ANNUAL DIFFERENCES IN FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS AFFECT SPATIAL AND COHORT-SPECIFIC GENOTYPIC HETEROGENEITY IN PAINTED TURTLES

Long-term ecological data were used to evaluate the relative importance of movements, breeding structure, and reproductive ecological factors to the degree of spatial and age-specific variation in genetic characteristics of painted turtles (Chrysemys picta) on the E. S. George Reserve in southeastern Michigan. Estimates of the degree of spatial genetic structuring were based on the proportion of total genotypic variance partitioned within and between subpopulations (inferred from hierarchical F-statistics based on variation at 18 protein loci), and in terms of gene correlations (co-ancestry among individuals derived from reproductive data on full-sib families of females nesting at specific nesting areas). Little variation in allele frequency was observed among turtles from different marshes (F_mt = 0.003), though significant variation was observed among turtles from different nesting areas associated with each marsh (F_nm = 0.046). Gene correlations among individuals within nesting areas varied greatly over years (0.032-0.171; mean = 0.069) and were negatively correlated to the proportion of females that successfully nested during each year. General concordance between independent estimates of genotypic correlations (i.e., F_nm derived from protein electrophoretic variation vs. mean co-ancestry) suggests that allozyme data, when collected over spatial scales consistent with species behavioral characteristics and reproductive ecology, may accurately reflect the apportionment of gene diversity within and among subpopulations. The magnitude and patterning of allelic variation among nesting areas and individuals appears to be primarily a function of gametic correlations among members of full-sib families, irrespective of the degree of gene flow or female nesting-site fidelity. Comparisons of genetic characteristics among 11 cohorts (1974-1984) revealed that heterozygosity (H) and inbreeding coefficients (F) varied greatly. Cohort estimates of H and F were correlated to female nesting success and to estimates of co-ancestry for the same years. Results clearly reflect the concomitant importance of ecological factors (principally the proportion of the female population that successfully produce offspring during each year) in determining the magnitude and patterning of gene correlations within and among groups, and to the genotypic composition of offspring born during each year.     

Pre-mating isolation is determined by larval rearing substrates in cactophilicDrosophila mojavensis. II. Effects of larval substrates on time to copulation,mate choice and mating propensity

Summary It has been hypothesized that reproductive character displacement has evolved in mainland Sonora, Mexico populations of cactophilicD. mojavensis due to the presence of a sympatric sibling speciesD. arizonae. In laboratory tests using ancestral Baja California populations and derived, sympatric mainland populations, asymmetrical sexual isolation has been observed among populations ofD. mojavensis where mainland females discriminate against Baja males. Effects of different pre-adult rearing environments on adult mating behaviour were assessed by comparing fermenting cactus tissues like those used in nature for breeding with laboratory media because previous studies have employed synthetic growth media for fly growth and development. Significant behavioural isolation was evident in all cases when larvae were reared on laboratory food, but was non-significant when flies were reared on fermenting cactus, except for the cactus used by most mainland populations, consistent with previous studies. Time to copulation of Baja females was greater than mainland females over all substrates, but male time to copulation did not differ between populations. Time to copulation for both sexes was significantly greater when flies were reared on laboratory food with one exception. The degree of behavioural isolation was weakly correlated with time to copulation across food types (Spearman rank correlation = 0.58,p = 0.099). Therefore, use of laboratory media in this and previous studies exaggerated adult pre-mating isolation and time to copulation in comparison to natural breeding substrates. These experiments suggest that a change in host substrates by saprophagous insects (where chemical differences exist between hosts) may have subtle effects on mating behaviour in a manner which promotes low levels of sexual isolation as a by-product of their utilization of a particular substrate during larval development. ForD. mojavensis, these results suggest that over evolutionary time, radiation into a new environment (from Baja to the mainland) allowed utilization of new host plants that may have incidentally promoted the sexual isolation patterns that have been observed within this species.See Etges (1992) for the first paper in this series.     

菊花离体快速繁殖的研究

用MS基本培养基附加植物生长调节剂,进行了菊花离体快速繁殖试验。以幼叶为外植体在附加不同生长素的培寿基上诱导愈伤组织后进行分化培养。结果表明,2.OppmNAA上的愈伤组织诱导率最高,0.5ppmBA上的不定芽分化率最高。用不同浓度NAA与BA的组合进行分化试验,其方差分析结果说明0.1ppmNAA+0.5ppmBA是分化培养的最佳激素组合。无根苗在MS无激素培寿基上诱导生根,28天后移栽成活率达到85％。     

桑白蚧的重要寄生蜂——桑白蚧恩蚜小蜂的鉴别与利用

桑白蚧恩蚜小蜂Encarsia(=Prospaltella)berlesel(Howard)是寄生桑白蚧Pseudaulacaspls pentagona(Targioni-Tozzctti)的重要寄生蜂,许多国家进行了引进移植,对控制桑白蚧的为害取得明显的成效．本记述了桑白蚧恩蚜小蜂形态特征的鉴别。以及各国引进利用的概况．并讨论了利用寄生蜂防治桑白蚧的重要性．     

黑木耳8808菌株生物学特性研究

黑木耳8808菌株,是笔者几年来,从黑龙江省15个地区,采集的32个样本中,分离的59个野生菌株中,经多次培养、比较,栽培试验选出的一株优质、高产菌株。该菌株1992年,在本省五常县长山乡生产150万袋,全省生产近1000万段,均获丰收,产量、质量均明显优于原生产菌株。为更好的为生产提供科学依据,本文研究了该木耳孢子弹射及萌发特征,菌丝、子实体、孢子形态,不同温度、pH、氮碳源浓度,不同培养料配方对该木耳菌丝生长及产实影响。     

Ecological and evolutionary consequences of selective interspecific information use

Recent work has shown that animals frequently use social information from individuals of their own species as well as from other species; however, the ecological and evolutionary consequences of this social information use remain poorly understood. Additionally, information users may be selective in their social information use, deciding from whom and how to use information, but this has been overlooked in an interspecific context. In particular, the intentional decision to reject a behaviour observed via social information has received less attention, although recent work has indicated its presence in various taxa. Based on existing literature, we explore in which circumstances selective interspecific information use may lead to different ecological and coevolutionary outcomes between two species, such as explaining observed co-occurrences of putative competitors. The initial ecological differences and the balance between the costs of competition and the benefits of social information use potentially determine whether selection may lead to trait divergence, convergence or coevolutionary arms race between two species. We propose that selective social information use, including adoption and rejection of behaviours, may have far-reaching fitness consequences, potentially leading to community-level eco-evolutionary outcomes. We argue that these consequences of selective interspecific information use may be much more widespread than has thus far been considered.     

Disentangling the historical routes to community assembly in the global epicentre of biodiversity

Aim

The exceptional turnover in biota with elevation and number of species coexisting at any elevation makes tropical mountains hotspots of biodiversity. However, understanding the historical processes through which species arising in geographical isolation (i.e. allopatry) assemble along the same mountain slope (i.e. sympatry) remains a major challenge. Multiple models have been proposed including (1) the sorting of already elevationally divergent species, (2) the displacement of elevation upon secondary contact, potentially followed by convergence, or (3) elevational conservatism, in which ancestral elevational ranges are retained. However, the relative contribution of these processes to generating patterns of elevational overlap and turnover is unknown.

Location

Tropical mountains of Central- and South-America.

Time Period

The last 12 myr.

Major Taxa Studied

Birds.

Methods

We collate a dataset of 165 avian sister pairs containing estimates of phylogenetic age, geographical and regional elevational range overlap. We develop a framework based on continuous-time Markov models to infer the relative frequency of different historical pathways in explaining present-day overlap and turnover of sympatric species along elevational gradients.

Results

We show that turnover of closely related bird species across elevation can predominantly be explained by displacement of elevation ranges upon contact (81%) rather than elevational divergence in allopatry (19%). In contrast, overlap along elevation gradients is primarily (88%) explained by conservatism of elevational ranges rather than displacement followed by elevational expansion (12%).

Main Conclusions

Bird communities across elevation gradients are assembled through a mix of processes, including the sorting, displacement and conservatism of species elevation ranges. The dominant role of conservatism in explaining co-occurrence of species on mountain slopes rejects more complex scenarios requiring displacement followed by expansion. The ability of closely related species to coexist without elevational divergence provides a direct and faster pathway to sympatry and helps explain the exceptional species richness of tropical mountains.     

安徽省清凉峰自然保护区植物区系的研究

清凉峰自然保护区有维管束植物181科,601属,1228种,是安徽植物资源集中地之一。区系成分起源古老,孑遗种多,保存着丰富的珍稀、濒危植物。种子植物区系地理成分复杂,各类热带成分、温带成分、中国特有成分分别占本区种子植物属总数的33.6%、62.96%、3.44%,显示了本区植物区系的亚热带特性。本区植物区系97.6%的成分与华东植物区系共有,且含华东特有种111种,具有典型华东植物区系特征。本区植物区系与西天目山、黄山植物区系关系最密切,其次为大别山和庐山,再次为神农架。     

CALLING SONG DISPLACEMENT IN A ZONE OF OVERLAP AND HYBRIDIZATION

The ground crickets Allonemobius fasciatus and A. socius meet in a mosaic zone of overlap and hybridization stretching from the East Coast to at least Illinois. To test whether male calling song differences were enhanced in sympatry, we analyzed the songs of crickets from inside and outside the zone of overlap along two transects. No evidence of calling song displacement was found in A. socius males from populations within the zone of overlap. On the other hand, A. fasciatus displayed calling song displacement in three populations. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that the selective pressure exerted by the challenge from a related species is frequency dependent. While not a conclusive demonstration, the observed shifts in calling song are strongly suggestive of reproductive character displacement.