The Invasion of Barred Owls and its Potential Effect on the Spotted Owl: a Conservation Conundrum

The spotted owl (Strix occidentalis) is a threatened species in many areas of its western North American range. Concomitant with its decline has been a rapid invasion of its range and habitat by barred owls (Strix varia), a native species that was restricted, until relatively recently, to eastern North America. We assess the theoretical potential for negative interactions between these two owls by examining size dimorphism and ecological relationships within various owl assemblages throughout the world. We then review the anecdotal, natural history, modeling, and experimental evidence that suggest barred owls may negatively affect spotted owls with at least a potential for the competitive exclusion of spotted owls by barred owls throughout all or part of the former’2019;s range. While it is widely accepted that barred owls are either causing or exacerbating declines of spotted owl populations, there are confounding factors, such as habitat loss and bad weather that also may contribute to declines of spotted owls. Both theory and empirical information suggest that barred owls are likely to have negative effects on spotted owl range and density, but the degree of the impact is not predictable. There is a conservation conundrum here, in that the barred owl is a native species that has expanded its range westwards, either naturally or with a degree of human facilitation, and now constitutes a major threat to the viability of another native species, the threatened spotted owl. We propose that only through carefully designed experiments involving removal of barred owls will we be able to determine if recent declines in spotted owl populations are caused by barred owls or by other factors. It is rare in conservation science that replicate study areas exist for which we also have long-standing demographic information, as is the case with the spotted owl. Removal experiments would take advantage of the wealth of data on spotted owls, and allow ecologists to assess formally the impacts of an invasive species on a threatened species, as well as to suggest mitigation measures.     

Non-resident definitive host presence is sufficient to sustain avian schistosome populations

To control swimmer’s itch in northern Michigan inland lakes, USA, one species of bird, the common merganser (Mergus merganser), has been relocated from several lakes since 2015. Relocation efforts are driven by a desire to reduce the prevalence of the swimmer’s itch-causing parasite Trichobilharzia stagnicolae. The intention of this state-sponsored control effort was to interrupt the life cycle of T. stagnicolae and reduce parasite egg contribution into the environment from summer resident mergansers such that infections of the intermediate snail host Stagnicola emarginata declined. Reduced snail infection prevalence was expected to substantially reduce the abundance of the swimmer’s itch-causing cercarial stage of the parasite in water. With no official programme in place to assess the success of this relocation effort, we sought to study the effectiveness and impact of the removal of a single definitive host from a location with high definitive host and parasite diversity. This was assessed through a comprehensive, lake-wide monitoring study measuring longitudinal changes in the abundance of three species of avian schistosome cercariae in four inland Michigan lakes. Environmental measurements were also taken at these lakes to understand how they can affect swimmer’s itch incidence. This study demonstrates that the diversity of avian schistosomes at the study lakes would likely make targeting a single species of swimmer’s itch-causing parasite meaningless from a swimmer’s itch control perspective. Our data also suggest that removing the common merganser is not an effective control strategy for the T. stagnicolae parasite, likely due to contributions of the parasite made by non-resident birds, possibly migrants, in the autumn and spring. It appears likely that only minimal contact time between the definitive host and the lake ecosystem is required to contribute sufficient parasite numbers to maintain a thriving population of parasite species with high host specificity.     

米修链霉菌TF78对香蕉枯萎病的田间防效及根际土壤微生物的影响

【背景】香蕉枯萎病是香蕉生产上的毁灭性病害,生物防治是遏制该病害发生的有效手段。在前期的研究中,从健康香蕉根际土壤中分离获得一株对香蕉枯萎病具有良好盆栽防治效果的生防菌——米修链霉菌(Streptomyces misionensis) TF78,但其对香蕉枯萎病的田间生防潜力和对土壤微生物环境的影响尚不清楚。【目的】评价米修链霉菌TF78对香蕉枯萎病的田间防治效果,明确其对香蕉根际土壤微生物群落的影响。【方法】选取两块发病香蕉园,测定该生防菌株对香蕉枯萎病的防治效果,并利用扩增子测序技术分析施用菌剂组和空白对照组共12份香蕉根际土壤的微生物多样性和丰度。【结果】米修链霉菌TF78对两块香蕉园的田间防效分别达55.30%和45.32%。该生防菌株处理组的物种稀释曲线坡度大于空白对照组,并显著富集了优势种群梳霉门(Kickxellomycota),消减了绿弯菌门(Chloroflexi)、酸杆菌门(Acidobacteria)和苔藓杆菌(Bryobacter)的丰度,对土壤中优势种群变形菌门(Proteobacteria)、厚壁菌门(Firmicutes)、放线菌门(Actinobacteria)、芽单胞菌门(Gemmatimonadetes)及木霉属(Trichoderma)、鞘氨醇单胞菌属(Sphingomonas)、寡养单胞菌属(Stenotrophomonas)和芽孢杆菌属(Bacillus)的相对丰度影响不显著。【结论】米修链霉菌TF78塑造了不利于香蕉枯萎病菌Fusarium oxysporum f.sp.cubense存活的土壤环境,有效降低了田间香蕉枯萎病的发生,同时对土壤中大部分具有重要生态功能和抑菌功能的优势微生物种群影响不显著。该研究结果为米修链霉菌TF78的进一步开发应用奠定了基础。     

Plant-growth-promoting traits and antifungal potential of the Bacillus amyloliquefaciens YL-25

Biological control of plant soil-borne diseases has been shown as an attractive and an environment friendly alternative to chemical fungicides. Different microbial strains have been reported effective in controlling plant pathogens. Among those, Bacillus strains have their own importance. Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain YL-25, isolated from the rhizosphere of healthy banana plant, was evaluated as bio-organic fertiliser (BIO) for its ability to promote plant growth and suppress Fusarium wilt of banana in pot experiment. The results showed that the application of the BIO containing strain YL-25 significantly promoted the growth of banana plants and decreased the incidence of Fusarium wilt compared to the organic fertiliser and chemical fertiliser (CF). In order to explore the beneficial mechanisms of strain YL-25, experiments were conducted in vitro. The phytohormones including indole-3-acetic acid and gibberellin A3 and stable antifungal compounds three homologous of iturin A were identified in the culture broth of strain YL-25. The strain YL-25 also showed the ability to degrade extracellular phytate in plate experiment. Owing to its innate multiple functional traits and biocontrol activity, the strain YL-25 may be used as plant-growth-promoting rhizobacterium and biocontrol agent against Fusarium wilt of banana.     

Potential use of Trichoderma-based bioproduct for black leaf streak disease (Mycosphaerella fijiensis) management in the field

Organic banana production demands alternatives for controlling black leaf streak disease caused by Mycosphaerella fijiensis Morelet. The foliar application of a Trichoderma-based bioproduct increased the plant growth and provides some degree of control by reduction of the disease severity in two growing cycles of the banana plants cv. ‘Williams’.     

香蕉肉桂醇脱氢酶基因的克隆及表达分析

肉桂醇脱氢酶(CAD)在木质素合成过程中起关键作用。通过RACE(rapid-amplification of cDNA ends)方法从香蕉根系cDNA均一化全长文库中获得一个肉桂醇脱氢酶基因,命名为MaCAD1(GenBank登录号为KF582533)。MaCAD1是香蕉MYB基因编码框全长cDNA,包含一个1 077bp的最大开放阅读框(ORF),编码358个氨基酸。蛋白质序列同源比对发现,其含有完整的醇脱氧酶的典型保守结构域,属于典型的CAD蛋白。系统进化树比对分析表明,MaCAD1与水稻OsCAD6(CAD39907)的亲缘关系较近。组织特异性研究表明MaCAD1基因组成型表达于香蕉各个组织。在耐病和感病品种中,MaCAD1均上调表达,但在耐病品种中MaCAD1在所有时间点相对于对照增加的倍数均高于感病品种,表明MaCAD1基因在香蕉的抗病性中起着重要作用,MaCAD1可以作为一个新的响应枯萎病侵染的标记基因。     

香蕉类甜蛋白基因MaTLP1的克隆与表达分析

在香蕉EST文库中,通过RACE技术克隆到1个香蕉类甜蛋白基因的全长序列。该序列最大开放阅读框942 bp,编码313个氨基酸。Blast分析发现,它与其他类甜蛋白相似度为56.10%,含有类甜蛋白（TLPs）特有的保守结构域,命名为MaTLP1。系统进化树表明,MaTLP1基因编码蛋白与海枣的亲缘关系较近,与香蕉的进化模式相似。组织特异性分析表明,MaTLP1在根、球茎、假茎中的表达量高,叶中较弱,花和果实中微量表达。实时荧光定量PCR分析显示,在抗病香蕉品种中,接种尖孢镰刀菌古巴专化型(Fusarium oxysporum f.sp.cubense,Foc)枯萎病菌后MaTLP1基因上调表达,在感病香蕉品种接菌2 d后MaTLP1基因受到抑制,虽然在接菌4 d 后上调表达,但是相对于抗病品种上调较小。研究表明,MaTLP1基因可能在香蕉抗枯萎病的过程中起作用。     

Genetic divergence analysis of the Common Barn Owl Tyto alba (Scopoli, 1769) and the Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus (Pontoppidan, 1763) from southern Chile using COI sequence

In this paper new mitochondrial COI sequences of Common Barn Owl Tyto alba (Scopoli, 1769) and Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus (Pontoppidan, 1763) from southern Chile are reported and compared with sequences from other parts of the World. The intraspecific genetic divergence (mean p-distance) was 4.6 to 5.5% for the Common Barn Owl in comparison with specimens from northern Europe and Australasia and 3.1% for the Short-eared Owl with respect to samples from north America, northern Europe and northern Asia. Phylogenetic analyses revealed three distinctive groups for the Common Barn Owl: (i) South America (Chile and Argentina) plus Central and North America, (ii) northern Europe and (iii) Australasia, and two distinctive groups for the Short-eared Owl: (i) South America (Chile and Argentina) and (ii) north America plus northern Europe and northern Asia. The level of genetic divergence observed in both species exceeds the upper limit of intraspecific comparisons reported previously for Strigiformes. Therefore, this suggests that further research is needed to assess the taxonomic status, particularly for the Chilean populations that, to date, have been identified as belonging to these species through traditional taxonomy.     

韭菜对香蕉枯萎病菌生长及香蕉枯萎病发生的抑制作用

结合实验室抑菌试验和大棚人工接菌盆栽试验,研究韭菜对香蕉枯萎病菌4号生理小种(Foc4)的拮抗作用及其对香蕉枯萎病发生的防控效果.结果显示:离体条件下,韭菜粗提取液显著抑制Foc4菌丝的生长,造成菌丝变形、细胞的解体;也能显著抑制孢子的萌发并导致孢子失去活性.大棚盆栽试验中,韭菜处理的巴西香蕉苗枯萎病发病率降低70%,病情指数降低86.9%;韭菜处理的广粉1号粉蕉苗枯萎病的发病率降低76.7%,病情指数降低93.4%.研究表明,韭菜对Foc4有很高拮抗效果,而且对香蕉枯萎病有很高的防控作用.     

香蕉条斑病毒云南河口分离物开放阅读框Ⅱ的原核表达、融合蛋白纯化及抗血清制备

以课题组保存的连接在pMD-18T载体上的香蕉条斑病毒河口分离物全基因组为模板,设计一对特异引物,经过PCR扩增,切胶回收,并通过与pET32(b)载体共同双酶切及T4连接酶连接,得到重组载体pET32-ORF2。将获得的重组质粒pET32-ORF2转化表达菌株E.coli BL21(DE3)感受态细胞,得到表达BSV的ORFⅡ的工程菌。经0.1mmol/L的IPTG诱导表达,超声波破碎后,获得的融合蛋白大多为包含体,但仍有少部分为可溶性蛋白可以进行后续的纯化步骤。将上述可溶性融合蛋白通过Ni2+-NTA亲和层析柱纯化,获得纯度较高的融合蛋白。以纯化蛋白作为抗原免疫家兔,得到特异性抗血清。间接ELISA以及western blotting表明,所得抗血清效价和特异性都较高,可以用于检测。为BSV的快速检测以及一些相关后续理论研究工作奠定了一定基础。