Sex ratio effects on copulation,fecundity and progeny fitness for Agasicles hygrophila,a biological control agent of alligator weed

Determining the best ratio of females to males of an insect's natural enemy is important for maximising population increase and promoting population establishment of a natural enemy. In this study, copulation behaviour, fecundity, progeny fitness and rate of population increase for the flea beetle, Agasicles hygrophila Selman & Vogt (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), were compared at different female percentage treatments (i.e., 80%, 66.7%, 50%, 33.3% and 20% females). The results showed that the copulation frequency and duration in males decreased, whereas those in females increased as the number of males increased. At 20%, 33.3% and 66.7% females, the rates of population increase were 3.4-, 2.17- and 0.79-fold higher than that at 50% females. Females at 20% and 33.3% were found to be optimal for mass rearing of the beetle.     

空心莲子草、大豆和向日葵叶组织K~+(~(86)Rb~+)的吸收和通量分析

空心莲子草叶片K~+吸收的K_m比大豆和向日葵的要高,但I_m都相近。空心莲子草根系的溢泌速率及溢泌液中K~+浓度都比大豆和向日葵的高。后两者的溢泌速率相近,但向日葵根系溢泌液中K~+浓度却高于大豆。 这三种植物叶组织K~+含量因液泡的含K~+量不同而有明显差别。而液泡含K~+量和K_cv/K_cv的比值相一致。     

Control and spread of Alligator Weed Alternanthera philoxeroides (Mart.) Griseb., in Australia: lessons for other regions

Biological control of alligator weed Alternanthera philoxeroides (Mart.) Griseb. has been successful in limiting growth in water in areas with mild or warm winters, but not on land. Until recently, herbicides have had very limited short term and no long term effectiveness. Several herbicides that now provide better control include: glyphosate over water, and metsulfuron and dichlobenil on land and in shallow water. The latter two are limited by lack of selectivity, contamination of water, and cost. Mechanical or manual control has provided local eradication of the weed at a few locations where infestations were small. Alligator weed is still spreading with new outbreaks on New South Wales, Australia (NSW) coastal beach areas and coastal river systems, and on inland waterbodies. Its use as a cultivated vegetable by some ethnic communities has resulted in many new locations in all eastern Australia states: Queensland to Tasmania. It is predicted that it will spread throughout much of coastal and inland southern Australia. The difficulties with management of this weed indicate that every effort should be made to prevent further invasion of wetlands and, in particular, its introduction to Africa, where it is predicted that all wetlands could support destructive levels of alligator weed growth.     

不同生态型的喜旱莲子草对莲草直胸跳甲化蛹能力的影响

 喜旱莲子草(Alternanthera philoxeroides)是一种水陆两栖的外来杂草,我国1986年从美国引进了该草的专食性天敌莲草直胸跳甲(Agasicles hygrophila)进行生物防治。该天敌的化蛹能力受喜旱莲子草不同生态型的影响,从而影响到其生物防治的效果。从形态解剖的角度结合天敌和寄主植物的田间生理生态学研究了其机理。结果表明：水生型喜旱莲子草无次生结构,而陆生型则具紧密的次生结构和丰富的晶体;不同生态型的喜旱莲子草茎秆形态和结构特征有显著差异,同一生态型草不同位置结构特征也存在显著差异。主成分分析和聚类分析结果表明当λ=3.56时,不同生态型不同节间位置可分为3类,这3类正好可解释田间喜旱莲子草受控制的情况。相关分析表明莲草直胸跳甲的化蛹率与茎秆节间长、茎秆外直径、髓腔成简单正相关,与皮层薄壁细胞厚度和密度、维管束厚度及髓腔薄壁细胞的厚度成简单负相关;用逐步回归建立了化蛹率与形态和解剖结构特性的模型（y=1.533　2-0.248　3x3-0.051　2x4-1.634　9x5-0.957　7x6R2=0.999　9）,表明茎秆直径大小不是影响莲草直胸跳甲化蛹能力的最重要因子,主要原因为维管柱的厚度,其次髓部薄壁细胞厚度、皮层密度和皮层厚度也不同程度影响了莲草直胸跳甲的化蛹能力。从解剖学角度解释了莲草直胸跳甲对不同生态型喜旱莲子草控制作用的机理：对水生型喜旱莲子草有良好控制效果,而对陆生的中间型能起到一定抑制作用,对陆生的旱生型基本无控制作用。     

两种践踏胁迫下克隆整合对入侵植物空心莲子草生长的影响

研究了两种践踏胁迫下克隆整合对入侵植物空心莲子草生长的影响.结果表明:(1)切断分株间的匍匐茎连接,会降低先端分株的生物量、分株数、总匍匐茎长度和总叶片数,但会显著增强基端分株的生物量.(2)对先端分株的践踏胁迫会显著降低先端分株叶片的叶绿素相对含量,对基端分株的践踏胁迫会显著降低基端分株的生物量和总匍匐茎长度.(3)对于基端分株的分株数、总匍匐茎长度和总叶片数来说,当进行基端分株践踏胁迫时,匍匐茎连接对其影响不大,而当进行先端分株践踏胁迫时,则明显对其不利.(4)对于整个克隆片段,践踏胁迫的差异和匍匐茎是否切断对其生长没有显著影响.     

喜旱莲子草和接骨草竞争对模拟增温的响应

研究外来入侵植物与本地植物种竞争对气候变暖的响应, 对于预测未来气候变化背景下入侵植物的入侵趋势、理解其入侵机制以及筛选生态替代种具有重要的意义。以入侵我国的外来植物喜旱莲子草(Alternanthera philoxeroides)和本地植物种接骨草(Sambucus chinensis)为材料, 通过两种植物单栽、纯栽和混栽, 采用红外辐射加热器模拟增温, 研究了两种植物竞争对模拟增温的响应。结果表明: (1)在模拟增温期间(2013年5-12月), 增温组空气平均温度比不增温组提高了0.47 ℃, 相对湿度降低了1.87%; (2)混栽的喜旱莲子草除根冠比与单栽无显著差异外, 其余各生物量和根系形态指标均显著低于单栽喜旱莲子草; 无竞争、种间竞争和种内竞争三种竞争间, 接骨草除根冠比、细根与总根生物量比、比根长和比根表面积无显著差异外, 其余指标均呈现无竞争>种间竞争>种内竞争的趋势; (3)无竞争、种间竞争和种内竞争三种条件下, 喜旱莲子草各指标在增温和不增温处理间差异均不显著, 而接骨草总生物量和根生物量在无竞争和种间竞争条件下增温处理均显著低于不增温处理, 在种内竞争条件下则相反; (4)增温使接骨草的相对拥挤系数降低, 接骨草对温度升高反应敏感, 而喜旱莲子草则表现出一定的适应性。由此推测, 在中度遮阴陆生生境中, 接骨草有望成为喜旱莲子草生物替代控制的材料。     

Invasion by alligator weed,Alternanthera philoxeroides,is associated with decreased species diversity across the latitudinal gradient in China

Aims Invasive species occurrence and their effects on biodiversity may vary along latitudes. We examined the occurrence (species cover) and relative dominance (importance value) of invasive alligator weed, Alternanthera philoxeroides, in its terrestrial habitat in China through a large-scale latitudinal field investigation.Methods We established 59 plots along the latitudinal transect from 21°N to 37°N. We recorded species name, abundance, height and individual species coverage of plants in every quadrat. We then measured α-species diversity variations associated with the A. philoxeroides community across the latitudinal range. We also analyzed the effect of latitude on plant species' distributions in this community by using canonical correspondence analysis (CCA).Important findings We found that species cover and importance value of A. philoxeroides increased in areas <35°N, but decreased at higher latitudes. Lower latitudes supported greater species diversity than higher latitudes. Small-scale invasion of A. philoxeroides was associated with higher species diversity, but community diversity was lower when A. philoxeroides species cover exceeded 36%. Community plant species changed from mesophyte to hygrophyte gradually from low to high latitude. Our research suggests that latitude had significant influences on community diversity which interacted with the biotic resistance of a community and impact of invasion. Consequently, A. philoxeroides may become more invasive and have greater negative impacts on community species diversity in higher latitudes as global climate changes.     

香根草和水花生对垃圾污水中N、P、CI的吸收效果

香根草和水花生对垃圾污水中不同“污物”的吸收能力差别较大。二者对Ｎ的吸收量均超过了各自净化的 总Ｎ量,对Ｐ的吸收率亦较高,但植株体内的Ｐ浓度却随介质Ｐ浓度的升高而下降。和净化量相比,植物对低浓度 污水中ＣＩ的吸收率较高,但对高浓度中的吸收率较低。和原液中的“污物”量相比时,根系对元素的吸收率都明显 降低。这表明,植物净化系统中的去污方式除了根系的吸收外,还有其他方式,即根系是通过根际微生态系统的综 合作用来达到净化目的。总的来说,香根草对“污物”的吸收能力不比水花生强,尽管他比水花生有更强的净化能 力。     

入侵植物喜旱莲子草——生物学、生态学及管理

喜旱莲子草Alternanthera philoxeroides原产于南美洲,属于苋科Amaranthaceae莲子草属Alternanthera。一百多年来,该物种通过压舱水或军马饲料被传播到北美洲、大洋洲、欧洲,以及东南亚和中国等地,成为暖温带-热带湿润气候区淡水生态系统的重要外来入侵种。本文结合对喜旱莲子草在原产地的分布状况的考察、原产地和入侵地喜旱莲子草的比较研究,以及入侵生态学研究的最新成果,对该物种在原产地的地理分布和种内变异、生活史特征、入侵机制和控制策略等方面进行评述,以提高我国科研人员对这一外来入侵种的认识,为科学管理和控制提供依据。     

不同水陆环境中喜旱莲子草甲基化调控因子表达水平和差异表达基因启动子区甲基化状态分析

DNA甲基化是一种重要的表观遗传调控方式,参与对植物生长发育的调控,并在植物逆境胁迫响应中发挥作用。DNA甲基化的建立和维持是胞嘧啶甲基转移酶、染色质重塑酶、组蛋白修饰因子和去甲基化因子等协同作用的结果,环境胁迫能诱导植物体内DNA甲基化状态改变,进而改变基因表达水平和式样,影响植物的适应性。喜旱莲子草是一种恶性入侵植物,种内遗传多样性很低,主要依靠极强的表型可塑性侵占不同水陆生境。对克隆繁殖的喜旱莲子草个体进行不同时间的淹水处理,并用定量PCR方法检测16个DNA甲基化调控基因在不同处理条件下的表达水平和变化趋势,发现其中13个基因在不同处理时间点的表达水平有明显变化,且在淹水植株中多数基因在处理前期被强烈诱导上调表达。运用亚硫酸氢钠测序技术对两个在不同水陆条件下明显差异表达基因(Contig942和Contig23336)的上游启动子区甲基化动态进行分析,发现启动子区多个胞嘧啶位点的甲基化修饰状态在不同水陆条件下及淹水处理的不同时期呈现快速且可逆的动态变化,可能影响这些基因在不同环境条件下的表达水平。本研究结果能帮助了解喜旱莲子草表型可塑性变异和适应性发生的分子机理。