impact. We collected sample data from many urban forest green spaces in Fuzhou through a two-stage field survey (N = 891), and controlling for potential confounders, a structural equation model was used to estimate relationships. Safety perception was divided into safety environment perception, control perception, and safety emotion. Visual quality of an urban forest positively affected safety emotion. Traffic accessibility positively affected control perception. Facility completeness had a positive impact on safety emotion and control perception. Both safety emotion and control perception played an important intermediary role in improving the perception of a safe environment in the multivariate model. Visual quality, facility completeness, and accessibility all had a positive impact on tourists’ safety perception of urban forests. The findings suggest that improving the service quality of a green space can effectively improve tourists’ evaluation of the safety of the urban forest environment. Specifically, tourists’ psychological tolerance to threats and their self-confidence in survival can be enhanced by improving the service quality of a green space

Photosynthetic Responses of Anthurium × ‘Red’ under Different Light Conditions

Light is an essential energy source for plant photosynthesis, although it can also be a stress-causing element. Therefore, the current research was aimed to compare photosynthetic responses of Anthurium × ‘Red’ leaves at different positions (bottom old leaf, 1; center mature leaf, 2; top expanded leaf, 3) established under three photosynthetic photon flux densities (PPFDs): 550 μmol·m−2·s−1 as high (H), 350 μmol·m−2·s−1 as medium (M), and 255 μmol·m−2·s−1 as low (L). After six months, all the replicates were relocated to interior rooms with a PPFD of 30 μmol·m−2·s−1. There were no significant differences in chlorophyll concentration of the old leaf among treatments, before (Day 0) and after shifting the plants to interior rooms (Day 30). The total chlorophyll concentrations of the mature and top leaves increased significantly. In greenhouse conditions, H and M treatments did not show any significant change for net photosynthetic rate (Pn) at various leaf positions. However, M2 exhibited an improved Pn in the interior conditions. Plants grown under M treatment were greener and had bigger leaves compared to other treatments. Our study reveals that Anthurium × ‘Red’ photosynthesis responses to different light conditions varied distinctly. However, M treatment can keep the plants looking green by accumulating enough energy for indoor conditions, and middle and lower leaves may be triggered to restore photosynthetic activity under low light or indoor conditions

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Bambusa contracta L.C.Chia & H.L.Fung (Bambusodae)

Bambusa contracta L. C. Chia & H. L. Fung is widely distributed in the foothills of Guangxi province, China, and used as a raw material for the production of various bamboo weaving products. In the present work, the complete chloroplast genome sequence of B. contracta was characterized by Illumina pair-end sequencing. The chloroplast genome of B. contracta was 139,470 bp in total length, containing a large single-copy (LSC) region of 83,187 bp, a small single-copy (SSC) region of 12,897 bp, and two inverted repeats (IR) regions of 21,693 bp. The genome consisted of a total of 127 genes, with 83 protein-coding genes, 36 tRNA genes, and eight rRNA genes. Based on 14 chloroplast genomes, the phylogenetic analysis revealed that B. contracta is closely related to B. emeiensis in Bambusodae

Complete chloroplast genome sequence of Ampelocalamus scandens (Arundinarodae)

Ampelocalamus scandens is native to Guizhou Province, China, and grows at an altitude of 260–320 m. It can be used as a raw material for weaving and papermaking. In the current study, the complete chloroplast (cp) genome of A. scandens was sequenced and is reported for the first time. The complete cp sequence was 139,504 bp, include large single-copy (LSC), small single-copy (SSC), and a pair of invert repeats (IR) region of 83,103 bp, 12,813 bp, and 21,793 bp, respectively. Besides, the plastid genome comprised a total of 132 genes, including protein-coding, tRNA, and rRNA genes as 85, 39, and 8 genes, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis based on 28 cp genomes reveals that A. scandens is closely associated with Ampelocalamus melicoideus in Arundinarodae

Complete chloroplast genome sequence of Bambusa subtruncata (Bambusodae)

Bambusa subtruncata is found in Xinyi county, Maoming city, Guangdong province, China. In the current study, we sequenced the complete chloroplast genome of B. subtruncata and reported for the first time. The genome was 139,444 bp in total length, including a large single-copy (LSC) region of 82,956 bp, a small single-copy (SSC) region of 12,897 bp, and a pair of invert repeats (IR) regions of 21,798 bp. Plastid genome comprised of 127 genes in total; 82 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and eight rRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis based on 25 chloroplast genomes indicates that B. subtruncata is closely related to Bambusa emeiensis in Bambusodae

Complete chloroplast genome of Morinda parvifolia (Rubiaceae), a traditional medicinal plant in China

Morinda parvifolia is a traditional medicinal plant of the family Rubiaceae. In the current study, the complete chloroplast genome of M. parvifolia was sequenced and reported for the first time. The genome is 153,069 bp in total length, containing two inverted repeats (IR) regions of 25822 bp which were separated by a large single copy (LSC) region of 83813 bp and a small single copy (SSC) region of 17612 bp. A total of 131 gene species were annotated, including 86 protein-coding genes,37 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. The overall GC content of the genome is 38.07%. The phylogenetic analysis based on the complete chloroplast genome reveals that M. parvifolia is closely related to Morinda officinalis. This study enriches the genetic information of M. parvifolia as well as for the phylogenetic studies for Rubiaceae

Effect of Various Mulch Materials on Chemical Properties of Soil, Leaves and Shoot Characteristics in <i>Dendrocalamus Latiflorus</i> Munro Forests

The effectiveness of mulch treatments on soil quality as well as on the yield and growth rates of bamboo are major considerations and require further attention. The present work was aimed at assessing the impacts of three different mulch materials on soil available nutrients, biochemical traits, and growth patterns of Dendrocalamus latiflorus Munro. We found that relative to the control (CK), bamboo leaves (MB) and organic fertilizers (MF) treatments significantly (P < 0.05) increased the number of bamboo shoots (47.5 and 22.7%) and yield (21.4 and 9.1%), respectively. We observed that under MB and MF treatments, the concentrations of soil available nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) increased and played a key role in the differences in chlorophyll, leaf carbohydrate contents (soluble sugar and starch) and were essential to promote bamboo shoot development. Furthermore, we infer from principal component analysis (PCA), that both MB and MF appear to be a better choice than rice husks (MR) to improve nutrient availability, biochemical traits of the leaves, and increased bamboo shoot productivity. Consequently, we suggest using organic fertilizers and bamboo leaves as mulch materials are effective for soil conservation to attain high-quality bamboo production

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Bambusa vulgaris cv. Wamin

Bambusa vulgaris cv. Wamin is an attractive ornamental bamboo species of southern China. It has large swollen internodes and weeping culms, and it has considerable economic importance. In the present study, we sequenced the complete chloroplast genome of B. vulgaris cv. Wamin and reported it for the first time. The genome was 139,528 bp in total length, including a large single-copy (LSC) region of 83,038 bp, a small single-copy (SSC) region of 12,893 bp, and a pair of invert repeats (IR) regions of 21,799 bp. Plastid genome contained 138 genes, 82 protein-coding genes, 38 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. The overall GC content of the genome was 38.9%. The phylogenetic analysis based on the complete chloroplast genome reveals that B. vulgaris cv. Wamin is closely related to Bambusa teres. This research strengthens the genetic information of both the B. vulgaris cv. Wamin and the phylogenetic analyses of Gramineae

Patterns of soil microorganisms and enzymatic activities of various forest types in coastal sandy land

Microorganisms and enzymes are essential soil components that catalyze various biochemical processes (decomposition and nutrient turnover) and can be used to assess soil quality and health. To understand how various plantations can boost the soil ecological condition in coastal areas, we investigated the seasonal dynamics of six soil enzyme activities and microorganisms in different vegetation types, as well as their responses to shifts in soil physicochemical properties in the southeast coasts of China. Four types of shelter forests (Bambusa oldhamii, Pinus elliottii, Eucalyptus robusta, and Casuarina equisetifolia) from the southeast coasts of China were randomly selected to investigate changes in seasonal patterns of soil enzyme activities (protease, urease, acid phosphatase, cellulase, peroxidase, and polyphenol oxidase), soil microorganism quantities (bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes, and total microorganisms), and correlated with soil physicochemical properties (soil pH, soil moisture, soil temperature, soil carbon, and nitrogen contents). We noticed that the activities of protease and peroxidase in four shelter forests varied seasonally, with significantly higher activities in June in relation to other seasons. However, different shelter forests showed significant seasonal differences in urease, acid phosphatase, cellulase, and polyphenol oxidase activities. The soil bacteria, fungi, and total microorganism quantities in four shelter forests increased significantly (P < 0.05) in September except for soil actinomycetes. Overall, in B. oldhamii forests, the soil urease, acid phosphatase, and polyphenol oxidase activities and microorganisms (soil bacterial, fungi, and total microorganisms) were the highest relative to C. equisetifolia forests, following E. robusta and P. elliottii forests. Whereas, compared to other forest types, the C. equisetifolia forest had significantly (P < 0.05) greater quantities of actinomycetes at each season. Correlation analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) of 80.7% cumulative variance contribution rate indicated that soil enzymatic activities were strongly associated with soil microorganism quantities and soil physicochemical properties in C. equisetifolia and B. oldhamii forests. Our findings indicate that higher soil enzymatic activities and abundant soil microorganisms both in C. equisetifolia and B. oldhamii forests can help to accelerate soil nutrient absorption and utilization, by improving their adaptability to coastal sandy soils

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Bambusa albolineata (bambusodae)

Bambusa albolineata (local name: Hua Zhu) is found in Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian, Taiwan, and Guangdong provinces of China, and is often cultivated on low hills, flatlands, and along streams and rivers. Due to its long internodes and flexible material, it is used as timber wood in China. In the current research, the complete chloroplast (CP) genome of B. albolineata was sequenced and reported for the first time. The complete CP genome sequence was 139,326 bp, including a large single-copy (LSC) region of 82,862 bp, a small single-copy (SSC) region of 12,870 bp, and a pair of invert repeats (IR) regions of 21,798 bp. Besides, the plastid genome consisted of 129 genes; having 82 protein-coding genes, 39 tRNA genes, and eight rRNA genes. The overall GC content of the genome was 44.2%. The phylogenetic analysis based on the complete chloroplast genome indicates that B. albolineata is strongly related to B. flexuosa and B. boniopsis