地球生物学发展的机遇与挑战*

地球生物学已经引起了人们的广泛关注, 目前面临着机遇与挑战并存的发展局面。得益于现代技术方法的大发展, 地球生物学的研究对象经历了从宏体动植物向微体古生物再向地质微生物和地质病毒的发展, 研究主题从气候环境对生物演化的影响进一步拓展到生物演化如何影响气候环境乃至深地过程, 进而回答生命是如何塑造地球的宜居性这个地球科学的根本性难题。研究对象和研究主题的拓展也提升了地球生物学服务人类社会的能力, 资源能源安全的保障、气候—环境—生物多样性危机的协调应对等都需要地球生物学的支撑。同时, 地球生物学的发展也面临着诸多挑战。它首先需要技术方法的进一步革新来带动认识的创新, 其次需要回答生物演化的驱动力问题, 更需要破解生物演化如何影响深地过程, 包括板块运动、火山活动等地质过程, 只有这样才能全面而正确地评估生物是否改变了宜居地球的演化方向, 以及如何应对当前人类所面临的诸多全球性难题。     

围绕生物学重要概念促进高三生物学课堂的有效教学——以“DNA的分子结构、功能及遗传信息的传递”复习课为例

生物学复习课中围绕重要概念进行教学活动,对帮助学生回顾并建构起学科知识框架、加深理解生物学的重要观点、提高学生分析、综合解决生物学问题都有非常重要的意义.以“DNA的分子结构、功能及遗传信息的传递”复习课为例,简述在教学过程中如何围绕重要概念进行有效教学.     

生命的本质和特例--“极端微生物专刊”序言北大核心CSCD

所谓极端微生物（extremophile）是站在人类的角度,对栖居于地球上所有＂非宜居＂空间中的微生物的统称。这些微生物包括嗜热、嗜冷、嗜酸、嗜碱、嗜盐、嗜压,以及仍然有待发现的其他嗜＂极＂微生物。沧海桑田,大千世界,微生物一直在地球和生命的协同演化过程中扮演着重要角色。     

Significance of bacteria in natural and experimental sedimentation of carbonates, phosphates, and silicates

The role of bacteria in sedimentation of phosphorites, siliceous and carbonate rocks is discussed. Preservation of bacterial bodies in fossil condition, even in very ancient deposits, is connected with their very early mineralization. A series of laboratory experiments allowed conditions to be reproduced that could have led to mineralization of cyanobacteria and their preservation in sedimentary deposits. The experiments have also shown the important role of cyanobacteria and their metabolic products in the formation of some carbonate minerals, as well as in the accumulation of stromatolites.     

A stressed stream ecosystem: macroinvertebrate community integrity and microbial trophic response

A year-long study of a second-order stream in Southwestern Virginia was carried out from 1979–80. One of the objectives of the study was to evaluate the effects of sewage and electroplating plant effluent stress on the trophic response of aquatic invertebrate assemblages and microbial communities in the stream. Quantitative benthic samples were collected periodically at three reference stations and four stressed stations below the outfalls. Invertebrates were counted, identified taxonomically, and classified into functional groups based on their feeding strategies. Ash-free dry weights were obtained for each functional group by date and station, and the number and density of different taxa were calculated as well. Reference stations had diverse invertebrate assemblages; scrapers were well represented and all functional groups were present in reasonably equivalent proportions. Stressed stations were dominated by collector gatherers and filterers to the virtual exclusion of scrapers. The trophic status of the microbial community was determined by suspending artificial substrates in the stream for 1-week periods. The community that colonized the substrates was assayed for ATP and chlorophyll a, and an autotrophy index (AI) was calculated using these values. The autotrophic component of the microbial community was greatest at the reference stations, and the community became primarily heterotrophic below the outfalls. The AI correlated well with the proportion of scrapers. Aquatic invertebrate assemblages and microbial communities responded to stress by changing their trophic structure to fit best the available energy sources. Where heterotrophic microbes dominated, gathering and filtering invertebrates utilized the abundant organic matter. In areas where a mainly autotrophic microbial community existed, scrapers, gatherers, and filterers were all present in balanced proportions.     

新疆叶城两种主栽红枣土壤养分、微生物多样性与营养品质的比较分析

比较新疆叶城两种主栽红枣—骏枣与灰枣的土壤养分、微生物多样性和枣营养品质之间的差异,分析土壤养分、微生物与枣营养品质之间的相关性,从土壤养分、微生物角度研究枣营养品质的影响因素。通过化学分析法测定叶城骏枣与灰枣土壤养分、枣营养品质指标,高通量测序分析土壤微生物多样性,将土壤养分和微生物优势门属微生物进行冗余分析,研究枣营养品质指标与土壤养分、微生物功能类群的相关性。结果显示,新疆叶城两种主栽红枣土壤的全氮、速效氮、有机质含量显著不同;细菌群落变化的主要原因是土壤TN(全氮)值,真菌群落变化的主要原因是土壤AN(速效氮)值。两种主栽红枣土壤微生物多样性显示,骏枣土壤微生物在细菌水平上具有更高的物种丰富性和多样性,薄壁杆菌属(Gracilibacillus)、芽胞杆菌目(Bacillales)等溶磷微生物、固氮微生物等功能土壤微生物相对丰度和占比较高,差异显著;枣营养品质,尤其是不可溶膳食纤维、Fe、K、Zn的含量差异明显。而不可溶膳食纤维、K、蔗糖含量与TP(全磷)、OM(有机质)存在显著负相关;Fe、Zn含量与薄壁杆菌属、芽胞杆菌目等九类功能微生物存在显著正相关;Mg、可溶性糖、可溶性...     

松嫩草地4种植物功能群土壤微生物碳源利用的差异

为了探讨草地不同植物功能群土壤微生物碳源利用差异,利用Biolog-ECO微平板检测法,研究了松嫩放牧草地禾草(Grass)、羊草(Leymus chinensis)、杂类草(Forb)和豆科牧草(Legume)4种植物功能群土壤微生物碳源代谢的多样性变化特征。结果表明,在培养的240h内,4种不同植物功能群的土壤微生物对碳源的利用程度均随着时间的延长而升高,表明微生物代谢活性随着时间而增强;不同植物功能群土壤微生物总体活性(AWCD)(P0.001)、Shannon-Wiener指数(H)(P0.001)、物种丰富度(R)(P=0.005)、Pielou均匀度指数(E)(P0.001)差异显著;其中禾草的各项指数明显高于其他3种(P0.01),杂类草的各指标均最低。禾草、羊草对糖类、氨基酸类、羧酸类、多聚物类有较好的利用,豆科牧草除羧酸类外对其他碳源都有更好的利用,杂类草只对酚类碳源利用率最高,而对其他碳源利用率极低。总体得出4种功能群土壤微生物的碳源利用率顺序为:禾草羊草豆科牧草杂类草。     

Microbiological and chemical properties of soil associated with macropores at different depths in a red-duplex soil in NSW Australia

Some agricultural soils in South Eastern Australia with duplex profiles have subsoils with high bulk density, which may limit root penetration, water uptake and crop yield. In these soils, a large proportion (up to 80%) of plant roots maybe preferentially located within the macropores or in the soil within 1–10 mm of the macropores, a zone defined as the macropore sheath (MPS). The chemical and microbiological properties of MPS soil manually dissected from a 1–3 mm wide region surrounding the macropores was compared with that of adjacent bulk soil (>10 mm from macropores) at 4 soil depths (0–20 cm, 20–40 cm, 40–60 cm and 60–80 cm). Compared to the bulk soil, the MPS soil had higher organic C, total N, bicarbonate-extractable P, Ca⁺, Cu, Fe and Mn and supported higher populations of bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes, Pseudomonas spp., Bacillus spp., cellulolytic bacteria, cellulolytic fungi, nitrifying bacteria and the root pathogen Pythium.In addition, analysis of carbon substrate utilization patterns showed the microbial community associated with the MPS soil to have higher metabolic activity and greater functional diversity than the microbial community associated with the bulk soil at all soil depths. Phospholipid fatty acids associated with bacteria and fungi were also shown to be present in higher relative amounts in the MPS soil compared to the bulk soil. Whilst populations of microbial functional groups in the MPS and the bulk soil declined with increasing soil depth, the differentiation between the two soils in microbiological properties occurred at all soil depths. Soil aggregates (< 0.5 mm diameter) associated with plant roots located within macropores were found to support a microbial community that was quantitatively and functionally different to that in the MPS soil and the bulk soil at all soil depths. The microbial community associated with these soil aggregates thus represented a third recognizable environment for plant roots and microorganisms in the subsoil.     

Eucalypt leaf decomposition in an intermittent stream in south-eastern Australia

Eucalypt leaf packs were placed at two sites in an intermittent stream during summer to examine the hypothesis that terrestrially-exposed leaf litter accumulates a richer microbial flora than submerged leaves — a phenomenon observed in Canadian temporary vernal pools. This did not occur; during the experiment, microbial biomass (as ATP) rose steadily on submerged leaves but remained low on terrestrially-exposed leaves. Densities of most functional feeding groups on the submerged leaves increased with time. Scrapers appeared to be more important than shredders in eucalypt leaf breakdown at both sites.