末次冰盛期以来香果树潜在地理分布格局变迁

香果树是中国特有的单种属孑遗树种,探讨末次冰盛期以来香果树在中国的潜在地理分布格局及其变化,对研究茜草科乃至中国亚热带植物区系的系统发育、古生态和古气候变迁等具有重要作用。研究基于最大熵MaxEnt模型与ArcGIS空间分析技术,利用香果树分布点位信息与气候数据,构建其在末次冰盛期(LGM)、全新世中期(MID)、当前(1960—1990年)以及未来(2061—2080年)的潜在地理分布格局,探明其分布格局的变化趋势,揭示引起其潜在地理分布格局改变的关键因子。结果表明,香果树当前适生区总面积约197.575×10⁴ km²,主要位于中国亚热带地区,其中高适生区集中分布于四川盆周山地、武陵山与武夷山地区,最干季度平均温、最湿月降水量、最冷季度降水量是限制其分布的主要气候因子。末次冰盛期时香果树广泛分布于中国亚热带地区,随后适生区开始缩减且向内陆退缩,全新世中期后适生区面积继续缩减并向高纬度地区迁移。随着全球气候变暖,在不同排放情景下香果树适宜生境面积均进一步缩减并向西与高纬度地区迁移。总体而言,从末次冰盛期至未来,香果树适生区呈现持续缩减并向西...     

Protective Effect of Piceatannol Against Cerebral Ischaemia–Reperfusion Injury Via Regulating Nrf2/HO-1 Pathway In Vivo and Vitro

Neurochemical Research - Piceatannol is a natural plant-derived compound with protective effects against cardiovascular diseases. However, its effect on cerebral ischaemia–reperfusion injury...     

Food constraints explain the restricted distribution of wintering Lesser White‐fronted Geese Anser erythropus in China

More than 90% of the Lesser White‐fronted Geese Anser erythropus in the Eastern Palearctic flyway population winter at East Dongting Lake, China. To explain this restricted distribution and to understand better the winter feeding ecology and habitat requirements of this poorly known species, we assessed their food availability, diet and energy budgets at this site through two winters. Lesser White‐fronted Geese maintained a positive energy budget when feeding on above‐ground green production of Eleocharis and Alopecurus in recessional grasslands in autumn and spring to accumulate fat stores. Such food was severely depleted by late November and showed no growth in mid‐winter. Geese fed on more extensive old‐growth Carex sedge meadows in mid‐winter where they were in energy deficit and depleted endogenous fat stores. Geese failed to accumulate autumn fat stores in one year when high water levels prevented the Geese from using recessional grassland feeding areas. Fat stores remained lower throughout that winter and Geese left for breeding areas later in spring than in the previous year, perhaps reflecting the need to gain threshold fat stores for migration. Sedge meadows are widespread at other Yangtze River floodplain wetlands, but recessional grasslands are rare and perhaps restricted to parts of East Dongting Lake, which would explain the highly localized distribution of Lesser White‐fronted Geese in China and their heavy use of these habitats at this site. Sympathetic management of water tables is essential to maintain the recessional grasslands in the best condition for Geese. Regular depletion of fat stores whilst grazing sedge meadows in mid‐winter also underlines the need to protect the species from unnecessary anthropogenic disturbances that enhance energy expenditure. The specialized diet of the Lesser White‐fronted Goose may explain its highly restricted winter distribution and global rarity.     

Environmental Drivers and Spatial Prediction of the Critically Endangered Species <i>Thuja sutchuenensis</i> in Sichuan-Chongqing,China

Identifying the ecological environment suitable for the growth of Thuja sutchuenensis and predicting other potential distribution areas are essential to protect this endangered species. After selecting 24 environmental factors that could affect the distribution of T. sutchuenensis, including climate, topography, soil and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), we adopted the Random Forest-MaxEnt integrated model to analyze our data. Based on the Random Forest study, the contribution of the mean temperature of the warmest quarter, mean temperature of the coldest quarter, annual mean temperature and mean temperature of the driest quarter was large. Based on MaxEnt model prediction outputs, the potential distribution map not only identified areas that originally recorded T. sutchuenensis, such as Xuanhan County, Kai County and Chengkou County, but also identified highly suitable distribution areas where T. sutchuenensis may exist, including Wanyuan County, Sichuan Province, and the junction of Chongqing and Hubei Province. This provides a more explicit geographic range for ex situ conservation and reintroduction of T. sutchuenensis. Our results also indicate that, in addition to climate factors, topography and soil factors are also important environmental factors that affect distribution. This provides a theoretical basis for subsequent laboratory construction to simulate the indoor growth of T. sutchuenensis.     

三种增温情景对入侵植物空心莲子草形态可塑性的影响

虽然国内外已对克隆植物的表型可塑性开展了大量研究,但是气候变暖对克隆植物,尤其是入侵性克隆植物形态可塑性的影响及其可能的生态学意义研究仍然有限。通过设置白天增温、夜间增温和全天增温3种方式,通过切断或不切断匍匐茎处理,探讨入侵植物空心莲子草(Alternanthera philoxeroides)形态特征对不同气候变暖情景的响应。研究发现:夜间增温2℃条件下,切断匍匐茎连接显著降低空心莲子草匍匐茎总长度和平均分株长度;白天增温和全天增温2℃对匍匐茎切断和连接组的空心莲子草的匍匐茎总长和平均分株长影响不显著;3种增温方式对空心莲子草的分蘖数均无显著影响。这些结果表明:空心莲子草对增温具有较高的耐受性,并对不同增温方式采取不同的响应策略;夜间增温可能通过光合补偿效应增加其匍匐茎的长度和平均分株长从而促进其水平方向的扩展以占据更加有利的生境,增强其入侵能力;白天和全天增温对整个克隆片段匍匐茎形态几乎无影响。     

中国西南干旱河谷植物群落的数量分类和排序分析

中国西南干旱河谷植被是我国西南横断山区特有的植被类型, 目前关于西南干旱河谷植被还没有整体性的群落类型划分研究。根据对甘肃、四川、云南三省九条主要河流的干旱河谷段野外调查和文献来源的1,339个植物群落样方数据, 采用自适应仿射传播聚类方法, 对我国西南干旱河谷的植物群落进行数量分类, 并采用典范对应分析方法进行排序分析。结果表明: (1)调查样方的植物群落分为7个植被型(稀树草原、肉质灌丛、常绿阔叶灌丛、暖性落叶阔叶灌丛、常绿硬叶林、落叶阔叶林和暖性针叶林), 24个群系, 31个群丛类型。暖性落叶阔叶灌丛是本植被区的代表性植被类型; 分布最广的群系为鞍叶羊蹄甲灌丛(Form. Bauhinia brachycarpa, 样方比例50.9%)、黄茅灌草丛(Form. Heteropogon contortus, 样方比例11.9%)、孔颖草灌草丛(Form. Bothriochloa pertusa, 样方比例5.6%)、黄荆灌丛(Form. Vitex negundo, 样方比例4.2%)、知风草灌草丛(Form. Eragrostis ferruginea, 样方比例3.8%)、车桑子灌丛(Form. Dodonaea viscosa, 样方比例3.4%)、云南松疏林(Form. Pinus yunnanensis, 样方比例3.3%)。(2)冬季低温和降水的季节性是限制干旱河谷植物群落分布的主要气候因子。稀树草原、肉质灌丛是典型的干热河谷植被类型; 暖性落叶阔叶灌丛、常绿硬叶林、常绿阔叶灌丛是干暖河谷植被的优势类型; 暖性针叶林、落叶阔叶林则主要在干温河谷环境占优势。     

Curcumin induces apoptosis in human gastric carcinoma AGS cells and colon carcinoma HT-29 cells through mitochondrial dysfunction and endoplasmic reticulum stress

In the present study, we investigate the effect of curcumin, a major active component isolated from rhizomes of Curcuma longa, on the cytotoxicity of three human carcinoma cell lines (AGS, HT-29 and MGC803) in gastrointestinal tract and a normal gastric epithelial cell line GES-1, and the mechanism of curcumin-induced apoptosis. The results indicated that curcumin inhibited the gastrointestinal carcinoma cell growth in a dose-dependent manner and cytotoxicity was more towards the gastric carcinoma cell AGS and colon carcinoma cell HT-29 compared to normal gastric cell GES-1, and increased externalization of phosphatidylserine residue was observed by Annexin V/PI staining in the two cell lines. Treatment of AGS and HT-29 cells with curcumin enhanced the cleavage of procaspase-3, -7, -8 and -9. Meanwhile, curcumin induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and mitochondrial dysfunction as evidenced by up-regulation of CCAAT/enhancer binding protein homologous protein (CHOP), phosphorylation of JNK and down-regulation of SERCA2ATPase, release of cytochrome c, decrease of Bcl-2 and reduction of mitochondrial membrane potential in both AGS and HT-29 cells. Overexpression of bax, total JNK, phospho-FADD and total FADD were also observed in curcumin-treated HT-29 cells. Moreover, curcumin decreased cytosolic and ER Ca²⁺, but increased mitochondrial Ca²⁺ in the two cell lines. 2-Aminoethoxydiphenyl borate, an antagonist of inositol 1, 4, 5-triphosphate receptor, partly blocked curcumin-induced cytosolic Ca²⁺ decrease in AGS and HT-29 cells. Additionally, carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone, an inhibitor of mitochondrial Ca²⁺ uptake, reversed curcumin-triggered AGS and HT-29 cells growth inhibition. siRNA to CHOP markedly reduced curcumin-induced apoptosis. These results suggest that curcumin can impact on ER stress and mitochondria functional pathways in AGS and HT-29 cells, death receptor pathway was also involved in curcumin-treated HT-29 cells, thus identifying specific well-defined molecular mechanisms that may be targeted by therapeutic strategies.     

川渝77县长防林(一期)工程的综合效益评价与分析

本文利用中国生态林业工程综合评价指标体系对川渝77县长防林一期工程的效益进行了综合评价。迄今综合效益提高了6倍,到2010年提高约9倍。还对川江各支流的林分结构调整与新建长防林提出了建议。     

雅砻江和大渡河干旱河谷植被物种多样性比较:气候、地形与空间的影响

干旱河谷植被是我国西南横断山区的一类特殊的隐域性生态系统, 影响不同河谷之间植物群落差异的因素与作用大小尚不清楚。本研究调查了四川省雅砻江和大渡河流域干旱河谷段植被组成, 并比较了两个地区在植物多样性上的差别。结果表明: (1)影响两个地区植被类型的主要因素不同, 雅砻江干旱河谷植被主要受海拔和地形(坡度和坡向)影响, 大渡河干旱河谷植被主要受年平均降水量影响。(2)雅砻江和大渡河干旱河谷植物物种丰富度均随着年均温升高而降低。(3)坡向由北至南, 雅砻江干旱河谷灌木、草本物种丰富度减小, 而大渡河干旱河谷灌木、草本丰富度增加。(4)坡度越大, 雅砻江和大渡河干旱河谷灌木的丰富度越高。(5)雅砻江、大渡河干旱河谷植物β多样性受环境距离影响大, 受地理距离影响小。两条江植被间地理隔离效应约为地理距离产生差异的5倍。本研究弥补了干旱河谷研究中对于雅砻江和大渡河干旱河谷植物多样性研究的空白, 为相关区域植被保护提供了参考信息, 同时还为定量估计地理隔离效应对区域间生物多样性差异的影响提供了可行方法。     

中国瓢虫体型的地理分异及其与环境因子的关系

生物体的外在形态(个体大小及异速生长)不仅是分类学的重要依据, 也是影响生物与环境相互作用的重要功能性状。昆虫体型的地理分异及其机制是昆虫生物地理学的重要基础。本文基于中国省级行政区的瓢虫体型、分布和环境因子数据, 运用相关和回归分析, 探索了中国瓢虫体型(体长、体宽与长宽比)的纬度地带性及其与环境因子的关系。为了确定营养级对瓢虫体型特征的影响, 我们对全部瓢虫、植食性瓢虫和捕食性瓢虫分别进行分析。研究结果表明: (1)瓢虫的体型大小具有显著的纬度地带性, 即纬度越高, 瓢虫的体长或体宽越大, 符合贝格曼法则。与温度相关的环境因子是导致瓢虫体型大小地理分异的主要环境因素, 因为瓢虫以成虫越冬, 体型越大则能量储存越多, 冬眠期间的耐饥力越强; (2)由于食性和食物空间分布的差异, 在各个纬度上, 植食性瓢虫体型总是大于捕食性瓢虫; 捕食性瓢虫的长宽比与纬度呈显著正相关, 即纬度越高, 瓢虫体型越狭长; 而植食性瓢虫的长宽比与纬度没有显著的相关性; 捕食性瓢虫的长宽比与年降水量呈显著负相关, 因为年降水量降低导致植被的斑块化增加, 引起捕食对象分布更为分散, 从而要求瓢虫具有更强的飞行能力, 即更大的长宽比。综上所述, 在省级尺度上, 温度和降水分别主要影响瓢虫的大小和长宽比, 其效应随营养级(食性)的变化而变化。