新疆天山西部山脉森林生态系统地衣群落结构的初步研究

 根据多年的研究资料并采用聚类分析方法对分布在天山西部山脉的地衣群落结构进行了研究。结果表明,分布在该地区的地衣种类形成了6种群落:1) 土星猫耳衣（Leptogium saturninum)＋矮石蕊(Cladonia humilis)＋兰灰蜈蚣衣（Physcia caesia）群落;2）黑穗石蕊（Cladonia amaurocr     

Vulva formation in Pristionchus pacificus relies on continuous gonadal induction

One of the best known features of vulva development in Caenorhabditis elegans is the induction of vulval precursor cells by the gonadal anchor cell. Induction is crucial for the initiation of pattern formation within the C. elegans vulva equivalence group, and it is therefore surprising to find that this aspect of vulva formation, in particular, varies greatly among nematodes. In some species which form vulvae in the posterior body region, no gonadal signal is necessary for vulva induction. In other nematodes, such as Panagrolaimus, Oscheius, and Rhabditella, vulva formation depends on two temporally distinct gonadal inductions which specify the different cell fates. Here we report our analysis of vulva induction in Pristionchus pacificus, a specieswhich has recently been used as a genetic system to analyze the evolution of vulva development. Cell ablation studies in P. pacificus show that another mode of vulva induction exists. P. pacificus vulva formation depends on a continuous gonadal induction that starts several hours after hatching and continues until the birth of the anchor cell, some 20 h later. Mutations defective in gonadal induction result in the absence of vulva differentiation, suggesting that only one signaling system is involved in the gonadal-epidermal interaction. This new mode adds further to the great variety of gonadal inductions among nematode species. Received: 25 February 1999 / Accepted: 20 April 1999     

Feasibility of active handheld NDVI sensors for monitoring lichen ground cover

Vegetation indices are corner stones in vegetation monitoring. However, previous field studies on lichens and NDVI have been based on passive sensors. Active handheld sensors, with their own light sources, enables high-precision monitoring under variable ambient conditions. We investigated the use of handheld sensor NDVI for monitoring pale lichen cover across three study sites from boreal heathlands to High Arctic tundra (62–79 °N), and compared it with Sentinel-2 satellite NDVI. NDVI decreased with increasing cover of pale lichens but the correlation between active and satellite NDVI varied between areas. NDVI values declined with lichen cover and ranged from 0.4–0.18 when lichen cover was above 40%. Active ground measurements of NDVI explained 81% of the variation in the satellite NDVI values in Svalbard (High Arctic), while the relationships were lower (∼30% explained variation) in boreal regions (Troms-Finnmark and Røros). We show that active sensors are feasible for extracting information from lichen-dominated vegetation.     

四种国产地衣的化学成分

本文报遣柄果牛皮叶(Sticta henryana),多形树发(Alectoria variabilis),宽瓣肾岛衣漂白变型(Nephromopsis stracheyi f. ectocar pisma)和顶果珊瑚枝(Stereocaulon pomiferum)四种地衣的化学成分。根据光谱数据分析,从中分离得到的18个化合物被鉴定为5-甲基-β-苔黑酚酸甲酯(methyl 5-methy-β-orcinolcarboxylate),苔色酸(orsellinic acid),扁枝衣酸(everainic acid),苔色酸甲酯(methyl orsellinate),赤星衣酸乙酯(ethyl hematommate),β-苔黑酚酸甲酯(methyl β-orcinolcarboxylate),假杯点素A(pseudocyphellarin A),黑茶渍素(atranorin),茶渍酸(lecanoric acid),斑点酸(stictic acid),降斑点酸(norstictic acid),藻纹苔酸(salazinic acid),富马原岛衣酸(fumarprotocetraric acid),左旋和右旋松萝酸(usnic acid),左旋地衣硬酸〔(-)-lichesterinic acid〕,右旋原地衣硬酸〔( )-protolichesterinic acid〕和无羁萜(friedelin)。其中5-甲基-β苔黑酚酸甲酯系首次从植物中得到。分析结果表明,顶果珊瑚枝可作为一种较好的苔香型香原料。     

Haemonchus contortus: Immunodiffusion patterns of antigens from phenotypically different females

Immunodiffusion patterns of the different morphological types of female Haemonchus contortus (Rudolphi, 1803) indicate that the three phenotypes—smooth, linguiform, and knobbed—differ from each other serologically. Linguiform antigens gave five precipitin lines, knobbed gave four lines, and smooth gave three precipitin lines with rabbit antisera. Also, lines unite in a manner indicating marked antigenic differences between the three types. Since serological studies are considered to be sensitive tools in taxonomy, the present work indicates that taxonomic importance should be attached to the vulvar configurations in female H. contortus.     

Recovery of lichen-dominated soil crusts in a hyper-arid desert

Soil crust lichens can be the dominant vegetation in desert regions that are unsuitable for higher plants, and are vital to soil stabilization and primary production. Biological soil crusts are vulnerable to disturbance and there is little evidence of the lichen components achieving full recovery following human disturbances in semi-arid to arid environments, and no records of recovery in hyper-arid deserts. Eight sites with varying anthropogenic, mechanical disturbance regimes were assessed in the hyper-arid Namib Desert for levels of recovery and successional convergence, based on a comparative analysis of overall lichen cover and community composition in disturbed and control locations. Recovery time estimations ranged from 5 to 530 years, with no detected linear relationship to impact gradient (low to high impact). Variables that were found to most strongly influence recovery rates were the overall cover of lichen growth and total number of lichen species in the bordering undisturbed areas, followed by the extent of soil compaction in the disturbed area, altered soil surface microrelief and vitality of subsurface soil crust components. An assessment of pioneering species demonstrated a link between increased soil depressions, i.e. track ruts, and the occurrence of fragmenting, wind-dispersing species. Track ruts in hype-arid deserts are not as vulnerable to the water erosion found in less arid deserts, and may be advancing recovery by trapping fragments. However, the lichen community structure was significantly different between all of the disturbed and control areas, regardless of the recovery phase, suggesting that while the lichen community composition may not. The ecological consequences of such disturbances may be far reaching in hyper-arid deserts where lichens are primary heterotrophs soil stabilizers. Given the economic development occurring within coastal hyper-acid deserts of the world, these impacts undoubtedly call for conservation attention.     

Proteins from the lichenXanthoria parietina which bind to phycobiont cell walls. Correlation between binding patterns and cell wall cytochemistry

Summary A protein fraction was isolated from the lichenXanthoria parietina which bound to the appropriate cultured phycobiont, but not to the freshly isolated symbiotic alga. The protein also appeared to discriminate between five other strains of cultured phycobionts from different lichens; phycobionts isolated from lichens in the familyTeloschistaceae bound the protein whereas phycobionts isolated from lichens in other families did not. Using cytochemical techniques, it was shown that protein binding ability was correlated with high levels of acidic polysaccharide in the cell wall, and the presence of a protein coat on the cell wall surface of the phycobiont. The possible role of this protein in recognition between lichen symbionts is briefly discussed.     

Ecological and biotechnological aspects of lichens

Lichens and the partners from three different kingdoms are both taxonomically and physiologically a very diverse group, which makes them interesting from both ecological and biotechnological points of view. A lichen is a mutual ecophysiological innovation in many extreme environments in which symbiosis seems to protect the partners. Lichen’s ability to grow in harsh environments can be advantageous, resulting in important ecological niches, or disadvantageous when lichens occupy and cause biodeterioration of cultural monuments. Recently, new candidate compounds for drugs, UVB protection, and antifreeze proteins for frozen foods were discovered. Lichens were also found to have potential in bioplastic degradation and prevention of desertification. Nevertheless, there is still large potential for further industrial screening and research on lichen products. Due to improved culture techniques of isolated symbionts, increased knowledge of their secondary metabolism and improved methods for solubilizing lichen metabolites, the screening and activity tests can be implemented more easily today than in the past.     

Water relations and CO2 exchange of the terrestrial lichen Teloschistes capensis in the Namib fog desert: Measurements during two seasons in the field and under controlled conditions

Although the coastal zone of the Central Namib Desert (Namibia) has negligible rainfall, frequent fog, dew and high air humidity support a luxurious lichen flora. Large areas of soil crust communities are dominated by the multibranched, fruticose Teloschistes capensis interspersed by a (still indeterminable) Ramalina species. In earlier communications, based on field measurements in autumn, we began the analysis of functional mechanisms that allow these lichens to exist under the special conditions of a fog desert. We have extended this work by monitoring lichen CO₂ exchange and water relations in spring and by experiments under controlled conditions.In both seasons, nocturnal hydration, by fog and/or dew, activated dark respiration of the lichens which was followed, after sunrise, by a short period of positive net photosynthesis (NP) that continued until metabolic inactivation occurred from desiccation. Dry thalli of T. capensis were able to reactivate NP through water vapour uptake alone, beginning at an air relative humidity of 82%, i.e. at a water potential of −26.3 MPa; the moisture compensation point during desiccation was at 13% thallus water content (WC, dry weight related). Optimal WC for photosynthesis was around 100%, and both species showed a large and extended suprasaturation depression of CO₂ assimilation. Light response showed “sun-plant” characteristics with saturation >1000 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ photosynthetically active photon flux density (PPFD). However, due to rapid desiccation, the combination of light saturation with optimal WC very rarely occurred under field conditions. Light compensation point after sunrise was highly dependent on actual WC: at low hydration, it amounted to only ca. 10 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ PPFD so that even the smallest levels of hydration could be used for carbon gain before desiccation took place again. This phenomenon was probably due to a hydration gradient in the thallus branches during transient moistening so that the outer photobiont layer was favoured in contrast to the internal mycobiont which remained dry longer and did not contribute respiratory CO₂ loss. Fully hydrated thalli had light compensation points around 50 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ PPFD. Extended desiccation of 1–3 days had no impact on the magnitude and recovery of photosynthesis but, imposed desiccation of 10 days reduced NP in lab and field experiments and caused an extended period of recovery. “Resaturation respiration” was not detected in the field data, although it was present after experimental moistening of dry thalli.In spring, the higher fog frequency and intensity increased maximal nocturnal WC, maximal attained NP as well as integrated daily carbon income (ΣNP) compared to the autumn measurements. NP_max and ΣNP depended on maximal nocturnal WC with a saturation-type response. In terms of carbon gain both species seem to be optimally adapted to nocturnal moistening up to 160% WC and were not able to make use of higher degrees of hydration, a feature that might well influence their habitat selection.Maximal daily carbon-related ΣNP for T. capensis was 4.6 mg_C (g_C)⁻¹ day⁻¹. A rough estimate of the annual (projected) area-related carbon balance (photosynthetic income minus respiratory losses) based on published fog and dew frequencies and personal observations was 15–34 mg_C m⁻² yr⁻¹.