水体溶氧影响陆生植物喜旱莲子草(Alternanthera philoxeroides)和牛鞭草(Hemarthria altissima)对完全水淹的耐受力

溶氧是水环境中一个重要的环境因子,为了探讨水中的溶氧含量水平是否会对陆生植物的耐淹能力造成影响,研究了陆生植物喜旱莲子草(Alternanthera philoxeroides)和牛鞭草(Hemarthria altissima)在遭受不同溶氧含量水体完全淹没后的生长表现、存活情况和非结构碳水化合物的变化。实验结果表明:(1)水体中的溶氧含量显著影响了处于完全水淹环境中的喜旱莲子草和牛鞭草的存活。受高溶氧水体完全水淹的喜旱莲子草和牛鞭草主茎的完好程度和存活叶的数量均显著高于遭受低溶氧水体完全水淹的喜旱莲子草和牛鞭草,喜旱莲子草和牛鞭草在高溶氧水体完全水淹后的生物量比低溶氧水体完全水淹后要高;(2)水体中的溶氧含量显著影响了处于完全水淹环境中的喜旱莲子草和牛鞭草的生长,受高溶氧水体完全水淹的喜旱莲子草主茎伸长生长和不定根生长显著强于受低溶氧水体完全水淹的喜旱莲子草,在不定根的生长上牛鞭草也具有同样的表现。(3)高溶氧水环境有利于减小被完全淹没的喜旱莲子草和牛鞭草的碳水化合物消耗,两种植物在受高溶氧完全水淹后体内具有的非结构性碳水化合物含量均比受低溶氧完全水淹后高。(4)喜旱莲子草比牛鞭草能更好地耐受完全水淹,当处于低溶氧完全水淹时表现得更为明显,本研究表明入侵物种喜旱莲子草比本地物种牛鞭草具有更强的环境适应能力和水淹耐受能力。     

喜旱莲子草对遮荫的可塑性反应:入侵地与原产地种群的比较

表型可塑性可能在外来植物的成功入侵和随后的扩散中起到至关重要的作用。一些研究者推测喜旱莲子草(Alternanthera philoxeroides)入侵地种群可能比原产地种群对光强具有更强的可塑性反应。为了验证该假说,我们在正常光照和遮荫(30%正常光照)条件下研究了喜旱莲子草原产地(阿根廷)和入侵地(美国)种群在形态特征和生物量分配上是否存在显著差异。结果表明:(1)喜旱莲子草对光照强度具有很强的可塑性。在遮荫处理下,其根冠比和分枝生物量比显著降低,而比茎长和比叶面积显著增加;(2)原产地和入侵地喜旱莲子草的总生物量和比叶面积对遮荫的可塑性没有显著差异。入侵地种群的根冠比、分枝强度和比茎长的可塑性显著小于原产地种群;(3)无论在正常或低光照条件下,入侵地种群的根冠比(–20.8%)、分枝强度(–54.6%)、比茎长(–18.5%)和比叶面积(–8.6%)均显著低于原产地种群。这些结果表明,喜旱莲子草对光照强度具有很强的可塑性,这可能是该物种可以分布于从河岸带草丛到疏林灌丛等各种生境的主要原因;从原产地到入侵地,喜旱莲子草与耐阴性有关的性状对光照的可塑性显著降低,可能是该物种在入侵地能够形成单优势种群的主要原因。     

入侵种喜旱莲子草和莲子草的营养生长和光合作用对温度的响应

比较温度对入侵种喜旱莲子草(Alternantheraphiloxeroides(Mart.)Griseb.)和其本土近缘种莲子草(A.sessilis(L.)DC.)的营养生长、叶片光合作用及叶绿素荧光的影响。实验将生长均衡的这两种植物放在不同温度(10℃、15℃、20℃、25℃、30℃)的光照培养箱中处理28d。结果表明,喜旱莲子草营养生长的速率和对温度的响应明显不同于莲子草:前者主茎生长的有效积温明显低于后者,分别是11.6d℃和27.0d℃;而新叶萌发的有效积温高于后者,分别是12.1d℃和6.7d℃。入侵种主茎和叶的发育起点温度都比本土种低,分别是10.4℃、11.0℃和12.8℃、14.9℃,表明喜旱莲子草的发育对低温反应不及莲子草敏感。对两种植物叶片的光合作用和叶绿素荧光的测定结果还表明:入侵种比本土种有较高的最大净光合速率和光饱和点,尤其在25℃时;10-30℃的温度范围内喜旱莲子草的最大光化学效率Fv/Fm没有显著变化,而莲子草在10℃低温条件下Fv/Fm值显著降低。较快的主茎生长速率、较宽的温度适应范围以及较高的光合能力可能使喜旱莲子草比本地种具有更强的竞争力,从而在其入侵过程中起了重要作用。     

完全水淹条件下空心莲子草的生长、存活及出水后的恢复动态研究

为了判断入侵植物空心莲子草(Alternanthera philoxeroides)能否在河岸带的水淹环境中生存,实验研究了空心莲子草在30、60、90 d和120 d的完全水淹条件下的形态变化、生物量变化、存活及出水后的恢复生长状况.结果发现,空心莲子草在完全水淹条件下分枝的伸长生长加剧,并能快速产生新的叶片,但总生物量及地下部分生物量显著降低.空心莲子草在完全水淹处理后有很高的存活率,淹没120 d后存活率仍高达90%.水淹处理结束后,植株能够迅速地开始恢复生长,但恢复生长能力随着水淹持续时间的延长而逐渐降低.结果表明,空心莲子草有很强的水淹耐受能力,能够在江河河岸带生存,但在水淹持续时间较长的距水面较近的地段可能生长较差.     

底泥高磷浓度提高了喜旱莲子草的入侵性

植物通过改变自身的形态和生态生理特征对多变的环境因素做出响应,这种表型可塑性能增强外来物种的入侵能力。该文研究了入侵植物喜旱莲子草(Alternanthera philoxeroides)对底泥磷浓度、植株密度以及二者间交互作用的可塑性响应,探讨可塑性是否能使其获得更高的入侵能力。结果表明:低密度×底泥高磷浓度处理条件下的叶重、茎重、总重、叶数、分枝数和茎长等明显高于低、中磷浓度处理;高密度×底泥高磷浓度条件下的叶数、茎长和比茎长的值最大;植株的含磷量随底泥磷浓度的升高显著增加,说明喜旱莲子草响应底泥磷浓度变化时改变了自身的形态与生态生理性状。泥底含磷量对叶重比、叶数、茎长、茎磷含量、叶磷含量和植株总含磷量的影响都达到显著水平(p<0.05);植株密度对茎重、比茎长、叶磷含量和植株总磷含量的影响达到显著水平(p<0.05)。与入侵能力相关的叶重比、叶数、茎长在底泥高磷浓度处理中显著增加,说明底泥的高磷浓度增强了喜旱莲子草的入侵能力。     

入侵种喜旱莲子草对光照强度的表型可塑性反应

对外来人侵种喜旱莲子草[Alternanthera philoxeroides（Mart．）Griseb．]在不同强度光照处理中的表型可塑性反应进行了研究。结果表明：在高光照（100％）、中等光照（60．4％）、低光照（35．4％）和弱光照（16．5％）条件下,随光照强度的降低,分枝强度、基株株长、茎节长度随之下降,总生物量及根、茎、叶生物量显著减少;中等光强度处理喜旱莲子草根冠比显著低于其他处理;弱光条件下喜旱莲子草生长迟缓,呈直立状。研究结果表明,光照强度是影响喜旱莲子草种群生存与维持、生长和成功入侵、扩散的重要因子,同时也说明光照强度较低的生态系统喜旱莲子草入侵成功的机会很小。     

光照和氮素对喜旱莲子草形态特征和生物量分配的影响

研究了两个光照梯度和3个土壤氮素水平交互作用对喜旱莲子草(Alternan thera philoxeroides(Mart.)Griseb.)形态特征和生物量分配的影响。结果表明,全光照促进喜旱莲子草总生物量的积累,但在遮荫条件下,喜旱莲子草可以通过增加株高、光合叶面积和改变生物量分配来适应弱光生境。土壤中氮素含量对喜旱莲子草生长有明显影响,总生物量、株高、叶面积、茎生物量比和叶生物量比等随土壤氮素水平增加而增加。光照和氮素的交互作用对总生物量、根生物量比、茎生物量比和叶生物量比也有显著影响。随着氮素水平的增高,遮荫和高光照处理下喜旱莲子草的叶面积、总生物量和叶生物量比之间的差异减小,而株高和根生物量比之间的差异增大。此外,光照强度对茎生物量比的影响具有明显的氮素浓度依赖性,低氮条件下,茎生物量比在高光照处理下显著高于遮荫处理,而在中氮条件下,遮荫处理却显著高于高光照处理,且在高氮处理下其差异进一步加大。这些结果表明喜旱莲子草在高氮素环境下能够通过形态可塑性和生物量分配模式的改变来适应弱光环境所带来的不利影响。研究结果不但可为研究喜旱莲子草对异质生境的入侵机制提供资料,也可为进一步研究喜旱莲子草的入侵和扩散与农业等生态系统中土壤氮素残留的关系提供参考。       

喜旱莲子草沿河岸带不同生境的盖度变化及形态可塑性

喜旱莲子草(Alternanthera philoxeroides)原产南美洲,是中国国家环保总局公布的9种危害最大的外来入侵植物之一。该文比较了分布于河岸带4种小生境中,喜旱莲子草和它的同属土著植物莲子草(Alternanthera sessilis)的盖度和生长特征变化,以了解影响喜旱莲子草入侵的生境和生长特征。按照距水体的距离远近,这些小生境依次为:废弃农田、沼泽、河边沙石滩及河间卵石滩。 结果表明,这4种生境在基质性质、土壤养分和生产力方面存在显著的差异。在生产力较高的生境中(如废弃地和沼泽),喜旱莲子草是优势种,但在生产力较低的生境中(即河边砾石滩及河间卵石滩)土著种莲子草的相对盖度大于喜旱莲子草。随着生境土壤养分的增加,喜旱莲子草表现出明显的形态可塑性。喜旱莲子草与觅光相关的几个形态指标,如茎的长度、节间长度和节的数目以及单叶面积都显著增加;同时,那些着生叶片的分枝也从匍匐状转变成直立生长。在生产力较高的生境中,喜旱莲子草的植冠高度和茎干密度成正相关,表明喜旱莲子草对极度密集的种群环境有很强的适应能力。这些结果说明,较高的形态可塑性和优先占据具有较高土壤养分的小生境是喜旱莲子草沿河岸带入侵的基本特征,可能也是促成其入侵的重要的内部(植物自身)和外部(生境)条件。     

水淹胁迫诱导喜旱莲子草茎发生类环割效应

在水淹环境中,喜旱莲子草水面上未受淹的茎段常表现出增粗膨大的现象。遭受水淹的植物被淹没的组织和器官会面临氧气缺乏和能量供应不足的问题。植物体内碳水化合物的运输需要消耗能量,当因水淹而使植株被部分淹没（即地下部分全部和地上部分的一部分被淹没）时,由于水淹缺氧导致能量供应不足,碳水化合物在植物被淹组织内的运输可能受限从而在水面上的未淹茎段中积累并对未淹茎段的径向形态产生影响。为探究水淹环境中喜旱莲子草未受淹茎段增粗膨大是否与碳水化合物积累有关,对茎被水淹和茎不受水淹的喜旱莲子草进行对比研究,结果发现：（1）水淹的喜旱莲子草位于水面上的未淹茎段节间平均直径显著大于水面下受淹茎段节间平均直径,未淹茎段与受淹茎段相比发生显著的膨大现象;未水淹的喜旱莲子草其茎的上部茎段节间平均直径与下部茎段节间平均直径相比并无显著差异,上部茎段也无明显膨大现象。（2）水淹的喜旱莲子草位于水面上的未淹茎段碳水化合物含量显著高于未水淹的喜旱莲子草对应茎段的碳水化合物含量。本研究表明,水淹胁迫下喜旱莲子草位于水面上的未受淹茎段中碳水化合物发生积累,导致植株位于水面上的未受淹茎段发生与物理环割后类似的茎膨大现象。     

喜旱莲子草入侵群落土壤对植物生长的影响

分别以受喜旱莲子草(Alternanthera philoxeroides)入侵和未受喜旱莲子草入侵的当地植物群落土壤为生长基质,比较不同基质上入侵植物喜旱莲子草和同属的土著植物莲子草(A.sessilis)的生长指标,探讨喜旱莲子草入侵群落土壤对喜旱莲子草及莲子草生长的影响机制。结果表明,喜旱莲子草入侵群落土壤抑制了莲子草的生长,显著降低了根生物量、茎生物量和总生物;改变了形态特征,显著降低了分枝数量、茎长度、根长、根体积;减少了对根的生物量分配,显著抑制了根质量比与根冠比。喜旱莲子草入侵群落土壤对入侵植物喜旱莲子草的生物量、分枝数量、茎长度、根长、根体积没有显著的抑制作用,而显著增加了其叶片数量和叶质量比。这种效应将有利于喜旱莲子草在入侵地形成单优群落,表明土壤在喜旱莲子草成功入侵中起了重要作用。     

Plant-Parasitic Nematodes of South Viet Nam

Between 1974 and 1978, 2,842 identifications of plant-parasitic nematodes were made from more than 1,700 soil and plant samples collected in eight provinces of South Viet Nam. Species in nine genera—Helicotylenchus, Criconemoides, Meloidogyne, Pratylenchus, Tylenchorhynchus, Hoplolaimus, Hirschmanniella, Xiphinema, and Rotylenchulus—comprised 96.1% of the identifications; the remaining 3.9% were species of 11 genera. Fourteen genera were associated with rice which was grown on about 2,500,000 ha in 1970. Of these, Ditylenchus, Hirschmanniella, and Meloidogyne were most important. Ditylenchus angustus caused severe damage to about 50,000 ha of flooded rice in the Mekong Delta in 1976. Hirschmanniella spp. were found in all samples examined from flooded rice fields. Meloidogyne spp. were common in rice seedbeds, upland rice, and rice not kept flooded continuously. Meloidogyne and Pratylenchus spp. were found in roots of 22 of the 32 crop plants sampled. Little or no attempt was made in South Viet Nam to control nematodes.     

Identification key for European strand-forming house-rot fungi

An identification key for 20 common strand-forming indoor wood decay fungi is given. The key is based on observations of material from affected buildings and on wood samples that have been incubated in the laboratory. The key is with macro- and microscopic photographs.     

Parasites, emerging disease and wildlife conservation

In this review some emerging issues of parasite infections in wildlife, particularly in Australia, are considered. We discuss the importance of understanding parasite biodiversity in wildlife in terms of conservation, the role of wildlife as reservoirs of parasite infection, and the role of parasites within the broader context of the ecosystem. Using a number of parasite species, the value of undertaking longitudinal surveillance in natural systems using non-invasive sampling and molecular tools to characterise infectious agents is illustrated in terms of wildlife health, parasite biodiversity and ecology.     

Phylogenetic relationships among Southeast Asian climbing bamboos (Poaceae: Bambusoideae) and the Bambusa complex

A phylogenetic analysis of Bambusa and allies based on the plastid DNA non-coding regions rps16-trnQ, trnC-rpoB, trnH-psbA and trnD-T, and a partial nuclear GBSSI gene, was carried out. This included representatives from all four Bambusa subgenera (including type species), a group of segregate Southeast Asian genera distinctive by their climbing–scrambling culms (Dinochloa, Holttumochloa, Kinabaluchloa, Maclurochloa, Soejatmia, Sphaerobambos), and two other Bambusinae genera (Dendrocalamus, Gigantochloa). The results do not support the present subgeneric classification of Bambusa. The climbing Southeast Asian genera, all of which include species previously placed in Bambusa, are distinct from the “core Bambusa group” (type species and alliance) and the Bambusa complex generally.     

The identification of microRNAs in the whitespotted bamboo shark (Chiloscyllium plagiosum) liver by Illumina sequencing

MicroRNAs are indispensable players in the regulation of a broad range of biological processes. Here, we report the first deep sequencing of the whitespotted bamboo shark (Chiloscyllium plagiosum) liver. We mapped 91 miRNAs in the Callorhinchus milii genome that have previously been described in the Danio rerio, Fugu rubripes, Oryzias latipes, Xenopus laevis, Xenopus tropicalis, Homo sapiens, and Mus musculus. In addition, 156 new putative candidate (PC) C. plagiosum miRNAs were identified. From these 247 miRNAs, 39 miRNA clusters were identified, and the expression of these clustered miRNAs was observed to vary significantly. A total of 7 candidate miRNAs were selected for expression confirmation by stem-loop RT-PCR. This study resulted in the addition of a significant number of novel miRNA sequences to GenBank and laid the foundation for further understanding of the function of miRNAs in the regulation of C. plagiosum liver development.     

Semicircular canal system in early primates

Mammals with more rapid and agile locomotion have larger semicircular canals relative to body mass than species that move more slowly. Measurements of semicircular canals in extant mammals with known locomotor behaviours can provide a basis for testing hypotheses about locomotion in fossil primates that is independent of postcranial remains, and a means of reconstructing locomotor behaviour in species known only from cranial material. Semicircular canal radii were measured using ultra high resolution X-ray CT data for 9 stem primates (“plesiadapiforms”; n = 11), 7 adapoids (n = 12), 4 omomyoids (n = 5), and the possible omomyoid Rooneyia viejaensis (n = 1). These were compared with a modern sample (210 species including 91 primates) with known locomotor behaviours. The predicted locomotor agilities for extinct primates generally follow expectations based on known postcrania for those taxa. “Plesiadapiforms” and adapids have relatively small semicircular canals, suggesting they practiced less agile locomotion than other fossil primates in the sample, which is consistent with reconstructions of them as less specialized for leaping. The derived notharctid adapoids (excluding Cantius) and all omomyoids sampled have relatively larger semicircular canals, suggesting that they were more agile, with Microchoerus in particular being reconstructed as having had very jerky locomotion with relatively high magnitude accelerations of the head. Rooneyia viejaensis is reconstructed as having been similarly agile to omomyids and derived notharctid adapoids, which suggests that when postcranial material is found for this species it will exhibit features for some leaping behaviour, or for a locomotor mode requiring a similar degree of agility.     

Ent-3,4-seco-labdane and ent-labdane diterpenoids from Croton stipuliformis (Euphorbiaceae)

From a methanolic extract of the leaves of Croton stipuliformis, three ent-3,4-seco-labdanes (1-3) and an ent-labdane (4) together with the known compounds 6-hydroxynidorellol (5), maravuic acid, and sitosterol were isolated and identified from their spectroscopic data. The absolute stereochemistry of compound 4 was determined by application of Mosher's method in the NMR tube.