种子植物区系属大小与种多度分布格局的相似性

对属大小的分析是植物区系研究的重要组成,属大小的分布格局可以在一定程度上反映植物区系的类群多样性与系统发生多样性。在植物区系研究中,平均属大小指标与植物区系包含的物种数有关,使不同植物区系的研究结果难以进行整合分析。对中国8个地区种子植物区系属大小的分布格局进行研究,对数级数模型取得了良好的拟合结果,拟合优度R²＞0.99,属大小表现出与种—多度相似的分布格局。稀疏分析和相关分析结果表明：抽样大小较小时,平均属大小在稀疏分析前后的相关性不显著;而对数级数模型中α指数与稀疏分析前表现出稳定的相关性。同时,对于相同的抽样大小α指数与平均属大小之间存在显著的相关性。因此,α指数可以作为稳定的指标来描述植物区系的丰富程度。     

Viral Abundance, Decay, and Diversity in the Meso- and Bathypelagic Waters of the North Atlantic

To elucidate the potential importance of deep-water viruses in controlling the meso- and bathypelagic picoplankton community, the abundance, decay rate, and diversity of the virioplankton community were determined in the meso- and bathypelagic water masses of the eastern part of the subtropical North Atlantic. Viral abundance averaged 1.4 × 10⁶ ml⁻¹ at around 100 m of depth and decreased only by a factor of 2 at 3,000 to 4,000 m of depth. In contrast, picoplankton abundance decreased by 1 order of magnitude to the Lower Deep Water (LDW; 3,500- to 5,000-m depth). The virus-to-picoplankton ratio increased from 9 at about 100 m of depth to 110 in the LDW. Mean viral decay rates were 3.5 × 10⁻³ h⁻¹ between 900 m and 2,750 m and 1.1 × 10⁻³ h⁻¹ at 4,000 m of depth, corresponding to viral turnover times of 11 and 39 days, respectively. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis fingerprints obtained from the viral community between 2,400 m and 4,000 m of depth revealed a maximum of only four bands from 4,000 m of depth. Based on the high viral abundance and the low picoplankton production determined via leucine incorporation, we conclude that the viral production calculated from the viral decay is insufficient to maintain the high viral abundance in the deep North Atlantic. Rather, we propose that substantial allochthonous viral input or lysogenic or pseudolysogenic production is required to maintain the high viral abundance detected in the meso- and bathypelagic North Atlantic. Consequently, deep-water prokaryotes are apparently far less controlled in their abundance and taxon richness by lytic prokaryotic phages than the high viral abundance and the virus-to-picoplankton ratio would suggest.     

Highly divergent SSU rRNA genes found in the marine ciliates Myrionecta rubra and Mesodinium pulex

Myrionecta rubra and Mesodinium pulex are among the most commonly encountered planktonic ciliates in coastal marine and estuarine regions throughout the world. Despite their widespread distribution, both ciliates have received little attention by taxonomists. In order to better understand the phylogenetic position of these ciliates, we determined the SSU rRNA gene sequence from cultures of M. rubra and M. pulex. Partial sequence data were also generated from isolated cells of M. rubra from Chesapeake Bay. The M. rubra and M. pulex sequences were very divergent from all other ciliates, but shared a branch with 100% bootstrap support. Both species had numerous deletions and substitutions in their SSU rRNA gene, resulting in a long branch for the clade. This made the sequences prone to spurious phylogenetic affiliations when using simple phylogenetic methods. Maximum likelihood analysis placed M. rubra and M. pulex on the basal ciliate branch, following removal of ambiguously aligned regions. Fluorescent in situ hybridization probes were used with confocal laser scanning microscopy to confirm that these divergent sequences were both expressed in the cytoplasm and nucleolus of M. ruisra and M. pulex. We found that our sequence data matched several recently discovered unidentified eukaryotes in Genbank from diverse marine habitats, all of which had apparently been misattributed to highly divergent amoeboid organisms.     

Distribution,Size, and Some Behavioral Characteristics of the Gray Whales Eschrichtius robustusof the Korean Herd in the Coastal Waters of Northeastern Sakhalin

In August 1997, 56 specimens of Eschrichtius robustuswere recorded in the coastal waters of northeastern Sakhalin (in the area between Odoptu and Chaivo bays). Gray whales are observed there from May till November; they stay within 4–5 km of the coast at a depth of no more than 25 m. The whales keep moving and spend most of their time feeding intensively. The whales occur more often in the area adjacent to Pil'tun Bay than in the rest of the area. A preliminary estimation indicates that the Korean gray whale population includes no more than 100 specimens. In view of this, from now on, the eastern Sakhalin shelf should only be commercially exploited with special care.     

Distribution and Diversity of Microbial Eukaryotes in Bathypelagic Waters of the South China Sea

Little is known about the biodiversity of microbial eukaryotes in the South China Sea, especially in waters at bathyal depths. Here, we employed SSU rDNA gene sequencing to reveal the diversity and community structure across depth and distance gradients in the South China Sea. Vertically, the highest alpha diversity was found at 75‐m depth. The communities of microbial eukaryotes were clustered into shallow‐, middle‐, and deep‐water groups according to the depth from which they were collected, indicating a depth‐related diversity and distribution pattern. Rhizaria sequences dominated the microeukaryote community and occurred in all samples except those from less than 50‐m deep, being most abundant near the sea floor where they contributed ca. 64–97% and 40–74% of the total sequences and OTUs recovered, respectively. A large portion of rhizarian OTUs has neither a nearest named neighbor nor a nearest neighbor in the GenBank database which indicated the presence of new phylotypes in the South China Sea. Given their overwhelming abundance and richness, further phylogenetic analysis of rhizarians were performed and three new genetic clusters were revealed containing sequences retrieved from the deep waters of the South China Sea. Our results shed light on the diversity and community structure of microbial eukaryotes in this not yet fully explored area.     

Abundance and Biomass of Heterotrophic Flagellates, and Factors Controlling Their Abundance and Distribution in Sediments of Botany Bay

The abundance and biomass of heterotrophic flagellates were estimated monthly in sediments of Botany Bay during March 1999-February 2000. The annual abundance and biomass were in the ranges of 0.46-4.70 x 10(5) cells/cm(3) and of 0.30-8.61 micro g C/cm(3), respectively. The majority of heterotrophic flagellates (93-100%) were less than 10 mm in length and few flagellates were larger than 10 mm. Of the total microbial carbon biomass, heterotrophic flagellates made up about 5% (but at times up to 35%). The contribution of heterotrophic flagellates varied from month to month, and among the sites. The abundance of heterotrophic flagellates was negatively correlated with sediment grain size and positively correlated with the abundance of bacteria, algae (autotrophic flagellates and diatoms), and their probable grazers. A best subsets regression analysis showed that bacterial and algal abundance are the most important factors controlling the abundance of heterotrophic flagellates. When the previously reported grazing rates on bacteria were applied, heterotrophic flagellates would consume a maximum of 64% of bacterial standing stock daily in Botany Bay, suggesting that heterotrophic flagellates are important as bacterivores. However, the importance of heterotrophic flagellate grazing probably varies significantly among the sites and from month to month.     

Ciliate diversity and distribution across horizontal and vertical scales in the open ocean

Ciliates are globally distributed eukaryotic organisms inhabiting virtually all environments on Earth. Although ciliates range from 10 µm to a few millimetres in cell size, they are repeatedly reported in the pico‐sized fraction (<2–3 µm) of molecular surveys. Here, we used existing data sets (BioMarKs and Tara Oceans) with different size fractions to demonstrate that the ciliate pico‐sized signal, probably derived from cell breakage during filtration, is informative and reliable to study marine ciliate biodiversity and biogeography. We then used sequences from the pico‐eukaryotic fraction of two circumnavigation expeditions, Malaspina‐2010 and Tara Oceans, to give insights into the taxonomic composition and horizontal and vertical distribution of ciliates in the global ocean. The results suggested a high homogeneity of ciliate communities along the ocean surface from temperate to tropical waters, with ciliate assemblages dominated by a few abundant and widely distributed taxa. Very few taxa were found in a single oceanic region, therefore suggesting a high level of ciliate cosmopolitanism in the global ocean. In vertical profiles, ciliates were detected up to 4,000 m depth, and a clear vertical community structuring was observed. Our results provided evidence supporting ciliates as deeply integrated organisms in the deep‐sea trophic web, where they may play a relevant role as symbionts of metazoans and grazers of prokaryotes and small eukaryotes in the water column and in aggregates.     

Ichthyoplankton of the Southern Waters of the North Atlantic: 2. Species Composition and Distribution Features

Journal of Ichthyology - The species composition of ichthyoplankton in the open waters of the North Atlantic at the cross-section from 30° N to the equator is considered. The study was...     

Plankton size distributions and trophic relations before and after the construction of the storm-surge barrier in the Oosterschelde estuary

Phytoplankton and zooplankton biomass distributions were calculated on a carbon basis for the inland part of the Oosterschelde, in the period before (1983), during (1984, 1986) and after (1987, 1988) the construction of the storm- surge barrier. In all years studied, both phytoplankton and zooplankton distributions are very irregular, and little consistent patterns emerge. The data were used to test the model of Sheldon et al. (1977). The observed standing stock ratios of zooplankton to phytoplankton agree with the model predictions in 1983, and are slightly higher during the period 1984–1987. In 1988, the model predictions are very different from the observed values, because of important changes in the zooplankton species abundance occurring in this year.     

Distribution of capsulated bacterioplankton in the North Atlantic and North Sea

In laboratory experiments, bacterioplankton were incubated under different nutrient conditions, and the percentage of bacteria exhibiting a polysaccharidic capsule (capsulated bacteria) and that of CTC (cyanotetrazolium chloride)-positive and therefore metabolically highly active bacteria were determined. In these seawater cultures amended with nutrients more than 95% of the CTC-positive cells exhibited a capsule. During two cruises, one to the North Atlantic and one to the North Sea, we investigated the distribution of capsulated bacteria throughout the water column. Capsulated bacteria were generally more abundant in eutrophic surface waters than in deeper layers or more oligotrophic regions. In the upper 100 m of the North Atlantic, about 6–14% of the total bacterioplankton community was capsulated, while in the layers below 100 m depth, 97% of the bacteria lacked a visible capsule. The percentage of capsulated bacteria correlated with bacterial abundance and production, and chlorophyll a concentration. Also, the bioavailability of DOC (dissolved organic carbon), estimated by the ratio between bacterial production and DOC concentration, significantly correlated with the percentage of capsulated bacteria. In the North Sea, the contribution of capsulated bacteria to the total number of bacteria decreased from the surface (3 m depth) to the near-bottom (25–35 m) layers from 20% to 14% capsulated bacteria. In the nearshore area of the North Sea, about 27% of the bacteria exhibited a capsule. Overall, a pronounced decrease in the contribution of capsulated bacteria to the total bacterial abundance was detectable from the eutrophic coastal environment to the open North Atlantic. Using this epifluorescence-based technique to enumerate capsulated bacterioplankton thus allowed us to routinely assess the number of capsulated bacteria even in the oceanic water column. Based on the data obtained in this study we conclude that almost all metabolically highly active bacteria exhibit a capsule, but also some of the metabolically less active cells express a polysaccharide capsule detectable with this method.     

荒漠草原典型群落土壤粒径和养分的分布特征及其关系研究

为了明确荒漠草原区土壤机械组成与养分的关系,以宁夏盐池荒漠草原4种典型群落为研究对象,通过对不同群落(柠条、沙蒿、蒙古冰草、短花针茅)表层(0~5cm)、亚表层(5~10cm)和深层(10~15cm)土壤粒径分布分形(PSD)、养分含量的动态变化分析,揭示荒漠草原区土壤结构与土壤养分的相关性。结果表明:(1)4种典型群落土壤PSD均呈正态分布,不同群落间的土壤PSD差异显著,粒径100~500μm颗粒含量对PSD影响最大,不同群落间的差异大于不同生境间或不同土层间。(2)4种典型群落除全磷(TP)外,其余土壤全肥均随土壤深度增加呈降低趋势,且冠下大于丛间,表现出荒漠草原区特殊的"肥岛"聚集效应,不同群落间分布特征均表现为:柠条短花针茅蒙古冰草沙蒿,速效养分含量相对较高,各群落均达到适宜水平。(3)土壤养分与土壤PSD显著相关,除速效磷(AP)外,其余土壤养分与土壤分形维数(D)均呈正相关关系,粒径100~250μm、250~500μm颗粒与土壤养分呈显著或极显著负相关关系,土壤中的黏粒、粉粒在有机无机胶结过程及土壤良好的结构维持中起主要作用。     

Gymnodinium smaydae n. sp., a New Planktonic Phototrophic Dinoflagellate from the Coastal Waters of Western Korea: Morphology and Molecular Characterization

The marine phototrophic dinoflagellate Gymnodinium smaydae n. sp. is described from cells prepared for light, scanning, and transmission electron microscopy. Also, sequences of the small (SSU) and large subunits (LSU) and the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS1–5.8S–ITS2) of ribosomal DNA were analyzed. This newly isolated dinoflagellate possessed nuclear chambers, nuclear fibrous connective, an apical groove running in a counterclockwise direction around the apex, and a major accessory pigment peridinin, which are four key features for the genus Gymnodinium. The epicone was conical with a round apex, while the hypocone was ellipsoid. Cells growing photosynthetically were 6.3–10.9 μm long and 5.1–10.0 μm wide, and therefore smaller than any other Gymnodinium species so far reported except Gymnodinium nanum. Cells were covered with polygonal amphiesmal vesicles arranged in 11 horizontal rows, and the vesicles were smaller than those of the other Gymnodinium species. This dinoflagellate had a sharp and elongated ventral ridge reaching half way down the hypocone, unlike other Gymnodinium species. Moreover, displacement of the cingulum was 0.4–0.6 × cell length while in other known Gymnodinium species it is less than 0.3 × cell length. In addition, the new species possessed a peduncle, permanent chloroplasts, pyrenoids, trichocysts, pusule systems, and small knobs along the apical furrow, but it lacked an eyespot, nematocysts, and body scales. The sequence of the SSU, ITS1–5.8S–ITS2, and LSU rDNA region differed by 1.5–3.8%, 6.0–17.4%, and 9.1–17.5%, respectively, from those of the most closely related species. The phylogenetic trees demonstrated that the new species belonged to the Gymnodinium clade at the base of a clade consisting of Gymnodinium acidotum, Gymnodinium dorsalisulcum, Gymnodinium eucyaneum, etc. Based on morphological and molecular data, we suggest that the taxon represents a new species, Gymnodinium smaydae n. sp.     

Causes and projections of abrupt climate-driven ecosystem shifts in the North Atlantic

Warming of the global climate is now unequivocal and its impact on Earth' functional units has become more apparent. Here, we show that marine ecosystems are not equally sensitive to climate change and reveal a critical thermal boundary where a small increase in temperature triggers abrupt ecosystem shifts seen across multiple trophic levels. This large-scale boundary is located in regions where abrupt ecosystem shifts have been reported in the North Atlantic sector and thereby allows us to link these shifts by a global common phenomenon. We show that these changes alter the biodiversity and carrying capacity of ecosystems and may, combined with fishing, precipitate the reduction of some stocks of Atlantic cod already severely impacted by exploitation. These findings offer a way to anticipate major ecosystem changes and to propose adaptive strategies for marine exploited resources such as cod in order to minimize social and economic consequences.     

The Association of Physical and Environmental Factors with Abundance and Distribution Patterns of Groupers around Kolombangara Island, Solomon Islands

I collected baseline abundance data on groupers from the reefs of Vavanga village on Kolombangara Island, Solomon Islands. Physical and environmental factors significantly affected the abundance and distribution patterns of groupers. Size and age distribution of groupers varied with depth. Power analysis on the abundance data showed that although power could be calculated to within an acceptable level from a management perspective for abundant species such as the coral hind, Cephalopholis miniata, the same could not be done for larger and naturally scarce species, such as the humpback grouper, Cromileptes altivelis.     

Abundance and diversity of heterotrophic bacterial cells assimilating phosphate in the subtropical North Atlantic Ocean

Microorganisms play key roles in the cycles of carbon and nutrients in the ocean, and identifying the extent to which specific taxa contribute to these cycles will establish their ecological function. We examined the use of ³³P‐phosphate to identify heterotrophic bacteria actively involved in the cycling of phosphate, an essential inorganic nutrient. Seawater from the sub‐tropical North Atlantic Ocean was incubated with ³³P‐phosphate and analysed by microautoradiography to determine the proportion and diversity of the bacterial community‐assimilating phosphate. Complementary incubations using ³H‐leucine and ³H‐thymidine were also conducted. We found that a higher proportion of total heterotrophic bacterial cells in surface water samples assimilated phosphate compared with leucine or thymidine. Bacteria from all of the phylogenetic groups we identified by CARD‐FISH were able to assimilate phosphate, although the abundances of cells within each group did not scale directly with the number found to assimilate phosphate. Furthermore, a significantly higher proportion of Alphaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria and Cytophaga‐like cells assimilated phosphate compared with leucine or thymidine. Our results suggest that a greater proportion of bacterial cells in surface waters are actively participating in the biogeochemical cycling of phosphorus, and possibly other elements, than is currently estimated through the use of ³H‐leucine or ³H‐thymidine.     

糯玉米胚乳淀粉粒粒度分布形成的酶学机理

以7个糯玉米品种为材料,测定其籽粒发育过程中淀粉粒粒度分布及淀粉合成相关酶活性的变化,分析两者之间的关系。结果表明,随着籽粒发育,糯玉米淀粉粒平均粒径逐渐增大,可溶性淀粉合成酶(SSS)和淀粉分支酶(SBE)活性呈单峰曲线变化。籽粒发育前期,小淀粉粒(≤7.4μm)所占体积较大;随着籽粒发育,小淀粉粒所占体积减少,大淀粉粒(>7.4μm)所占体积增多;籽粒发育后期,大淀粉粒所占体积较大。相关分析表明, SSS和SBE活性与大淀粉粒体积增大速率和平均粒径增大速率均呈显著或极显著正相关。因此, SSS和SBE是影响糯玉米胚乳淀粉粒粒度分布形成的主要酶, SSS和SBE活性越高,淀粉粒平均粒径越大,大淀粉粒所占体积越多。     

蚊子全基因组中微卫星的丰度及其分布

微卫星是近年大力开发的一种遗传标记,为推进按蚊遗传学相关研究,对按蚊全基因组中由 1~6 个碱基重复单元组成的简单序列重复 ( 微卫星 ) 进行了分析 . 进而对其微卫星的丰度和分布进行了比较分析,也比较了染色体各个区域 ( 外显子、内含子和基因间隔区 ) 之间的分布差异 . 微卫星在按蚊基因组中的比例约占 2.14% ,其中 X 染色体拥有微卫星的密度最大 . 对按蚊基因组中微卫星丰度而言, A 碱基和 C 碱基重复在基因组中丰度相似, AC 单元的丰度是 AG 单元的两倍多,然而 AT 和 CG 单元非常稀少;对于三四碱基而言, AGC, AAAC 和 AAAT 单元最为丰富, ACG, ACT, AGG, CCG, ATGC, CCCG, ACTG, AACT, ACGT, AGAT, CCGG, ACCT 和 AGCT 单元等均很稀少,而一些五碱基重复,在某条甚至某几条染色体中均未分布 . 除两碱基重复单元在 2L 的外显子区域丰度较高外,其他重复单元均在内含子和基因间隔区丰富 . 进一步分析显示,微卫星在每条染色体两臂的丰度和分布存在着很多的相似性 .     

絮凝颗粒粒度分布对自絮凝酵母SPSC01乙醇耐受能力的影响

利用激光聚焦反射式颗粒测量系统, 通过调节不同的搅拌速率, 得到了分批补料培养条件下粒度分布不同的四个絮凝酵母SPSC01颗粒群体, 进而对絮凝颗粒群体分布对乙醇耐受性进行了系统研究。经过6 h、20%乙醇的冲击, 颗粒粒度为100、200、300和400 mm的自絮凝酵母SPSC01的存活率分别为3.5%、26.7%、48.8%和37.6%。这表明不同粒度分布的絮凝颗粒群体乙醇耐受性具有明显差别, 在一定粒度范围内乙醇耐受性达到最高, 乙醇耐受性最高的酵母群体的乙醇得率系数85.5%, 比乙醇耐性最低的颗粒群体提高了7.2%。粒度为100、200和300 mm的自絮凝酵母颗粒群体总麦角固醇、游离麦角固醇及海藻糖含量与粒度大小成正相关, 但在粒度为400 mm的絮凝颗粒群体中总麦角固醇、游离麦角固醇及海藻糖含量呈下降趋势, 与其乙醇耐性低于300 mm絮凝颗粒的结果相一致。对细胞膜透性的研究表明, 颗粒粒度为300 mm的絮凝酵母颗粒细胞膜通透性(P′)最低, 分别仅为颗粒粒度为100 mm和200 mm颗粒群体的43%和52%, 表明粒度分布不同的絮凝颗粒群体乙醇耐性的差别与细胞膜透性密切相关。