采煤矿区的生态脆弱性——以内蒙古锡林郭勒草原胜利煤田为例

以锡林郭勒草原胜利煤田为典型研究区,构建了由生态敏感性、自然与社会压力及生态恢复力3方面16个因子组成的生态脆弱性评估指标体系,基于专家打分法和层次分析法建立了生态脆弱性模型,借助遥感及地理信息工具完成了对区域生态脆弱性指数的计算,分析了土地利用与生态脆弱性的关系,并通过空间自相关分析对计算结果进行了全局及局部聚类检验.结果表明： 研究区脆弱性总体属于中等偏高水平;胜利煤田4个露天矿的开采导致采区脆弱性显著增加,由于矿井疏干水和人为活动的影响,矿区周边300～2000 m范围都演变为生态高脆弱性区;随着矿区的进一步开发,整个煤田都将转变为中度和重度脆弱区,而煤炭资源开采是导致区域脆弱性提高的主要因素.全区及局部聚类结果显示,该区域脆弱性空间分布有很好的聚类特征.降低矿区人口密度、控制草地载畜水平、控制建设用地和耕地比率是解决矿区社会经济压力的最佳途径,增加投入、提高植被恢复系数是改变区域生态脆弱性的根本措施.
     

The dynamic pipeline: hydraulic capacitance and xylem hydraulic safety in four tall conifer species

Recent work has suggested that plants differ in their relative reliance on structural avoidance of embolism versus maintenance of the xylem water column through dynamic traits such as capacitance, but we still know little about how and why species differ along this continuum. It is even less clear how or if different parts of a plant vary along this spectrum. Here we examined how traits such as hydraulic conductivity or conductance, xylem vulnerability curves, and capacitance differ in trunks, large‐ and small‐diameter branches, and foliated shoots of four species of co‐occurring conifers. We found striking similarities among species in most traits, but large differences among plant parts. Vulnerability to embolism was high in shoots, low in small‐ and large‐diameter branches, and high again in the trunks. Safety margins, defined as the pressure causing 50% loss of hydraulic conductivity or conductance minus the midday water potential, were large in small‐diameter branches, small in trunks and negative in shoots. Sapwood capacitance increased with stem diameter, and was correlated with stem vulnerability, wood density and latewood proportion. Capacitive release of water is a dynamic aspect of plant hydraulics that is integral to maintenance of long‐distance water transport.     

The Ca sensor S100A1 modulates neuroinflammation,histopathology and Akt activity in the PSAPP Alzheimer's disease mouse model

The contribution of the Ca²⁺ sensor S100A1 to in vivo Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathobiology has not been elucidated although S100A1 regulates numerous cellular processes linked to AD. This study uses genetic ablation to ascertain the effects of S100A1 on neuroinflammation, beta-amyloid (Aβ) plaque deposition and Akt activity in the PSAPP AD mouse model. PSAPP/S100A1^−/− mice exhibited decreases in astrocytosis (GFAP burden), microgliosis (Iba1 burden) and plaque load/number when compared to PSAPP/S100A1^+/+ mice at six and twelve months of age. The presence of detectable S100A1 staining in human AD specimens is consistent with a detrimental gain of S100A1 function in AD. S100A1 ablation also reduced plaque associated and increased non-plaque associated PO₄-Akt and PO₄-GSK3β staining. S100A1·Akt complexes were undetectable in PC12 cells and AD brain tissue suggesting that S100A1 indirectly modulates Akt activity. In contrast, S100A1·RyR (ryanodine receptor) complexes were present in human/mouse AD brain and exhibited Ca²⁺-dependent formation in neuronal cells. This is the first direct demonstration of an S100A1· target protein complex in tissue/cells and identifies the RyR as a primary S100A1 target protein in the brain. Collectively, these data suggest that S100A1 inhibition may be a novel strategy for normalizing aberrant Ca²⁺ signaling in AD.     

Endemic and widespread coral reef fishes have similar mitochondrial genetic diversity

Endemic species are frequently assumed to have lower genetic diversity than species with large distributions, even if closely related. This assumption is based on research from the terrestrial environment and theoretical evolutionary modelling. We test this assumption in the marine environment by analysing the mitochondrial genetic diversity of 33 coral reef fish species from five families sampled from Pacific Ocean archipelagos. Surprisingly, haplotype and nucleotide diversity did not differ significantly between endemic and widespread species. The probable explanation is that the effective population size of some widespread fishes locally is similar to that of many of the endemics. Connectivity across parts of the distribution of the widespread species is probably low, so widespread species can operate like endemics at the extreme or isolated parts of their range. Mitochondrial genetic diversity of many endemic reef fish species may not either limit range size or be a source of vulnerability.     

自复寄生蜂的生殖特性及其对生物防治的影响

自复寄生蜂营雌雄异律发育,雌蜂为初级寄生蜂,雄蜂为复寄生蜂。依据寄主类型产下的相应性别的后代,其性比受到寄主数量、初级寄主与二级寄主的相对丰度等因素影响。自复寄生蜂能够寄生和取食初级寄主,抑制有害昆虫的种群数量,同时能够寄生和取食同种和异种寄生蜂幼虫,产生致死干扰竞争作用。复寄生二级寄主时,易感时间窗口主要集中在老熟幼虫至预蛹阶段。与同种二级寄主相比,自复寄生蜂更倾向于寄生异种二级寄主或无选择倾向性,取食时,更倾向于异种二级寄主。自复寄生蜂特殊的生殖方式使其对生物防治的影响备受争议。在评价其生物防治价值时,应对其正面影响和负面影响做出全面权衡。本文对自复寄生蜂的生殖特性、对同种和其他种类寄生蜂产生的致死干扰竞争作用及其对生物防治的影响等问题的国内外研究进展进行了综述,以期为利用这种天敌资源开展有害生物综合治理提供依据。     

生态工业园共生网络的脆弱性

工业生态系统的稳定可持续运行是生态工业园区实现环境效益、经济效益和社会效益的重要保障,对生态工业共生网络脆弱性分析是工业生态学领域值得探讨的重要问题。运用复杂网络理论,从网络拓扑结构出发,论证该工业园具有小世界性和无标度性,为网络脆弱性分析奠定基础;通过攻击负载最大节点,利用网络效率和最大连通子图对网络的脆弱性进行分析,从而衡量节点失效对整个网络造成的破坏性。指出复杂网络在生态工业园共生网络中进一步研究的方向。     

Global mismatch between species richness and vulnerability of reef fish assemblages

The impact of anthropogenic activity on ecosystems has highlighted the need to move beyond the biogeographical delineation of species richness patterns to understanding the vulnerability of species assemblages, including the functional components that are linked to the processes they support. We developed a decision theory framework to quantitatively assess the global taxonomic and functional vulnerability of fish assemblages on tropical reefs using a combination of sensitivity to species loss, exposure to threats and extent of protection. Fish assemblages with high taxonomic and functional sensitivity are often exposed to threats but are largely missed by the global network of marine protected areas. We found that areas of high species richness spatially mismatch areas of high taxonomic and functional vulnerability. Nevertheless, there is strong spatial match between taxonomic and functional vulnerabilities suggesting a potential win–win conservation‐ecosystem service strategy if more protection is set in these locations.     

Effects of mechanical properties and atherosclerotic artery size on biomechanical plaque disruption – Mouse vs. human

Mouse models of atherosclerosis are extensively being used to study the mechanisms of atherosclerotic plaque development and the results are frequently extrapolated to humans. However, major differences have been described between murine and human atherosclerotic lesions and the determination of similarities and differences between these species has been largely addressed recently. This study takes over and extends previous studies performed by our group and related to the biomechanical characterization of both mouse and human atherosclerotic lesions. Its main objective was to determine the distribution and amplitude of mechanical stresses including peak cap stress (PCS) in aortic vessels from atherosclerotic apoE^-/- mice, in order to evaluate whether such biomechanical data would be in accordance with the previously suggested lack of plaque rupture in this model. Successful finite element analysis was performed from the zero-stress configuration of aortic arch sections and mainly indicated (1) the modest role of atherosclerotic lesions in the observed increase in residual parietal stresses in apoE^-/- mouse vessels and (2) the low amplitude of murine PCS as compared to humans. Overall, the results from the present study support the hypothesis that murine biomechanical properties and artery size confer less propensity to rupture for mouse lesions in comparison with those of humans.