Effect of yak rumen content treatments on seed germination of 11 alpine meadow species on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau is located in the ‘Third Pole’ of the world, characterized by a harsh environment. Despite this, the alpine meadow ecosystem have developed over a wide area but serious grassland degradation is threatening the ecological environment on the Plateau. Recruitment of new plants to the population, via germination and establishment, is vital to plant community survival. Previous work on the seeds in this area has mainly focused on community-wide germination strategies, seed germination characteristics and their correlations with seed size and seed mass. However, there have been no studies on the effects of soaking in rumen contents on the plant seed germination characteristics of alpine meadow species. The present study had two main objectives: (i) to determine the effect of fresh rumen content from yaks on seed germination characteristics and seedling growth of species common to the eastern Tibetan Plateau alpine meadow, and (ii) to develop an effective method to enhance seed germination. Seeds of 11 common species were collected together with fresh rumen content from three yaks that grazed there. Seed germination tests were conducted after they had been soaked in rumen content for one of six soaking periods (12, 24, 36, 48, 60 or 72 h). The seeds were incubated under natural light conditions of 8 h light at 25 °C and 16 h darkness at 15 °C, for the germination period of 34 days. The results showed that seed germination and seedling growth were affected by soaking time, seed coat completeness and seed type. After soaking in rumen content, the germination percentages of scarified (peeled or with the seed coat cut through) seeds of some species (true seeds Oxytropis ochrocephala and Medicago ruthenia var inschanica, nutlet Carex enervis, achenes Anemone rivularis and Polygonum sibiricum) and complete seeds of C. enervis, and A. rivularis were improved but the duration of soaking was also important. Seed germination of caryopsis Achnatherum inebrians (a toxic grass) was significantly inhibited by any exposure to rumen fluids. Scarified seeds generally had higher germination percentages than complete ones after treatment, but with the increase in soaking time, germination percentages declined and scarified seeds were more sensitive to the treatment than the complete seeds. After soaking in yak rumen content, the germination indices of scarified M. ruthenia at 12 h treatment, O. ochrocephala and achene Rumex acetosa at 12–24 h treatment, nutlet Kobresia humilis at 24 h treatment, P. sibiricum at 24–48 h treatment, C. enervis at 12–48 h treatment and A. rivularis at 12–60 h treatment were significantly higher than the control (P < 0.05), while the germination indices of complete C. enervis seeds at 12 h and 36 h treatment, and A. rivularis at 12–60 h treatment were significantly higher compared with the control. The germination indices of other species gradually decreased with the increase in soaking time. We concluded that yak rumen digestion could enhance, inhibit or not affect seed germination and seedling growth of the alpine meadow species, which might influence seedling recruitment, interspecific competition, and the plant community structure of the eastern Tibetan Plateau alpine meadow. Overall, yak digestion has a positive effect on alpine meadow seed germination and seed dispersal.     

Inventory of the carabid beetle fauna of the Gaoligong Mountains,western Yunnan Province,China: species of the tribe Zabrini (Coleoptera,Carabidae)

A ten-year multidisciplinary, multi-national and multi-institutional biodiversity inventory project in the Gaoligong Shan region of western Yunnan Province, China generated more than 35,000 specimens of the beetle (Coleoptera) family Carabidae. In this report, first of a planned series, we focus on diversity in tribe Zabrini. Our study of just over 1300 specimens of zabrine carabids from the project, all in genus Amara Bonelli, found a total of 13 species, all previously described, to occur in the study area, with none of them strictly endemic. We present a key for identification of adults of these species, as well as nomenclatural data, diagnoses, illustrations of dorsal habitus and male genitalia, and information about geographical, altitudinal and habitat distributions within the study area and overall geographical distribution for each species. Distributions of the species within the study area are compared, and broader geographical range patterns are characterized. We also discuss a possible role of the Gaoligong Shan region as one source area for the present-day fauna of the Himalaya and southern edge of the Qinghai-Xizang (Tibetan) Plateau.     

Ploidy in the alpine sedge Kobresia pygmaea (Cyperaceae) and related species: combined application of chromosome counts,new microsatellite markers and flow cytometry

Polyploidy is a fundamental mechanism in evolution, but is hard to detect in taxa with agmatoploidy or aneuploidy. We tested whether a combination of chromosome counting, microsatellite analyses and flow cytometric measurements represents a suitable approach for the detection of basic chromosome numbers and ploidy in Kobresia (Cyperaceae). Chromosome counting resulted in 2n = 64 for Kobresia pygmaea and K. cercostachys, 2n = 58 and 64 for K. myosuroides, and 2n = 72 for K. simpliciuscula. We characterized eight microsatellite loci for K. pygmaea, which gave a maximum of four alleles per individual. Cross‐species amplification was tested in 26 congeneric species and, on average, six of eight loci amplified successfully. Using flow cytometry, we confirmed tetraploidy in K. pygmaea. Basic chromosome numbers and ploidy were inferred from chromosome counts and the maximum number of alleles per locus. We consider the basic numbers as x = 16 and 18, with irregularities derived from agmatoploidy and aneuploidy. Across all Kobresia taxa, ploidy ranged from diploid up to heptaploid. The combination of chromosome counts and microsatellite analyses is an ideal method for the determination of basic chromosome numbers and for inferring ploidy, and flow cytometry is a suitable tool for the identification of deviating cytotypes. © 2014 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2014, 176 , 22–35.     

DNA barcoding and morphology reveal exceptional species diversity of Scoparia (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) from the Hailuogou Glacier area,China

The genus Scoparia from the Hailuogou Glacier area in the south‐eastern fringe of the Tibetan Plateau of south‐western China is studied, nine species are revealed by combining DNA barcoding (658 bp of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, COI) and morphology. Studies show that Scoparia species from the Hailuogou Glacier area are 37.5% as many as all the previously known congeners in China. Six species are described as new to science: S coparia simplicissima Li sp. nov. , S coparia tribulosa Li sp. nov. , S coparia longispina Li sp. nov. , S coparia gibbosa Li sp. nov. , S coparia globosa Li sp. nov. , and S coparia annulata Li sp. nov. The female of Scoparia metaleucalis is described for the first time herein. All species are either diagnosed or described and illustrated, and a map of China showing the topography and localities where Scoparia species are recorded is also provided, including the species number of all the recorded localities. The results reveal the exceptional species diversity of Scoparia from the Hailuogou Glacier area, as well as demonstrate that the integration of DNA barcoding and morphological approaches is highly effective for indentifying scopariine moths in the Hailougou glacier area. All the studied specimens are deposited in the Insect Museum, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, China. © 2014 The Linnean Society of London     

基于最小数据方法的甘南藏族自治州生态补偿标准

生态补偿标准的确定是生态补偿机制建立的难点和重点.根据1987-2007年甘南州气象站和2007年甘南藏族自治州的社会调查资料,采用最小数据方法、社会调查法、降水储水量法对草地生态系统服务的供给曲线进行模拟.结果表明：2007年,甘南藏族自治州年实施生态补偿的机会成本为503.6 yuan·hm^-2,草地生态系统提供的单位水源涵养量为1110.7 m³·hm^-2,补偿标准为788.6 yuan·hm^-2,草地生态系统提供的总水源涵养量为2.56×10.9 m³.     

Species richness and species composition of fungal communities associated with cellulose decomposition at different altitudes on the Tibetan Plateau

Aims The aims of this study were to compare the fungal communities developing on cotton strips at three different altitudes on the Tibetan Plateau and to assess the environmental variables influencing them.Methods Cotton strips that had been buried in soil for a year were sampled at three sites at different altitudes (4500, 4950 and 5200 m) located on a southeast-facing slope on the Nyainqentanglha Mountains near Damxung. The fungi on the cotton strips were isolated using a modified washing method. The decomposition abilities and colony growth properties of the major species cultured in pure-culture conditions were investigated and compared. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) was used to evaluate the relationships between fungal community composition and environmental variables (altitude, soil depth, soil water content [SWC], plant root mass and gravel content).Important findings A total of 24 species were isolated from the cotton strips, and 12 species occurred frequently and were regarded as major species. The number of fungal species was lower at the 4950-m altitude site than at the other two sites, indicating that not only altitude but also other factors affected the number of species present. All of the major species were able to decompose the cotton strips. In the CCA ordination, automatic forward selection revealed that altitude, SWC and plant root mass significantly affected fungal species composition. Our results suggest that species number and the composition of cellulolytic fungal communities are highly correlated with environmental variables as well as altitude in the alpine meadow on the Tibetan Plateau.     

西藏藏族青少年体型

为了探讨藏族青少年体型发育特征及其规律, 本文应用Heath-Carter体型法对2530名藏族青少年体型进行评价。结果发现, 藏族青少年的平均体型男性为偏中胚层的外胚层型(2.40—3.29—3.72),女性为中间型(3.65—2.87—3.32); 男性的体型以外胚层系体型为主(58.52%), 女性体型以内胚层系(32.62%)和外胚层系为主(35.40%); 随着年龄的增长, 藏族青少年的体型发展有一定的规律, 男性由中胚层-外胚层均衡型经偏中胚层的外胚层型又发展回中胚层-外胚层均衡型, 女性由中胚层-外胚层均衡型经历均衡的外胚层型发展为均衡的内胚层型。因此, 本文认为,藏族男性青少年身体的线性程度高、外形上比较瘦削、肌肉较发达; 藏族女性青少年较男性身体的脂肪含量多、线性程度相对较高。     

广东发现濒危鸟类海南鳽

:1 998年 6月 1 7日、1 999年 8月 1 7日、1 999年 8月 2 6日在广东省始兴县车八岭国家级自然保护区范围内三次获得海南幼鸟各 1只 ;华南濒危动物研究所曾于 1 960年 3月 2 2日在英德县滑水山采获雄成鸟标本 1只。至此 ,广东省内存在濒危鸟类海南得到确切证实。近些年内桂南、粤北是国内仅有海南种群分布的地区     

藏鸡群体遗传多样性研究

藏鸡的体型外貌和生活习性与红色原鸡非常相似,是具有自己独特群体遗传特性的高原地方鸡种。为了有效保护并合理利用这一遗传资源,我们采用多重PCR与半自动荧光标记微卫星聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳相结合的方法检测了20个微卫星基因座的多态性,并随机抽取藏鸡群体中部分个体进行个体体形特征与生产性能的统计。结果表明藏鸡群体的20个微卫星基因座的多态等位基因数为4~10个,平均值为7.25个/基因座,多态信息含量（CPI）和杂合度（H）平均值分别为0.67、0.74。大染色体较小染色体的微卫星标记多态性程度要高。藏鸡群体的微卫星基因座多态性丰富,也解释了生产性能不均,外貌表现迥异的群体遗传特性。 Abstract: Morphological traits and living habit of Tibetan chicken, which is an aboriginal chicken breed on plateau with its own characteristic populational genetic features, are in great common with the Red Jungle Fowl, the assumed ancestry of domestic chicken. To fully exploit this chicken resource, Multiplex PCR with semi-automated polyacrilamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) using fluorescently labeled microsatellite primers was used to detect the polymorphism at 20 microsatellite loci. At the same time, we randomly test the individual morphology and performance. It showed that numbers of polymorphic alleles were 4-10, with mean value 7.25 per locus. Polymorphism Information Content (CPI) and Heterozygosity (H) had mean values 0.67 and 0.74, respectively. Macrochromosomes had relatively higher polymorphism than microchromosomes(P>0.05). In all, high polymorphisms at microsatellite loci related to the uneven production performance and morphological discrepancy of population genetic characteristics in Tibetan chicken.     

爱羚: 第一只家养成功的藏羚

藏羚 (Ｐａｎｔｈｏｌｏｐｓｈｏｄｇｓｏｎｉ)是青藏高原特有物种 ,隶属于偶蹄目牛科山羊亚科藏羚属[1～ 4 ] ,主要分布于中国境内的青海、西藏、新疆三省区交界处的高寒荒漠化草原、高寒草原和高寒草甸地区 ,海拔一般在 4 10 0～ 5 5 0 0ｍ之间 ,生存环境十分恶劣 ,目前已处于濒危状态。国际社会对藏羚羊的保护高度关注 ,但由于缺乏对该物种的科学认识 ,保护措施只能以反盗猎和打击藏羚羊绒及其制品的走私贸易为主[4 ] 。我们在青海省重大科技攻关项目和中国科学院知识创新工程项目的资助下 ,开展了藏羚羊种群生物学及保护措施的研究 ,并…