《新植物学家》:喀斯特植物基因组研究取得进展

<正>近日,中科院华南植物园科学家在喀斯特植物基因组大小的进化及环境适应研究方面取得重要进展。相关研究在线发表于《新植物学家》杂志上。物种基因组大小的进化包括适应性和非适应性等多种机制,但不同机制在基因组大小进化过程中的重要性却存在争议。报春苣苔属是我国华南喀斯特地区物种多样性异常丰富的特有类群,又由于该属植物具有强烈的生境专化性,因而是一个研究基因组大小进化及环境适应的理想系统。     

《新植物学家》:喀斯特植物基因组研究取得进展

<正>近日,中科院华南植物园科学家在喀斯特植物基因组大小的进化及环境适应研究方面取得重要进展。相关研究在线发表于《新植物学家》杂志上。物种基因组大小的进化包括适应性和非适应性等多种机制,但不同机制在基因组大小进化过程中的重要性却存在争议。报春苣苔属是我国华南喀斯特地区物种多样性异常丰富的特有类群,又由于该属植物具有强烈的生境专化性,因而是一个研究基因组大小进化及环境适应的理想系统。     

基于系统发育和功能性状的薹草属适应性进化

研究植物系统发育和功能性状有助于认识植物的适应性进化机制。莎草科薹草属(Carex:Cyperaceae)植物种类繁多,生境类型多样,是研究不同生境下植物适应性进化的理想类群。本研究以鄱阳湖湖区周边区域29种薹草(湿生11种,陆生18种)为研究对象,基于分子系统发育和叶片功能性状初步探讨薹草属植物对生境的适应性进化。叶绿体DNA片段系统发育分析表明湿生薹草和陆生薹草各为不同的分支,表明不同生境的薹草种类具有不同的进化方向;12种叶片功能性状聚类分析表明在不同生境中薹草叶片功能性状及结构差异明显;通过比较发现薹草系统发育分析与叶片功能性状聚类结果在生境因素上存在对应关系,表明薹草属植物对不同的生境产生了适应性进化。     

广州的外来植物

该文分析了127种广州外来植物的种类及其生长型、原产地、现状、生境和季节变化。结果表明:具有较强繁殖能力的草本、灌木和藤本植物以及一些世界广布或热带性科属的植物和原产美洲、非洲的一些植物具有较强的入侵能力;受人为干扰较强的路边、荒地、池塘、果园、菜园和人工林容易为外来植物入侵,而人为干扰较少的自然生境则不易为外来植物入侵。此外,文章对物种的入侵性和生境的入侵性问题进行了讨论,认为这实际上是一个问题的两个方面,物种的入侵性总是与被入侵的生境联系在一起并相互影响的。     

交配距离与父本数量对野慈姑有性繁殖的影响

植物的有性繁殖是生活史和进化的核心, 母本及环境对繁殖的影响固然重要, 父本的贡献亦不容忽视。父本来源与多样性对坐果结籽和后代质量的影响明显, 但由于不同物种或种群的繁殖特点和进化历程, 往往也会呈现其独特性。该研究旨在探究挺水植物野慈姑(Sagittaria trifolia)是否存在自交或远交衰退, 以及父本数量对其繁殖和后代表现的影响。通过人工控制授粉, 设置自交、近距离异交(<50 km)、远距离异交(＞200 km) 3种交配距离以及单、双两类父本数量, 共计5种授粉处理, 观测野慈姑坐果概率、单果种子数量、种子面积、萌发率(2018和2019年)、幼苗芽长(2018和2019年)共7项指标。结果显示: 不同距离的交配对野慈姑的坐果概率、单果种子数量、种子面积、萌发率、幼苗芽长没有显著影响, 野慈姑未出现明显的自交衰退或远交衰退现象。父本数量的增加对野慈姑的结实数量(坐果概率、单果种子数量、种子面积)无影响, 但结实质量方面, 双父本处理的种子萌发率略高于单父本处理。综上所述, 交配距离与父本数量对野慈姑的繁殖表现影响较小, 这可能与其频繁的自交历史、远距离的基因扩散以及高度相似的水生环境有关; 同时, 该研究基于20余个自然种群的基因型, 研究结果也表明了野慈姑物种水平有性繁殖的优异和稳定性。     

红树植物胎生现象研究进展

植物胎生是指有性繁殖产生的后代在母体上直接萌发的现象, 在红树植物中最为常见。红树植物生长在热带亚热带海岸潮间带, 耐受高盐、高温、淹水缺氧和海浪冲击等复杂环境。胎生被认为是红树植物对这种特殊生境的重要适应方式。该文从形态发育、生理生化、分子水平、生态适应4个层次讨论红树植物胎生现象对复杂生境的适应性, 并指出现有研究存在的不足, 对将来的研究方向进行了展望。与非胎生胚胎发育相比, 红树植物胎生是一个遗传的程序, 在进化过程中形成了一些特殊的结构。植物激素对胎生发育起关键的调控作用, 繁殖体发育过程中, 其盐离子的种类与浓度的动态变化则是对海岸潮间带生境的重要适应特征。这种胎生繁殖体依靠在母体上完善的一系列功能性特征能更有效地适应落地后的滩涂环境。然而, 红树植物胎生发育过程的分子机理及调控机制还有待研究。理解胎生这一特殊适应性现象的本质及其进化过程将为红树林保护繁育、适应气候变化提供理论依据。     

10 种茶藨子属植物导管分子形态特征及其生态适应性比较研究简

利用光学显微镜和扫描电子显微电镜,以10种茶藨子属植物为研究材料,观察了其导管分子的形态结构。结果显示：（1）所研究的茶藨子属植物导管分子穿孔板为梯状穿孔板,且穿孔板上横隔分布的数量不同,端壁倾斜角度种间变化不大;（2）导管分子纹孔式样为互列式或兼有互列式和对列式,纹孔形状种间存在差异;（3）有的种类导管分子内壁有螺纹加厚或网状凸起。研究表明,不同生境下的茶藨子属植物导管形态与其生态适应性之间有较强的相关性,表现为湿生环境的物种导管较短,直径较宽;旱生环境的物种导管较长,直径较小;中生环境的居中。本文分析了茶藨子属植物导管分子形态特征的生态适应性。     

10种茶藨子属植物导管分子形态特征及其生态适应性比较研究

利用光学显微镜和扫描电子显微电镜,以10种茶藨子属植物为研究材料,观察了其导管分子的形态结构。结果显示:(1)所研究的茶藨子属植物导管分子穿孔板为梯状穿孔板,且穿孔板上横隔分布的数量不同,端壁倾斜角度种间变化不大;(2)导管分子纹孔式样为互列式或兼有互列式和对列式,纹孔形状种间存在差异;(3)有的种类导管分子内壁有螺纹加厚或网状凸起。研究表明,不同生境下的茶藨子属植物导管形态与其生态适应性之间有较强的相关性,表现为湿生环境的物种导管较短,直径较宽;旱生环境的物种导管较长,直径较小;中生环境的居中。本文分析了茶藨子属植物导管分子形态特征的生态适应性。     

瓯江流域水生植物多样性与生态位研究

根据2010-2013年调查结果,结合相关文献资料,研究了瓯江流域的水生植物多样性和物种生态位。结果表明:①瓯江流域有水生高等植物181种(含亚种、变种),隶属于41科78属,属的分布型以世界分布为主,占总属数43.59%,热带性质的属发育较温带性质充分。②30个临时样地划分了河流、沼泽、农田、沟渠、池塘、洪泛湿地等6类生境类型,单位面积物种数以洪泛湿地最高0.09 ind./m2,其次是沼泽生境0.07 ind./m2;农田和池塘生境物种多样性随流域高程降低逐渐升高,其余生境物种多样性以中游最高;优势种生活型以挺水、漂浮植物为主,沉水植物、浮叶植物重要值较低; ③挺水植物生态位宽度普遍高于其他生活型,沉水、浮叶植物生态位宽度普遍较低;相同生活型植物生态位重叠以漂浮植物间最高,以沉水植物间最低;不同生活型植物生态位重叠以挺水-浮叶植物间最高,以沉水-漂浮植物间最低;生态型多样的喜旱莲子草(Alternanthera philoxeroides)生态位宽度较大,与其他物种生态位重叠高,由此推测喜旱莲子草可能引起瓯江流域水生植物群落结构的变化,导致乡土水生植物物种多样性的降低。       

峨眉山八角莲属植物的生态学与生物学特性研究

本文对蛾眉山八角莲属植物的种类分布、生境和生物学特性进行了研究,结果表明,①蛾眉山八角莲属植物5种1变种,原始及变异类型分布集中;②种间垂直替代现象明显,对于阴湿环境及肥沃、酸性、多砾质土壤环境反应出一定程度的共同要求;③不同种类在生长节律、特性、花粉育性、花粉发芽条件以及自然繁殖能力等方面存在一定差别;④人工根插繁殖可提高本属植物的繁殖系数。     

Androgenesis: a review through the study of the selfish shellfish Corbicula spp

Among the asexual reproductive modes, androgenesis is probably one of the most astonishing and least studied mechanisms. In this 'paternal monopolization', the maternal nuclear genome fails to participate in zygote development and offspring are paternal nuclear clones. Obligate androgenesis is known in only a few organisms, including multiple species of clam in the genus Corbicula. Corbicula is a good system to review the evolutionary consequences of this 'all-male asexuality' because the cytological mechanisms of androgenetic reproduction have been described. In Corbicula, sperm are unreduced and, after fertilization, the maternal nuclear chromosomes are extruded as two polar bodies. Hermaphroditic lineages of Corbicula have a worldwide distribution and seem to reproduce through androgenesis, whereas their sexual relatives have restricted ranges. The invasive success of these androgenetic Corbicula lineages may be linked to their asexual mode of reproduction. We review the phenomenon of androgenesis, focusing on evolutionary perspectives, using the genus Corbicula as an exemplar system.     

Wetland Restoration and Invasive Species: Apple snail (Pomacea insularum) Feeding on Native and Invasive Aquatic Plants

The apple snail Pomacea insularum is an aquatic invasive gastropod native to South America that has the potential to cause harm to aquatic ecosystems, wetland restoration, and agriculture. To predict the potential impact of this snail on aquatic ecosystems, we tested the feeding rate of P. insularum , under laboratory nonchoice experiments, for 3 species of invasive macrophytes and 13 species of native aquatic plants that are important for wetland restoration and health. High levels of consumption were recorded for four native species ( Ceratophyllum demersum , Hymenocallis liriosme , Ruppia maritima , and Sagittaria lancifolia ) and three invasive species ( Colocasia esculenta , Alternanthera philoxeroides , and Eichhornia crassipes ). In contrast, less than 10% of the biomass of Spartina alterniflora , Scirpus californicus , Thalia dealbata , and Typha latifolia was consumed by P. insularum over the test period. The palatability of macrophytes was negatively correlated with dry matter content, making our results generalizable to all regions where this invader may be present. Based on our results, wetland restoration in areas invaded by P. insularum should focus on emergent structural species with low palatability. Apple snails should not be considered as agents of biocontrol for invasive plants; although apple snails fed on invasive plants at a high rate, their consumption of many native species was even greater.     

Strategies of reproduction, dispersion, and competition in river plants: A review

The present paper reviews the literature on reproduction, survial, dispersion and competition in aquatic plants of mostly European rivers. The specificity of the strategies of colonization in aquatic plants in comparison with terrestrial plants is noted. The importance of the knowledge of these life history traits in the control of the harmful effects caused by aquatic plants and for ecosystem management is also considered. The difficulty of applying current ecological theories concerning adaptative strategies to aquatic plants is discussed, focusing on the great interest of studying the species traits of aquatic macrophytes for testing such theories and interpreting recolonization patterns of disturbed areas. Knowledge of strategies of reproduction, dispersion and competition among aquatic plants remains very fragmentary, particularly from a quantitative view-point, and further studies are required both for theoretical and practical applications.     

Predominance of clonal reproduction, but recombinant origins of new genotypes in the free-floating aquatic bladderwort Utricularia australis f. tenuicaulis (Lentibulariaceae)

Aquatic plants are a biological group sharing several adaptations to aquatic conditions. The most striking evolutionary convergence in this group is the extensive reliance on clonal reproduction, which largely determines the patterns and process of evolution in aquatic plants. Utricularia australis f. tenuicaulis is a free-floating aquatic bladderwort that reproduces both sexually via seeds and clonally via turions and shoot fragments. Amplified fragment length polymorphism analysis was conducted on 267 ramets collected from 30 populations in Japan. The genotypic diversity within populations was extremely low, regardless of the geographical distribution range: the mean number of genotypes per population (G) was 1.4 and the mean genotypic diversity (D), including monoclonal populations, was 0.17. In contrast to the predominance of a few clones within populations, many of the populations investigated had different genotypes; a large portion of the genetic variation was explained by variation among populations. Character compatibility analysis clearly revealed that somatic mutations did not contribute to the origin of genotypic diversity in this aquatic bladderwort; instead, rare-to-sporadic sexual reproduction probably generated new genotypes. Thus, future studies should examine the role of sexual reproduction in this species from the viewpoint of long-term evolutionary benefits.     

水生维管植物克隆繁殖方式的多样性

克隆繁殖是植物界的一种重要的繁殖方式 ,具有很大的多样性 ,特别是水生维管植物更是如此。通过对水生维管植物克隆繁殖方式的进行深入分析 ,不仅揭示了克隆繁殖在水生维管植物适应环境中的意义 ,而且也阐明了克隆繁殖方式作为水生维管植物的生存对策之一 ,在水生维管植物的生态和演化以及进化过程中的重要作用。     

Evolutionary senescence in plants

Senescence is a decline in age-specific survival and reproduction with advancing age. Studies of evolutionary plant senescence are designed to explain this decline in life history components within the context of natural selection. A review of studies of plant demography reveals senescent declines in both annual and perennial plants, but also suggests that there are some plant species which may not be expected to show senescence. Thus, future comparative studies of closely related species, with and without senescence, should be possible. The assumptions of the major evolutionary theories of senescence are evaluated for their validity with respect to plants. Different plant species violate one or more of the assumptions of the theories, yet the consequences of violating these assumptions have never been investigated. Whereas, to date, evolutionary senescence has been studied only indirectly in plants, it is concluded that plants provide good experimental systems for clarifying our understanding of senescence in natural populations.     

Evolutionary refugia and ecological refuges: key concepts for conserving Australian arid zone freshwater biodiversity under climate change

Refugia have been suggested as priority sites for conservation under climate change because of their ability to facilitate survival of biota under adverse conditions. Here, we review the likely role of refugial habitats in conserving freshwater biota in arid Australian aquatic systems where the major long‐term climatic influence has been aridification. We introduce a conceptual model that characterizes evolutionary refugia and ecological refuges based on our review of the attributes of aquatic habitats and freshwater taxa (fishes and aquatic invertebrates) in arid Australia. We also identify methods of recognizing likely future refugia and approaches to assessing the vulnerability of arid‐adapted freshwater biota to a warming and drying climate. Evolutionary refugia in arid areas are characterized as permanent, groundwater‐dependent habitats (subterranean aquifers and springs) supporting vicariant relicts and short‐range endemics. Ecological refuges can vary across space and time, depending on the dispersal abilities of aquatic taxa and the geographical proximity and hydrological connectivity of aquatic habitats. The most important are the perennial waterbodies (both groundwater and surface water fed) that support obligate aquatic organisms. These species will persist where suitable habitats are available and dispersal pathways are maintained. For very mobile species (invertebrates with an aerial dispersal phase) evolutionary refugia may also act as ecological refuges. Evolutionary refugia are likely future refugia because their water source (groundwater) is decoupled from local precipitation. However, their biota is extremely vulnerable to changes in local conditions because population extinction risks cannot be abated by the dispersal of individuals from other sites. Conservation planning must incorporate a high level of protection for aquifers that support refugial sites. Ecological refuges are vulnerable to changes in regional climate because they have little thermal or hydrological buffering. Accordingly, conservation planning must focus on maintaining meta‐population processes, especially through dynamic connectivity between aquatic habitats at a landscape scale.     

Stable persistence of relict populations involved evolutionary shifts of reproductive characters in the genus Tanakaea (Saxifragaceae)

Tertiary relicts often show evolutionary stasis in morphology and ecology and have been hypothesized to retain stable population sizes in refugia. However, recent studies have reported that some relicts evolutionarily shifted their physiology, ecology, and morphology and experienced various patterns of demography. To understand the historical survival of relict plants, a multidimensional study investigating the evolution of ecological and morphological traits as well as population demographic history is needed. The genus Tanakaea (Saxifragaceae) comprises two species in China and Japan. These species share most vegetative characteristics and are sometimes treated as a single species. The distribution pattern is relictual, as the populations are confined to small areas in mesic warm temperate forests less influenced by Quaternary glacial climates. Focusing on the relictual plant group, this study tested the hypotheses of evolutionary stasis and population stability in long-term refugia. Genetic analyses using plastome sequences and genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphisms revealed divergence of the two species approximately 6.8 million years ago and strong genetic differentiation of the regional populations. Demographic analysis revealed that almost all populations retained stable population sizes during glacial–interglacial climate changes, supporting the traditional view. However, morphological assessments revealed a simultaneous shift in breeding systems (from hermaphrodite to dioecy/non-clonal to clonal reproduction) in Japanese species and intraspecific differentiation of leaf traits. Therefore, the relict species do not show evolutionary stasis in every aspect. Changes in reproductive characteristics may have contributed to their long-term in situ survival.     

冠果草的性表达状态及其进化含义

通常认为雄花两性花同株是植物性表达两性花进化到雌雄异株的过渡类型之一。慈姑属仅冠果草（Ｓａｇｉｔｔａｒｉａ ｇｕｙａｎｅｎｓｉｓ Ｈ．Ｂ．Ｋ．ｓｕｂｓｐ．ｌａｐｐｕｌａ（Ｄ．Ｄｏｎ）Ｂｏｊｉｎ）的性表达为典型的雄花两性花同株,其他种为雌雄同株。对冠果草野外和实验居群的性配置进行了定量观察。东乡和武夷山居群雄花的比例分别为２．４８％０．９６％。实验表明,栽培条件影响冠果草的性表达：在营养较好的条件下     

The effects of hydropeaking on riverine plants: a review

Hydropeaking refers to frequent, rapid and short‐term fluctuations in water flow and water levels downstream and upstream of hydropower stations. Such fluctuations are becoming increasingly common worldwide and are known to have far‐reaching effects on riverine vegetation. Novel hydrology caused by hydropeaking has no natural correspondence in freshwater systems, and hence few species have adaptations to all its aspects. Here, we review the literature on hydropeaking effects on riverine plants and define the state of the information on this human alteration of riverine ecosystems. We focus on riparian plants, but also draw on information from aquatic plant species, which exhibit a wide variety of adaptations to inundation and associated processes. Riparian plants face both physiological and physical constraints because of the shifts between submergence and drainage, and erosion of substrates. At the population level, hydropeaking may favour dispersal within, but not between, reservoirs, but may hamper germination, establishment, growth and reproduction. At the community level, strong filtering towards easily dispersed, flexible, flood‐tolerant and amphibious plants is expected, although few species share these traits. Hence, most riparian plant species are expected to disappear or be pushed towards the upper boundaries of the regulated river margin. Future research should examine more closely global variation in hydropeaking effects, including other taxonomic groups of species and the diversity of hydropeaking regimes. There is also a need for studies focusing on identifying the boundaries within which hydropeaking could operate without impairing plant life.