甘肃省生境质量变化的图谱特征

生境质量是影响地区生态系统服务价值和保护地球生态系统中生物多样性的重要因素。以地处三大自然区交汇带的甘肃省为研究对象,在定量估算地区2000—2018年生境质量水平基础上,基于图谱变化分析理论和InVEST模型,探索地区生境质量时空分异格局及其图谱转移状态和变化强度。结果表明: 2000—2018年,甘肃省生境质量总体维持中等水平并略有提升,在空间上自北向南呈逐级递增的阶梯式变化特征,在数量上则高低并存;从图谱转移视角分析,甘肃省生境质量格局较为稳定,未发生状态转移的图谱单元占主导,而在发生了生境质量状态转移的图谱单元中,“较高较低”、“较高高”、“较高低”这6类状态间的互换转移最显著,空间分布也较为集聚; “北剧南和”是甘肃省生境质量变化强度的主要格局,自北向南依次为“强变区”、“复合区”、“温缓区”和“平和区”4类变化强度区。     

长江经济带森林生态安全评价及时空演变研究

由于森林生态系统的安全关系到人类的生存与发展,因此本文以长江经济带1107个区县为研究对象,运用熵权法、ArcGIS和GeoDA软件、重心分析模型、空间相关分析来分析长江经济带森林生态安全指数（ESI）,结论如下：（1）森林状态指数中,权重最高的指标为森林火灾受灾率,其次为森林有害生物成灾率和林地面积比率;在森林压力指数中,权重最高的指标为政府林业投入强度,其次为年度造林比例和自然保护区占比。（2）从全域来看,森林ESI值长江上游 > 中游 > 下游,长江南岸高于北岸。长江经济带森林ESI值总体水平较低,但在2000-2015年间总体呈上升趋势。从各省看,云南省森林ESI值最高,上海市森林ESI值最低。在此15年间,湖南省森林ESI值提高幅度最大（19.77%）,江苏省提高幅度最小（0.76%）。（3）各支流流域森林ESI值排序：赣江 > 沅江 > 金沙江 > 乌江 > 湘江 > 汉江 > 嘉陵江 > 岷江。从2000-2015年,八大流域的森林ESI值总体呈上升趋势,其中湘江流域增长幅度最大（20.87%）,而金沙江流域增长幅度最小（3.6%）。（4）森林ESI值的重心先后经历了在从南往西、从西往东北和从东北往南等过程。（5）长江经济带森林ESI值有较为显著的集聚性,森林ESI值High-High集聚区域主要分布在四川省和云南省,Low-Low集聚区县主要分布在上海、江苏和安徽,其次在湖北江汉平原、四川成都平原较为集中。（6）基于以上分析,本文建议：①应注重森林火灾、病虫害防治、林业投资、植树造林等工作。②从全域看,生态修复的重点应放在长江下游。从支流流域来看,岷江、嘉陵江和汉江流域应重点加强森林修复工作。③应在上海、江苏、安徽等Low-Low集聚区域加强植树造林和退耕还林的力度,而在四川、云南、江西和浙江等High-High集聚区域适当发展木材加工和林下种植等产业。     

美国白蛾丝素蛋白基因的鉴定、时空表达及取食不同寄主植物后的表达响应

美国白蛾Hyphantria cunea Drury被列为我国林业检疫性害虫,其l～4龄幼虫具有吐丝结网幕的习性.为探究丝素蛋白基因的表达特性,本研究利用PCR技术克隆了美国白蛾的HcP25(Genbank登录号:OL625670)、HcFib-H(Genbank登录号:OL625672)、HcFib-L(Genbank登录号:OL625671)3条丝素蛋白基因,并进行生物信息学分析;利用RT-qPCR技术检测美国白蛾3条丝素蛋白基因的表达特性.结果表明:3条丝素蛋白基因序列比对均与车前灯蛾Arctia plantaginis丝素蛋白一致性最高,系统进化分析显示丝素蛋白HcP25、HcFib-H、HcFib-L在鳞翅目不同科之间在出现较大的分化.RT-qPCR试验结果显示HcP25、HcFib-H、HcFib-L 3基因相对表达量与网幕产生高峰期(1龄、2龄)相一致.3种丝素蛋白均在丝腺中特异性高水平表达,在头部及脂肪体中有少量表达.美国白蛾幼虫取食不同寄主植物后,3种丝素蛋白基因呈现不同的表达规律;取食杨树Populus L.处理组中HcP25与HcFib-H基因相对表达量极显著高于取食其它寄主处理,而取食山樱花Cerasus serrulata var.lannesiana和日本晚樱Cerasus serrulata处理组中HcFib-L基因表达量最高.研究结果为进一步探究丝素蛋白介导的美国白蛾对不同寄主的适应机制及其扩散机制奠定基础,也为开发美国白蛾防治新方法提供了潜在的基因靶标.     

The coordination of spindle‐positioning forces during the asymmetric division of the Caenorhabditis elegans zygote

In Caenorhabditis elegans zygote, astral microtubules generate forces essential to position the mitotic spindle, by pushing against and pulling from the cortex. Measuring microtubule dynamics there, we revealed the presence of two populations, corresponding to pulling and pushing events. It offers a unique opportunity to study, under physiological conditions, the variations of both spindle‐positioning forces along space and time. We propose a threefold control of pulling force, by polarity, spindle position and mitotic progression. We showed that the sole anteroposterior asymmetry in dynein on‐rate, encoding pulling force imbalance, is sufficient to cause posterior spindle displacement. The positional regulation, reflecting the number of microtubule contacts in the posterior‐most region, reinforces this imbalance only in late anaphase. Furthermore, we exhibited the first direct proof that dynein processivity increases along mitosis. It reflects the temporal control of pulling forces, which strengthens at anaphase onset following mitotic progression and independently from chromatid separation. In contrast, the pushing force remains constant and symmetric and contributes to maintaining the spindle at the cell centre during metaphase.     

Uncovering the different scales in deer–forest interactions

Deer are regarded to be a keystone species as they play a crucial role in the way an ecosystem functions. Most deer–forest interaction studies apply a single scale — process of analyzing ecological interactions by only taking into account one dependent variable — to understand how deer browsing behavior shapes different forest components, but they overlook the fact that forests respond to multiple scales simultaneously. This research evaluates the effect of browsing by wild deer on temperate and boreal forests at different scales by synthesizing seminal papers, specifically (a) what are the effects of deer population density in forest regeneration? (b) What are the effects of deer when forests present diverging spatial characteristics? (c) What are the effects on vegetation at different temporal scales? and (d) What are the hierarchical effects of deer when considering other trophic levels? Additionally, a framework based on modern technology is proposed to answer the multiscale research questions previously identified. When analyzing deer–forest interactions at different scales, the strongest relationships occur at the extremes. For example: when deer assemblage occurs in low or high density and is composed of a mix of small and large species. As forests on poor soils remain restrained in size, isolated and chronically browsed. When forests harbor incomplete trophic levels, the effects spill over to lower trophic levels. To better understand the complexities in deer–forest interactions, researchers should combine technology‐based instruments like fixed sensors and drones with field‐tested methods such observational studies and experiments to tackle multiscale research questions.     

Neural steroid sensitivity and aggression: comparing individuals of two songbird subspecies

Hormones coordinate the expression of complex phenotypes and thus may play important roles in evolutionary processes. When populations diverge in hormone‐mediated phenotypes, differences may arise via changes in circulating hormones, sensitivity to hormones or both. Determining the relative importance of signal and sensitivity requires consideration of both inter‐ and intrapopulation variation in hormone levels, hormone sensitivity and phenotype, but such studies are rare, particularly among closely related taxa. We compared males of two subspecies of the dark‐eyed junco (Junco hyemalis) for territorial aggression and associations among behaviour, circulating testosterone (T), and gene expression of androgen receptor (AR), aromatase (AROM) and oestrogen receptor α in three behaviourally relevant brain regions. Thus, we examined the degree to which evolution may shape behaviour via changes in plasma T as compared with key sex steroid binding/converting molecules. We found that the white‐winged junco (J. h. aikeni) was more aggressive than the smaller, less ornamented Carolina junco (J. h. carolinensis). The subspecies did not differ in circulating testosterone, but did differ significantly in the abundance of AR and AROM mRNA in key areas of the brain. Within populations, both gene expression and circulating T co‐varied significantly with individual differences in aggression. Notably, the differences identified between populations were opposite to those predicted by the patterns among individuals within populations. These findings suggest that hormone–phenotype relationships may evolve via multiple pathways, and that changes that have occurred over evolutionary time do not necessarily reflect standing physiological variation on which current evolutionary processes may act.     

Temperature and precipitation drive temporal variability in aquatic carbon and GHG concentrations and fluxes in a peatland catchment

The aquatic pathway is increasingly being recognized as an important component of catchment carbon and greenhouse gas (GHG) budgets, particularly in peatland systems due to their large carbon store and strong hydrological connectivity. In this study, we present a complete 5‐year data set of all aquatic carbon and GHG species from an ombrotrophic Scottish peatland. Measured species include particulate and dissolved forms of organic carbon (POC, DOC), dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), CO₂, CH₄ and N₂O. We show that short‐term variability in concentrations exists across all species and this is strongly linked to discharge. Seasonal cyclicity was only evident in DOC, CO₂ and CH₄ concentration; however, temperature correlated with monthly means in all species except DIC. Although the temperature correlation with monthly DOC and POC concentrations appeared to be related to biological productivity in the terrestrial system, we suggest the temperature correlation with CO₂ and CH₄ was primarily due to in‐stream temperature‐dependent solubility. Interannual variability in total aquatic carbon concentration was strongly correlated with catchment gross primary productivity (GPP) indicating a strong potential terrestrial aquatic linkage. DOC represented the largest aquatic carbon flux term (19.3 ± 4.59 g C m^?2 yr^?1), followed by CO₂ evasion (10.0 g C m^?2 yr^?1). Despite an estimated contribution to the total aquatic carbon flux of between 8 and 48%, evasion estimates had the greatest uncertainty. Interannual variability in total aquatic carbon export was low in comparison with variability in terrestrial biosphere–atmosphere exchange, and could be explained primarily by temperature and precipitation. Our results therefore suggest that climatic change is likely to have a significant impact on annual carbon losses through the aquatic pathway, and as such, aquatic exports are fundamental to the understanding of whole catchment responses to climate change.     

Spatial and temporal population genetic variation and structure of Nothotsuga longibracteata (Pinaceae), a relic conifer species endemic to subtropical China

Nothotsuga longibracteata, a relic and endangered conifer species endemic to subtropical China, was studied for examining the spatial-temporal population genetic variation and structure to understand the historical biogeographical processes underlying the present geographical distribution. Ten populations were sampled over the entire natural range of the species for spatial analysis, while three key populations with large population sizes and varied age structure were selected for temporal analyses using both nuclear microsatellites (nSSR) and chloroplast microsatellites (cpSSR). A recent bottleneck was detected in the natural populations of N. longibracteata. The spatial genetic analysis showed significant population genetic differentiation across its total geographical range. Notwithstanding, the temporal genetic analysis revealed that the level of genetic diversity between different age class subpopulations remained constant over time. Eleven refugia of the Last Glacial Maximum were identified, which deserve particular attention for conservation management.     

LncRNA-UCA1 inhibits the astrocyte activation in the temporal lobe epilepsy via regulating the JAK/STAT signaling pathway

This article aimed to reveal the mechanism of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) urothelial cancer-associated 1 (UCA1) regulated astrocyte activation in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) rats via mediating the activation of the JAK/STAT signaling pathway. A model of TLE was established based on rats via kainic acid (KA) injection. All rats were divided into the Sham group (without any treatments), KA group, normal control (NC; injection with empty vector) + KA group, and UCA1 + KA group. The Morris water maze was used to test the learning and memory ability of rats, and the expression of UCA1 in the hippocampus was determined by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Surviving neurons were counted by Nissl staining, and expression levels of glial cells glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), p-JAK1, and p-STAT3 and glutamate/aspartate transporter (GLAST) were analyzed by immunofluorescence and Western blot analysis. A rat model of TLE was established by intraperitoneal injection of KA. qRT-PCR and fluorescence analyses showed that UCA1 inhibited astrocyte activation in the hippocampus of epileptic rats. Meanwhile, the Morris water maze analysis indicated that UCA1 improved the learning and memory in epilepsy rats. Moreover, the Nissl staining showed that UCA1 might have a protective effect on neuronal injury induced by KA injection. Furthermore, the immunofluorescence and Western blot analysis revealed that the overexpression of UCA1 inhibited KA-induced abnormal elevation of GLAST, astrocyte activation of the JAK/STAT signaling pathway, as well as hippocampus of epilepsy rats. UCA1 inhibited hippocampal astrocyte activation and JAK/STAT/GLAST expression in TLE rats and improved the adverse reactions caused by epilepsy.     

Survival synchronicity in two avian insectivore communities

Climate change is forecast to increase climatic variability, in particular the occurrence of extreme events. Consequently, it is imperative to understand how climatic variation influences the dynamics of communities. We investigated synchronicity in survival in response to climatic variation among bird communities occupying habitats that differed in climatic seasonality: a more seasonal wetland and a less seasonal fynbos shrubland in South Africa. We predicted higher synchronicity at the wetland than at the shrubland because there was more potential for weather to induce variation in survival at this climatically more variable site. We estimated survival from ringing data for four wetland species and three fynbos species in hierarchical models with an asynchronous (species-specific) variance component and a synchronous (common) variance component. Comparing models including and excluding a climatic covariate enabled us to estimate the effect of climatic variation as a synchronizing and desynchronizing agent on survival. As hypothesized, synchronicity in survival was substantially greater at the more seasonal wetland than at the climatically more stable fynbos site: 0.50 (95% credible interval 0.01–1.92 on the logit scale) and 0.03 (0.00001–0.19), respectively. Similarly, asynchronicity in survival was greater for wetland species than for fynbos species. However, we found no clear evidence that weather affected survival. We provide the first survival estimates of several African endemic birds and the first estimates of synchronicity and asynchronicity in survival of communities outside the strongly seasonal northern temperate zone. Our results suggest that the relative magnitude of synchronicity and asynchronicity varies among communities and support the idea that environmental variability induces synchronicity.