Population genetics of speciation in nonmodel organisms: I. Ancestral polymorphism in mangroves

The level of DNA polymorphism in the ancestral species at the time of speciation can be estimated using DNA sequences from many loci sampled from 2 or more extant species. The comparison between ancestral and extant polymorphism can be informative about the population genetics of speciation. In this study, we collected and analyzed DNA sequences of approximately 60 genes from 4 species of Sonneratia, a common genus of mangroves on the Indo-Pacific coasts. We found that the 3 ancestral species were comparable to each other in terms of level of polymorphism. However, the ancestral species at the time of speciation were substantially more polymorphic than the extant geographical populations. This ancestral polymorphism is in fact larger than, or at least equal to, the level of polymorphism of the entire species across extant geographical populations. The observations are not fully compatible with speciation by strict allopatry. We suggest that, at the time of speciation, the ancestral species consisted of interconnected but strongly divided geographical populations. This population structure would give rise to high level of polymorphism across species range. This approach of studying the speciation history by genomic means should be applicable to nonmodel organisms.     

Structure of Flower in Arabidopsis thaliana: Spatial Pattern Formation

Morphological analysis of flowers was carried out in Arabidopsis thaliana wild type plants and agamous and apetala2 mutants. No direct substitution of organs takes place in the mutants, since the number and position of organs in them do not correspond to the structure of wild type flower. In order to explain these data, a notion of spatial pattern formation in the meristem was introduced, which preceded the processes of appearance of organ primordia and formation of organs. Zones of acropetal and basipetal spatial pattern formation in the flower of wild type plants were postulated. It was shown that the acropetal spatial pattern formation alone took place in agamous mutants and basipetal spatial pattern formation alone, in apetala2 mutants. Different variants of flower structure are interpreted as a result of changes in the volume of meristem (space) and order of spatial pattern formation (time).     

无瓣海桑与乡土红树植物混交对林地大型底栖动物的影响

选择广东省雷州市附城镇和珠海市淇澳岛沿海1年生无瓣海桑人工林,分别在林下混种乡土红树植物红海榄或木榄幼苗,对混交林和无瓣海桑纯林林地大型底栖动物群落进行比较,探讨无瓣海桑与乡土红树植物混交对林地大型底栖动物的影响。结果显示,混交林和无瓣海桑纯林之间大型底栖动物群落的优势种存在差异;相似性分析检验(One-Way ANOSIM)、等级聚类和非参数多变量标序结果均表明1年无瓣海桑+红海榄混交林、1年无瓣海桑+木榄混交林和1年无瓣海桑纯林之间大型底栖动物群落结构差异显著。研究还发现在无瓣海桑人工林林下混交红海榄或木榄这两种乡土红树植物,可提高林地底栖动物的生物量和物种多样性。BIOENV分析说明大型底栖动物分布与红海榄或木榄这两种混交的乡土树种的凋落物量密切相关,这进一步证实了混交乡土红树植物对林地底栖动物多样性和分布的影响。两个研究地实验结果均显示,在无瓣海桑林下种植木榄的效果要优于红海榄,表现在木榄的平均苗高、凋落物量、凋落物量占群落凋落物总量百分比和幼苗成活率均高于红海榄,其对提高林地大型底栖动物生物量和物种多样性的效果也明显优于红海榄。     

海桑属红树植物次生木质部解剖特征极其对潮间带生境的适应

通过光学显微镜和扫描电子显微镜详细观察了相似生境条件下生长的海桑属(Sonneratia)植物以及低、高潮位生长的海桑(S. caseolaris)和杯萼海桑(S. alba)次生木质部的形态特征,应用Lasersharp软件测量了其次生木质部的数量特征.结果表明:海桑属植物次生木质部形态特征的特化是与潮间带生境相适应的,能在水分胁迫的生境中,有效地协调水分输导的有效性和安全性.其特化结构主要包括:1)宽、窄导管并存,2)管孔密度较大,复孔率高,3)存在纤维状导管、形状不规则的导管和少量环管管胞,4)螺旋雕纹、附物纹孔、管壁具疣等许多导管壁的微观结构,有利于水分输导的安全性,5)射线细胞和分隔木纤维内的淀粉粒是渗透调节的物质基础,有利于促进水分上升,6)薄的纤维壁厚和宽的纤维腔径有利于水分的贮存,7)具胶质纤维.相似生境条件下生长的海桑属植物次生木质部数量特征的测量结果表明海桑和拟海桑水分输导效率高,但水分输导安全性差,而杯萼海桑水分输导效率低,但其输导安全性高.与高潮位生长的海桑和杯萼海桑相比,低潮位生长的海桑和杯萼海桑次生木质部导管分子更加"小型化"(有更小的导管分子长度、管孔弦向直径、管孔面积),有更高的导管聚合度和管孔密度,数量特征随生境不同的种内变动有利于海桑和杯萼海桑提高水分输导的安全性,但海桑和杯萼海桑输导安全性的获得是以牺牲水分输导的有效性为前提的.与生长在高潮位生境的海桑和杯萼海桑相比,低潮位生境生长的海桑和杯萼海桑的木材结构有更小的管孔面积,更厚的纤维壁,更低的导管比率和射线比率,更高的纤维比率,胶质纤维分布均匀且数量增加,这些特征有利于低潮位生境生长的海桑和杯萼海桑提高木材的韧性和强度,增强抗风浪冲击的能力.     

深圳福田红树林无瓣海桑+海桑群落N、P、K累积和循环

研究了深圳福田红树林无瓣海桑 +海桑群落的 N、P、K元素的累积和循环。结果表明 ,该群落 N、P、K元素的现存累积量分别为 :3 8694.92、 5 848.62、 5 0 861 .47mg/m2 ,其中地下部分分别占 2 8.5 9%、41 .77%、 42 .0 8%。该群落氮、磷、钾元素生物循环中 ,年吸收量分别为 :1 3 2 40 .0 95、 1 887.70 5、 2 0 73 6.1 1mg/m2 ;年归还量分别为 :62 70 .5 85、 979.1 75、 63 5 3 .948mg/m2 ;年存留量分别为 :6969.5 1、 90 8.5 3、 1 43 82 .1 62 mg/m2 ;周转期分别为 :7a、6a、9a。群落各组分的氮含量最高 ,磷含量最低。     

深圳福田无瓣海桑-海桑林能量的研究

在研究生物量、生产力的基础上,对深圳福田无瓣海桑-海桑林中2种红树植物海桑和无瓣海桑各组分的干重热值、林分能量现存量、年能量净固定量进行了研究．结果表明,各组分样品干重热值有一定的差异,树叶干重热值最高,纫根干重热值最低;海桑各组分样品干重热值比无瓣海桑相应组分稍高．林分能量现存量(1999年10月)为84774．72kJ·m^2,其中无瓣海桑种群能量现存量为54693．26kJ·m^-2,占林分总的64．54％,海桑种群能量现存量为30051．46kJ·m^-2,占林分总量的35．46％．林分凋落物的能量归还量(1999年)为24549．54kJ·m^-2·年^-1,其中无瓣海桑种群的能量归还量为17223．99kJ·m^-2·年^-1,占总林分的70．16％,海桑种群的能量归还量为7325．55kJ·m^-2·年^-1,占总林分的29．84％．林分能量净固定量为50391．4kJ·m^-2·年^-1,其中无瓣海桑种群和海桑种群的能量净固定量为分别为31778kJ·m^-2·年^-1和18613．4kJ·m^-2·年^-1．     

外来红树植物无瓣海桑生物学特性与生态环境适应性分析

根据近年来的调查观测数据和收集国内外有关资料较全面地论述外来红树植物无瓣海桑的形态特征、地理分布、生物学特性 (包括物候、种子品质与苗木生长、苗木抗逆性、种苗扩散性、种内竞争特点 )和生态环境适应性 (包括气温、光照、盐度、潮滩与土壤 ) ;据此分析了无瓣海桑生态入侵的可能性 ,并提出相关的建议 ,为我国进一步研究该外来种引进后的生态效应以及该树种的合理开发利用提供科学依据     

Organic Matter Dynamics on the Forest Floor of a Micronesian Mangrove Forest: An Investigation of Species Composition Shifts1

Species composition shifts in mangrove forests may alter organic matter dynamics. The purpose of this study was to predict the effect of species replacements among mangrove trees on organic matter dynamics in a mangrove forest on the island of Kosrae, Federated States of Micronesia. We were particularly interested in elements of the carbon cycle that affect peat accumulation rates, organic matter exports to the estuary and coral reef systems, and soil microbiology. We compared organic matter production and decomposition rates among three mangrove species that commonly grow in similar hydrogeomorphic settings: Rhizophora apiculata BL, which is selectively harvested; Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, which may gradually replace Rhizophora; and Sonneratia alba, which is producing few mature fruits. Sonneratia had significantly higher rates of root production (estimated with ingrowth chambers) than Bruguiera or Rhizophora. Sonneratia foliage had significantly faster decomposition rates and significantly lower lignin:nitrogen ratios than Bruguiera foliage. Live root mass was positively correlated with ingrowth and soil carbon, although soil carbon and ingrowth were not significantly correlated with each other. Humic acid concentrations were significantly higher in Sonneratia rhizospheres than in either Bruguiera or Rhizophora rhizospheres and were positively correlated with root ingrowth. The species changes taking place on Kosrae are likely to result in lower rates of root production and foliage decomposition, and more refractory carbon pools in soil.     

Chemical constituents from the fruits of Sonneratia caseolaris and Sonneratia ovata (Sonneratiaceae)

Nine (1–9) and seven (1–6, 10) compounds were isolated from the fruits of Sonneratia caseolaris and Sonneratia ovata, respectively. Their structures were identified by comparing their MS and NMR data as well as the physical properties with the literature. All the isolated compounds were screened against a rat glioma C-6 cell line using the MTT assay method; only compounds (-)-(R)-nyasol (1), (-)-(R)-4′-O-methylnyasol (2) and maslinic acid (6) were found to show moderate cytotoxic activity. Our findings from these two kinds of fruits can be used as a foundation for further chemotaxonomic studies on Sonneratia species. The nor-lignans (1, 2) and 6H-benzo[b,d]pyran-6-one derivatives (3, 4) were isolated from this genus for the first time, indicating that these two classes of compounds may tentatively be considered as taxonomic markers for Sonneratia genus.