杉木人工林剔除林下植被对凋落层养分循环的短期影响

通过湖南会同杉木人工林3个试验地点的林下植被去除试验,研究了林下植被剔除对凋落物分解的影响.结果表明:杉木人工林未分解凋落层、半分解层和已分解层的凋落物现存量分别为(123.7±46.3)、(204.2±79.1)和(187.1±94.8)g·m-2,相应的C浓度为(447.51±16.75)、(418.89±35.75)和(376.11±47.33) g· kg-1,N浓度为(4.87±1.24)、(6.4±2.38)和(4.66±2.64)g·kg-1,P浓度为(0.14±0.01)、(0.16±0.03)和(0.16±0.02)g·kg-1.在试验点DL87和MS90中,林下植被剔除对半分解层凋落物的现存量和养分储量有显著影响,且不同试验地点的结果不一致,DL87的C、N、P储量降低55％以上,而MS90则上升约1倍,但对未分解层和已分解层的现存量和养分储量基本没有影响.林下植被剔除对凋落物分解早期阶段没有显著影响,处理150 d后则有明显的抑制效应,剔除组分解速率下降了20.8％.因此,林下植被对凋落物养分循环的短期效应受其所处环境条件和作用时间的影响.     

酸雨背景下缙云山典型林分凋落物量和营养元素含量及其释放特征

选取缙云山针阔混交林、常绿阔叶林、楠竹林和灌木林作为研究对象,对4种林分的凋落物储量和营养元素释放量等进行观测,并应用室内模拟酸雨实验对4种林分凋落物进行淋溶模拟。结果表明:缙云山各林分现存凋落物厚度为1.4～4.5 cm,具有明显的分层结构;林分未分解U层、半分解S层和分解D层现存凋落物量分别为1.97～8.59、2.84～10.18和3.58～17.43 t·hm-2,林分年凋落物量为2.17～9.86 t·hm-2·a-1,凋落物总储量为14.21～32.42 t·hm-2,凋落物分解常数为0.15～0.31,林下凋落物分解95%时所需时间针阔混交林和楠竹林均在10年以上,凋落物分解速率比较缓慢;林下凋落物层营养元素含量以Ca、N为主,Fe、K、Mg次之;凋落物总的营养元素释放率表现为常绿阔叶林(0.80)>灌木林(0.72)>针阔混交林(0.50)>楠竹林(-0.17);与叶片相比,凋落物中N、K、Mn 3种营养元素含量明显降低;为探明酸雨影响营养元素循环的作用机理,对模拟酸雨的离子含量与凋落物淋滤液盐基离子含量进行了分析,其相关性大小表现为楠竹林(相关系数0.895)>针阔混交林(0.826)>灌木(0.700)>常绿阔叶林(0.699),楠竹林凋落物营养元素的淋滤受酸雨影响最大,常绿阔叶林受其影响最弱;推测在这一过程中以凋落物的吸附作用为主。     

红松混交林凋落物氮储量及分解释放对土壤氮的影响

2012年5—10月,采用直接收获法,研究了小兴安岭地区云冷杉红松混交林和枫桦红松混交林两种林型凋落物的未分解层(L层)、半分解层(F层)和腐殖质层(H层)以及土壤表层(S层)氮储量及凋落物分解释放对土壤氮影响。结果表明:研究期间两种林型凋落物现存量变化范围分别为19.43~27.25和21.25~24.28 t·hm-2,氮储量变化范围分别为287.21~418.22和274.81~351.21 kg·hm-2,各层氮含量大小次序均为LFHS;云冷杉红松混交林各层凋落物现存量及其氮储存量5月和9月达到峰值,每月氮储量从L~H层均增加,凋落物分解释放氮在F和H层易富集,输入到土壤中较少;枫桦红松混交林各层凋落物现存量及其氮储量5月和10月达到峰值,每月氮储量从L~H层均减少,氮在凋落物各层中均易迁移,输入到土壤中的氮比云冷杉红松混交林多;两种林型L、F、H层凋落物现存量以及H层氮含量与S层氮含量之间,L和F层凋落物现存量与H层氮含量之间均呈显著正相关。     

季节性冻融期间亚高山森林凋落物的质量损失及元素释放

季节性冻融期间的凋落物分解对季节性冻土区的森林生态系统过程可能具有重要的影响,但已有的研究报道很少.因此,采用凋落物分解袋法研究了岷江冷杉 (Abies faxoniana Rehder & E. H. Wilson)林和白桦(Betula platyphylla Sukaczev)林凋落叶的分解.一个季节性冻融期间,冷杉林和白桦林凋落物的质量损失率分别为(19.4 ±2.0)%和(21.5±3.5)%,约为1a中凋落物分解的64.5%和65.6%,表明季节性冻融对亚高山森林凋落物分解影响显著.冷杉凋落物中C、N、P、K、Ca和Mg的释放率为(15.0±1.0)%、(34.1±3.6)%、(17.0±0.9)%、(22.8±5.9)%、(20.1±0.1)%和(36.3±2.1)%,白桦凋落物中C、N、P、K、Ca和Mg的释放率为(20.7±0.1)%、(29.4±3.4) %、(15.7±1.3)%、(16.8±5.1)%、(21.3±1.8)%和(20.5±2 8)%.结合叶凋落物产量可以推断,冷杉林凋落物在一个季节性冻融期间释放到土壤的N、P、K、Ca、Mg为(10.17±1.14) kg · hm-2、(0.68±0.08) kg · hm-2、(4.08±0.46) kg · hm-2、(0.46±0.05) kg · hm-2、(0.09±0.01) kg · hm-2,白桦林为(5.61±1 12) kg · hm-2、(0.34±0.07) kg · hm-2、(1.21±0.24) kg · hm-2、(0.300±0.059) kg · hm-2、(0.051±0.010) kg · hm-2,这对于春季亚高山森林植物生长具有重要的生态学意义.     

大熊猫栖息环境的森林凋落物动态研究

本文以王朗自然保护区冷杉、云杉暗针叶林为对象,在定位测定森林凋落量及其动态和枯枝落叶贮量的基础上,研究了凋落物分解速率及其主要营养元素含量的变化,结果表明：(1)地表枯枝落叶总贮量变化在30.0—91.8t／ha,其中未分解层4.9—17.8,半分解层11.5—19.7,腐殖质层13.6—57.3t／ha。(2)森林凋落的枯枝落叶量因林型不同而略有差异,平均为2.8 t／ha·yr,其凋落高峰期分别在生长季开始的5月和生长季末的10月。(3)每年以凋落物形式返回林地的养分,氮为35.5kg／ha、磷为5.7kg／ha、钾为7.0kg／ha、镁为6.8kg／ha、钙为62.9kg／ha。(4)森林各种凋落物的混合物年分解率为0.3041g／g。95%的凋落物被分解需时约10年,在分解一段时间后,凋落物中的氮、钙、镁含量略有上升,钾明显减少,而磷含量变化不大。(5)森林凋落物的混合物腐解过程中,养分释放速率大小的顺序为：K>P>Mg>Ca>N,大熊猫主食竹的凋落叶则为：K>N>Ca>Mg>P。     

中国森林和草地凋落物现存量的空间分布格局及其控制因素

凋落物是陆地生态系统的重要组成部分,它对生态系统的养分循环非常重要。凋落物现存量是凋落物输入量与分解量的净累积量,理论上影响凋落物输入过程和分解过程的因素都会对凋落物现存量产生重要影响。目前,我国科学家对部分区域典型陆地生态系统凋落物现存量及其影响因素进行了探讨,但迄今为止,全国尺度下的关于凋落物现存量评估的结果还未见报道。因此,如何准确地评估凋落物现存量对揭示生态系统应对全球变化具有重要意义。收集了2000—2014年公开发表文献中的森林和草地凋落物现存量数据(共1864个样点),并结合气候、土壤和地上生产力探讨了中国森林和草地凋落物现存量的空间格局及其主要控制因素,此外,还利用森林和草地凋落物的碳氮含量,结合凋落物现存量估算了不同区域和全国尺度的凋落物的碳氮贮量。分析结果表明:中国森林和草地的凋落物现存量存在较弱的经度和纬度格局,然而按照不同经度和纬度间隔整理数据后凋落物现存量表现出显著的空间分布格局。森林的凋落物现存量表现为随着经度和纬度的增加而逐渐增加,主要控制因素为温度。草地的凋落物现存量表现为随着经度的增加而逐渐升高,其主要影响因素为降水。森林和草地凋落物现存量在局部(或区域内)存在非常大的变异,这是造成其大尺度格局较弱的重要原因。结合1∶100万中国植被图的森林和草地面积数据,估算出中国森林的凋落物现存量约为1135.56 Tg,其碳氮贮量约为517.93 Tg C和15.33 Tg N;此外,中国草地的凋落物现存量约为119.63 Tg,其碳氮贮量分别为47.11 Tg C和1.59 Tg N。首次尝试对全国尺度森林和草地凋落物现存量及其碳氮贮量进行估算,其研究结论有助于揭示凋落物在碳氮循环中的重要作用,并可为准确评估中国陆地生态系统碳氮贮量提供重要参考。     

米老排人工林碳素积累特征及其分配格局

在生物量调查的基础上,对桂西南地区28年生米老排人工林生态系统的碳素积累特征及分配格局进行了研究.结果表明:米老排各器官碳含量在522.8～560.2 g·kg-1,大小排序为:树叶(560.2 g·kg-1)＞树干(542.8 g·kg-1)＞树根(530.9 g·kg-1)＞树皮(530.8 g·kg-1)＞树枝(522.8 g·kg-1);土壤碳含量以表土层最高,且随土层深度的增加而降低;米老排人工林乔木层碳贮量为147.90 t·hm-2,其中,树干占乔木层碳贮量的63.72％;米老排人工林生态系统碳贮量为285.36 t·hm-2,各组分的分配顺序为乔木层＞土壤层＞凋落物层＞灌木层＞草本层;植被层碳贮量为土壤层(0～100 cm)的1.1倍.     

小兴安岭十种典型森林群落凋落物生物量及其动态变化

在小兴安岭地区选取10种典型森林群落分别设置样地,研究该地区不同群落类型凋落物的年产量、月动态变化以及组成特征.结果表明:10种群落类型中年均凋落物量大小依次为椴树红松林(4.08t· hm-2·a-1)＞蒙古栎红松林(3.83 t·hm-2·a-1)＞云冷杉红松林(3.55 t·hm-2·a-1)＞云冷杉林(3.44t· hm-2·a-1)＞枫桦红松林(3.43t·hm-2· a-1)＞山杨次生林(3.26 t·hm-2·a-1)＞白桦次生林(3.04 t·hm-2·a-1)＞枫桦次生林(2.96 t·hm-2·a-1)＞杂木林(2.95 t·hm-2·a-1)＞白桦落叶松林(2.91 t·hm-2·a-1).凋落物各组分中均以落叶为主,约占凋落总量的60％以上,枝仅占凋落量的5.7％-9.4％.凋落物月动态模式主要有两种:单峰型的有蒙古栎红松林、椴树红松林、枫桦红松林、枫桦次生林、山杨次生林、白桦次生林、杂木林,高峰期在8-10月份;双峰型的有云冷杉红松林、云冷杉林、白桦落叶松次生林,前两种群落的凋落高峰期在4月和9月,后者高峰期在8月和10月.不同群落类型年凋落量差异显著,原始红松林凋落量高于天然次生林,且凋落高峰出现时问以及各组分所占比例与群落类型有关,同时也与树种生物学特性有关.     

三种阔叶林凋落物对下层土壤养分的影响

对天津八仙山国家级自然保护区3种典型阔叶林,即栓皮栎(Quercus variabilis)林、核桃楸(Juglans mandshurica)林、槲栎(Quercus aliena)林凋落物的未分解层、半分解层及下层土壤的养分进行分析,结果表明:(1)在凋落物的未分解层,C含量槲栎林最高为486.1 g·kg-1,栓皮栎林最低为447.5 g·kg-1。N、P含量核桃楸林均最高,分别为17.9和1.2 g·kg-1,槲栎林最低为13.2和0.8 g·kg-1;半分解层,C、P含量三者差异不显著,N含量以槲栎林最高为17.1 g·kg-1,栓皮栎林最低为10.5 g·kg-1。土壤C、N、P含量差异显著(P0.05),均表现出槲栎林最高,栓皮栎林最低。表明槲栎林自肥能力较强,土壤养分状况良好。(2)C/N、C/P值,在凋落物未分解层中,核桃楸林均小于栓皮栎林和槲栎林,而在半分解层中,3种林分无明显差异;从未分解层到半分解层,栓皮栎林的C/N、C/P值分别下降了17%和11%,槲栎林分别下降了19%和35%,而核桃楸林无明显变化。(3)矿质营养元素含量在凋落物未分解层中按照核桃楸林、栓皮栎林、槲栎林的顺序递减,矿质营养元素含量越大其pH值越接近中性;各林分凋落物矿质营养元素积累总量顺序为:栓皮栎林槲栎林核桃楸林。     

茂兰喀斯特原生林不同坡向及分解层的凋落物现存量和养分特征

以茂兰喀斯特原生林3种坡向林下凋落物为研究对象,通过野外调研采样和室内分析测试相结合的方法,探讨了不同喀斯特原生林生态系统下坡向和分解层的凋落物现存量、主要营养元素含量、储量及元素释放率的分布特征。结果表明:1)阴坡凋落物现存总量((0.568±0.024)kg·m~(-2))高于阳坡((0.504±0.03)kg·m~(-2))和半阴坡((0.295±0.02)kg·m~(-2)),不同坡向林下凋落物现存量在各分解层均表现为:未分解层(L层)半分解层(F层)全分解层(Y层);2)不同坡向林下凋落物各营养元素平均含量表现为:C((388.7±11.2)g·kg-1)N((24.90±3.49)g·kg-1)K((9.78±1.82)g·kg-1)P((1.53±0.32)g·kg-1),在各分解层的含量表现不同,碳含量和钾含量:LFY,氮含量和磷含量:YFL;3)3种坡向林下凋落物的碳、氮、钾元素总储量表现为:阴坡阳坡半阴坡,磷元素总储量表现为:阳坡阴坡半阴坡;4)凋落物营养元素储量在L层占总储量的37.1%~64.2%,并随分解加剧而减少;L层和F层的元素释放率均表现为:阴坡半阴坡阳坡,且碳、钾元素释放率高于氮、磷元素。在喀斯特原生林凋落物分解的养分释放过程中,坡向对林下凋落物的理化性质及分解速率有较大影响,且阴坡林下凋落物分解较快、营养元素内部循环周期较短。     

Race and Racism in America and in Anthropology

Race in North America: Origin and Evolution of a Worldview . Audrey Smedley
Anthropology and Race . Eugenia Shanklin     

Degradation and conversion of somatostatin in normal and diabetic rats in vivo and in vitro

Plasma somatostatin-like immunoreactivity in the portal and jugular veins of streptozotocin diabetic rats was compared with that in normal control rats. In the diabetic group, somatostatin levels in the portal (p less than 0.05) and jugular (p less than 0.01) veins were both elevated compared with those in the control group. Moreover, the degree of elevation was greater in the jugular vein than in the portal vein. To further investigate the role of the liver in the clearance of somatostatin-28 in vivo, 2 micrograms of somatostatin-28 was administered as a bolus into the external jugular vein of intact and functionally hepatectomized rats. The mean half-time of somatostatin-28 was significantly longer in intact diabetic rats than in controls (p less than 0.05). The functional hepatectomy did not cause a significant difference in the half-time in diabetic rats but made it longer in control rats. These results suggest that the longer half-time of somatostatin-28 in diabetic rats in vivo is due to its slower hepatic clearance. The hepatic clearance of somatostatin-28 and somatostatin-14 was further studied in vitro using a recirculating liver perfusion method. The hepatic clearance of 1.2 nM of either somatostatin-28 or somatostatin-14 was significantly lower in diabetic rats than in controls (p less than 0.01). This indicates that elevated plasma somatostatin levels in diabetic rats are caused at least in part by decreased hepatic clearance of somatostatin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Trajectories and Constraints in Brain Evolution in Primates and Cetaceans

A negative allometric relationship between body mass (BM) and brain size (BS) can be observed for many vertebrate groups. In the past decades, researchers have proposed several hypotheses to explain this finding, but none is definitive and some are possibly not mutually exclusive. Certain species diverge markedly (positively or negatively) from the mean of the ratio BM/BS expected for a particular taxonomic group. It is possible to define encephalization quotient (EQ) as the ratio between the actual BS and the expected brain size. Several cetacean species show higher EQs compared to all primates, except modern humans. The process that led to big brains in primates and cetaceans produced different trajectories, as shown by the organizational differences observed in every encephalic district (e.g., the cortex). However, these two groups both convergently developed complex cognitive abilities. The comparative study on the trajectories through which the encephalization process has independently evolved in primates and cetaceans allows a critical appraisal of the causes, the time and the mode of quantitative and qualitative development of the brain in our species and in the hominid evolutionary lineage.     

Variation in infectivity and aggressiveness in space and time in wild host-pathogen systems: causes and consequences

Variation in host resistance and in the ability of pathogens to infect and grow (i.e. pathogenicity) is important as it provides the raw material for antagonistic (co)evolution and therefore underlies risks of disease spread, disease evolution and host shifts. Moreover, the distribution of this variation in space and time may inform us about the mode of coevolutionary selection (arms race vs. fluctuating selection dynamics) and the relative roles of G × G interactions, gene flow, selection and genetic drift in shaping coevolutionary processes. Although variation in host resistance has recently been reviewed, little is known about overall patterns in the frequency and scale of variation in pathogenicity, particularly in natural systems. Using 48 studies from 30 distinct host–pathogen systems, this review demonstrates that variation in pathogenicity is ubiquitous across multiple spatial and temporal scales. Quantitative analysis of a subset of extensively studied plant–pathogen systems shows that the magnitude of within‐population variation in pathogenicity is large relative to among‐population variation and that the distribution of pathogenicity partly mirrors the distribution of host resistance. At least part of the variation in pathogenicity found at a given spatial scale is adaptive, as evidenced by studies that have examined local adaptation at scales ranging from single hosts through metapopulations to entire continents and – to a lesser extent – by comparisons of pathogenicity with neutral genetic variation. Together, these results support coevolutionary selection through fluctuating selection dynamics. We end by outlining several promising directions for future research.     

Deoxynivalenol and nivalenol in wheat and by-products in Argentina

The deoxynivalenol and nivalenol contamination in wheat and by-products obtained through milling was analized by Trucksess method slightly modified in the proportion of acetonitrile—water (3:1). Only one sample of wheat showed deoxynivalenol contamination, 1,200μg/kg. No samples obtained in different stages of the milling were contaminated with deoxynivalenol or nivalenol. In the commercial wheat flours the levels found ranged between 400 and 800μg/kg, as follows: 400μ/kg, 5 samples; 800jug/kg, 1 sample.     

Obestatin and ghrelin in obese and in pregnant women

We identified, through qPCR, receptor mRNA for a number of gut peptides in female human omental fat: the incretins, GIP and GLP-1, the orexigenic peptides PYY-Y1 and -Y2 and ghrelin, and the anorexigenic peptide obestatin. Four cohorts of women were examined: lean controls (BMI<23), obese (BMI>41), obese diabetic and term pregnant women. Human fat expressed receptor mRNAs for all six peptides. Pregnant women expressed roughly three times as much orphan GPR-39 receptor, a proposed obestatin receptor, than other women and less than half as much of the ghrelin receptor (GHSR-1a). An immunoblot probed with a GPR-39 selective antibody yielded a single band corresponding to the correct molecular weight (52 kDa) for the proposed obestatin receptor. Fluorescent immunohistochemistry of human fat employing the same antibody indicated the receptor protein was localized to the adipocyte cell membrane. The concentration of obestatin circulating in blood was measured in the same cohort of women and was significantly lower in obese and obese diabetic women compared to control.     

Electroejaculation in chimpanzees and gorillas and artificial insemination in chimpanzees

Electroejaculation was performed in 3 chimpanzees, 1 pygmy chimpanzee, and 2 gorillas with an instrument that delivers a modified sine wave current with a frequency of 24 Hz. The current stimuli were applied by a rectal probe with longitudinal electrodes. The electrical parameters varied from 6 to 12 V and from 30 to 40 mA for response of erection and lay between 8 and 18 V and between 40 and 145 mA during semen emission. Eleven chimpanzee semen samples showed the following data (x ± SD): total volume 1.9 ± 1.3 ml, volume of the liquid fraction 0.3 ± 0.2 ml, spermatozoa per ejaculate 743 ± 376 × 10⁶, sperm motility 52.7 ± 9.6%, morphologically abnormal spermatozoa 12.2 ± 7.5%. From an adult gorilla, three semen samples were collected, in each case without spermatozoa. The electrostimulation of a 6-year-old gorilla led to an erection, but not to semen emission. Three female chimpanzees were inseminated with fresh or frozen semen, each of them within three different estrous cycles. None of these inseminations led to a pregnancy.