Marsh management, reserve creation, hunting periods and carrying capacity for wintering ducks and coots

Many wild species, like waterbirds, are exploited for their economic interests. At present, the annual western Palearctic duck bag is at least 17 million birds. From a sustainable management perspective, wetland users and managers request predictions of spatial distribution and abundance variations of these bird populations. The objective of this study was to analyze local factors potentially influencing the diurnal distribution and population size of wintering ducks and coots, the main game species, in Camargue (southern France). First, we showed that marshland surface area, salinity and hunting disturbance were the principal variables explaining the duck and coot distribution. Secondly, we tested the hypothesis that hunting disturbance would reduce the carrying capacity of the Camargue with two analyses: the effect of creating a protected area and the change of the hunting closing date. This hypothesis was not validated. Our study therefore led us to reconsider the research orientations on the carrying capacity in this wetland. The surface of protected day roosts seems presently sufficient in the Rhone delta. Consequently, to increase the population size with the same level of hunting disturbance at the scale of the Camargue, alternative strategies should be envisaged, such as the creation of nature reserves on nocturnal feeding ground or the creation of large management units with limited disturbance.     

Gene flow from genetically modified rice to its wild relatives: Assessing potential ecological consequences

Pollen-mediated gene flow is the major pathway for transgene escape from GM rice to its wild relatives. Transgene escape to wild Oryza species having AA-genome will occur if GM rice is released to environments with these wild Oryza species. Transgenes may persist to and spread in wild populations after gene flow, resulting unwanted ecological consequences. For assessing the potential consequences caused by transgene escape, it is important to understand the actual gene flow frequencies from GM rice to wild relatives, transgene expression and inheritance in the wild relatives, as well as fitness changes that brought to wild relatives by the transgenes. This article reviews studies on transgene escape from rice to its wild relatives via gene flow and its ecological consequences. A framework for assessing potential ecological consequences caused by transgene escape from GM rice to its wild relatives is discussed based on studies of gene flow and fitness changes.     

1-甲基环丙烯(1-MCP)对青州蜜桃冷藏期间某些生理指标的影响

1 甲基环丙烯 (1 MCP ,0 .5 g·m-3 )明显延迟青州蜜桃冷藏期间 (0± 0 .5 )℃ 2次呼吸高峰 ,抑制多酚氧化酶 (PPO)活性 ,较好地维持超氧化物歧化酶 (SOD)活性 ,防止可滴定酸含量的下降 ,延缓果实硬度下降     

滇西北野生观赏花卉调查

依据野外调查结果和有关文献资料,运用统计和比较的方法,对滇西北地区野生花卉的多样性进行了研究。结果表明,滇西北野生花卉有83科324属2206种。其中草本花卉1,163种,木本花卉。743种,滇西北特有野生花卉751种,珍稀濒危花卉35种。本文对滇西北地区野生花卉植物的种类、分布、观赏类型、花色、花期、受威胁状况以及特有现象进行了详细地统计分析。发现滇西北地区花卉植物的丰富度依次为丽江、中甸、贡山、德钦、维西、鹤庆、福贡、洱源、大理、兰坪。从垂直分布上看,海拔2400～3000m以及海拔3500m以上的地段花卉植物较为丰富,且特有和珍稀濒危野生花卉植物也较多地集中在这两个地段。按花色紫蓝、橙黄、红、白四大类型分类,则以紫蓝花种类最为丰富(约400种)、橙黄花次之(约230种)、红花较少(约170种)、白花最少(约140种)。     

桃园节肢动物群落相对丰盛度的季节动态研究

以合肥市杏花林果科技示范园为例,研究了桃园节肢动物群落物种的组成和数量,对植食类、捕食类、寄生类和其它类4种功能类群的相对丰盛度作了详尽的阐述。捕食类同植食类的相对丰盛度变化趋势一致,说明捕食类节肢动物是桃树生长期植食类害虫的重要天敌。     

野猪及其与家猪杂种猪Myostatin基因3''编码区的克隆和序列分析

Myostatin, which is a highly conservative gene among breeds, is a negative regulator of muscle. The 3' coding region of wild boar and crossbred pig myostatin was cloned by RT - PCR and sequenced. Compared with that of GenBank, the homology of the nucleotide sequence between wild bear and crossbred pig is identical in this region indicating that domestic pigs were evolved from wild boar and there was not changed in this region during the evolution processes.     

Ames试验在水质检测方面的应用

近年来 ,水体污染日趋严重 ,各国学者从氯化后饮水中分离出多种致突变、致癌物质。为此我们采用Ames试验 ,对珠江流域主要取水点的水源水和对应自来水中的有机致突变物污染情况进行了研究。研究表明 ,部分取水点的有机致突变物污染较严重 ,并且氯化消毒后自来水的致突性大于水源水的致突性。因而 ,加强饮水中致突变物质的检测 ,改进净水消毒剂和净水流程很有必要。     

温度对桃离体花药散粉及花粉萌发的影响

以目前生产栽培较多的‘湖景蜜露’、‘霞晖6号’和‘白凤’3个桃品种为试材,连续2年调查了不同温度处理下花药失水率、花药散粉时间以及花粉离体萌发特性等变化。结果表明：桃花药于相对低温条件下散粉失水率较低,随散粉温度升高失水率相应上升;花药开裂所需时间与处理温度呈相反趋势;3个品种花粉离体萌发率随散粉温度的升高而下降。离体花药在超过30℃的温度条件下散出的花粉在萌发过程中出现花粉管变短、花粉瘪小的概率增多的现象,表明高温促使花药脱水和散粉加快,但降低了花粉活力。在桃树花期以及制备花粉时外界环境温度应控制在30℃以下。     

Characterization of a glutamine synthetase gene DvGS2 from Dunaliella viridis and biochemical identification of DvGS2-transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana

The salt-tolerant green alga Dunaliella has remarkable capability to survive in some extreme environments such as nitrogen starvation, which makes Dunaliella be a proper model for mining novel genes on nitrogen uptake or assimilation. In this study, a glutamine synthetase (GS) gene DvGS2 with amino acid identity of 72% to other homologous GS proteins, was isolated and characterized from Dunaliella viridis. Phylogenetic comparison with other GSs revealed that DvGS2 occupied an independent phylogenetic position. Expressional analysis in D. viridis cells under nitrogen starvation confirmed that DvGS2 increased its mRNA level in 12 h. Subcellular localization study and functional analysis in a GS-deficient Escherichia coli mutant proved that DvGS2 was a chloroplastic and functional GS enzyme. In order to investigate the potential application of DvGS2 in higher plants, the transgenic studies of DvGS2 in Arabidopsis thaliana were carried out. Results showed that the transgenic lines expressed the DvGS2 gene and demonstrated obviously enhanced root length (29%), fresh weight (40%–48% at two concentrations of nitrate supplies), stem length (21%), leaf size (39%) and silique number (44%) in contrast with the wild-type Arabidopsis. Furthermore, the transgenic lines had higher total nitrogen content (35%–43%), total GS activity (39%–45%) and soluble protein concentration (23%–24%) than the wild type. These results indicated that the overexpression of DvGS2 in A. thaliana resulted in higher biomass and the improvement of the host's nitrogen use efficiency.     

Core and symbiotic genes reveal nine Mesorhizobium genospecies and three symbiotic lineages among the rhizobia nodulating Cicer canariense in its natural habitat (La Palma,Canary Islands)

Cicer canariense is a threatened perennial wild chickpea endemic to the Canary Islands. In this study, rhizobia that nodulate this species in its natural habitats on La Palma (Canary Islands) were characterised. The genetic diversity and phylogeny were estimated by RAPD profiles, 16S-RFLP analysis and sequencing of the rrs, recA, glnII and nodC genes. 16S-RFLP grouped the isolates within the Mesorhizobium genus and distinguished nine different ribotypes. Four branches included minority ribotypes (3–5 isolates), whereas another five contained the predominant ribotypes that clustered with reference strains of M. tianshanense/M. gobiense/M. metallidurans, M. caraganae, M. opportunistum, M. ciceri and M. tamadayense. The sequences confirmed the RFLP groupings but resolved additional internal divergence within the M. caraganae group and outlined several potential novel species. The RAPD profiles showed a high diversity at the infraspecific level, except in the M. ciceri group. The nodC phylogeny resolved three symbiotic lineages. A small group of isolates had sequences identical to those of symbiovar ciceri and were only detected in M. ciceri isolates. Another group of sequences represented a novel symbiotic lineage that was associated with two particular chromosomal backgrounds. However, nodC sequences closely related to symbiovar loti predominated in most isolates, and they were detected in several chromosomal backgrounds corresponding to up to nine Mesorhizobium lineages. The results indicated that C. canariense is a promiscuous legume that can be nodulated by several rhizobial species and symbiotypes, which means it will be important to determine the combination of core and symbiotic genes that produce the most effective symbiosis.