Investigating the relationship between raw milk bacterial composition, as described by intergenic transcribed spacer–PCR fingerprinting, and pasture altitude

Aims:  To assess the bacterial biodiversity level in bovine raw milk used to produce Fontina, a Protected Designation of Origin cheese manufactured at high-altitude pastures and in valleys of Valle d'Aosta region (North-western Italian Alps) without any starters. To study the relation between microbial composition and pasture altitude, in order to distinguish high-altitude milk against valley and lowland milk.
Methods and Results:  The microflora from milks sampled at different alpine pasture, valley and lowland farms were fingerprinted by PCR of the 16S–23S intergenic transcribed spacers (ITS-PCR). The resulting band patterns were analysed by generalized multivariate statistical techniques to handle discrete (band presence–absence) and continuous (altitude) information. The fingerprints featured numerous bands and marked variability indicating complex, differentiated bacterial communities. Alpine pasture milks were distinguished from lowland ones by cluster analysis, while this technique less clearly discriminated alpine pasture and valley samples. Generalized principal component analysis and clustering-after-ordination enabled a more effective distinction of alpine pasture, valley and lowland samples.
Conclusions:  Alpine raw milks for Fontina production contain highly diverse bacterial communities, the composition of which is related to the altitude of the pasture where milk was produced.
Significance and Impact of the Study:  This research may provide analytical support to the important issue represented by the authentication of the geographical origin of alpine milk productions.     

武夷山自然保护区不同海拔甜槠天然林土壤有机碳变化特征及影响因素

为揭示中亚热带常绿阔叶林建群种--甜槠天然林不同海拔土壤有机碳含量垂直分布差异及影响机制，以武夷山自然保护区甜槠天然林单一植被类型为研究对象，在其集中分布的5个海拔梯度（540、700、850、1022、1200 m）范围内设置固定样地，测定每个海拔梯度不同深度土层土壤因子（土壤全氮、全磷、土壤pH值、容重、土壤有机质、粉粒、砂粒、粘粒）、气候因子（土壤温度）、植被因子（细根生物量）及土壤有机碳含量等指标，分析了土壤有机碳沿海拔及垂直土层分布特征，并在主成分分析基础上构建了基于主控因子的线性回归模型。结果表明：（1）同一海拔高度，土壤有机碳含量在土壤垂直剖面分布具有明显的"表聚性"现象；同一土层深度，随着海拔升高，土壤有机碳含量逐渐增加，但增幅随土层深度增加而减小，高海拔地区有助于土壤有机碳的固存；（2）不同土层土壤有机碳含量与海拔、土壤全氮、土壤含水量、土壤粉粒呈极显著正相关（P<0.01），与土壤温度、土壤容重、土壤粘粒、砂粒呈极显著负相关（P<0.01）；土壤细根生物量、土壤有机质与土壤有机碳含量在土壤表层（0-10、10-20 cm）呈极显著（P<0.01）或显著正相关（P<0.05）；土壤pH值、土壤砂粒与土壤有机碳含量在20-30 cm土层呈显著负相关（P<0.05），但与其他土层关系不显著（P>0.05）；海拔因素是影响土壤有机碳含量分布的主要因素，其次为土壤因素，植被因素主要影响土壤表层有机碳含量分布。（3）海拔因素能通过影响与土壤有机碳形成和转化的因子及改变土壤有机碳的累积和分解速率，对土壤有机碳的分布产生影响。（4）多元线性回归模型拟合R²高于一元线性回归模型拟合R²，能解释土壤有机碳含量变异的82.1%-98.1%。由此可见，不同环境因子组合可以更好的解释不同土层土壤有机碳含量随海拔梯度的变异。     

Conodont biostratigraphy of Tournaisian shallow-water carbonates in central Guangxi,South China

The conodont faunas of Tournaisian shallow-water carbonates from central Guangxi are described mainly for biostratigraphic purposes. A complete series of samples was collected from the Long’an and Du’an formations in the Long’an section. These formations are characterized by lime-mudstone, skeletal and peloidal wackestone, packstone and grainstone with typical shallow-water biota. Overall, these samples produced 809 identifiable Pl elements, belonging to 50 species in 11 genera, of which one species and one subspecies are new. The fauna enables the establishment of seven biozones (in ascending order): Polygnathus spicatus, Siphonodella homosimplex, S. sinensis, S. dasaibaensis, Polygnathus communis carina Acme, Gnathodus cuneiformis, and P. communis porcatus zones. Based on these new collections from central Guangxi and on data from the literature, a conflated Tournaisian conodont zonation is proposed for shallow-water successions in South China. Most of the conodont zones correlate well with their counterparts recognized in Western Europe, which may be of greater significance in stratigraphic correlation than previously thought.     

The costal skeleton of Homo antecessor: preliminary results

The Lower Pleistocene TD6 level at the Gran Dolina site in the Sierra de Atapuerca (Burgos, Spain) has yielded nine ribs that represent a minimum of three individuals of the species, Homo antecessor. We present a detailed morphological and metric study of these costal elements, including the siding and anatomical position of all of the rib remains. The adult or nearly adult ribs are also metrically compared with other fossil hominins and with modern comparative samples. The costal elements recovered to date from the TD6 level at Gran Dolina can neither confirm nor reject the hypothesis that H. antecessor had a large thorax, similar to that of Neandertals. However, the fragmentary evidence of the H. antecessor thoracic skeleton is not inconsistent with this suggestion based on other skeletal elements, such as clavicles.

Resumen

En el nivel TD6 del Pleistoceno inferior del yacimiento de Gran Dolina, en la Sierra de Atapuerca (Burgos, España) se han recuperado nueve costillas que pertenecen a un mínimo de tres individuos de la especie Homo antecessor. Presentamos un detallado estudio métrico y morfológico incluyendo el lado y la determinación anatómica. Las costillas pertenecientes a individuos adultos o casi adultos también son comparadas métricamente a muestras modernas de comparación y otros homininos fósiles. Basándonos en el registro de costillas de Homo antecessor recuperado hasta el momento no podemos probar ni refutar la hipótesis de que esta especie presentaba un tórax grande similar al de los Neandertales. Sin embargo, el registro de costillas no es inconsistente con la hipótesis de un tórax grande como sugiere la gran longitud de sus clavículas.     

The influence of geographic and morphometric factors on the distribution of water bird species in small high altitude tropical man made reservoirs,Central Rift Valley,Kenya

Variability in waterfowl characteristics among eight high altitude (2040–2640 m) small shallow (0.065–0.249 km²; 0.9–3.1 m) reservoirs in the escarpment zone along the central rift valley in Kenya between Naivasha and Nakuru towns were studied between 1998 and 2000. The aim of the study was to establish whether the geographic status of small reservoirs in terms of altitude and surface gradient can affect the characteristics of their birdlife in terms of bird counts and species numbers. The study also aimed at establishing whether reservoir bird counts and species number can be predicted by reservoir morphometric factors especially water depth, surface area, length of shoreline and area‐shoreline ratio. The other aim was to determine the influence of local environment especially distance from the nearest natural lakes, and house density on the birdlife. The findings showed that geographic location of the reservoirs in terms of altitude and landscape had a strong influence on birdlife whereby reservoirs in higher altitude and flat plateau landscape were found to support higher bird species and counts. Larger and deeper reservoirs were richer in water bird species but small and shallow reservoirs were superior in terms of both bird species and counts. Reservoirs with more coarse, irregular and highly erratic shorelines had higher species number than those with smooth and well‐rounded shorelines. The reservoir birdlife was found to be influenced by the number of farm houses near the waterbodies and also the distance from the nearby rift valley lakes. The results showed that both geographic and morphometric considerations are necessary in the establishment of new reservoirs especially for utilization in birdlife conservation and ecotourism.     

广西泥盆纪早埃姆斯期郁江组Heterophaulactis Yu,1974的再研究(英文)

Heterophaulactis Yu是作者建立并发表于1974年的一四射珊瑚属,产自广西郁江沿岸、南宁至六景一带的泥盆纪郁江组,其时代属早埃姆斯期牙形刺kitabacus带(前dehiscens带)。对此珊瑚属再行研究,是出于:1)发表在"中国南方泥盆系的新进展"一文,是与其它门类化石共同作为划分和对比地层的化石依据,只限于中文简短描述,对化石图影的展示也有严格的数量限制。尽管此属己被收录在Hill(1981)主编的古生物专论的珊瑚分册中,也只是简短的英文描述和有限的图影,未能充分展示其骨骼演变特征;2)此属的分类位置、科的归属及与相关属的属征比较与讨论,当初均未交待,应予阐明;3)Heterophaulactis属的地理分布广,遍及滇桂两省,通过再研究,其产地已扩展至中国西北地区;其地层分布又有一定的时限性,在广西仅限于郁江组下部的石州段,时代为kitaba-cus带,其它地区也仅见于下泥盆统。文中对Heterophaulactis属的模式种,Heterophaulactis semicrassa的骨骼特征及个体发育过程中的演变均作详细的英文描述和图影展示;与相关属比较之后,认为与本属关系最为密切的是产于西秦岭山区下泥盆统、发表在西北区化石图册上的有些属种,其中的有些属种可以归于本属。文中还记述一新建种Heterophaulactis yujiangense sp.nov.。文章对Heterophaulactis的分类位置和科的归属也有详细比较讨论,认为它是源出自志留纪Pycnactis—Phaulactis的演化序列,应归属于Lykophyllidae Wedekind,1927科。对Miroelasmatinae Cao,1983亚科的原始定义作全面修订后,把它归为Lykophyllidae Wedekind,1927科下的一个亚科;在对化石图册及相关文献上记述的产自西秦岭区下泥盆统四射珊瑚属种的全面修订之前,暂把以下各属置于此亚科:Heterophaulactis Yu,Miroelasma Cao,Qinlingophyllum Cao,Wenxianophyllum Cao,Protaulacophy-llum Cao,Bethanyphyllum sensu Cao,Aulacophyllum sensu Cao和Aulacophyllum sensu Zhang。     

秦岭南坡不同海拔林分凋落叶分解特征

采用野外放置凋落物分解袋法,对秦岭南坡林区不同海拔华山松(Pinus armandii)、油松(P.tabulaeformis)、锐齿栎(Quercus aliena var.acuteserrata)和华北落叶松(Larix principis-rupprechtii)凋落叶分解过程中N、P、C、粗脂肪、粗纤维和热值的变化规律进行比较研究.结果表明:(1)处于不同海拔的同一树种新鲜凋落叶的N、P、C、粗脂肪含量及其热值差异不显著(P＞0.05).(2)在一年的分解过程中,凋落叶N、P含量表现出逐渐富集的趋势,其中油松凋落叶N、P富集速度最快,分别达到165.60%和189.94%;凋落叶C、粗脂肪含量和热值、C/N、C/P、粗纤维/N在分解中逐渐下降,粗脂肪释放速率达到50.29%～77.82%.(3)分解一年后,不同海拔同一树种凋落叶N、P、C、C/N、C/P含量仍未表现出显著性差异(P＞0.05),但不同海拔凋落叶粗脂肪分解表现出极显著差异(P＜0.01),其中差距最大的锐齿栎凋落叶低海拔较高海拔粗脂肪释放率高19.38%;不同海拔华北落叶松和锐齿栎凋落叶粗纤维释放速率差异极显著(P＜0.01),而不同海拔油松、华山松凋落叶粗纤维释放无显著差异;处于高低海拔的华北落叶松和锐齿栎凋落叶热值分别为17.12和15.68 kJ·g-1、17.74和13.51 kJ·g-1,表现出极显著差异(P＜0.01),油松、华山松凋落叶表现出显著差异(P＜0.05).研究发现,一年中海拔差异所造成的降水、温度等因素的变化对各树种凋落叶中N、P、C的释放无显著影响,但对凋落叶分解过程中粗脂肪、热值、粗纤维/N的变化影响显著.     

毛竹林土壤酶活性变化的海拔效应

在毛竹分布南缘的中亚热带与南亚热带气候过渡区,选择土壤类型、坡度、坡向、经营水平等一致的3个海拔高度(低海拔90～120m、中海拔360～400m、高海拔700～780m)毛竹林,对其土壤酶活性和物理、化学性质进行了测定。磷酸酶、蔗糖酶和脲酶活性分别为0.031～0.042、0.104～0.146和0.017～0.039mg·g-1.h-1,中海拔是3种酶活性显著变化的转折点。蛋白酶活性为0.248～0.259mg·g-1.h-1,随海拔的升高酶活性缓慢提高。过氧化氢酶活性为0.097～0.143mg·g-1.h-1,随海拔的升高酶活性显著上升。不同海拔高度毛竹林土壤物理性质对土壤酶活性无显著影响。土壤有机质、全氮、碱解氮含量与土壤酶活性呈显著或极显著正相关,pH值对土壤酶活性具正效应,海拔梯度上的土壤全磷、全钾、速磷、速钾含量对土壤酶活性影响不显著。不同种类土壤酶活性间呈显著或极显著相关,酶促反应具专一性和共同性特点。