Conditional cell ablation via diphtheria toxin reveals distinct requirements for the basal plate in the regional identity of diencephalic subpopulations

The mammalian diencephalon is the caudal derivative of the embryonic forebrain. Early events in diencephalic regionalization include its subdivision along the dorsoventral and anteroposterior axes. The prosomeric model by Puelles and Rubenstein (1993) suggests that the alar plate of the posterior diencephalon is partitioned into three different prosomeres (designated p1–p3), which develop into the pretectum, thalamus, and prethalamus, respectively. Here, we report the developmental consequences of genetic ablation of cell populations from the diencephalic basal plate. The strategy for conditionally regulated cell ablation is based on the targeted expression of the diphtheria toxin gene (DTA) to the diencephalic basal plate via tamoxifen‐ induced, Cre‐mediated recombination of the ROSA^DTA allele. We show that activation of DTA leads to specific cell loss in the basal plate of the posterior diencephalon, and disrupted early regionalization of distinct alar territories. In the basal plate‐deficient embryos, the p1 alar plate exhibited reduced expression of subtype‐specific markers in the pretectum, whereas p2 alar plate failed to further subdivide into two discrete thalamic subpopulations. We also show that these defects lead to abnormal nuclear organization at later developmental stages. Our data have implications for increased understanding of the interactive roles between discrete diencephalic compartments. genesis 53:356–365, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Vegetation Characteristics and Its Distribution of Qilian Mountain Region

The main vegetation types and distributional characteristics in the Qilian Mountain region were studies. It is shown that characteristic of the Vegetation is evidanced by eeo-geography marginal effect and plateau zone law. The vegetation of this region is affected considerably by the vegetation around the Qilian Mountain region, but is advantageous for all kinds of alpine vegetations, and has an evident similarity and an extensive unanimity with those of Qinghai-Xizang Plateau. On the other hand, the vegetation of the area has its specificity difference with the plateau plane. So, the authors consider to classify the Qilian Mountain region as the secondary unit of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau vegetation region.     

An Ecogeographical Regionalization for Biodiversity in China

Ecogeographical regionalization is the basis for spatial differentiation of biodiversity research. In view of the principle of international ecogeographical regionalization, this study has applied multivariate analysis and GIS method and based on some ecogeographical attributes limited to the distribution of plant and vegetation, including climatic factors, such as minimum temperature, mean temperature of the coldest month, mean temperature of the wannest month, annual average temperature, precipitation of the coldest month, precipitation of the wannest month, annual precipitation, CV of annual precipitation, biological factors such as vegetation types, vegetation division types, NPP, fiorisitic types, fauna types, abundance of plant species, genus and endemic genus; soil factors such as soil types, soil pH;topographical factors as longitude, latitude and altitude etc. The ecogeographical regionalization for biodiversity in China was made synthetically by using fuzzy cluster method. Four classes of division were used, viz., biodomain, subbiodomain, biome and bioregion. Five biodomains, seven subbiodomains and eighteen biomes were divided in China as follows: Ⅰ Boreal forest biodomain. Ⅰ A Eurasian boreal forest subbiodomain. Ⅰ A1 Southern Taiga mountain cold-temperate coniferous forest biome; Ⅰ A2 North Asian mixed coniferous-broad-leaved forest biome. Ⅱ Northern steppe and desert biodomain. Ⅱ B Eurasian steppe subbiodomain. Ⅱ BI Inner Asian temperate grass steppe biome; Ⅱ B2 Loess Plateau warm-temperate forest/shmb steppe biome. Ⅱ C Asia-Mrica desert subbiodomain. Ⅱ C1 Mid-Asian temperate desert biome; Ⅱ C2 Mongolian/Inner Asian temperate desert biome. Ⅲ East Asian biodomain. Ⅲ D East Asian deciduous broad-leaved forest subbiodomain. Ⅲ D1 East Asian deciduous broad-leaved forest biome, Ⅲ E East Asian evergreen broad-leaved forest subbiodomain. Ⅲ El East Asian mixed deciduous-evergreen broad-leaved forest biome; Ⅲ E2 East Asian evergreen broad-leaved forest biome; Ⅲ E3 East Asian monsoon evergreen broad-leaved forest biome; Ⅲ FA Western East Asian mountain evergreen broadleaved forest biome. Ⅳ Palaeotropical subdomain. IV F India-Malaysian tropical forest subbiodomain.Ⅳ Fl Northern tropical rain forest/seasonal rain forest biome; Ⅳ F2 Tropical island coral reef vegetation biome. Ⅴ Asian plateau biodomain. Ⅴ G Tibet Plateau subbiodomain. Ⅴ G1 Tibet alpine highcold shrub meadow biome;Ⅴ G2 Tibet alpine high-cold steppe biome; Ⅴ G3 Tibet alpine high-cold desert biome; Ⅴ G4 Tibet alpine temperate steppe biome; Ⅴ G5 Tibet alpine temperate desert biome.     

海南岛花卉生产区划研究

本研究将海南岛花卉生产划分为4个气候带,8个气候区,并对海南花卉生产布局作了初步探讨,提出建立六类商品花卉生产基地的设想。     

安徽长江滩地杨树人工林个体生长与水淹状况的关系

通过对长江滩地连续7年的水文动态以及滩地杨树人工林年轮生长序列的研究,分析杨树人工林个体生长与水淹时间、水淹深度以及气候因子的相应关系,建立相关模型.结果表明,林分个体胸径分布格局与滩地的高程具显著的相关性,水淹深度对直径生长的影响大于水淹的时间,而当年的径向生长与前一年8、9月水淹情况以及气候因子的关系明显.在滩地营造杨树人工林,以丰产为目的宜选择水淹深度小于2m的地域造林,淹水深度超过2m的地域宜适当密植,以培养小径材为主.     

安徽省生态功能区划研究

生态功能区划是依据区域生态系统类型、生态系统受胁迫过程与效应、生态环境敏感性、生态服务功能重要性等特征的空间分异性而进行的地理空间分区 ,其目的是明确区域或国家生态安全重要地区 ,分析区域可能的生态环境问题与生态环境脆弱区 ,为产业布局、生态环境保护与建设规划提供科学依据 ,为实施区域生态环境分区管理提供基础和前提。在对区域生态环境特征分析的基础上 ,依据建立的生态功能区划原则、方法和指标体系 ,以安徽省域尺度生态系统为对象 ,在生态系统受胁迫过程与效应、生态环境敏感性和生态系统服务功能等指标评价的基础上 ,以中国生态环境区划方案为背景 ,综合了自然因素与人类活动对安徽省生态系统叠加影响 ,形成了安徽省生态功能区划方案 ,将安徽省分为 5个生态区、16个生态亚区、4 7个生态功能区 ,为生态保护与建设的重点、目标、措施的确定以及区域产业结构与布局的调整提供了重要依据     

基于RS和GIS的长沙市生态功能分区

提出了基于城市、城郊生态过渡区及其周围自然生态支持系统为统一体的城市生态功能分区思想,并建立了长沙市生态 社会 经济信息系统数据库.通过参数选取与权重确定,进行生态适宜度、生态环境敏感性、生态服务功能重要性与经济社会发展水平分区.依据生态功能的空间异质性和生态功能单元内部均质性,将长沙市划分为5类城市生态功能区：Ⅰ类区占总面积的29.47%;Ⅱ类区占总面积的32.5%;Ⅲ类区占总面积的25.95%;Ⅳ类区占总面积的9.63%;Ⅴ类区占总面积的2.45%.分区结果对长沙市发展有指导意义.该研究方法优点有：制图过程定量化、自动化;可在短期内产生最新专题图产品;结合GPS和RS,可以通过监测区域边界类型的变化,进行生态环境监控,为RS数据实时进入GIS系统提供了途径.     

基于陆地-水生态系统耦合的海河流域水生态功能分区

水生态功能分区是针对水生态系统特征的陆地生态系统划分,是为流域水生态管理提供生态背景和基本单元。陆地-水生态系统的耦合是水生态功能分区的核心,但多停留在个别小流域进行理论探讨,大型流域的实际案例较少。针对海河流域独特的气候、地貌、水文和人类活动特征,提出了水生态功能分区的三级指标体系。一级二级区针对气候、地貌、水文背景进行"自上而下"的分区,三级区针对人类活动对水资源、水环境、生境影响,采用"自下而上"的分区方法。最终,海河流域划分了6个一级区、16个二级区和73个三级区。研究充分体现了"以水定陆、以陆控水"的基本原则,以及"自下而上"和"自上而下"分区方法的优点,结果可为海河流域水生态管理提供科学依据,为水资源空间调配与合理利用、产业结构布局与区域协调等服务。     

云南省生态功能类型区的生态敏感性

结合云南省生态功能区划,展开对全省各生态功能区的生态敏感性分析,结果表明,滇东地区水土流失较严重,石漠化敏感性强度达中度以上的区域面积超过50%;受降水量大,紫色土集中分布及地处石灰岩地带等自然地理因素的影响,云南省西南大部与东南部分地区土壤侵蚀敏感性较高;云南省的生境敏感区大多地处生态交错区,物种丰富度高,但生境脆弱,一旦破坏很难恢复。改善土地利用方式,提高农业生产技术,发展生态农业,控制农业污染,开展生态恢复等,是提高地区森林覆盖率,减少水土流失和泥石流的发生,防止石漠化加剧的主要手段。