Non‐pollinating cheater wasps benefit from seasonally poor performance of the mutualistic pollinating wasps at the northern limit of the range of Ficus microcarpa

1. Species interactions in tightly bound ecological mutualisms often feature highly specialised species' roles in which competitive exclusion may preclude multi‐species coexistence. Among the 800 fig (Ficus) species, it was originally considered that each was pollinated by their own wasp (Agaonidae). However, recent investigations show that this ‘one‐to‐one’ rule often breaks down, as fig species regularly host multiple agaonids but in ways suggesting that competitive processes still mediate biodiversity outcomes. 2. A phenological survey was conducted of the fig–fig wasp pair, Ficus microcarpa and its associated pollinating wasp, alongside its sister species, the cheating wasp, in Xishuangbanna, China. 3. Reproductive output underwent extreme seasonal variation. Seed and pollinator production fell markedly during cooler, drier months, although high levels of fig production continued. However, this resource was predominantly utilised by the cheater species, which offers no pollination services. Pollinators and cheaters rarely co‐occur, suggesting that temporal coexistence is constrained by competition for access to figs. 4. The overall findings indicate periodic rearrangements of mutualism dynamics, probably resulting from a strongly seasonal environment. Sympatric co‐occurrence may result from a window of opportunity for a functionally divergent agaonid, potentially due to constraints on the main pollinator in adapting to variable year‐round conditions that prevent competitive exclusion.     

Historical shrub–grass transitions in the northern Chihuahuan Desert: modeling the effects of shifting rainfall seasonality and event size over a landscape gradient

We use a spatially explicit landscape model to investigate the potential role of rainfall on shrub–grass transitions in the Jornada Basin of southern New Mexico during the past century. In long‐term simulations (1915–1998) along a 2700 m transect running from a dry lake bed to the foothills of a small mountain, we test two hypotheses: (i) that wetter winters and drier summers may have facilitated shrub encroachment in grasslands, and (ii) that increases in large precipitation events may have increased soil water recharge at deeper layers, thus favoring shrub establishment and growth. Our model simulations generally support the hypothesis that wetter winters and drier summers may have played a key role, but we are unable to reproduce the major shifts from grass‐ to shrub‐domination that occurred in this landscape during the early part of the 1900s; furthermore, the positive shrub response to wetter winters and drier summers was only realized subsequent to the drought of 1951–1956, which was a relatively short ‘window of opportunity’ for increased shrub establishment and growth. Our simulations also generally support the hypothesis that an increase in the number of large precipitation events may also have favored shrub establishment and growth, although these results are equivocal, depending upon what constitutes a ‘large’ event and the timing of such events. We found complex interactions among (i) the amount/seasonality of rainfall, (ii) its redistribution in the landscape via run‐on and runoff, (iii) the depth of the soil water recharge, and (iv) subsequent water availability for the growth and reproduction of shrubs vs. herbaceous plants at various landscape positions. Our results suggest that only a mechanistic understanding of these interactions, plus the role of domestic cattle grazing, will enable us to elucidate fully the relative importance of biotic vs. abiotic factors in vegetation dynamics in this semiarid landscape.     

蝗卵的研究Ⅳ.浸水对于蝗卵胚胎发育和死亡的影响

一、引言 东亚飞蝗常生长在湖滨、已干涸的河道、沿海边等长着禾本科杂草的低洼荒地;这些地方也就成为它们的产卵场所。蝗卵在产入土中之后须经一定时间方始孵化;夏蝗所产卵在自然情况下须经12天以上的孵育时间,秋蝗卵在越冬时在土中常长达7—8个月。蝗区每当雨季或湖、河的水位上涨时其有卵的地区常被淹没,使蝗卵在水中经过长短不一的     

Calcineurin B-like interacting protein kinase 31 confers resistance to sheath blight via modulation of ROS homeostasis in rice

Sheath blight (ShB) severely threatens rice cultivation and production; however, the molecular mechanism of rice defence against ShB remains unclear. Screening of transposon Ds insertion mutants identified that Calcineurin B-like protein-interacting protein kinase 31 (CIPK31) mutants were more susceptible to ShB, while CIPK31 overexpressors (OX) were less susceptible. Sequence analysis indicated two haplotypes of CIPK31: Hap_1, with significantly higher CIPK31 expression, was less sensitive to ShB than the Hap_2 lines. Further analyses showed that the NAF domain of CIPK31 interacted with the EF-hand motif of respiratory burst oxidase homologue (RBOHA) to inhibit RBOHA-induced H₂O₂ production, and RBOHA RNAi plants were more susceptible to ShB. These data suggested that the CIPK31-mediated increase in resistance is not associated with RBOHA. Interestingly, the study also found that CIPK31 interacted with catalase C (CatC); cipk31 mutants accumulated less H₂O₂ while CIPK31 OX accumulated more H₂O₂ compared to the wild-type control. Further analysis showed the interaction of the catalase domain of CatC with the NAF domain of CIPK31 by which CIPK31 inhibits CatC activity to accumulate more H₂O₂.     

钾对兰州百合鳞茎中多酚类物质积累代谢及其抗氧化活性的影响

为探究施钾对兰州百合鳞茎中多酚类物质的积累、抗氧化能力及差异代谢物的影响,该研究以兰州百合鳞茎为试材,通过固定氮素(N)和磷素(P)用量,设置不同钾(K)浓度处理,即K_(0)(不施肥)、K_(1)(447.6 mg·L^(-1))、K_(2)(671.4 mg·L^(-1))、K_(3)(895.2 mg·L^(-1)),采用福林-肖卡法、溴甲酚绿比色法、香草醛比色法、DPPH法、铜离子还原能力(CUPRAC)法测定不同K浓度处理下兰州百合鳞茎中多酚类物质含量及其抗氧化活性,并采用LC-MS法分析多酚类物质的差异代谢物,并进行差异代谢物筛选,功能注释及富集分析,为兰州百合的优质栽培提供理论依据。结果表明:(1)不同K浓度处理下兰州百合鳞茎中多酚类物质的含量及其抗氧化活性存在显著差异(P<0.05),与K_(0)相比,K_(1)、K_(2)、K_(3)均能促进鳞茎多酚类物质的积累及其抗氧化能力的提高,其中以K_(2)(671.4 mg·L^(-1))效果最佳。(2)相关性分析表明,兰州百合鳞茎多酚类物质含量与抗氧化活性指标呈极显著(P<0.01)相关关系,相关系数为0.451~0.959。(3)K_(0)、K_(2)浓度处理下兰州百合鳞茎中存在89种多酚类及相关化合物,其中52种相对含量显著上调,37种相对含量显著下调,且显著富集到黄酮类及苯丙类化合物生物合成的通路上。研究认为,兰州百合的最佳施钾量(671.4 mg·L^(-1))能有效促进鳞茎中多酚类物质的积累并提高其抗氧化能力。     

毛乌素沙地草地种植管理咨询系统的开发

 本研究初步开发了一个用于毛乌素沙地草地种植管理咨询的专家系统ASSG。这个系统将当地生态系统管理专家们的经验知识和对土壤水分动态的理论研究成果结合起来以产生对于土地利用和种植的作物种类及品种的最优管理策略和最适的植被覆盖率。本系统利用3个层次的推理过程和结构化的知识库,通过咨询过程—步步地引导用户得到最优种植管理策略。在每—层次的推理中,本系统提供给用户多重选择,根据用户的意愿进行下一步的推理。这一推理的交互作用机制为用户获得适宜的咨询结果提供了最大的便利性。本系统的主体部分山Turbo Prolog语言完成,该语言是一种用于开发专家系统的描述性语言。基于土壤水分平衡原理的最优植被覆盖率模型由C语言实现,并应用多语言编程技术将之嵌入程序主体中。系统的样本运行结果表明本系统运行便利,并能产生合理的种植管理策略。     

松嫩草原碱化草地角碱蓬群落水分生态的研究

 本文采用自行设汁的蒸散仪和加拿大Campbe 11科学仪器公司生产的自动气象设备测定了松嫩草原碱化草地角碱蓬群落的蒸散、蒸腾量、太阳辐射及空气温度等环境因子。分析结果表明生长季的睛天条件下,角碱蓬群落的蒸散、蒸腾速率的日进程均为单峰曲线,且各月份间差异很大。群落蒸腾速率与太阳辐射强度、空气温度、相对湿度、风速等环境因子紧密相关,其中与太阳辐射强度呈极显著正相关关系。生长季降雨量和土壤含水量在角碱蓬群落水分循环与平衡的过程中起重要调节作用。1992年6～8月的生长季中,角碱蓬群落总的水分亏缺较少(6.3mm),但各月份间差异很大,其中6月份水分亏缺最高(30.1mm)。     

The mechanism for the effect of selenium supplementation on immunity

Lipid peroxide (LPO) in lymphocytes from mice was evaluated by measuring substances reactive to thiobarbituric acid (TBA). The product resulting from the reaction of TBA with lymphocytes was extracted with n-butyl and fluorescence intensity was determined. The degree of lipid peroxidation, expressed as fluorescence intensity f547, was assessed for stimulation of lymphocytes with concanavalin A (Con A), and was related to lymphocyte proliferation in response to Con A if Se was administered. The lymphocyte proliferation was determined by [³H]thymidine incorporation, expressed as cpm. The effect of superoxide dismutase (SOD), added to cell culture on lymphocyte proliferation was also evaluated. It was found that LPO in lymphocytes before Con A stimulation was significantly less than that after stimulation (p<0.001), and that SOD promoted lymphocyte proliferation dose dependently. The addition of Na₂SeO₃ to lymphocyte culture or supplementation in drinking water to mice decreased the produced LPO in lymphocyte in response to Con A. In the presence of Se, there is an inverse correlation between the levels of LPO in lymphocyte and the stimulated proliferation (r=−0.8902,r=−0.9439). In conclusion, active oxygen species scavenging was proposed as one of the mechanisms for Se to promote immunity.     

苏芸金杆菌感染粘虫后中肠组织学病变的研究

本文描述了Bacillus thuringiensis HD-1纯晶体感染粘虫Mythimna separata 5龄初幼虫后,其中肠肠壁细胞的超微结构变化.电镜观察表明:首先线粒体,发生病变,随后,细胞顶部肿胀、胞质电子密度下降,顶部胞质之下的各种细胞器均受损伤.随着病变加重,柱状细胞基膜内褶及杯状细胞质突起,这两个富含线粒体的区域发生病变最为明显.最终,肠壁细胞解体从基膜脱落.