Measuring Success: Evaluating the Restoration of a Grassy Eucalypt Woodland on the Cumberland Plain, Sydney, Australia

Abstract We compared the floristic composition and structure of restoration areas of eucalypt woodland with untreated pasture (control) and remnant vegetation (reference) in western Sydney. The restored areas comprised over 1,000 ha of abandoned pasture, which had been treated to reduce weeds and planted with seedlings of 26 native plant species raised from seed obtained locally from remnant vegetation. Plantings were carried out 0–9 years ago. Floristic composition was measured in quadrats using frequency scores and cover abundance. As far as possible treatments and restoration ages were replicated across sites. Ordination and analyses of similarity failed to distinguish the composition of restored vegetation from that of untreated pasture, which were both significantly different from that of remnant vegetation. There was a weak compositional trend with age of restored vegetation, but this was not in the direction of increasing resemblance to remnant vegetation. There was some evidence for convergence in structural features of restored with remnant vegetation, but this was at least partly attributed to plant growth. Subject to constraints imposed by the sampling design, environmental factors, and spatial variation were discounted as explanations for the results. The results therefore suggest either failure of restoration treatments or a restoration trajectory that is too slow to detect within 10 years of establishment. Our conclusions agree with those of similar studies in other ecosystems and support: (1) the need to monitor restoration projects against ecological criteria with rigorous sampling designs and analytical methods, (2) further development of restoration methods, and (3) regulatory approaches that seek to prevent damage to ecosystems rather than those predicated on replacing losses with reconstructed ecosystems.     

Simplified methods for monitoring petroleum‐contaminated ground water and soil vapor

Portable meters and simplified gas Chromatographic (GC) techniques were investigated for monitoring volatile hydrocarbon (HC), CO₂, and O₂, concentrations in groundwater, exhaust gases, and soil vapor during in situ remediation using soil vapor extraction (SVE) and air sparging (AS). Results of groundwater samples analyzed in‐house using a headspace technique compared well to split samples analyzed by a certified analytical laboratory (r² = 0.94). SVE exhaust gas HC and CO₂ concentrations measured using a GT201 portable HC/O₂ meter and a RA‐411A meter (GasTech), respectively, were highly correlated with in‐house laboratory GC analyses (r² = 0.91). O₂ concentrations fell in a small range and meter analyses were not well correlated with laboratory analyses. Results of soil gas monitoring were not as well correlated as those for exhaust gases for HC, CO₂, or O₂, perhaps due to environmental conditions such as changes in relative humidity or the wider range of soil gas values. Overall, the meters were good indicators of vapor contamination, they greatly simplified estimates of total HC mass removal, and they allowed estimates of the biological contribution to contaminant removal during the remediation process.     

Isolation of carp cDNA clones,representing developmentally-regulated genes,using a subtractive-hybridization strategy

A subtractive-hybridization technique, combined with differential screenings and subsequent whole mount in situ hybridization (ISH) reactions, was used to isolate novel cDNA clones representing developmentally-regulated genes of carp. Small-scale differential screenings of an oocyte and a segmentation-stage cDNA library using oocyte-specific and segmentation stage-specific enriched probes, yielded 75 positive clones. ISH screening showed that 65% (15) of the oocyte-stage clones and 50% (26) of the segmentation-stage clones were indeed stage-specific. Partial sequence analysis suggests that approximately 65% of the 41 stage-specific clones represent novel genes. In addition, an Otxl clone was isolated. Two novel clones and the Otxl clone are of special interest for developmental studies. The clones represent genes that are locally expressed during embryonic development. The expression patterns of Otxl and one of the novel clones suggest functions in specification of the anterior-posterior axis. The three clones provide molecular markers for the study of gastrulation and the patterning of the a-p axis in teleosts.     

高压静电场分离水稻、油菜及芝麻种子对萌发期生物效应的影响

落入高压静电场内的水稻、芝麻及油菜种子,在场的作用下,即产生沿电场方向的位移,在同一跌落高度下,重量基本相同的种子,其分离距离产生很大的差异,且分离距离与种子的发芽率及发芽势的改善程度存在着较为明显的相关关系,研究中证实,种子活力强度得到提高,其α淀粉酶活性、蛋白酶活性、脂肪酶活性及电导率得到明显的改善。     

南美香瓜梨离体培养快速复壮繁殖的研究

南美香瓜梨茎段被移植在ＭＳ基本培养基上,其中添加有ＢＡ６．０（ｍｇ／Ｌ以下单位相同）、ＩＢＡ０．２培养４周后增殖到３．８倍。用其嫩叶切块,在含有２,４—Ｄ０．５,ＢＡ０．２５的ＭＳ培养基上先诱导形成绿色愈伤组织,然后转入含ＢＡ６．０和ＩＢＡ０．２的ＭＳ培养基上,产生丛生不定芽。将２．５～３．０ｃｍ的不定芽切下移入含ＩＢＡ０．５与０．２％活性炭,１／２ＭＳ无机盐的培养基上,２５天后诱导生根,移栽成活率达９０％以上。     

豆田刺吸类害虫、天敌自然种群消长规律及其群落结构的研究

在豆田群落中,常见的天敌昆虫及有益生物为12科13种,它们对寄主均有很强的选择性．小花蝽是大豆蚜的主要天敌,系优势种,其次是龟纹瓢虫．大青叶蝉的主要天敌是蜘蛛类,三突花蛛和草间小黑蛛为优势种．在长期不施用农药的环境下,天敌自然种群对控制害虫发生危害的作用明显．经数学分析,建立了12个数学模型,进一步揭示了两种刺吸类害虫与其天敌之间的关系;天敌种群消长、害虫种群消长与时间变动的关系．尤其通过对豆田群落生物的多样性、稳定性动态分析,表明豆田群落在8月9日至8月29日多样性指数和稳定性指数最大;同时亦表明豆田群落的多样性指数愈高,群落的稳定性愈强．     

北方稻田生态系统水量平衡及水分效率研究

１９９３～１９９５年研究了５种不同模式水稻田生态系统水量平衡及水分效率结果表明,不同水稻田模式其总耗水量之间有明显差异,其中节水模式和节水节肥模式较常规模式节省灌溉水达１５～２３％,水分生产效率增加３０％以上．各模式蒸发蒸腾耗水量在同一生长季内基本相同．田间结构及调控管理对其无明显影响实测水稻生育期田间蒸发蒸腾量与计算的可能蒸发蒸腾量相差不过５％。     

原位缺口平移标记断裂DNA技术及其在检测流行性出血热尸检和实验动物组织中细胞凋亡和早期死亡的应用

原位缺口平移技术（ＩＳＮＴ）已被用于检测细胞核中ＤＮＡ断裂鉴别尸检组织中细胞的凋亡和坏死断裂、流行性出血热（ＥＨＦ）组织中存在散在单个细胞变性死亡和灶性梗死样坏死,前者带有细胞凋亡的特征。本文以ＥＨＦ肝脏和实验性病毒感染鼠脑组织为例,应用缺口平移法,在ＤＮＡ聚合酶或Ｋｌｅｎｏｗ酶的作用下,将地高辛标记的ｄＵＴＰ掺入合成到ＤＮＡ的断裂部位,通过碱性磷酸酶标抗地高辛抗体免疫组化法显示细胞ＤＮＡ的断裂,检测和鉴别细胞的凋亡和坏死。为分析死后解剖时间间隔及组织固定时间对该方法的影响,本文选用死后２～１４０ｈ尸检、经常规固定石蜡包埋后存放１０～３５年的标本和在１０％福尔马林固定了１０～３５年之后再进行常规处理的标本。实验时用蛋白酶Ｋ（ＰＫ）消化前后对比并分别在标记反应液中略去ＤＮＡ聚合酶作为阴性对照,用ＤＮＡ酶消化组织人为制造ＤＮＡ缺日作为阳性对照。结果发现,未经ＰＫ消化的组织,仅灶性肝细胞核ＩＳＮＴ标记阳性,经ＰＫ消化后,散在的带有凋亡特征的肝细胞胞核也出现阳性,灶性肝细胞胞核标记染色增强,但无论是蛋白酶消化与否,明确梗死样坏死的肝细胞均不被标记。结果还发现,死后２～２４ｈ内尸检组织和长时间（１０～３４年）存放的石     

北方稻田生态系统研究Ⅱ．稻萍结合系统细绿萍共生固N量研究

对稻萍结合系统细绿萍共生固Ｎ量研究表明,萍的固Ｎ力在整个生长季不同时期有所变化．最高固Ｎ率出现在６月初,萍固Ｎ量随其接种量和水稻行距增加而增加．５０～１０ｃｍ宽窄行交替的水稻行距和１５００ｋｇ·ｈｍ－２的萍接种量的稻萍结合系统的总固Ｎ量为１０７．１ｋｇ·ｈｍ－２,而３０ｃｍ等行距的３２５ｋｇ·ｈｍ－２的萍接种量的稻－萍结合系统的总固Ｎ量仅为３６．０ｋｇ·ｈｍ－２     

HCV5＇端非编码区cDNA的体外转录

采用逆转录聚合酶链反应（ＲＴ－ＰＣＲ）从广东省一例慢性丙型肝炎病人血清中获得丙型肝炎病毒（ＨＣＶ）５＇端非编码区（５＇ＮＣＲ）３０２ｂｐ的ｃＤＮＡ片段,经补齐和提纯后插入ｐＵＣ１９质粒,获得的重组体ｐＵＮ进行序列测定。将ｐＵＮ的目的基因亚克隆进体外转录载体ｐＳＰＯＲＴＩ多克隆位点的ＥｏｏＲＩ和ＰｓｔＩ切点之间,所得重组体ｐＳＮ线性化后由Ｔ＿７ＲＮＡ多聚酶及ＳＰ６ＲＮＡ多聚酶引导体外转录反应,产物经凝胶电泳及特异引物ＲＴ－ＰＣＲ,证实ＳＰ６引导的是正义ＲＮＡ,Ｔ７合成的是反义ＲＮＡ,其大小分别力４２９ｂｐ和３６２ｂｐ。并证实所得ＲＮＡ力ＨＣＶ５＇ＮＣＲｃＤＮＡ转录而来。获得的ＨＣＶ５＇ＮＣＲｃＤＮＡ和ＲＮＡ在常规逆转录和ＰＣＲ步骤中用于设立有效的模板对照,对消除假用性及评估试剂有重要意义。同时,ＨＣＶ５＇ＮＣＲ体外转录载体的构建可用于制各ＲＮＡ探针和反义ＲＮＡ,改进后还可作为定量ＰＣＲ的竞争性模板。