Analysis of growth patterns in purebred Kambing Katjang goat and its crosses with the German Fawn

The objective of this study was to investigate growth patterns of goats utilizing data from a crossbreeding program involving the exotic German Fawn (GF) and the indigenous Kambing Katjang (KK) goats. Growth curve models and growth curve parameters were compared and analyzed for different genotypes and litter types. A total of 20,393 weight–age data from 208 female goats belonging to various crossbreeding genotypes were individually fitted to four growth curve models (Brody, Bertalanffy, Gompertz and Logistic). The goodness of fit was highest in the Brody model in most cases. A comparison of R² among genotypes showed that they were highest for KK. There were no significant differences of genotypes for estimated mature weight in the Brody model. The estimated mature weights for KK were significantly lower (P < 0.05) than for GF × KK (F₁), backcrosses with 75% GF genes (BC) and F₁ × F₁ (F₂) in the other models. The correlations between estimated mature weights and the maturing rates were lowest for BC. The genotype significantly (P < 0.01) affected the age at the constant degree of maturity (67% and 90% of mature weight) in all models. The BC genotype was the youngest at maturity and KK the oldest. All models well expressed the growth pattern of the target animals when they were older than 2.5 years of age. The results from the present study showed that the growth pattern may be altered by crossbreeding of KK with the GF breed.     

A Novel Gene Involved in Lesion Formation in Magnaporthe grisea

To date, a number of genes that are expressed in the early stages of infection have been reported, while few genes that are expressed during the course of colonization, after the initiation of plant infection, have been studied. Plant inoculations, real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), gene cloning, protein expression and bioinformatics analysis were combined to identify a novel gene, MgNIP04, in the rice blast fungus, Magnaporthe grisea. Bioinformatics analysis showed that the amino acid sequence contained a signal peptide. The wounded inoculation resulted in necrosis specks when the total expressed proteins including MBP‐MgNIP04 was inoculated on the wounded rice leaves, which demonstrated the protein directly interacted with rice. The real‐time PCR result of infected leaves showed that it is upregulated during late stages of infection of rice. Additionally, the copies of the gene expression absolute quantity of the gene were 7.61 × 10², 1.06 × 10³, 1.31 × 10³, 4.13 × 10³, and 4.00 × 10³, at 24, 48, 72, 96 and 168 h postinoculation (HPI), respectively. The higher copies of MgNIP04 were found at 96 and 168 HPI. The copies of MgNIP04 in mycelia of Y98‐63C, Y99‐16, 94‐64‐1b and 95‐23‐4a were significantly lower than those of infected leaves. Through the above bioinformatics and experimental analysis, our result suggested that the MgNIP04 was novel pathogenicity‐related protein in rice blast fungus.     

农田林网条件下大斑啄木鸟夏季和冬季日间行为模式

2005年7月至2008年1月,利用目标动物取样法对内蒙古乌拉特前旗地区农田林网中大斑啄木鸟(Picoides major)夏季和冬季的日间行为模式进行了分析.结果发现,大斑啄木鸟不同行为的活动次数差异极为显著,主要活动是觅食啄食;夏季具午间休息习性,日间行为节律明显,而冬季没有午休习性,日问行为节律不明显;不同性别大斑啄木鸟之间的日间行为差异不显著,但大斑啄木鸟在不同季节的日间行为差异极为显著,夏季活动时间明显长于冬季.     

Why have endemic pollinators declined on the Ogasawara Islands?

Flower visitors recently decreased in the Ogasawara Islands which are subtropical Pacific oceanic islands located 1,000 km south from Japan mainland. The aim of this study was to determine the main cause of this pollinator decline. We assumed four hypothesis, (i) honeybee competition hypothesis, (ii) forest decline hypothesis, (iii) agricultural insecticides hypothesis, and (iv) anole predation hypothesis. They were tested by distribution survey in the field, historical survey using literature, and predation experiment using mesh cages. As a result, the factors affecting the distribution among the islands and the timing of observed declines of native pollinators supported the anole predation hypothesis rather than other hypotheses. In addition, result of experimental predation test well explained the composition of flower visitors in the main islands (Chichi-jima and Haha-jima). So, we concluded that one invasive predator (the anole) has changed the pollination network in the Ogasawara Islands. To conserve the native pollination network, eradication of this invasive predator should take priority over the eradication of honeybees.     

Expression pattern and polymorphism of three microsatellite markers in the porcine CA3 gene

Carbonic anhydrase III (CA3) is an abundant muscle protein characteristic of adult type-1, slow-twitch, muscle fibres. In order to further understand the functions of the porcine CA3 protein in muscle, the temporal and spatial distributions of its gene product were analysed and the association between the presence of specific polymorphisms and carcass traits in the pig was also examined. Real-time PCR revealed that the CA3 mRNA expression showed no differences with age in skeletal muscles from Yorkshire pigs at postnatal day-1, month-2, and month-4. We provide the first evidence that CA3 is differentially expressed in the skeletal muscle of Yorkshire and Meishan pig breeds. In addition, the whole pig genomic DNA sequence of CA3 was investigated and shown to contain seven exons and six introns. Comparative sequencing of the gene from three pig breeds revealed the existence of microsatellite SJ160 in intron 5 and microsatellite SJ158 and a novel microsatellite marker that includes a tandem repeat of (TC)_n in intron 4. We also determined the allele number and frequencies of the three loci in seven pig breeds and found that they are low polymorphic microsatellite markers. Statistical analysis showed that the CA3 microsatellite polymorphism was associated with dressing percentage, internal fat rate, carcass length, rib number and backfat thickness in the pig.     

Spatial pattern of coral diversity in Luhuitou fringing reef, Sanya, China

84 quadrats from 5 vertical transects of Luhuitou fringing reef are investigated in detail by using video-quadrat and indoor-interpretation methods. The results show that (1) the reef consists of 69 species of hermatypic corals belonging to 24 genera and 13 families which are unevenly distributed in abundance. (2) Among all the corals, Porites lutea is the most dominant species with importance value percentage up to 36.62%; Porites and Acropora are dominant genera with importance value percentages 43.85% and 22.88%, respectively. (3) There exist distinct spatial differences in coral communities. Both the coral covers and coral diversity indices on the northeastern transects are higher than those on the central and southern transects. (4) Coral communities also show remarkable zonal characteristics with less coral species occurring on reef flat than on reef slope. The importance value percentage of the sole dominant coral genus, Porites, is over 50%, while on the reef slope, the importance value percentages are 28.33% for the first dominant genus Acropora and 26.71% for the second dominant genus Porites. Our further analysis suggests that the spatial and zonal differences of coral diversity pattern are correlated with both natural environmental changes and human activities. The shallow water reef flat is frequently exposed at low tide and it receives more anthropogenic influences (including dredging and trampling) than the deep water reef slope. Thus, the coral community on the reef flat is not as well developed as that on reef slope. The relatively poor coral covers and coral diversity indices on the central and southern transects are closely related to heavy human activities around these sites such as aquaculture, fishing and coastal sewage drainage. Therefore, the impact of human activities must be taken into account in developing strategies for the protection of this coral reef.     

随机区块法在空间点格局分析中的应用

利用一种以随机模拟技术为基础的空间点格局分析方法--随机区块法对长白山阔叶红松林中5个主要树种的空间格局及空间关系进行了分析.随机区块法利用ICS(t)=s2(t)/x(t)-1来衡量不同尺度t上空间点的分布格局,并通过随机模拟技术构建零假设的95%或99%置信区间,以确定空间点格局偏离零假设的显著性程度.结果表明,除蒙古栎、山荆子、怀槐为随机分布外,其它树种均在局部空间尺度上呈聚集分布;并且绝大多数种对或种组在局部空间尺度上呈正相关关系.随机区块法克服了小样方统计法研究尺度单一的问题,也避免了以空间点距离为基础的点格局分析过程中边缘效应带来的影响和误差,尤其是在多变量点格局分析中具有明显的优势.     

缙云山不同生境蝴蝶花(Iris japonica Thumb.)分株种群格局及对草本多样性的影响

运用空间格局、生态位及多样性分析,探讨了重庆缙云山自然保护区林缘旷地(OAFE)、竹林(BF)及常绿阔叶林(EBF)3类生境蝴蝶花(Iris japonica Thumb.)自然种群分株格局特征及对草本多样性的影响机制.结果表明:方差均值比(V/m)和Moristia指数(Iδ)的格局判别分析表明,3类生境中蝴蝶花分株种群从0.5 m×0.5 m至2 m×2 m尺度均为聚集分布;从林缘旷地-竹林-常绿阔叶林,种群分株密度逐渐降低,总体格局规模与格局强度(PI)在各尺度均呈下降趋势.林缘旷地与竹林生境中,蝴蝶花的分布,降低了原优势种的优势度,并显著降低草本层物种多样性(p<0.05),但在常绿阔叶林生境中对原优势种的优势度及草本物种多样性的影响很小.不同生境中蝴蝶花种群格局对草本多样性的影响机制各不相同:林缘旷地生境,通过强的更新生态位(地上空间与根生态位)与营养生态位(获取水分与养分资源)竞争,降低草本物种丰富度尤其是偶见种丰富度;竹林生境,通过更新生态位(根生态位)与营养生态位(获取光与养分资源)竞争,降低了草本偶见种丰富度;常绿阔叶林生境,物种间生态位重叠较低,表现一定的资源竞争,但对草本多样性影响很小.林冠决定蝴蝶花分株种群格局强度、克隆生长的强弱及林下土壤状况,从而影响蝴蝶花与草本层其它物种之间生态位竞争的强弱是决定蝴蝶花种群对草本层物种多样性影响机制的重要因素.     

凉山山系小熊猫(Ailurus fulgens)分布区景观格局

根据2000～2001年对凉山山系主山脊7个县小熊猫野外分布调查数据,利用“3S”技术对凉山山系小熊猫分布区进行了确定,估算出分布区面积为219055hm^2,占山系研究区域面积17．8％。利用景观空间格局定量化分析软件FRAGSTATS,分析了小熊猫分布区景观格局的组成、各类型斑块特征、不同类型斑块间空间分布关系。结果表明,栖息地景观边缘褶皱程度低,趋于平整,景观丰富度大;森林斑块间的结构连通性较好,各类型斑块聚集度较高。小熊猫生境内部破碎化程度较低,森林结构连接程度高,有适宜生境面积为160249．5hm^2,占分布区面积的73．15％,生境中存在3个脆弱区域,特别是美姑-峨边公路通过的椅子垭口区域需要引起极大的关注。     

土地整理项目区的景观格局及其生态效应

目前项目角度的土地整理生态效应评价较少,受到研究幅度的制约,而且已有研究中对景观格局优化目标和生态效应的系统分析较少.选择典型的土地整理项目作为研究案例,以GIS和景观指数为研究手段,结合景观格局优化目标建立相应的指标体系,对土地整理的生态效应进行评价.研究表明,土地整理项目的生态效应指标体系包括提升生物多样性、维持物质和能量流通、维持景观格局稳定、提升生活环境品质、提高生态服务价值等5个方面.研究区土地整理具有正效应和负效应,最大斑块面积提高、斑块密度减少、聚集度提高、廊道宽度和连通度提高、缓冲区宽度增加、植被覆盖增加、合理功能分区是土地整理的正效应,而景观多样性降低、分维数减少和生态服务价值降低是其负效应.因此,在土地整理规划和设计时应融入景观设计和生态保育思想.