[Relationships between initial chemical composition of forest leaf litters and their decomposition rates in degraded red soil hilly region of Southern China].

A pot experiment with litter bags was conducted to study the relationships between the initial chemical composition of 8 kind forest leaf litters and 4 kind mixed leaf litters and their decomposition rates in degraded red soil hilly region of Southern China. Comparing with needle-leaf litters, broad-leaf litters had significantly higher contents of N, P, K, and Mg, but significantly lower contents of lignin and C. The decomposition rates of test litters were significantly positively correlated with the litters initial contents of N, P, K, and Mg (P < 0.

[Effects of cadmium on rice seed germination].

With 319 rice varieties as test objects, this paper studied the effects of cadmium on their seed germination. The results showed that after treated with 10 mg x L(-1) of Cd2+, seed germination rate was less affected, but root growth was restrained evidently. Cadmium had more serious impact on root than on sprout.

[Dynamics of soil water under Vernicia fordii plantation in hilly red soil region of Southern China].

By using time domain reflectometry (TDR) , a fixed-position monitoring was made on the dynamic characteristics of soil water under Vernicia fordii plantation in the hilly red soil region of Southern China. The results showed that there was a significant difference in the soil water storage among different months, and the dynamics of soil water could be described as the phases of accumulation, depletion, and stabilization. Soil water had a significant variation in its vertical distribution, and the variation pattern differed in different seasons.