翠菊根系养分捕获形态塑性及其生理机制

为验证以下3个假设: 1) NO₃ ^-和NH₄ ⁺及其不同供给方式显著影响根系生长; 2) NO₃ ^-和NH₄ ⁺以及不同供给方式对根内激素含量影响显著; 3)根构型(1级根长、单位2级根上1级侧根密度(分枝强度)和1级根在2级根上的根间距)与根内激素(生长素(IAA)、脱落酸(ABA)和细胞分裂素(玉米素核苷+玉米素) (CK (ZR + Z))含量显著相关, 采用营养液培养方法, 使实验植物翠菊(Callistephus chinensis)在两种氮肥(NO₃ ^-和NH₄ ⁺)、不同施氮浓度(NO₃ ^-: 0.2、1.0和18.0 mmol·L ^-1; NH₄ ⁺: 0.2、4.0和20.0 mmol·L ^-1), 以及脉冲和稳定两种施用方式处理下生长。在处理35天后收获植物, 测定根系生物量、根系构型指标(根系1级根长、单位2级根上1级侧根数和1级根在2级根上的根间距)和根系中激素含量(IAA、ABA和CK (ZR + Z))。结果显示: 1)实验处理对根生物量和根系中IAA、ABA和CK (ZR + Z)含量均有不同程度的显著影响: 施用NH₄ ⁺使根生物量和根内IAA含量显著低于施用NO₃ ^-; 高浓度NO₃ ^-和NH₄ ⁺处理亦使根生物量和IAA降低; 相对于稳定处理, 脉冲施氮显著降低根生物量和根内IAA含量; NO₃ ^-使根内CK (ZR + Z)含量显著高于施用NH₄ ⁺, 且与施氮浓度及施氮方式无关; NO₃ ^-处理下, 高浓度使根内ABA含量提高, 且脉冲处理使ABA含量升高。NH₄ ⁺处理下, 高浓度使根内ABA含量降低, 而施氮方式对其没有显著影响。2)根构型因素与根内激素关系各异: 各激素与1级根间距无显著关系; IAA和CK (ZR + Z)与1级根长和侧根密度有显著回归关系。3)根构型因素与根生物量的关系是根生物量与1级根长和侧根密度有显著正回归关系, 与1级根间距无显著回归关系。实验结果表明翠菊根生长的 “反常”可能是由于其对脉冲高浓度NH₄ ⁺耐受阈值低所致。该研究通过实验建立了氮养分种类/供应方式通过改变激素、影响根构型而影响根生长的联系, 进一步探究了植物根养分捕获塑性机制。     

Phylogenetic analysis of the ecology and evolution of mammalian sleep

The amount of time asleep varies greatly in mammals, from 3 h in the donkey to 20 h in the armadillo. Previous comparative studies have suggested several functional explanations for interspecific variation in both the total time spent asleep and in rapid-eye movement (REM) or "quiet" (non-REM) sleep. In support of specific functional benefits of sleep, these studies reported correlations between time in specific sleep states (NREM or REM) and brain size, metabolic rate, and developmental variables. Here we show that estimates of sleep duration are significantly influenced by the laboratory conditions under which data are collected and that, when analyses are limited to data collected under more standardized procedures, traditional functional explanations for interspecific variation in sleep durations are no longer supported. Specifically, we find that basal metabolic rate correlates negatively rather than positively with sleep quotas, and that neither adult nor neonatal brain mass correlates positively with REM or NREM sleep times. These results contradict hypotheses that invoke energy conservation, cognition, and development as drivers of sleep variation. Instead, the negative correlations of both sleep states with basal metabolic rate and diet are consistent with trade-offs between sleep and foraging time. In terms of predation risk, both REM and NREM sleep quotas are reduced when animals sleep in more exposed sites, whereas species that sleep socially sleep less. Together with the fact that REM and NREM sleep quotas correlate strongly with each other, these results suggest that variation in sleep primarily reflects ecological constraints acting on total sleep time, rather than the independent responses of each sleep state to specific selection pressures. We propose that, within this ecological framework, interspecific variation in sleep duration might be compensated by variation in the physiological intensity of sleep.     

土壤水势对水曲柳幼苗水分生态的影响

采用根区渗灌控水技术,将土壤水势长期控制在0～-20kPa(W₁)、-20～-40kPa(W₂)、-40～-60kPa(W₃)、-60～-80kPa(W₄)、-80～-160kPa(W₅)范围内,系统地研究了不同土壤水势条件下水曲柳幼苗的蒸腾过程、吸水过程、根叶水势日动态过程及SPAC体系的水流阻力.结果表明,在亚饱和土壤水分状态下(W₁),细根水势最高,水分由土壤进入细根的阻力最小,根系吸水速率最高,从而支持了日间强烈的蒸腾作用.在田间持水量土壤水分状态下(W₂),细根吸水阻力成倍增加,吸水速率和蒸腾速率显著下降,但尚未改变蒸腾作用日动态过程的单峰模式.当土壤水分在田间持水量状态以下(W₃～W₅)时,随着土壤水势递降,细根吸水阻力急剧增加至几倍乃至几十倍,根系吸水速率过低,吸水与蒸腾矛盾加剧,叶水势降至很低,气孔关闭,蒸腾作用受到严重抑制,呈现明显的午休低谷.在实验范围内(0～-160kPa),土壤水分对水曲柳幼苗是非等效的,当土壤水分在田间持水量状态以下(<-40kPa)时,水曲柳全光苗发生显著的水分胁迫.     

土壤水势对水曲柳幼苗水分生态的影响

采用根区渗灌控水技术,将土壤水势长期控制在0～-20kPa(W1)、-20～-40kPa(W2)、-40～-60kPa(W3)、-60～-80kPa(W4)、-80～-160kPa(W5)范围内,系统地研究了不同土壤水势条件下水曲柳幼苗的蒸腾过程、吸水过程、根叶水势13动态过程及SPAC体系的水流阻力,结果表明,在亚饱和土壤水分状态下(W1),细根水势最高,水分由土壤进入细根的阻力最小,根系吸水速率最高,从而支持了13间强烈的蒸腾作用．在田间持水量土壤水分状态下(W2),细根吸水阻力成倍增加,吸水速率和蒸腾速率显著下降,但尚未改变蒸腾作用13动态过程的单峰模式．当土壤水分在田间持水量状态以下(W3-W5)时,随着土壤水势递降,细根吸水阻力急剧增加至几倍乃至几十倍,根系吸水速率过低,吸水与蒸腾矛盾加剧,叶水势降至很低,气孔关闭,蒸腾作用受到严重抑制,呈现明显的午休低谷．在实验范围内(0～-160kPa),土壤水分对水曲柳幼苗是非等效的,当土壤水分在田间持水量状态以下(<-40kPa)时,水曲柳全光苗发生显著的水分胁迫。     

太白红杉分枝格局的可塑性研究

研究了不同竞争类型和地形因子对太白红杉分枝格局的影响。结果发现：(1)处于不同竞争地位的太白红杉分枝格局有较大差异,主要是分枝率、枝长和枝间距变化明显;(2)太白红杉南、北方向的分枝格局有明显差异,主要是分枝率、枝长和末级枝的分枝角度的差异;而东、西方向上无明显差异;(3)由于受到地形的影响,太白红杉个体中存在明显的侧枝上转现象。研究结果表明：处于不同竞争地位的太白红杉植株在分枝格局上表现出明显的差异,太白红杉不同方位的分枝也具有较大的差异,说明太白红杉植冠构型具有较强的形态可塑性和适应性。     

The 'hydrology' of leaves: co-ordination of structure and function in temperate woody species

The hydraulic conductance of the leaf lamina (K_lamina) substantially constrains whole‐plant water transport, but little is known of its association with leaf structure and function. K_lamina was measured for sun and shade leaves of six woody temperate species growing in moist soil, and tested for correlation with the prevailing leaf irradiance, and with 22 other leaf traits. K_lamina varied from 7.40 × 10^?5 kg m^?2 s^?1 MPa^?1 for Acer saccharum shade leaves to 2.89 × 10^?4 kg m^?2 s^?1 MPa^?1 for Vitis labrusca sun leaves. Tree sun leaves had 15–67% higher K_lamina than shade leaves. K_lamina was co‐ordinated with traits associated with high water flux, including leaf irradiance, petiole hydraulic conductance, guard cell length, and stomatal pore area per lamina area. K_lamina was also co‐ordinated with lamina thickness, water storage capacitance, 1/mesophyll water transfer resistance, and, in five of the six species, with lamina perimeter/area. However, for the six species, K_lamina was independent of inter‐related leaf traits including leaf dry mass per area, density, modulus of elasticity, osmotic potential, and cuticular conductance. K_lamina was thus co‐ordinated with structural and functional traits relating to liquid‐phase water transport and to maximum rates of gas exchange, but independent of other traits relating to drought tolerance and to aspects of carbon economy.     

Morphological stasis in the Eurytemora affinis species complex (Copepoda: Temoridae)

Morphological stasis has long been regarded as one of the most challenging problems in evolutionary biology. This study focused on the copepod species complex, Eurytemora affinis, as a model system to determine pattern and degree of morphological stasis. This study revealed discordant rates of morphological differentiation, molecular evolution, and reproductive isolation, where speciation was accompanied by lack of morphological differentiation in secondary sex characters. Comparisons were made among phylogenies based on morphometrics, nuclear (allozyme) loci, and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences from cytochrome oxidase I, for a total of 43 populations within the complex. These systematic relationships were also compared to patterns of reproductive isolation. In addition, genetic subdivision of nuclear molecular (allozyme) markers (G _ST) and quantitative (morphological) characters (Q _ST) were determined to infer evolutionary forces driving morphological differentiation. The morphometric phylogeny revealed that all clades, excluding the European clade, were morphologically undifferentiated and formed a polytomy (multifurcation). Morphometric distances were not correlated with mtDNA distances, or with patterns of reproductive isolation. In contrast, nuclear and mtDNA phylogenies were mostly congruent. Reproductive isolation proved to be the most sensitive indicator of speciation, given that two genetically and morphologically proximate populations showed evidence of hybrid breakdown. Quantitative genetic (morphological) subdivision (Q _ST = 0.162) was lower than nuclear genetic subdivision (G _ST = 0.617) for four laboratory-reared North American populations, indicating retarded evolution of morphological characters. This result contrasts with most other species, where Q _ST typically exceeds G _ST as a result of directional selection. Thus, in all but the European populations, evolution of the secondary sex characters was marked by morphological stasis, even between reproductively-isolated populations.     

Effects of light availability on growth, architecture and nutrient content of the seagrass Zostera noltii Hornem

The growth vs. irradiance response of the seagrass Zostera noltii from Cadiz Bay Natural Park (southwestern Spain) was characterised. Plants were exposed along 14 days to different light treatments (1%, 7%, 42% and 100% surface irradiance, SI), using shade screens in an outdoor mesocosm. Growth at 100% SI (1.6 mg DW plant⁻¹ day⁻¹) was lower than that at 42% SI (2.4 mg DW plant⁻¹ day⁻¹), suggesting photoinhibition. The minimum light requirement estimated was 0.8 mol photons m⁻² day⁻¹ (2% SI). Light availability affected the pattern of plant development and the overall plant growth. The contribution of the apical shoots to the aboveground production was nearly constant (c.a. 1.13 cm plant⁻¹ day⁻¹) regardless of the light level (except at 1% SI). In contrast, recruitment and growth of lateral shoots arising from the main rhizome axes accounted for the observed differences in aboveground growth. Rhizome branching was only observed at 42% SI. The possibility of a light threshold for rhizome branching could explain the seasonality of shoot recruitment, as well as the observed decrease in shoot density along depth (or light) gradients in seagrass meadows. Carbon demands at low irradiances (1% and 7% SI) were partially met by mobilization of carbohydrate reserves (sucrose in belowground and starch in aboveground parts). Plant nitrogen content decreased with increasing light, especially in belowground parts, reaching critical levels for growth.