青藏高原北部多年冻土区草地植物多样性

研究了青藏高原北部多年冻土区草地群落植物多样性的特征。研究表明 :草地群落间丰富度指数差异不显著 ,均匀度指数和多样性指数差异显著 (P<0 .0 5 )。均匀度指数表现为高山嵩草 (Kobresia pygmaea)草甸 <紫花针茅 (Stipa purpurea)草原 <矮嵩草 (K.humilis)草甸 <青藏苔草 (Carex moorcroftii)草甸 ,多样性指数表现为高山嵩草草甸 <矮嵩草草甸 <紫花针茅草原<青藏苔草草甸。修路时破坏的矮嵩草草甸在次生恢复过程中 ,离公路 10 0 m处群落的丰富度指数 ,均匀度指数和多样性指数大于原生群落 ,而原生群落的多样性又大于 30 m和 5 0 m处群落的多样性。地上草地群落植物多样性伴随地下冻土退化过程表现为 ,以 1m2样方统计时 ,各个演替群落间的丰富度指数差异不显著 ,而以 10 0 m2样条统计时 ,高寒草甸和草原化草甸的丰富度指数显著大于沼泽草甸和稀疏草原 (P<0 .0 5 ) ,但均匀度和多样性指数在两种统计面积时均表现为先增加后下降的变化趋势。     

若尔盖高原沙化沼泽区植物群落物种组成及其驱动因素

若尔盖高原沼泽区土壤沙化过程中植物群落的变化及其成因机制是亟待解决的区域关键科学问题之一。在若尔盖高原红原县沙化沼泽区,研究了土壤沙化梯度上植物群落种类组成、物种多样性、地上生物量的变化及其与土壤湿度、容重和孔隙度的关系。随着土壤沙化程度增加,群落特征种组替代顺序为华扁穗草(Blysmus sinocompressus)种组→高山嵩草(Kobresia pygmaea)种组→四川嵩草(K.setchwanensi)种组→黑褐穗苔草(Carex atrofusca subsp.minor)种组→粗壮嵩草(Kobresia robusta)种组;植物种数(单位样方物种丰富度和总种数)和地上生物量均表现为单峰变化格局,但植物种数峰值出现在极轻度沙化的高山嵩草群落,地上生物量峰值出现在中度沙化的四川嵩草-黑褐穗苔草群落;β多样性表现为"U"型变化格局,最高值出现在未沙化的华扁穗草群落,最低值出现在极轻度沙化的高山嵩草群落;土壤湿度对植物种多度影响最大,可解释总方差的24.8%,其次为土壤容重,可解释总方差的1.4%;沙化过程中土壤湿度是影响植物群落生态分布和种类构成的关键因素之一,尤其影响群落特征种的多度和分布。粗壮嵩草可考虑作为沙化土地植被恢复的先锋物种。     

不同沙化阶段高寒草甸植物群落与表土环境因子的关系

沙漠化是玛曲高寒草甸最为严重的生态问题之一，明晰区域内不同沙化阶段植物群落与表土环境因子的关系，有助于为玛曲高寒草甸沙漠化的监测与防治提供科学参考。鉴于此，研究应用方差分析与典范对应分析，厘清了潜在、轻度、中度、重度和极重度沙化阶段植物的组成格局与变化规律，并对其与表土环境因子的关系进行了分析。结果表明：（1）伴随沙漠化的发展，表土水分与电导率呈逐步降低的趋势，下降幅度显著（P<0.05）；温度呈先降低后增加的变化规律，其中轻度沙化阶段最低，为24.32℃，极重度阶段最高，达30.79℃；（2）伴随沙漠化的发展，植物的盖度、多度依次降低，下降幅度显著（P<0.05）；物种丰富度、Shannon-Wiener指数、Simpson指数与Pielou指数的变化趋势相近，呈潜在至轻度阶段上升，之后逐步下降的规律；（3）典范对应分析（CCA）表明，表土水分和电导率对群落组成的影响程度达到极显著水平（P<0.01）。潜在与轻度沙化阶段，CCA前两轴的方差解释率分别是71.91%和55.25%，表土环境因子能够较好的描述植物群落特征与多样性水平的变化规律；中度、重度和极重度沙化阶段，CCA前两轴的方差解释率不足40%，表土环境因子难以有效表征植物群落特征，预示放牧等人类活动在这些演替阶段的影响更为突出。     

Small-scale switch in cover–perimeter relationships of patches indicates shift of dominant species during grassland degradation

草地生态系统普遍经受着全球气候变化和不可持续的土地利用方式的胁迫,这些环境胁迫往往引起草地生态系统状态在多稳态间 跃变,甚至诱发灾变性跃变,直至荒漠化的发生。研究表明,植被斑块的空间构型可以指示较大空间尺度的生态系统状态跃变。本文展示了小尺度 斑块构型如何指示草地生态系统的状态跃变。在高寒草甸生态系统选取7种草甸群落类型作为研究对象,这7种类型的草甸群落 具有高寒草甸退化过程不同阶段的典型群落特征。在每一种群落类型内,采用样带方法进行植被斑块调查,沿样带采用邻接格子样方法 记录样方内的斑块数量、斑块周长和斑块面积,并测定了每个斑块内的物种多度。研究结果表明,沿着草甸退化阶段七种 类型的草甸群落(即未退化的禾草-嵩草群落、轻度退化的高山嵩草-禾草群落、中度退化的高山嵩草群落、重度退化草皮开裂的高 山嵩草群落、侵蚀期的高山嵩草-杂草群落、严重侵蚀期的杂草-高山嵩草群落、零星杂草的黑土滩裸地),斑块数量和斑块周长随斑块面积的下降呈现先增加的变化趋势,而后,随斑块面积的急剧降低呈下降的趋势。斑块数量、周长与面积关系变化的拐点出现在植被总面积约占68%的状态处。在这一拐点附近,斑块上的植物组成呈现出高山嵩草或杂草占优势两种状态往复波动的不稳定状态,表明草地状态处于向荒漠化裸地跃变的边缘。本研究展示了如何基于小尺度植被斑块空间构型为草地退化、状态跃变提供数量化的早期预警信号,有望为嵩草草甸退化至黑土滩裸地的早期预警提供判定指标。     

青藏高原高山嵩草高寒草甸不同退化阶段植物群落与土壤养分

选取西藏自治区拉萨市当雄县4块不同退化程度的高山嵩草高寒草甸,采用空间序列代替时间演替的方法,研究不同退化阶段高寒草甸的土壤理化性质和植物群落特征以及二者之间的相关关系。结果表明: 不同退化阶段高寒草甸的土壤有机碳、全氮、速效磷、速效钾、铵态氮、硝态氮和含水量均随土壤退化程度加剧呈降低的趋势,而pH值呈现升高的趋势。中度退化草甸的植物群落高度、丰富度指数、多样性指数、均匀度指数最大。群落盖度、总生物量均为未退化草甸最大、重度退化草甸最小。随着草甸退化程度加剧,莎草科生物量及比例下降,豆科和杂类草生物量及比例增加,禾本科生物量及比例先增加后减小;草甸植物群落地上生物量与土壤有机碳、全氮、全磷含量和土壤含水量呈显著正相关,与土壤pH值呈显著负相关。随着草甸植被的退化,土壤退化加重,最终表现为草地生产力显著下降。     

黄河首曲-玛曲县高寒草甸沙化演替进程中群落结构及种群生态位特征

以甘肃省玛曲县高寒沙化草甸为对象,应用空间序列代替时间序列的方法,对其不同沙化演替阶段植物群落主要种群结构及其生态位特征进行了研究.结果表明:(1)随着沙化演替的进行,物种组成数呈单峰式曲线变化规律,在轻度沙化阶段物种数最多(43种),禾草类和豆科类物种的重要值和生态位宽度均呈逐渐减少规律,优势度逐渐减弱;在极度沙化阶段(除垂穗披碱草外)几乎完全消失,莎草类和杂类草一些物种的重要值和生态位宽度则均呈逐渐增大规律,优势度逐渐增加,并在重度或极度沙化阶段成为优势种、次优势种或重要伴生种;随沙化演替进程,蒲公英、狼毒和乳白香青等物种则表现出波动性,最后消失,物种组成和数量的变化导致沙化演替进程中高寒草甸草场质量逐渐降低.(2)相邻沙化演替阶段植物群落的物种组成相似性指数较高,而相距较远的沙化演替阶段植物群落的物种组成相似性指数较小,沙化演替系列两个极端阶段的植物群落的物种组成相似性指数最小.(3)垂穗披碱草在整个沙化演替过程中重要值和生态位宽度均逐渐减小,但其值都较大.(4)生态位总宽度占前5位的物种依次是:垂穗披碱草、莓叶委陵菜、矮嵩草、高山唐松草和苔草,其值分别为1.653、1.438、1.387、1.295和1.204.(5)种群之间生态位重叠系数的平均值随沙化程度加深呈单峰式曲线变化规律,轻度沙化阶段种群的生态位重叠程度较高,为0.824.     

青藏高原高寒草甸群落特征和代表性植物生存状态对草地退化的响应

植物群落和代表性植物的生存状态是反映草地退化程度的重要标志之一。以青海省果洛州玛沁县的未退化、轻度退化、中度退化、重度退化和极度退化的高寒草甸为研究对象,分析了植物群落特征、代表性植物地上性状及生存状态对退化程度的响应。结果表明:群落物种组成由禾本科、莎草科过渡到杂类草,Shannon多样性指数、Simpson优势度指数、Pielou均匀度指数先平稳变化后降低,群落平均高度、Patrick丰富度均先增加后降低,群落盖度依次降低,群落特征指标均在极度退化时最低(P<0.05);总体来看,与轻度退化样地相比,中度退化、重度退化和极度退化样地的植物株高均显著降低,分别降低了6.8%、36.8%和31.6%(P<0.05);生存状态指数表现为小嵩草(Kobresia pygmaea)逐渐降低,山地早熟禾(Poa orinosa)和垂穗披碱草(Elymus nutans)的生存状态指数分别在轻度退化和中度退化时最高,肉果草(Lancea tibetica)和黄帚橐吾(Ligularia virgaurea)的生存状态指数分别在重度退化和极度退化样地中最大。说明高寒草甸退化导致群落特征...     

青藏高原多年冻土区不同草地生态系统恢复能力评价

草地生态系统恢复能力是评价人类工程活动对青藏高原多年冻土生态系统影响的重要组分.分析了不同草地生态系统干扰带和非干扰带群落特征、植物多样性、草地初级生产力和经济类群,综合评价了青藏高原多年冻土区地上植被在受工程活动干扰后的综合恢复能力.结果表明:经过近20多年的自然恢复,青藏苔草草原、紫花针茅草原、扇穗茅草原、高山嵩草草甸、矮蒿草草甸和藏蒿草沼泽化草甸6种草地的盖度和物种组成均有一定程度的恢复,且草原群落的恢复程度好于草甸群落,但干扰群落仍低于未干扰群落;紫花针茅草原分布区物种多样性恢复好于其他草地类型分布区;干扰带由最初的地上植物生物量全部为0恢复到148.8～489.6 g·m^-2,其中藏嵩草沼泽化草甸干扰带恢复最好,生物量达489.6 g·m^-2;除藏嵩草恢复群落的饲用植物类群组成相对稳定外,干扰后的其他5种草地类型饲用价值降低.高寒草原生态系统的植被综合恢复能力显著高于草甸生态系统.     

拉萨河流域植物群落的数量分类与排序

青藏高原植物群落空间分异格局是异质生境条件下物种性状、种间相互作用等生态学过程共同作用的结果,对其分析有助于深入理解群落形成与环境因子之间的关系。基于拉萨河流域自然植被样带调查,采用双向指示种分析(TWINSPAN)和典范对应分析(CCA)等方法,探讨了群落的结构组成及影响其结构分异的主导环境因子。结果表明:(1) TWINSPAN数量分类将拉萨河流域草地系统划分成12个群系类型,即圆叶合头菊+唐古拉翠雀花群系;紫花针茅群系;青藏臺草群系;雪层杜鹃+鲜卑花-西藏嵩草群系;高山嵩草群系;小叶金露梅群系;硬叶柳+杯腺柳群系;水栒子+拱枝绣线菊-高山嵩草群系;绢毛蔷薇-冷蒿+白草群系;大果圆柏-垂穗披碱草群系;铺地柏-藏橐吾+高原荨麻群系;醉鱼草+砂生槐群系。12种群系类型包含了较多的植被类型,包括高寒灌丛草甸、高寒灌丛草原、稀树草原、高寒草甸和高寒草原等。(2) CCA排序表明:影响拉萨河流域植物群系分布的主要环境因子是年均温度、海拔和经度和纬度,其次是年均降雨量。(3) TWINSPAN分类与CCA排序结合反映了群系分布格局变异与环境因子之间的关系,可为拉萨河流域草地的保护和可持续利用,以及相关的植被群落研究提供参考。     

牦牛放牧强度对小嵩草草甸两季轮牧草场植物群落数量特征的影响

基于小嵩草(Kobresia parva)草甸连续2年的牦牛放牧控制试验,研究了暖季和冷季放牧草场植物群落数量特征的变化.结果表明:在2年的放牧期内,小嵩草草甸2季草场优良牧草的盖度随放牧强度的提高呈降低趋势,而杂草的盖度呈增加趋势;2季草场对照、轻度放牧和中度放牧组的优势种均为小嵩草和垂穗披碱草,但暖季草场重度放牧下主要优势种变为鹅绒委陵菜和阿拉善马先蒿,冷季草场重度放牧下小嵩草和鹅绒委陵菜为主要优势种;放牧强度之间的差异越大,2季草场各放牧处理间群落的相似性程度越低,说明放牧强度是引起群落差异的主要原因,也是群落变化的主导因子.2季草场各放牧处理的物种丰富度、多样性指数、均匀度指数在对照组最低,中度放牧组最高,其指数排序为:对照＜轻度放牧＜重度放牧＜中度放牧,这一结果支持“中度干扰理论”.     

Role for dopamine in malonate-induced damage in vivo in striatum and in vitro in mesencephalic cultures

Defects in mitochondrial energy metabolism have been implicated in the pathology of several neurodegenerative disorders. In addition, the reactive metabolites generated from the metabolism and oxidation of the neurotransmitter dopamine (DA) are thought to contribute to the damage to neurons of the basal ganglia. We have previously demonstrated that infusions of the metabolic inhibitor malonate into the striata of mice or rats produce degeneration of DA nerve terminals. In the present studies, we demonstrate that an intrastriatal infusion of malonate induces a substantial increase in DA efflux in awake, behaving mice as measured by in vivo microdialysis. Furthermore, pretreatment of mice with tetrabenazine (TBZ) or the TBZ analogue Ro 4-1284 (Ro-4), compounds that reversibly inhibit the vesicular storage of DA, attenuates the malonate-induced DA efflux as well as the damage to DA nerve terminals. Consistent with these findings, the damage to both DA and GABA neurons in mesencephalic cultures by malonate exposure was attenuated by pretreatment with TBZ or Ro-4. Treatment with these compounds did not affect the formation of free radicals or the inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation resulting from malonate exposure alone. Our data suggest that DA plays an important role in the neurotoxicity produced by malonate. These findings provide direct evidence that inhibition of succinate dehydrogenase causes an increase in extracellular DA levels and indicate that bioenergetic defects may contribute to the pathogenesis of chronic neurodegenerative diseases through a mechanism involving DA.     

Changes in lactate dehydrogenase activity in chicken tissues in hyperthyreosis in ontogenesis

The lactate dehydrogenase activity in reactions of lactate oxidation and synthesis was studied in subfractions of the chicken brain, heart and liver at the embryonal, early postembryonal and adult stages of development after thyroxine administration. It has been shown that during embryogenesis thyroxine predominantly enhanced the rate of lactate oxidation in the mitochondrial tissues. A marked increase in the lactate synthesis was found in cytoplasm of the adult chicken tissues. Specificity of enzyme activity alterations was detected in the chicken brain during ontogenesis after thyroxine administration.     

Scurvy in capybaras bred in captivity in Argentine

In order to determine if the absence of vitamin C in the diet of capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) causes scurvy, a group of seven young individuals were fed food pellets without ascorbic acid, while another group of eight individuals received the same food with 1 g of ascorbic acid per animal per day. Animals in the first group developed signs of scurvy-like gingivitis, breaking of the incisors and death of one animal. Clinical signs appeared between 25 and 104 days from the beginning of the trial in all individuals. Growth rates of individuals deprived of vitamin C was considerably less than those observed in the control group. Deficiency of ascorbic acid had a severe effect on reproduction of another population of captive capybaras. We found that the decrease in ascorbic acid content in the diet affected pregnancy, especially during the first stages. The results obtained suggest that it is necessary to supply a suitable quantity of vitamin C in the diet of this species in captivity.     

SSTR5 ablation in islet results in alterations in glucose homeostasis in mice

Somatostatin (SST) peptide is a potent inhibitor of insulin secretion and its effect is mediated via somatostatin receptor 5 (SSTR5) in the endocrine pancreas. To investigate the consequences of gene ablation of SSTR5 in the mouse pancreas, we have generated a mouse model in which the SSTR5 gene was specifically knocked down in the pancreatic beta cells (betaSSTR5Kd) using the Cre-lox system. Immunohistochemistry analysis showed that SSTR5 gene expression was absent in beta cells at three months of age. At the time of gene ablation, betaSSTR5Kd mice demonstrated glucose intolerance with lack of insulin response and significantly reduced serum insulin levels. Insulin tolerance test demonstrated a significant increase of insulin clearance in vivo at the same age. In vitro studies demonstrated an absence of response to SST-28 stimulation in the betaSSTR5Kd mouse islet, which was associated with a significantly reduced SST expression level in betaSSTR5Kd mice pancreata. In addition, betaSSTR5Kd mice had significantly reduced serum glucose levels and increased serum insulin levels at 12 months of age. Glucose tolerance test at an older age also indicated a persistently higher insulin level in betaSSTR5Kd mice. Further studies of betaSSTR5Kd mice had revealed elevated serum C-peptide levels at both 3 and 12 months of age, suggesting that these mice are capable of producing and releasing insulin to the periphery. These results support the hypothesis that SSTR5 plays a pivotal role in the regulation of insulin secretion in the mouse pancreas.