• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2023

Background: The positive effects of Arctic plants on the soil environment and plant-species co-occurrence patterns are known to be particularly important in physically harsh environments. Although three dominant plants (Cassiope tetragona, Dryas octopetala, and Silene acaulis) are abundant in the Arctic ecosystem at Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, few studies have examined their occurrence patterns with other species and their buffering effect on soil-temperature and soil-moisture fluctuation. To quantify the plant-species co-occurrence patterns and their positive effects on soil environments, I surveyed the vegetation cover, analyzed the soil-chemical properties (total carbon, total nitrogen, pH, and soil organic matter) from 101 open plots, and measured the daily soil-temperature and soil-moisture content under three dominant plant patches and bare soil. Results: The Cassiope tetragona and Dryas octopetala communities increased the soil-temperature stability; however, the three dominant plant communities did not significantly affect the soil-moisture stability. Non-metric multidimensional scaling separated the sampling sites into three groups based on the different vegetation compositions. The three dominant plants occurred randomly with other species; however, the vegetation composition of two positive co-occurring species pairs (Oxyria digyna-Cerastium acrticum and Luzula confusa-Salix polaris) was examined. The plant species richness did not significantly differ in the three plant communities. Conclusions: The three plant communities showed distinctive vegetation compositions; however, the three dominant plants were randomly and widely distributed throughout the study sites. Although the facilitative effects of the three Arctic plants on increases in the soil-moisture fluctuation and richness were not quantified, this research enables a deeper understanding of plant co-occurrence patterns in Arctic ecosystems and thereby contributes to predicting the shift in vegetation composition and coexistence in response to climate warming. This research highlights the need to better understand plant-plant interactions within tundra communities.

• Mycobiology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.41-50
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• 2005

Results from an innovative approach to improve remediation in the rhizosphere by encouraging healthy plant growth and thus enhancing microbial activity are reported. The effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (Am) on remediation efficacy of wheat, mungbean and eggplant grown in soil spiked with polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) was assessed in a pot experiment. The results of this study showed that Am inoculation enhanced dissipation amount of PAHs in planted soil, plant uptake PAHs, dissipation amount of PAHs in planted versus unplanted spiked soil and loss of PAHs by the plant-promoted biodegradation. A number of parameters were monitored including plant shoot and root dry weight, plant tissue water content, plant chlorophyll, root lipid content, oxido-reductase enzyme activities in plant and soil rhizosphere and total microbial count in the rhizospheric soil. The observed physiological data indicate that plant growth and tolerance increased with Am, but reduced by PAH. This was reflected by levels of mycorrhizal root colonization which were higher for mungbean, moderate for wheat and low for eggplant. Levels of Am colonization increased on mungbean > wheat > eggplant. This is consistent with the efficacy of plant in dissipation of PAHs in spiked soil. Highly significant positive correlations were shown between of arbuscular formation in root segments (A)) and plant water content, root lipids, peroxidase, catalase polyphenol oxidase and total microbial count in soil rhizosphere as well as PAH dissipation in spiked soil. As consequence of the treatment with Am, the plants provide a greater sink for the contaminants since they are better able to survive and grow.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.63-71
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• 2015

Recently the roof gardening has become very popular and even on the apartment-veranda and on the roofs in high buildings many kinds of vegetables and berries are cultivated. And the demand of the nutritional supplement for the effective plant growth is also increasing. The general urban conditions are to be adapted for plant growth. A different hygroscopic and temperature-conditions after regions, sunshine and wind have strong influences on the plant growth and usually it is not optimal enough. It is because why a nutritional condition in soil for plant growth so important and essential. The usual compound-soil or -fertilizer cannot offer enough quantities of nutrients for plant growth and additional soil conditioner becomes more necessary. There are many kinds of soil conditioners like hydrogel in the market and we studied on Geohumus, Montigel and Geko, which are widely used in Europe and other countries. Water absorption and microbial immobilization with effective microorganisms were tested and compared. The EM solution was identified as bacteria, fungi and azotobacter etc. and they were immobilized at the soil conditioners at first. And the cultivated and immobilized at the soil conditioners EM-solution was added to the plant soil. 1 g of the soil conditioners absorbed ca. 20 g of water. The plant grew 10 cm more, got 3 times more branches and 2 times more fruits in the soil with soil conditioners immobilized with microorganisms. With water addition the plant with both conditions in the soil could stay fresh in comparison to without soil conditioners.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.99-106
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• 2008

With globally increasing interests in climate-soil-vegetation system, a new stochastic model of soil water and plant water stress is derived for better understanding of the soil water and plant water stress dynamics and their role in water-controlled ecosystem. The steady-state assumption is used for simplifying the equations. The derived model is simple yet realistic that it can account for the essential features of the system. The model represents the general characteristics of rainfall, soil, and vegetation; i.e. the soil moisture constitutes the decrease form of the steady-state and the plant water stress becomes increasing with the steady state when the rainfall is decreased. With this model, further deep study for the effects of soil water and plant water stress on the system will be accomplished.

• Journal of Plant Biology
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.21-28
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• 1971

Dry matter production, leaf area growth and total nitrogen changes were studied in Glycine max. soybean communities, which were grown in sandy loam soils controlled to provide various moisture levels, i.e., 5-7%(level 1), 8-10%(level 2), 11-13%(level 3), 14-15%(lev디 4), 17-20%(level 5) and 22-24%(level 6). A summary of the results is shown. The maximum dry matter production of leaves, stems and nodules and the maximum leaf area per unit area were at level 5, but the maximum of root dry matter production was at level 4. Total nitrogen content of the soybean plant decreased with growth, but each level of soil moisture content also showed a little difference. Water content of the plant decreased with plant age and soil water deficiency, especially in roots and nodules. Nodule formation increased in proportion to soil moisture content. total nitrogen content of the soil on which the soybeans grew, increased from 0.23% before sowing to 0.30% at 100 days after sowing. It seems that soil water content acts as a linear factor in the elongation or dry weight increase of shoots and roots until increasing to level 5. Considering the pattern of plant growth through analysis of the shoot and root dry weight ratio, or the photosynthetic organ and non-photosynthetic organ dry weight ratio, the asymptote of plant growth at a high soil water content exceeded that at a low soil water content.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.9
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• pp.1264-1270
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• 2012

The ecotoxicological effects of nanomaterials on animal, plant, and soil microorganisms have been widely investigated; however, the nanotoxic effects of plant-soil interactive systems are still largely unknown. In the present study, the effects of ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) on the soil-plant interactive system were estimated. The growth of plant seedlings in the presence of different concentrations of ZnO NPs within microcosm soil (M) and natural soil (NS) was compared. Changes in dehydrogenase activity (DHA) and soil bacterial community diversity were estimated based on the microcosm with plants (M+P) and microcosm without plants (M-P) in different concentrations of ZnO NPs treatment. The shoot growth of M+P and NS+P was significantly inhibited by 24% and 31.5% relative to the control at a ZnO NPs concentration of 1,000 mg/kg. The DHA levels decreased following increased ZnO NPs concentration. Specifically, these levels were significantly reduced from 100 mg/kg in M-P and only 1,000 mg/kg in M+P. Different clustering groups of M+P and M-P were observed in the principal component analysis (PCA). Therefore, the M-P's soil bacterial population may have more toxic effects at a high dose of ZnO NPs than M+P's. The plant and activation of soil bacteria in the M+P may have a less toxic interactive effect on each of the soil bacterial populations and plant growth by the ZnO NPs attachment or absorption of plant roots surface. The soil-plant interactive system might help decrease the toxic effects of ZnO NPs on the rhizobacteria population.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.30-35
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• 2002

The hyphal growth and biocontrol efficacy of Trichodemo harzianum in soil may depend on its interactions with biotic components of the soil environment. The effect of soil microbial biomass on growth and biocontrol efficacy of T. hanianum isolate ThzIDl-M3 (green fluorescent protein transformant) was investigated using artificially prepared different levels of soil microbial biomass (153,328, or 517ug biomass carbon per g of dry soil; BC). The hyphal growth of T. harzanum was significantly inhibited in the soil with 328 or 517 $\mu$g BC compared with 153 ug BC. When ThzIDl-M3 was added to the soils as an alginate pellet formulation, the recoverable population of ThzIDl-M3 varied, but the highest population occurred in 517ug BC. Addition of alginate pellets of ThzIDl-M3 to the soils (10 per 50 g) resulted in increased indigenous microbial populations (total fungi, bacterial fluorescent Pseudomonas app., and actinomycetes). Furthermore, colonizing ability of ThzIDl-M3 on sclerotia of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum was significantly reduced in the soil with high revel of BC. These results suggest that increased soil microbial biomass contributes to increased interactions between introduced T. harzianum and soil microorganisms, consequently reducing the biocontrol efficacy of 1T. harzianum.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.365.5-366
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• 2001

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2001.04a
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• pp.182-186
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• 2001

An acid forest surface soil as a land farming medium was treated with a water plant alum sludge at 0 to 18%. Indian mustard was grown in the treated soil in a greenhouse for 5 weeks and watered with pH 4 tap water adjusted with a mixed acid (1HNO$_3$: 2H$_2$SO$_4$) during plant growth. Changes in soil property, leachate chemistry, plant growth, and plant uptake of elements by the sludge treatment were determined. The alum sludge treatment increased buffer capacity to acidity, hydraulic conductivity, water holding capacity, and phosphate adsorption of the soil and decreased bulk density and mobility of small particles. The sludge treatment reduced leaching of Al, Mg, K, Na, and root elongation. Plant did uptake less amount of the cations and P but more Ca with the sludge treatment.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.307-315
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• 2017

Background: Red-skin root disease has seriously decreased the quality and production of Panax ginseng (ginseng). Methods: To explore the disease's origin, comparative analysis was performed in different parts of the plant, particularly the epidermis, cortex, and/or fibrous roots of 5-yr-old healthy and diseased red-skin ginseng. The inorganic element composition, phenolic compound concentration, reactive oxidation system, antioxidant concentrations such as ascorbate and glutathione, activities of enzymes related to phenolic metabolism and oxidation, and antioxidative system particularly the ascorbate-glutathione cycle were examined using conventional methods. Results: Aluminum (Al), iron (Fe), magnesium, and phosphorus were increased, whereas manganese was unchanged and calcium was decreased in the epidermis and fibrous root of red-skin ginseng, which also contained higher levels of phenolic compounds, higher activities of the phenolic compound-synthesizing enzyme phenylalanine ammonia-lyase and the phenolic compound oxidation-related enzymes guaiacol peroxidase and polyphenoloxidase. As the substrate of guaiacol peroxidase, higher levels of $H_2O_2$ and correspondingly higher activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase were found in red-skin ginseng. Increased levels of ascorbate and glutathione; increased activities of $\text\tiny L$-galactose 1-dehydrogenase, ascorbate peroxidase, ascorbic acid oxidase, and glutathione reductase; and lower activities of dehydroascorbate reductase, monodehydroascorbate reductase, and glutathione peroxidase were found in red-skin ginseng. Glutathione-S-transferase activity remained constant. Conclusion: Hence, higher element accumulation, particularly Al and Fe, activated multiple enzymes related to accumulation of phenolic compounds and their oxidation. This might contribute to red-skin symptoms in ginseng. It is proposed that antioxidant and antioxidative enzymes, especially those involved in ascorbate-glutathione cycles, are activated to protect against phenolic compound oxidation.