Stoichiometric traits of stickleback: Effects of genetic background,rearing environment,and ontogeny

Phenotypes can both evolve in response to, and affect, ecosystem change, but few examples of diverging ecosystem‐effect traits have been investigated. Bony armor traits of fish are good candidates for this because they evolve rapidly in some freshwater fish populations, and bone is phosphorus rich and likely to affect nutrient recycling in aquatic ecosystems. Here, we explore how ontogeny, rearing environment, and bone allocation among body parts affect the stoichiometric phenotype (i.e., stoichiometric composition of bodies and excretion) of threespine stickleback. We use two populations from distinct freshwater lineages with contrasting lateral plating phenotypes (full vs. low plating) and their hybrids, which are mostly fully plated. We found that ontogeny, rearing environment, and body condition were the most important predictors of organismal stoichiometry. Although elemental composition was similar between both populations and their hybrids, we found significant divergence in phosphorus allocation among body parts and in phosphorus excretion rates. Overall, body armor differences did not explain variation in whole body phosphorus, phosphorus allocation, or phosphorus excretion. Evolutionary divergence between these lineages in both allocation and excretion is likely to have important direct consequences for ecosystems, but may be mediated by evolution of multiple morphological or physiological traits beyond plating phenotype.     

Division within the North American boreal forest: Ecological niche divergence between the Bicknell's Thrush (Catharus bicknelli) and Gray‐cheeked Thrush (C. minimus)

Sister species that diverged in allopatry in similar environments are expected to exhibit niche conservatism. Using ecological niche modeling and a multivariate analysis of climate and habitat data, I test the hypothesis that the Bicknell's Thrush (Catharus bicknelli) and Gray‐cheeked Thrush (C. mimimus), sister species that breed in the North American boreal forest, show niche conservatism. Three tree species that are important components of breeding territories of both thrush species were combined with climatic variables to create niche models consisting of abiotic and biotic components. Abiotic‐only, abiotic+biotic, and biotic‐only models were evaluated using the area under the curve (AUC) criterion. Abiotic+biotic models had higher AUC scores and did not over‐project thrush distributions compared to abiotic‐only or biotic‐only models. From the abiotic+biotic models, I tested for niche conservatism or divergence by accounting for the differences in the availability of niche components by calculating (1) niche overlap from ecological niche models and (2) mean niche differences of environmental values at occurrence points. Niche background similarity tests revealed significant niche divergence in 10 of 12 comparisons, and multivariate tests revealed niche divergence along 2 of 3 niche axes. The Bicknell's Thrush breeds in warmer and wetter regions with a high abundance of balsam fir (Abies balsamea), whereas Gray‐cheeked Thrush often co‐occurs with black spruce (Picea mariana). Niche divergence, rather than conservatism, was the predominant pattern for these species, suggesting that ecological divergence has played a role in the speciation of the Bicknell's Thrush and Gray‐cheeked Thrush. Furthermore, because niche models were improved by the incorporation of biotic variables, this study validates the inclusion of relevant biotic factors in ecological niche modeling to increase model accuracy.     

Forbidden versus permitted interactions: Disentangling processes from patterns in ecological network analysis

Several studies have identified the tendency for species to share interacting partners as a key property to the functioning and stability of ecological networks. However, assessing this pattern has proved challenging in several regards, such as finding proper metrics to assess node overlap (sharing), and using robust null modeling to disentangle significance from randomness. Here, we bring attention to an additional, largely neglected challenge in assessing species’ tendency to share interacting partners. In particular, we discuss and illustrate with two different case studies how identifying the set of “permitted” interactions for a given species (i.e. interactions that are not impeded, e.g. by lack of functional trait compatibility) is paramount to understand the ecological and co‐evolutionary processes at the basis of node overlap and segregation patterns.     

新疆典型盐生植物营养器官盐分积累与生态化学计量特征

对盐生植物体内器官盐分积累和碳(C)、氮(N)、磷(P)化学计量特征的研究, 有助于了解盐生植物养分、盐分的分配机制和其对盐渍环境的适应策略。该文选择新疆4种典型的真盐生植物(3种灌木植物: 盐节木(Halocnemum strobilaceum)、小叶碱蓬(Suaeda microphylla)、盐爪爪(Kalidium foliatum), 1种草本植物: 盐角草(Salicornia europaea)为研究对象, 对比研究了它们的根、茎、叶中的盐分积累和C、N、P化学计量特征以及二者间的相关性。结果显示: 1)在生长旺盛期, 4种盐生植物体内盐分积累可形成“盐岛”效应(Na⁺、Cl^-和电导率随盐离子从植物根部向顶端运输过程呈显著增加的趋势)。2) 4种盐生植物中灌木群落的生长主要受到P的限制; 草本群落的生长受N和P (偏P)共同限制。3)器官、物种和二者的交互作用均能影响盐生植物的盐分(除Mg²⁺外)特征和C、N、P生态化学计量特征。4) 4种盐生植物C与N、P之间显著负相关, N与P之间显著正相关。5)盐生植物体内总盐分、Na⁺和K⁺与N、N:P之间呈显著正相关关系, 与C、C:N、C:P之间呈显著负相关关系, 而K⁺和CO₃^2-与P之间却显著正相关。盐生植物体内盐分和养分在应对盐渍环境上存在一定的相互促进关系, 增施N肥有助于盐生植物对氯化物盐渍土的脱盐。这些发现为了解盐渍生境中盐生植物的生理生态适应及盐渍土的改良提供一定的理论依据。     

生态系统演替过程中土壤与微生物碳氮磷化学计量关系的变化

土壤碳(C)、氮(N)、磷(P)化学计量特征会显著影响微生物的生长、群落结构、生物量C:N:P化学计量及其代谢活动。然而生态系统演替过程中土壤-微生物C:N:P化学计量的时间格局及其协调关系还不明确。为此, 该研究收集了2016年5月以前发表的文献中19个生态系统演替序列(包括13个森林、6个草地生态系统)的土壤-微生物生物量C:N:P研究结果, 整合分析了其中土壤-微生物生态化学计量的时间动态, 结果表明: (1)生态系统演替过程中土壤C:N没有一致的时间格局, 而土壤C:P和N:P均随演替进程显著增加, 其中土壤C:N:P与演替时间之间线性关系的斜率与相应演替序列的初始土壤有机C含量呈负相关关系。(2)演替进程中土壤-微生物生物量C:N:P没有一致的时间格局。(3)微生物生物量C占土壤有机C百分比(qMBC)、微生物生物量N占土壤全N百分比、微生物生物量P占土壤全P百分比均随着演替进程而显著增加, 即单位资源所能支持的微生物生物量随着演替进程而增加, 这与宏观生态系统演替理论相符。(4) qMBC随着土壤C:N、C:P和N:P以及C:N、C:P和N:P化学计量不平衡性(即土壤C:N、C:P和N:P分别除以微生物生物量C:N、C:P和N:P)的增加而减小; 其中, C:N、C:P和N:P化学计量不平衡性解释了qMBC变异性的37%-57%, 是演替时间解释率的7-17倍, 表明土壤-微生物生态化学计量关系对qMBC演替动态有重要影响。该研究强调了生态化学计量学理论和生态系统演替理论在土壤微生物时间动态研究中的重要作用, 表明适当地融合生态学宏观理论于土壤微生物研究可以加深对土壤-微生物生态过程的认识。     

不同轮伐期对杉木人工林碳固存的影响

在全球气候变化背景下, 科学的经营管理是人工林碳汇提升的主要途径。合理轮伐期从一定程度上反映了人工林集约经营的理念, 是实现森林结构调整的主要影响因素之一。杉木(Cunninghamia lanceolata)多代连栽出现立地生产力下降与轮伐期的选择密切相关, 开展不同轮伐期对杉木人工林碳固存影响的研究, 可为其可持续经营提供理论依据。通过设置不同年龄序列的杉木人工林野外观测样地, 应用野外观测数据对FORECAST模型进行验证, 在此基础上模拟不同轮伐期对其碳固存的影响。结果表明: (1)短轮伐期(15年)在150年间的总固碳量较高, 但固碳持久性较低, 每个轮伐期之间的固碳量下降幅度较大, 是一种不可持续的经营模式。(2)正常轮伐期(25年)和长轮伐期(50年)的总固碳量低于短轮伐期, 但长轮伐期固碳持久性更强, 有利于维持每个轮伐期内固碳量的稳定。(3)在好的立地条件下(立地指数(SI) = 27), 轮伐期越短对地力消耗影响越大, 为了碳固存的持久性, 建议杉木人工林的生态轮伐期选择在25年以上。(4)应用FORECAST模型可以定量地评估人工林的固碳能力, 且该固碳能力是基于不同经营管理措施下的可持续固碳能力。     

红树植物胎生现象研究进展

植物胎生是指有性繁殖产生的后代在母体上直接萌发的现象, 在红树植物中最为常见。红树植物生长在热带亚热带海岸潮间带, 耐受高盐、高温、淹水缺氧和海浪冲击等复杂环境。胎生被认为是红树植物对这种特殊生境的重要适应方式。该文从形态发育、生理生化、分子水平、生态适应4个层次讨论红树植物胎生现象对复杂生境的适应性, 并指出现有研究存在的不足, 对将来的研究方向进行了展望。与非胎生胚胎发育相比, 红树植物胎生是一个遗传的程序, 在进化过程中形成了一些特殊的结构。植物激素对胎生发育起关键的调控作用, 繁殖体发育过程中, 其盐离子的种类与浓度的动态变化则是对海岸潮间带生境的重要适应特征。这种胎生繁殖体依靠在母体上完善的一系列功能性特征能更有效地适应落地后的滩涂环境。然而, 红树植物胎生发育过程的分子机理及调控机制还有待研究。理解胎生这一特殊适应性现象的本质及其进化过程将为红树林保护繁育、适应气候变化提供理论依据。     

Bt水稻秸秆还田对赤子爱胜蚓生长发育和生殖的影响

Bt蛋白能通过转Bt基因作物的秸秆还田进入土壤,进而可能会对土壤动物如蚯蚓的生长发育和生殖造成影响.为评估Bt水稻对赤子爱胜蚓的影响,本文模拟秸秆还田,在土壤中添加2.5%、5%、7.5%和10% Bt水稻(b2B138)及其同源水稻(安丰A)秸秆,分别在饲养赤子爱胜蚓7、15、30、45、60、75和90 d后观测蚯蚓的存活率、相对生长率和生殖情况,以及秸秆土壤混合物和蚯蚓体内的Cry1Ab蛋白含量.结果表明:较高还田量(7.5%和10%)Bt水稻秸秆处理对赤子爱胜蚓存活率有抑制作用;Bt水稻秸秆还田对赤子爱胜蚓的相对生长率没有不利影响;还田量为5%、7.5%和10%时,Bt水稻秸秆还田能促进蚯蚓的生殖.酶联免疫吸附测定法(ELISA)结果表明: 在Bt水稻土壤混合物中,蚯蚓体内均能检测到Cry1Ab蛋白,且前者随着时间延长而显著减少.因此,还田量为2.5%和5%时,Bt水稻秸秆还田释放的Cry1Ab蛋白对赤子爱胜蚓的生长发育和生殖没有不利影响.     

海南凤仙花不同海拔种群的传粉生物学

凤仙花属(Impatiens)植物具有极为广泛的多样性和类型各异的特化传粉者, 被誉为“双子叶的兰花”, 受到众多传粉生物学家的关注。本文以海南特有种海南凤仙花(Impatiens hainanensis)为研究对象, 对3个不同海拔梯度的种群进行了开花生物学特性和开花物候、花器官结构、花粉活力和柱头活性、传粉者种类和访花行为及繁育系统的比较研究。结果表明: 单花花期4.10 ± 0.46 d, 雄性期和雌性期分别约为3.15 ± 0.24 d和0.95 ± 0.36 d; 种群开花峰期在8月初, 高海拔种群的花期高峰相对滞后。低、中海拔种群花粉活力呈现先升高后下降的趋势, 以开花第2 d花粉活力最高; 高海拔种群花粉活力随开花时间推移逐渐下降; 柱头活性随开花时间的推移而增强, 高海拔种群开花各天次均较低、中海拔种群低。主要传粉昆虫为黄黑无垫蜂(Amegilla leptocoma)和绿条无垫蜂(A. zonata), 低、中海拔种群以黄黑无垫蜂为主, 高海拔种群以绿条无垫蜂为主。未观察到自动自花授粉和无融合生殖现象, 人工授粉能明显增加坐果率(75-90%), 自然坐果率在高海拔种群相对较低(40-60%), 说明存在较强的传粉者限制。海南凤仙花的保护需要同时关注其有效传粉者的保护, 促进有效传粉昆虫在不同海拔种群之间的往来, 保证种群间的花粉流与种子流, 维持海南凤仙花的种群遗传多样性与有效种群大小。     

西藏昆仑针茅草原的基本特征

正昆仑针茅(Stipa roborowskyi)是青藏高原特有的寒旱生多年生密丛型禾草,广泛分布于藏南喜马拉雅山北坡和雅鲁藏布江谷地、阿里地区、羌塘高原中南部和昆仑山地,以及印度和克什米尔地区(Wu et al.,2006;中国科学院中国植被图编辑委员会,2007)。昆仑针茅草原是西藏重要的草原类型之一,但分布较为零散,没有像紫花针茅(S.purpurea)草