南京地区繁缕和小繁缕群体的研究

繁缕(Stellaria media)和小繁缕(S.apetala)是两个形态相似的近缘种,有人把后者作为前者的亚种或变种来处理。本文通过对南京地区不同生境的三个自然群体和三个人工控制栽培群体的取样,以群体为单位,分别测算了叶、萼片、雄蕊、花瓣、果实和种子的8个数量性状的变异,绘制了多角形图;对花粉粒和种子进行了扫描;还通过花蕾套袋试验对种子活力作了检查。结果发现繁缕和小繁缕都是近亲繁殖植物,在形态上区别明显,对生态环境的要求基本相同,但小繁缕似更能耐受人为的践踏和刈割。     

Ecophysiological aspects of rapid population growth in a novel migratory blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) population: an experimental approach

Summary Blackcaps (Sylvia atricapilla) that breed in central Europe have usually migrated to Mediterranean or African wintering grounds. In the past several decades, a portion of this breeding population has started migrating to the British Isles to overwinter and this population has increased dramatically. Several factors, including higher annual survivorship (due to supplemental feeding and reduced migratiry distance), assortative mating, and enhanced reproductive success may be involved in this rapid population growth. As part of an intensive, long-term study of this population, we tested the hypothesis that the differences in photoperiod experienced by British-wintering versus Mediterranean-wintering blackcaps might lead to relatively early vernal (i.e., migratory and/or reproductive) physiological condition in members of the former group. We found that birds exposed to photoperiodic conditions that simulated migration to Britain to overwinter generally initiated vernal migratory activity earlier than birds held under conditions simulating migration to traditional wintering areas in central Spain. This difference, coupled with the shorter migratory distance to the British Isles, leads to significantly earlier estimated arrival dates for blackcaps that winter in Britain compared to central Spain. Bimodality in arrival times suggests that assortative mating on central European breeding grounds might occur between members of the different wintering populations. Males exposed to British-winter photoperiods showed significantly earlier testicular development than males kept under Spanish-winter photoperiods. Early arrival on the breeding grounds, coupled with accelerated reproductive condition, should lead to a relatively early reproductive effort, perhaps increasing average reproductive success. In general, these results support the hypothesis that differences in photoperiod on the wintering grounds may play an important role in the dynamic state of this population.     

Population structure and responses to disturbance of the basidiomycete Resinicium bicolor

Summary Resinicium bicolor (Alb. & Schw. ex Fr.) Parm. [=Odontia bicolor (Alb. & Schw. ex Fr.) Bres.] is an outcrossing resupinate basidiomycete associated with root and butt rots of trees, but is itself only very weakly pathogenic. The distribution of genets among every spruce stump in a 70-year-old 1250 m² spruce stand was analysed using somatic incompatibility testing. R. bicolor was present on 40% of 8-to 10-year-old stumps. Nineteen genets were found occupying 32 stumps; yielding probabilities of colonisation following establishment by basidiospores of 0.20–0.24 and by mycelial extension or dispersal of 0.16–0.20. The probability of colonisation decreased with increasing distance from a point of establishment. R. bicolor responded to both enrichment and destructive disturbances by the formation of an extensive cord system which enabled it to colonise discontinuously distributed resources and to overgrow fungi adjacent to it in a single resource unit, including Heterobasidion annosum.     

Natal dispersal in relation to population density and sex ratio in the field vole,Microtus agrestis

Summary In a sample of 240 juvenile field voles 8% of the males and 22% of the females reached sexual maturity within their natal home range. Among individuals retrapped as adults, 58% of males and 23% of females had dispersed, i.e. had moved more than one home range diameter. The mean distance moved for males (58.5 m) exceeded that for females (28.6 m). Male movement distances were negatively associated with total density, and with density of adult females, but not with male density. Female movements were not related to population density. There were no relation between sex ratio and distance moved. The distribution of distances moved for both males and females fit a geometrical distribution, suggesting the importance of competitive processes.     

The role of sediment type in growth and fecundity of mud snails (Hydrobiidae)

Summary We test the hypothesis that body size and population density of the deposit-feeding gastropod, Hydrobia truncata, are greater in muddy than in sandy habitats as a result of faster growth on fine- compared to coarse-grained sediments. We refute this hypothesis using a combination of field measurements and laboratory experiments. Three out of three populations tested had higher maximal growth rates and two of three populations approached their asymptotic size more quickly on sand than on silt-clay fractions of natural sediment. Growth decreased with increasing snail density and was as high or higher on sand as on silt-clay at all densities. Two populations were more fecund on sand than on silt-clay, and fecundity of the third population was not affected by sediment type. We show that the smaller body sizes observed in snails from the sandiest habitat result from late recruitment of these snails, relative to the other populations.     

海南大田自然保护区海南坡鹿种群动态研究

笔者自1986年起对仅存于海南大田国家级保护区围栏内外两个坡鹿种群进行了连续4年追踪研究,就数量、年净增长率、年均增长率、年龄组成、性比、成幼比、母仔比、及补充率和死亡率进行了分析。围栏内外坡鹿年均增长率22.5％和10.6％,年净增长率逐年呈下降趋势。补充率下降是围栏内坡鹿年净增长率下降的主要原因,而这是由于密度过高、食物不足造成的;围栏外坡鹿年净增长率下降是死亡率增加的结果,偷猎是主要因素。对性比、成幼比、母仔比变化的分析也得出了同样的结论。本文最后提出了保护建议。     

Origin of the Koreans: a population genetic study.

A population genetic study was undertaken to investigate the origin of Koreans. Thirteen polymorphic and 7 monomorphic blood genetic markers (serum proteins and red cell enzymes) were studied in a group of 437 Koreans. Genetic distance analyses by both cluster and principal components models were performed between Koreans and eight other populations (Koreans in China, Japanese, Han Chinese, Mongolians, Zhuangs, Malays, Javanese, and Soviet Asians) on the basis of 47 alleles controlled by 15 polymorphic loci. A more detailed analysis using 65 alleles at 19 polymorphic loci was performed on six populations. Both analyses demonstrated genetic evidence of the origin of Koreans from the central Asian Mongolians. Further, the Koreans are more closely related to the Japanese and quite distant from the Chinese. The above evidence of the origin of Koreans fits well with the ethnohistoric account of the origin of Koreans and the Korean language. The minority Koreans in China also maintained their genetic identity.     

The role of predators and parasites in controlling populations ofEarias insulana,heliothis armigera andBemisia tabaci on cotton in the Syrian Arab Republic

Studies on the relationship between insect pests and their predators and parasites were conducted in the Syrian cotton agro-ecosystem from 1980 up to 1983.Earias insulana (Boisduval) was found to be the most damaging pest, whileHeliothis armigera (Hübner) was not an annual returning problem. Among the entomophagous insects found, coccinellids were most numerous during the months June and July and the hemipterous predators were more abundant during August and September. When predator numbers were reduced with insecticide applications, a significant increase in the bollworm populations occurred, resulting in significant reductions in seed cotton yields. Parasites were relatively not important for the control of lepidopterous pests on cotton. Egg and larva populations ofE. insulana andH. armigera were parasitized byTrichogramma spp. andHabrobracon brevicornis Wesmael respectively. Populations ofBemisia tabaci (Gennadius) were heavily parasitized byEretmocerus mundus Mercet.      

A dimorphic Alu Sb-like insertion in COL3A1 is ethnic-specific

Alu elements are a class of repetitive DNA sequences found throughout the human genome that are thought to be duplicated via an RNA intermediate in a process termed retroposition. Recently inserted Alu elements are closely related, suggesting that they are derived from a single source gene or closely related source genes. Analysis of the type III collagen gene (COL3A1) revealed a polymorphic Alu insertion in intron 8 of the gene. The Alu insertion in the COL3A1 gene had a high degree of nucleotide identity to the Sb family of Alu elements, a family of older Alu elements. The Alu sequence was less similar to the consensus sequence for the PV or Sb2 subfamilies, subfamilies of recently inserted Alu elements. These data support the observations that at least three source genes are active in the human genome, one of which is distinct from the PV and Sb2 subfamilies and predates either of these two subfamilies. Appearance of the Alu insertion in different ethnic populations suggests that the insertion may have occurred in the last 100,000 years. This Alu insert should be a useful marker for population studies and for marking COL3A1 alleles.