极端干旱区防护林地土壤微生物多样性

土壤微生物在森林土壤中有重要功能.采用传统培养、脂肪酸鉴定和PCR-DGGE 3种方法分别研究了塔里木沙漠公路防护林地土壤微生物数量、脂肪酸种类和细菌DNA片段的多样性,从微生物学角度为塔里木沙漠公路防护林的管理提供理论依据.结果表明,塔里木沙漠公路防护林的建设促进了风沙土土壤微生物的发育,随着防护林定植年限的增加,土壤微生物数量、脂肪酸和细菌DNA片段的多样性指数明显增大;土壤微生物区系组成中,细菌是优势类群,占微生物总数80%以上,而真菌很少,不到微生物总数1%,但在不同土层间有所差异;传统培养法与现代生物标记和分子生物学方法对塔里木沙漠公路防护林地土壤微生物多样性的研究结果基本一致,说明塔里木沙漠公路防护林的建设使林地土壤生物活性有所增强,有利于林地土壤养分循环与利用.     

大漠行

说到新疆,用地大物博来形容最合适不过,新疆不但出产蜜甜的水果,蕴含丰富的资源,由于它地域广阔,景致可用壮观来形容——天山山系,亚洲中部最大山系之一;塔里木湖,我国第一大内陆河水系;博斯腾湖,我国最大内陆淡水湖;塔克拉玛干沙漠,我国最大的沙漠,也是世界上仅决于阿拉伯半岛的鲁卜哈里沙漠的第二流动沙漠。     

基于Illumina MiSeq测序技术的塔克拉玛干沙漠东缘细菌多样性分析

【背景】塔克拉玛干沙漠凭借其独特的地理位置、恶劣的生存环境以及较少的人为干扰,造就了其独特的微生物资源。【目的】探究塔克拉玛干沙漠东缘沙土细菌群落结构多样性及其影响因素。【方法】采集塔克拉玛干沙漠东缘沙土样品并测定其理化性质,使用基于原核微生物16S rRNA基因的IlluminaMiSeq测序技术,对塔克拉玛干沙漠东缘沙土进行细菌群落结构多样性及其影响因素的分析。【结果】从塔克拉玛干沙漠东缘沙土中获得明确分类地位的细菌种类为21门42纲304属,其中优势菌门为拟杆菌门(Bacteroidetes,31.26%)、变形菌门(Proteobacteria,29.47%)、放线菌门(Actinobacteria,15.71%)和厚壁菌门(Firmicutes,15.69%);在属水平上相对丰度最高的菌属为Salinimicrobium (10.06%),其次为盐单胞菌属(Halomonas,7.39%)、芽胞杆菌属(Bacillus,3.25%)、蓬托斯菌属(Pontibacter,3.14%)、Aliifodinibius(2.76%)和考克氏菌属(Kocuria,1.76%)。全磷(Total Phosphorus,TP)、SO_4~(2-)和HCO_3~-含量对塔克拉玛干沙漠东缘微生物群落结构影响显著。【结论】揭示了塔克拉玛干沙漠东缘微生物群落结构及物种多样性,为后续塔克拉玛干沙漠微生物资源的研究提供理论依据。     

认识塔克拉玛干沙漠

<正>克里雅古河道沙漠段位于新疆塔里木盆地中心塔克拉玛干沙漠。塔克拉玛干沙漠是中国最大、世界第十大沙漠,也是世界第二大流动沙漠。整个沙漠东西长约1?000公里,南北宽约400公里,面积达33万平方公里。年降水量不超过100毫米,最低只有5毫米,而平均蒸发量却有2?500～3?400毫米。狂风能将沙吹起,高度可达沙丘的3倍。沙漠里沙丘绵延,受风的影响,沙丘时常移动。由于地处欧亚大陆的中心,四面为高山环绕,塔克拉     

不同干扰方式对疏叶骆驼刺形态特征及地上生物量的影响

以塔克拉玛干沙漠南缘策勒绿洲为研究区,研究了春季砍伐、秋季砍伐和春季火烧等干扰处理对绿洲-沙漠过渡带的自然植被疏叶骆驼刺形态特征及地上生物量的影响.结果表明:春季火烧降低了疏叶骆驼刺的株高、冠幅和生物量,不利于疏叶骆驼刺植被的恢复和再生;不同时间砍伐对疏叶骆驼刺植被恢复和再生的影响差异较大.春季砍伐使疏叶骆驼刺株高、冠幅和生物量降低,叶片生物量、刺的长度和直径增加.秋季砍伐使疏叶骆驼刺株高和冠幅降低,但分枝数量和生物量增加.秋季适度的砍伐有利于塔克拉玛干沙漠南缘疏叶骆驼刺的保护.     

不同干扰方式对疏叶骆驼刺形态特征及地上生物量的影响

以塔克拉玛干沙漠南缘策勒绿洲为研究区,研究了春季砍伐、秋季砍伐和春季火烧等干扰处理对绿洲-沙漠过渡带的自然植被疏叶骆驼刺形态特征及地上生物量的影响.结果表明：春季火烧降低了疏叶骆驼刺的株高、冠幅和生物量,不利于疏叶骆驼刺植被的恢复和再生;不同时间砍伐对疏叶骆驼刺植被恢复和再生的影响差异较大.春季砍伐使疏叶骆驼刺株高、冠幅和生物量降低,叶片生物量、刺的长度和直径增加.秋季砍伐使疏叶骆驼刺株高和冠幅降低,但分枝数量和生物量增加.秋季适度的砍伐有利于塔克拉玛干沙漠南缘疏叶骆驼刺的保护.     

塔克拉玛干沙漠腹地3种植物根系构型及其生境适应策略

 在塔克拉玛干沙漠腹地, 采用挖掘法挖取塔克拉玛干柽柳(Tamarix taklamakanensis)、塔克拉玛干沙拐枣(Calligonum roborovskii)和罗布麻(Apocynum venetum )根系, 对根系的拓扑结构特征进行了测定与分析。结果表明: 1) 3种植物根系均以水平分布占优势, 根系浅层化。2) 3种植物根系结构的适应性不同, 表现为两种不同的根系分支模式, 塔克拉玛干柽柳根系为叉状分支结构(q_a=0.15、q_b=0.09、TI=0.658), 罗布麻(q_a=0.43、q_b=0.35、TI=0. 83)和沙拐枣(q_a=0.52、q_b=0.38、TI=0.86)根系趋向于鱼尾形分支结构。3) 3种植物根系的连接长度都较大, 最小也达1.12 m, 说明在塔克拉玛干沙漠腹地, 3种植物通过增加连接长度来扩大根系在土层中的分布范围, 从而提高根系的有效营养空间, 增加根系连接长度是根系对沙漠腹地贫瘠土壤环境的一个良好适应。4)研究验证了Leonardo da Vinci法则, 即根系分支前的横截面积等于根系分支后的横截面积之和, 3种植物根系分支前后的横截面积符合Leonardo da Vinci法则。研究表明沙漠腹地3种植物根系构型特征既有相似性又有差异性, 在相似的沙漠环境中具有不同的根系适应策略。     

塔克拉玛干沙漠腹地试种药用肉苁蓉成功

经过3年试验,结合塔克拉玛干沙漠公路防护林生态工程,国家荒漠生态-绿洲生态建设工程技术研究中心科研人员在沙漠腹地建成塔中肉苁蓉人工种植技术产业化试验示范和种源基地,突破了实现沙漠腹地咸水灌溉条件下肉苁蓉接种技术,并证明生态防护工程与生态产业基地建设相结合开发的可行性。     

古尔班通古特沙漠藻类结皮中微生物群落空间分异特征

古尔班通古特沙漠短命和旱生植物在沙漠东西走向上形成明显的种群变化梯度,那么沙漠藻类结皮土壤中微生物是否也具有类似地空间分布特征?为研究该科学问题,采用高通量测序技术,探究沙漠东西走向上藻类结皮土壤中细菌和真菌群落结构分布规律。在古尔班通古特沙漠西部、中部和东部区域分别采集藻类结皮土样,进行土壤理化因子分析及细菌和真菌扩增子测序,对比不同区域土壤理化性质和微生物群落空间分异特征,分析微生物多样性与环境因子相关性,最后根据微生物物种种类对其功能进行预测分析。结果表明：藻类结皮土壤氮素、全磷、全钾、pH以及土壤化学计量比碳磷比(C∶P)和氮磷比(N∶P)在沙漠不同区域存在显著性差异,其余指标空间尺度上变化梯度较小。微生物α多样性结果显示3个区域藻类结皮土壤中细菌群落丰富度和多样性存在显著性差异,东部与西部区域产生明显分化;而真菌α多样性指数无显著性差异,群落结构较为均匀,未产生分化。β多样性结果显示细菌群落在西部与东部藻类结皮间存在显著性差异,沙漠中部为沙漠西部和东部的过渡带。门水平细菌优势菌群为蓝藻门、变形菌门和拟杆菌门;真菌为子囊菌门和担子菌门。属水平上,丰度前30个属在沙漠不同区域表现...     

塔克拉玛干沙漠北缘柽柳灌丛沙堆对甲虫的庇护作用

以塔克拉玛干沙漠北缘典型荒漠区柽柳灌丛沙堆-柽柳包为研究对象,在2005—2006年期间调查了柽柳包及相邻沙漠裸地地表甲虫多样性。结果表明:2005年和2006年柳包上地表甲虫个体数量和物种数均高于沙漠裸地,柽柳包上的地表甲虫物种数分别为21种和16种,沙漠裸地中分别为10种和12种,柽柳包上物种丰富度明显高于沙漠裸地。选取优势种髋胫小土甲(Penthicicus koltzei Reitter)进行相对种群密度的估算,髋胫小土甲在柽柳包上分布数量较多,密度可达到每平方米在13头以上;但沙漠裸地仅有6头左右。柽柳包对甲虫多样性有明显的庇护所的作用,有利于维持甲虫物种多样性。2种不同生境条件下地表甲虫的数量存在明显的季节变动,其数量高峰分别出现在2005年6月和2006年7月,可能与不同季节环境的极端性(如气温峰值和洪水早晚)导致的食物丰富程度有关。     

遮阴对骆驼刺叶性状和水分生理的影响

以塔克拉玛干沙漠南缘荒漠绿洲过渡带优势种骆驼刺为试验材料,研究正常光照(NL)、中度遮阴(MS)和重度遮阴(SS)3种不同遮阴环境对骆驼刺(Alhagi sparsifoliashap.)叶厚、单叶面积、比叶面积、比叶质量等叶性状参数和相对含水量、水势、失水速率、气孔导度、蒸腾速率以及水分利用效率等水分生理参数的影响。结果显示:随着光照强度的降低,骆驼刺的叶片厚度(LT)、比叶质量(LMA)、净光合速率(Pn)、气孔导度(Gs)、蒸腾速率(Tr)和水分利用效率(WUE)明显降低,而单叶面积(LA)、比叶面积(SLA)、相对含水量(RWC)、失水速率(RWL)和水势(WP)明显升高;各叶性状参数与水分生理参数之间均有极显著的相关性。说明:骆驼刺在遮阴环境下,其叶性状特征主要通过单叶面积和单叶干物质积累的变化来响应遮阴环境;其水分生理特征主要是牺牲对水分胁迫具有较好抗逆性的水分生理特征并通过气孔调节和更多的水分消耗用于维持一定的光合能力来响应遮阴环境。叶性状与水分生理参数相关性分析表明,遮阴环境下骆驼刺叶性状变化主要通过影响RWL、WP、Tr和WUE进而影响其水分生理特征的变化。因此,建议可利用遮阴措施对极端干旱区荒漠植物骆驼刺进行植被恢复,但其遮光度应设置在70%—80%自然光之间。     

Life, decay and fossilisation of endolithic microorganisms from the Ross Desert, Antarctica

The adaptation and survival of the endolithic microorganisms that colonise the near-surface layer of porous sandstone rock in the Ross Desert (Antarctica) depend upon a precarious equilibrium of biological, geological and climatic factors. Any unfavourable change in external conditions can result in the death and disappearance of microscopic organisms, and this may be followed by trace microfossil formation. The sequence of events leading to the extinction of life in the Antarctic desert is considered to be a terrestrial analogue of the disappearance of possible life on early Mars. The present paper reviews the current state of knowledge on the endolithic microorganisms of the Ross Desert with particular reference to their decay and fossilisation processes. Ideas for in situ further research on this microbial ecosystem are also proposed, including several new microscopy techniques such as CLSM, LTSEM, SEM-BSE and EDS. Preliminary images are presented and it is proposed that, for the first time, such techniques will permit the in situ study of the ecology of Antarctic lithobiontic microorganisms and the identification and characterisation of fossilised traces of past life.     

塔南绿洲生态系统持续发展近期优化模式

基于对塔克拉玛干沙漠南缘各绿洲水资源的时空分布特征和目前各绿洲灌溉渠系利用系数的分析,通过野外对典型防护林防风效益的监测和风洞模拟实验,以及在塔克拉玛干沙漠南缘策勒绿洲进行了１５年的沙漠化土地综合治理试验示范研究经验,提出了近期内塔克拉玛干沙漠南缘绿洲生态系统持续发展系列优化模式：塔克拉玛干沙漠南缘适度绿洲优化模式、塔克拉玛干沙漠南缘绿防护林结构优化模式、塔克拉玛干沙漠南缘荒漠化土地综合整治优化模     

A phytogeographical characterization of the vine flora of the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts

Aim This study presents a phytogeographical characterization of the vine flora of two lower North American desert regions as a biogeographical framework for further ecological inquiry into desert vines. Location The phytogeography of the vine flora of the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts was c haracterized based on 263 known species. Methods Checklists of the vines of each desert were developed. Represented genera were then grouped into 10 phytogeographical elements based on worldwide distribution patterns. To compare the floristic composition of the desert floras, an index of species similarity was calculated. Results About a third more species of vines occur in the Sonoran Desert than in the Chihuahuan Desert. Based on the analysis, cosmopolitan genera are the only group more numerous in absolute terms in the Chihuahuan Desert than in the Sonoran Desert. Tropical elements are represented in about the same proportion in each desert as the number of species, however, nearly twice as many pantropical and neotropical genera are represented in the Sonoran Desert as in the Chihuahuan Desert. Proportionately, more genera of temperate elements occur in the Chihuahuan Desert than in the Sonoran desert, although the absolute number of genera is slightly higher in the latter. Main conclusions As these deserts are relatively recent ecological formations and as vines evolved in forest ecosystems, the composition of the desert vine floras is the result of the interaction between historical vegetation types, their constituent taxa and climatic and geological history. The main differences in the vining floras of the present‐day Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts appear to be the result of greater historical influence in the Sonoran Desert of (1) tropical vegetation types and (2) the emergence of the Gulf of California. The Chihuahuan Desert vine flora seems to be the result of (1) a more pronounced historical temperate vegetation, (2) the lack of an important isolating event, such as the creation of the Baja California peninsula, and (3) a cooler climate with shorter growing seasons.     

Microbiology of hyper-arid environments: recent insights from the Atacama Desert, Chile

Interests in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile until very recently were founded on its mineral resources, notably nitrate, copper, lithium and boron. Now this vast desert, the oldest and most arid on Earth, is revealing a microbial diversity that was unimagined even a decade or so ago; indeed the extreme hyper-arid core of the Desert was considered previously to be completely devoid of life. In this Perspective article we highlight pioneering research that, to the contrary, establishes the Atacama as a combination of rich microbial habitats including bacteria that influence biogeochemical transformations in the desert and others that are propitious sources of novel natural products. Many of the Atacama’s habitats are especially rich in actinobacteria, not necessarily as dense populations but extensive in taxonomic diversity and capacities to synthesize novel secondary metabolites. Among the latter, compounds have been characterized that express a range of antibiotic, anti-cancer and anti- inflammatory properties to which a variety of bioinformatics and metabolic engineering tools are being applied in order to enhance potencies and productivities. Unquestionably the Atacama Desert is a living desert with regard to which future microbiology and biotechnology research presents exciting opportunities.     

Effects of altered temperature and precipitation on desert protozoa associated with biological soil crusts

Biological soil crusts are diverse assemblages of bacteria, cyanobacteria, algae, fungi, lichens, and mosses that cover much of arid land soils. The objective of this study was to quantify protozoa associated with biological soil crusts and test the response of protozoa to increased temperature and precipitation as is predicted by some global climate models. Protozoa were more abundant when associated with cyanobacteria/lichen crusts than with cyanobacteria crusts alone. Amoebae, flagellates, and ciliates originating from the Colorado Plateau desert (cool desert, primarily winter precipitation) declined 50-, 10-, and 100-fold, respectively, when moved in field mesocosms to the Chihuahuan Desert (hot desert, primarily summer rain). However, this was not observed in protozoa collected from the Chihuahuan Desert and moved to the Sonoran desert (hot desert, also summer rain, but warmer than Chihuahuan Desert). Protozoa in culture began to encyst at 37 degrees C. Cysts survived the upper end of daily temperatures (37-55 degrees C), and could be stimulated to excyst if temperatures were reduced to 15 degrees C or lower. Results from this study suggest that cool desert protozoa are influenced negatively by increased summer precipitation during excessive summer temperatures, and that desert protozoa may be adapted to a specific desert's temperature and precipitation regime.     

白尾地鸦的巢址选择

2017年4和5月,在位于新疆塔克拉玛干沙漠南缘的和田地区民丰县对白尾地鸦（Podoces bidduphi）的巢址选择进行研究。共记录白尾地鸦巢12个,测量了巢参数,用Mann-Whitney U检验分析巢样方与对照样方的差异,用主成分法分析影响白尾地鸦巢址选择的主要因子。结果显示：1）白尾地鸦巢多筑于绿洲边缘的柽柳（Tamarix）灌丛,巢距地面高（109.1 ± 13.2）cm,巢深（8.5 ± 0.5）cm,巢厚（3.8 ± 0.4）cm,内径（13.9 ± 0.9）cm,外径（21.6 ± 1.3）cm;2）巢样方的植被物种数和植被盖度远高于对照样方;3）影响白尾地鸦巢址选择的主要因素为植被物种数及干扰,其中干扰主要指距道路以及距居民点的距离。综上所述,白尾地鸦的巢址选择受食物等生存需求和躲避干扰等安全因素的双重影响,是生存与繁殖权衡的结果。     

Clonal structure and genetic diversity of three desert phreatophytes

The objective of this paper was to assess clone sizes of three perennial desert plant species with AFLP markers and to relate them to clonal and genetic diversity and to hydroecology. The study was carried out at the southern rim of the Taklamakan Desert, where sexual regeneration is only possible shortly after rare flooding events, resulting in rarely established cohorts with subsequent extensive vertical growth and horizontal clonal spread. In this environment, repeated seedling establishment is excluded. We expected decreasing clonal and genetic diversity with increasing clone size and increasing distance to the groundwater table and a common response pattern among all study species. Maximum sizes of Populus euphratica and Alhagi sparsifolia clones were 121 ha and 6.1 ha, respectively, while Tamarix ramosissima clones reached a maximum size of only 38 m(2). In P. euphratica and A. sparsifolia, clonal diversity declined with increasing clone size and increasing distance to the groundwater table, while genetic diversity remained unaffected. Tamarix ramosissima differed from the other species because of a much smaller clonality. Clone size and clonal diversity were found to be good proxy variables for clone age. Despite the considerable age of the clones, genetic diversity is maintained in the populations.     

A demographic approach to study effects of climate change in desert plants

Desert species respond strongly to infrequent, intense pulses of precipitation. Consequently, indigenous flora has developed a rich repertoire of life-history strategies to deal with fluctuations in resource availability. Examinations of how future climate change will affect the biota often forecast negative impacts, but these—usually correlative—approaches overlook precipitation variation because they are based on averages. Here, we provide an overview of how variable precipitation affects perennial and annual desert plants, and then implement an innovative, mechanistic approach to examine the effects of precipitation on populations of two desert plant species. This approach couples robust climatic projections, including variable precipitation, with stochastic, stage-structured models constructed from long-term demographic datasets of the short-lived Cryptantha flava in the Colorado Plateau Desert (USA) and the annual Carrichtera annua in the Negev Desert (Israel). Our results highlight these populations'' potential to buffer future stochastic precipitation. Population growth rates in both species increased under future conditions: wetter, longer growing seasons for Cryptantha and drier years for Carrichtera. We determined that such changes are primarily due to survival and size changes for Cryptantha and the role of seed bank for Carrichtera. Our work suggests that desert plants, and thus the resources they provide, might be more resilient to climate change than previously thought.     

A study on micro-fungi in arid areas: Notes on soil saprotrophs and animal opportunistic pathogens

ABSTRACT

Soil fungi were studied in three desert areas in Namibia with the aim of identifying saprotrophic microorganisms associated with animal communities as opportunistic pathogens. The extremely arid environment of the Naukluft Desert Park was found to be more selective for soil fungi, whereas the soils of Etosha Pan, with seasonal wet areas, and the mobile dunes of Sossousvlei, which absorb atmospheric moisture at night by virtue of their proximity to the sea, host saprotrophic microorganisms and potential and/or opportunistic pathogens.