濒危物种金斑喙凤蝶的行为特征及其对生境的适应性

金斑喙凤蝶(Teinopalpus aureus)1985年被IUCN列为红色名录种,1989年被我国列为一级保护种,此后便日益受到人们关注,然而,至今为止对其野外生存、行为及生境适应等认识仍很模糊。在广西金秀县大瑶山设定4个研究区域,以线路调查法计数成虫与幼期个体数,定点跟踪观察法记录成虫交配行为、产卵行为、幼虫取食行为等。结果显示:金斑喙凤蝶主要在湿季(4—10月底,月降水量>50 mm)生长、发育与繁殖后代。金斑喙凤蝶在行为上表现出对温度的主动选择性,幼虫在17—24℃时取食行为活跃,雄蝶在19—26℃时山顶行为活跃,均表现出中温选择性;然而,雌蝶多选择在正午时刻产卵,期间温度为27—30℃,表现出高温选择性。雄蝶活动对生境地形表现出主动选择性,(87.34±7.58)%(n=339)的雄蝶选择飞向山顶,他们每日上午6:00至11:00在山顶聚集,绕圈飞行或停息,而以山顶停息为主,占山顶活动时间的(77.87±19.32)%。雄蝶通常停息在山顶的高枝位叶片上或山顶周缘的叶片上,以便迅速发现并拦截飞经的雌蝶,获得交配机会。因而,金斑喙凤蝶在交配策略上主要采取雄蝶等候的方式。停息期间,雄蝶表现出明显的占区行为,首先停息在某一区域的雄蝶在领域权竞争中通常都是最后的胜利者,赢得领域,获得更多交配机会。野外观察发现,金斑喙凤蝶的天敌种类较多,野外存活率偏低,最后羽化率仅为38.9%(n=20)。对于存活个体而言,他们已明显进化形成一套复杂的防御体系,主要包括由保护色、颜色拟态、形状拟态等组建的初级防御体系和由眼斑展示、身体晃动、Y-腺伸出等组建的次级防御体系。另外,老熟幼虫多选择在林下层的灌木丛或竹丛的隐蔽枝条上化蛹,化蛹高度为(1.82±1.58)m(n=20),这种对化蛹场所的主动选择行为可提高其蛹期的防御能力。研究结果说明,在自然选择作用下,金斑喙凤蝶对其阔叶林生境的适应性行为特征非常明显,然而,生境破坏(砍伐等)或人类强度干扰(林下层垦殖等)将使这些适应性行为失效,并威胁到该珍稀蝴蝶种群的繁衍生息,甚至导致局部灭绝的发生。     

Fishing top predators indirectly affects condition and reproduction in a reef-fish community

To examine the indirect effects of fishing on energy allocation in non-target prey species, condition and reproductive potential were measured for five representative species (two-spot red snapper Lutjanus bohar, arc-eye hawkfish Paracirrhites arcatus, blackbar devil Plectroglyphidodon dickii, bicolour chromis Chromis margaritifer and whitecheek surgeonfish Acanthurus nigricans) from three reef-fish communities with different levels of fishing and predator abundance in the northern Line Islands, central Pacific Ocean. Predator abundance differed by five to seven-fold among islands, and despite no clear differences in prey abundance, differences in prey condition and reproductive potential among islands were found. Body condition (mean body mass adjusted for length) was consistently lower at sites with higher predator abundance for three of the four prey species. Mean liver mass (adjusted for total body mass), an indicator of energy reserves, was also lower at sites with higher predator abundance for three of the prey species and the predator. Trends in reproductive potential were less clear. Mean gonad mass (adjusted for total body mass) was high where predator abundance was high for only one of the three species in which it was measured. Evidence of consistently low prey body condition and energy reserves in a diverse suite of species at reefs with high predator abundance suggests that fishing may indirectly affect non-target prey-fish populations through changes in predation and predation risk.     

Small‐scale spatial variation in evolvability for life‐history traits in the storm petrel

The evolutionary potential in the timing of recruitment and reproduction may be crucial for the ability of populations to buffer against environmental changes, allowing them to avoid unfavourable breeding conditions. The evolution of a trait in a local population is determined by its heritability and selection. In the present study, we performed pedigree‐based quantitative genetic analyses for two life‐history traits (recruiting age and laying date) using population data of the storm petrel over an 18‐year period in two adjacent breeding colonies (only 150 m apart) that share the same environmental conditions. In both traits, natal colony effect was the main source of the phenotypic variation among individuals, and cohort variance for recruitment age and additive genetic variance for laying date were natal colony‐specific. We found significant heritability only in laying date and, more specifically, only in birds born in one of the colonies. The difference in genetic variance between the colonies was statistically significant. Interestingly, selection on earlier breeding birds was detected only in the colony in which heritable variation in laying date was found. Therefore, local evolvability for a life‐history trait may vary within a unexpectedly small spatial scale, through the diversifying natural selection and insulating gene flow. © 2012 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2012, 106 , 439–446.     

莲叶桐对热带珊瑚岛环境的生理生态适应性

为探究莲叶桐(Hernandia nymphaeifolia)对热带珊瑚岛季节性干旱、强光、盐碱等环境的生理生态适应性,该文对海南省文昌市试验苗圃(以下简称文昌苗圃)和移栽到热带珊瑚岛的莲叶桐的叶片形态解剖结构、抗氧化能力、抗逆渗透物质含量和光合色素等进行了研究。结果表明:(1)与文昌苗圃相比,莲叶桐在移栽到热带珊瑚岛后,比叶面积减小33%,气孔密度下降15%,叶片厚度增加36%,而海绵组织更发达且栅栏组织排列更紧密(厚度分别增加24%和80%),使其能在珊瑚岛环境中更有效地利用光照和水分资源,从而提高光合作用和减少蒸腾作用。(2)移栽到热带珊瑚岛后,莲叶桐的叶绿素含量显著降低86%,而脯氨酸含量、超氧化物歧化酶、过氧化氢酶和过氧化物酶活性却显著升高(分别升高了130%、615%、209%和369%),使其能更好地保护自身光合系统,从而避免岛礁恶劣环境对植物细胞膜透性的破坏。以上结果表明,莲叶桐对热带珊瑚岛干旱、强光、盐碱等环境具有良好的生理生态适应性,可以作为热带珊瑚岛和海滨地区植被恢复的工具种。     

石灰岩特有植物圆叶乌桕叶表皮形态特征及其生态适应性研究

采用扫描电子显微镜和光学显微镜,对石灰岩特有植物圆叶乌桕与同属的乌桕、山乌桕的叶表皮微形态进行观察,比较3个种的叶表皮形态特征,分析圆叶乌桕在石灰岩地区生长的环境适应特点。结果表明:圆叶乌桕叶下表皮细胞小且呈无规则型,细胞排列紧密;气孔集中分布于下表皮,气孔密度和气孔指数相对最小;气孔类型是无规则型,无副卫细胞;圆叶乌桕上下叶表皮有厚角质层和蜡质层,蜡被呈片状和网状。圆叶乌桕的叶表皮微形态特征反映了它对石灰岩生境的适应性较强。     

家庭功能、父母教养方式及夫妻关系对青少年社会适应性的预测

目的:探讨青少年社会适应性状况以及家庭功能、父母教养方式、父母夫妻关系对社会适应性的预测.方法:采用分层随机取样,抽取452名12-18岁的中学生,用中学生社会适应性量表、家庭功能评定量表、简式父母教养方式问卷及Olson婚姻质量问卷中的两个维度进行调查.结果:①夫妻交流(β=0.098,P＜0.05)、情感温暖(β=0.266,P＜0.001)、沟通(β=-0.240,P＜0.001)对青少年的心理优越感有显著的预测力;②情感温暖( β=0.211,P＜0.001)、沟通(β=-0.177,P＜0.05)对青少年的心理能量有显著的预测力;③情感温暖(β＝0.171,P＜0.01)、问题解决(β=-0.125,P＜0.05)、角色(β=-0.133,P＜0.05)对青少年的人际适应性有显著的预测力;④夫妻交流(β=0.130,P＜0.01)、解决冲突的方式(β＝-0.102,P＜0.05)、过度保护(β=-0.172,P＜0.001)、情感温暖(β=0.167,P＜0.01)、问题解决(β=-0.116,P＜0.05)对青少年的心理弹性有显著的预测力.结论:家庭功能对青少年社会适应性的预测力最大.     

地枫皮营养器官解剖结构特征及其叶片结构的生态适应性

为了明确地枫皮的结构特征及其在石灰岩山顶和山腰疏林间两种环境下生长的叶片解剖结构的差异,本研究采用石蜡切片和半薄切片对地枫皮营养器官进行解剖观察并评价了叶片结构对不同生态环境的响应。结果表明:地枫皮根中次生维管组织发达,木射线和韧皮射线明显。老茎的次生构造中,皮层贮藏物质丰富,内有大的石细胞群,韧皮射线和木射线明显;而髓细胞内含有大量晶簇和少量单晶。在叶片横切面观上,叶为异面叶,表皮细胞一层,上表皮无气孔分布,主脉中薄壁细胞中分散有石细胞。叶片解剖结构显示,随海拔高度上升,地枫皮趋向于旱生植物的特点,其主要表现在叶片表皮细胞外壁角质层加厚,栅海比增加、海绵组织排列由紧密变疏松。另外,根皮、茎皮和叶肉中都分布有大量油细胞。     

Diet composition in San Francisco Estuary striped bass: does trophic adaptability have its limits?

Trophic adaptability is a term used to describe feeding flexibility in fishes. Though a useful conceptual starting point, fishes often face constraints on their ability to switch prey that could limit feeding success even when prey switching is observed. We compared striped bass diet compositions summarized from previously published studies in California’s Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta during two time periods (1963–1964 and 2001–2003), which allowed us to evaluate trophic adaptability in San Francisco Estuary striped bass at multiple time scales, ranging from intra-annual to multidecadal. The Delta is the landward region of the San Francisco Estuary; over time between the study periods, the Delta underwent substantial changes in potential prey availability for striped bass. We found evidence for trophic adaptability in San Francisco Estuary (SFE) striped bass at all temporal scales examined. Despite this ability to adapt to changes in prey availability, the relative abundance and carrying capacity of young striped bass have declined. This decline has previously been associated with substantial declines in their dominant historical prey—mysid shrimp. Our results, coupled with these previous findings, indicate that trophic adaptability may have limited usefulness as a conceptual model to predict foraging success when other food web constraints are not considered. We speculate that this is particularly true in highly invaded ecosystems like the San Francisco Estuary because invading species often introduce substantial and permanent changes into food webs, decreasing the likelihood that a predator will find prey assemblages that fully replace historical prey assemblages.     

Habitat selection and feeding ecology of the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) in thicket vegetation: is the cheetah a savanna specialist?

Habitat selection and feeding ecology of a reintroduced population of cheetahs Acinonyx jubatus were studied in a 16 000 ha game reserve in the Eastern Cape Province (South Africa). Seventy per cent of the reserve is characterized by very dense thicket vegetation (valley bushveld) and the remainder is open and savanna-like. The results illustrated a strong effect of sex and group size on the behaviour of cheetahs. The coalition (three adult males) killed significantly larger animals (55% of kills weighed more than 65 kg) than single female cheetahs (less than 2% of kills weighed more than 65 kg). Female cheetahs showed temporal and spatial avoidance of lions by hunting at dawn and dusk and positioning their home ranges [95% utilization distribution (UDs)] significantly farther from the pride of lions than did the coalition. The coalition hunted earlier and later than female cheetahs, and 46% of their kills were made in darkness. In addition, their home range overlapped that of the lions and they showed neither temporal nor spatial avoidance of the lions. The rates of kleptoparasitism were lower and the kill retention times were longer than those reported elsewhere in Africa, and it is suggested that this is a consequence of the cover provided by the thicket vegetation and prey size. The home ranges (95% UDs) of female cheetahs incorporated more thicket vegetation than that of the coalition, indicating that the coalition is less susceptible to predation than single females. These data suggest that cheetahs possess greater behavioural flexibility than previously reported, that they can hunt successfully in thicket vegetation, sometimes in darkness, that they are not restricted to killing small to medium-sized prey, and that they may not be savanna specialists.     

Estimating primate densities using home range and line transect methods: A comparative test with the black colobus monkeyColobus satanas

The line transect method is one of the main methods used to estimate primate densities. Several protocols have been proposed to analyze the data recorded under this method but none of them have been widely accepted since there is a considerable controversy about their respective accuracy. In this study, densities of the black colobus monkeyColobus satanas calculated using eight different protocols were compared with the actual density given by the home range method. Rates of polyspecific associations were also compared. The two most accurate estimates of group density (under- or overestimation <10%) were yielded by the protocol that used the maximum transect-to-animal distance and by that of using a fixed distance of 100 m. These protocols, however, underestimated individual density because counts performed from transects underestimated by 23% the average group size. The six other protocols overestimated group density by 20–195%. Factors that could explain these overestimation were discussed. Because histogram of sighting frequency showed several classes of distances with no records and because groups have been detected as far as 160 m, we suggested that the uneven topography of the study site increased the variability of the sighting distances. Combined with a relatively low number of sightings (n=23), this did not allow to identify a sharp detection distance. Rates of polyspecific association found with the two methods were similar. We recommend to investigate the influence of the topography for bias in density estimates when using the line transect method.