Cultural transmission of ethnobotanical knowledge in a rural community of northwestern Patagonia, Argentina

In the present study we analyzed medicinal and edible plant utilization in Cuyin Manzano, a small rural population located near the Andean forests of Argentina. We also studied where and when plant knowledge was learned, who the principal transmitters were, and how people were taught. The participants were interviewed individually and at random, by means of a semi-structured questionnaire. Interviews were carried out in 16 families in order to examine the present use of wild plants. The inhabitants of Cuyin Manzano cited 87 plants: 63 medicinal and 24 edible species. They mentioned on average 31 ± 10 species per person. Similar patterns of plant use were found in young and old people alike, irrespective of gender. Learning about useful plants took place at an early age as a result of family tradition. This local knowledge is acquired and taught “by doing,” and is mostly transmitted vertically through family dissemination. Wild plant learning implies the acquisition of plants' physical and functional features as well as their environmental characteristics.     

Nutritional and Morphological Traits of Invasive and Exotic Fleshy‐fruits in South Africa

While fleshy‐fruited invasive alien plants are recognized as some of the worst invaders on a global scale, until recently, little consideration has been given to the frugivores that feed on these fruits and, more specifically, the fruit traits, which may influence this. We investigated a series of morphological and nutritive fruit traits for ca 30 species of fleshy‐fruited invasive alien and exotic species in South Africa. Invasive alien fruit traits were compared with comparable traits of a similar sample size of indigenous fleshy fruits, which occur in the same area. Finally, the similarity of traits for the same invasive alien species was compared with those fruits in Australia. Invasive alien fleshy fruits were similar in morphology, but greater in some nutritive aspects when compared with indigenous fruits. Furthermore, they were very similar in all aspects to their counterparts in Australia. Most seeds of invasive fleshy fruits were small and light, which may explain some of their invasive success, as benefits associated with small seededness may promote invasive potential. Nutritionally, most invasive alien fleshy‐fruits were hexose‐dominant, containing low lipid and nitrogen content. While frugivore preference trends remain to be formally investigated, this study provides insights into fruit traits, which may tentatively outline why invasive fruits are universally fed on and thus successfully spread.     

Scale‐dependent post‐establishment spread and genetic diversity in an invading mollusc in South America

Aims Our study aimed to characterize the dispersal dynamics and population genetic structure of the introduced golden mussel Limnoperna fortunei throughout its invaded range in South America and to determine how different dispersal methods, that is, human‐mediated dispersal and downstream natural dispersal, contribute to genetic variation among populations. Location Paraná–Uruguay–Río de la Plata watershed in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Methods We performed genetic analyses based on a comprehensive sampling strategy encompassing 22 populations (N = 712) throughout the invaded range in South America, using the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene and eight polymorphic nuclear microsatellites. We employed both population genetics and phylogenetic analyses to clarify the dispersal dynamics and population genetic structure. Results We detected relatively high genetic differentiation between populations (F_ST = ?0.041 to 0.111 for COI, ?0.060 to 0.108 for microsatellites) at both fine and large geographical scales. Bayesian clustering and three‐dimensional factorial correspondence analyses consistently revealed two genetically distinct clusters, highlighting genetic discontinuities in the invaded range. Results of all genetic analyses suggest ship‐mediated ‘jump’ dispersal as the dominant mode of spread of golden mussels in South America, while downstream natural dispersal has had limited effects on contemporary genetic patterns. Main conclusions Our study provides new evidence that post‐establishment dispersal dynamics and genetic patterns vary across geographical scales. While ship‐mediated ‘jump’ dispersal dominates post‐establishment spread of golden mussels in South America, once colonies become established in upstream locations, larvae produced may be advected downstream to infill patchy distributions. Moreover, genetic structuring at fine geographical scales, especially within the same drainages, suggests a further detailed understanding of dynamics of larval dispersal and settlement in different water systems. Knowledge of the mechanisms by which post‐establishment spread occurs can, in some cases, be used to limit dispersal of golden mussels and other introduced species.     

Common and rare plant species respond differently to fertilisation and competition, whether they are alien or native

Plant traits associated with alien invasiveness may also distinguish rare from common native species. To test this, we grew 23 native (9 common, 14 rare) and 18 alien (8 common, 10 rare) herbaceous species in Switzerland from six plant families under nutrient-addition and competition treatments. Alien and common species achieved greater biomass than native and rare species did overall respectively. Across alien and native origins, common species increased total biomass more strongly in response to nutrient addition than rare species did and this difference was not confounded by habitat dissimilarities. There was a weak tendency for common species to survive competition better than rare species, which was also independent of origin. Overall, our study suggests that common alien and native plant species are not fundamentally different in their responses to nutrient addition and competition.     

Characterization of multiple-antimicrobial-resistant Salmonella enterica Subsp. enterica isolated from indigenous vegetables and poultry in Malaysia

Aims: The aims of this communication were to study characterization of serogroups among Salmonella isolates and the relationship of antimicrobial resistance to serogroups. Multiple antimicrobial resistance (MAR) was performed on 189 Salmonella enterica isolates associated with 38 different serovars that were recovered from poultry and four types of indigenous vegetables. Methods and Results: Disc diffusion analysis was performed with a selection of 10 different antimicrobial agents. Isolates recovered from indigenous vegetables showed 100% (134/134) resistant to erythromycin and followed by 42%, 34%, 19% for tetracycline, streptomycin and trimethroprim‐sulfamethoxazole respectively. In general, 90·1% (50/55) and 56·7% (76/134) of Salmonella isolated from poultry and indigenous vegetables, respectively, exhibited MAR index more than 0·2. Conclusions: Characterization of Salmonella isolates based on the MAR results indicated that poultry still remains as the main reservoir for multi‐drug‐resistant Salmonella. Four isolates from the indigenous vegetables showed the highest MAR index in this study. Further investigations need to be conducted to determine if Salmonella isolates recovered from indigenous vegetables were gaining more antimicrobial resistance. Significance and Impact of the Study: The study enabled us to determine antimicrobial patterns and trends in Salmonella from poultry and indigenous vegetables in Malaysia.     

哈茨木霉发酵液中肽类物质对豇豆土著根瘤菌竞争结瘤的影响

通过树脂吸附、离子交换、薄层层析、高效液相色谱系统以及紫外、质谱等分离、纯化和鉴别的方法,从哈茨木霉T2-16菌株发酵液中分离得到一种对豆科作物生长具促进作用的肽类物质。用该肽类物质对豇豆土著根瘤菌进行处理后,用AFLP技术研究了该物质对供试根瘤菌遗传稳定性和在土壤中竞争结瘤能力的影响。结果表明,传代次数和培养温度(28℃~36℃范围)对供试根瘤菌的遗传性状无明显影响,其AFLP指纹未发生明显变化;但经木霉肽类代谢产物处理后,根瘤菌竞争结瘤能力得到提高,为对照根瘤菌的1.53倍。     

The function of three indigenous plasmids in Mtesorhizobium huakuii 2020 and its symbiotic interaction with Sym pJB5JI of Rhizobium leguminosarum

A Mesorhizobium huakuii strain 2020, isolated from a rice-growing field in southern China, contains three indigenous plasmids named p2020a, p2020b and p2020c, respectively. The plasmids were deleted via Tn5-sacB insertion, and two cured derivatives were obtained. Interestingly, the mutant 2020D29 curing of p2020c could significantly enhance the capacity of symbiotic nitrogen fixation. But the mutant 2020D8 curing of p2020b lost the ability to nodulate Astragalus sinicus. Furthermore, the third plasmid p2020a could be hardly eliminated, suggesting that some house-keeping genes necessary for strain growth located on this plasmid. Then the Sym plasmid pJB5JI of R. leguminosarum bv. viciae was transferred into 2020 and its cured derivatives. The pot plant test showed that the ability of competition and symbiotic nitrogen fixation of transconjugant 2020-137 (pJB5JI) was increased evidently in con-trast to 2020. pJB5JI could not restore the ability of 2020D8 to nodulate Astragalus sinicus. 2020D8-8 (pJB5JI) could form ineffective nodules on peas, which implied that the symbiotic plasmid pJB5JI could express its function at the chromosomal background of Mesorhizobium huakuii 2020. The plas-mid stability was checked in transconjugants under free-living and during symbiosis. The results indi-cated that pJB5JI failed to be detected in some nodule isolates. That Km resistance gene could be am-plified from all transconjugants and nodule isolates suggested that pJB5JI was fully or partially inte-grated into the chromosome of recipients.     

云南省香格里拉大峡谷藏族神山在自然保护中的意义

位于云南省西北部迪庆藏族自治州境内的香格里拉大峡谷拥有独特的自然人文景观和丰富的生物多样性。藏族作为当地最重要的原住民族,他们的文化对当地的自然环境具有重要的影响。为了解藏族传统文化中的神山崇拜对香格里拉大峡谷地区自然环境的影响,本文应用民族生态学、植物生态学和文化人类学的研究方法,结合文献资料的分析,对香格里拉大峡谷的藏族神山进行了调查和研究,并对处于不同保护状态下（神山与非神山）的两个典型植物群落即高山松(Pinus densata)群落和云南黄果冷杉(Abies ernestii var. salouenensis)群落进行了比较。结果显示,在相同的样地面积内（20 m×20 m）,神山植物群落在物种数量（20,14）和群落盖度（100%,85%）方面都明显高于非神山植物群落（11,2;70%,60%）。结合入户调查资料,发现广泛分布于香格里拉大峡谷的藏族神山构成了一个“自下而上”的乡土保护体系,它不仅在保护生物多样性、维护当地脆弱的生态环境等方面发挥着重要的作用,而且还可以提供多种非林产品,实现多种生态功能。文章探讨了发挥乡土保护体系的保护功效及应用传统文化知识以促进自然保护的重要性,建议应当尊重和保护原住民的传统文化,发掘其中优秀的自然保护知识和经验,引导其发挥更加有效的自然保护功能,使民族传统保护体系成为现代自然保护体系的有力补充。     

利用DHPLC研究我国几个地方绵羊品种黑素细胞刺激素受体基因单核苷酸多态性

利用测序及变性高效液相色谱(DHPLC)研究了蒙古羊、哈萨克羊、滩羊和藏绵羊黑素细胞刺激素受体（MSHR）基因单核苷酸多态性（SNP）。结果表明,在扩增片断长度为415bp范围内存在一个T317C突变,DHPLC可检测到该突变并被证明是一种高通量且简便的筛选方法。通过两次DHPLC可确定两个杂合子和一个纯合子,第一次DHPLC可迅速检测出由于形成异源双链而呈肩峰的杂合子（TC）,但不能区分两个均呈单峰的纯合子（TT或CC）。第二次DHPLC将未知纯合子与已知序列的纯合子混合后进行,通过判定单峰或肩峰即可推断未知纯合子的基因型。所研究的4个绵羊群体在该突变位点均处于Hardy-Weinberg平衡状态。蒙古羊与哈萨克羊较近的遗传亲缘关系以及滩羊与藏绵羊较近的遗传亲缘关系与线粒体DNA的研究结果一致。     

Multiplicity in palm uses by the Huaorani of Amazonian Ecuador

An ethnobotanical study of the palms used by the Huaorani in the Yasuní National Park and Huaorani Ethnic Reserve in Amazonian Ecuador was carried out. In this inventory, 37 palm species were found; all were used by the Huaoranis. One hundred and ninety-one different uses were recorded in eight ethnobotanical categories. Most species (64.9%) were used for house construction and human food. More than half of the species were used for domestic utensils (59.4%) and hunting and fishing implements (54%). A comparison is made between these data and past studies for the other six indigenous communities from Amazonian Ecuador. This paper shows the highest diversity of useful palm species and the highest number of different uses ever recorded for an indigenous group in Amazonian Ecuador. The data combine quantitative and qualitative approaches.  © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2004, 144 , 149–159.