Genetic structure and AFLP variation of remnant populations in the rare plant Pedicularis palustris (Scrophulariaceae) and its relation to population size and reproductive components

We investigated plant reproduction in relation to genetic structure, population size, and habitat quality in 13 populations of the rare biennial plant Pedicularis palustris with 3-28500 flowering individuals. We used AFLP (amplified fragment length polymorphism) profiles to analyze genetic similarities among 129 individuals (3-15 per population). In a cluster analysis of genetic similarities most individuals (67%) were arranged in population-specific clusters. Analysis of molecular variance indicated significant genetic differentiation among populations and among and within subpopulations (P < 0.001). Gene flow (N(e) m) was low (0.298). On average, plants produced 55 capsules, 17 seeds per fruit, and 42 seedlings in the following growing season. The number of seeds per capsule was independent of population size and of genetic variability. In contrast, the number of capsules per plant (P < 0.05) and the number of seedlings per plant (P < 0.05) were positively correlated with population size. The relation between population size and the number of seeds per plant was not significant (P = 0.075). The number of capsules and of seeds and seedlings per plant (P < 0.01) were positively correlated with genetic variability. Genetic variability was independent of actual population size, suggesting that historical population processes have to be taken into account, too. Stepwise multiple regressions revealed additional significant relationships of habitat parameters (soil pH, C:N ratio), vegetation composition, and standing crop on reproductive components. We conclude that populations of P. palustris are genetically isolated and that reproductive success most likely is influenced by population size, genetic variability, and habitat quality. Management strategies such as moderate grazing, mowing, and artificial gene flow should endeavor to increase population size as well as genetic variation.     

川西亚高山/高山森林土壤氧化还原酶活性及其对季节性冻融的响应

川西亚高山/高山森林土壤通常具有明显的季节性冻融特征。为深入了解川西亚高山/高山森林冬季土壤生态过程,于2008年11月-2009年10月,在土壤初冻期、冻结期和融化期及生长季节,研究了不同海拔(3582 m、3292 m和3023 m)岷江冷杉林的土壤氧化还原酶活性及其对土壤冻融的响应。土壤冻结时间和冻融循环次数随海拔的增加而增加。冻融格局显著影响了土壤氧化还原酶活性,但不同土壤酶在不同海拔表现出明显差异。土壤过氧化物酶和脱氢酶活性受初冻期冻融循环和温度降低影响显著下降,而过氧化氢酶活性明显上升。3种土壤氧化还原酶活性在土壤温度相对稳定的冻结期变化不显著,但在融化期随着土壤温度急剧增加经历一个明显的活性高峰后快速降低,且冻结时间最长和冻融循环次数最多的3582 m变化更为显著。此外,海拔和土层的交互作用显著影响了过氧化物物活性,但对脱氢酶和过氧化氢酶活性不显著。脱氢酶活性与土壤温度极显著相关,但过氧化物酶和过氧化氢酶活性与土壤温度的相关性随海拔差异而不同。这些结果表明川西亚高山/高山森林冬季土壤氧化还原酶仍然具有较高的活性,但受到季节性冻融及其变化的显著影响。     

川西亚高山暗针叶林不同恢复阶段红桦、 岷江冷杉土壤种子损耗特征

在川西亚高山米亚罗林区海拔3 100—3 600 m阴坡、半阴坡,以立地条件基本一致的箭竹和藓类林型不同恢复阶段(20—40年生的箭竹-阔叶林、藓类-阔叶林,50年生的箭竹-针阔混交林、藓类-针阔混交林、160—200年生的箭竹-暗针叶老龄林、藓类暗针叶老龄林)的群落为研究对象,于种子成熟散落前(8月)采集土壤样品,应用网筛分选法结合体视显微镜挑选种子,实验室发芽试验法和四唑染色法对种子生活力进行测定,分析了土壤内先锋树种红桦(Betula albo-sinensis)和顶极树种岷江冷杉(Abiesfaxoniana)的残余种子总数、组分及其分布格局;采用样方法调查了红桦和岷江冷杉的1年生幼苗密度。结果表明:1)随着森林的恢复,红桦的残余种子总数、外形完整种子数、发育不全种子数、空粒种子数和腐烂种子数呈减少的趋势,而岷江冷杉则相反。箭竹林型不同恢复阶段红桦的残余种子总数、外形完整种子数、发育不全种子数、空粒种子数和腐烂种子数总体上大于藓类林型相应恢复阶段。岷江冷杉的残余种子总数、外形完整种子数、发育不全种子数、空粒种子数、腐烂种子数的最大值均出现在藓类-暗针叶老林龄;2)在阔叶林和针阔混交林阶段,红桦和岷江冷杉的种子组分所占比例最高的分别为腐烂种子和发育不全种子,在暗针叶老龄林阶段,红桦的腐烂种子和空粒种子的比例位居前列,而岷江冷杉的外形完整种子比例最大;3)随着土层深度的增加,红桦和岷江冷杉的外形完整种子数、发育不全种子数、空粒种子数和腐烂种子数均呈减少的趋势。红桦和岷江冷杉不同组分的种子在枯枝落叶层所占地比例在72.85%—94.28%;4)红桦的1年生幼苗密度随着森林的恢复逐渐减小,而岷江冷杉的1年生幼苗密度随着森林的恢复逐渐增大。在8月份,土壤中已经不存在红桦和岷江冷杉有生活力的种子,两种植物的种子只能形成短暂土壤种子库。     

Neither protogynous nor obligatory out-crossed: pollination biology and breeding system of the European Red List Fritillaria meleagris L. (Liliaceae)

For 4 years we studied pollination biology and breeding system of the critically endangered, Red List plant Fritillaria meleagris L. (Liliaceae), in the larger of the two remaining populations of the plant in SE Poland. Our observations indicated that, contrary to literature data, the species is not dichogamous nor is it obligatorily out-crossing. Selfing, although rare in natural populations, results in fully developed seeds. Flowers are visited by several insect species, mostly social and solitary bees. In spite of extremely low visitation rates to this early spring-flowering plant, the species is not pollen limited. Although the largest pollen loads are transferred by solitary bees, the key pollinators are bumblebees (mostly the most common species, Bombus terrestris and B. lapidarius) due to their seasonal and floral constancy, and tolerance of bad weather conditions. The current decline of the studied population seems not to be related to the species' pollination or breeding systems but to plant habitat loss. It is suggested, however, that in smaller populations, the species' dependence on generally rare pollinators and largely out-crossed breeding system may accelerate local extinction.     

Vegetation patterns of floodplain meadows along the climatic gradient at the Middle Elbe River

Central European floodplain meadows are characterised by flooding mainly in winter/spring and dry conditions over the summer. They harbour many rare and endangered plant species. We studied the vegetation of floodplain meadows along the regional climatic gradient of the Middle Elbe River. This gradient exhibits rather continental conditions in the south-east and oceanic conditions in the north-west. We aimed at detecting the influence of climate on the vegetation of floodplain meadows along this gradient.     

Decomposition ofCarex andNuphar plants in a subalpine marsh

To assess the effect of water depth on the decomposition process, I measured the losses in dry mass of the above- and belowground materials ofCarex utriculata andNuphar luteum ssp.potysepalum as well as cellulose (Whatman filter paper) in the top 10 cm of sediment/soil in a subalpine marsh. Samples were examined by the litter bag technique at three flooding levels (0 to 5, 60, and 100 cm water depth). Over a 374-d period, the % mass losses of cellulose,Carex leaves and roots, andNuphar leaves and rhizomes ranged from 98.5 to 99.0, 74.8 to 81.8, 36.3 to 44.9, 95.8 to 97.7, and 78.4 to 91.5%, respectively. Rates for cellulose decay in this study were much higher than for samples from other wetlands; this difference resulted from the location of the litter bag (in the top 10 cm of soilvs in the water column). Water depth significantly affected the decomposition ofCarex roots andNuphar rhizomes. The rate of loss for K was highest in all tissues ofCarex andNuphar, followed by Na inCarex and P inNuphar. N and Ca loss rates generally were low. The C/N ratio tended to converge to a common value over the long term. This convergence has an important implication in the paleoecological interpretation of the C/N ratio change in sediment; i.e., this ratio shift in the sediment core results from a change in the environment, rather than the source material.     

亚高寒草甸植物群落的中性理论验证

 该文以物种组成较为复杂的青藏高原东部亚高寒草甸为背景,结合最新的群落中性理论,以解释亚高寒草甸草本植物群落的物种分布格局和生物多样性的维持机制。通过对阴坡、阳坡和滩地3个生境进行随机取样调查,用中性模型对所得多样性数据进行拟合,并分别应用置信区间检验、拟合优度检验和多样性指数检验3种方法对拟合效果进行检验。研究结果表明,在拟合优度检验中,3个生境中中性理论预测和实际物种多度分布之间没有显著差异(p>0.05);实际观测值基本全部落入模型预测分布的95%的置信区间之内（仅滩地草本植物群落的63个物种中的1个以及阴坡草本植物群落75个物种中的2个偏离95%的置信区间）;对群落多样性的预测也和实际观测没有显著差异,其中丰富度预测拟合得最好(0.49相似文献   

川西亚高山森林凋落物不同分解阶段基质质量特征

采用空间代替时间的方法,以川西高山亚高山云杉(Picea asperata)人工林、冷杉(Abies faxoniana)天然林、杜鹃(Rhododendron lapponicum)矮曲林和白桦(Betula platyphylla Suk.)天然林4种典型林分类型下的3个层次[新鲜凋落物层(L)、发酵层(F)、腐殖质层(H)]凋落物为研究对象,分别模拟凋落物分解的前期、中期和后期阶段,对凋落物的基质质量,包括水溶性组分(WSC)及有机溶性组分(OSC)、酸溶性组分(ASE)及酸不溶性组分(AIR)的含量进行分析,以揭示亚高山森林不同分解阶段凋落物的质量特征。结果表明:4种林分类型凋落物的WSC、OSC、ASE含量均随分解的进行不断减少,且分解前期的淋溶释放量高于分解中后期,而AIR含量及表征4种凋落物酸溶性和酸不溶性组分含量相对比例的LCI指数(lignocellulose index)随分解的进行却呈现上升趋势。4种林分凋落物L层的WSC含量及白桦、冷杉、云杉凋落物L层OSC含量均显著高于相应F、H层,而F、H层间差异不显著;而杜鹃凋落物OSC含量则表现为L层F层H层,且各层间均差异显著。林分类型对凋落物分解过程中的WSC、OSC、AIR含量有极显著影响,但对ASE和LCI指数影响却不显著。4个林分比较而言,阔叶林凋落物的WSC、OSC含量高于针叶林,AIR含量低于针叶林,白桦WSC含量在L、F层均最高。研究认为,分解阶段和林分类型对川西亚高山森林凋落物基质质量具有重要影响,但对各组分的影响有所差异。研究结果对深入理解亚高山森林生态系统的物质循环具有重要意义。     

川西亚高山/高山森林土壤线虫多样性

为了解青藏高原东缘亚高山/高山森林土壤线虫多样性,于2015年7月以该地区岷江冷杉原始林、混交林和次生林为研究对象,采用淘洗-过筛-蔗糖离心的方法分离土壤线虫,研究了3个海拔森林土壤线虫群落的组成与结构特征.结果表明: 共捕获线虫37950条,隶属于20科27属,平均为4217 条·100 g^-1干土,原始林以丝尾垫刃属为优势属,混交林和次生林以丝尾垫刃属和拟盘旋属为优势属,且优势属个体数量受林型的影响显著.原始林和次生林的优势营养类群为食真菌线虫,混交林则为食细菌线虫.土壤线虫c-p (colonizer-persister)类群c-p 1、c-p 2、 c-p 3和c-p 4数量分别占总数的6.1%、51.1%、30.0%和12.7%.3个海拔森林土壤线虫的自由生活线虫成熟度指数(MI)、总成熟度指数(∑MI)和植物寄生线虫成熟度指数(PPI)随海拔增加而逐渐降低.土壤线虫通路指数(NCR)在混交林高于0.5,在原始林和次生林低于0.5.林型显著影响了土壤线虫成熟度和NCR指数,但林型、土层及二者的交互作用对多样性指数影响不显著.川西亚高山/高山不同森林土壤线虫的组成、营养结构和能流通道存在明显差异,为深入理解土壤线虫在该区森林土壤生态过程中的作用提供了参考.