Northern Bobwhite Non-Breeding Habitat Selection in a Longleaf Pine Woodland

Efforts to halt the decline of the northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus; bobwhite) across its distribution have had limited success. Understanding bobwhite habitat requirements across the annual cycle and at varying scales is essential to aid efforts to conserve bobwhites. We monitored radio-tagged bobwhites from 2016 to 2018 on a 165-km² portion of Fort Bragg Military Installation in the Sandhills physiographic region of North Carolina, USA, to determine factors influencing non-breeding bobwhite habitat selection at multiple scales. We used generalized linear models (GLM) and generalized linear mixed models to assess bobwhite habitat selection at the microsite scale (the immediate vicinity of an animal) and the macrosite scale (across the study area), respectively, by comparing used points to available random points. At the microsite scale, bobwhites strongly selected areas with greater woody understory cover. Also, bobwhite selection increased with greater forb and switchcane (Arundinaria tecta) cover, but this effect plateaued at 65% forb cover and 50% switchcane cover. At the macrosite scale, bobwhites generally selected areas with greater understory cover within a 200-m radius but avoided areas with >55% understory cover; these areas primarily were located in the core areas of drainages with extensive ericaceous vegetation. Bobwhites selected areas with 3–6 m²/ha hardwood basal area in uplands, potentially because of the availability of mast, but avoided uplands when pine (Pinus spp.) or hardwood basal area exceeded 20 m²/ha or 12 m²/ha, respectively, likely because high basal area is associated with increased shading and subsequent loss of understory cover. In addition, bobwhites selected uplands 1 growing season (≥2-month period falling entirely between 1 Apr and 1 Oct) post-fire regardless of burn season. Overall, managers seeking to improve habitat quality for bobwhites in longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) woodlands should employ management practices that maintain available woody understory across the landscape to provide cover during the non-breeding season. © 2020 The Wildlife Society.     

温度和土壤水分对银杏叶黄酮类化合物积累的影响

以2年生银杏实生苗为试材,在人工气候室内采用土培盆栽试验方法,研究了温度和土壤水分对银杏叶黄酮类化合物积累的影响.试验设置土壤含水量(W)和温度(T)各3个梯度,W₁、W₂、W₃分别为田间持水量的55%～60%、40%～45%、30%～35%;T₁、T₂、T₃白天和夜间的温度分别为15/5 ℃、25/15 ℃、35/25 ℃.结果表明: T₁温度条件下,各土壤水分处理的银杏叶中的槲皮素、山奈酚、异鼠李素和总黄酮含量普遍高于T₂和T₃,而土壤水分对银杏叶中各种黄酮类化合物积累的影响不显著;银杏叶中黄酮类化合物以山奈酚含量最高,其次为槲皮素和异鼠李素;T₃温度下银杏单株总黄酮产量普遍高于T₂和T₁.在收获前适当采取土壤覆盖和灌水等措施降低种植园的温度,有利于提高银杏叶中黄酮的含量,增加单位面积黄酮的产量.     

川硬皮肿腿蜂毒液对寄主黄粉虫蛹的影响

为揭示川硬皮肿腿蜂寄生对寄主黄粉虫蛹的调控机制,本文通过自然寄生和毒液注射等方法研究了寄生过程中蜂毒液的作用.结果表明: 对人工注射的蛹,寄主被麻痹的程度与毒液注入量呈正相关,恢复活动情况与毒液注入量呈负相关;当人工注射毒液浓度为0.01 VRE时,黄粉虫表现出可逆的轻微麻痹;当浓度提高到0.2 VRE时,黄粉虫蛹表现出不可逆的完全僵化.单独注射土壤菌液,导致蛹大量死亡并出现大范围的黑化现象,而注射毒液和土壤菌液混合物,蛹的黑化作用发生延缓,且死亡率显著下降.对毒液的抑菌测试表明,毒液对金黄葡萄球菌的抑菌作用显著高于大肠杆菌.在一定温度范围内,随着温度升高毒液麻痹活性显著降低,对大肠杆菌抑菌性显著升高,对金黄葡萄球菌抑菌性显著降低.表明川硬皮肿腿蜂毒液对寄主黄粉虫蛹具有麻痹、抑菌、抑制蜕皮和延缓黑化的作用.     

基于线性混合模型的红松人工林一级枝条大小预测模拟

基于黑龙江省孟家岗林场60株人工红松955个标准枝数据,采用线性混合效应模型理论和方法,考虑树木效应,利用SAS软件中的MIXED模块拟合红松人工林一级枝条各因子(基径、枝长、着枝角度)的预测模型.结果表明： 通过选择合适的随机参数和方差协方差结构能够提高模型的拟合精度;把相关性结构包括复合对称结构CS、一阶自回归结构AR(1)及一阶自回归与滑动平均结构ARMA(1,1)加入到一级枝条大小最优混合模型中,AR(1)可显著提高枝条基径和角度混合模型的拟合精度,但3种结构均不能提高枝条角度混合模型的精度.为了描述混合模型构建过程中产生的异方差现象,把CF₁和CF₂函数加入到枝条混合模型中,CF₁函数显著提高了枝条角度混合模型的拟合效果,CF₂函数显著提高了枝条基径和长度混合模型拟合效果.模型检验结果表明：对于红松人工林一级枝条大小预测模型,混合效应模型的估计精度比传统回归模型估计精度明显提高.
     

长柄木霉和泾阳链霉菌复配对烟苗生长及其抗病性的影响

以烟苗为试验材料,采用室内拮抗试验和活体筛选试验相结合的方法,研究了长柄木霉和泾阳链霉菌两种生防菌复配的亲和性和抑菌广谱性,并分析了生防菌及其组合对烟苗生长、诱导抗性和黑胫病防效的影响.结果表明：两生防菌株无相互抑制作用,具有较高的亲和性,并且两菌株本身及其代谢产物对不同生境下的病原菌(黑胫病、猝倒病和赤星病)均具有较高的抑菌活性和较广的抑菌谱.两菌株复配能影响根部和地上部的形态建成,促进烟苗根系和茎、叶的生长,显著增加地下部根系体积、根系总表面积、根长和根系平均直径以及地上部茎高、茎围、叶长、叶宽和生物量,具有显著的促生效能,并且两菌株复配的促生效应优于单独接种.生防菌组合能显著提高烟苗根系超氧化物歧化酶、过氧化物酶和过氧化氢酶等防御酶活性,对烟草黑胫病的相对防治效果达到了69.3%,具有显著的防病效能.研究表明长柄木霉和泾阳链霉菌是具有较高亲和性的增效组合,两菌株复配后在防病、促生方面能够发挥协同增效作用,可有效促进烟苗生长和防治烟草黑胫病.     

温室粉虱和烟粉虱3个隐种中热激蛋白基因hsp70和hsp90含量的比较分析

【目的】昆虫适应新环境的能力与其对温度的耐受能力密切相关。热激蛋白HSP70和HSP90具有提高生物体温度耐受性的功能。烟粉虱Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius)不同隐种和不同种粉虱对温度的适应能力有差异,这与它们的热激蛋白基因拷贝数的差异可能相关。【方法】利用实时荧光定量PCR方法,检测入侵型烟粉虱MED隐种和MEAM1隐种、本地型烟粉虱AsiaⅡ1隐种以及温室粉虱Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood)基因组DNA中热激蛋白基因hsp70和hsp90的拷贝数。【结果】不同种类的粉虱和烟粉虱不同隐种体内的hsp70和hsp90的含量均有较大差异,其中hsp70和hsp90拷贝数在入侵型烟粉虱MED和MEAM1隐种中含量较其他两种均高,而在土著种AsiaⅡ1隐种中含量最低,在温室粉虱中居中。此外,相同物种雌雄成虫hsp70和hsp90的拷贝数也不同,雌虫hsp70和hsp90拷贝数约为雄虫的2倍。【结论】不同种粉虱及烟粉虱不同隐种的hsp70和hsp90的拷贝数可能与其耐热性差异相关。本研究为解释不同种粉虱、烟粉虱不同隐种及其不同性别的耐热性差异机制提供了进一步的依据。     

笋秀夜蛾雄蛾对性信息素化合物的电生理和行为反应

利用气质联用仪对笋秀夜蛾雌蛾性腺体粗提物成分进行了分析比对,通过触角电位(EAG)试验研究了笋秀夜蛾雄成虫对性信息素组分的电生理反应,以Y形嗅觉仪进行了室内和林间的行为生测.结果表明： 雌蛾性腺体粗提物中顺11-十六碳乙酸酯(Z11-16:Ac)和顺11-十六碳烯醇(Z11-16:OH)为笋秀夜蛾性信息素活性组分,性腺粗提物、两种化合物及其混合物均能激发雄蛾明显的EAG反应,且EAG反应值随性信息素组分浓度增加而增加.Z11-16:Ac和Z11-16:OH按57∶43配置成的二元混合物所激发的EAG反应强于同等剂量下的单一组分.室内的行为生测和林间诱捕试验结果与EAG反应基本一致,Z11-16:Ac+Z11-16:OH(57∶43)混合物对雄蛾引诱力最强,在林间单诱捕器(诱芯浓度为10⁴ng·μL^-1)的平均诱捕量达到(48.5±6.7)头.     

Whole-genome assembly and annotation of northern wild rice,Zizania palustris L., supports a whole-genome duplication in the Zizania genus

Zizania palustris L. (northern wild rice, NWR) is an aquatic grass native to North America that is notable for its nutritious grain. This is an important species with ecological, cultural and agricultural significance, specifically in the Great Lakes region of the USA. Using flow cytometry, we first estimated the NWR genome size to be 1.8 Gb. Using long- and short-range sequencing, Hi-C scaffolding and RNA-seq data from eight tissues, we generated an annotated whole-genome de novo assembly of NWR. The assembly was 1.29 Gb in length, highly repetitive (approx. 76.0%) and contained 46 421 putative protein-coding genes. The expansion of retrotransposons within the genome and a whole-genome duplication (WGD) after the Zizania–Oryza speciation event have both led to an increase in the genome size of NWR in comparison with Oryza sativa L. and Zizania latifolia. Both events depict a genome rapidly undergoing change over a short evolutionary time. Comparative analyses revealed the conservation of large syntenic blocks between NWR and O. sativa, which were used to identify putative seed-shattering genes. Estimates of divergence times revealed that the Zizania genus diverged from Oryza approximately 26–30 million years ago (26–30 MYA), whereas NWR and Z. latifolia diverged from one another approximately 6–8 MYA. Comparative genomics confirmed evidence of a WGD in the Zizania genus and provided support that the event occurred prior to the NWR–Z. latifolia speciation event. This genome assembly and annotation provides a valuable resource for comparative genomics in the Oryzeae tribe and provides an important resource for future conservation and breeding efforts of NWR.     

Exposure to a fungal pathogen increases the critical thermal minimum of two frog species

The ability of an organism to tolerate seasonal temperature changes, such as extremely cold temperatures during the winter, can be influenced by their pathogens. We tested how exposure to a virulent fungal pathogen, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), affected the critical thermal minimum (CT_min) of two frog species, Hyla versicolor (gray treefrog) and Lithobates palustris (pickerel frog). The CT_min is the minimum thermal performance point of an organism, which we estimated via righting response trials. For both frog species, we compared the righting response of Bd‐exposed and Bd‐unexposed individuals in either a constant (15ºC) environment or with decreasing temperatures (−1°C/2.5 min) starting from 15°C. The CT_min for both species was higher for Bd‐exposed frogs than unexposed frogs, and the CT_min of H. versicolor was higher than L. palustris. We also found that Bd‐exposed frogs of both species righted themselves significantly fewer times in both decreasing and constant temperature trials. Our findings show that pathogen exposure can reduce cold tolerance and limit the thermal performance range of hosts, which may lead to increased overwintering mortality.