外来入侵植物意大利苍耳的传粉生态学特性

从开花物候、花粉活力、柱头可受性、传粉媒介、花粉散布距离、雄性、雌性功能以及繁育系统等方面系统地研究了意大利苍耳的传粉生态学特性,旨在为揭示该物种成功入侵的机理提供科学依据。研究结果显示:意大利苍耳种群的花期较长,雌花花期可达40d,雄花花期可达30d。其雄性和雌性功能都很强,意大利苍耳单株雄花序和花粉量分别高达3847个/株和37903037粒/株,单株雌花序和单株胚珠数高达3847个/株和7694枚/株,种群平均结实率高达80.59%,即平均每株个体能形成6200枚成熟的果实。花粉活力的日变化呈单峰型曲线,早晨和傍晚的花粉活力最低,14:00时的活力高达99%。雌蕊柱头一经伸出总苞即具有可受性,可受期长达7d,开花后的3—4d柱头的可受性最强。意大利苍耳为风媒传粉植物,在4.5km/h的微风条件下,其花粉的散布距离可达45m,大量的花粉集中分布在距花粉源0—20m的范围内,这对于往往高密度连片分布的意大利苍耳种群来说无疑是一种高效的传粉策略。意大利苍耳的交配系统灵活多样,盛花期自然结实率达到100%,套袋试验结果表明该植物自交亲和,自株自然授粉的结实率高达93%。表明较长的花期、大量的雌雄花序及花粉数量、较高的花粉活力、较长的柱头可授期、较远的花粉风媒散布距离、混合交配系统、以及较高的结实率是意大利苍耳繁殖成功的重要保障,也是其成功入侵的重要原因。     

外来入侵植物加拿大一枝黄花繁殖生物学研究

加拿大一枝黄花(S olid ag o canad ensis)原产北美,自然条件下既能结实,同时又能以地下茎出芽的方式克隆繁殖,是目前我国东部地区危害严重的外来入侵杂草之一,对我国部分省市的农业生产和生态环境构成了严重威胁。连续3a定点观测其种群扩张规律,从生境因子、种子性状及萌发特性、残体无性克隆生长,地下部分形态特征和各器官热值能量的季节动态变化等方面对加拿大一枝黄花的繁殖生物学作了研究,同时比较了加拿大一枝黄花和其他4种菊科外来杂草的地下部分形态特征。研究结果表明:(1)自然条件下,加拿大一枝黄花种子在3~10月期间均可萌发,4~5月份气候适宜,雨水充沛,是种子萌发的高峰期。夏季的6~8月份是其营养生长和克隆增殖的旺盛期,9月份开始献蕾,花果期为10月至翌年1月份。加拿大一枝黄花的结实量高达20000粒/株,种子(瘦果)千粒重为0.045~0.050g,含水量在60%~80%之间;(2)加拿大一枝黄花自然条件下种子萌发率约为30%,在不同pH值、盐浓度和湿度环境条件下种子萌发的耐受性较强。不同环境胁迫下的种子萌发率和沪浙地区加拿大一枝黄花土壤生境因子的调查结果均表明,该种比较适应干燥、透气性良好的酸性低盐砂壤土,对Zn、Cu、Pb等重金属耐性较高;(3)加拿大一枝黄花地下茎和植株基部节处能萌生克隆分株。在机械除草等人为干扰条件下加拿大一枝黄花采用应激繁殖对策,容易产生更多的克隆分株。植株残体的无性繁殖能力为地下部分>基部茎>茎秆,20cm基部茎>30cm基部茎>45cm基部茎,从小到大的机械破坏程度使地下部分残体出芽数依次减少,但累计出芽数反而增加;(4)与其他菊科外来杂草相比,加拿大一枝黄花地下部分的长度、表面积、体积等指标最大,说明其在地下部分形态上具有广泛逸生的结构基础;(5)加拿大一枝黄花地上部分生长速率以及多数地下部分形态指标在9月份达到最大值。8月份过于高温干旱的气候使茎、叶中的部分能量转向地下部分,增加须根以吸收更多的水分。加拿大一枝黄花生长周期内地下部分形态指标和各器官热值能量的动态变化与其兼备有性繁殖和克隆生长的繁殖对策相适应。     

外来植物的入侵机制及其生态风险评价

外来植物入侵已成为严重威胁生态系统健康发展的全球性问题,预防优于治理,对外来植物进行生态风险评价可有效地防御和降低入侵风险。本文基于生态风险评价理论,通过对外来植物入侵特性和过程的分析,探讨了外来植物入侵生态风险的评价方法。将评价程序分为风险源分析、风险受体评价、暴露与危害评价、风险综合评价和风险管理对策5部分,初步建立了风险源评价指标体系,以及度量生态损失和生态风险的指标和公式,进而得出外来植物入侵综合生态风险评价的方法。     

赤水河中游地区外来植物入侵现状及风险评价

根据野外调查及相关文献资料, 探讨了赤水河中游地区外来入侵植物的种类组成、生长特性、分布区类型、分布生境以及来源。结合前人在生物入侵风险评价方面的研究成果及赤水河中游地区外来植物的入侵状况, 建立该区外来物种风险评价指标体系, 进行风险评价与风险等级划分。结果表明: 赤水河中游地区现有外来入侵植物22 种, 隶属于12 科20 属。生活型分析发现, 22 种外来入侵植物全部为草本, 陆生草本最多(19 种), 水生草本2 种, 水陆两栖草本1 种。它们主要侵入林缘、荒地、河边、溪流、农田等生境。从分布区类型来看, 无论是科的分布还是属的分布均以世界分布和热带分布为主。从原产地分析来看, 原产美洲的种类有14 种, 占总种数的63.64%。有11 种入侵植物风险是不可接受的, 10 种需进一步研究, 1 种可接受, 评价结果与其危害现状基本相符。相关部门应高度重视和有效管理,以防对当地生态环境造成更严重的危害。     

植物外来种入侵及其对生态系统的影响

对植物外来种的入侵及生态系统的影响进行综述与分析,植物入侵多种因子的影响,可分为外因和内因两类,植物外来种对生态系统的影响主要体现在生产力,土壤营养,水分,干扰体制,群落的结构和动态等方面,在管理外来种时,需对外来种的特性和影响因子进行系统的观察研究,采用机械法,化学方法和生物控制法等综合办法控制植物的入侵,引进植物引来种时,要对引进种的行为特性进行了调查研究,注意其安全性。     

广州外来入侵植物

根据野外调查及相关文献资料,初步探讨了广州市外来入侵植物的种类组成、分布生境、生长特性、危害以及来源.结果表明:广州市现有外来人侵植物73种,隶属于27科59属,其中菊科(19种)、禾本科(8种)、豆科(7种)和苋科(7种)植物占了入侵植物总种数的56.2%.生活型分析发现,在广州有分布的外来入侵植物中,陆生草本植物最多(58种),其次为灌木(10种)、水生草本(3种),乔木种类最少(2种),它们主要生长在人类干扰比较频繁的低海拔地区.另外,基于对外来入侵植物目前在野外的生长和分布状况等生态学特性进行分析,可大致将它们对本地生物多样性危害程度分为3级,其中危害严重的有11种,危害中等的有25种,危害较轻的有37种.从原产地分析来看,61种来自于热带美洲地区,占广州外来入侵植物总种数的83.6%.与国内其他地区外来入侵植物进行比较发现,广州和广西共有种数最多,有62种,然而,对已经造成严重危害的外来植物种类,在数量上广州与香港、深圳和广西相同种类较多,分别有8种、7种和6种.对广州市目前外来植物的入侵风险(潜在威胁)的评估结果表明,对一些在其它地区已经造成严重危害的外来植物,应当加强监控,防止入侵扩散并造成重大生态灾难.还对广州市外来植物入侵的主要途径及防治策略做了简要分析和说明.     

中国外来植物入侵风险评估研究

对外来植物开展入侵风险评估是防止外来植物入侵最经济有效的措施,能够极大的节约外来种管理的经济和时间成本。研究简述了国内外入侵风险评估系统,从外来物种基础信息缺乏、外来植物的适生区分析不完善、风险评估体系构建不客观、对新近外来种的关注度不够4个方面阐述了我国外来植物风险评估存在的主要问题。并针对存在的问题提出了以下建议：（1）构建外来植物基础信息数据库是风险评估的基础,加强外来植物本底资料的调查与考证,并将外来植物表型数据的积累和分析纳入数据库,使得风险评估有据可依。（2）运用生态位模型进行生态风险分析是风险评估的重点,并将人类活动指标纳入预测模型,揭示人类活动对入侵植物分布格局的影响。（3）建立科学的风险评估系统是核心,包括通过选择风险指标和设置权重来提高评估系统的科学性、构建特定区域或特定生态类型的风险评估体系、根据评估对象的生物学与生态学特征建立符合实际要求的评估标准,实行差别化的风险评估等。（4）加强新近外来植物的管理是关键,应定期野外监测新近外来种的种群动态,定期审查风险评估结果,对高风险的新近外来种进行预警研究将为中国外来植物风险评估体系构建提供重要参考,为入侵植物防控措施的制定提供理论依据。     

外来入侵植物粉花月见草的繁殖生物学特性

粉花月见草单花花期1d,整株花期50d左右;单花花粉量达8825个,花粉活力达53.2%,花粉萌发快,萌发率达44.6%,自花授粉;种子小,千粒重0.092g,种子发芽率达85%,萌发时间短,具有休眠机制。三年生株丛结果达1274个,单果种子高达206粒,单株丛种子量2.6×105。种子表面平滑,自然传播以重力为主和风力作用,传播距离在100cm范围内。结果表明:粉花月见草繁殖力、适应力强,易形成单一优势种群,种子小近圆形易形成种子库,人为活动使其远距离传播,具有较大的危害性。     

外来入侵植物胜红蓟的胚胎学观察及繁殖系统研究

以采自我国广东江门和广州两个种群的胜红蓟(Ageratum conyzoides L.)种子为材料,采用流式细胞种子筛选技术(FCSS)和人工控制授粉实验,对胜红蓟的繁殖系统进行研究,并结合整体透明技术和微分干涉差(DIC)显微镜观察法,对其胚珠发育过程和花药结构进行细胞胚胎学观察。种子筛选结果显示,胜红蓟的种子既可以通过有性生殖产生,又可以通过不需要假受精的无融合生殖产生,属于兼性无融合生殖类型。开放性授粉和套袋处理之间的结实率均较高,分别为88%±1.2%和86.2%±1.2%,两者之间无显著差异;而去雄处理的结实率和开放性授粉、套袋这两种处理之间差异显著。胚珠的细胞胚胎学观察结果发现,胜红蓟的有性生殖胚囊发育方式为蓼型,无融合生殖胚囊的发育方式为山柳菊型。胜红蓟的花粉粒在花药内就开始萌发出花粉管,具有闭花受精特性。研究结果表明闭花受精和兼性无融合生殖等繁殖特性保证了胜红蓟在各种生存环境下的结实量,提高其在新生境中归化和入侵的可能性。     

入侵植物剑叶金鸡菊的繁殖特征及其与入侵性之间的关系

入侵植物剑叶金鸡菊(Coreopsis lanceolata)既可进行有性繁殖, 又能进行克隆繁殖, 其繁殖特征可能对其入侵性具有重要影响, 然而目前相关研究较少。通过观测剑叶金鸡菊的花序开花动态、交配系统、种子萌发特性等有性繁殖特征及克隆繁殖特征, 研究了上述繁殖特性及其与入侵性之间的关系。结果表明, 剑叶金鸡菊每年4月下旬开始现蕾, 5-11月为花果期。单个花序的花期为5-6天, 至果实成熟开裂约18天。单个花序自交及同株异花授粉不亲和, 为异株异花授粉的异交型, 其花粉-胚珠比(P/O比)为103 549.40 ± 7 162.44。花序高花粉活力及本地蜂传粉行为保障了花粉资源, 因而结实率高达12 000粒∙株^-1。自然条件下其种子的萌发率高达50%以上, 且2-3天即可萌发。剑叶金鸡菊克隆繁殖能力非常强, 整个生长季节均可见从根蘖长出的密集型克隆分株, 8月下旬开始出现游击型克隆生长, 通过密集型和游击型克隆生长, 剑叶金鸡菊排斥其他物种形成单优种群。上述研究结果说明, 剑叶金鸡菊的入侵性与其繁殖特征密切相关。     

Breeding success of an endangered island endemic kestrel increases with extent of invasion by an alien plant species

The Mauritius Kestrel Falco punctatus, once the rarest kestrel worldwide, became an icon of bird conservation after it recovered from four to six individuals in 1974 to some 800 by 2005 following intense conservation management. Its population however then halved within about a decade prompting a re-evaluation of the IUCN status and up listing of the species in 2014 and an increased conservation attention. Drivers of this new decline are unclear and the influence of habitat structure and diet on breeding success may be important contributors but have received relatively little attention, particularly in the way they may interact to influence production of new fledglings. We address this knowledge gap by studying whether breeding success is influenced by habitat structure (in terms of cover of the invasive Ravenala in native habitats, an alien plant causing strong structural shift in the forests that it invades, and extent of cleared area), diet composition and food pass frequency (as a proxy for food intake) and food quality at 28 nests of a re-introduced kestrel population in south east Mauritius during the 2015–2016 breeding season. The kestrel’s diet comprised native and alien birds, reptiles, insects, and small alien mammals, with a disproportionately high proportion of Phelsuma gecko. A higher frequency of food provisioning and percentage cover of Ravenala both contributed to higher breeding success. Ravenala may increase gecko density or increase gecko detectability and predation by the kestrel, or both, while changed land use (pasture and sugar cane fields) may increase prey diversity in the form of non-forest prey known to be eaten by Kestrels (e.g. alien agamids, small mammals and birds). These prey related influences on breeding suggest that the Bambou mountain range provides a human-generated novel ecosystem altering food availability and increasing the kestrel’s breeding success. However, Ravenala is an invasive alien species harmful to the wider forest biodiversity. Progressive weeding of Ravenala and concurrent re-introduction and augmentation of native palms and Pandanus species which geckos can use at comparable densities to Ravenala, is recommended. This would likely improve the kestrel’s hunting habitat quality and maintain high gecko density or detectability and the vegetation structure required for hunting manoeuvrability and prey availability without the negative consequences of invasive Ravenala.     

Size-dependent allocation to sexual and vegetative reproduction in four clonal composites

Summary Populations of Silphium speciosum, Vernonia baldwinii, Solidago canadensis and Pityopsis graminifolia were studied to determine whether biomass allocation to sexual and vegetative reproduction and the balance between them were size-dependent and whether interpopulation differences in allocation patterns could be predicted from differences in population size distributions. All four species showed strong linear relationships between inflorescence mass and vegetative mass with negative y-intercepts. As a result, sexual reproductive effort (SRE) was a monotonically increasing function of ramet size. Genet size was a poor predictor of SRE. In each species, the regression parameters of these relationships differed significantly between burned and unburned habitats indicating size-independent interpopulation differences in patterns of reproductive effort as well as sizedependent effects. Interpopulation variation in vegetative reproductive effort (VRE) was greater than variation in SRE, but neither VRE nor the pattern of partitioning of VRE among daughter rhizomes showed significant relationships to plant size.     

Sexual selection and intelligence: Does sexual reproduction drive the evolution of intelligence?

The basal hypothesis discussed here is the idea that brain architecture could be plastic on a very basal, genetic level due to sexual recombination and reassortment of alleles of genes related to brain development, e.g., neuronal cell adhesion molecules (NCAMs) and others.The role of sexual reassortment leads the study of brain development, species behavior and intelligence to a new version of the so-called “Red Queen Hypothesis”: using the mechanism described here, a kind of runaway selection mechanism seems to arise. Even if NCAMs are almost constant within an individual, they seem to act very differently at the population level and so the role of reassorting polymorphic NCAM- (and other) genes gets particularly clear. If several NCAM-NCAM combinations cause extreme behavior and intelligence variability in a population, these combinations also represent a use of sexual selection. This mechanism of NCAM allele assortment seems to be important for the process of speciation by mutual selection of individuals. Therefore NCAM variants and their associated behaviors are thought to be important for the development of intelligence, in that they promote the attraction of individuals with already high intelligence, leading to the speciation of super-intelligent groups.     

昆虫植食对植物有性生殖的影响

植物在个体发育的各个阶段都与不同的群落成员相互作用,如竞争的植物、有益的传粉者和敌对的植食动物。昆虫植食在各类生态系统中普遍存在,并可能对植物有性生殖产生各种影响。植食昆虫可通过对植物有性生殖结构的消耗直接对植物生殖产生影响,也可通过影响植物资源分配和花性状等改变传粉者服务,从而间接对植物有性生殖带来正面、负面或中性的影响。同一植物的植食昆虫和传粉者往往对植物的吸引性状 （如花大小、气味、颜色等）有相同的偏好,因此植食者与传粉者均能对植物有性生殖性状施加选择压力。本文从昆虫植食对植物有性生殖的直接影响、间接影响以及植食昆虫对植物有性生殖性状选择的影响三个方面进行综述,以期为昆虫植食和生物资源多样性保护相关研究提供参考。     

Pollination and breeding systems of woody plant species in tropical dry evergreen forests,southern India

Tropical dry evergreen forests (TDEF) are a unique forest type found along the east coast of India. They mostly occur as small, isolated fragments of varying sizes (0.5 to ≈10 ha) and are considered as endangered forests types in peninsular India. Although plant diversity is well documented in these forests, there is a paucity of ecological studies vital for conservation and for planning restoration activities. We studied reproductive biology of 13 woody species: four trees, six shrubs, and three lianas in fragments of TDEF in southern India. The phenology of reproduction, floral biology, anthesis and sexual system of each species were recorded. The pollination mode was assessed through observations of the visitation frequency of pollinators and from the floral characters. The breeding system was determined by hand-augmented self- and cross-pollination experiments. The plants flowered during the dry season from January to July. Plants of nine species had both flowers and fruits at the same time. Twelve species were hermaphrodites and one was polygamo-dioecious. Flowers of 11 species opened at dawn and two at dusk. Four species were self-incompatible and six were self-compatible. Natural fruit set ranged from 10% to 56%, self-incompatible species having low fruit set. Cross-pollen augmentation increased fruit set, suggesting presence of outcrossing in all species. The majority of plants species (85%) had a generalized pollination system, receiving visits from diverse insects, such as social bees, solitary bees, wasps, moths and flies. However, only few of them were functionally important for the species. Two species namely: Capparis brevispina and C. zeylanica had butterflies and birds, respectively, as their main pollinators. Our data reveal that there is a predominance of outcrossing in plant species and a generalized pollination system in these forests. We suggest that restoration of TDEFs is crucial as habitats, not only for wild plants but also for pollinating insects.     

Resource allocation to sexual and vegetative reproduction in a forest herbSyneilesis palmata (Compositae)

The balance between sexual and vegetative reproduction inSyneilesis palmata was examined in relation to environmental conditions and the amount of reproductive resources, which is defined here as the total quantity of dry matter invested in both modes of reproduction. The allocation balance was measured for individual plants of two populations, with different densities in an open habitat, for 2 years, and those of two other populations, under different light intensities in a plantation forest (forest floor and edge), for 3 years. Relative allocation to sexual reproduction decreased with increasing reproductive resources in all populations except for the forest edge, which showed a constant allocation balance. The high density population showed lower relative allocation to sexual reproduction than the low density population, irrespective of the amount of reproductive resources. However the between-year comparison of the high density population suggested that under extremely high density, plants with a small amount of reproductive resources enhanced sexual reproduction, while plants with a large amount of reproductive resources reproduced vegetatively. On the forest floor, plants with small amounts of reproductive resources had higher relative allocation to sexual reproduction than the forest edge population, while plants with large amounts of reproductive resources had a somewhat lower one. The adaptive significance of such allocation patterns are discussed, based on qualitative data on the characteristics of both types of offspring.     

Influence of spatial structure on the maintenance of sexual reproduction

We include spatial extension into a model for the maintenance of sexual reproduction introduced recently. The model is based on a broad spectrum of resources, which regrow slowly. Other key features of the model are that sexual reproduction sets in when resources become scarce and that only a few genotypes can coexist locally. The extension of the model to several patches in space is done in two different ways. Model A is based on central egg deposition and allows migration of juveniles into all patches. Model B has a one-dimensional array of patches with migration only between neighboring patches. The main findings are that wide dispersal favors asexuals, while for slower migration there is a wide range of parameter values for which sexually reproducing species always win against asexuals. These results are conform with major patterns for the distribution of parthenogenesis in animals and plants, i.e. the prevalence of parthenogenetic reproduction in minute species, which are easily dispersed by physical forces, such as protists and small metazoans including e.g. bdelloid rotifers, tardigrades and nematodes.     

Best practice in alien species risk assessment: a comment on Leung et al. ()

The TEASI model is presented in Leung et al. (2012; TEASIng apart alien species risk assessments: a framework for best practices. Ecol. Lett., 15 , 1475) as a framework for best practice in alien species risk assessment. This is not supported by the paper's review as it does not define good, bad or best practice and therefore cannot logically make this claim.     

Cost of reproduction as reduced growth in genotypes of two congeneric species with contrasting life histories

Summary We examined the effect of reproduction on growth in 33 genotypes of Plantago major and 14 genotypes of P. rugelii. These two herbaceous perennials have contrasting life histories; P. major reproduces at a smaller size, and allocates a larger proportion of its biomass to reproduction, than P. rugelii. The effect of reproduction on frowth was determined experimentally using photoperiod manipulations to control level of reproduction. The difference in growth between reproductive treatments was divided by the difference in capsule weight to produce a measure of reproductive cost per g of capsule for genotypes of the two species. In both species there was substantial variation among genotypes in the effect of reproduction on growth. Much of this variation could be correlated with differences among genotypes in the extent of reproductive investment and plant size. Cost in terms of reduction in growth per g of capsule increased with reproductive investment in P. rugelii, and with plant size in P. major. We suggest the differences between species in timing and extent of reproduction are related to the differences between species in effect of reproduction on growth. Plantago rugelii may reproduce to a lesser extent than P. major because cost per g of capsule in terms of reduced vegetative biomass, increases with reproductive output in the former species, but not in the latter. Similarly, P. major may reproduce earlier than P. rugelii because cost per g of capsule increases with plant size in P. major, but not in P. rugelii.