Biodiversity and species competition regulate the resilience of microbial biofilm community

The relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem stability is poorly understood in microbial communities. Biofilm communities in small bioreactors called microbial electrolysis cells (MEC) contain moderate species numbers and easy tractable functional traits, thus providing an ideal platform for verifying ecological theories in microbial ecosystems. Here, we investigated the resilience of biofilm communities with a gradient of diversity, and explored the relationship between biodiversity and stability in response to a pH shock. The results showed that all bioreactors could recover to stable performance after pH disturbance, exhibiting a great resilience ability. A further analysis of microbial composition showed that the rebound of Geobacter and other exoelectrogens contributed to the resilient effectiveness, and that the presence of Methanobrevibacter might delay the functional recovery of biofilms. The microbial communities with higher diversity tended to be recovered faster, implying biofilms with high biodiversity showed better resilience in response to environmental disturbance. Network analysis revealed that the negative interactions between the two dominant genera of Geobacter and Methanobrevibacter increased when the recovery time became longer, implying the internal resource or spatial competition of key functional taxa might fundamentally impact the resilience performances of biofilm communities. This study provides new insights into our understanding of the relationship between diversity and ecosystem functioning.     

青岛市不同功能区冬季空气微生物群落代谢与多样性特征

选取青岛市5个功能区(市区街道、海滨区域、饮用水源地、垃圾填埋场和人工湿地污水处理系统),采用SAS ISO100空气浮游菌采样器于2013年冬季采集空气微生物样品,应用BIOLOG方法分析空气微生物群落代谢功能多样性,阐明群落代谢与环境相关性。结果表明,不同功能区空气微生物群落碳源代谢强度存在差异,代谢稳定时,海滨区域和饮用水源地样品平均光密度值(AWCD)分别为0.302、0.210,而人工湿地、市区街道及垃圾填埋场分别为0.063、0.025和0.034,海滨区域和饮用水源地空气微生物群落碳源代谢强度明显高于其他功能区。不同功能区空气微生物群落Shannon指数和Simpson指数接近,但海滨区域和饮用水源地Mc Intosh指数明显高于其他功能区。海滨区域和饮用水源地空气微生物群落碳源代谢类型丰富,代谢水平高,人工湿地、市区街道和垃圾填埋场碳源代谢类型单一,代谢水平低。5个功能区空气微生物群落碳源代谢差异呈现区域性,分异代谢差异的主要是羧酸类碳源。风速、温度、湿度等非生物因素对空气微生物群落碳源代谢具有不同程度影响,且不同功能区主导非生物因素存在差异。BIOLOG方法可以提供大量多维数据,能够分析样品间微生物群落碳源代谢差异,客观、全面表征空气微生物群落碳源代谢多样性特征,是研究空气微生物群落功能多样性较理想的方法之一。     

The evolution of ecological specialization across the range of a broadly distributed marine species

Ecological specialization is an important engine of evolutionary change and adaptive radiation, but empirical evidence of local adaptation in marine environments is rare, a pattern that has been attributed to the high dispersal ability of marine taxa and limited geographic barriers to gene flow. The broad-nosed pipefish, Syngnathus typhle, is one of the most broadly distributed syngnathid species and shows pronounced variation in cranial morphology across its range, a factor that may contribute to its success in colonizing new environments. We quantified variation in cranial morphology across the species range using geometric morphometrics, and tested for evidence of trophic specialization by comparing individual-level dietary composition with the community of prey available at each site. Although the diets of juvenile pipefish from each site were qualitatively similar, ontogenetic shifts in dietary composition resulted in adult populations with distinctive diets consistent with their divergent cranial morphology. Morphological differences found in nature are maintained under common garden conditions, indicating that trophic specialization in S. typhle is a heritable trait subject to selection. Our data highlight the potential for ecological specialization in response to spatially variable selection pressures in broadly distributed marine species.     

巴里坤盐湖退化区土壤微生物群落结构及生态功能分析

【目的】微生物是湖泊生态系统的重要组成部分,参与碳、氮和硫等元素的生物地球化学循环过程,其群落组成和功能对环境的稳定性和可持续性至关重要。然而,新疆的部分湖泊出现退化和盐渍化等问题,微生物如何响应湖泊退化值得研究。【方法】本研究基于16S rRNA基因的扩增子高通量测序,对巴里坤盐湖退化区域的土壤微生物群落结构进行分析,同时对微生物的潜在生态学功能进行预测。【结果】本研究发现,假单胞菌门(Pseudomonadota)、绿弯菌门(Chloroflexota)和拟杆菌门(Bacteroidota)是巴里坤盐湖退化生境中的优势类群。在轻度退化阶段,脱硫菌门(Desulfobacterota)和弯曲杆菌门(Campylobacterota)是主要类群,但随着湖泊退化程度加剧,这些类群急剧减少甚至消失;在极度退化阶段,酸杆菌门(Acidobacteriota)和浮霉菌门(Planctomycetota)等类群逐渐占据主导地位。基于BugBase对氧的需求进行预测,结果发现好氧类群主要是放线菌门(Actinomycetota)、假单胞菌门(Pseudomonadota)和绿弯菌门(Chlorof...     

Adaptive genetic diversity of dominant species contributes to species co-existence and community assembly

The synthesis of evolutionary biology and community ecology aims to understand how genetic variation within one species can shape community properties and how the ecological properties of a community can drive the evolution of a species. A rarely explored aspect is whether the interaction of genetic variation and community properties depends on the species'' ecological role. Here we investigated the interactions among environmental factors, species diversity, and the within-species genetic diversity of species with different ecological roles. Using high-throughput DNA sequencing, we genotyped a canopy-dominant tree species, Parashorea chinensis, and an understory-abundant species, Pittosporopsis kerrii, from fifteen plots in Xishuangbanna tropical seasonal rainforest and estimated their adaptive, neutral and total genetic diversity; we also surveyed species diversity and assayed key soil nutrients. Structural equation modelling revealed that soil nitrogen availability created an opposing effect in species diversity and adaptive genetic diversity of the canopy-dominant Pa. chinensis. The increased adaptive genetic diversity of Pa. chinensis led to greater species diversity by promoting co-existence. Increased species diversity reduced the adaptive genetic diversity of the dominant understory species, Pi. kerrii, which was promoted by the adaptive genetic diversity of the canopy-dominant Pa. chinensis. However, such relationships were absent when neutral genetic diversity or total genetic diversity were used in the model. Our results demonstrated the important ecological interaction between adaptive genetic diversity and species diversity, but the pattern of the interaction depends on the identity of the species. Our results highlight the significant ecological role of dominant species in competitive interactions and regulation of community structure.     

高寒湿地植物群落的物种多样性保护及生态恢复对策

以物种组成较为复杂的青藏高原东部地区玛曲县高寒湿地为背景．从恢复生态学角度,系统地探讨了影响湿地植物群落物种多样性与生产力变化的主要因素,从不同的时间和空间尺度研究了典型样区植物群落中物种多样性与生产力的恢复机理与过程,以及生境异质性对其的影响。结果表明：在导致湿地植被退化的人类干扰诸因素中．超载放牧是主要因素。该地区超载量高达24％;其次．气候变化对湿地物种多样性与生产力也有较大影响。典型样区的恢复试验结果表明：实行围栏轮牧、控制载畜量、鼠虫害防治和建植人工草地等人工综合措施,能使样区植被得以卓有成效的恢复与保护。其中．黄河滩地的植物群落中．物种丰富度从23种／m^2上升到29种／m^2;Shannon多样性指数从3．82上升到4．62;草场生产力(地上生物量)从729．2g／m^2上升到935．38g／m^2。阳坡和阴坡样地植被也有类同的恢复效果。在以上三类样地中．以滩地的生态恢复效果最为显著。据此,我们提出了相应的湿地物种多样性保护和生态恢复对策．即：加强自然保护区建设、协调人类活动与物种多样性保护的关系、严格控制载畜量、发展人工草地等主要措施与建设。     

Medicago species affect the community composition of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi associated with roots

Sequencing of the 5' end of the large ribosomal subunit (LSU rDNA) and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) were combined to assess the impact of four annual Medicago species (Medicago laciniata, Medicago murex, Medicago polymorpha and Medicago truncatula) on the genetic diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, and on the relative abundance of representative AM fungal genotypes, in a silty-thin clay soil (Mas d'Imbert, France). Two hundred and forty-six Glomeromycete LSU rDNA sequences from the four plant species and the bulk soil were analysed. The high bootstrap values of the phylogenetic tree obtained allowed the delineation of 12 operational taxonomic units (OTUs), all belonging to Glomus. Specific primers targeting Glomeromycetes and major OTUs were applied to quantify their abundance by qPCR. Glomeromycetes and targeted OTUs were significantly more abundant in the root tissues than in the bulk soil, and the frequencies of three of them differed significantly in the root tissues of the different plant species. These differences indicate that, despite the absence of strict host specificity in mycorrhizal symbiosis, there was a preferential association between some AM fungal and plant genotypes.     

Plant species diversity and ecological districts of the Sinai desert

Summary Lists of vascular plant species for each of the 12 ecological districts of Sinai were prepared. In all 78,000 observations on altogether 812 species were analyzed. The number of districts where each species occurred was also counted. Linear regressions were calculated for the log-transformed values of species/area, species/altitude and multiple regression of species on both area and altitude.The regression of species on area for the 12 ecological districts of Sinai gave the equation: log S = 1.0309+0.3 log A The value of z=0.3 is higher than 0.222—the measured overall value for the continents and higher than the values for the Sahara, California mainland, the British Isles, and the Netherlands. However, it is lower than the values for the Galápagos Archipelago and the California Islands.The number of species supported in districts characterized by fissured limestone, gravel plains, chalk, marl, sandstones, sands or fissured magmatic and metamorphic rocks is close to the regression of species on area, whereas large outcrops of smooth-faced rocks are relatively richer in total number of species as well as in stenotople species.It is suggested that the high gamma diversity of Sinai as compared with other parts of the world is primarily due to its environmental heterogeneity. Sinai being a meeting place of three phytogeographical regions and to past climatic changes. The effect of smooth-faced rock outcrops as conducive to providing refugia must also be taken into account.This work is based on a comprehensive study of the vegetation of Sinai directed by Prof. G. Orshan, with the collaboration of Dr. A. Shmida, the present author and the late Prof. N.H. Tadmor and Dr. G. Halevy.     

Survey and phylogenetic analysis of culturable microbes in the oral secretions of three bark beetle species

In a recent study, we reported a previously undescribed behavior in which a bark beetle exuded oral secretions containing bacteria that have antifungal properties, and hence defend their galleries against pervasive antagonistic Hyphomycete fungi. Actinobacteria, a group known for their antibiotic properties, were the most effective against fungi that invade the spruce beetle galleries. In the present study, we describe the isolation and identification of microorganisms from oral secretions of three bark beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae): the spruce beetle, Dendroctonus rufipennis Kirby, the mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins, and the pine engraver, Ips pini Say. Bacteria isolated from these three species span the major bacterial classes α-, β-, and γ-Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Actinobacteria, except for D. ponderosae , which yielded no α-proteobacteria or Bacteroidetes isolates. Spruce beetles and pine engraver beetles had similar numbers of α-proteobacteria isolates, but pine engravers yielded twice as many Bacteroidetes isolates as spruce beetles. In contrast, mountain pine beetles yielded more isolates in the β- and γ-proteobacteria than spruce beetles and pine engravers. The highest percentage of Actinobacteria was obtained from spruce beetles, followed by pine engravers and mountain pine beetles. All of the fungal isolates obtained from the three beetle species were Ascomycetes. The greatest fungal diversity was obtained in spruce beetles, which had nine species, followed by pine engravers with five, and mountain pine beetles with one.     

Compartmentalization of specialized metabolites across vegetative and reproductive tissues in two sympatric Psychotria species

Premise

The specialized metabolites of plants are recognized as key chemical traits in mediating the ecology and evolution of sundry plant–biotic interactions, from pollination to seed predation. Intra- and interspecific patterns of specialized metabolite diversity have been studied extensively in leaves, but the diverse biotic interactions that contribute to specialized metabolite diversity encompass all plant organs. Focusing on two species of Psychotria shrubs, we investigated and compared patterns of specialized metabolite diversity in leaves and fruit with respect to each organ's diversity of biotic interactions.

Methods

To evaluate associations between biotic interaction diversity and specialized metabolite diversity, we combined UPLC-MS metabolomic analysis of foliar and fruit specialized metabolites with existing surveys of leaf- and fruit-centered biotic interactions. We compared patterns of specialized metabolite richness and variance among vegetative and reproductive tissues, among plants, and between species.

Results

In our study system, leaves interact with a far larger number of consumer species than do fruit, while fruit-centric interactions are more ecologically diverse in that they involve antagonistic and mutualistic consumers. This aspect of fruit-centric interactions was reflected in specialized metabolite richness—leaves contained more than fruit, while each organ contained over 200 organ-specific specialized metabolites. Within each species, leaf- and fruit-specialized metabolite composition varied independently of one another across individual plants. Contrasts in specialized metabolite composition were stronger between organs than between species.

Conclusions

As ecologically disparate plant organs with organ-specific specialized metabolite traits, leaves and fruit can each contribute to the tremendous overall diversity of plant specialized metabolites.     

哈巴湖国家级自然保护区油蒿群落生态化学计量特征对群落生物量和物种多样性的影响

以宁夏哈巴湖国家级自然保护区内的油蒿群落为研究对象,测定了油蒿群落不同发育阶段植物叶C、N、P含量,分析了植物叶C∶N∶P比化学计量特征,探讨了油蒿群落生态化学计量特征对物种多样性和生物量的影响。结果表明,在哈巴湖国家级自然保护区,油蒿群落发育早期,植物生长受N限制,发育中后期,植物生长受P限制;油蒿群落发育早期阶段的植物具有较高的叶C∶N比和较低的叶N∶P比,而油蒿群落发育后期阶段的植物具有较低的叶C∶N比和较高的叶N∶P比。随着叶C∶N比的增大,油蒿群落生物量呈指数函数显著降低,物种多样性呈对数函数降低的趋势,但不显著;而随着叶N∶P比的增大,油蒿群落生物量和物种多样性均呈幂函数显著增加,表明生态化学计量特征对油蒿群落的物种多样性和生物量有重要影响。     

内蒙古典型草原建群种羊草基因型多样性抑制群落物种多样性的生态功能

植物群落的物种多样性以及群落建群种的基因型多样性对群落生态功能是否存在交互影响已成为群落生态学研究的热点内容。以内蒙古典型草原群落内常见物种为研究对象,研究了群落物种多样性与建群种羊草(Leymus chinensis)基因型多样性及其交互作用对群落生物量生态功能特性的影响。结果表明:(1)羊草基因型多样性、物种多样性及其交互作用对群落地上、地下和总生物量无显著影响(P0.05);(2)羊草基因型多样性、物种多样性及其交互作用对多样性效应(净多样性效应、互补效应和选择效应)有显著影响(P0.05)。羊草基因型多样性抑制多样性净效应的发挥,且主要抑制互补效应;而物种多样性则促进多样性净效应的发挥,主要表现为选择效应对地上生物量的正效应;(3)互补效应对群落生物量多样性净效应起主要贡献。实验所得结果不仅为探讨多样性效应在物种水平以及群落水平上对群落生物量的影响因素提供了重要启示,而且为内蒙古草原种质资源的保护及合理利用,乃至生态系统的恢复和重建提供理论指导。     

密叶红豆杉自然分布及群落生态学特征

密叶红豆杉(Taxus fuana)为我国I级保护野生植物,由于其对生长环境要求严苛,在全球范围内少有分布。依据对西藏自治区日喀则市吉隆县区域密叶红豆杉自然分布的调查,对其群落组成、结构特征和种群竞争等进行了研究。通过计算各植物的重要值(P_i),并根据重要值进行了聚类分析,将研究地区划分为铁杉(Tsuga chinensis)+密叶红豆杉群落(C1)、高山栎(Quercus semicarpifolia)+密叶红豆杉+朴树(Celtis sinensis)+华榛(Corylus chinensis)群落(C2)、密叶红豆杉+刺叶高山栎(Quercus spinosa)群落(C3)、铁杉+密叶红豆杉+华榛群落(C4),群落中密叶红豆杉多为散生,4种群落分布于吉隆县的热玛村、郎久村和吉普村。通过对各个群落中所有树种树高(H,Hight)胸径(DBH,Diameter at Breast Height)的整理,得出:四种群落的垂直结构明显,铁杉最高,平均树高可达25 m,密叶红豆杉与其他乔木较矮,处于亚优层,平均树高约为7 m;除C3群落乔木层比例为17.8%外,其他群...     

林窗尺度对侧柏人工林土壤微生物量和功能多样性的影响

微生物活性是影响土壤碳循环等地下生态系统过程的重要因素。以徐州市侧柏(Platycladus orientalis(L.)Franco)人工林为研究对象,以未受干扰的侧柏林为对照(CK),设置半径分别为4、8、12m的3种尺度近圆形林窗,从林窗边缘(D1)到距林缘4m(D2)及8m处林下(D3)水平梯度上分析土壤微生物量碳(MBC)、氮(MBN)和代谢功能多样性的变化。结果表明:1)与CK相比,林窗样地土壤MBC总体降低,MBN含量显著下降(P0.05),MBC/MBN显著上升(P0.05)。在3种尺度林窗中,MBC在大林窗偏小,MBN在小林窗偏小;MBC/MBN总体上随林窗尺度增大而减小。2)与CK相比,大中林窗降低了土壤微生物代谢活性(AWCD),小林窗变化不大。从D1到D3点,小林窗的AWCD先降后升,中林窗呈上升趋势,大林窗则相反。而且林窗降低了土壤微生物对各类碳源的利用,主要利用聚合物类和氨基酸类碳源,中林窗样点对碳水化合物和氨基酸类小分子碳源的利用最低。3)林窗总体提高了土壤微生物功能多样性,其中多样性(H')、丰富度(S)和均匀度(E)3个指数在各点之间均无显著差异,小林窗和CK的优势度指数(D_s)显著大于(P0.05)大林窗。侧柏林人工林窗对土壤微生物量和功能多样性的影响有着明显的尺度和位置梯度效应,林窗有望促进侧柏林土壤碳固持和大分子物质降解,提高其应对全球气候变化的能力,综合而言,中尺度林窗对侧柏林生态功能的发挥较为有利。     

The detritus food-web and the diversity of soil fauna as indicators of disturbance regimes in agro-ecosystems

An ongoing study initiated in August 1990 investigated the effects of disturbances (organic mulching, cultivation, herbicides) on the detritus food-web in annual (maize) and perennial (asparagus) cropping systems. In this paper we attempt to simultaneously assess the functional and taxonomic structure of various components of this food-web. Biota in the perennial system was the most responsive to disturbance. The microflora was strongly influenced by mulching, and through tritrophic effects caused increases in top predatory but not most microbe-feeding nematodes. These effects have become increasingly apparent as the study has progressed and, in the asparagus site, have worked their way down the soil profile over time. Cultivation in the asparagus site caused large increases in bacterial-feeding nematodes, probably due to the high weed levels which developed during the winter months under that treatment. Evidence appears to exist for a cascade effect operating due to top down effects of nematodes on lower trophic levels. Ordination analysis of the nematode data demonstrated that nematode populations were more closely related to the state of environmental factors at earlier samplings than at contemporary samplings, and that the linkages between the nematode and environmental data sets strengthened over time. For both the nematode and soil-associated beetle data distinct assemblages of organisms were found in the mulched plots; distinct assemblages of nematode genera also emerged in the cultivated asparagus plots after two years. The soil-associated macrofauna was usually linked to high weed and surface organic residue levels. Species diversity of soil associated nematodes was not particularly responsive to disturbance while that of the soil-associated beetles was strongly enhanced by mulching and (sometimes) high weed levels. Approaches based on either functional group or species composition data emerged in our study as reasonably sensitive indicators for assessing the response of the soil biota to disturbance.     

西沙群岛礁栖鱼类物种多样性及其食性特征

通过新的方法(即潜水调查法)调查了西沙群岛浅水区的礁栖鱼类, 并从食性角度分析鱼类群落特征及其对水质环境变化的响应。2006年5-6月, 对西沙群岛6个岛礁(东岛、永兴岛、羚羊礁、金银岛、华光礁和中建岛)共10个站位的礁栖鱼类种类、数量和长度进行了调查, 结合公开资料(FishBase等)确定鱼类食性。共记录到29科71属119种鱼, 其中50种是新记录。至此, 西沙群岛的鱼类总记录已达到717种。从不同站位来看, 永兴岛西的种类数量和Shannon-Wiener多样性指数均最高。多数鱼种分布范围狭小。摄食浮游动物和底栖无脊椎动物的鱼类是优势类群, 而草食性、杂食性和食物链顶端食性的鱼类数量和生物量较低, 反映出西沙群岛珊瑚礁生态系统整体上健康稳定。永兴岛的杂食性鱼类的数量比例和生物量比例均高于其他岛礁, 反映出鱼类群落已对水体富营养化产生响应。