Genetic Variation and Differentiation of Larix decidua Populations in Swiss Alps (in English)

Genetic diversity within and among six subpopulations of Larix decidua Mill. from two altitudinal transects of Swiss Alps was investigated using 6 enzyme systems coding for 8 loci. Globally, the mean proportion of polymorphic loci was 22.9%, the average number of alleles per locus was 1.3, and the mean expected heterozygosity was 0.095. Only 5.8% of the genetic variation resided among populations. The mean genetic distance was 0.006. Several significant differences of gene frequencies were found between different age classes. Positive values of the species mean fixation index observed in this study suggested a considerable deficit of heterozygotes in the populations of L. decidua of Swiss Alps. At one of the sites (Arpette), the highest subpopulation in elevation gave the lowest level of genetic diversity (as evidenced by the lowest proportion of polymorphic loci and the lowest mean expected heterozygosity) and the largest value of genetic distance when compared to other subpopulations. The genetic differences between the highest subpopulation and the other ones suggest that the founder effect may be an important factor influencing genetic differentiation of L. decidua populations at Arpette transect.     

蛇毒丝氨酸蛋白酶结构与功能关系

蛇毒丝氨酸蛋白酶(snake venome serine proteinases,SVSP)是分布于多种蛇毒中的一类蛋白质水解酶,它们与凝血及纤溶系统关系密切,具有一定的临床应用价值。本文主要介绍了几种空间结构已知的SVSP在结构上的特征,以及由此而产生的底物特异性及生化特性的差异,显示了天然SVSP中存在着与功能相关的结构变异多样性,这为进一步开发及医学利用SVSP提供了有益的信息。     

海南岛尖峰岭热带山地雨林采伐迹地更新群落的初步分析

 海南岛西南部热带山地雨林采伐迹地上的更新群落大多数是以闽粤栲占优势的森林植被。本文以尖峰岭为例,对热带山地雨林不同采伐方式迹地上更新的群落进行了群落数量特征、种群年龄结构的分析。同时从林业生产的角度,评定了群落的更新质量,并提出了热带山地雨林适宜的采伐方式和群落更新的抚育管理方法。     

转Bt基因棉田节肢动物群落营养层及优势功能团的组成与变化

1998年在河北南皮棉区转Bt基因棉棉田和常规棉综防田的生物群落变化的研究表明,与常规棉综防田相比,转Bt基因棉棉田的节肢动物种类增加30.7%,功能团多样性增加66.9%,天敌类和中性节肢动物类的丰富度分别增加97.6%和158.0%,害虫类的丰富度减少45.7%。就功能团的种群数量来看,主要害虫棉铃虫、蚜虫和蓟马种群数量分别减少98.9%、69.0%和72.6%;而次要害虫害蝽、粉虱、叶蝉类昆虫的种群数量分别增加了2.2、3.2和14.8倍,棉花生长中期,转Bt基因棉棉田中的基位物种丰富度大于中位和顶位物种;常规棉田中的差异则更大,出现天敌控制“空缺”。综合分析表明,转Bt基因棉棉田生态系统比常规棉综防田稳定;转Bt基因棉棉田的中性节肢动物和次要害虫在害虫－天敌的营养链中起到了重要的调控作用。     

Integrating the Rabinowitz rarity framework with a National Plant Inventory in South Korea

Increasingly large presence‐only survey datasets are becoming available for use in conservation assessments. Potentially, these records could be used to determine spatial patterns of plant species rarity and endemism. We test the integration of a large South Korean species record database with Rabinowitz rarity classes. Rabinowitz proposed seven classes of species rarity using three variables: geographic range, habitat specificity, and local population size. We estimated the range size and local abundance of 2,215 plant species from species occurrence records and habitat specificity as the number of landcover types each species’ records were found in. We classified each species into a rarity class or as common, compared species composition by class to national lists, and mapped the spatial pattern of species richness for each rarity class. Species were classed to narrow or wide geographic ranges using 315 km, the average from a range size index of all species (D_max), based on maximum distance between observations. There were four classes each within the narrow and wide range groups, sorted using cutoffs of local abundance and habitat specificity. Nationally listed endangered species only appeared in the narrow‐range classes, while nationally listed endemic species appeared in almost all classes. Species richness in most rarity classes was high in northeastern South Korea especially for species with narrow ranges. Policy implications. Large presence‐only surveys may be able to estimate some classes of rarity better than others, but modification to include estimates of local abundance and habitat types, could greatly increase their utility. Application of the Rabinowitz rarity framework to such surveys can extend their utility beyond species distribution models and can identify areas that need further surveys and for conservation priority. Future studies should be aware of the subjectivity of the rarity classification and that regional scale implementations of the framework may differ.     

Downstream variations of phytoplankton in the St.Lawrence River (Québec, Canada)

Longitudinal variations of phytoplankton biomass and composition were assessed in a 250 km-long section of the St.Lawrence River, which alternately runs through narrow (< 2 km) river cross sections and wide (up to 10 km) fluvial lakes. In the main river stem, concentrations of suspended matter and total phosphorus increased with distance downstream, whereas light penetration decreased. Seasonal changes in plankton composition and biomass were more important than those resulting from differences in water mass (tributary) of origin. Sampling at three cross river sections and in two fluvial lakes showed a progressive downstream decrease in phytoplankton biomass and changes in size structure and taxonomic composition. River plankton was primarily composed of small (< 10 µm equivalent spherical diameter), truly planktonic cells belonging to Cryptophyceae and diatoms, with Chlorophyceae in summer. Plankton sampled in summer among rooted macrophytes in fluvial lakes exhibited a higher biomass of resuspended periphytic algae than in the main river stem, which contributed slightly to downstream phytoplankton biomass.Successive river cross sections always shared about 50% of their taxa, indicating a rapid downstream transport of algae within the main water mass. However, the proportion of species common to all cross sections was highest during the spring freshet, and lowest during summer low discharge, likely resulting from the development of a distinct flora in fluvial lakes during summer. Conversely, about 30% of the identified taxa were exclusive to a cross section and were replaced by others occurring downstream. Overall, phytoplankton composition along the St.Lawrence River is primarily controlled by advective forces, which result in a homogeneous flora in the main river stem, with a local contribution of resuspended periphyton from fluvial lakes.     

Replication of the rRNA and legumin genes in synchronized root cells of pea (Pisum sativum): evidence for transient EcoR I sites in replicating rRNA genes

Summary The temporal pattern of replication of the rRNA and legumin genes differs in synchronized pea root cells. The relative number of rRNA genes replicated hourly during the first five hours of S phase ranges between 5 and 10 percent. In late S phase, during hours six through nine, the number of rRNA genes replicated increases reaching a maximum of about 25 percent at the ninth hour. Unlike the rRNA genes, the legumin genes have a wave-like pattern of replication peaking in early S phase at the third hour and again in late S phase at the eighth hour.Replicating rDNA, isolated by benzoylated naphthoylated DEAE-column chromatography, has EcoR I restriction sites that are absent in non-replicating rDNA sequences. The cleavage of these sites is independent of the time of rDNA replication. The transient nature of the EcoR I sites suggests that they exist in a hemimethylated state in parental DNA.The two Hind III repeat-size classes of rDNA of var. Alaska peas are replicated simultaneously as cells progress through S phase. Thus, even if the 9.0 kb and 8.6 kb repeat classes are located on different chromosomes, their temporal order of replication is the same.     

Resting sporangium of Synchytrium endobioticum: its structure and composition of the lipids and fatty acids

Lipid classes and fatty acid distribution were analysed in the resting sporangium of Synchytrium endobioticum, the causal agent of the potato wart disease. The sporangium contents were shown to have lipid droplets, the major fatty acids there being C_16.0, C_18.1, and C_19.0. The sporangium wall on the other hand was composed of C_18.0, C_18.1, C_18.2, C_20.0, and C_20.4 fatty acids. A significantly large portion of the sporangium wall lipids contained wax esters with branched chains.     

Vegetation structure and pollination in the Venezuelan Central Plain

Classes of pollination agents and pollination system specificities were evaluated according to the vegetation structure in the Venezuelan Central Plain. Two main questions were examined: (i) Do the frequencies of pollination categories estimated at plant species level differ from those estimated considering plant abundance? and (ii) Does plant abundance differ according to categories of pollination in the context of each vegetation attribute? The frequencies of classes of pollination agents and systems of pollination specificity were estimated at plant species and plant abundance level for the community, habitats, life-forms, strata, horizontal disposition, and season. Besides, plant abundance of each category of pollination agent classes and systems of pollination specificity were statistically compared. Most of the comparisons between the frequency of plant species and plant abundance were non-significant (58.3%). The multivariate classifications of life-forms and habitats according to pollination agent classes using plant species and plant abundance separately are very similar. In both analyses, perennial herbs come out as a separate group, which is associated with a comparable frequency distribution of pollination agent classes. The frequency distributions of polyphilous, oligophilous, and monophilous species were statistically higher for plant abundance than for plant species in the disturbed area and in the lowest stratum (D), which is primarily associated with the relation between life-forms and vegetation strata. The average values of abundance for wind-pollinated plants were found to be larger than those for other categories of pollination systems specificity and pollination agent classes, respectively, in the forest–savanna transition and overall community. All anemephilous species have clumped distribution and plant abundance was higher in this case than what was found with the other categories of pollination specificity with clumped distribution. Estimates of pollination agent classes at plant species level proved to be a practical method to estimate pollination frequency, mainly for those studies related to the floristic composition of the community. The large values of abundance for wind-pollinated species are in concordance with the savanna–forest mosaic vegetation growing in the Venezuelan Central Plain, but are in contrast with the comparatively low percentage of wind-pollinated species recorded.