Study on successions sequence of evergreen broad-leaved forest in Gutian Mountain of Zhejiang, Eastern China: species diversity

Using the widely adopted scheme of space-for-time substitution for investigating 16 typical plots distributed as a pattern of contiguous grid quadrates within a sampling plot, the expressions of Shannon-Wiener index (H) for species diversity, Pielou index (J _sw , J _SI ) for evenness and Simpson index (D) for ecological dominance are employed to investigate the species diversity (SD) of four evergreen broadleaved communities in the successions sequence within the Nature Reserve of the Gutian Mountains. Results showed that in the successions process from the coniferous to the mixed coniferous-broadleaved, then to Schima superba and finally to Castanopsis eyrei forest, the arbor layer SD showed the Shannon-Wiener index (H) as 1.9670, 2.4975, 2.6140 and 2.4356, respectively, characterized by their rise before drop and the shrub (herb) layer SD shows the maximum to be in the mixed coniferous-broadleaved (coniferous) forest (H arriving at 2.8625 (1.5334)). In the vertical structure, on the other hand, for the sequenced coniferous forest, coniferous-broad mixed forest and Castnaopsis eyrei forest, the number of SD ranges in a decreasing order from the shrub, arbor to herb layer in contrast to the SD in a decreasing order of Schima superba forest ranging from the arbor to shrub and then to herb layer, and during the succession, the herb layer exhibits the maximum range of SD change among these layers, with its variation coefficients of 0.1572, 0.0806, 0.0899 and 0.1884 for H, J _SW , J _SI and D, in order, in sharp contrast to the minimal SD range in the shrub layer, with the corresponding figures of 0.0482, 0.0385, 0.0142, and 0.1553. __________ Translated from Chinese Journal of Ecology, 2006, 25(6): 603-C606 [译自: 生态学杂志]     

浙江古田山次生与老龄常绿阔叶林群落特征的比较

常绿阔叶林为东亚亚热带地区的地带性植被, 对该地区的生物多样性维持和社会发展具有重要的意义。由于长期人类活动的影响, 目前我国分布的常绿阔叶林绝大部分为次生常绿阔叶林。探究次生与老龄常绿阔叶林群落特征的差异, 有利于了解人类干扰对亚热带常绿阔叶林的影响, 为其保护和恢复提供依据。本研究在古田山老龄与次生常绿阔叶林内共设置了29个0.04 ha样地, 比较两者在优势种组成、物种和功能多样性以及生物量等方面的差异。结果表明: (1)次生林与老龄林优势种组成相似, 二者均以甜槠(Castanopsis eyrei)、木荷(Schima superba)等典型常绿阔叶林优势种为主, 但这些树种在次生和老龄常绿阔叶林中的优势度次序不同。(2)整体而言, 次生林的Shannon-Wiener指数和功能离散度高于老龄林; 次生林与老龄林的物种Bray-Curtis指数和功能Sørensen指数均无显著差别。(3)就垂直层次而言, 次生林与老龄林在Shannon-Wiener指数和Bray-Curtis指数的差异主要体现在乔木层和灌木层。(4)就群落结构而言, 次生林的植株密度高于老龄林, 但群落水平和个体水平的生物量均显著小于老龄林。上述结果表明, 人类干扰改变了古田山常绿阔叶林群落的多个重要特征, 不同群落特征的恢复过程并不同步。因此, 对常绿阔叶林生物多样性和生态系统功能的保护和恢复需要从多个角度着手。     

A Simple and Rapid Cryopreservation Technique for Ciliates: A Long‐Term Storage Procedure Used for Marine Scuticociliates

Pseudocohnilembus persalinus is a free‐living marine scuticociliate that, as a new model organism, has been used in a wide variety of studies. However, long‐term laboratory maintenance for this species is mainly achieved by subculture that requires rigorous culture environments and, too often, cultures of the organism die out for a variety of reasons. Successful transport of viable cultures also poses problems for researchers. This study describes a simple and rapid protocol for long‐term cryopreservation of P. persalinus. The effects of physiological states of individuals before freezing, the type and concentration of cryoprotectant, and optimal temperatures for freezing and thawing were assessed. A cryopreservation protocol, using a mixture of 30% glycerol and 70% concentrated P. persalinus cell culture, incorporating rate‐controlled freezing at ?80 °C before liquid nitrogen storage, maintained a high recovery efficiency after 8 wk of storage. These results suggest that broader application of this protocol to build a cryopreserved marine protozoa culture bank for biological studies may be possible.     

Forest fragmentation in China and its effect on biodiversity

Land‐use change is fragmenting natural ecosystems, with major consequences for biodiversity. This paper reviews fragmentation trends – historical and current – in China, the fourth largest country on Earth, and explores its consequences. Remote sensing makes it possible to track land‐use change at a global scale and monitor fragmentation of dwindling natural landscapes. Yet few studies have linked fragmentation mapped remotely with impacts on biodiversity within human‐modified landscapes. Recent reforestation programs have caused substantial increases in forest cover but have not stopped fragmentation, because the new forests are mostly monocultures that further fragment China's remnant old‐growth lowland forests that harbour the highest levels of biodiversity. Fragmentation – and associated biodiversity declines – is unevenly distributed in China's forests, being most problematic where agricultural expansion is occurring in the southwest and northeast, serious in the densely populated eastern regions where urbanisation and transport infrastructure are modifying landscapes, but less of a problem in other regions. Analyses of temporal trends show that the drivers of forest fragmentation are shifting from mainly agricultural expansion to urbanisation and infrastructure development. Most of China's old‐growth forests persist in small, isolated fragments from which many native species have disappeared, on land unsuitable for human utilisation. Fragmentation throughout China is likely to have major consequences on biodiversity conservation, but few studies have considered these large‐scale processes at the national level. Our review fills this research gap and puts forward a systematic perspective relevant to China and beyond.     

The Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factor (GEF) Asef2 Promotes Dendritic Spine Formation via Rac Activation and Spinophilin-dependent Targeting

Dendritic spines are actin-rich protrusions that establish excitatory synaptic contacts with surrounding neurons. Reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton is critical for the development and plasticity of dendritic spines, which is the basis for learning and memory. Rho family GTPases are emerging as important modulators of spines and synapses, predominantly through their ability to regulate actin dynamics. Much less is known, however, about the function of guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs), which activate these GTPases, in spine and synapse development. In this study we show that the Rho family GEF Asef2 is found at synaptic sites, where it promotes dendritic spine and synapse formation. Knockdown of endogenous Asef2 with shRNAs impairs spine and synapse formation, whereas exogenous expression of Asef2 causes an increase in spine and synapse density. This effect of Asef2 on spines and synapses is abrogated by expression of GEF activity-deficient Asef2 mutants or by knockdown of Rac, suggesting that Asef2-Rac signaling mediates spine development. Because Asef2 interacts with the F-actin-binding protein spinophilin, which localizes to spines, we investigated the role of spinophilin in Asef2-promoted spine formation. Spinophilin recruits Asef2 to spines, and knockdown of spinophilin hinders spine and synapse formation in Asef2-expressing neurons. Furthermore, inhibition of N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDA) activity blocks spinophilin-mediated localization of Asef2 to spines. These results collectively point to spinophilin-Asef2-Rac signaling as a novel mechanism for the development of dendritic spines and synapses.     

Self-assembly of conjugated polymers and ds-oligonucleotides directed fractal-like aggregates

Highly ordered nanostructures between conjugated polymers and ds-oligonucleotides have been first fabricated by simply controlling the self-assembly processes, which shows a novel concept for fabricating fractal-like structures. The formation of polymer/DNA fractal-like aggregates is a diffusion-limited aggregation (DLA) process. The fractal dimension is independent of the polymer/DNA concentration but only related to the polymer/DNA charge ratio. More interestingly, the different fluorescent resonance energy transfer (FRET) behavior between the polymer and the DNA can be used to distinguish dsDNA from ssDNA.     

青冈常绿阔叶林氮的生物循环

对分布于浙江建德的青冈常绿阔叶林N的生物循环进行了研究.群落各代表种类的N浓度在0.49%～1.64%之间,其中下木层、草本层和藤本植物中N的浓度远大于乔木层和亚乔木层的种类;乔木层和亚乔木层4种器官中N的浓度基本为叶＞枝＞根＞干,其他层次的种类则为地上部分＞地下部分.乔木层青冈不同器官中N浓度的高低顺序为花序＞嫩叶＞老叶＞嫩枝＞老枝＞细根＞树干、粗根.各器官中N浓度的季节变化不是很大,其根、枝和叶中的N浓度均在秋季(10月份)最高;下木层青冈各部位N浓度在1月份最高.不同径级青冈中N浓度变化无明显规律.N元素在不同类型凋落物中的浓度范围为0.74%～2.30%,降水和穿透水中的N浓度分别为0.000038%和0.00009%,N在死地被层中的浓度为1.94%,土壤中N的浓度为0.59%.N在植物群落中现存量为1025.28 kg/hm2,死地被层中积累量为224.88 kg/hm2,土壤(A0～B层)中储存量为55151kg/hm2.群落中N的存留量为119.47 kg/(hm2·a);归还量为84.13 kg/(hm2·a),其中通过凋落物的为78.49kg/(hm2·a),通过穿透水的为5.64 kg/(hm2·a);吸收量为203.60 kg/(hm2·a).降水输入了4.88 kg/(hm2·a)的N.     

Multi-stemming strategies of Quercus glauca in an evergreen broad-leaved forest: when and where

多茎干萌生策略可赋予树木抗干扰能力。在山地生境中,树木的多茎干萌生有助于维持土壤稳定性以及森林生态系统功能的稳定性。 但对于多茎干萌生在何时(个体发育阶段偏好)、何地(生境偏好)发生,以及个体发育阶段和生境因子是否存在关联尚不了解。本文基于钱江 源国家公园古田山5 ha亚热带常绿阔叶林监测样地,研究了99个20 m × 20 m样方内常见树种青冈(Quercus glauca)萌生的发生时间与空间分 布规律。研究结果表明,青冈种群内存在3种萌生模式,大部分个体在生活史早期阶段即幼苗或者幼树阶段出现多茎干萌生。与凹凸度有关 的环境干扰可能是青冈多茎干萌生的主要驱动因素。此外,距离海拔较高的山脊越近,青冈多茎干萌生发生的越早。这一发现,强调了考虑 个体发育的重要性。因此,在研究其他森林或气候带中树种多茎干萌生策略的环境驱动因素时,要结合考虑个体发育,以期更好的理解多茎 干萌生策略及其对群落结构与功能的影响     

Rapid host defense against Aspergillus fumigatus involves alveolar macrophages with a predominance of alternatively activated phenotype

The ubiquitous fungus Aspergillus fumigatus is associated with chronic diseases such as invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in immunosuppressed patients and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) in patients with cystic fibrosis or severe asthma. Because of constant exposure to this fungus, it is critical for the host to exercise an immediate and decisive immune response to clear fungal spores to ward off disease. In this study, we observed that rapidly after infection by A. fumigatus, alveolar macrophages predominantly express Arginase 1 (Arg1), a key marker of alternatively activated macrophages (AAMs). The macrophages were also found to express Ym1 and CD206 that are also expressed by AAMs but not NOS2, which is expressed by classically activated macrophages. The expression of Arg1 was reduced in the absence of the known signaling axis, IL-4Rα/STAT6, for AAM development. While both Dectin-1 and TLR expressed on the cell surface have been shown to sense A. fumigatus, fungus-induced Arg1 expression in CD11c(+) alveolar macrophages was not dependent on either Dectin-1 or the adaptor MyD88 that mediates intracellular signaling by most TLRs. Alveolar macrophages from WT mice efficiently phagocytosed fungal conidia, but those from mice deficient in Dectin-1 showed impaired fungal uptake. Depletion of macrophages with clodronate-filled liposomes increased fungal burden in infected mice. Collectively, our studies suggest that alveolar macrophages, which predominantly acquire an AAM phenotype following A. fumigatus infection, have a protective role in defense against this fungus.     

千岛湖岛屿维管植物β多样性及其影响因素

通过样地调查方法、Jaccard相异性指数、Spearman回归分析和非度量多维标度(NMDS)排序分析,研究了千岛湖154个岛屿上不同植物群落β多样性及其主要影响因素。结果表明不同的景观参数对不同植物生长型有不同程度的影响,其中(1)藤本、灌木的β多样性形成的主导因素是面积,即面积差越大的区域间的β多样性越高;(2)乔木的β多样性主要受到岛屿间距离的限制,岛屿间距离越远,β多样性越高;(3)草本植物的β多样性分布与岛屿面积差及岛屿间距离并未呈现出显著相关,即其分布不受这两种因素限制;(4)NMDS分析结果显示岛屿面积、形状、边缘面积比和岛屿到大陆最小距离等特征对千岛湖岛屿上植物β多样性起决定性的作用。千岛湖陆桥岛屿组成的片段化生境中植物β多样性受扩散限制和生态位假说的共同影响。