灰飞虱与褐飞虱种内和种间密度效应比较

在人工气候室内比较研究了灰飞虱和褐飞虱在汕优63和秀水11上的种内和种间密度效应对其主要生物学参数的影响,结果表明两种稻飞虱均存在显著的种内竞争,主要表现为随着密度增加,若虫发育历期延长、若虫羽化率下降、雌成虫寿命缩短、每雌产卵量下降。种内密度效应与稻飞虱种类和寄主品种有显著互作关系,灰飞虱种内竞争较褐飞虱明显,二者在适宜寄主上种内竞争更为明显。同时,两种稻飞虱存在着显著的种间密度效应,主要表现为异种存在时的促进作用,即异种共存时若虫历期缩短、若虫羽化率提高、雌虫寿命延长、每雌产卵量增加。种间密度效应也与稻飞虱种类和寄主品种有显著互作关系,两种共存对灰飞虱的有利作用显著大于对褐飞虱的有利作用,在欠适宜寄主上种间互利效应更为明显。最后,本文对稻飞虱种内和种间密度效应的机制和进化意义进行了讨论。     

The anammox case-a new experimental manifesto for microbiological eco-physiology

The anaerobic ammonium oxidation process is a new process for ammonia removal from wastewater. It is also a new microbial physiology that was previously believed to be impossible. The identification of Candidatus Brocadia anammoxidans and its relatives as the responsible bacteria was only possible with the development of a new experimental approach. That approach is the focus of this paper. The approach is a modernisation of the Winogradsky/Beyerinck strategy of selective enrichment and is based on the introduction of the molecular toolbox and modern bioreactor engineering to microbial ecology. It consists of five steps: (1) postulation of an ecological niche based on thermodynamic considerations and macro-ecological field data; (2) engineering of this niche into a laboratory bioreactor for enrichment culture; (3) black-box physiological characterisation of the enrichment culture as a whole; (4) phylogenetic characterisation of the enriched community using molecular tools; (5) physical separation of the dominant members of the enrichment culture using gradient centrifugation and the identification of the species of interest in accordance with Koch's postulates; (6) verification of the in situ importance of these species in the actual ecosystems. The power of this approach is illustrated with a case study: the identification of the planctomycetes responsible for anaerobic ammonium oxidation. We argue that this was impossible using molecular ecology or conventional ‘cultivation based techniques’ alone. We suggest that the approach might also be used for the microbiological study of many interesting microbes such as anaerobic methane oxidisers. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effects of planting method on the recovery of arboreal ant activity on revegetated farmland

Ecological restoration aims to re‐establish both biodiversity and ecological function in damaged ecosystems. Ants are important drivers of ecological functions and are early colonizers of restored ecosystems. Rates at which ants perform functions are thought to be fuelled by access to plant sugars. In revegetated farmland in south‐eastern Australia, I tested if ant activity on trees, which reflects use of arboreal sugars, follows a predictable trajectory of recovery towards a remnant‐like state. Additionally, I examined whether planting method alters this trajectory by comparing tube stock (TS), which results in low Eucalyptus densities, with direct seeding (DS), which results in high Eucalyptus densities. Replicate sites (n = 5) of young (planted between 1998 and 2001) and old (planted between 1989 and 1994) TS and DS revegetation, pastures and remnants were compared. Activity on trunks was significantly positively correlated with ant tending of Hemiptera in young and old revegetation. In DS plantings, activity and estimated liquid loads on Eucalyptus trees were low and rapidly approached that in remnants, while TS sites remained similar to high values observed in pastures with trees. Patterns for Acacia were less clear, reflecting consistent densities for this species between TS and DS. At the whole‐of‐field scale, planting methods did not differ. Importantly, although trajectories differed, neither TS nor DS sites approached the low activity or estimated liquid loads observed in remnants. Rates of ant use of arboreal sugars and associated sugar‐fuelled processes may thus take considerably longer to recover than the period covered by this study. This finding suggests planting method may affect the trajectory and outcome of revegetation for plant health, as well as sugar‐fuelled ecosystem functions performed by ants.     

达乌尔黄鼠种群空间分布型研究及其应用

本文根据1987年在内蒙古东北部低山丘陵区和平原区草原的调查资料,应用频数分布比较法研究了达乌尔黄鼠的空间分布型。结果表明：在抽样单位(样方)大小为1公项(1OO米×100米)时,4个样地内达乌尔黄鼠交尾期和幼鼠分居期的空间分布型均属poisson分布(随机分布)。环境与密度制约因素的影响不明显。并经回归分析得到：种群密度(m)与零样方频率(Po)和有鼠样方频率(Px )的曲线关系分别为m=4.5451-0.96721nPo和m=4.5451-0.96721n(1-Px)。经X²检验与poisson分布理论曲线基本一致(x²《x^{2 _0.05},P>0.05)。为达乌尔黄鼠种群密度估计提供了理论依据.     

Influence of root density on the critical soil water potential

Estimation of root water uptake in crops is important for making many other agricultural predictions. This estimation often involves two assumptions: (1) that a critical soil water potential exists which is constant for a given combination of soil and crop and which does not depend on root length density, and (2) that the local root water uptake at given soil water potential is proportional to root length density. Recent results of both mathematical modeling and computer tomography show that these assumptions may not be valid when the soil water potential is averaged over a volume of soil containing roots. We tested these assumptions for plants with distinctly different root systems. Root water uptake rates and the critical soil water potential values were determined in several adjacent soil layers for horse bean (Vicia faba) and oat (Avena sativa) grown in lysimeters, and for field-grown cotton (Gossypium L.), maize (Zea mays) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) crops. Root water uptake was calculated from the water balance of each layer in lysimeters. Water uptake rate was proportional to root length density at high soil water potentials, for both horse bean and oat plants, but root water uptake did not depend on root density for horse bean at potentials lower than −25 kPa. We observed a linear dependency of a critical soil water potential on the logarithm of root length density for all plants studied. Soil texture modified the critical water potential values, but not the linearity of the relationship. B E Clothier Section editor     

GABA神经元在金黄地鼠视觉中枢的分布

本文用免疫细胞化学技术研究了GABA在金黄地鼠视觉中枢的分布特征,同时用统计学方法作了定量分析,结果表明:GABA阳性神经元分布在整个视皮层和上丘中,呈不均匀分布,外膝体中GABA阳性神经元密度较低.视皮层中GABA阳性神经元密度为781mm~2,占视皮层细胞总数的19.7%,上丘中其密度为812/mm~2,占22.3%,视皮层Ⅰ层中GABA阳性神经元为52%,上丘表层(浅灰层及视觉层GABA阳性神经元为56%,GABA阳性神经元包括不同类型的细胞.在视皮层中可观察到GABA免疫疫应阳性的锥体细胞.     

Wood density as a proxy of drought-induced forest dieback in silver fir

Drought-induced dieback is a matter of global concern. It has been widely reported and could compromise the climate warming mitigation potential of forests. That is why we need reliable early-warning proxies to achieve better forecasts of forest dieback and tree death. Tree-ring data can provide some of these needed proxies. Here I propose considering minimum (MND) and maximum (MXD) wood density values as proxies of tree vulnerability against drought. This hypothesis is evaluated in silver fir (Abies alba) forests from the western Spanish Pyrenees showing ongoing dieback processes after the severe 1985 drought. MXD increased in response to warm summer conditions in 1985 whereas MND increased in response to growing-season water deficit in 1986. The average between prior MXD (MXD_t-1) and subsequent MND (MND_t) could be used to detect severe drought impacts and forecast dieback.     

Stability in -species coevolutionary systems

Stability criteria have recently been developed for coevolutionary Lotka–Volterra systems where individual fitness functions are assumed to be linear in the population state. We extend these criteria as part of a general theory of coevolution (that combines effects of ecology and evolution) based on arbitrary (i.e. nonlinear) fitness functions and a finite number of individual phenotypes. The central role of the stationary density surface where species’ densities are at equilibrium is emphasized. In particular, for monomorphic resident systems, it is shown coevolutionary stability is equivalent to ecological stability combined with evolutionary stability on the stationary density surface. Also discussed is how our theory relates to recent treatments of phenotypic coevolution via adaptive dynamics when there is a continuum of individual phenotypes.