Improbable but true: the invasive inbreeding ambrosia beetle Xylosandrus morigerus has generalist genotypes

The wide distribution and dominance of invasive inbreeding species in many forest ecosystems seems paradoxical in face of their limited genetic variation. Successful establishment of invasive species in new areas is nevertheless facilitated by clonal reproduction: parthenogenesis, regular self-fertilization, and regular inbreeding. The success of clonal lineages in variable environments has been explained by two models, the frozen niche variation (FNV) model and the general-purpose genotype (GPG) model. We tested these models on a widely distributed forest pest that has been recently established in Costa Rica-the sibling-mating ambrosia beetle Xylosandrus morigerus. Two deeply diverged mitochondrial haplotypes coexist at multiple sites in Costa Rica. We find that these two haplotypes do not differ in their associations with ecological factors. Overall the two haplotypes showed complete overlap in their resource utilization; both genotypes have broad niches, supporting the GPG model. Thus, probable or not, our findings suggest that X. morigerus is a true ecological generalist. Clonal aspects of reproduction coupled with broad niches are doubtless important factors in the successful colonization of new habitats in distant regions.     

Leaf traits from stomata to morphology are associated with climatic and edaphic variables for dominant tropical forest evergreen oaks

热带森林优势种青冈叶片气孔、解剖和形态性状与气候、土壤因子的关联 了解优势树种叶片多水平的功能性状沿海拔梯度的变化及其内在关联,有助于预测优势种应对气候变化的响应与适应。本文研究了青冈属树种叶片气孔、解剖和形态性状沿海拔梯度的变化及其与环境调控因子的关联,探究了其生态策略是否随海拔发生改变。在海南尖峰岭热带森林,沿海拔梯度(400–1400 m)采集了6种常绿青冈：竹叶青冈(Cyclobalanopsis bambusaefolia)、雷公青冈(C. hui)、托盘青冈 (C. patelliformis)、饭甄青冈(C. fleuryi)、吊罗山青冈(C. tiaoloshanica)和亮叶青冈(C. phanera)叶片,用于气孔、解剖和形态性状的测定。研究结果表明,随海拔升高,青冈树种叶片气孔密度、气孔孔隙度指数和叶面积显著增加,但海绵组织厚度比和干物质含量则显着降低。叶片气孔、解剖和形态性状沿海拔梯 度的变化主要受年均温、年降水量和土壤pH 值调控。在低海拔和高海拔处,青冈属采取“耐受”和“竞 争”策略,而在中海拔处,则是“竞争”策略。土壤磷含量和土壤pH 值随海拔的变化可能是驱动其生态 策略转变的主要原因。该结果揭示,热带森林优势树种青冈可通过从气孔细胞-组织解剖结构-叶片水平功能性状的改变来响应环境变化。     

新疆不同棉花品种烟粉虱实验种群

在实验室条件下［温度(26±1) ℃,相对湿度(75±1)%,光照L∶D=16∶8］研究了烟粉虱在新疆棉田主栽品种新陆早8号、新陆早16号、新陆早17号、中棉35号、抗5和岱80棉花品种上的存活率、产卵量和寿命等,组建了实验种群生命表,估测了种群净增殖率(R₀)、内禀增长力(r_m)、平均世代周期(T)和周限增长率(λ)等生殖力参数.结果表明：烟粉虱在不同棉花品种上的形态大小、发育历期、存活率及产卵量均存在显著差异.比较烟粉虱种群在6种棉花品种上的世代存活率和繁殖力,其在新陆早16号上发育速度最快、产卵量最高,而在抗5上各种生命参数相对较低.新陆早16号是烟粉虱种群生长发育最适宜的棉花品种,其次为中棉35号,抗5是烟粉虱种群最不适宜的品种.     

Genomic Evidence for Speciation with Gene Flow in Broadcast Spawning Marine Invertebrates

How early stages of speciation in free-spawning marine invertebrates proceed is poorly understood. The Western Pacific abalones, Haliotis discus, H. madaka, and H. gigantea, occur in sympatry with shared breeding season and are capable of producing viable F₁ hybrids in spite of being ecologically differentiated. Population genomic analyses revealed that although the three species are genetically distinct, there is evidence for historical and ongoing gene flow among these species. Evidence from demographic modeling suggests that reproductive isolation among the three species started to build in allopatry and has proceeded with gene flow, possibly driven by ecological selection. We identified 27 differentiation islands between the closely related H. discus and H. madaka characterized by high F_ST and d_A, but not high d_XY values, as well as high genetic diversity in one H. madaka population. These genomic signatures suggest differentiation driven by recent ecological divergent selection in presence of gene flow outside of the genomic islands of differentiation. The differentiation islands showed low polymorphism in H. gigantea, and both high F_ST, d_XY, and d_A values between H. discus and H. gigantea, as well as between H. madaka and H. gigantea. Collectively, the Western Pacific abalones appear to occupy the early stages speciation continuum, and the differentiation islands associated with ecological divergence among the abalones do not appear to have acted as barrier loci to gene flow in the younger divergences but appear to do so in older divergences.     

Indicators of restoration success in riparian tropical forests using multiple reference ecosystems

Forest restoration by planting trees often accelerates succession, but the trajectories toward reference ecosystems have rarely been evaluated. Using a chronosequence (4–53 years) of 26 riparian forest undergoing restoration in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, we modeled how the variables representing forest structure, tree species richness and composition, and the proportion of plant functional guilds change through time. We also estimated the time required for these variables to reach different types of reference ecosystems: old‐growth forest (OGF), degraded forest, and secondary forest. Among the attributes which follow a predictable trajectory over time are: the basal area, canopy cover, density and tree species richness, as well as proportions of shade tolerant and slow growing species or individuals. Most of the variation in density of pteridophythes, lianas, shrubs and phorophythes, proportion of animal‐dispersed individuals, rarefied richness and floristic similarity with reference ecosystems remain unexplained. Estimated time to reach the reference ecosystems is, in general, shorter for structural attributes than for species composition or proportion of functional guilds. The length of this time varies among the three types of reference ecosystems for most attributes. For instance, tree species richness and proportion of shade tolerant or slow growing individuals become similar to secondary forests in about 40 years, but is estimated to take 70 years or more to reach the OGF. Of all the variables considered, canopy cover, basal area, density, and richness of the understory—by their ecological relevance and predictability—are recommended as ecological indicators for monitoring tropical forest restoration success.     

春季小降雨事件对科尔沁沙地尖头叶藜萌发的影响

通过人工模拟降雨试验研究了科尔沁沙地优势草本植物尖头叶藜萌发和幼苗建成对春季小降雨事件(2、4、8 mm和自然降雨)的响应。结果表明:不同降雨处理对尖头叶藜的萌发和幼苗建成有显著影响(P0.05)。8mm降水量是促使尖头叶藜萌发的最小降雨阈量。不同降雨量处理下尖头叶藜萌发数量大小顺序为:8mm处理对照4 mm处理2mm处理;而高度和冠幅依次是2 mm处理(2.23 cm和7.15 cm2.)对照(2.03 cm和6.21 cm2)4mm处理(1.86 cm和5.01 cm2)8mm处理(1.48cm和4.72 cm2);降雨量为8mm的地上生物量最多(45.26 g/m2),对照为35.49g/m2、4mm处理为26.54g/m2、2mm处理为15.26g/m2。尖头叶藜幼苗的水分利用效率与每次降水量呈显著地正相关关系,随着每次降雨量的增大地上生物量逐渐增大。本试验中各处理的总降雨量一致,但地上生物量不同且差异显著。每次降雨量×降雨次数的分布状况影响了尖头叶藜幼苗的地上生物量。科尔沁沙地尖头叶藜萌发及其幼苗建成在密度、形态和水分利用效率和地上生产力上对不同模式的小降雨做出了积极的响应。     

Risk-Based Approaches to Managing Contaminants in Catchments

Risk-based methods promise improved decision-making for managing of contaminants, such as salinity, sediments, nutrients, and toxicants, that can adversely affect the ecological condition of aquatic ecosystems. Two aspects of ecological risk assessment (ERA) and management—stakeholder involvement and more quantitative approaches to risk analysis—are particularly challenging. Stakeholder involvement is crucial both in the risk assessment process and the development, acceptance, and implementation of a risk management plan. Additionally, a number of quantitative approaches (particularly Bayesian approaches and multi-criteria decision-making) have been identified as having the potential to include expert-based inputs into risk-based decision-making. These offer promise for better inclusion of stakeholder knowledge and preferences into the decision-making process, and for improving the links between stakeholder inputs and potential risks to the ecological condition of the system. A major challenge for ecologists and natural resource managers is to make the ERA process more quantitative. Most ERAs conducted to date have been qualitative assessments that suffer from a number of deficiencies, the most serious being the lack of transparency and a reliance on subjective judgments. This article argues that the most productive way forward may be to use Bayesian methods to couple existing process-based models, empirical relationships based on good data, and expert opinion, to make the analysis of ecological risks more robust, consistent, and repeatable.     

Long-Term Ecosystem Effects of Sand-Binding Vegetation in the Tengger Desert, Northern China

The planting of sand‐binding vegetation in the Shapotou region at the southeastern edge of the Tengger Desert began in 1956. Over the past 46 years, it has not only insured the smooth operation of the Baotou–Lanzhou railway in the sand dune section but has also played an important role in the restoration of the local eco‐environment; therefore, it is viewed as a successful model for desertification control and ecological restoration along the transport line in the arid desert region of China. Long‐term monitoring and focused research show that within 4–5 years of establishment of sand‐binding vegetation, the physical surface structure of the sand dunes stabilized, and inorganic soil crusts formed by atmospheric dust gradually turned into microbiotic crusts. Among the organisms comprising these crusts are cryptogams such as desert algae and mosses. In the 46 years since establishing sand‐binding vegetation, some 24 algal species occurred in the crusts. However, only five moss species were identified, which was fewer than the species number in the crust of naturally fixed sand dunes. Other results of the planting were that near‐surface wind velocity in the 46‐year‐old vegetation area was reduced by 54.2% compared with that in the moving sand area; soil organic matter increased from 0.06% in moving sand dunes to 1.34% in the 46‐year‐old vegetation area; the main nutrients N, P, K, etc., in the desert ecosystem increased; soil physicochemical properties improved; and soil‐forming processes occurred in the dune surface layer. Overall, establishment of sand‐binding vegetation significantly impacted soil water cycles, creating favorable conditions for colonization by many herbaceous species. These herbaceous species, in turn, facilitated the colonization and persistence of birds, insects, soil animals, and desert animals. Forty‐six years later, some 28 bird species and 50 insect species were identified in the vegetated dune field. Thus, establishment of a relatively simple community of sand‐binding species led to the transformation of the relatively barren dune environment into a desert ecosystem with complex structure, composition, and function. This restoration effort shows the potential for short‐term manipulation of environmental variables (i.e., plant cover via artificial vegetation establishment) to begin the long‐term process of ecological restoration, particularly in arid climates, and demonstrates several techniques that can be used to scientifically monitor progress in large‐scale restoration projects.     

镍污染对土壤微生物的生态效应

镍是高等植物和某些微生物必需的微量营养元素之一,在它们的生命活动中起着重要作用;但浓度较高时,也是一种极毒元素。大量的研究表明,镍污染土壤中微生物的生长、代谢、群落结构和种群多样性会受到不同程度的影响;微生物在长期受重金属威迫的环境中形成其适应性。利用微生物形成的这种适应机制,采用微生物技术治理重金属污染的土壤是可能的。本文还对镍污染土壤的微生物评价指标体系、土壤环境容量、微生物技术开发和综合治理技术开发等的进一步研究作了展望。