中国西藏种子植物区系新资料

本文报道了采自西藏喜马拉雅南坡的8个中国种子植物新记录种以及1个西藏新记录属。前者分别是吉隆牛奶菜(Marsdenia roylei)、塔基棕榈(Trachycarpus takil)、喀西蜂斗草(Sonerila khasiana)、旋花锡生藤(Cissampelos convolvulacea)、吉隆角盘兰(Herminium edgeworthii)、尼泊尔西番莲(Passiflora napalensis)、椭穗姜花(Hedychium ellipticum)和藏南象牙参(Roscoea brandisii); 1个西藏新记录属为箭药藤属(Belostemma) (箭药藤 Belostemma hirsutum)。凭证标本存放于中国科学院西双版纳热带植物园标本馆(HITBC)和西藏自治区高原生物研究所标本室(XZ)。     

岷江上游干旱河谷区域空间变化的定量判定

采用遥感和地理信息系统技术,准确界定了岷江上游干旱河谷的范围,在此基础上分析了岷江上游干旱河谷的面积变化及其边界分布海拔的最高上限在垂直方向上的抬升距离。结果表明,干旱河谷面积在不断扩大,由1974年的93140hm2扩大到2000的123078hm2,其中1995～2000年间年变化率较1974～1995年有所降低;岷江上游干旱河谷的边界沿山体向上攀升非常迅速,1974岷江上游干旱河谷边界的最高上限海拔为3128m,1995年为3167m,较1974年抬升了39m;2000年为3181m,与1995年相比沿垂直方向向上抬升了14m。1974到2000年间岷江上游干旱河谷边界最高上限沿垂直方向抬升了53m,大约平均每年抬升2m。为了遏制干旱河谷进一步扩大的趋势,必须加大植被恢复和生态建设力度。     

Phenological mapping in a topographically complex landscape by combining field survey with an irradiation model

Abstract. A phenological map has been prepared for the Podyjí/Thayatal National Park, located on the border between the Czech Republic and Austria. The area is characterized by V-shaped river valleys deeply incised into a gently undulating landscape. Five stages of phenological development were defined, based upon phenological spectra of plant communities in late April; 96 sites, more or less regularly spaced over the area, were assigned to one of these stages using field observations of these spectra. Potential direct solar irradiation was calculated from a digital elevation model for a 25 m x 25 m grid extending over the study area. A method was developed for interpolation of phenological observations by weighted regression of phenology on the irradiation model. This interpolation enables the prediction of the local stage of phenological development across the study area without levelling out phenological patterns dependent upon small-scale topographic variation. Spring phenological events appear to be more advanced in the valleys (except for steep north-facing slopes) than in the adjacent landscape. Possible climatic processes underlying this pattern are discussed with emphasis on temperature inversions in the river valleys. Cold-air-drainage inversions reported from the valleys are probably too infrequent and of too short duration to delay plant phenology. The combined effects of advanced phenology and the increased risk of spring frost injury due to these inversions in the valleys may be an explanation for local distributional patterns of flora and vegetation.     

Phytogeographical relations of the Andean dry valleys of Bolivia

Aim The objective of this study is to examine the phytogeographical affinities of the Andean dry valleys of Bolivia in order to contribute to a better understanding of the Andean dry flora's distribution, origin and diversity. Particular emphasis is given to the analysis of the floristic connections of this flora with more austral parts of South America. Location The dry valleys of Bolivia are located in the Andes of the southern half of the country, at elevations between 1300 and 3200 m. Methods An extensive floristic list compiled by the author to evaluate plant diversity in these Andean regions was used as the base for this study. To accomplish this, all recorded genera and species were assigned, respectively, to 11 and 12 phytogeographical elements established previously by the author. Two phytogeographical spectra were thus obtained and analysed. Results At the genus level, the Andean dry valleys of Bolivia are clearly dominated by genera that have widespread distributions (cosmoplitan and subtropical genera). Many of these reached the Andes from the lowland region of the Chaco. At species level, Andean elements constitute more than 60% of the species total, most of which are restricted to the central‐southern Andes. This suggests that Chaco‐related and Andean genera had considerable levels of speciation in these valleys. Many genera and more than half the species have their northernmost distribution in the dry valleys of Bolivia, thereby underlining strong relationships with central‐southern South America (mainly Argentina, Paraguay and southern Brazil). The data supports the belief of the existence, in central‐southern Peru, of a floristic disjunction in dry to arid environments that separates a tropical dry flora north of this limit from a dry subtropical/warm temperate flora south of it. Main conclusions The Andean dry valleys of Bolivia are diverse plant communities with high levels of endemism (c. 18% of the species). The species of this region are more related to those present in central‐southern South America than to the flora of northern South America that ranges southwards to Peru. Many of the species have restricted distributions in the dry Andes of Bolivia and Argentina, and many genera of these dry valleys have their northernmost distribution in Bolivia/southern Peru, too. The data point to high levels of speciation also in the central Andes.     

Bistability, bifurcations, and Waddington's epigenetic landscape

Waddington's epigenetic landscape is probably the most famous and most powerful metaphor in developmental biology. Cells, represented by balls, roll downhill through a landscape of bifurcating valleys. Each new valley represents a possible cell fate and the ridges between the valleys maintain the cell fate once it has been chosen. Here I examine models of two important developmental processes - cell-fate induction and lateral inhibition - and ask whether the landscapes for these models at least qualitatively resemble Waddington's picture. For cell-fate induction, the answer is no. The commitment of a cell to a new fate corresponds to the disappearance of a valley from the landscape, not the splitting of one valley into two, and it occurs through a type of bifurcation - a saddle-node bifurcation - that possesses an intrinsic irreversibility that is missing from Waddington's picture. Lateral inhibition, a symmetrical cell-cell competition process, corresponds better to Waddington's picture, with one valley reversibly splitting into two through a pitchfork bifurcation. I propose an alternative epigenetic landscape that has numerous valleys and ridges right from the start, with the process of cell-fate commitment corresponding to the irreversible disappearance of some of these valleys and ridges, via cell-fate induction, complemented by the creation of new valleys and ridges through processes like cell-cell competition.     

Theoretical conformational analysis of doulble-stranded polynucleotides]

Calculations of intramolecular interaction energy of two-stranded helical homopolynucleotide in the function of nine conformational variables have been carried out by the method of atom-atom potential functions. Four of these variables determine mutual position of base pairs, other four--deoxiribose ring conformation and other one--orientation of this ring with respect to the base. For this purpose an algorythm connecting dependent variables with independent ones has been developed. The investigation of energy function has shown that in the space of conformational parameters there are two valleys, which correspond to A-and B-families of conformations. Experimentaly determined conformations of two-stranded helical polynucleotides are located along the bottoms of these valleys. Along the bottom of each valley the intramolecular interaction energy changes rather little when conformational parameters change within a wide range. The valleys are separated by an energetical barrier.     

Deep and wide valleys drive nested phylogeographic patterns across a montane bird community

Montane species distributions interrupted by valleys can lead to range fragmentation, differentiation and ultimately speciation. Paleoclimatic fluctuations may accentuate or reduce such diversification by temporally altering the extent of montane habitat and may affect species differentially. We examined how an entire montane bird community of the Western Ghats—a linear, coastal tropical mountain range—responds to topographic valleys that host different habitats. Using genetic data from 23 species (356 individuals) collected across nine locations, we examined if different species in the community reveal spatial concordance in population differentiation, and whether the timing of these divergences correlate with climatic events. Our results reveal a nested effect of valleys, with several species (10 of 23) demonstrating the oldest divergences associated with the widest and deepest valley in the mountain range, the Palghat Gap. Further, a subset of these 10 species revealed younger divergences across shallower, narrower valleys. We recovered discordant divergence times for all valley-affected montane birds, mostly in the Pleistocene, supporting the Pliestocene-pump hypotheses and highlighting the role of climatic fluctuations during this period in driving species evolution. A majority of species remain unaffected by valleys, perhaps owing to geneflow or extinction–recolonization dynamics. Studying almost the entire community allowed us to uncover a range of species’ responses, including some generalizable and other unpredicted patterns.     

滇川干暖河谷种子植物区系成分研究

本文论及滇川干暖河谷种子植物区系成分由科级到种级的研究结果。所统计分析的植物共６９２个种,分属于３３６个属,１１１个科。科级区系成分中,明显以亚热带科为主,暖温带科次之,热带科很少。属级区系成分中,热带属多于温带属,有１４个特有属。热带科属偏多说明本河谷历史上有过以热带区系为主体时期和近代区系发源于热带。种级区系成分中,有中国特有种４２１种,占６１．９０％,其次是温带种多于热带种。干暖河谷的植物区系标志种有１５８种,分三个等级,一级为本河谷特有种,有１８种,二级１０３种,三级３７种。干暖河谷的特有区系成分和各级植物区系标志种均较好地反映本河谷区系演化的近代趋势及其独特性。     

西双版纳勐养自然保护区居住格局研究Ⅱ.成因和影响

使用快速农村评估法和参与性农村评估法对研究区的居住格局及其变化进行了研究 .结果表明 ,西双版纳勐养自然保护区居住格局的形成及变化是在生态环境和社会变革综合作用下进行的 ;生态环境控制着居民点规模和居住格局变化的方向 ,受沟谷地区滋生的病源生物的排斥 ,早期居民点分布在较高的山地 ;社会变革有利于疾病控制 ,驱动了居住格局的变化 ,使居民点向资源丰富的沟谷地区转移 ,为可持续发展奠定了基础 ,也还大面积土地于森林 ,促进了自然保护 ;移民涌入增加的居民点使热带季节雨林的破坏和人与被保护动物争地的矛盾日益突出 ;控制移民和在居民点的层次上协调好保护与发展的关系是缓解这种破坏与矛盾的关键     

Fitness valleys constrain HIV‐1's adaptation to its secondary chemokine coreceptor

Fitness valleys, in which mutations at different loci are singly deleterious but jointly beneficial, arise because of reciprocal sign epistasis. Recent theoretical work provides analytical approximations of times to cross fitness valleys via three mechanisms: sequential fixation, stochastic tunnelling and recombination. These times depend critically on the effective population size (N_e). Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV‐1) encounters fitness valleys in adapting to its secondary cell‐surface chemokine coreceptor, CXCR4. Adaptation to CXCR4 tends to occur late in infection and only in about 50% of patients and is associated with disease progression. It has been hypothesized that the need to cross fitness valleys may explain the delayed and inconsistent adaptation to CXCR4. We have identified four fitness valleys from a previous study of fitness epistasis in adaptation to CXCR4 and use estimates of the within‐patient variance N_e for different patient treatment statuses and infection stages (conditions) to estimate times to cross the valleys. These valleys may be crossed predominantly by stochastic tunnelling, although mean crossing times are consistently longer than the durations of the conditions for which they are calculated. These results were confirmed with stochastic simulation. Simulations show that crossing times for a given condition are highly variable and that for each condition there is a low probability of crossing each valley. These findings support the hypothesis that fitness valleys constrain the adaptation of HIV‐1 to CXCR4. This study provides the first detailed analysis of the evolutionary dynamics associated with empirical fitness valleys.     

云南干热河谷植被与环境研究进展

特殊的地理位置和独特的地形地貌特征组合形成了典型的干热气候环境, 在云南省亚热带高原山地河谷下部发育了一类特有的植被类型, 即干热河谷植被。干热河谷植被具有非地带性和稀有性, 以及由土地利用变化为主的人为活动干扰导致的脆弱性。本文回顾了干热河谷植被的研究历史, 分别从干热河谷的植物群落学和植物区系学、干热河谷植被与土地的关系以及干热河谷植被保护与恢复三个方面进行了总结。植物群落与区系研究主要集中于群落分类、植被分类、群落特征、人为干扰影响、区系特征、性质和起源; 植被与土地关系研究侧重于土壤特性、土地利用/覆盖变化、土地退化及水土流失状况; 植被保护与恢复的热点在植被恢复目标、植被恢复功能区划、植被恢复引种及筛选及植被恢复效益评价研究。未来在这些区域应注重自然灾害及预防、水电工程建设对植被的影响及其响应等方面的研究, 深入开展大尺度植被时空格局的监测和动态服务功能分析。     

An estimation of the floristic richness of Bolivia’s Andean dry valleys

We estimate plant species richness of Bolivian Andean dry valleys applying the species/genus ratio of Compositae to all reported genera for those regions. The results suggest the existence of around 1500 species in the Bolivian dry valleys (12.6% more than the species recorded). A brief biogeographical analysis of our results suggests that the use of species/genus ratio of Compositae to estimate the size of the flora in Bolivian Andean dry valleys should be considered with caution, since the central Andes are geologically very young, and explosive speciation processes have taken place only in some taxa (mainly in Bromeliaceae and Cactaceae). We offer some evidence pointing to the possibility that the Andean dry valleys may possess many more species than suggested by the Compositae species/genus ratio. We discuss the implications of our estimation for conservation of the Andean dry valleys, which only represent 0.7% of the protected area of Bolivia.     

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。     

Tropical deciduous forest in Yunnan,southwestern China: Implications for geological and climatic histories from a little-known forest formation

In the southern mountain ranges of Yunnan province, China, deep valleys of several large rivers create rain shadows with hot dry summers, and are locally designated tropical; towards the north, notably in the Lancang (Upper Mekong) valley, these regions may experience frost during winter. The woody forest canopy of these valleys is predominantly deciduous, with evergreen elements in the north, where the canopy is open and the forest savanna-like. However, we here present tall forest with a closed deciduous canopy and semi-evergreen subcanopy observed in hot dry valleys of these rivers and their tributaries in the tropical south. The structure and physiognomy of these forests resemble the tall (moist) deciduous forest formation widespread in South Asia and Indo-Burma. Furthermore, these forests are largely composed of tropical elements at both the generic (80%) and the species level (>70%), indicating that these forests are indeed tropical. We originally hypothesized that these isolated forests represent refugia of a pre-Holocene extension of tall (moist) deciduous forest formation of South Asia and Indo-Burma. The sample plot we established to test this hypothesis confirmed that these forests share the structure and physiognomy of the tall (moist) deciduous forest formation; however, the plots also showed that these forests lack the characteristic and dominant species of the formation''s Indo-Burmese range. The tree flora, in particular, indicates that both deciduous and evergreen elements are instead mostly derived from the adjacent tropical semi-evergreen forests of tropical southern China; yet they also include an important endemic element, which implies that these forests have survived as refuges possibly since the Pliocene. The exceptional representation of evergreen elements in these forests indicates that they have rarely been subject to hot fires or domestic cattle browsing, adding to the unique nature of the forests and further justifying their strict conservation.     

Prediction of plant species distribution in lowland river valleys in Belgium: modelling species response to site conditions

In ecological modelling, limitations in data and their applicability for predictive modelling are more rule than exception. Often modelling has to be performed on sub-optimal data, as explicit and controlled collection of (more) appropriate data would not be feasible. An example of predictive ecological modelling is given with application of generalized additive and generalized linear models fitted to presence–absence records of plant species and site condition data from four nutrient-poor Flemish lowland valleys. Standard regression procedures are used for modelling, although explanatory and response data do not meet all the assumptions implicit in these procedures. Data were non-randomly collected and are spatially autocorrelated; model residuals retain part of that correlation. The scale of most site-condition records does not match the scale of the response variable (species distribution). Hence, interpolated and up-scaled explanatory variables are used. Data are aggregated from distinct phytogeographical regions to allow for generalized models, applicable to a wider population of river valleys in the same region. Nevertheless, ecologically sound models are obtained, which predict well the distribution of most plant species for the Flemish river valleys considered.     

干热河谷植物叶片,树高和种子功能性状比较

植物功能性状 (plant functional trait)是近年来生态学研究的热点。以云南怒江和澜沧江干热河谷36种木本植物为研究对象,选取比叶面积 (SLA)、植株高 (H) 和种子干重 (SM) 3个功能性状,研究它们的相互关系,比较其在河谷间、河谷内的差异。结果表明:1)两个河谷内36种木本植物的以上3种功能性状间没有显著的相关性 (P值分别为0.8739,0.5763,0.5517);2)河谷间的比叶面积存在显著差异 (P=0.02944),植株高和种子干重无显著差异 (P分别为0.4070, 0.8867);3)两个河谷内木本植物功能性状中,种子干重差异最大,植株高次之,比叶面积最小。     

Diet of Mackinder's eagle owl Bubo capensis mackinderi in the alpine zone of Mount Kenya

The diet of Bubo capensis mackinderi Sharpe in the alpine zone of Mt. Kenya was studied by analysing pellets collected from nesting and roosting sites in four different valleys. Overall, mammals comprised 97.4% of prey individuals and 98.9% of the ingested biomass. Rodents, mainly groove‐toothed rats, were the owl's staple food in all four valleys, but rock hyrax, insectivores and birds were also consumed. Proportions of rock hyrax, rodents and insectivores did not differ between the valleys. Total dietary composition in the different valleys showed a high degree of overlap in proportions of main prey types averaging 93.2% in percentage of occurrence and 85.0% in percentage of biomass.     

Dendritic Signals Command Firing Dynamics in a Mathematical Model of Cerebellar Purkinje Cells

Dendrites of cerebellar Purkinje cells (PCs) respond to brief excitations from parallel fibers with lasting plateau depolarizations. It is unknown whether these plateaus are local events that boost the synaptic signals or they propagate to the soma and directly take part in setting the cell firing dynamics. To address this issue, we analyzed a likely mechanism underlying plateaus in three representations of a reconstructed PC with increasing complexity. Analysis in an infinite cable suggests that Ca plateaus triggered by direct excitatory inputs from parallel fibers and their mirror signals, valleys (putatively triggered by the local feed forward inhibitory network), cannot propagate. However, simulations of the model in electrotonic equivalent cables prove that Ca plateaus (resp. valleys) are conducted over the entire cell with velocities typical of passive events once they are triggered by threshold synaptic inputs that turn the membrane current inward (resp. outward) over the whole cell surface. Bifurcation analysis of the model in equivalent cables, and simulations in a fully reconstructed PC both indicate that dendritic Ca plateaus and valleys, respectively, command epochs of firing and silencing of PCs.     

大兴安岭沟谷冻土湿地植物群落分类、物种多样性和物种分布梯度

应用双向指示种分析法（TWINSPAN）和除趋势对应分析法（DCA）,对大兴安岭不同纬度的12个沟谷的冻土湿地植物群落之间的物种多样性和物种分布的环境梯度变化进行了分析．结果表明：研究区12个沟谷冻土湿地样地可划分为4个群丛组,分别位于不同的纬度范围;TWINSPAN的分类结果很好地反映了研究区沟谷冻土湿地植物群丛组的分布与纬度的关系,并在DCA二维排序图上得到了较好的验证．随着纬度的减小以及年均气温、年均降水量、1月平均气温和干燥度的增加,群落的物种多样性逐渐增大．研究区沟谷冻土湿地植物群落的灌木层和草本层的优势种和共优种多为适应湿地环境的沼生和湿生植物,随着纬度的减小,喜冷湿环境的沼生和湿生植物种类逐渐减少,甚至消失,而耐旱的中生植物的比重则逐渐加大.