东北地区植被物候时序变化

植被与气候的关系非常密切,植被物候可作为气候变化的指示器。东北地区位于我国最北部,是气候变化的敏感区域,研究该区植被物候对气候变化的响应对阐明陆地生态体统碳循环具有重要意义。利用GIMMS AVHRR遥感数据集得到了东北地区阔叶林、针叶林、草原和草甸4种植被25a(1982—2006年)的物候时序变化,得出4种植被春季物候都表现出先提前后推迟的现象,秋季物候的变化则比较复杂,阔叶林和针叶林整体上呈现出秋季物候推迟的趋势,草原和草甸则表现为提前-推迟-提前的趋势。应用偏最小二乘(Partial Least Squares)回归分析了该区域植被物候与气候因子之间的关系,结果表明:春季温度与阔叶林、针叶林和草甸春季物候负相关,前一年冬季温度与草原春季物候正相关,降水与植被春季物候的关系有点复杂;4种植被秋季物候与夏季温度均呈正相关,除草原外,其余3种植被秋季物候均与夏季降水负相关。植被春季物候可能主要受温度影响,而秋季物候很可能主要受降水控制。     

藏北高山嵩草草甸群落特征及生产力对模拟增温幅度的响应

青藏高原气候严酷,陆地表层生态系统脆弱,其高寒植物群落特征及生态系统生产力对气候变化的响应极其敏感。利用开顶箱(OTCs,Open Top Chambers)式装置在藏北高山嵩草(Kobresia pygmaea)草甸设置不同增温梯度实验(W1、W2、W3、W4),探究增温对高寒草甸植物群落特征及地上生产力的影响。研究结果表明:1)与对照样地相比,增温减少了植物群落总盖度(2015年,W1、W2、W3、W4分别显著减少了28%、23%、59%、60%; 2016年,W4显著减少了83%)和高山嵩草盖度(2015年,W1、W2、W3、W4分别显著减少了26%、33%、681%、64%; 2016年,W4显著减少了85%),而低幅度增温(W1、W2)对委陵菜属植物盖度无显著影响,高幅度增温(W3、W4)显著减少了委陵菜属植物盖度(2015年,W3、W4分别显著减少了58%和60%;2016年,W4显著减少了71%); 2)对整个植物群落而言,增温幅度较低时,增温对群落的生长和生物量的积累有促进作用,当温度升高超过一定程度,这种促进作用会逐渐减弱甚至变成抑制作用(2015年,W4显著减少了地上生物量69%; 2016年,W4显著减少了地上生物量82%); 3)高山嵩草盖度和其他物种总盖度存在显著的年际差异,而委陵菜属植物盖度无明显的年际变化。研究结果预示着,一定程度的升温会促进高寒草甸植物群落的生长,但温度升高超过一定幅度时,会导致草地生产力下降,草地退化加剧,同时当地群落中委陵菜属植物在全球变化背景下相对稳定,这类物种在未来气候变暖的背景下可能具有更强的竞争力。     

西南丘陵地区紫色土酸性对无患子幼树生长和光合特性的影响

探讨无患子(Sapindus mukorossi Gaertn.)生长和光合作用对酸性土壤胁迫的响应机制,为其高效种植提供理论依据。采用随机区组实验设计,以重庆市紫色土不同程度酸性区(pH分别为7.56、5.65、4.41)3年生无患子幼树为研究对象,分析紫色土酸性对无患子幼树生长、叶性状指标和光合作用的影响。结果表明:中性区土壤速效氮(AN)、速效磷(AP)含量极显著低于酸性区,中性区叶片全氮(TN)、全钾(TK)含量极显著高于酸性区(P<0.01)。与中性区相比,酸性区幼树的株高、净光合速率(P_n)、总叶绿素(Chls)、叶绿素a(Chl a)、类胡萝卜素(Cars)含量、叶绿素a/b(Chl a/b)比值极显著减小(P<0.01),最大光化学效率(F_v/F_m)和非光化学淬灭系数(qN)显著减少(P<0.05),而叶绿素b(Chl b)含量和叶绿素/类胡萝卜素(Chls/Cars)比值极显著增加(P<0.01),冠幅、电子传递效率(ETR)、光化学淬灭系数(qP)、实际原初光能捕获效率(Y(Ⅱ...     

无人机近景摄影技术在崖壁植物多样性研究中的应用

崖壁植物具有不可及或不易及的特点,有关崖壁植物的调查一直面临着高成本、高风险和难鉴定的难题。本研究创新性地提出一种采用无人机近景摄影技术对崖壁植物拍照及专家鉴定的调查方法,通过分析崖壁植物群落的Margalef、Simpson与Pielou这3种多样性指数的变化,探究海拔、光照、立地条件与水汽条件这4种因子对崖壁植物多样性的影响。研究结果表明：本次调查共发现崖壁植物267种,分属于58科、140属;崖壁植物物种数目与海拔高度变化服从正态分布,物种数量在中海拔700-800m达到峰值,Simpson指数与Pielou指数在低海拔时达到最高,随海拔的升高而下降,但不表现出明显的变化规律;崖壁植物在不同的立地条件下,植物群落的物种组成、优势种类与出现频率均有所不同;崖壁植物的相关性分析显示,在光照条件出现差异或立地条件不同时,崖壁植物各指数之间存在着不同的显著性关系;近水崖壁植物与对照组的分析结果对比显示,崖壁植物的数量与物种组成受崖壁间水汽条件的影响,崖壁水汽条件越高的地区有着更丰富的植物种类。本研究表明崖壁植物的分布特征是受海拔、光照、立地条件以及水汽条件等多因素的综合作用而成。     

植物吸滞PM2.5研究进展——从宏观到微观

PM_2.5严重危害环境安全和人体健康,虽然国内外大气PM_2.5状况已有好转,但雾霾天气仍然时有发生。植物能有效吸附和净化大气中PM_2.5,其净化作用受到生态学广泛关注。随着研究内容的深入,该领域研究尺度由宏观尺度转向微观尺度,研究对象由植被区转向植物个体,研究方法由野外监测转向人工控制法。因此在区域尺度上对比了植被、非植被区PM_2.5浓度差异及不同树种单位叶面积PM_2.5吸滞量,以风洞、熏气法两种研究方法归纳了人工控制条件下植物净化PM_2.5的研究成果,在大气PM_2.5浓度和气象因素两方面探讨了环境因素对植物净化PM_2.5的影响机制。得出宏观研究方面很多城市缺乏植被区与非植被区PM_2.5浓度监测数据,微观方面植物个体吸滞PM_2.5机理研究不够深入,缺乏植物吸滞PM_2.5过程与机理的室内模拟外界环境的高精度对比试验,更缺乏环境因素直接影响植物吸收、分...     

Genes Suggest Ancestral Colour Polymorphisms Are Shared across Morphologically Cryptic Species in Arctic Bumblebees

Our grasp of biodiversity is fine-tuned through the process of revisionary taxonomy. If species do exist in nature and can be discovered with available techniques, then we expect these revisions to converge on broadly shared interpretations of species. But for the primarily arctic bumblebees of the subgenus Alpinobombus of the genus Bombus, revisions by some of the most experienced specialists are unusual for bumblebees in that they have all reached different conclusions on the number of species present. Recent revisions based on skeletal morphology have concluded that there are from four to six species, while variation in colour pattern of the hair raised questions as to whether at least seven species might be present. Even more species are supported if we accept the recent move away from viewing species as morphotypes to viewing them instead as evolutionarily independent lineages (EILs) using data from genes. EILs are recognised here in practice from the gene coalescents that provide direct evidence for their evolutionary independence. We show from fitting both general mixed Yule/coalescent (GMYC) models and Poisson-tree-process (PTP) models to data for the mitochondrial COI gene that there is support for nine species in the subgenus Alpinobombus. Examination of the more slowly evolving nuclear PEPCK gene shows further support for a previously unrecognised taxon as a new species in northwestern North America. The three pairs of the most morphologically similar sister species are separated allopatrically and prevented from interbreeding by oceans. We also find that most of the species show multiple shared colour patterns, giving the appearance of mimicry among parts of the different species. However, reconstructing ancestral colour-pattern states shows that speciation is likely to have cut across widespread ancestral polymorphisms, without or largely without convergence. In the particular case of Alpinobombus, morphological, colour-pattern, and genetic groups show little agreement, which may help to explain the lack of agreement among previous taxonomic revisions.     

Calhex231 ameliorates myocardial fibrosis post myocardial infarction in rats through the autophagy‐NLRP3 inflammasome pathway in macrophages

The calcium‐sensing receptor (CaSR) is involved in the pathophysiology of many cardiovascular diseases, including myocardial infarction (MI) and hypertension. The role of Calhex231, a specific inhibitor of CaSR, in myocardial fibrosis following MI is still unclear. Using Wistar rats, we investigated whether Calhex231 ameliorates myocardial fibrosis through the autophagy‐NLRP3 inflammasome pathway in macrophages post myocardial infarction (MI). The rats were randomly divided into sham, MI and MI + Calhex231 groups. Compared with the sham rats, the MI rats consistently developed severe cardiac function, myocardial fibrosis and infiltration of inflammatory cells including macrophages. Moreover, inflammatory pathway including activation of NLRP3 inflammasome, IL‐1β and autophagy was significantly up‐regulated in myocardial tissue, infiltrated cardiac macrophages and peritoneal macrophages of the MI rats. These impacts were reversed by Calhex231. In vitro, studies revealed that calindol and rapamycin exacerbated MI‐induced autophagy and NLRP3 inflammasome activation in peritoneal macrophages. Calhex231 and 3‐Methyladenine (a specific inhibitor of autophagy) attenuated both autophagy and NLRP3 inflammasome activation; however, the caspase‐1 inhibitor Z‐YVAD‐FMK did not. Our study indicated that Calhex231 improved cardiac function and ameliorated myocardial fibrosis post MI, likely via the inhibition of autophagy‐mediated NLRP3 inflammasome activation; this provides a new therapeutic target for ventricular remodelling‐related cardiovascular diseases.     

Structural Modulation of Brain Development by Oxygen: Evidence on Adolescents Migrating from High Altitude to Sea Level Environment

The present study aimed to investigate structural modulation of brain by high level of oxygen during its peak period of development. Voxel-based morphometry analysis of gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) volumes and Tract-Based Spatial Statistics analysis of WM fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusion (MD) based on MRI images were carried out on 21 Tibetan adolencents (15–18 years), who were born and raised in Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (2900–4700 m) and have lived at sea level (SL) in the last 4 years. The control group consisted of matched Tibetan adolescents born and raised at high altitude all the time. SL immigrants had increased GM volume in the left insula, left inferior parietal gyrus, and right superior parietal gyrus and decreased GM in the left precentral cortex and multiple sites in cerebellar cortex (left lobule 8, bilateral lobule 6 and crus 1/2). Decreased WM volume was found in the right superior frontal gyrus in SL immigrants. SL immigrants had higher FA and lower MD at multiple sites of WM tracts. Moreover, we detected changes in ventilation and circulation. GM volume in cerebellum lobule 8 positively correlated with diastolic pressure, while GM volume in insula positively correlated vital capacity and hypoxic ventilatory response. Our finding indicate that the structural modulations of GM by high level of oxygen during its peak period of development are related to respiratory and circulatory regulations, while the modulation in WM mainly exhibits an enhancement in myelin maturation.