Insulin Accelerates Seedling Growth of Canavalia ensiformis (Jack bean)

Insulin is a 6 kDa peptide hormone that activates several metabolic processes and cellular growth. Germination studies showed that insulin, vanadyl sulphate (an insulin mimetic compound), tyrphostin (an inhibitor of insulin receptor kinase activity), pinitol (a chiro inositol analogue) and glucose were able to accelerate Canavalia ensiformis (Jack bean) seedling radicle and epicotyl development. Immunofluorescence microscopy analysis showed that proteins binding to insulin, insulin receptor and phosphoserine antibodies are localized in an internal layer of the C. ensiformis seed coat. These results and others previously reported from our laboratory suggest that insulin, insulin receptor and phosphoserine proteins could be components of signalling pathways akin to those present in animals.     

南昌市空气PM2.5和PM10的时空动态及其影响因素

PM_2.5和PM₁₀已成为我国大部分城市空气的首要污染物.本文通过分析南昌市2013—2015年的空气PM_2.5和PM₁₀质量浓度、气象因素、交通流量的监测数据,探讨了空气颗粒物污染的时空动态规律以及气象、交通对颗粒物浓度变化的影响.结果表明: 2013、2014、2015年,南昌市PM_2.5浓度(70.92 μg·m^-3＞53.70 μg·m^-3＞43.65 μg·m^-3)、PM₁₀浓度(119.72 μg·m^-3＞86.11 μg·m^-3＞73.32 μg·m^-3)逐年降低,并呈现出夏季低(PM_2.5和PM₁₀平均浓度分别为36.74、69.20 μg·m^-3)、冬季高(PM_2.5和PM₁₀平均浓度分别为74.29、111.64 μg·m^-3)的季节动态和由城市中心向郊区递减的城乡梯度变化; PM_2.5/PM₁₀值(0.595＞0.584＞0.557)逐年降低,并且表现出城市中心高、城市边缘低的空间分布格局;PM_2.5、PM₁₀浓度受到多种气象因素的影响,与气压、温度、相对湿度、风速、降水量、日照时数显著相关,各种气象因子对PM_2.5、PM₁₀浓度的影响存在差异;车流量会显著提高周边PM_2.5浓度,但对PM₁₀浓度影响不明显.     

Echolocation calls of Rhinolophus ferrumequinum in relation to habitat type and environmental factors

The present experiment was carried out in Luotong Mountain Natural Reserve in Jilin Province of China in 2007. We recorded and analyzed the echolocation calls of Rhinolophus ferrumequinum in different habitats by using Avisoft Bioacoustics USG 116 and Avisoft-SASLAB PRO (Avisoft Bioacoustics, Berlin, Germany). Our results showed that R. ferrumequinum foraged in diverse habitats in the study area, and their echolocation calls were significantly variable in different habitats (One-Way ANOVA, P < 0.05). Vegetative, climatic and topographical factors were selected by using the principal component analysis and the correlations between the parameters of echolocation calls and these environmental factors were analyzed. The results indicated that although R. ferrumequinum always emitted FM/CF/FM echolocation calls in different habitats, the parameters of echolocation calls varied with variable environmental factors. Significant negative correlation existed between FM1 bandwidth and arbor height (r = ?0.948, P < 0.05), FM₂ bandwidth and arbor height (r = ?0.825; P < 0.05), FM1 starting frequency and canopy area (r = ?0.967, P < 0.05), FM₂ ending frequency and canopy area (r = ?0.958, P < 0.05), FM1 starting frequency and air relative humidity (r = ?0.776, P < 0.05), FM₂ ending frequency and air relative humidity (r = ?0.875, P < 0.05), peak frequency and air relative humidity (r = ?0.794, P < 0.05), pulse duration and average shrub height (r = ?0.911, P < 0.05), and inter-pulse interval and average shrub height (r = ?0.990, P < 0.05). Significant positive correlation existed between peak frequency and number of plants (r = 0.756, P < 0.05), and pulse duration and height below the canopy (r = 0.870, P < 0.05). Our results suggested that many kinds of ecological factors (such as vegetation factor, climatic factor and topographical factor) affected the structure of echolocation calls and made them diverse in different habitats, i.e., echolocation calls of bats had phenotypic flexibility and eco-adaptability. These characteristics determined the degree of available habitats and natural resources for R. ferrumequinum.     

广东番禺红树林造林研究

结合广东番禺红树林造林的现状,对影响红树林幼苗成活率和生长状况的因素进行初步分析,并据此提出提高造林保存率的措施等。影响红树林造林成活及生长的因素为：①水深：潮水越深,红树幼苗成活率越低,生长越差;②风浪：海面风浪越大,红树幼苗受干扰越大,成活和生长越差;③人为活动干扰为严重影响红树幼苗的成活和生长;④造林地的杂草会影响某些红树植物幼苗的光照条件;⑤海滩垃圾废物会挂断和压倒大量红树幼苗;⑥海滩石油污染会阻止红树胚轴的萌发;⑦幼苗种植时越粗壮,种植得越精细,则种植后生长越好。并提出提高造林成效的措施：①加强维护和管理：包括护理受损伤的红树幼苗,清除塑料袋等垃圾物,罅在红树幼苗区的捕捞活动,造林前清除杂草和固定某些红树植物幼苗;②补植受破坏的红树幼苗和扩大种植。     

基于水文平衡的湿地退化驱动因子定量研究

作为地球上最为重要的生态系统类型之一,湿地与森林、海洋并称为地球三大生态系统。但是,近年来湿地生态系统退化速度远大于其他类型生态系统,开展湿地退化的定量评估分析研究对于湿地生态系统的保护和恢复具有重要意义。选择北京城市湿地为研究对象,利用卫星遥感数据分别提取得到1991年和2007年的湿地面积,基于湿地水量平衡理论和湿地水文方程方法,定量评估分析了导致湿地退化的原因和不同驱动因子的贡献率。结果表明:(1)与1991年相比,2007年北京湿地减少约6275.31 hm2,约占1991年北京湿地总面积的24.46%。显著退化区域主要发生在野鸭湖湿地和密云水库湿地,分别减少了约1377.69 hm2和4654.50 hm2。(2)引起湿地退化的自然驱动因子中,以降水减少、入境地表水减少和蒸发量增加为主,驱动湿地退化的贡献率分别为39.22%、14.05%和11.85%。引起湿地退化的人为驱动因子中,以城市扩展为主,驱动湿地退化的贡献率为3.42%,而技术进步所采取的节水措施等有利于湿地保护,贡献率为25.55%。