Latitudinal patterns of range size and species richness of New World woody plants

Aim  Relationships between range size and species richness are contentious, yet they are key to testing the various hypotheses that attempt to explain latitudinal diversity gradients. Our goal is to utilize the largest data set yet compiled for New World woody plant biogeography to describe and assess these relationships between species richness and range size.
Location  North and South America.
Methods  We estimated the latitudinal extent of 12,980 species of woody plants (trees, shrubs, lianas). From these estimates we quantified latitudinal patterns of species richness and range size. We compared our observations with expectations derived from two null models.
Results   Peak richness and the smallest- and largest-ranged species are generally found close to the equator. In contrast to prominent diversity hypotheses: (1) mean latitudinal extent of tropical species is greater than expected; (2) latitudinal extent appears to be decoupled from species richness across New World latitudes, with abrupt transitions across subtropical latitudes; and (3) mean latitudinal extents show equatorial and north temperate peaks and subtropical minima. Our results suggest that patterns of range size and richness appear to be influenced by three broadly overlapping biotic domains (biotic provinces) for New World woody plants.
Main conclusions  Hypotheses that assume a direct relationship between range size and species richness may explain richness patterns within these domains, but cannot explain gradients in richness across the New World.     

Evolutionary analysis of the multigene pregnancy-specific β1-Glycoprotein family: Separation of historical and nonhistorical signals

The pregnancy-specific ₁-glycoproteins (PSG) form a large family of closely related proteins. Using newly developed methods of sequence analysis, in combination with protein modeling, we provide a framework for investigating the evolution and biological function of genes like the PSG. Evolutionary trees, based on C-terminal sequence, group PSG genes in a manner consistent with their genomic organization. Trees constructed using the N-terminal domain sequences are unreliable as an indicator of phylogeny because of non-neutral processes of sequence change. During duplication of the PSG genes, evolutionary pressures have resulted in a gradient of constrained change across each gene. The N-terminal domains show a nonrandom pattern of amino acid substitutions clustered in the immunoglobulin complementarity-determining region (CDR)-like regions, which appear to be important in the function of the protein.     

辽东栎叶片凋落物在不同气候带下的分解及其主要元素释放的比较

辽东栎叶片凋落物在不同气候带下的分解及其主要元素释放的比较 王立新 王 瑾 黄建辉     

Pathogen-derived resistance to Citrus tristeza virus (CTV) in transgenic mexican lime (Citrus aurantifolia (Christ.) Swing.) plants expressing its p25 coat protein gene

The p25 coat protein (CP) gene of Citrustristezavirus (CTV) was incorporated to Mexican lime plants and forty-twotransgeniclines were produced, 25 containing the p25 CP gene of thesevere CTV strain T-305 and 17 with that of the mild strain T-317. When plantspropagated from each transgenic line were graft-inoculated with CTV T-305 oraphidinoculated with T-300, two types of response to viral challenge wereobserved: some lines developed CTV symptoms similar to those of non-transgeniccontrols, whereas others exhibited protection against the virus. Thisprotectionconsisted of a proportion of plants, ranging from 10 to 33%, that wereresistantto CTV, and the rest of them that showed a significant delay in virusaccumulation and symptom onset. Protection was efficient against non-homologousCTV strains and was generally accompanied by high accumulation of p25 CP in theprotected lines, which suggest a CP-mediated protection mechanism in mostcases.This is the first report demonstrating pathogen-derived resistance intransgenicplants against a Closterovirus member in its natural host.     

元宝枫生长旺季树干液流动态及影响因素

利用热扩散式边材液流探针和多种气象、土壤因子传感器组成的全自动数据采集系统和美国产Licor-6400光合测定系统,于夏秋季节对北京西山地区低山成林元宝枫单株边材液流动态和叶片蒸腾作用进行了系统观测。元宝枫树干边材液流变化受天气的影响,环境胁迫或环境的改善都能改变边材液流的波动特征。在正常情况下,边材液流的日变化呈单峰曲线:日出后树干液流迅速上升,峰值在中午前后出现,然后下降,在次日早晨前达到坡谷。最热月7月液流启动和进入坡谷的时间比其他各月早1~4 h。6月树干上位液流速率大于中位和下位,其他各月树干下位液流速率大于上位和中位,这种差距在7月达2~3倍。多元回归分析表明,在整个生长旺季,元宝枫边材液流变化深受气温、太阳辐射、空气相对湿度、土壤温度和风速等环境因子的影响,但在不同的观测时段和观测部位其影响的主导因子不完全相同,只有空气温度在任何情况下都是影响液流的主导因子;元宝枫边材液流的变异规律较好地说明了其耐旱的生态策略。     

Annual and seasonal changes in fine root biomass of a Quercus ilex L. forest

The biomass, production and mortality of fine roots (roots with diameter <2.5 mm) were studied in a typical Mediterranean holm oak (Quercus ilex L.) forest in NE Spain using the minirhizotron methodology. A total of 1212 roots were monitored between June of 1994 and March of 1997. Mean annual fine root biomass in the holm oak forest of Prades was 71±8 g m^–2 yr^–1. Mean annual production for the period analysed was 260+11 g m^–2 yr^–1. Mortality was similar to production, with a mean value of 253±3 g m^–2 yr^–1. Seasonal fine root biomass presented a cyclic behaviour, with higher values in autumn and winter and lower in spring and summer. Production was highest in winter, and mortality in spring. In summer, production and mortality values were the lowest for the year. Production values in autumn and spring were very similar. The vertical distribution of fine root biomass decreased with increasing depth except for the top 10–20 cm, where values were lower than immediately below. Production and mortality values were similar between 10 and 50 cm depth. In the 0–10 cm and the 50–60 cm depth intervals, both production and mortality were lower.