小兴安岭北部原始阔叶红松林红松结实气候敏感性及其种子年机制探讨

选取林分较为稳定的原始阔叶红松林作为研究地点,分析近16年的红松结实动态,研究红松（Pinus koraiensis）结实的气候敏感性及其种子年机制。首先按资源限制理论分析了红松结实的资源限制性,再根据资源匹配（气候假说）理论和Nicholls关于产量研究的建议将红松种子产量分解为趋势产量和气候产量,利用红松气候产量与前3年的气象数据进行气候影响分析,并且结合前期的物候观测,找出了红松结实的气候敏感阶段及其敏感的气象指标。结果显示：（1）红松当年种子产量与去年和前年产量和呈显著负相关,二者呈指数关系,表明了红松结实中资源限制机制的存在。并且资源限制可能是球果成熟对同年其它生殖发育的单向自我营养限制关系。（2）去年与前年6月平均气温的差值（ΔT₆）对当年红松种子产量具有很好的预测性。（3）花原基形成期是红松结实最为关键的气候敏感期,红松气候产量与此阶段气温和日照呈极显著负相关,与降水呈极显著正相关。（4）部分年份异常高温已经超出了花原基形成的最适温度范围,导致了红松产量的下降。（5）红松结实在生殖发育期内不同阶段都对气候变化表现敏感,红松种子年现象受到了资源限制机制和资源匹配机制的共同作用。本研究结果预示了温度升高,尤其是在气温升高过快的地区,红松结实对气候变暖具有一定的脆弱性并可能成为未来红松天然更新的重要瓶颈。     

Asp residues of the Glu-Glu-Asp-Asp pore filter contribute to ion permeation and selectivity of the Cav3.2 T-type channel

Voltage-activated Ca²⁺ channels are membrane protein machinery performing selective permeation of external calcium ions. The main Ca²⁺ selective filters of all high-voltage-activated Ca²⁺ channel isoforms are commonly composed of four Glu residues (EEEE), while those of low-voltage-activated T-type Ca²⁺ channel isoforms are made up of two Glu and two Asp residues (EEDD). We here investigate how the Asp residues at the pore loops of domains III and IV affect biophysical properties of the Ca_v3.2 channel. Electrophysiological characterization of the pore mutant channels in which the pore Asp residue(s) were replaced with Glu, showed that both Asp residues critically control the biophysical properties of Ca_v3.2, including relative permeability between Ba²⁺ and Ca²⁺, anomalous mole fraction effect (AMFE), voltage dependency of channel activation, Cd²⁺ blocking sensitivity, and pH effects, in distinctive ways.     

Taok2 controls behavioral response to ethanol in mice

Despite recent advances in the understanding of ethanol's biological action, many of the molecular targets of ethanol and mechanisms behind ethanol's effect on behavior remain poorly understood. In an effort to identify novel genes, the products of which regulate behavioral responses to ethanol, we recently identified a mutation in the dtao gene that confers resistance to the locomotor stimulating effect of ethanol in Drosophila. dtao encodes a member of the Ste20 family of serine/threonine kinases implicated in MAP kinase signaling pathways. In this study, we report that conditional ablation of the mouse dtao homolog, Taok2, constitutively and specifically in the nervous system, results in strain‐specific and overlapping alterations in ethanol‐dependent behaviors. These data suggest a functional conservation of dtao and Taok2 in mediating ethanol's biological action and identify Taok2 as a putative candidate gene for ethanol use disorders in humans.     

近20年亚欧大陆植被指数(NDVI)对大尺度气候变化的敏感性

利用1982～2000年4～10月的AVHRR-NDVI数据,分析了大尺度的气候(温度)变化对欧亚大陆植被状况的影响.分析方法为奇异值分解,从温度和NDVI的年际变化中检测出二者最重要和最密切的大尺度空间相关特征.用每个奇异值的平方占总的协方差平方和的比例(解释率),可以度量每对模态的重要性.春季(4和5月)、夏季和秋季(9和10月)的解释率分别是60.9%、39.5%和24.6%,这说明整体上春季植被状况对温度的敏感性高于夏季和秋季.奇异值分解的显著模态中心是二者关系最密切的地区,也就是NDVI对温度最敏感的地区,春季为西西伯利亚和东欧东北部,敏感性为 0.308 0 NDVI/℃;夏季没有特别突出的敏感中心,选择与计算春季相同格点数的高值中心,其敏感性为 0.248 0 NDVI/℃;秋季敏感中心在亚洲东部高纬度地区,相同格点大小范围(110°～140° E,55°～65°N)平均敏感性为 0.087 5 NDVI/℃.这种大尺度的NDVI-气温的关系及其敏感性非常稳定,并不随使用的NDVI的空间分辨率的改变而改变.     

Coastal ecosystems on a tipping point: Global warming and parasitism combine to alter community structure and function

Mounting evidence suggests that the transmission of certain parasites is facilitated by increasing temperatures, causing their host population to decline. However, no study has yet addressed how temperature and parasitism may combine to shape the functional structure of a whole host community in the face of global warming. Here, we apply an outdoor mesocosm approach supported by field surveys to elucidate this question in a diverse intertidal community of amphipods infected by the pathogenic microphallid trematode, Maritrema novaezealandensis. Under present temperature (17°C) and level of parasitism, the parasite had little impact on the host community. However, elevating the temperature to 21°C in the presence of parasites induced massive structural changes: amphipod abundances decreased species‐specifically, affecting epibenthic species but leaving infaunal species largely untouched. In effect, species diversity dropped significantly. In contrast, four degree higher temperatures in the absence of parasitism had limited influence on the amphipod community. Further elevating temperatures (19–25°C) and parasitism, simulating a prolonged heat‐wave scenario, resulted in an almost complete parasite‐induced extermination of the amphipod community at 25°C. In addition, at 19°C, just two degrees above the present average, a similar temperature–parasite synergistic impact on community structure emerged as seen at 21°C under lower parasite pressure. The heat‐wave temperature of 25°C per se affected the amphipod community in a comparable way: species diversity declined and the infaunal species were favoured at the expense of epibenthic species. Our experimental findings are corroborated by field data demonstrating a strong negative relationship between current amphipod species richness and the level of Maritrema parasitism across 12 sites. Hence, owing to the synergistic impact of temperature and parasitism, our study predicts that coastal amphipod communities will deteriorate in terms of abundance and diversity in face of anticipated global warming, functionally changing them to be dominated by infaunal species.     

Different temperature perception in high‐elevation plants: new insight into phenological development and implications for climate change in the alpine tundra

In alpine habitats, predicted warmer and longer growing seasons will influence plant phenology, with important implications for species adaptation and vegetation dynamics. However, little is known on the temperature sensitivity of different phenophases and on the characteristics allowing phenological variation among and within species. By integrating interannual micro‐climatic variability with experimental warming, we explored how the phenology of three alpine species is influenced by temperature and what mechanisms underlie intra‐ and inter‐specific phenological differences. The present study demonstrated that alpine plants have different temperature responses during their reproductive cycle, do not have constant thermal thresholds and heat‐use efficiencies to achieve the seed dispersal stage and can change their temperature sensitivity to flower along snowmelt gradients. In addition, the length of the reproductive cycle, which proved to be species‐specific under experimental warming, does not seem to be the only life‐history trait under selective pressure due to the short‐length of the snow‐free period. In a warming climate scenario, the phenology of sexual reproduction will be considerably altered, and alpine plants may be subjected to changes in population dynamics driven by altered perception of environmental cues appropriate for coordinating the timing of key life‐history events.     

西南山地流域NDVI变化特征及降水敏感性——以贵州沅江流域为例

归一化植被指数(Normalized Difference Vegetation Index,NDVI)是反映植被生长的重要指标,探究其时空变化特征,对生态保护、退耕还林和灾害防治具有重要意义。选取2000—2015年贵州沅江流域典型年份NDVI,采用重心分析、标准差椭圆、地理加权回归等方法,从干旱视角探究流域NDVI变化和降水敏感性。得出以下结论:(1)2000—2015年贵州沅江流域NDVI总体处于上升趋势,植被正在改善,期间西部植被改善最为明显,退耕还林还草取得较好成果。(2)2000—2015年贵州沅江流域干旱年与正常年NDVI空间变化趋势不一致,干旱程度对植被影响具有区域差异。(3)贵州沅江流域NDVI与降水呈负相关,空间敏感性自西向东递增,降水对流域西部喀斯特山区NDVI影响更明显。(4)2000—2015年贵州沅江流域NDVI时段变化与降水主要为负相关,降水越多NDVI时段变化敏感性越弱,退耕还林还草工程应重点放在负敏感区。研究结果可为退耕还林还草和干旱灾害防治提供科学参考。     

Impact of dietary betaine and conjugated linoleic acid on insulin sensitivity,protein and fat metabolism of obese pigs

To determine possible mechanisms of action that might explain the nutrient partitioning effect of betaine and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in Iberian pigs and to address potential adverse effects, twenty gilts were restrictively fed from 20 to 50 kg BW Control, 0.5% betaine, 1% CLA or 0.5% betaine + 1% CLA diets. Serum hormones and metabolites profile were determined at 30 kg BW and an oral glucose test was performed before slaughter. Pigs were slaughtered at 50 kg BW and livers were obtained for chemical and histological analysis. Decreased serum urea in pigs fed betaine and betaine + CLA diets (11%; P = 0.0001) indicated a more efficient N utilization. The increase in serum triacylglycerol (58% and 28%, respectively; P = 0.0098) indicated that CLA and betaine + CLA could have reduced adipose tissue triacylglycerol synthesis from preformed fatty acids. Serum glucose, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and non-esterified fatty acids were unaffected. CLA and betaine + CLA altered serum lipids profile, although liver of pigs fed CLA diet presented no histopathological changes and triglyceride content was not different from Control pigs. Compared with controls, serum growth hormone decreased (20% to 23%; P = 0.0209) for all treatments. Although serum insulin increased in CLA, and especially in betaine + CLA pigs (28% and 83%; P = 0.0001), indices of insulin resistance were unaffected. In conclusion, CLA, and especially betaine + CLA, induced changes in biochemical parameters and hormones that may partially explain a nutrient partitioning effect in young pigs. Nevertheless, they exhibited weak, although detrimental, effects on blood lipids. Moreover, although livers were chemically and histologically normal, pigs fed CLA diet challenged with a glucose load had higher serum glucose than controls.     

Temperature explains global variation in biomass among humid old‐growth forests

Aim To develop and test a simple climate‐based ecophysiological model of above‐ground biomass – an approach that can be applied directly to predicting the effects of climate change on forest carbon stores. Location Humid lowland forests world‐wide. Methods We developed a new approach to modelling the aboveground biomass of old‐growth forest (AGB_max) based on the influences of temperature on gross primary productivity (GPP) and what we call total maintenance cost (TMC), which includes autotrophic respiration as well as leaf, stem and other plant construction required to maintain biomass. We parameterized the models with measured carbon fluxes and tested them by comparing predicted AGB_max with measured AGB for another 109 old‐growth sites. Results Our models explained 57% of the variation in GPP across 95 sites and 79% of the variation in TMC across 17 sites. According to the best‐fit models, the ratio of GPP to maintenance cost per unit biomass (MCB) peaks at 16.5 °C, indicating that this is the air temperature leading to the highest possible AGB_max when temperatures are constant. Seasonal temperature variation generally reduces predicted AGB_max, and thus maritime temperate climates are predicted to have the highest AGB_max. The shift in temperatures from temperate maritime to tropical climates increases MCB more than GPP, and thus decreases AGB_max. Overall, our model explains exactly 50% of the variation in AGB among humid lowland old‐growth forests. Main conclusions Temperature plays an important role in explaining global variation in biomass among humid lowland old‐growth forests, a role that can be understood in terms of the dual effects of temperature on GPP and TMC. Our simple model captures these influences, and could be an important tool for predicting the effects of climate change on forest carbon stores.