草地利用方式对温性典型草原优势种植物功能性状的影响

当外界环境发生变化后植物能够改变自身功能性状及时调整适应策略, 因此植物功能性状能够有效地反映植物对草地利用变化的响应, 然而在内蒙古草原从植物功能性状角度开展草地利用方式影响的研究略少。该研究以内蒙古典型草原大针茅(Stipa grandis)、羊草(Leymus chinensis)、糙隐子草(Cleistogenes squarrosa)和冷蒿(Artemisia frigida) 4种主要优势种为研究对象, 探讨在长期自由放牧、割草、短期围封和长期无干扰的影响下优势种植物功能性状的差异, 以期从功能性状视角, 揭示植物在受到外界干扰后的适应策略, 旨为天然草地的可持续管理提供基础数据支持和科学依据。结果表明: 1)除糙隐子草外, 在长期放牧后内蒙古典型草原优势植物植株高度、根长和植物碳氮含量降低, 这些性状的变化能够使植物个体小型化, 适口性降低, 表明植物通过逃避放牧的策略适应长期自由放牧的干扰; 在割草管理方式下, 优势种的高度和比叶面积有增加的趋势, 其中冷蒿的氮含量对割草响应最敏感, 其根、茎、叶中的氮含量均在割草样地最低; 围封和长期无干扰处理下植物的碳氮含量增加, 表明在干扰强度降低后, 植物通过功能性状的改变从资源获取策略向资源储藏策略转变。2)对优势种功能性状集合分析表明, 糙隐子草具有较低的植株高度和较高的比叶面积, 冷蒿具有较高的木质素含量和氮含量, 这些性状能够使两种植物被家畜采食量减少, 并保证其具有较强的再生能力, 这可能是糙隐子草和冷蒿耐牧的原因; 大针茅具有最高的植株高度、最大的叶片干物质含量, 以及最高的茎、叶纤维素含量, 说明大针茅是非常典型的竞争物种, 在干扰较低的条件下, 大针茅采取竞争策略对其他物种产生较大的竞争压力可能是其占优势的重要原因。     

环境因子对海南岛野生兰科植物物种组成与分布格局的影响

海南岛是中国兰科植物物种丰富度较高的地区, 了解环境因子对海南岛野生兰科植物物种组成和分布格局的影响, 对于该地区野生兰科植物的保护管理和相关研究具有重要指导意义。基于海南岛野生兰科植物调查分布样方的植被类型、海拔、坡向、坡度、年平均气温、年降水量的数据, 采用典范相关分析探索了环境因子对物种组成的影响, 并计算各个环境因子对物种组成的总效应与净效应, 同时分析了6个环境因子对野生兰科植物分布格局的影响。结果表明, 所选的6个环境因子共解释了海南岛野生兰科植物组成变异的3.7%; 植被类型、海拔、年平均气温、年降水量、坡向、坡度这6个环境因子的总效应与净效应均达显著水平, 但其解释率依次减小。所选的6个环境因子对海南岛野生兰科植物的分布均有影响, 野生兰科植物在海南岛主要分布在中海拔段、5°-35°的坡度范围、阴坡与半阴坡、年平均气温较低且年降水量较高的环境, 并且于原生植被中分布最多。     

匙叶紫菀,中国菊科一未详知种的补充描述

报道中国菊科紫菀属一未详知种:匙叶紫菀(Aster spathulifolius Maxim.),发现于我国东海的舟山群岛,位于浙江嵊泗县的两个岛上,生于海滨岩石上,并提供特征描述和图片。该种与普陀狗娃花[Aster arenarius (Kitam.) Nemoto]比较近缘,提供了这2种的详细形态区别特征。     

姜黄素通过抑制凋亡信号调节激酶1减弱PM2.5短期暴露致大鼠子宫损伤

细颗粒物(PM2.5)是空气动力学直径 ≤ 2.5 μm的颗粒物,能诱发多种疾病。已有大量的流行病学调查证实,PM2.5能够损伤生殖系统,但其致病机制不明确,相关的研究也非常有限。为研究PM2.5短期暴露对大鼠子宫的损伤,以及姜黄素（curcumin, CRC）对其保护作用,本研究将50只雌性SD大鼠随机分为生理盐水对照组、PM2.5暴露组、低剂量姜黄素组（PM2.5+CRC-L）、高剂量姜黄素组（PM2.5+CRC-H）和维生素E干预组（PM2.5+VE）,连续暴露30 d。经PM2.5短期暴露,暴露组雌鼠子宫内膜上皮细胞萎缩,组织结构模糊,内膜腺体细胞和基质细胞排列混乱。给予姜黄素和VE后,子宫内膜损伤明显降低。TUNEL检测凋亡结果显示,PM2.5暴露组子宫组织细胞凋亡率 (48.81±8.27)%明显高于对照组凋亡率（P<0.05）。与PM2.5暴露组相比,姜黄素能降低PM2.5诱发的子宫细胞凋亡,且PM2.5+CRC-H组细胞凋亡率(20.79±3.63)%明显低于暴露组（P<0.05）。与对照组相比,PM2.5暴露组子宫组织活性氧（ROS）含量明显升高（P<0.05）,总抗氧化能力（T-AOC）含量明显降低（P<0.05）;给予姜黄素和VE,能不同程度地缓解子宫氧化应激反应。Western印迹结果显示,与PM2.5暴露组相比,姜黄素和VE能够明显抑制因PM2.5暴露诱导的凋亡信号调节激酶1(ASK1)、c-Jun氨基末端激酶(JNK)、p38 蛋白激酶(p38)磷酸化,以及胱天蛋白酶-3（caspase-3）的活化 (P<0.05)。由此可见,姜黄素能够明显减轻PM2.5短期暴露诱发的子宫损伤,这可能与其抑制ASK1介导的JNK-p38-caspase-3细胞凋亡信号通路有关。     

Human‐horse sensory engagement through horse archery

The Mongol horse stems from ancient stock, similar to the first horses ridden on the Central Asian grassland steppe. Mongol horses subsequently migrated with their human counterparts throughout Eurasia, as far to the east as Japan. During archery festivals in Japan, horses gallop along a narrow runway within a temple complex in the heavily populated city of Kyoto. In Mongolia, with the recent re‐emergence of the ancient practice, horse and rider still gallop across the expansive grassland steppe. The euphoria one feels in riding fast on horseback with the wind against one's face can be symbolised by the concept of khii mor’ in Mongolia, which is connected with the vitality between human and horse in the practice of horse archery. Through sensory ethnography, in combination with multi‐species ethnography, this article explores embodiment between horse and rider in two quite different socio‐ecological contexts.     

Systematic study of the genus Compsilura Bouché in Southeast and East Asia with morphological and molecular data (Diptera,Tachinidae)

Compsilura concinnata (Meigen) is one of the most famous, most polyphagous and most widely distributed tachinid flies (Diptera, Tachinidae) in the world. This species is well known as a biocontrol agent of some injurious pests of cultural and wild plants and has been introduced from Europe to the United States to control mainly the gypsy moth. Recently we found three new species very closely resembling C. concinnata from Southeast and East Asia: C. lobata sp. nov. (Japan and Thailand), C. malayana sp. nov. (Malaysia) and C. pauciseta sp. nov. (Japan and Taiwan). Additionally, C. samoaensis Malloch is treated as a junior synonym of C. concinnata based on the examination of the type specimen. The genetic differences in the mitochondrial COI gene data are examined to assess the accuracy of species delimitation of Compsilura. The male postabdominal characters of these species are illustrated. The piercing female postabdomen of C. concinnata is illustrated and compared to those of other members belonging to the Blondelia group including Blondelia Robineau-Desvoidy, Celatoria Coquillett, Eucelatoria Townsend and Vibrissina Rondani.     

New snakeflies of the genus Inocellia Schneider, 1843 (Raphidioptera: Inocelliidae) from the Hengduan Mountains,China

Three species of the snakefly genus Inocellia Schneider, 1843 (Raphidioptera: Inocelliidae) are reported from the Hengduan Mountains in southwestern China. Among them, Inocellia yulongensis sp. nov. is described as new to science. Inocellia cheni Liu, H. Aspöck, Yang & U. Aspöck, 2010 is first recorded from Sichuan Province based on a newly collected male from a locality over 4200 m a.s.l. Inocellia obtusangularis Liu, H. Aspöck, Yang & U. Aspöck, 2010 is first recorded from Yunnan Province. The rich species diversity of snakeflies and its biogeographic significance from the Hengduan Mountains are discussed.     

A new whitefly of quarantine importance infesting a native and invasive plant,Rubus ellipticus Sm. (Rosaceae) in the Western Himalaya,India

Puparia of Pealius kufriensis Dubey sp. nov. found infesting a native and highly invasive plant, Rubus ellipticus Sm. (Rosaceae) are described. The host shrub was found highly infested with the new whitefly on the underside of leaves. Puparial characteristics of the genus Pealius Quaintance and Baker shared with Aleyrodes Latreille and Bemisia Quaintance and Baker are discussed.     

Green synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles for antimicrobial and vegetative growth applications: A novel approach for advancing efficient high quality health care to human wellbeing

The present work aims to synthesize zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles via green approaches using leaf extract of Parthenium hysterophorus. UV–vis and FT-IR tests confirmed the existence of biomolecules, active materials, and metal oxides. The X-ray diffraction structural study exposes the ZnO nanoparticles formation with hexagonal phase structures. SEM and TEM analysis reveal surface morphologies of ZnO nanoparticles and most of them are spherical with a size range of 10 nm. ZnO nanoparticles were revealed strong antimicrobial activity against both bacterial and fungal strains. The germination of seeds and vegetative growth of Sesamum indicum has been greatly improved.     

Differential responses to fertilization and competition among invasive,noninvasive alien,and native Bidens species

Comparative studies of invasive, noninvasive alien, and native congenic plant species can identify plant traits that drive invasiveness. In particular, functional traits associated with rapid growth rate and high fecundity likely facilitate invasive success. As such traits often exhibit high phenotypic plasticity, characterizing plastic responses to anthropogenic environmental changes such as eutrophication and disturbance is important for predicting the invasive success of alien plant species in the future. Here, we compared trait expression and phenotypic plasticity at the species level among invasive, noninvasive alien, and native Bidens species. Plants were grown under nutrient addition and competition treatments, and their functional, morphological, and seed traits were examined. Invasive B. frondosa exhibited higher phenotypic plasticity in most measured traits than did the alien noninvasive B. pilosa or native B. bipinnata. However, differential plastic responses to environmental treatments rarely altered the rank of trait values among the three Bidens species, except for the number of inflorescences. The achene size of B. frondosa was larger, but its pappus length was shorter than that of B. pilosa. Two species demonstrated opposite plastic responses of pappus length to fertilization. These results suggest that the plasticity of functional traits does not significantly contribute to the invasive success of B. frondosa. The dispersal efficiency of B. frondosa is expected to be lower than that of B. pilosa, suggesting that long‐distance dispersal is likely not a critical factor in determining invasive success.