Long-term survival despite low genetic diversity in the critically endangered Madagascar fish-eagle

The critically endangered Madagascar fish-eagle ( Haliaeetus vociferoides ) is considered to be one of the rarest birds of prey globally and at significant risk of extinction. In the most recent census, only 222 adult individuals were recorded with an estimated total breeding population of no more than 100–120 pairs. Here, levels of Madagascar fish-eagle population genetic diversity based on 47 microsatellite loci were compared with its sister species, the African fish-eagle ( Haliaeetus vocifer ), and 16 of these loci were also characterized in the white-tailed eagle ( Haliaeetus albicilla ) and the bald eagle ( Haliaeetus leucocephalus ). Overall, extremely low genetic diversity was observed in the Madagascar fish-eagle compared to other surveyed Haliaeetus species. Determining whether this low diversity is the result of a recent bottleneck or a more historic event has important implications for their conservation. Using a Bayesian coalescent-based method, we show that Madagascar fish-eagles have maintained a small effective population size for hundreds to thousands of years and that its low level of neutral genetic diversity is not the result of a recent bottleneck. Therefore, efforts made to prevent Madagascar fish-eagle extinction should place high priority on maintenance of habitat requirements and reducing direct and indirect human persecution. Given the current rate of deforestation in Madagascar, we further recommend that the population be expanded to occupy a larger geographical distribution. This will help the population persist when exposed to stochastic factors (e.g. climate and disease) that may threaten a species consisting of only 200 adult individuals while inhabiting a rapidly changing landscape.     

Dynamic micro-geographic and temporal genetic diversity in vertebrates: the case of lake-spawning populations of brown trout (Salmo trutta)

Conservation of species should be based on knowledge of effective population sizes and understanding of how breeding tactics and selection of recruitment habitats lead to genetic structuring. In the stream‐spawning and genetically diverse brown trout, spawning and rearing areas may be restricted source habitats. Spatio–temporal genetic variability patterns were studied in brown trout occupying three lakes characterized by restricted stream habitat but high recruitment levels. This suggested non‐typical lake‐spawning, potentially representing additional spatio–temporal genetic variation in continuous habitats. Three years of sampling documented presence of young‐of‐the‐year cohorts in littoral lake areas with groundwater inflow, confirming lake‐spawning trout in all three lakes. Nine microsatellite markers assayed across 901 young‐of‐the‐year individuals indicated overall substantial genetic differentiation in space and time. Nested gene diversity analyses revealed highly significant (≤P = 0.002) differentiation on all hierarchical levels, represented by regional lakes (F_LT = 0.281), stream vs. lake habitat within regional lakes (F_HL = 0.045), sample site within habitats (F_SH = 0.010), and cohorts within sample sites (F_CS = 0.016). Genetic structuring was, however, different among lakes. It was more pronounced in a natural lake, which exhibited temporally stable structuring both between two lake‐spawning populations and between lake‐ and stream spawners. Hence, it is demonstrated that lake‐spawning brown trout form genetically distinct populations and may significantly contribute to genetic diversity. In another lake, differentiation was substantial between stream‐ and lake‐spawning populations but not within habitat. In the third lake, there was less apparent spatial or temporal genetic structuring. Calculation of effective population sizes suggested small spawning populations in general, both within streams and lakes, and indicates that the presence of lake‐spawning populations tended to reduce genetic drift in the total (meta‐) population of the lake.     

瓜实蝇的有效积温及其在中国的年发生代数预测

瓜实蝇Bactrocera cucurbitae Coquillett是世界上重要的检疫性害虫,通过在14、18、22、26、30、34℃温度下孵化和饲养实验,测定该虫卵、幼虫、蛹、产卵前期、世代的发育起点温度和有效积温分别是8．0982℃、4．5245℃、4．5245℃、7．4751℃、10．0019℃和28．8506、162．7462、145．7249、166．5126、503．8343日度。根据该虫的致死温度和有效积温模型,运用数学分析和地理信息系统技术,预测了瓜实蝇在中国的适生区和年发生代数,结果表明：该虫可在中国48．96％地区发生（气象站点所代表的地区）,1年发生2-12代,以4～6代为主。     

Inclusion of ionization states of ligands in affinity calculations

When estimating binding affinities of a ligand, which can exists in multiple forms, for a target molecule, one must consider all possible competing equilibria. Here, a method is presented that estimates the contribution of the protonation equilibria of a ligand in solution to the measured or calculated binding affinity. The method yields a correction to binding constants that are based on the total concentration of inhibitor (the sum of all ionized forms of the inhibitor in solution) to account for the complexed form of the inhibitor only. The method is applied to the calculation of the difference in binding affinity of two inhibitors, 2‐phosphoglycolate (PGA) and its phoshonate analog 3‐phosphonopropionate (3PP), for the glycolytic enzyme triosephosphate isomerase. Both inhibitors have three titrating sites and exist in solution as a mixture of different forms. In this case the form that actually binds to the enzyme is present at relative low concentrations. The contributions of the alternative forms to the difference in binding energies is estimated by means of molecular dynamics simulations and corrections. The inhibitors undergo a pK_a shift upon binding that is estimated by ab initio calculations. An interesting finding is that the affinity difference of the two inhibitors is not due to different interactions in the active site of the enzyme, but rather due to the difference in the solvation properties of the inhibitors. Protein 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

草履蚧一龄若虫的发育历期与防治

在郑州通过室外埋卵观察,草履蚧Drosicha corpulenta Kuwana从1月初开始孵化,孵化后在土里等到2月初开始出土,此时日最高气温在6～8℃之间。若虫出土期约30d,2月中下旬为出土高峰期。经设置14,18,22,26和30℃5个温度梯度观察,草履蚧1龄若虫发育起点温度为7.9℃,有效积温为203.8日.度。利用树干绑缚杀虫药带防治效果达到98%以上。     

Edge Effect on Density Estimates of a Radiotracked Population of Yellow-Necked Mice

ABSTRACT Density estimates for small-mammal populations from capture-mark-recapture (CMR) data have played an important role in many studies of theoretical and applied ecology. Defining effective trapping area (ETA) is one of the main issues affecting accuracy of density estimates. Our objective was to assess sensitivity of CMR density estimates to correctors based on movement parameters calculated from trapping and radiotelemetry data. From May to November 2005, we conducted monthly CMR trapping in a beech (Fagus sylvaticus) forest of the province of Trento, northern Italy. In conjunction with CMR, we radio-marked 32 yellow-necked mice (Apodemus flavicollis) captured from July to October and located them daily using radiotelemetry. We estimated population size (N) by model averaging with Program MARK. We calculated ETA using several definitions of the boundary strip, including full and half mean maximum distance moved (MMDM) from capture-recapture and telemetry data and mean radius of mean monthly home ranges. The boundary strip (W) increased with the amount of behavioral information embodied in the estimates. The largest W and lowest density values were based on radius of mean home ranges followed by MMDM calculated from telemetry data. The ETA based on movement distances increased more than proportionally when N decreased, suggesting that low population density combined with scarce resources results in rodents moving more in search of food, thus leading to overestimated ETA and underestimated density values. Although robust behavioral information would certainly improve density estimates, we suggest caution in relating ranging movements to capture probability and hence in using correctors based on movement distances to infer density values.     

OPPORTUNITY FOR SEXUAL SELECTION AND EFFECTIVE POPULATION SIZE IN THE LEK-BREEDING EUROPEAN TREEFROG (HYLA ARBOREA).

Sexual selection in lek-breeding species might drastically lower male effective population size, with potentially important consequences for evolutionary and conservation biology. Using field-monitoring and parental-assignment methods, we analyzed sex-specific variances in breeding success in a population of European treefrogs, to (1) help understanding the dynamics of genetic variance at sex-specific loci, and (2) better quantify the risk posed by genetic drift in this species locally endangered by habitat fragmentation. The variance in male mating success turned out to be markedly lower than values obtained from other amphibian species with polygamous mating systems. The ratio of effective breeding size to census breeding size was only slightly lower in males (0.44) than in females (0.57), in line with the patterns of genetic diversity previously reported from H. arborea sex chromosomes. Combining our results with data on age at maturity and adult survival, we show that the negative effect of the mating system is furthermore compensated by the effect of delayed maturity, so that the estimated instantaneous effective size broadly corresponded to census breeding size. We conclude that the lek-breeding system of treefrogs impacts only weakly the patterns of genetic diversity on sex-linked genes and the ability of natural populations to resist genetic drift.     

豆突眼长蝽发育起点温度和有效积温的研究

在恒温条件下 ,观察了不同温度对豆突眼长蝽ChauliopsfallaxScott生长发育的影响 ,用直接最优法和直线回归法分析数据 ,结果表明直接最优法能较好地反应实际情况。卵、1～ 5龄若虫和整个若虫期的发育起点温度分别为 7 98℃ ,7 1 6℃ ,6 5 3℃ ,8 81℃ ,6 75℃ ,8 2 7℃和 7 5 0℃ ,有效积温分别为85 8,60 8,5 2 0 ,71 4,1 0 1 5 ,66 3和 3 5 3 0日·度 ,发育速率最大时的温度分别为 3 4 84℃ ,3 4 48℃ ,3 4 1 6℃ ,3 4 1 2℃ ,3 4 75℃ ,3 5 1 1℃和 3 3 65℃。     

伊克昭盟项目区水土保持的生态效益

根据对伊克昭盟世行项目区的监测数据,分析了项目实施后水土保持的生态效益。结果表明,项目实施后,改善了土壤的理化性质,增加了土壤肥力;同时,提高了当地的林草植被覆盖度,改善了局地气候,促进了生物多样性的恢复和保护。     

群落均匀度分形分析

修正了Frontier和Ricotta等关于有效物种丰富度指数A与物种丰富度指数S之间幂律关系的定义．探讨了A与S之间分形关系的生态学意义．认为分形维数D是群落均匀度测度值在物种数S不断增加的过程中．向其逼近的一个理论值;提出了利用双对数坐标上建立的A与S拟合直线的方程．对群落均匀度的4种变化趋势进行描述的方法。以广东黑石顶自然保护区森林演替系列为例．研究了针阔叶混交林和常绿阔叶林样带上．随着样带观察长度的逐渐增加群落均匀度的变化情况。结果表明．230m长的混交林样带只存在一个线性无标度区间．群落均匀度随样带长度的不断增加而逐渐降低．向分形维数D=0．810趋近。170m长的常绿阔叶林样带存在两个线性无标度区问．在0～25m的尺度域内．随着样带长度的逐渐增加均匀度不断降低．向分形维数D=0．525逼近;在30～170m的尺度域内．随着样带观察长度的增加．群落均匀度也逐渐增加．向分形维数D=0．920趋近。