南亚热带季风常绿阔叶林不同演替阶段物种-面积关系

通过对云南普洱地区季风常绿阔叶林演替15年、30年及原始林群落的调查,探讨了不同演替阶段群落的物种-面积关系.结果表明:不同演替阶段群落中,取样面积与总物种数,乔木、灌木和藤本物种数均具有极显著相关关系,其变化解释率均超过94%;演替30年群落中总物种和乔木的物种累积速率(Z)最低(0.334和0.394),演替15年群落中灌木和藤本的Z值最低(0.437和0.326);不同演替阶段中总物种、乔木、灌木和藤本的物种-面积曲线截距无显著变化,但原始林中总物种和藤本物种-面积曲线的决定系数(R2)显著高于演替15年和30年群落.演替15年群落中,初始乔木及灌木物种丰富度解释了Z值变化的99.9%,而其他演替阶段群落中初始乔木、灌木、藤本及总物种丰富度与Z值均无显著相关性.     

海岛森林不同演替阶段土壤和植物的碳、氮、磷化学计量特征

该研究采用空间代替时间的方法,对福建省东部海域的平潭岛林区不同演替阶段群落(灌草丛、针叶林、针阔混交林、常绿阔叶林)的土壤和植物的C、N、P含量进行测定,分析不同演替阶段土壤和植物的C、N、P及生态化学计量特征的变化规律,并探讨植物与土壤养分之间的相互关系。结果表明:(1)由于土壤C、N、P的来源不同,导致土壤有机碳(SOC)和全氮(STN)含量随着演替进行逐渐增加,土壤全磷(STP)含量呈先下降后上升的趋势;土壤C∶N随演替进行呈增加趋势,土壤C∶P和N∶P呈先升高后下降的趋势。(2)植物叶片碳(LC)含量随着演替进行呈先升高后下降的趋势,叶片氮(LN)和磷(LP)含量呈先下降后升高的趋势,反映了各演替阶段植物采取不同的生态适应性;植物叶片C∶N和C∶P随演替进行呈先升高后下降的趋势,植物叶片N∶P呈逐渐增加的趋势。(3)相关分析表明,土壤SOC与STN呈显著正相关关系,表明土壤C、N元素有较强的耦合关系;植物LN与LP呈显著正相关关系,共同反映植物的光合作用;植物叶片LP与土壤STP呈显著正相关关系,且植物叶片N∶P在各演替阶段均大于16,说明平潭岛植物生长主要受到土壤P限制。     

季风常绿阔叶林不同恢复阶段藤本植物的物种多样性比较

藤本植物是森林生态系统的重要组成部分,影响群落的恢复与演替。通过对云南普洱地区不同恢复阶段(恢复15a、恢复30a和原始林群落)季风常绿阔叶林群落的野外调查,分析了不同恢复阶段藤本植物的物种丰富度、密度、多度、径级分布、多样性指数及攀援方式,并探讨藤本植物与支持木的关系。结果表明:在0.81hm²的调查样地中,共发现DBH≥0.1cm的藤本植物1292株(分属34科51属64种)。原始林群落的藤本物种丰富度、密度(DBH＜1cm)、胸高断面积和平均胸高断面积都显著高于恢复阶段,原始林和恢复15a群落的密度(DBH≥1cm)、平均胸径和平均长度之间无显著差异,但都显著高于恢复30a。3种群落类型中藤本植物的物种组成和径级分布有显著差异,原始林中藤本植物物种更多,而且大径级(DBH≥10cm)的藤本植物仅出现在原始林及恢复30a的群落。单株藤本攀援的支持木在3种群落类型中均占多数,藤本植物与支持木的胸径存在显著的正相关(P＜0.001),原始林群落中DBH≥15cm的支持木更易被攀援,而恢复阶段则相反。茎缠绕藤本植物对原始林的负面影响要显著少于恢复15a及30a群落,而卷须类藤本植物也反映出原始林正处于一个动态变化的阶段,同时根攀缘和搭靠类藤本植物物种组成和多度变化可以反映出干扰后季风常绿阔叶林的恢复程度。森林砍伐是影响不同恢复阶段藤本植物的物种组成和分布的主要因素。     

内蒙古典型草原不同恢复演替阶段植物养分化学计量学

对内蒙古典型草原不同恢复演替阶段群落土壤养分动态及空间格局、植物养分及其化学计量比时空动态、植物与土壤养分相关性等进行了分析,以揭示放牧干扰对植物的养分及其化学计量比影响。结果表明:土壤各养分含量表现为恢复群落略高于严重退化群落,土壤全氮(STN)/土壤全磷(STP)恢复群落高于严重退化群落,土壤有机质(SOC)/STN恢复群落低于严重退化群落;大多数植物叶片C含量在恢复群落最高,严重退化群落最低,与恢复演替时间呈正相关,而植物的全氮(TN)和全磷(TP)含量则是严重退化群落最高,恢复群落最低,与退化程度呈正相关,且TP含量的变幅明显高于TN含量;植物叶的N:P和C:N表现为严重退化群落最低,与退化程度呈负相关;严重退化群落植物相对于P而言,总体上表现为缺N;而恢复群落相对于N而言,更为缺P,或同时缺N和P;群落优势种化学计量学特征对群落演替方向有一定的指示作用。     

缙云山森林土壤速效N、P、K时空特征研究

研究了缙云山森林生态系统内4个演替阶段群落的土壤速效N、P、K的时空特性,结果表明：①除灌草丛的速效K外,速效N、P、K含量在不同群落的土壤剖面上均具有明显的层次性,即腐殖质层（A）＞沉积层（B）＞母质层（C）。②A、B两层的速效N、K含量随群落演替方向升高,即灌草丛＜针叶林＜针阔混交林＜常绿阔叶林,速效P含量则为：针叶林＜针阔混交林＜灌草林＜常绿阔叶林。C层速效N、P、K含量似乎与群落演替规律无必然联系。③各群落内A、B层土壤速效N、P、K含量均表现出明显的季节动态,动态规律因元素类型和土壤层次而有差别。     

阔叶红松林不同演替阶段灌木叶片碳氮磷化学计量特征及其影响因素

灌木是森林生态系统的重要组成部分, 对于演替进程中灌木叶片化学计量特征的研究, 有助于全面理解和预测森林演替过程。该研究以黑龙江凉水国家自然保护区内处于阔叶红松(Pinus koraiensis)林不同演替阶段中的白桦(Betula platyphylla)次生林、落叶阔叶混交林、针阔混交林、阔叶红松林的灌木为研究对象, 分析其叶片的碳(C)、氮(N)、磷(P)化学计量特征差异, 并利用层次分割方法检验其与土壤、物种多样性的关系。主要结果为: 1)随着演替的进行, 阔叶红松林的叶片N含量显著高于其他3种林型, P含量与白桦次生林无显著差异, 但显著高于其他两种林型; 2)土壤N、P含量与个体尺度上的叶片N含量均呈显著正相关关系, 土壤P含量与叶片P含量呈显著正相关关系; 3)群落尺度上, 物种多样性和土壤化学性质共解释叶片N含量变异的82%和叶片P含量变异的62%; 4)群落尺度上Shannon多样性指数与灌木叶片的N、P含量呈显著正相关关系, 与灌木叶片的C:N、C:P呈显著负相关关系。总之, 阔叶红松林4个演替阶段灌木均受到氮限制; 相较于土壤的化学性质, 物种多样性更好地解释了灌木化学计量的变异。     

云南中南部季风常绿阔叶林恢复生态系统萌生特征

萌生是大范围干扰后物种维持的重要机制。通过对云南思茅地区皆伐后不同恢复阶段季风常绿阔叶林群落萌生状况的调查,探讨了不同恢复阶段群落物种萌生特征。结果表明:恢复15a群落共有萌生物种36种,而恢复30a群落有24种,老龄林有29种,萌生物种种类及多度所占比例随恢复时间的延长呈减少趋势。灌木科、属及种丰富度及其所占比例在恢复30a群落中最低,而乔木及总物种科、属及种丰富度、Shannon-Wiener指数及Simpson指数在3个不同恢复阶段群落之间均无显著性差异,但乔木及总物种科、属及种丰富度所占比例均为老龄林最低。恢复15a群落与30a群落间萌生相似性最高,而恢复15a群落与老龄林群落间萌生相似性最低。3个不同恢复阶段群落中物种萌生类型主要为根萌生,其次为干基萌生。不同萌生类型萌生物种丰富度及个体多度均为根萌生>干基萌生>干萌生>枝萌生。萌生物种生长特征中,除灌木平均高在恢复30a群落中最低外,乔木平均高及乔木和灌木平均胸径在3个恢复阶段群落中均无显著性差异。而在共有的萌生物种中,杯状栲(Castanopsis calathiformis)、短刺栲(Castanopsis echidnocarpa)和粗壮润楠(Machilus robusta)平均胸径和平均高均是恢复初期(15a)较高,红木荷(Schima wallichii)和山鸡椒(Litsea cubeba)则是在老龄林中较高。     

天童常绿阔叶林不同演替阶段常见种叶片N、P化学计量学特征

对天童常绿阔叶林5个演替阶段的13个种类24个植物个体叶片的N、P化学计量学的研究表明：（1）各演替阶段植物叶片的N、P含量变异较大,N含量的值在6.49~14.69mgg^-1之间,P含量的值在0.66~1.13mgg^-1之间,叶片的N∶P值在7.45~16.38之间;总体平均值N为9.43mgg^-1,P为0.86mgg^-1,N∶P为11.17;（2）演替后期的叶片N含量和N∶P比高于演替前期,叶片N含量的变化趋势与N∶P比的变化趋势协同性较好,N∶P的变化趋势能较好地反映不同演替阶段的群落变化特征;（3）叶片N∶P可以作为植物和演替阶段的限制性营养元素的指标,不同演替阶段的群落生长基本上均是受N而不是受P的限制;演替各阶段绝大多数物种新生叶的N∶P都小于成熟的营养叶的N∶P,两者均受N元素的限制,且氮素对新叶的限制性更强,表明新叶容易缺乏氮素而发育不良。     

中亚热带植被恢复阶段植物叶片、凋落物、土壤碳氮磷化学计量特征

为揭示植被恢复过程中生态系统的养分循环机制及植物的生存策略, 根据亚热带森林群落演替过程, 采用空间代替时间方法, 以湘中丘陵区地域相邻、环境条件基本一致的檵木(Loropetalum chinensis) +南烛(Vaccinium bracteatu) +杜鹃(Rhododendron mariesii)灌草丛(LVR)、檵木+杉木(Cunninghamia lanceolata) +白栎(Quercus fabri)灌木林(LCQ)、马尾松(Pinus massoniana) +柯(Lithocarpus glaber) +檵木针阔混交林(PLL)、柯+红淡比(Cleyera japonica) +青冈(Cyclobalanopsis Glauca)常绿阔叶林(LCC)作为一个恢复系列, 设置固定样地, 采集植物叶片、未分解层凋落物和0-30 cm土壤样品, 测定有机碳(C)、全氮(N)、全磷(P)含量及其化学计量比, 运用异速生长关系、养分利用效率和再吸收效率分析植物对环境变化的响应和养分利用策略。结果表明: (1)随着植被恢复, 叶片C:N、C:P、N:P显著下降, 而叶片C、N、P含量和土壤C、N含量、C:P、N:P显著增加, 其中LCC植物叶片C、N含量, 土壤C、N含量及其N:P, PLL植物叶片P含量, 土壤C:P显著高于其他3个恢复阶段, 各恢复阶段植物叶片N:P > 20, 植物生长受P限制; 凋落物C、N、P含量及其化学计量比波动较大。(2)凋落物与叶片、土壤的化学计量特征之间的相关关系较弱, 叶片与土壤的化学计量特征之间具有显著相关关系, 其中叶片C、N、P含量与土壤C、N含量、C:N (除叶片C、N含量外)、C:P、N:P呈显著正相关关系; 叶片C:N与土壤C、N含量、C:P、N:P, 叶片C:P与土壤C含量、C:N、C:P, 叶片N:P与土壤C:N呈显著负相关关系。(3)植被恢复过程中, 叶片N、P之间具有显著异速生长关系, 异速生长指数为1.45, 叶片N、P的利用效率下降, 对N、P的再吸收效率增加, LCC叶片N利用效率最低, PLL叶片P利用效率最低而N、P再吸收效率最高。(4)叶片N含量内稳态弱, 而P含量具有较高的内稳态, 在土壤低P限制下植物能保持P平衡。植被恢复显著影响叶片、凋落物、土壤C、N、P含量及其化学计量比, 叶片与土壤之间C、N、P含量及化学计量比呈显著相关关系, 植物通过降低养分利用效率和提高养分再吸收效率适应土壤养分的变化, 叶片-凋落物-土壤系统的N、P循环随着植被恢复逐渐达到“化学计量平衡”。     

中亚热带植被恢复阶段植物叶片、凋落物、土壤碳氮磷化学计量特征

为揭示植被恢复过程中生态系统的养分循环机制及植物的生存策略,根据亚热带森林群落演替过程,采用空间代替时间方法,以湘中丘陵区地域相邻、环境条件基本一致的檵木(Loropetalumchinensis)+南烛(Vacciniumbracteatu)+杜鹃(Rhododendron mariesii)灌草丛(LVR)、檵木+杉木(Cunninghamia lanceolata)+白栎(Quercus fabri)灌木林(LCQ)、马尾松(Pinus massoniana)+柯(Lithocarpus glaber)+檵木针阔混交林(PLL)、柯+红淡比(Cleyera japonica)+青冈(Cyclobalanopsis Glauca)常绿阔叶林(LCC)作为一个恢复系列,设置固定样地,采集植物叶片、未分解层凋落物和0–30 cm土壤样品,测定有机碳(C)、全氮(N)、全磷(P)含量及其化学计量比,运用异速生长关系、养分利用效率和再吸收效率分析植物对环境变化的响应和养分利用策略。结果表明:(1)随着植被恢复,叶片C:N、C:P、N:P显著下降,而叶片C、N、P含量和土壤C、N含量、C:P、N:P显著增加,其中LCC植物叶片C、N含量,土壤C、N含量及其N:P,PLL植物叶片P含量,土壤C:P显著高于其他3个恢复阶段,各恢复阶段植物叶片N:P 20,植物生长受P限制;凋落物C、N、P含量及其化学计量比波动较大。(2)凋落物与叶片、土壤的化学计量特征之间的相关关系较弱,叶片与土壤的化学计量特征之间具有显著相关关系,其中叶片C、N、P含量与土壤C、N含量、C:N (除叶片C、N含量外)、C:P、N:P呈显著正相关关系;叶片C:N与土壤C、N含量、C:P、N:P,叶片C:P与土壤C含量、C:N、C:P,叶片N:P与土壤C:N呈显著负相关关系。(3)植被恢复过程中,叶片N、P之间具有显著异速生长关系,异速生长指数为1.45,叶片N、P的利用效率下降,对N、P的再吸收效率增加, LCC叶片N利用效率最低, PLL叶片P利用效率最低而N、P再吸收效率最高。(4)叶片N含量内稳态弱,而P含量具有较高的内稳态,在土壤低P限制下植物能保持P平衡。植被恢复显著影响叶片、凋落物、土壤C、N、P含量及其化学计量比,叶片与土壤之间C、N、P含量及化学计量比呈显著相关关系,植物通过降低养分利用效率和提高养分再吸收效率适应土壤养分的变化,叶片-凋落物-土壤系统的N、P循环随着植被恢复逐渐达到"化学计量平衡"。     

Evolutionary Medicine: A Key to Introducing Evolution

Science teachers can use examples and concepts from evolutionary medicine to teach the three concepts central to evolution: common descent, the processes or mechanisms of evolution, and the patterns produced by descent with modification. To integrate medicine into common ancestry, consider how the evolutionary past of our (or any) species affects disease susceptibility. That humans are bipedal has produced substantial changes in our musculoskeletal system, as well as causing problems for childbirth. Mechanisms such as natural selection are well exemplified in evolutionary medicine, as both disease-causing organism and their targets adapt to one another. Teachers often use examples such as antibiotic resistance to teach natural selection: it takes little alteration of the lesson plan to make explicit that evolution is key to understanding the principles involved. Finally, the pattern of evolution can be illustrated through evolutionary medicine because organisms sharing closer ancestry also share greater susceptibility to the same disease-causing organisms. Teaching evolution using examples from evolutionary medicine can make evolution more interesting and relevant to students, and quite probably, more acceptable as a valid science.     

Evolutionary remnants as widely accessible evidence for evolution: the structure of the argument for application to evolution education

Evolution education, in both schools and informal education, often focuses on natural selection and the fit of organisms through natural selection to their environment and way of life. Examples of evidence that evolution has occurred are therefore often limited to a modest number of classic but exotic cases, with little attention to how one might apply principles to more familiar organisms. Many of these classic examples are examples of adaptation; adaptation to local environments is, however, an outcome that could in principle also be explained by supernatural creation or design. A frequent result is the perception among the public is that examples of evolution are rare, and that the existence of well-adapted organisms may just as easily be explained metaphysically. We argue that among categories of evidence of evolution accessible to non-specialists in any environment, the most compelling evidence of common ancestry consists of remnants of evolutionary history evident in homologous features, particularly when those homologies are related to lack of fit of organisms to their way of life (“vestiges”) or to better fit that involves complicated combinations of parts usually assigned other functions (“contrivances”). Darwin emphasized the critical nature of this argument from imperfections, and it has been part of traditional catalogs of “evidence for evolution” for more than a century. Yet while remnants of history are widely used as a category of evidence for evolution, their utility in education of comparative anatomy to document body parts passed on through descent is underemphasized in evolution education at all levels. We explore the use of evolutionary remnants to document common ancestry and evidence for evolution, for application to evolution education.     

Translational selection shapes codon usage in the GC-rich genome of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

In unicellular species codon usage is determined by mutational biases and natural selection. Among prokaryotes, the influence of these factors is different if the genome is skewed towards AT or GC, since in AT-rich organisms translational selection is absent. On the other hand, in AT-rich unicellular eukaryotes the two factors are present. In order to understand if GC-rich genomes display a similar behavior, the case of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii was studied. Since we found that translational selection strongly influences codon usage in this species, we conclude that there is not a common pattern among unicellular organisms.     

Joint phenotypes,evolutionary conflict and the fundamental theorem of natural selection

Multiple organisms can sometimes affect a common phenotype. For example, the portion of a leaf eaten by an insect is a joint phenotype of the plant and insect and the amount of food obtained by an offspring can be a joint trait with its mother. Here, I describe the evolution of joint phenotypes in quantitative genetic terms. A joint phenotype for multiple species evolves as the sum of additive genetic variances in each species, weighted by the selection on each species. Selective conflict between the interactants occurs when selection takes opposite signs on the joint phenotype. The mean fitness of a population changes not just through its own genetic variance but also through the genetic variance for its fitness that resides in other species, an update of Fisher''s fundamental theorem of natural selection. Some similar results, using inclusive fitness, apply to within-species interactions. The models provide a framework for understanding evolutionary conflicts at all levels.     

The threefold parallelism of Agassiz and Haeckel,and polarity determination in phylogenetic systematics

A parallel exists between the threefold parallelism of Agassiz and Haeckel and the three valid methods of polarity determination in phylogenetic systematics. The structural gradation among taxa within a linear hierarchy, ontogenetic recapitulation, and geological succession of the threefold parallelism resemble outgroup comparison, the ontogenetic method, and the paleontological method, respectively, which are methods of polarity determination in phylogenetic systematics. The parallel involves expected congruence among similar components of the distribution of character states among organisms. The threefold parallelism is a manifestation of a world view based on linear hierarchies, whereas polarity determination is part of the methodology of phylogenetic systematics which assumes that organisms are grouped into a nested hierarchy. The threefold parallelism facilitated the ranking of previously established taxa into linear hierarchies consisting mostly of paraphyletic groups. In contrast, methods of polarity determination identify apomorphies that determine and diagnose monophyletic taxa (clades) in the nested genealogical hierarchy. Taxa in linear hierarchies are defined by sets of character states, whereas clades are defined by common ancestry. Although the threefold parallelism was ostensibly abandoned with the rejection of Haeckel's biogenetic law, some of its components continue to facilitate the progressive scenarios that are common in evolutionary thought. Although a general view of progression in organismal history may be invalid, the progressive or directional sequence of character state changes that results in the characterization of a particular clade has considerable heuristic value. Agassiz's ostensibly nested hierarchy and other pre-Darwinian classifications do not provide support for the view that the natural system can be discovered without recourse to the principle of common descent.     

Interactions between natural selection, recombination and gene density in the genes of Drosophila

In Drosophila, as in many organisms, natural selection leads to high levels of codon bias in genes that are highly expressed. Thus codon bias is an indicator of the intensity of one kind of selection that is experienced by genes and can be used to assess the impact of other genomic factors on natural selection. Among 13,000 genes in the Drosophila genome, codon bias has a slight positive, and strongly significant, association with recombination--as expected if recombination allows natural selection to act more efficiently when multiple linked sites segregate functional variation. The same reasoning leads to the expectation that the efficiency of selection, and thus average codon bias, should decline with gene density. However, this prediction is not confirmed. Levels of codon bias and gene expression are highest for those genes in an intermediate range of gene density, a pattern that may be the result of a tradeoff between the advantages for gene expression of close gene spacing and disadvantages arising from regulatory conflicts among tightly packed genes. These factors appear to overlay the more subtle effect of linkage among selected sites that gives rise to the association between recombination rate and codon bias.     

Can the theory of evolution be falsified?

In this paper we discuss the epistemological positions of evolution theories. A sharp distinction is made between the theory that species evolved from common ancestors along specified lines of descent (here called the theory of common descent), and the theories intended as causal explanations of evolution (e.g. Lamarck's and Darwin's theory). The theory of common descent permits a large number of predictions of new results that would be improbable without evolution. For instance, (a) phylogenetic trees have been validated now; (b) the observed order in fossils of new species discovered since Darwin's time could be predicted from the theory of common descent; (c) owing to the theory of common descent, the degrees of similarity and difference in newly discovered properties of more or less related species could be predicted. Such observations can be regarded as attempts to falsify the theory of common descent. We conclude that the theory of common descent is an easily-falsifiable & often-tested & still-not-falsified theory, which is the strongest predicate a theory in an empirical science can obtain. Theories intended as causal explanations of evolution can be falsified essentially, and Lamarck's theory has been falsified actually. Several elements of Darwin's theory have been modified or falsified: new versions of a theory of evolution by natural selection are now the leading scientific theories on evolution. We have argued that the theory of common descent and Darwinism are ordinary, falsifiable scientific theories.     

Colonial breeding and speciation in birds

Summary It was recently suggested that bird species which breed colonially might be under stronger sexual selection, have faster rates of evolution and might therefore speciate more rapidly than bird species which do not. If true, then colonial taxa should contain more species than non-colonial taxa, other things being equal. When similarity through common descent is accounted for, there is little evidence for an association between the number of species in a clade and whether it is colonial or not.     

Symbiosis,selection, and individuality

A recent development in biology has been the growing acceptance that holobionts, entities comprised of symbiotic microbes and their host organisms, are widespread in nature. There is agreement that holobionts are evolved outcomes, but disagreement on how to characterize the operation of natural selection on them. The aim of this paper is to articulate the contours of the disagreement. I explain how two distinct foundational accounts of the process of natural selection give rise to competing views about evolutionary individuality.     

Shifts in outcrossing rates and changes to floral traits are associated with the evolution of herbicide resistance in the common morning glory

Human‐mediated selection can strongly influence the evolutionary response of natural organisms within ecological timescales. But what traits allow for, or even facilitate, adaptation to the strong selection humans impose on natural systems? Using a combination of laboratory and greenhouse studies of 32 natural populations of the common agricultural weed, Ipomoea purpurea , we show that herbicide‐resistant populations self‐fertilise more than susceptible populations. We likewise show that anther–stigma distance, a floral trait associated with self‐fertilisation in this species, exhibits a nonlinear relationship with resistance such that the most and least resistant populations exhibit lower anther–stigma separation compared to populations with moderate levels of resistance. Overall, our results extend the general finding that plant mating can be impacted by human‐mediated agents of selection to that of the extreme selection of the agricultural system. This work highlights the influence of human‐mediated selection on rapid responses of natural populations that can lead to unexpected long‐term evolutionary consequences.