Viral metagenomics analysis of planktonic viruses in East Lake, Wuhan, China

East Lake (Lake Donghu), located in Wuhan, China, is a typical city freshwater lake that has been experiencing eutrophic conditions and algal blooming during recent years. Marine and fresh water are considered to contain a large number of viruses. However, little is known about their genetic diversity because of the limited techniques for culturing viruses. In this study, we conducted a viral metagenomic analysis using a high-throughput sequencing technique with samples collected from East Lake in Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. The libraries from four samples each generated 234,669, 71,837, 12,820, and 34,236 contigs (> 90 bp each), respectively. The genetic structure of the viral community revealed a high genetic diversity covering 23 viral families, with the majority of contigs homologous to DNA viruses, including members of Myoviridae, Podoviridae, Siphoviridae, Phycodnaviridae, and Microviridae, which infect bacteria or algae, and members of Circoviridae, which infect invertebrates and vertebrates. The highest viral genetic diversity occurred in samples collected in August, then December and June, and the least diversity in March. Most contigs have low-sequence identities with known viruses. PCR detection targeting the conserved sequences of genes (g20, psbA, psbD, and DNApol) of cyanophages further confirmed that there are novel cyanophages in the East Lake. Our viral metagenomic data provide the first preliminary understanding of the virome in one freshwater lake in China and would be helpful for novel virus discovery and the control of algal blooming in the future.     

Temporal changes in species diversity and composition in abandoned fields in a <Emphasis Type="Italic">trans</Emphasis>-Himalayan landscape,Nepal

Secondary succession is an increasing phenomenon due to global changes in agriculture policies and practices. The empirical findings are biased towards the temperate zone. Abandonment of agriculture fields is less frequent in the subtropical and tropical zones where agriculture areas are, in general, expanding. But there are exceptions; a rapid rate of abandonment of agricultural fields have taken place in the arid trans-Himalayan region, due to today’s globalization of economy. We analysed agriculture fields that were abandoned between 1950 and 2003 in a large u-valley in central Nepal (3400 m a.s.l.). The potential forest vegetation is dominated by Pinus wallichina and shrubs of junipers and cotoneaster species. We tested the intermediate richness hypothesis in relation to vegetation cover, soil development and whether old-field succession is convergent or divergent with species data from 242 1 m² plots in 5 age-classes. The main species compositional turnover expressed by Detrended Correspondence Analyses (DCA) correlated, as expected, with time after abandonment. Fields that were abandoned a long time ago are closer to forest at the periphery of the agricultural landscape. Moisture of the soil significantly increased with age of abandonment, but total vegetation cover and pH were negatively related to age. Beta diversity expressed in DCA SD-units showed an increasing trend with age of abandonment, supporting the divergence pattern in old-field succession. The reason why the succession is not converging may be due to browsing by domestic animals that prevent a closed canopy of pines and juniper to develop. There was a significant hump-shaped pattern in species richness along the temporal gradient, which agrees with the intermediate species-richness hypothesis. There was a rapid increase in species richness in plots close to the villages that were used for haymaking which increased the seed input significantly.     

内蒙古清水河县姑姑庵汉代墓地人骨研究

本文对内蒙古清水河县姑姑庵墓地出土的13例汉代的颅骨(男性6例, 女性7例)进行了体质人类学的研究, 该组颅骨在种族特征上可归入现代亚洲蒙古人种中的东亚人种范围。在若干古代和现代对比组中,姑姑庵汉代居民的体质特征与将军沟组、近代华北组最为接近,很可能是来自中原地区的移民或是当地早期中原移民的后裔。     

First report of the potentially toxic marine diatom Pseudo‐nitzschia simulans (Bacillariophyceae) from the East Australian Current

Certain species of the marine diatom genus Pseudo‐nitzschia are responsible for the production of the domoic acid (DA), a neurotoxin that can bioaccumulate in the food chain and cause amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP) in animals and humans. This study extends our knowledge by reporting on the first observation of the potentially toxic species Pseudo‐nitzschia simulans from this region. One clonal strain of P. simulans was isolated from the East Australian Current and characterized using light and transmission electron microscopy, and phylogenetic analyses based on regions of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and the D1–D3 region of the large subunit (LSU) of the nuclear‐encoded ribosomal deoxyribonucleic acid (rDNA), as well as examined for DA production as measured by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. Although this strain was non‐toxic under the defined growth conditions, the results unambiguously confirmed that this isolate is the potentially toxic species P. simulans – the first report of this species from the Southern Hemisphere.     

上海南京东路热舒适分析与评价

为探析夏热冬冷地区城市街道的空间因子对小气候与人体热舒适的影响及相互作用规律,通过对上海南京东路步行街中典型的风景园林空间按顶面遮蔽方式分为4种空间类型下的12个测点进行冬夏两季小气候实测及热舒适问卷调查,分析不同顶面遮蔽对风景园林小气候风湿热的影响差异,并结合热舒适评价指标的计算和使用者热舒适问卷,评价不同顶面遮蔽空间下人体热舒适感受。结果显示：1）根据热舒适问卷,建筑遮蔽区位于街道北侧的悬挑区在冬季最舒适,夏季最舒适的是树荫全遮蔽区;2）通过改善空间遮蔽程度与类型,根据风向与距街道十字交叉口的距离合理进行街道设计可以对街道中的太阳辐射与风环境产生显著影响,从而改善街道热舒适;3）采用生理等效温度（PET）指标计算的热中性范围冬季是16.90~28.95℃,夏季是9.05~22.57℃;4）PET评价在高温季节低估了风速对热舒适的影响,提出了基于问卷的热舒适预测方程。可为未来城市街道的舒适性规划建设提供经验与参考。     

东亚中更新世古人类下颔第二臼齿釉质-齿质连接面三维形状和釉质厚度分布

东亚中更新世古人类在头骨、下颌骨、牙齿等解剖部位表现出不同程度的形态多样性,中期成员代表为直立人,而晚期成员的演化地位具有较大争议。为进一步了解东亚中更新世古人类内部的形态变异特点和为东亚中更新世晚期古人类分类提供依据,本文使用微分同胚的表面匹配（Diffeomorphic Surface Matching, DSM）和形态测量图（Morphometric map）对下颌第二臼齿（M₂）釉质-齿质连接面的形状和齿冠侧面釉质厚度分布模式进行了量化分析。结果显示：1）东亚中更新世古人类与晚期人属成员（尼安德特人和现代人）存在较明显的形态差别;2）该时段晚期的东亚古人类相对中期直立人在侧面釉质厚度分布规律上具有独特性,并在釉质-齿质连接面的三维形状上与晚期人属成员更加接近。本文在以往对东亚中更新世古人类牙齿内外结构单个性状研究的基础上,使用三维形态测量方法进一步量化了M₂釉质-齿质连接面三维形状和侧面釉质厚度分布模式两项重要特征的变异特点,这对未来该时段同类型牙齿的形态鉴定以及解决东亚中更新世晚期古人类的分类地位具有一定意义。     

东海水母类丰度的动力学特征

本文根据1997-2000年东海23°30′-33°N、118°30′-128°E海域4个季节海洋调查资料,探讨了东海水母类数量变化特征和相应的动力学。结果表明:水母类是东海浮游动物的第三大类群,其丰度仅次于桡足类和海樽类;其数量有明显的季节变化,春季丰度最高(5·37ind·/m3),秋季次之(2·23ind·/m3),冬季(1·82ind·/m3),夏季最低(0·88ind·/m3);其平面分布特征为近海高于外海;其数量变化首先来自优势种大西洋五角水母(Muggiaeaatlantica)和双生水母(Diphyeschamissonis)的贡献,前者是近岸暖温种,后者是近岸暖水种;春季丰度变化与表层和底层盐度二元线性相关,夏季与底层水温相关,秋季与底层盐度相关,冬季与表层盐度相关,4季总丰度与10m层盐度相关。盐度是影响水母类数量变化的主要环境动力学因子,水温是次要因子;水母类高丰度区往往位于台湾暖流与长江径流交汇处偏冲淡水水团一侧。长江冲淡水在不同季节入海后的流向是决定高丰度分布区位置重要的动力学因子。该类浮游动物对沿海海域生物安全、生态安全和环境安全都有重要的影响,引起全球的普遍关注。     

东海具齿原甲藻的扫描电子显微结构

在光学显微镜分析鉴定的基础上,通过高分辨率的扫描电子显微镜,对东海赤潮原甲藻标本和美国国家海洋藻种中心(CCMP)的具齿原甲藻(Prorocentrum dentatum)藻株(CCMPl517)的细胞表面结构进行观察和比较,认为两者为同一种类．在分析大量文献资料的基础上,可以认为发生在我国东海水域的赤潮原甲藻种类是具齿原甲藻(Prorocentrum dentatum),而非新种．     

On the patterns of abundance and diversity of macrolichens of Chopta-Tunganath in the Garhwal Himalaya

A total of 3211 colonies of macrolichens, from twelve 50 m × 10 m plots distributed across four macrohabitat (vegetation) types between 1500 m–3700 m in the Chopta-Tunganath landscape of the Garhwal Himalaya, yielded 13 families with 15 genera and 85 species.Lobaria retigera stood out as a broad-niched generalist species with moderate levels of abundance in all the three major microhabitats, viz. rock, soil and wood across 83% of all the plots sampled, whereasUmbilicaria indica emerged as an abundantly occurring specialist confined to rock substrates.Heterodermia incana andLeptogium javanicum appeared to be rare members of the community as they were encountered only once during the field survey. Woody microhabitats turned out to be richer than rock and soil substrates for macrolichens. Amongst the macrohabitats, middle altitude (2500–2800 m)Quercus forest was richest in species and genera followed by high altitude (2900–3200 m)Rhododendron forest, higher altitude grasslands (3300–3700 m) and then the lower elevation (1500 m)Quercus forest. Species, genus and family level alphaas well as beta-diversities were significantly correlated with each other, implying that higher taxonomic ranks such as genera may be used as surrogates for species thus facilitating cost- and time-effective periodic monitoring of the biodiversity of macrolichens. Dynamics of the diversity of lichen communities in relation to various forms of environmental disturbance including livestock grazing and tourism as dominant land use activities in the higher Himalaya need further research.     

用气象卫星对东亚季风区的生态过渡带的遥感监测研究

用极轨气象卫星的归一化植被指数(NDVI)对中国东亚季风区的生态过渡带(样带)进行遥感监测研究。研究结果表明,在过渡带内的各个生态区的NDVI与东亚季风进退的关系极为密切。在正常季风年NDVI有正常分布;在异常季风年,NDVI呈反常分布;把遥感过渡带内季风气候的变化简化为遥感生态区植被指数的变化。分析了在过渡带内主要生态区,即荒漠草原、干草原、草甸草原、农耕区、森林区ND-VI的变化规律,以及旬NDVI与旬降水量之间的关系。在过渡带内每年NDVI随时间变化的曲线形状可以作为每年季风气候变化特征的量度。