放牧对冶勒自然保护区大熊猫生境的影响

四川冶勒自然保护区周边村民的牲畜基本上都在保护区内放养。为研究放牧和大熊猫对竹类的利用及放牧强度与竹类的关系 ,利用Forageratio选择指数 ,Pearson相关分析和联列表独立性检验 ,对调查数据进行分析。结果表明 ,大熊猫活动区海拔为 2 870～ 390 0m ,并喜欢选择竹类盖度为 5 0 %～ 10 0 % ,竹类高度 2～ 3m ,竹类生长状况好的竹林。而放牧海拔为 2 70 0～ 4 0 0 0m ,放牧对竹类的盖度、高度、生长状况没有选择性 ,为随机利用。放牧海拔与大熊猫活动海拔无显著相关。大熊猫在放牧生境活动的频率较低 ;放牧生境中竹类的成竹平均密度和竹子平均密度都低于大熊猫活动生境 ,枯死竹比例高于大熊猫活动生境。放牧强度与竹类的有、无和竹类盖度是相关联的 ,大熊猫出现与否也与放牧活动相关联 (在 95 %的置信度 ,P <0 0 5 )。放牧强度强的生境没有大熊猫活动 ,竹子的盖度也较低。由于放牧活动对竹类的生长和盖度造成影响 ,从而影响大熊猫对放牧生境的利用 ,在保护区内应采取一定的措施控制放牧活动。     

Mechanical properties of chitosan/bamboo charcoal composite films made with normal and surface oxidized charcoal

Chitosan/bamboo charcoal composite films were prepared by blending chitosan with either virgin bamboo charcoal or bamboo charcoal modified by nitric acid oxidation to provide more hydrophilic regions on the bamboo charcoal surface. Investigation of the physical properties of these composite films revealed that the tensile strength and Young’s modulus of the chitosan films were enhanced in a dose-dependent manner by the inclusion of modified bamboo charcoal at up to 1% (w/w), whilst the elongation at break was increased by inclusion of modified bamboo charcoal at up to 0.5% (w/w). In contrast, chitosan composites with virgin bamboo charcoal at up to 0.5% or 1.0% (w/w) showed no enhancement of the tensile strength or Young’s modulus, respectively, and both parameters were reduced with higher levels of virgin bamboo charcoal. Oil, and especially water, absorption of the composite films displayed a marked and dose-dependent increase compared to those of the pure chitosan film.     

Mauritius on fire: Tracking historical human impacts on biodiversity loss

Fire was rare on Mauritius prior to human arrival (AD 1598); subsequently three phases of elevated fire activity occurred: ca 1630–1747, 1787–1833, and 1950–modern. Elevated fire frequency coincided with periods of high human impact evidenced from the historical record, and is linked to the extinction of island endemics.     

Who's behind that mask and cape? The Asian leopard cat's Agouti (ASIP) allele likely affects coat colour phenotype in the Bengal cat breed

Coat colours and patterns are highly variable in cats and are determined mainly by several genes with Mendelian inheritance. A 2‐bp deletion in agouti signalling protein (ASIP) is associated with melanism in domestic cats. Bengal cats are hybrids between domestic cats and Asian leopard cats (Prionailurus bengalensis), and the charcoal coat colouration/pattern in Bengals presents as a possible incomplete melanism. The complete coding region of ASIP was directly sequenced in Asian leopard, domestic and Bengal cats. Twenty‐seven variants were identified between domestic and leopard cats and were investigated in Bengals and Savannahs, a hybrid with servals (Leptailurus serval). The leopard cat ASIP haplotype was distinguished from domestic cat by four synonymous and four non‐synonymous exonic SNPs, as well as 19 intronic variants, including a 42‐bp deletion in intron 4. Fifty‐six of 64 reported charcoal cats were compound heterozygotes at ASIP, with leopard cat agouti (A^Pbe) and domestic cat non‐agouti (a) haplotypes. Twenty‐four Bengals had an additional unique haplotype (A2) for exon 2 that was not identified in leopard cats, servals or jungle cats (Felis chaus). The compound heterozygote state suggests the leopard cat allele, in combination with the recessive non‐agouti allele, influences Bengal markings, producing a darker, yet not completely melanistic coat. This is the first validation of a leopard cat allele segregating in the Bengal breed and likely affecting their overall pelage phenotype. Genetic testing services need to be aware of the possible segregation of wild felid alleles in all assays performed on hybrid cats.     

Plant material features responsible for bamboo's excellent mechanical performance: a comparison of tensile properties of bamboo and spruce at the tissue,fibre and cell wall levels

MethodsThe mechanical properties of single fibres and tissue slices of stems of mature moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) and spruce (Picea abies) latewood were investigated in microtensile tests. Cell parameters, cellulose microfibril angles and chemical composition were determined using light and electron microscopy, wide-angle X-ray scattering and confocal Raman microscopy.ConclusionsThe superior tensile properties of bamboo fibres and fibre bundles are mainly a result of amplified cell wall formation, leading to a densely packed tissue, rather than being based on specific cell wall properties. The material optimization towards extremely compact fibres with a multi-lamellar cell wall in bamboo might be a result of a plant growth strategy that compensates for the lack of secondary thickening growth at the tissue level, which is not only favourable for the biomechanics of the plant but is also increasingly utilized in terms of engineering products made from bamboo culms.     

竹子叶绿体基因组SSR分子标记的开发及其应用

为探讨观赏竹叶片异质性的机理,根据麻竹(Dendrocalamus latiflorus)和绿竹(Bambusa oldhamii)叶绿体基因组序列开发SSR分子标记。结果表明,在麻竹和绿竹叶绿体基因组中分别存在87和86个SSR位点,其中三核苷酸重复类型最多,其次为单核苷酸重复类型。根据SSR位点设计21对引物,其中11对引物对6竹种能够扩增出稳定、清晰的条带,且具有多态性,引物有效率达到52.4%。聚类分析表明,6竹种可分为两大类群,与形态学分类结果基本一致。有4对引物在菲白竹(Pleioblastus fortunei)和白纹椎谷笹(Sasaella glabra f.albo-striata)的花叶中具有多态性,可作为区分观赏竹叶片异质性的分子标记。     

大熊猫粪便宽径与咬节平均长度的关系

粪便咬节是大熊猫数量调查中最常用的指标。然而,大熊猫在主食竹叶的季节有时在粪便中未留下咬节而使数量调查难以进行。为此,本文对大熊猫粪便宽径与咬节平均长度的关系进行了初步探讨。结果表明,大熊猫粪便宽径呈正态分布,同一个体的含咬节粪便与全由竹叶组成的粪便在宽径上无显著差异。大熊猫咬节平均长度与粪便宽径存在显著的回归关系。在不考虑年龄的情况下,粪便咬节平均长度与粪便宽径的回归方程为:Y=0.38X十14.40。成体和亚成体组的粪便咬节平均长度与粪便宽径的回归方程为:Y=0.22 X+22.79。年龄对大熊猫粪便咬节平均长度与粪便宽径的回归关系有显著影响。     

Carbon storage and root penetration in deep soils under small-farmer land-use systems in the Eastern Amazon region,Brazil

The north-east of Pará state in the Eastern Amazon of Brazil was settled over 100 years ago. Today the region is an agricultural landscape with variously-aged secondary vegetation and fields with annual cultures, plantation crops and pastures. The effect of these different land covers on carbon sequestration as well as on water and nutrient extraction remain subject of debate. Therefore, we assessed the importance of land use on soil carbon stocks by measuring various C fractions and root biomass (0–6 m) in slash-and-burn systems and (semi-) permanent cultures. An extensive root system down to at least 6 m depth was present under various secondary vegetation stands and slashed and burned fields recently taken into cultivation as well as under a primary forest. Shallower rooting patterns were evident under (permanent) oil palm (4.5 m) and (semi-permanent) passion fruit plantations (2.5 m). Carbon storage in soils of traditional slash-and-burn agriculture up to 6 m depth (185 t ha^-1) was not significantly lower than under a primary forest (196 t ha^-1) but declined significantly under (semi-) permanent cultures (to 146–167 t ha^-1). Compared to above-ground C losses, soil C losses due to slash-and-burn agriculture may thus be small. This is an argument for maintaining the secondary vegetation as part of the agricultural land-use system, as the root system of its trees is conserved and thus C is sequestered also at greater depth.     

Pseudoreplication in experimental designs for the manipulation of seed germination treatments

In the published reports concerning the design of laboratory experiments examining signals that might trigger seed germination, there is currently a misunderstanding of what might constitute correct replication of the experimental treatment. This is particularly true for the study of dry heat, smoke and charcoal, where either an individual seed or a batch of seeds in a Petri dish or tray is being treated as the unit of replication of the experimental treatment, irrespective of whether or not those seeds were all subjected to the experimental manipulation simultaneously. Under these circumstances, the application of the treatment is unreplicated, while samples nested within that single application have been replicated, and the Petri dishes/trays are functioning solely as independent replicates of the variability in germination response within the seed batch used and variation within the pretreatment and post‐treatment environments. Thus any observed difference in germination may be due to the germination treatment but, potentially, it could also be due to any chance event affecting the treated sample. There are a number of alternative experimental designs that avoid this problem. The essential point with these designs is that the application of the experimental manipulation to each replicate should be separated in space by the use of separate experimental equipment and/or in time by the repeated use of the same experimental apparatus.     

Asymbiotic germination of Odontoglossum gloriosum RCHB.F (Orchidaceae) under in vitro conditions

Summary An efficient seed germination system was developed for an endemic and endangered orchid of the prairies of Bogotá, Colombia. The effects of three culture media [Murashige and Skoog (MS) salts (1962); Knudson C (KC) salts (1946); and Hydro-Coljap^? salts], activated charcoal [0 and 0.5% (w/v)], α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA; 0.0, 2.68 and 5.37 μM), and four light regimes (white light, darkness, red light, and far-red light) on asymbiotic germination of Odontoglossum gloriosum, were studied. The best germination percentage and germination time was obtained on agar-solidified medium supplemented with Hydro-Coljap^? salts and 2.68 μM NAA under red light with a 16-h photoperiod. The addition of activated charoal did not stimulate either germination or the development of O. gloriosum seedlings. This study describes a single medium-based protocol able to achieve more than 330 000 seedlings within 40wk, starting from a single capsule. This protocol is sufficient for both large-scale propagation and in vitro conservation of this threatened orchid.