Fractal root system of Melica przewalskyi along different aspect in degraded grassland

Aims Fractal root system is phenotypic plasticity result of plant root architecture to respond to environmental heterogeneity, may reflect the growth strategy of plants to adapt to environmental conditions. Our objective was to explore the relationship between root fractal dimension and fractal abundance of fractal root system of Melica przewalskyi population in response to aspect variation in the northwest of China. Methods The study site was located in a degraded alpine grassland on the northern slope in Qilian Mountains, Gansu Province, China. Survey and sampling were carried out at 40 plots which were set up along four slope aspects transects with 20 m distance between adjacent plots. Handheld GPS was used to determine the elevation, longitude and latitude of each plot. ArcGIS was used to set up digital elevation model (DEM). Community traits were investigated and six individuals roots of M. przewalskyi were collected randomly at each plot. The samples were cleaned and divided into different organs, then scanning the root with the Win-RHIZO for measurements of fractal dimension and fractal abundance in laboratory, and their biomass were then measured after being dried at 80 °C in an oven. Important findings With the slope aspect turned from north to east, west, and south, the density, height and soil moisture content of the plant community displayed a pattern of initial decline, the height, density, root fractal abundance of M. przewalskyi increased and the root fractal dimension decreased. The root fractal dimension was negatively associated with the fractal abundance in all aspects, but the relationship varied along the slope aspects gradient; there was a highly significant negative correlation (p < 0.01) between the root fractal dimension and fractal abundance at north slope and south slope aspect, whereas the correlation only reached a significant level (p < 0.05) at the east slope aspect and west slope aspect; indicating that there is a trade-off between the root fractal dimension and fractal abundance. In addition, when the slope aspect changed from north to east, west and south, the standardized major axis (SMA) slope of the regression equation in the scaling relationships between root fractal dimension and fractal abundance increased (p < 0.05), indicating that the roots of M. przewalskyi at the droughty southern slope have less branch and more sparse in the same soil volume of root exploitation and utilization. Consequently, the resource allocation pattern on reasonable trade-off between root fractal dimension and fractal abundance in different slope aspect of M. przewalskyi, reflects the relationship between the income and the cost of construction of plant root architecture.     

荒漠灌丛土壤动物分布及其生态功能

在干旱、半干旱荒漠生态系统中,灌丛作为一种重要的植被类型,其独特的形态和生理适应特性能够有效促进退化生态系统结构与功能的恢复。土壤动物是荒漠生态系统中不可或缺的重要组成部分,对促进灌丛"肥岛"演变具有重要的生态作用,有利于灌丛生态功能的发挥及退化生态系统的恢复。近年来,国内外学者对荒漠灌丛微生境土壤动物的研究逐步深入,取得大量的研究成果。在此基础上,首先综述荒漠灌丛微生境土壤动物群落分布和生态功能,总结灌丛与土壤动物分布间作用关系的数学模型,针对荒漠灌丛土壤动物研究中存在的问题提出了未来可能的研究方向和建议。     

中国生物物理学和结构生物学的栋梁之才——首届“贝时璋奖”获奖者梁栋材院士

2009年,在第九届全国生物物理学大会上,当宣布将首届贝时璋奖授予著名生物物理学家、著名结构生物学家梁栋材院士时,经久不息的热烈掌声传送着全     

《亚热带植物科学》投稿须知

《亚热带植物科学》主要刊载亚热带植物的育种栽培、生理生化与分子生物学、形态结构、生态、分类、资源保护与开发利用,以及园林绿化、园艺花卉等方面最新的研究论文、报告、简报及综述。     

城市公园春季声景观与植被结构的关系

城市公园是城市生态系统的重要组成部分和城市生物多样性热点地区，具有丰富的声景观资源。由于声景观及声学方法具有信息量大，成本低，低侵入的特点，因此其研究和应用对生态系统健康及监测具有较高价值。声景观研究通过总结生物声的活动或多样性来衡量生物多样性。记录了北京20个城市公园的春季声景观，使用定量方法描述了声景观特征与变化；测试三种了已被证明与生物多样性相关并被广泛使用的声学指数（BIO、ADI、NDSI）与植被群落关系，完成了城市环境中声景观与环境关系的初步探究。研究结果表明：（1）声学指数能够有效表征城市公园声景观信息，具有显著的时间动态特性，能准确反映鸟类黎明合唱等重要生物生态活动；（2）声学强度指数也具有显著的时间动态变化和沿频率梯度的变化，不同的频率区间反映了不同声学群落的活动信息；（3）植被结构尤其是垂直结构对声景观起着重要作用，垂直异质性越大，声学多样性越高。发现支持声景观作为公园植被状况的度量，强调了其作为生物多样性和生态系统健康状况监测方法，用于城市管理和可持续发展的巨大潜力。     

中国孑遗红树植物水椰的资源现状与种群特征

水椰属棕榈科真红树植物，也是孑遗植物，被列为国家二级重点保护植物。中国水椰仅天然分布于海南岛。为探讨其濒危现状和保护策略，本研究采用样方法对水椰群落进行调查，并分析其地理分布、群落特征、种群结构及其空间分布。结果表明：(1)中国水椰共有6个自然种群，总面积为3.96 hm²,种群数量为9319棵，自然分布于海口东寨港的野菠萝岛和道学村、文昌的玉阳公园和头苑村、琼海长坡镇文场村、万宁日月湾，并且仅在日月湾有小面积成片分布，其他种群均为零星分布。(2)水椰样地内共有28种红树植物，形成以水椰+海莲+桐花树、水椰+海莲等为优势种的红树林群落。(3)海口、琼海、万宁水椰的种群结构均为衰退型，而文昌水椰种群为增长型，并且各种群分布格局都为聚集分布。(4)宏观尺度的极端气候变化、过度砍伐与开发利用、小尺度上的个体自身繁殖受限是水椰种群濒危的三大原因。建议通过增加科研技术投入解决种源问题、加大生境修复与就地保护力度、优化迁地保护与野外回归策略等措施扩大其种群数量。     

黏管藻的分子鉴定与生长特性研究

对分布在辽宁大连黑石礁、付家庄、石槽、金石滩、獐子岛与海洋岛沿岸的黏管藻[Gloiosiphonia capillaris (Hudson) Carmichael]的外部形态、营养与生殖结构、生物量、成熟个体比例与成熟个体生物量/总生物量(R/T指数)的变化、温度性质以及rbcL、COⅠ基因序列进行了详细研究。结果表明: (1) 黏管藻配子体为雌雄同体, 直立, 单生或丛生, 主轴明显, 固着器呈圆盘状, 质地胶质, 颜色为红色或紫红色。采集于獐子岛与海洋岛的藻体长度和宽度明显高于其他采集地点; (2) 藻体由皮层及髓部组成, 皮层由6—10层细胞组成, 髓部存在假根丝细胞。成熟囊果小, 突出于藻体表面, 呈球形或半球形, 通常2—4个囊果聚集在一起; (3) 黏管藻配子体的生物量在6月达到最大, 平均生物量为3.628 g/m2。3—6月成熟个体比例逐渐增大, 6月达到100%; (4) 黏管藻配子体生长周期为3—7月, 温度性质属于温带性; (5) rbcL基因序列分析表明, 6个采集地点的样本间无碱基差异, 与产自加拿大的黏管藻聚在一起, 形成一个独立的分支。COⅠ基因序列分析表明, 6个采集地点的样本间无碱基差异, 形成一个独立的分支, 均确定为黏管藻。