The potential spread of terrestrial planarians Artioposthia triangulata and Australoplana sanguinea var. alba to continental Europe

A survey in Great Britain of the introduced terrestrial planarians Artioposthia triangulata and Australoplana sanguinea var. alba, which are obligate predators of earthworms, indicates that after 30 years Artioposthia triangulata is established throughout Scotland. However, apart from an initial record in 1965, Artioposthia triangulata was unrecorded from England until it was found again in 1992; currently there are 25 records.
There are fewer records of Australoplana sanguinea var. alba and these are mainly from the south and west of England. Ecoclimatic data from Edinburgh, where Artioposthia triangulata is common, and Plymouth, close to where Australopiana sanguinea var. alba has been recorded, were used by the computer programme CLIMEX to predict the potential spread of these planarians within Europe. Results suggest that Artioposthia triangulata could become established in north west Europe, including areas of Scandinavia, Germany and Poland, whereas Australoplana sanguinea var. alba would be confined to western Europe, including northern Spain. To slow their spread within Britain and prevent their establishment on continental Europe it is suggested that all nurseries and garden centres which sell containerised plants should initiate and maintain stringent hygiene regimes.     

Observations on feeding and population structure of five New Zealand terrestrial planarians which prey on lumbricid earthworms

The feeding of five terrestrial planarians found in New Zealand on European lumbricid earthworms was studied. Under laboratory conditions between 60–83% of Artioposthia spp. fed in the first 24 h compared with 21–40% of Australoplana spp. The mean percentage weight gain varied from 31% for Australoplana sanguinea var. alba to 113% for Artioposthia sp. 1. Analysis of the weights of the planarian species showed a mean 11-fold difference between Australoplana sanguinea and Artioposthia triangulata and that these body weights were not related to mean percentage weight gains after feeding. The relationship between the weights of egg capsules and pregnant female planarians was similar for Australoplana sanguinea var. alba (11%), Artioposthia triangulata (12%) and Artioposthia testacea (13%). This study confirms that there are terrestrial planarians in New Zealand which have the potential to prey upon European lumbricid earthworms but which have not been detected in Europe. Greater knowledge of their biology is necessary to control the spread and impact of these organisms around the world.     

白花刺参中两个新三萜皂甙

从著名藏药白花刺参（Morina nepalensis var.alba Hand.-Mazz)的水溶性部分分离到2个新三萜皂甙-刺参甙K（1）和刺参甙L（2）,以及一个已知三萜皂甙mazusaponinⅠ（3)。应用波谱和化学方法,刺参甙K和刺参甙L的结构分别鉴定为3-O-α-L-arabinopyranosyl-（1→）-β-D-xylopyranosyl siaresinolic acid(1)和3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→3)-α-L-arabinopyranosyl siaresinolic acid28-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-D-glucopyranoside(2)。     

新疆杨高效遗传转化系统的建立

选择新疆杨(Populus alba L.var．pyramidalis Bge．)为遗传转化受体材料,为建立根癌农杆菌介导新疆杨高效遗传转化系统,从预培养时间、侵染时间、共培养时间、添加乙酰丁香酮(AS)的时机、共培养培养基中添加乙酰丁香酮浓度、侵染菌液的制备方法、外植体继代方式等7个方面优化筛选。结果显示较合适的转化系统为：预培养8h,农杆菌菌液(OD600=0．4)侵染15min,共培养5d,侵染菌液的最优制备方法是液体培养活化农杆菌2次加离心收集菌体重悬,共培养培养基中添加乙酰丁香酮80μmol／L。新疆杨叶盘转化频率可达38．10％。     

When galaxiid and salmonid fishes meet–a family reunion in New Zealand

New Zealand's small freshwater fish fauna has been augmented by introductions of exotic species, primarily salmonids. Brown and rainbow trout have been successful and the chinook salmon has established anadromous populations. Although few explicit data are available, it appears that addition of large salmonids has had harmful impacts on some indigenous species, particularly several galaxiids; these appear to result from predation and competitive exclusion. Interactions may be chronic or catastrophic. It is difficult to determine causes of chronic interactions, many instances of which are likely to be occurring and escaping notice. Further, it is difficult to separate the effects of human-induced habitat deterioration from inter-specific interactions. Catastrophic interactions are much easier to observe but even here determining the nature of interactions and ascribing causes is fraught with difficulties.     

Cu污染土壤中溪荪和花菖蒲的生长状况及对Cu的积累及转运能力

采用土壤栽培方法,研究了在Cu添加量为0(CK)、200、400、600、800和1 000μg·g-1的土壤中溪荪(Iris sanguinea Donn es Horn.)和花菖蒲(I.ensata Thunb.var.hortensis Makino et Nemoto)叶和根的数量、长度及生物量(干质量)6个生长指标的变化趋势,并对叶和根中的Cu含量和积累量、全株的Cu积累量、Cu的富集系数及转运系数进行了比较分析.结果表明:随土壤中Cu添加量的提高,溪荪的根数逐渐降低且显著低于对照;而溪荪的其余5个生长指标和花菖蒲的6个生长指标均总体呈现出在Cu添加量较低的条件下逐渐增加并显著高于对照、在Cu添加量较高的条件下逐渐减小且显著小于对照的变化趋势;其中在Cu添加量1 000μg·g-1的土壤中2种植物的生长均受到显著抑制(P＜0.05);而添加400和600μg·g-1Cu则分别对2种植物的生长有一定的促进作用.随土壤中Cu添加量的增加,溪荪和花菖蒲叶及根中的Cu含量均逐渐提高;溪荪对Cu的富集系数和转运系数以及花菖蒲对Cu的富集系数均显著小于对照,而花菖蒲对Cu的转运系数则呈现在Cu添加量较低的条件下高于对照、Cu添加量较高的条件下低于对照并逐渐减小的趋势;在添加了Cu的土壤中,溪荪叶、根和全株对Cu的积累量均低于花菖蒲,但均显著高于对照,且2种植物根的Cu含量及积累量均大于叶片,表明溪荪和花菖蒲均具有一定的Cu积累能力,且主要积累在根中,花菖蒲对Cu的积累能力优于溪荪.综合分析结果显示:溪荪和花菖蒲不是Cu超积累植物,但对Cu胁迫均具有一定的耐性,且花菖蒲的耐性略强于溪荪;溪荪和花菖蒲分别适宜栽植于Cu含量400和600μg·g-1以下的土壤中,可用于轻度和中度Cu污染土壤的植物修复和环境美化.     

武夷山樱属一新变种——武夷红樱

Cerasus campanulata var.wuyiensis, a new variety of Cerasus campanulata (Rosaceae) in Wuyi Montain is described and illustrated. The new variety is related to C.campanulata, but differs in the young branches, petioles and pedicels spreading hairs, both pedicels and peduncles longer, and the sepals reverse-coiled conspicuously     

Location of a contact zone between Mus musculus domesticus and M. m. domesticus with M. m. castaneus mtDNA in southern New Zealand

The house mouse, Mus musculus, was first introduced into New Zealand in significant numbers in the early to mid nineteenth century, with genomic components from different sources of the three subspecies M. m. domesticus, M. m. musculus and M. m. castaneus. M. m. domesticus is now widely distributed in New Zealand, with genomic and morphological evidence of M. m. musculus in a few scattered locations. M. m. domesticus/M. m. castaneus hybrids are dominant in the southern third of the South Island. We anticipated that there should be a definable southern contact zone between pure M. m. domesticus and M. m. domesticus/M. m. castaneus hybrids. We tested this hypothesis by screening 170 DNA samples from mice collected in the southern South Island, using a PCR technique which rapidly distinguishes the mitochondrial genomes of the three subspecies.All mice sampled from in or north of Lincoln (43.63° S) had only M. m. domesticus mtDNA, whereas all those from or further south than Hook (44.68° S) had M. m. castaneus mtDNA. Between the two sites, mice carrying mtDNA of both subspecies were found, sometimes in the same building. On present data, this contact zone extends approximately 50 km north to south and some 30 km inland. Classical tests with three nuclear DNA markers confirmed earlier work showing that the nuclear genomes of all mice appeared to be predominantly domesticus-like.We conclude that if purebred M. m. castaneus mice did originally reach New Zealand, extensive backcrossing with M. m. domesticus has made the castaneus nuclear genome virtually undetectable with the tests that we employ.     

The presence of gigartinine in a New Zealand Gracilaria species

Gigartinine, 5-(3-amidinoureido)-2-aminovaleric acid, serves as achemotaxonomic marker to distinguish two species of Gracilaria withvery similar morphologies. Gigartinine was identified by ¹³C-NMRspectroscopy and amino acid analysis of a cold-water extract from Gracilaria sp. nov., collected from a sheltered harbour localityat Blockhouse Bay, Auckland, New Zealand. Levels of this amino acid,naturally ca. 5% by dry weight of seaweed, were able to be depleted andthen restored during a nitrogen pulsing experiment. In contrast, native andpulsed samples of Gracilaria chilensis from Point Arthur, Wellingtonshowed no extractable gigartinine. Although these two species are unableto be distinguished in the field by morphological characteristics, they canbe separated by the presence or absence of gigartinine.     

大盘山蔷薇——浙江产蔷薇属一新变种

描述和图解了浙江蔷薇属的一新变种——大盘山蔷薇,与原变种小果蔷薇的区别在于托叶革质,宿存,具1脉,边缘有腺毛状齿,叶轴密被短柔毛,小叶柄被短柔毛。     

The Development of an Indigenous Knowledge Program in a New Zealand Maori-Language Immersion School

In 1985, Te Wharekura o Rakaumangamanga initiated a Maori-language immersion program for children ages 5 through 18. In recent years, a program based on Waikato-Tainui tribal epistemology has been incorporated into the language immersion program. This article describes the community context and the language immersion and tribal knowledge programs. We consider the relationship of these programs to individual and tribal self-determination and to theories of minority achievement, particularly the work of John Ogbu.     

蓼属一新变种——铺地火炭母

采自海南省文昌市文昌镇一个蓼科蓼属植物新变种,与火炭母(Polygonum chinenseLinn.var.chinense)相比较,其主要特点是茎匍匐,叶具大斑点,命名为铺地火炭母(Polygonum chinenseLinn.var.procumbensZ.E.Zhao et J.R.Zhao)。     

Biogeographic area relationships in southern New Zealand: a cladistic analysis of Lepidoptera distributions

ABSTRACT. Recently, attention has been directed toward the application of cladistic techniques to reconstruct the history of areas from species distribution data. In this study, hypotheses of area relationships for southern New Zealand are generated from lepidopteran distribution data analysed at two taxonomic levels. Data are shown to possess cladistic structure and area relationships presented here are consistent with the geological history of the southern region of New Zealand. Our results suggest a recolonization of inland lowland regions from the south following a period of extinction during the early Pliocene. Analysis of selected data including only flightless or locally endemic species resulted in little resolution of area relationships but topologies were significantly congruent with a total species dataset. Hypotheses generated from this study are open to testing with congruence analysis using independent species phylogenies.     

The importance of urban reserves for conserving beetle communities: a case study from New Zealand

Urban reserves provide a major opportunity for conservation of indigenous biodiversity in the heavily urbanised landscape of Waitakere City (Auckland), New Zealand. However, there is little documented information on what indigenous fauna survives in these reserves. Beetle (Coleoptera) communities associated with two small, isolated urban reserves and two sites in a larger forest area within the Waitakere Ranges were sampled using pitfall traps and analysed. A total of 887 beetles, from 23 families and 89 recognisable taxonomic units were caught. The urban reserves had a marked reduction in species richness and abundance of beetles compared with the sites within the larger forest areas. Various environmental factors influencing the distribution of beetles across the sites were investigated. The most important factors were size of fragment, local forest cover and soil moisture. Common species (>5 specimens in the total dataset) found in the Waitakere Ranges and small urban reserves, were either endemic or indigenous to New Zealand. Therefore, even though these reserves may be isolated from a larger, more continuous forest tract, they have considerable potential as reservoirs of beetle diversity in highly modified landscapes and the contribution of urban reserves to the local sustainability of beetle assemblages emphasises the importance of maintaining green areas in and around cities.     

沙地樟子松天然分布与引种栽培

樟子松以其抗寒、抗旱和较速生等优良特性成为我国北方干旱、半干旱风沙区防护林和用材林造林的主要树种 ,但自 2 0世纪 90年代以来 ,沙地樟子松人工林出现了不同程度的衰退现象 ;更为严重的是目前我国樟子松人工造林仍在北方干旱、半干旱地区大面积推广 ,因此 ,探明沙地樟子松人工林产生衰退的原因 ,并更好地经营管理该树种人工林 ,对我国北方防护林/人工林建设具有重大意义。本文在广泛收集国内外有关樟子松研究结果的基础上 ,详述了樟子松在我国的天然分布概况 ,对沙地樟子松在引种栽培方面 ,即沙地樟子松的种源区划、种子品质的比较、种子的遗传特性及适应性等研究进展进行了综述 ,提出了在沙地樟子松引种栽培研究中亟待解决的一些问题和建议 ,对今后该树种沙地人工林经营研究具有参考价值。     

Praealbonemertes whangateaunienses n. gen. and n. sp., a new heteronemertean from New Zealand

Abstract

A new genus and species of heteronemertean, Praealbonemertes whangateaunienses n. gen. and n. sp., is described and illustrated. The species is characterised by inter alia a cephalic lacuna with strands of longitudinal muscle fibres, a proboscis with three muscle layers, and a well-developed muscle plate dorsal to the foregut and anterior intestine. The material was collected in New Zealand.     

科尔沁沙地南缘樟子松(Pinus sylvestris var.mongolica)人工林天然更新障碍

针对科尔沁沙地南缘樟子松人工林不能天然更新的特征,从森林天然更新的必要条件出发,通过种子萌发、幼苗存活与生长所需条件的系列试验,探讨了科尔沁沙地南缘樟子松人工林不能天然更新的障碍特征。结果表明,沙地樟子松人工林不能天然更新的主要原因有:(1)由于土壤的干旱胁迫使沙地樟子松人工林中天然下种的种子很少有萌发的机会,尤其是在春季;(2)在水分条件相对充足的季节(秋季),樟子松种子能够萌发,但萌发产生的更新幼苗数量极少,即便这些更新幼苗得以存活,但由于沙地表层(0~5cm)与樟子松共生的外生菌根菌几乎不能存活而导致幼苗根系无法形成菌根,从而致使存活的樟子松幼苗抗旱、抗病能力非常弱,不能越冬,即不能更新。     

科尔沁沙地南缘樟子松（Pinus sylvestris var．olica mongoltca）人工林天然更新障碍

针对科尔沁沙地南缘樟子松人工林不能天然更新的特征,从森林天然更新的必要条件出发,通过种子萌发、幼苗存活与生长所需条件的系列试验,探讨了科尔沁沙地南缘樟子松人工林不能天然更新的障碍特征。结果表明,沙地樟子松人工林不能天然更新的主要原因有：（1）由于土壤的干旱胁迫使沙地樟子松人工林中天然下种的种子很少有萌发的机会,尤其是在春季;（2）在水分条件相对充足的季节（秋季）,樟子松种子能够萌发,但萌发产生的更新幼苗数量极少,即便这些更新幼苗得以存活,但由于沙地表层（0～5cm）与樟子松共生的外生菌根菌几乎不能存活而导致幼苗根系无法形成菌根,从而致使存活的樟子松幼苗抗旱、抗病能力非常弱,不能越冬,即不能更新。     

Decreased immunocompetence in a severely bottlenecked population of an endemic New Zealand bird

Inbreeding resulting from severe population bottlenecks may impair an individual's immune system and render it more susceptible to disease. Although a reduced immune response could threaten the survival of highly endangered species, few studies have assessed the effect of population bottlenecks on immunocompetence. We compared the counts of leucocytes and external, blood and gastrointestinal parasite loads in two populations of the endemic New Zealand robin Petroica australis to assess the immunocompetence of birds in a severely bottlenecked population relative to its more genetically diverse source population. Despite similar parasite loads in both populations, robins in the severely bottlenecked population showed lower counts of both total leucocyte and total lymphocyte numbers. When the immune system was experimentally challenged using the phytohaemagglutinin skin test, robins in the severely bottlenecked population exhibited a significantly lower immune response than the source population, suggesting that birds passing through a severe bottleneck have a compromised immunocompetence. Our results confirm that severe bottlenecks reduce the immune response of birds and highlight the need to avoid severe bottlenecks in the recovery programmes of endangered species.