Biological effects of salinity gradient reversals in a southeast African estuarine lake

St Lucia Lake on the north coast of Natal, South Africa, has an area of 325 km² and is the largest estuarine complex in Africa. It consists of a 20 km tidal channel, averagingca. 400 m in width, linking the sea with the non-tidal lake which is H-shaped with a maximum length ofca. 40 km and width ofca. 20 km. Except during flood periods the depth of the lake does not exceed 2 m. The salinity gradient depends on evaporation, the configuration of the mouth and on the input of fresh water from four rivers which discharge into the northern and western areas of the lake. If fresh water input is high, the lake and much of the channel may be fresh. An intermediate stage features a normal salinity gradient while a third stage shows a reversed salinity gradient with salinities in excess of 100‰ in the upper reaches of the system. Changing salinities have marked effects on the biota. Aquatic macrophytes show cycles of appearance and disappearance depending on salinity tolerance and the presence of dormant stages. The resident benthic faunal species go through cycles of range expansion and contraction depending on prevailing salinities and recolonisation by dispersal phases. To date salinities in the southern part of the lake have approached, but not exceeded, lethal levels and this has therefore acted as a reservoir area. Catchment degradation and water abstraction are anticipated to exacerbate future salinity extremes. This has resulted in concern for the long term viability of this Ramsar site which has major southern African populations of hippopotamus and crocodile, provides breeding sites for South African Red Data water bird species and plays an important nursery role for marine fish and penaeid prawns.     

不同降水条件下沙鞭种群非生殖株丛空间格局分析

植物空间分布格局是物种自身生物学特性与环境因素共同作用的结果,非生殖株丛空间分布格局能够揭示物种无性繁殖与种群扩张过程对异质生境的生态学适应机制。利用基于完全随机、泊松聚块和嵌套双聚块模型的点格局方法和群落学调查,分析了沙鞭(Psammochloa villosa)种群非生殖株丛空间分布格局,探讨了空间格局对降水梯度的响应和适应过程。结果表明：(1)聚集分布是沙鞭种群非生殖株丛的主要类型。在89 mm/a、107.8 mm/a、117.4 mm/a、186 mm/a、191.1 mm/a、363 mm/a降水梯度上聚集尺度分别为3—126 cm、9—200 cm、9—129 cm、6—77 cm、2—95 cm、2—96 cm;(2)基于完全随机模型的空间分布格局对降水的响应规律显著,整体表现为随干旱程度加剧,沙鞭种群非生殖株丛聚集尺度从2—96 cm下降至6—77 cm;(3)在107.8 mm/a、117.4 mm/a、191.1 mm/a、363 mm/a降水梯度上,基于泊松聚块模型的空间分布格局分别在15—19 cm、2—6 cm、2—4 cm、9—25 cm尺度正向偏离泊松聚...     

三江源国家公园草地地上生物量时空动态及其气候影响

三江源区位于青藏高原腹地,作为长江、黄河、澜沧江三大河流的发源地,是我国重要的生态安全屏障。基于三江源区域草地AGB的野外调查数据,本研究采用多种机器学习算法集成分析的方式构建模型,实现了高精度的三江源国家公园草地AGB时空估算。基于AGB时空模拟结果,分析了近19年(2000—2018年)三江源国家公园区域草地AGB的时空动态变化。研究结果显示：(1)通过多种机器学习结合贝叶斯平均模型,草地AGB模拟值与实测值的r为0.88,RMSE为71.60g/m²,表明多模型集成分析的方式对草地AGB估算获得了较好的模拟效果。(2)三江源国家公园区域草地AGB的空间分布具有明显的空间异质性,呈从东南向西北递减的趋势。(3)2000—2018年长江源国家公园、黄河源国家公园和澜沧江国家公园区域草地AGB多年平均值分别为82.96 g/m²、117.54g/m²和168.39 g/m²。(4)近19年间,在黄河和长江源园区受到温度上升的影响草地AGB呈现出非显著性上升趋势;澜沧江区域,由于2015和2016年的...     

甘南黄河流域4种典型林分土壤C、N、P化学计量特征

土壤碳（C）、氮（N）、磷（P）是参与植物光合作用和影响生态系统初级生产力的主要元素。甘南高原是黄河流域重要的生态屏障,为了解该区不同林分土壤养分状况的差异,选取该区4种典型林分：云杉林、华北落叶松林、巴山冷杉林以及岷江冷杉糙皮桦混交林为研究对象,研究土壤C、N、P化学计量特征。结果表明：（1）岷江冷杉及糙皮桦混交林土壤C、N含量最高,云杉林土壤N、P含量最低。不同林分间P含量差异显著（P<0.05）,不同土层间C、N含量差异均显著（P<0.05）。（2）云杉林土壤C ： N值显著高于其他林分,岷江冷杉及糙皮桦混交林土壤N ： P及C ： P高于其他林分。（3）海拔、土壤pH、容重与土壤含水量是影响土壤养分的重要因素。土壤C含量与N、P含量均显著相关（P<0.05）。总体来说,不同林分土壤化学计量特征具有显著差异,混交林土壤养分状况较纯林好,未来森林管理和植被建设中,可以通过选择合适的树种和提高树种多样性有效改善森林土壤质量。     

水分梯度下胡杨荒漠河岸林种内竞争及空间格局变化特征

为查明塔里木河下游不同水分梯度下胡杨种内竞争以及空间分布格局的变化规律,在塔里木河下游阿拉干断面选取3条样带,每条样带内依照水分梯度布设3个样方,采用Hegyi单木竞争模型与点格局等分析方法,探究了水分梯度下胡杨林种内竞争及空间格局变化特征。结果表明：1)塔里木河下游胡杨的最适竞争范围为10m; 2)胡杨竞争指数与胸径服从幂函数关系(P<0.001),胡杨竞争指数随对象木胸径的增加而逐渐减小,当对象木胸径达到20cm以上时,其竞争指数逐渐稳定,且维持在较低水平;3)随水分梯度的降低,胡杨林分竞争指数呈下降趋势;4)在塔里木河下游,胡杨空间格局主要为聚集分布,随空间尺度的增加,胡杨逐渐趋向于随机分布;5)随水分梯度的降低,胡杨空间格局由聚集分布逐渐转变为随机分布。水分是决定极端干旱区荒漠植被空间分布与结构的主要因子;在胡杨林分管理中,应充分考虑胡杨的种内竞争、空间格局及其与水分梯度之间关系,为塔里木河下游胡杨林的保护与更新提供科学依据。     

Am improved procedure for the isolation of chloroplast DNA fromChlamydomonas reinhardtii

The isolation of chloroplast DNA fromChlamydomonas reinhardtii requires the efficient separation of this AT-rich genome from the GC-rich nuclear genome by density-gradient centrifugation. We describe a simple and efficient method for separating these DNA fractions by using a sodium iodide gradient in combination with the DNA-binding dye, bisbenzimide. The yield of chloroplast DNA is close to the theoretical maximum and the DNA is suitable for restriction enzyme analysis and cloning. This method is applicable to the isolation of AT-rich plastid genomes from other organisms and may be appropriate as a general method for separating species of DNA that differ in their AT/GC ratios. An erratum to this article is available at .     

一株木质素降解菌高温驯化及酶学性质的测定

【背景】高温引起的微生物活性降低是限制园林绿化废弃物堆肥过程中木质素降解的主要因素。【目的】驯化一株木质素降解菌芽孢杆菌NO.2,提高其在高温下的微生物活性,探究其生长情况及酶学特性。【方法】采用温度梯度方法驯化菌株,以菌株生长曲线、酶活力、木质素降解率为评价指标,探究驯化前后菌株间差异,以及驯化后菌株所产木质素降解酶的酶促反应温度和pH范围。【结果】与原菌株相比,驯化后菌株在60℃培养时最大生物量间差异不显著;漆酶(laccase,Lac)、锰过氧化物酶(manganeseperoxidase,MnP)和木质素过氧化物酶(ligninperoxidase,LiP)酶活力得到进一步提高,分别提高了30.75%、35.98%和29.62%,木质素降解率提高60.52%。酶学性质研究表明,驯化后菌株所产Lac、MnP和LiP在20-60℃、pH 3.0-9.0范围内酶活力均较高,而且具有较好的稳定性,稳定性依次为Lac>LiP>MnP。【结论】温度梯度驯化方法可有效提高微生物对高温环境的适应性,扩大木质素降解酶的酶促反应温度和pH范围,在进一步自主研制专用降解园林废弃物微生物菌...     

生态梯度轴(EGA)用于林木生态遗传的研究——CA方法估算EGA(CA_1)和EGA(r~2)

应用典型相关的原理和技术,将多元地理坐标和生态因子降维成1元,研究提出2个生态梯度轴(EGA);EGA(CA_1)和EGA(r~2)。通过白榆20个种源的2个EGA估算,它们与6个环境因子平均相关系数为0.8551和0.8804,复相关系数0.9998和0.9985,很好地综合了诸环境因子在对群体7个性状分析结果,EGA能很好描述梯度变异,证明了白榆种群属于连续变异模式。     

THE FUNCTIONAL BASIS OF NATURAL SELECTION FOR VERTEBRAL TRAITS OF LARVAE IN THE STICKLEBACK GASTEROSTEUS ACULEATUS

Previous studies have demonstrated selective predation for vertebral traits of larvae in the stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus. I tested the hypothesis that this selection results from a direct functional advantage to particular vertebral phenotypes by direct measurement of the burst swimming performance of larvae. Within a narrow window of lengths, burst speed did depend on vertebral phenotype. As in the previous predation experiments, performance was related more directly to the ratio of abdominal to caudal vertebrae (VR) than to the total number of vertebrae (VN), and the optimal VR decreased as larval length increased. Changes with length in the vertebral phenotype frequencies of wild larvae provided evidence of selection for VR and for VN in the wild. Larvae with particular VR increased in frequency in the wild at just those lengths when their relative performance was superior in the laboratory. The observed pattern of length-dependent selection for vertebral number provides an explanation for the widespread trends in vertebral number that occur among populations of related fishes.