Cellular preservation of excysting developmental stages of new eukaryotes from the early Ediacaran Weng’an Biota

The Ediacaran Weng’an Biota provides a unique window on marine diversity during the interval in which the fundamental animal body plans were being established. Here we describe a previously unreported component of the assemblage, millimeter-scale encysted spheres that exhibit a characteristic but simple slit-shaped excystment mechanism (Sporosphaera guizhouensis n. gen. n. sp.), reminiscent of acritarchs. The cysts contain a large inner body or numerous small discrete membrane-bounded bodies. It is possible that the inner bodies represent disaggregated cells of a multicellular body, like an embryo, but there is no evidence to support this interpretation and the occurrence of the excystment structure is not readily compatible with an embryo interpretation. Rather, we interpret the encysted organisms as multicellular stages within the lifecycle of otherwise probably unicellular eukaryotes. The developmental mode exhibited by Sporosphaera, incorporating a resting stage, implies an adaptation to adverse environmental conditions. This parallels the appearance of Large Ornamented Ediacaran Microfossils (LOEMs) which have been interpreted as diapause stages in the embryology of early animals. Sporosphaera is distinct from LOEMs by ornamentation instead of size, which may implicate that not all LOEMs are animal embryos, if any.     

Isolation of diverse bioactive compounds from Euphorbia balsamifera: Cytotoxicity and antibacterial activity studies

Antibacterial and cytotoxic activities of Euphorbia balsamifera, fractions and pure compounds were evaluated. The cytotoxic assays for HCT116, HePG2 and MCF7 showed a significant IC₅₀: 54.7 and 76.2 µg/mL of non-polar fraction “n-hexane” against HCT116 and HePG2, respectively. Antibacterial results revealed that plant fractions exhibited significant potential against the tested pathogens than the total extract where n-butanol and ethyl acetate fractions showed significant antibacterial activity (P < 0.05) against tested bacterial strains. Isolation and structure determination of compounds from n-hexane and n-butanol fractions were performed. From n-hexane fraction, 29-nor-cycloartanol (1), lanost-8-en-3-ol (2a), cycloartanol (2b) and kampferol-3,4'-dimethyl ether (3) were isolated and structurally identified, along with 24 compounds were tentatively identified by GC–MS. From the polar n-butanol fraction, 4-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-2-hydroxy-6-methoxyacetophenone (4), 4-O-α-L-rhamnosyl-(1 → 6)-β-D-glucopyranosyl-2-hydroxy-6methoxy-acetophenone (5), quercetin-3-O-glucopyranoside (6) and isoorientin (7) were assigned. Structures of the obtained compounds were determined by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. Except compounds 1 and 5, all reported compounds announced antibacterial efficiency. Compound 2 showed selectively the highest activity against Enterococcus faecalis (22 ± 0.13 mm), meanwhile 4-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-2-hydroxy-6-methoxyacetophenone (4) showed broadly the highest antibacterial activity with MIC of 1.15–1.88 mg/mL against the test Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Cytotoxic assays indicated that kampferol-3,4'-dimethyl ether (3) exhibited the highest activity with matching IC₅₀ values to doxorubicin; 111.46, 42.67 and 44.90 µM against HCT116, HePG2 and MCF7, respectively, however, it is toxic on retina normal cell line RPE1.     

Classification and ordination in the Indian Peaks area,Colorado Rocky Mountains

Summary A mid-latitude, Northern Hemisphere alpine vegetation in the Colorado Rocky Mountains was suitable for analysis by syntaxonemie and numerical methods, which interpreted the Braun-Bianquet association data, distributed by habitat and vegetation dominance types, correspondingly. Classification and ordination yielded complementary, interpretable results, which combined were more informative than results of either technique alone. Syntaxonomic results can faeilitate the interpretation of numerical results; the syntaxonomic relationships can be clarified by the results of numerical analysis.Alliances and orders of the Braun-Blanquet hierarchy, and their diagnostic taxa groups were derived by numerical methods from an association/taxa matrix. On the basis of this matrix, numerical methods demonstrated some of the environmental gradient complexes controlling the compositional variation. The compositional distinctiveness and uniformity of orders and alliances parallel environmental distictiveness and uniformity.The following attributes of the sampled vegetation and environment were probably responsible for the successful combination of syntaxonomic and numerical results: 1. The sampled area as a geographically limited universe, characterized by relative environmental, biotic, and historical distinctiveness and uniformity, 2. The wide range, high diversity, and clear denfinition of habitat and vegetation dominance types. Because it effectively summarizes and simplifies field data, syntaxonomy can play an important role in building local vegetatio models.Most of the figures in this paper are from a book version of a University of Colorado, Department of Environmental, Population, and Organismic Biology, Ph. D. thesis which was produced at the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research. I would like to thank Dr. P.J. Webber, the thesis advisor, for his support, for suggesting the numerical methods, and for computer programs which were written by W.F. Reid. Vicki Dow, Marilyn Joel, and Karen Sproul drafted the majority of figures. I am grateful to Gwen Archer for editorial help.     

祁连山森林生态环境与黑河流域径流量的灰色关联分析和拓扑预测

甘肃省河西走廊由于远离海洋和受高山阻隔而成为干旱区。但因特殊的地理环境而有南部祁连山水源涵养林调蓄降水和冰雪融水,形成了三大内陆河水系,灌溉河西走廊7.0×10~5     

哈氏啮小蜂雌蜂的繁殖生物学特性

哈氏啮小蜂Tetrastichus hagenowii（Ratzeburg）是卫生害虫蜚蠊的重要天敌昆虫, 能寄生多种蜚蠊种类的卵荚, 被认为是控制蜚蠊危害最具潜力的天敌昆虫。本文对哈氏啮小蜂雌蜂的繁殖生物学特性进行了系统研究。结果表明: 哈氏啮小蜂行孤雌生殖和两性生殖的繁殖方式, 两性生殖其子代雌蜂所占比例为46.02%, 而孤雌生殖其子代均为雄性。经解剖镜检证实: 雌蜂发育至性成熟时的两侧卵巢结构呈现为, 每侧卵巢有8~12根卵巢管, 每根卵巢管怀卵量约1~6粒。结果发现雌蜂发育日期影响其怀卵数量, 1日龄哈氏啮小蜂怀卵量低, 平均为45.2粒/♀; 2日龄哈氏啮小蜂怀卵量较高, 平均为80.1粒/♀。哈氏啮小蜂羽化后即性成熟产卵, 产卵期为4~11 d, 日产卵量为0.86~7.57粒/♀, 单雌一生平均寄生1枚美洲大蠊卵荚。供试寄主卵荚密度是影响哈氏啮小蜂寄生率的重要因素, 在蜂卵荚比例为1∶5, 1∶3, 1∶2, 1∶1, 2∶1和3∶1范围内, 哈氏啮小蜂对卵荚的寄生率随着雌蜂数量与寄主卵荚比例的提高而增加, 然单雌寄生卵荚数量却呈下降趋势。     

黑龙江长白山森林生物量的时空变化分析

森林生物量碳储量的空间分布及其变化信息, 对揭示地表空间变化规律及驱动因子、分析评价森林生产力及生态功能具有重要意义。该文以20世纪70年代、80年代、90年代和21世纪初4个时期的遥感数据和同期的森林资源清查样地数据为基础, 应用遥感信息模型, 估算了黑龙江长白山地区的森林生物量, 分析了该地区森林生物量的时空动态变化, 以及森林生物量随高程、坡度和坡向的变化规律。结果表明: 该地区4个时期的森林平均生物量分别为81.56、44.27、48.27和54.82 t·hm^-2。4个时期总的森林生物量分别为5.37 × 10 ⁸、2.83 × 10 ⁸、3.06 × 10 ⁸和3.46 × 10 ⁸ t。20世纪70年代到21世纪初森林平均生物量和总的森林生物量都呈现出先降低后增加的趋势, 呈先下降趋势的主要原因是20世纪70-80年代以森林采伐为主, 后增加趋势的主要原因是实施天然林保护工程起到了很大的作用。该地区4个时期森林生物量随高程、坡度和坡向都表现出一致性的变化规律, 森林生物量随高程和坡度变化都呈先增加后减少的趋势, 导致这一现象的主要原因是, 高程、坡度和坡向变化引起了局地气候条件的变化, 从而直接影响森林生长环境, 造成森林分布的变化。森林生物量在200-400 m高程所占的比例最大, 约为35%, 在坡度5°-15°所占的比例接近50%。森林生物量在南坡和西南坡所占的比例最小, 为7%; 平坡所占的比例最大, 为28%; 南坡次之, 为19%。     

北京绿化树种油松、雪松和刺槐树干液流的空间变异特征

城市绿化树木具有多重生态效应, 其耗水量不容忽视。在不了解树干液流空间变异的前提下, 将点的测定值推广到整树或者林段尺度会产生很大的误差。为准确地确定整树耗水, 采用热消散探针法研究了夏秋季北京成年常绿树种油松(Pinus tabulaeformis)、雪松(Cedrus deodara)和刺槐(Robinia pseudoacacia)树干液流的空间变异特征及产生原因。各树种树干液流存在方位变异, 受树干靠南的方向受光较多、木材解剖特征和枝下高高度的影响, 油松和雪松液流密度与方位之间的关系较为固定, 而刺槐液流密度与方位之间的关系表现出随机性。不同方位每小时液流密度之间高度相关(p < 0.000 1)。因此, 可以基于这种关系准确地计算其他方位的液流(R² > 0.91, p < 0.000 1)。油松和雪松树干液流的径向变异显著, 较深处和较浅处树干液流的日变化格局相似, 但是较深处的液流明显滞后于较浅处的树干液流, 且较浅处树干液流对环境因子的响应远高于深处的液流。不同深度树干液流之间密切相关, 因此可以利用较浅处的液流外推其他深度的液流(R² > 0.89, p < 0.000 1)。然而, 同一棵树不同方位径向剖面特征不同, 雪松南向较深处的液流明显高于其他方位, 且滞后不显著, 这与树冠南向受光较多有关。结合误差分析, 采取北向15 mm和75 mm深处的液流密度均值来估算整树耗水较为准确。     

天山北部拟南芥自然居群表型变化的环境依赖特征

拟南芥(Arabidopsis thaliana)是植物生物学的模式植物, 在分子遗传学方面已经积累了丰富的研究成果, 但目前对拟南芥自然分布的生境特点、表型变化的环境依赖特征等研究很少, 极大地限制了对拟南芥进化动力和机制的理解。为了了解在微环境下拟南芥种群分布和表型性状的变化特点, 对天山北部分布于塔尔巴哈台山、阿尔泰山和天山的10个拟南芥种群的分布特征、表型的变化特点, 以及与综合环境因子的相互关系进行了分析。结果表明: 除分枝数外, 株高、株重、根重、单个果实重量、单株果数、单株果重、果长、果实开裂力度、单株果重/总重9个特征在种群间变化显著, 可塑性能力较强; 但方差分析和变异系数结果显示, 角果长度、果实开裂力度在种群内和种群间的变化相对较小。表型特征在山系间、经纬度和海拔间的变化规律不明显。拟南芥主要分布于pH值和HCO₃ ^-含量低, 有机质丰富, 且有一定坡度的沙土地块上。种群内拟南芥分布频度很低, 在1.56%-10.69%之间, 空间自相关距离在15.4-46.7 cm之间变化较大, 10个种群均呈现极显著集群分布, 分布的集群性受果实开裂力度的影响显著, 而果实开裂力度随环境胁迫而极显著增加。总结认为: 天山北部拟南芥生长和分布主要受微环境的影响, 在干旱环境下, 拟南芥主要通过增加繁殖分配比例, 产生难开裂的果实, 促使种子短距离扩散于母株周围, 确保子代利用原适宜生境来生存繁衍。     

Regeneration dynamics of subalpine fir (Abies fargesii) forest across the altitudinal range in the Shennongjia Mountains,central China

Aims Age structure and regeneration dynamics have been used to infer population response to environmental events and reconstruct forest development history. The aim of this study was to characterize and examine the differences of the age structure and regeneration dynamics of subalpine fir (Abies fargesii) forest across the altitudinal range in the north and south aspects in the Shennongjia Mountains, central China.Methods Ten plots (20×20 m) at each altitudinal zone (i.e. the low elevation, the middle elevation and the high elevation) were established in both the north and south aspects of the Shennongjia Mountains, central China. Dendroecological techniques were applied to obtain information about ages of the trees in the plots. The population age structure was analyzed to investigate the regeneration dynamics across the altitudinal range.Important findings Fir regeneration dynamics and age structure were similar in both aspects, and a unimodal population age structure was found at different altitudinal sites of both aspects, indicating that environmental factors might play an important role in shaping the regeneration dynamics and age structure of A. fargesii across its altitudinal range. There was a sustained recruitment during the 19th century, but the regeneration was rarer in the last century at low and midelevations. A significant greater number of fir seedlings and saplings recruited at high elevations in the last century, and fir tree density at high elevations was significantly higher than that at low elevations. Thus, the fir population at the high elevations showed a significant increase in recruitment and stem density in the last century, and we propose that the gradual infilling of fir seedlings might result in changes in regeneration dynamics and stand structure of the subalpine fir forest at high elevations in the Shennongjia Mountains, central China.