重组高原鼠兔瘦素原核表达载体的构建、蛋白表达及纯化

瘦素(leptin)由ob 基因编码,对调节能量代谢起着重要作用。本研究建立了高原鼠兔瘦素的原核表达系统,并对其进行了原核表达。研究中作者从高原鼠兔瘦素基因的cDNA 文库中,扩增编码高原鼠兔瘦素的核酸序列,并利用DNA 基因重组技术将其克隆到原核表达载体pET30a(+ )中,构建了高原鼠兔瘦素原核表达载体pET30a(+ )/ ppleptin。对目的片段进行测序确认后,将其转化到大肠杆菌BL21 中,并利用IPTG 诱导外源性目的蛋白表达。表达的包涵体蛋白经溶解及变性后上柱纯化。重组质粒经测序检测后,表明原核载体构建正确。同时,SDS - PAGE 凝胶电泳结果显示,重组菌在16KD 处有明显新增条带,纯化后的目的蛋白条带纯度较高。该结果为高原鼠兔瘦素的后续基础研究提供了基础资料。     

Soil Anti-Scouribility Enhanced by Plant Roots

The magnitude of soil anti-scouribility depends on the physical condition of the soil. Plant roots can greatly enhance soil stability and anti-erodibility. A scouring experiment of undisturbed soil was conducted to investigate the effects of roots on soil anti-scouribility and its distribution in the soil profile. At the end of each erosion test, plant roots were collected from soil samples and root surface area was calculated by means of a computer image analysis system (CIAS). Root surface area density (RSAD), the surface area of the roots per unit of soil volume, was related to soil anti-scouribility. More than 83% of root surface area was concentrated in the 0-30 cm soil layer. Soil anti-scouribility increased with an increase in RSAD and the value of intensified soil anti-scouribility (ΔAS) can be expressed by exponential equations, depending on the plant species. These equations were ΔAS=9.578 6 RSAD^0.8321 (R^2=0.951) for afforested Pinus tabulaeformis Carr.ΔAS=7.8087 RSAD^0.7894(R^2=0.974) for afforested Robinia pseudoacacia L., and ΔAS=9.256 6 RSAD^0.8707(R^2=0.899) for Bothriochloa ischemum L.     

ISSR analysis of genetic diversity of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau endemic Rhodiola chrysanthemifolia (Crassulaceae)

Inter-simple sequence repeat markers (ISSR) were used to estimate genetic diversity within and among 10 populations of Rhodiola chrysanthemifolia along Nianqingtangula Mountains and Brahmaputra, a species endemic to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and an endangered medicinal plant. Of the 100 primers screened, 13 produced highly polymorphic DNA fragments. Using these primers, 116 discernible DNA fragments were generated of which 104 (89.7%) were polymorphic, indicating substantial genetic diversity at the species level. Genetic diversity measured by the percentage of polymorphic bands (PPB) at the population level ranged from 21.97% to 48.8%. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed that the genetic variation was found mainly among populations (77.3%), but no regional differentiation was discernible. Variance within populations was only 22.7%. The main factor responsible for this high level of differentiation among populations is probably the historical geographical and genetic isolation of populations in a harsh mountainous environment. Concerning the management of R. chrysanthemifolia, the high genetic differentiation of populations indicates the necessity of conserving the maximum possible number of populations.     

黄土高原不同演替阶段草地植被细根垂直分布特征与土壤环境的关系

研究了黄土区不同演替阶段草地植被细根垂直分布特征与土壤环境的关系,结果表明不同演替阶段草地植被细根生物量、根长密度、表面积、直径和比根长均具有明显的垂直分布特征。细根生物量、根长密度和细根表面积一般随土层加深而逐渐减少,且集中分布于0-40cm土层;随着演替的进行,除20a弃耕地外,0—80cm土层细根生物量、根长密度和细根表面积逐渐增加;除25a弃耕地外,细根直径随演替进行逐渐减小。0～100cm土层土壤含水量随演替进行而增加,不同演替阶段深层土壤水分较表层稳定。土壤容重的变化趋势为9〈4〈15〈20〈25a弃耕地,根系对表层土壤水分和容重的影响较大,而对深层土壤水分与容重影响较少。不同演替阶段细根各参数和土壤水分、容重差异均达到显著水平。各弃耕地细根参数之间,细根参数和土壤环境因子之间存在不同程度的相关关系,土壤含水量在草本植被的不同演替阶段均是影响其细根垂直分布的关键因素。土壤容重在演替早期对草本植被根系的影响较小,随着演替进行其影响作用进一步增强。     

Reliability of pollen ratios for environmental reconstructions on the Tibetan Plateau

Aim Pollen ratios are widely used to gain palaeovegetation and palaeoclimatic information from fossil pollen spectra, although their applicability has seldom been tested with modern pollen data. I used a data set of 113 lake‐surface sediments from the eastern Tibetan Plateau to test the reliability of several pollen ratios. Location The lake‐surface pollen spectra cover a wide range of vegetation types (temperate desert, temperate steppe, alpine desert, alpine steppe, high‐alpine meadow, sub‐alpine shrub, coniferous and mixed forest) and climatic conditions (mean July temperature, T_July: 4.0–17.4°C; mean annual precipitation, P_ann: 104–670 mm). Methods Lake‐surface sediments were analysed palynologically, and several pollen ratios were calculated. These ratios were interpreted with respect to vegetation and climatic conditions. Results The arboreal pollen sum (AP) was highest in samples from forested areas and was significantly correlated with P_ann (r² = 0.44). In non‐forested areas, samples from large lakes and from lakes surrounded by sparse vegetation had increased AP values, suggesting that AP is a useful vegetation density indicator. Artemisia/Chenopodiaceae (A/C) ratios were lowest in desert areas and were positively correlated with P_ann (r² = 0.25). The aridity pollen index was inappropriate for inferring (palaeo‐)climatic information from samples on the eastern Tibetan Plateau as it had no significant correlation with the environmental factors. Artemisia/Cyperaceae (A/Cy) ratios had a significant correlation with T_July (r² = 0.23), but only a weak correlation with P_ann, which indicates that the A/Cy ratio is applicable as a temperature indicator. Furthermore, it is a valuable tool for the differentiation of high‐alpine meadow from steppe vegetation. Main conclusions AP sum, A/C ratio and A/Cy ratio are useful tools for qualitative and semi‐quantitative palaeoenvironmental reconstruction on the Tibetan Plateau; however, the results obtained should not be interpreted quantitatively.     

黄土高原典型小流域草地群落功能性状对土壤水分的响应

植物功能性状可以响应生境的变化并决定生态系统的功能,探究植物功能性状间的关系及其随土壤有效水分梯度的变化规律,对认识不同水分条件下植被在群落水平碳水代谢关系和维持水分平衡的生理生态学机制具有重要意义。以甘肃定西典型半干旱黄土小流域草地群落为研究对象,采用排序分析和回归拟合方法,分析了30个代表性草地样地中7个植物功能性状加权均值对土壤有效水分的响应以及响应性状间的相关关系。结果显示:(1)7个性状中,除叶宽与土壤有效水分无明显相关外,叶长、株高、叶面积、比叶面积、叶厚和叶干物质含量均与土壤有效水分显著性相关,可识别为草地在群落水平对土壤水分的响应性状。(2)草地群落通过降低株高,减小叶长、叶面积和比叶面积,增加叶厚和叶干物质含量以适应土壤有效水分减少;其中叶干物质含量的解释度最大,是土壤水分的最优响应性状。(3)除叶厚与叶长无显著相关外,其余功能性状均存在显著相关,说明草地群落的功能性状在土壤水分梯度上已基本形成了一个相互权衡或协同变化的功能性状组合。     

Annual increments of juniper dwarf shrubs above the tree line on the central Tibetan Plateau: a useful climatic proxy

Background and Aims

Dendroclimatology is playing an important role in understanding past climatic changes on the Tibetan Plateau. Forests, however, are mainly confined to the eastern Tibetan Plateau. On the central Tibetan Plateau, in contrast, shrubs and dwarf shrubs need to be studied instead of trees as a source of climate information. The objectives of this study were to check the dendrochronological potential of the dwarf shrub Wilson juniper (Juniperus pingii var. wilsonii) growing from 4740 to 4780 m a.s.l. and to identify the climatic factors controlling its radial growth.

Methods

Forty-three discs from 33 stems of Wilson juniper were sampled near the north-eastern shore of the Nam Co (Heavenly Lake). Cross-dating was performed along two directions of each stem, avoiding the compression-wood side as far as possible. A ring-width chronology was developed after a negative exponential function or a straight line of any slope had been fit to the raw measurements. Then, correlations were calculated between the standard ring-width chronology and monthly climate data recorded by a weather station around 100 km away.

Key Results

Our study has shown high dendrochronological potential of Wilson juniper, based on its longevity (one individual was 324 years old), well-defined growth rings, reliable cross-dating between individuals and distinct climatic signals reflected by the ring-width variability. Unlike dwarf shrubs in the circum-arctic tundra ecosystem which positively responded to above-average temperature in the growing season, moisture turned out to be growth limiting for Wilson juniper, particularly the loss of moisture caused by high maximum temperatures in May–June.

Conclusions

Because of the wide distribution of shrub and dwarf shrub species on the central Tibetan Plateau, an exciting prospect was opened up to extend the presently existing tree-ring networks far up into one of the largest tundra regions of the world.     

青藏高原海北高寒湿地土壤呼吸对水位降低和氮添加的响应

近20年来, 青藏高原高寒湿地经历了明显的气候变化, 从而导致多数湿地水位下降和氮沉降的增加。对于湿地生态系统来说, 水位下降意味着土壤通气性能的改善, 可能会导致土壤呼吸的增加; 而氮沉降的增加可能会降低土壤微生物生物量和pH值, 从而可能抑制土壤呼吸。为此, 在青海海北高寒草地生态系统国家野外科学观测研究站利用中宇宙(Mesocosm)实验方法, 探讨了青藏高原高寒泥炭型湿地土壤呼吸对水位降低和氮添加的响应。结果表明: (1)水位降低显著增强了土壤呼吸, 而氮添加对土壤呼吸的影响依赖于水位的变化: 对照水位下, 氮添加显著抑制土壤呼吸; 而水位降低时, 氮添加对土壤呼吸速率无显著影响。(2)土壤呼吸速率与地上生物量、枯落物累积量之间呈显著正相关关系, 而与根系生物量无显著相关关系。(3)水位降低显著提高了土壤呼吸的温度敏感性, 而氮添加对其无显著的影响。因此预测: 随着氮沉降的升高, 高寒泥炭湿地土壤CO₂的排放量将会减少; 然而随着暖干化背景下水位的降低, 青藏高原高寒湿地会排放更多的CO₂。     

云贵高原喀斯特坡耕地土壤微生物量 C、N、P空间分布

土壤微生物是地球生物演化进程中的先锋种类,具有重要的生态修复功能,但空间分布格局是否存在的争议很大。以云贵高原典型喀斯特坡耕地为对象,基于网格法取样,用经典统计学和地统计学综合分析了土壤微生物生物量的空间变异特征。结果表明,云贵高原喀斯特坡耕地土壤微生物生物量碳(C_mic)、磷(P_mic)以及碳氮比(C_mic/N_mic)适宜,氮(N_mic)的含量较低,变异均很大,空间自相关性明显,最佳拟合模型均为指数模型。块金值C₀较小(0.0016-0.0087),C₀/(C₀+C)均<25%(2.6%-10.2%),变程a较短(22.2-51.0 m),其强烈的空间变异主要由结构性变异引起。Kriging等值线图表明,C_mic、N_mic和C_mic/N_mic的高值区分布在坡的中上部,P_mic的高值区则在坡的中下部和坡脚。云贵高原喀斯特坡耕地土壤微生物不仅存在着小尺度的空间分布格局,而且不同土壤微生物属性的空间分布不同。     

相关风险因子对高原鼠兔摄食行为的影响

研究了捕食风险环境中集和洞口距离对高原鼠兔摄食行为的影响。结果表明,集群数量的增加不仅降低了警觉行为,同时也减少了摄食行为,在高风险环境中,集群为1时的取食行为强度最大,低风险环境中,为0时最大,警觉行为主要出现在距洞口2m的范围内,其行为强度与洞口踪影职责负相关,当洞口距离大于3m时,风险处理区的高原鼠兔几乎无警觉行为出现,且该处理区的取食区域几乎压缩的洞口旁,研究结果表明,在捕食风险环境中,高原鼠兔摄食行为与集群和洞口距离之间具有复杂的关系,其行为决策反映了降低风险与摄取食物间的权衡,行为目标是在降低捕食风险的同时尽可能地取食食物。