胡杨异形叶结构型性状及其与胸径关系

对胡杨5种类型植株的叶片厚度、叶面积、比叶面积、叶片干重和干物质含量等5个结构型性状指标进行分析,研究叶片的结构型性状与胸径之间及各个结构型性状彼此间相互关系。结果表明:叶面积、叶厚度和叶干重与胸径呈极显著正相关(P0.01),叶片干物质含量与胸径间呈显著正相关(P0.05),比叶面积与胸径之间呈极显著负相关(P0.01),说明随着植株生长发育的进行,叶片的面积、厚度、干重和干物质含量均逐渐增加,而比叶面积逐渐减小。各性状指标间相关性表现为叶面积、叶厚度、叶干物质和叶片干物质含量任意2个指标之间均呈显著或极显著正相关;而比叶面积与这4个指标间均呈显著或极显著负相关。     

昆虫病原线虫对红火蚁的致病力及田间防控效果

红火蚁Solenopsis invicta Buren是一种国际重大外来入侵生物,严重危害农林生产、生命健康、公共安全和生态环境。本研究在室内条件下测定了小卷蛾斯氏线虫Steinernema carpocapsae All品系、长尾斯氏线虫S. longicaudum X-7品系和芫菁夜蛾斯氏线虫S. feltiae SN品系对红火蚁的致病力,并筛选出高致病力品系及其对红火蚁的田间防控效果。结果表明,不同昆虫病原线虫对红火蚁不同虫态的致病力存在显著差异。3种线虫对红火蚁幼虫具有较高的致病力,处理3 d后,幼虫的累计校正致死率均为100%。3种线虫对工蚁的致病力均较弱,处理10 d后的校正死亡率均小于30%。与芫菁夜蛾斯氏线虫SN品系相比,长尾斯氏线虫X-7品系和小卷蛾斯氏线虫All品系对蛹和生殖蚁具有较强的致病能力,10 d后累计校正死亡率均达到90%以上。田间试验表明,施用小卷蛾斯氏线虫All品系对红火蚁工蚁的防控效果最高可达63.7%,且不会增加红火蚁的迁巢风险。综上所述,小卷蛾斯氏线虫All品系和长尾斯氏线虫X-7品系为红火蚁的高致病品系,田间施用小卷蛾斯氏线虫All品系对红火蚁工蚁具有显著的控制作用,可推荐用于红火蚁的生物防治。     

Characterizing the Interaction between Root-knot Nematodes and Soil-borne Fungi which are Pathogenic to Passion Fruit (Passiflora Edulis)

For decades there have been anecdotal claims of synergistic interactions between plant-parasitic nematodes and soil-borne fungi causing decline of productivity of passion fruit (Passiflora edulis) orchards. An empirical confirmation of these disease complexes would impact disease management and plant breeding for resistance. To test those claims, we subjected passion fruit plants to single or concomitant parasitism by Meloidogyne javanica or M. incognita and Fusarium nirenbergiae or Neocosmospora sp. under controlled conditions. Non-inoculated plants served as control for the assays. The severity of shoot symptoms and variables related to plant growth, the extent of fungal lesions, and nematode reproduction were assessed to characterize the interactions. The shoot symptoms and effect on plant growth induced by the pathogens varied, but no synergy between the pathogens was observed. Moreover, the volume of tissue lesioned by the fungi was not affected by co-parasitism of the nematodes. Conversely, plant resistance to the nematodes was not affected by co-parasitism of the fungi. The interactions M. incognita-F. nirenbergiae, M. incognita-Neocosmospora sp., M. javanica-F. nirenbergiae, and M. javanica-Neocosmospora sp. were not synergistic as previously claimed, but instead neutral.     

基于高通量测序分析西藏北部高寒草甸不同深度土壤线虫群落分布特征

为了研究藏北高寒草甸土壤线虫多样性,于2017年8月,采用Illumina MiSeq测序技术,研究了西藏北部高寒草甸0—25 cm范围内不同深度土层的土壤线虫群落组成与结构特征。结果表明:5个不同深度共获得OTU 990个,隶属于3个纲,7个目,25个科,30个属,刺嘴纲Enoplea为共有优势土壤线虫群落;对样品进行Alpha多样性评价,计算Chao 1指数、Shannon指数和Ace指数,发现5—10 cm的土壤样品群落有较高的丰富度;属水平Heatmap图分析可知20—25、15—20、0—5、5—10、10—15 cm土壤线虫群落的组成相似性有一个递增的趋势。与不同深度藏北高山嵩草(盛长期)线虫群落结构相关性较大的土壤化学指标是K~+、含水率、有机质和Zn~(2+)。研究发现不同深度土壤线虫种类及丰度存在一定的差异,可为研究藏北高寒草地土壤线虫群落特点提供依据。     

A Review of the Potency of Plant Extracts and Compounds from Key Families as an Alternative to Synthetic Nematicides: History,Efficacy, and Current Developments

The global nematicides market is expected to continue growing. With an increasing demand for synthetic chemical-free organic foods, botanical nematicides are taking the lead as replacements. Consequently, in the recent years, there have been vigorous efforts towards identification of the active secondary metabolites from various plants. These include mostly glucosinolates and their hydrolysis products such as isothiocyanates; flavonoids, alkaloids, limonoids, quassinoids, saponins, and the more recently probed essential oils, among others. And despite their overwhelming potential, variabilities in quality, efficacy, potency and composition continue to persist, and commercialization of new botanical nematicides is still lagging. Herein, we have reviewed the history of botanical nematicides and regional progresses, the potency of the identified phytochemicals from the key important plant families, and deciphered some of the impediments involved in standardization of the active compounds in addition to the concerns over the safety of the purified compounds to non-target microbial communities.     

Effect of Soil Water Potential on Growth of Apple Trees Infected with Pratylenchus penetrans

Malling-Merton 106 apple rootstocks inoculated with Pratylenchus penetrans, or uninoculated, were grown in a growth chamber in pots of loamy sand maintained at two moisture levels, 0 to -0.4 bar or 0 to -10 bars. Either inoculation or low soil moisture suppressed shoot growth and increased root necrosis. However, the nematode-soil moisture interaction was not significant.     

Effect of Short-Chain Fatty Acids and Soil Atmosphere on Tylenchorhynchus spp.

Short-chain fatty acids can be produced under anaerobic conditions by fermentative soil microbes and have nematicidal properties. We evaluated the effects of butyric and propionic acids on death and recovery of stunt nematodes (Tylenchorhynchus spp.), a common parasite of turfgrass. Nematodes in a sand-soil mix (80:20) were treated with butyric or propionic acid and incubated under air or N₂ for 7 days at 25 °C. Amendment of soil with 0.1 and 1.0 µmol (8.8 and 88 µg) butyric acid/g soil or 1.0 µmol (74 µg) propionic acid/g soil resulted in the death of all nematodes. The composition of the soil atmosphere had no effect on the nematicidal activity of the acids. Addition of hydrochloric acid to adjust soil pH to 4.4 and 3.5 resulted in nematode mortality relative to controls (41% to 86%) but to a lesser degree than short-chain fatty acids at the same pH. Nematodes did not recover after a 28-day period following addition of 10 µmol butyric acid/g soil under air or N₂. Carbon mineralization decreased during this period, whereas levels of inorganic N and microbial biomass-N remained constant. Short-chain fatty acids appear to be effective in killing Tylenchorhynchus spp. independent of atmospheric composition. Nematode mortality appears to be a function of the type and concentration of fatty acid and soil pH.     

Agriculture erases climate constraints on soil nematode communities across large spatial scales

Anthropogenic conversion of natural to agricultural land reduces aboveground biodiversity. Yet, the overall consequences of land‐use changes on belowground biodiversity at large scales remain insufficiently explored. Furthermore, the effects of conversion on different organism groups are usually determined at the taxonomic level, while an integrated investigation that includes functional and phylogenetic levels is rare and absent for belowground organisms. Here, we studied the Earth's most abundant metazoa—nematodes—to examine the effects of conversion from natural to agricultural habitats on soil biodiversity across a large spatial scale. To this aim, we investigated the diversity and composition of nematode communities at the taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic level in 16 assemblage pairs (32 sites in total with 16 in each habitat type) in mainland China. While the overall alpha and beta diversity did not differ between natural and agricultural systems, all three alpha diversity facets decreased with latitude in natural habitats. Both alpha and beta diversity levels were driven by climatic differences in natural habitats, while none of the diversity levels changed in agricultural systems. This indicates that land conversion affects soil biodiversity in a geographically dependent manner and that agriculture could erase climatic constraints on soil biodiversity at such a scale. Additionally, the functional composition of nematode communities was more dissimilar in agricultural than in natural habitats, while the phylogenetic composition was more similar, indicating that changes among different biodiversity facets are asynchronous. Our study deepens the understanding of land‐use effects on soil nematode diversity across large spatial scales. Moreover, the detected asynchrony of taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity highlights the necessity to monitor multiple facets of soil biodiversity in ecological studies such as those investigating environmental changes.     

Gastro-intestinal transport of calcium and cadmium in fresh water and seawater acclimated trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Transport of calcium (Ca) and cadmium (Cd) was examined along the gastro-intestinal tract (GIT) of freshwater and seawater Oncorhynchus mykiss irideus (FWT and SWTies respectively) using in vitro and in vivo experiments. Based on known physiological differences between FWT and SWT which aid in regulating ion levels and osmolarity, we hypothesized that SWT would have lower rates of Ca uptake. Also, we predicted that Cd rates would also be lower because Cd is known to share a common transport mechanism with Ca. Kinetics of Ca and Cd transport were determined using mucosal salines of varying concentrations [1, 10, 30, 60, and 100 (mmol L^− 1 for Ca, μmol L^− 1 for Cd)]. Linear and saturating relationships were found for Ca for FWT and SWT, but overall SWT had lower rates. Linear and/or saturating relationships were also found for Cd uptake, but rates varied little between fish types. Elevated Ca had no inhibitory effect on Cd transport, and Ca channel blockers nifedipine and verapamil had little effect on Ca or Cd uptake. However, lanthanum reduced Ca transport into some compartments. A 21 day in vivo feeding experiment was also performed where FWT and SWT were exposed to control diets or Cd-spiked diets (552 μg Cd g^− 1 food). Whole body Cd uptake between fish types was similar, but the majority of Cd in SWT remained in the posterior intestine tissue, while FWT transported more Cd through their gut wall. Overall it appears that large differences in Ca and Cd uptake between FWT and SWT exist, with SWT generally having lower rates.     

Helminth Collection and Identification from Wildlife

Wild animals are commonly parasitized by a wide range of helminths. The four major types of helminths are "roundworms" (nematodes), "thorny-headed worms" (acanthocephalans), "flukes" (trematodes), and "tapeworms" (cestodes). The optimum method for collecting helminths is to examine a host that has been dead less than 4-6 hr since most helminths will still be alive. A thorough necropsy should be conducted and all major organs examined. Organs are washed over a 106 μm sieve under running water and contents examined under a stereo microscope. All helminths are counted and a representative number are fixed (either in 70% ethanol, 10% buffered formalin, or alcohol-formalin-acetic acid). For species identification, helminths are either cleared in lactophenol (nematodes and small acanthocephalans) or stained (trematodes, cestodes, and large acanthocephalans) using Harris'' hematoxylin or Semichon''s carmine. Helminths are keyed to species by examining different structures (e.g. male spicules in nematodes or the rostellum in cestodes). The protocols outlined here can be applied to any vertebrate animal. They require some expertise on recognizing the different organs and being able to differentiate helminths from other tissue debris or gut contents. Collection, preservation, and staining are straightforward techniques that require minimal equipment and reagents. Taxonomic identification, especially to species, can be very time consuming and might require the submission of specimens to an expert or DNA analysis.