雄全同株植物簇花芹花期性别分配与开花式样

簇花芹(Soranthus meyeri)是古尔班通古特沙漠中常见的、具雄全同株性系统的伞形科多年生早春短命植物。该文对簇花芹花期性比(两性花数/总花数)与植株大小的关系及其开花式样进行了研究, 重点对花期大小依赖的性别资源分配进行了讨论。结果表明: 2006-2008年簇花芹群体水平的性比分别为0.69 ± 0.03、0.62 ± 0.03和0.69 ± 0.02, 彼此间无显著差异( p > 0.05), 表明其性比是相对稳定的, 可能受遗传因素的控制。雄花生物量与花粉量均比两性花的小, 说明产生雄花比产生两性花所需资源少。一级复伞形花序比二级复伞形花序具有较多的两性花, 说明前者易从植株上获得资源用于增加雌性适合度; 而后者产生较多的雄花以避免在雌性功能上资源投入的浪费, 增大花展示以吸引更多传粉者来增加花粉输出总量, 提高其整体适合度。植株水平的性比与地上营养器官的生物量间呈正相关关系, 说明较大个体对雌性功能的投资较大, 雌性繁殖成功受资源限制。复伞形花序内各伞形花序几乎同时向心开放, 且所有两性花及花序均为雄性先熟, 雌雄阶段完全分离, 但一级复伞形花序比二级复伞形花序早开放约5天, 彼此开花重叠期约为1天。这些特征对于一级复伞形花序进行异株异花授粉以及植株内不同级别花序间的同株异花传粉、避免雌雄功能间的干扰具有重要意义。     

增加降水对荒漠短命植物当年牧草生长及群落结构的影响

通过模拟降水增加试验研究了古尔班通古特荒漠常见短命植物盖度、密度及产量对水分输入量增加的响应.结果表明:尖喙牻牛儿苗、弯果胡卢巴、角果藜、琉苞菊、条叶庭芥及囊果苔草6种牧草生物量总和占总生物量的60%以上,是荒漠草原的优势牧草植物;供水量增加显著促进了角果藜、尖喙牻牛儿苗、弯果胡卢巴、条叶庭芥和琉苞菊5种牧草植物的个体生长;在自然降水的基础上,增加40mm和80mm供水使这5种植物生物产量比对照增加86%～230%.供水增加后,6种重要牧草对整个群落的生物贡献比例发生很大变化,只有角果藜和尖喙牻牛儿苗的贡献比例规律性增加,分别比对照增加了58%和11%,表明2种植物对供水增加的环境变化适应能力强;供水量增加促进了弯果胡芦巴、尖喙牻牛儿苗和角果藜3种植物N、P和K养分的吸收量;与此同时,供水量增加也显著提高了荒漠短命植物的密度和盖度.在降水增加的背景下,古尔班通古特沙漠南缘荒漠短命植物群落结构发生改变,植被盖度和群落净初级生产力提高,这对于防风固沙、稳定沙面,增加荒漠草原载畜能力有着积极的意义.     

Bryophytes and ecological niche theory

Classical niche theory, particularly in terms of competitive exclusion, does not appear to apply as well to bryophytes as to other organisms. Bryophyte communities, as well as those of other plants and of animals, can be thought of in terms of individual species each utilizing particular portions of various resource or habitat continua. Quantitative studies carried out since 1981, particularly those involving niche breadth and overlap, are reviewed. Special attention is given to niche diversification in Sphagnum , Splachnaceae, bryophyte communities in streams, and to ephemeral bryophyte communities. Some bryophyte communities appear to have equilibrium characteristics and to contain species with relatively narrow niche breadths and with no or only partial niche overlap. In many habitats, however, bryophyte communites have non-equilibrium characteristics and diversification of species in microhabitats is opportunistic. Do any bryophyte communities persist long enough for complete saturation by species which have realized niches determined by competitive interactions? Recent studies indicate that this is the case for at least some Sphagnum communities, but that it is the exception not the rule for bryophytes.     

Does seed production of spring ephemerals decrease when spring comes early?

To predict the effect of global warming on plant reproductive success, seed-sets of spring ephemerals were compared between a year of extremely warm spring (2002) and normal years at cool-temperate deciduous forests in northern Japan. The spring of 2002 was the warmest in the last 40years and most spring-ephemeral plants bloomed 7–17days earlier than usual. The seed-set of bumblebee-pollinated Corydalis ambigua drastically decreased in 2002 in every population. The small bee-pollinated Gagea lutea also significantly decreased in 2002. However, the seed-sets of two fly pollinated species, Adonis ramosa and Anemone flaccida, were not influenced by early flowering. These results indicat that the effect of global warming on seed production of spring ephemerals differs between species depending on the type of pollinators, and that bee-pollinated species can have serious impacts on reproductive success as a result of climate change.     

12种短命植物叶解剖结构及其对荒漠环境的适应性

以分布于新疆北部古尔班通古特沙漠南缘的12种短命植物为研究材料,采用常规石蜡切片法,对其叶的解剖结构进行了观察分析,探讨12种短命植物的叶解剖结构对荒漠生态环境的适应性关系。结果显示:(1)12种短命植物中,有8种植物的叶肉栅栏组织发达,表现出等面叶特征;有7种植物侧脉维管束具有花环状结构,表现出C4植物特点。(2)12种植物叶片均具有气孔下室,其中,小花荆芥等7种植物叶片具有发达的气孔下室。(3)12种植物叶肉及叶脉中常有晶体存在,晶体数量及大小在不同植物中有差异。研究认为,12种短命植物从总体上呈现出旱生结构特征,从个体角度看这些特征是不同类群的植物以不同方式适应沙漠干旱环境的结果,但不足以改变该类植物的中生性质。     

辽宁白石砬子保护区早春类短命植物研究

调查和分析了白石砬子保护区早春类短命植物物种组成的数量特征,应用物种丰富度指数、Shannon-Wiener多样性指数、Pielou均匀度指数、Simpson优势度指数,定量描述了不同林型下早春类短命植物的物种多样性.结果表明:研究区有早春类短命植物12种2变型,隶属7科11属.黑水银莲花是早春类短命植物层片的优势种.花曲柳林下早春类短命植物物种数最多,枫桦林、红松阔叶林、落叶松林次之,蒙古栎林、杂木林、鱼鳞云杉臭冷杉林最少.多样性指数的变化趋势总体上表现为针阔混交林>落叶阔叶林>针叶林.均匀度指数的变化与多样性指数的变化趋势基本一致,与优势度指数的变化趋势相反.红松阔叶林下早春类短命植物物种多样性最高且各物种均匀分布,层片结构稳定.     

短命植物异喙菊异形果实的两头下注策略

异喙菊(Heteracia szovitsii)是准噶尔荒漠中常见的一种具异形果实的菊科一年生早春短命植物。该文对其同一果序中3种果实的形态结构与扩散特征进行了比较研究, 并对其生态学意义进行了探讨。结果表明: 1)异喙菊3种果实的形态特征存在明显差异, 导致其扩散特性明显不同, 避免了同胞子代在生态位上的竞争。其中, 中央果具冠毛, 成熟后以果实为散布单元借风力扩散到较大范围; 外围果与过渡果均无冠毛, 分别以果序和果实为单元扩散至母株附近。2) 3种果实胚大小的差异导致其幼苗大小和竞争能力不同。外围果与过渡果的胚比中央果的大, 萌发后可产生较大和竞争力较强的幼苗。3)与中央果相比, 外围果和过渡果果皮颜色较深, 所含酚类物质较多, 厚度较大且厚壁组织较多, 对胚的保护能力强, 且种子休眠程度深。4)异形痩果在数量上的差异, 分摊了扩散和定居中的风险。数量较多的中央果增加了随机散布的机会, 可为其扩大种群开拓更大的范围, 而数量较少的外围果和过渡果可有效地减少近距离扩散所造成的同胞子代间竞争。异喙菊异形果实的产生及其生态学行为属于典型的两头下注策略: 外围果和过渡果代表了“谨慎”或“低风险”策略, 中央果则代表了“冒险”或“高风险”策略。通过这些策略, 异喙菊可将其在准噶尔荒漠极端环境中的生存风险进行有效地分摊, 以保障其繁衍成功。     

Effects of grazing on the abundance and diversity of annual plants in Chihuahuan desert scrub habitat

We assess the impact of release from cattle grazing on the abundance and diversity of both winter and summer annual plant communities at an upper Chihuahuan Desert scrub site in south-eastern Arizona. In contrast to previous studies, we found that removal of herbivores (cattle) had little impact on ephemeral plant assemblages at our site. The total number of summer annual individuals per quadrat did not differ significantly, but there were significantly more winter annual plants on ungrazed quadrats. The number of species per quadrat, however, did not differ significantly between sites exposed to, or protected from, grazing in either season. Of 79 annual species recorded (34 in winter, 45 in summer), only 2 species, 1 in each season, responded significantly to the removal of cattle: Stephanomeria exigua and Polygala tweedyi were more abundant on ungrazed plots. Three additional species, Eriastrum diffusum and Cryptantha micrantha in winter, and Mollugo cerviana (summer), approached statistical significance. Differences in the effect of cattle grazing on annual plants between our results and those at other sites in the arid southwest most likely reflect differences in the speed of response by annuals in different areas. Comparisons of this with other studies underscores recent calls for studies at broader spatial and greater temporal scales.     

Spatial and environmental determinants of plant species diversity in a temperate desert

Aims Deserts are one of the ecosystems most sensitive to global climate change. However, there are few studies examining how changing abiotic and biotic factors under climate change will affect plant species diversity in the temperate deserts of Asia. This study aimed to: (i) characterize species distributions and diversity patterns in an Asian temperate desert; and (ii) to quantify the effects of spatial and environment variables on plant species diversity.Methods We surveyed 61 sites to examine the relationship between plant species diversity and several spatial/environmental variables in the Gurbantunggut Desert. Spatial and environmental variables were used to predict plant species diversity in separate multiple regression and ordination models. Variation in species responses to spatial and environmental conditions was partitioned by combining these variables in a redundancy analysis (RDA) and by creating multivariate regression trees (MRT).Important findings We found 92 plant species across the 61 sites. Elevation and geographic location were the dominant environmental factors underlying variation in site species richness. A RDA indicated that 93% of the variance in the species–environment relationships was explained by altitude, latitude, longitude, precipitation and slope position. Precipitation and topographic heterogeneity, through their effects on water availability, were more important than soil chemistry in determining the distribution of species. MRT analyses categorized communities into four groups based on latitude, soil pH and elevation, explaining 42.3% of the standardized species variance. Soil pH strongly influenced community composition within homogeneous geographic areas. Our findings suggest that precipitation and topographic heterogeneity, rather than edaphic heterogeneity, are more closely correlated to the number of species and their distributions in the temperate desert.