Temporal dynamics of fine root production, mortality and turnover deviate across branch orders in a larch stand.

Fine roots play a key role in carbon, nutrient, and water biogeochemical cycles in forest ecosystems. However, inter-annual dynamics of fine root production, mortality, and turnover on the basis of long-term measurement have been less studied. Here, field scanning rhizotrons were employed for tracking fine root by branch order over a 6 years period in a larch plantation. For total fine roots, from the first- to the fifth-order roots, annual root length production, length mortality, standing crops, and turnover rate varied up to 3.4, 2.3, 1.5, and 2.3-folds during the study period, respectively. The inter-annual variability of those roots indices in the first-order and the second-order roots were greater than that of the higher order (third- to fifth-order) roots. The turnover rate was markedly larger for the first-order roots than for the higher order roots, showing the greatest variability up to 20 times. Seasonal dynamics of root length production followed a general concentrated pattern with peak typically occurring in June or July, whereas root length mortality followed a general bimodal mortality pattern with the dominant peak in May and the secondary peak in August or October. Furthermore, the seasonal patterns of root length production and mortality were similar across years, especially for the first-order and the second-order roots. These results from long-term observation were beneficial for reducing uncertainty of characterizing fine root demography in consideration of large variation among years. Our findings highlight it is important for better understanding of fine root dynamics and determining root demography through distinguishing observation years and root branch orders.

Thickness-dependent ultrafast charge-carrier dynamics and coherent acoustic phonon oscillations in mechanically exfoliated PdSe2 flakes.

Recently, palladium diselenide (PdSe2) has emerged as a promising material with potential applications in electronic and optoelectronic devices due to its intriguing electronic and optical properties. The performance of the device is strongly dependent on the charge-carrier dynamics and the related hot phonon behavior. Here, we investigate the photoexcited-carrier dynamics and coherent acoustic phonon (CAP) oscillations in mechanically exfoliated PdSe2 flakes with a thickness ranging from 10.6 nm to 54 nm using time-resolved non-degenerate pump-probe transient reflection (TR) spectroscopy. The results imply that the CAP frequency is thickness-dependent. Polarization-resolved transient reflection (PRTR) measurements reveal the isotropic charge-carrier relaxation dynamics and the CAP frequency in the 10.6 nm region. In addition, the deformation potential (DP) mechanism dominates the generation of the CAP. Moreover, a sound velocity of 6.78 × 103 m s-1 is extracted from the variation of the oscillation period with the flake thickness and the delay time of the acoustic echo. These results provide insight into the ultrafast optical coherent acoustic phonon and optoelectronic properties of PdSe2 and may open new possibilities for PdSe2 applications in THz-frequency mechanical resonators.

Critical Strain-Induced Photoresponse in Folded Graphene Superlattices.

Strain engineering is the most effective method to break the symmetry of the graphene lattice and achieve graphene band gap tunability. However, a critical strain (>20%) is required to open the graphene band gap, and it is very difficult to achieve such a large strain. This limits the development of experimental research and optoelectronic devices based on graphene strain. In this work, we report a method for preparing large-strain graphene superlattices via surface energy engineering. The maximum strain of the curved lattice could reach 50%. In particular, our pioneering work reports the behavior of an ultrafast (as short as 6 ps) photoresponse in a strained folded graphene superlattice. The photocurrent map shows a large increase (up to 102) of the photoresponsivity in the tensile graphene lattice, which is generated by the interaction between the strained and pristine graphene. Through Raman spectroscopy, Kelvin probe force microscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, we demonstrate that the ultrathreshold strain in the graphene bends triggers the opening of the graphene band gap and results in a unique photovoltaic effect. This work deepens the understanding of the strain-induced change of the photoelectrical properties of graphene and proves the potential of strained graphene as a platform for the generation of novel high-speed, miniaturized graphene-based photodetectors.

More replenishment than priming loss of soil organic carbon with additional carbon input.

Increases in carbon (C) inputs to soil can replenish soil organic C (SOC) through various mechanisms. However, recent studies have suggested that the increased C input can also stimulate the decomposition of old SOC via priming. Whether the loss of old SOC by priming can override C replenishment has not been rigorously examined. Here we show, through data-model synthesis, that the magnitude of replenishment is greater than that of priming, resulting in a net increase in SOC by a mean of 32% of the added new C. The magnitude of the net increase in SOC is positively correlated with the nitrogen-to-C ratio of the added substrates. Additionally, model evaluation indicates that a two-pool interactive model is a parsimonious model to represent the SOC decomposition with priming and replenishment. Our findings suggest that increasing C input to soils likely promote SOC accumulation despite the enhanced decomposition of old C via priming.

[Interactive effects of light intensity and nitrogen supply on fraxinus mandshurica seedlings growth, biomass, and nitrogen allocation].

With sand culture in greenhouse, the responses of Fraxinus mandshurica seedlings growth, biomass, and N allocation to 2 levels of light intensity and 4 levels of N supply were studied. The results showed that under low light intensity, the seedlings shoot/root ratio (S/R) and net N uptake rate (NNUR) increased significantly (P < 0.01), but their relative growth rate (RGR) and net assimilation rate (NAR) had a significant decrease (P < 0.01). The biomass of root, stem, leaf, and total plant under low light was decreased by 36.8% (P < 0.01), 1.7%, 12.7% (P < 0.05) , and 24.3% (P < 0.01), respectively, and the N allocation to leaf increased but that to root was in adverse. At the two light levels, N supply had an obvious promotion effect on the seedlings growth, and the S/R and the N allocation to leaf were increased obviously with increasing N supply. Significant interactive effects of light and N supply were observed on the seedlings diameter, S/R, RGR, and biomass allocation.

[Physiological processes and major regulating factors of nitrogen uptake by plant roots].

Soil nitrogen (N) is one of the mineral elements absorbed in large amount by plant roots, while global change could affect its availability, and furthermore, affect the carbon (C) allocation in terrestrial ecosystem. Therefore, the study of plant root N uptake and regulation becomes an important issue in predicting the structure and function of ecosystem. In the biosphere, plants are exposed to different N forms, and long-term biological evolution and environmental adaptation resulted in a significant distinction of plant root N uptake regions and metabolic processes, as well as the regulation of the N uptake. However, plant has formed different mechanisms and strategies for N uptake, because of their living in the soil with dominant sole N form for generations. In this paper, the research advances on how plant root absorbs N and which factors control the N absorption processes were reviewed, with the biological availability of different soil N forms (nitrate, ammonium and organic N), N uptake regions in root, N loading and transport in xylem, and uptake mechanisms of different N forms emphasized. The signal regulation of N uptake and the effects of environmental factors were also considered. Several issues about the present researches on plant root N uptake were discussed.