Relationships of pollen size,pistil length and pollen tube growth rates in Rhododendron and their influence on hybridization

Summary Pollen size and pistil length data have been collected for 93 species of Rhododendron (Ericaceae) belonging to a number of different subgeneric taxa. For a sample of eight species in section Vireya, pollen tube growth in the style after selfor interspecific pollination has been quantified. Pollen volume and the time taken for pollen tubes to reach the ovary were both related to pistil length. Pollen-tube growth rates were generally greater for species with longer pistils and larger pollen. Increasing temperature increased the rate of pollen-tube growth. There was no detectable effect of pollen tube density on tube growth rate in the style. After interspecific pollinations tube growth rates in foreign styles could be faster or slower than in self styles. A semisterile individual with two viable pollen grains per tetrad and a plant grafted as scion to a longer-styled stock both showed more rapid pollen-tube growth than expected on the basis of pistil size. Data collected for 26 species in section Vireya showed that where extreme disparity of pollen/pistil size causes failure of interspecific crosses, one or more bridging species with intermediate pollen/pistil size can generally be selected.     

土壤细菌16SrRNA基因变异型及其与植被的相关研究

绕过细菌的分离培养,直接提取土壤DNA,扩谱,克隆土壤细菌群体的16S核糖体RNA基因（16S,rDNA),根据该基因各种变异类型的限制性片段长度多型性,分析土壤细菌分子遗传多样性及其与植被的相关关系,植被的改变影响土壤养分,进而改变土壤细菌群落结构,土壤细菌遗传多样性和分化能反映植被的变化。     

RFLP Detection of Genetic Variation of Maize Inbred Lines

Genetic similarities of 13 inbred lines of maize (Zea mays L.) were analyzed by restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs). The objectives of the study were to detect genetic similarities among 13 inbreds and to assign them to heterotic groups. By means of 24 probe-enzyme combinations (PECs) selected for locus specificity, clear patterns and reproducibility, 85 alleles were found with an average of 3.3 alleles per locus. The allelic frequency data were used to estimate genetic similarities among lines, and as a result the diversity index of 0.499 was obtained. Genetic similarities between the pairs of 13 lines ranged from 0.523 up to 0.802 with an average of 0.649. The UPGMA clustering algorithm analysis classified the 13 lines into five groups, which generally corresponded to known maize heterotic groups based on pedigree information. The authors concluded that RFLP-based markers could be used for investigating genetic relationships between maize inbred lines and assigning them to heterotic groups, but it seemed that a large number of PECs were needed to obtain reliable estimates of genetic similarity.     

Maturation, spawning and growth of rock soles off Kodiak Island in the Gulf of Alaska

Northern rock sole Lepidopsetta polyxystra females from the Kodiak Island area, Alaska, reached 50% maturity at 328 mm L _T and an average age of 7 years. In contrast, southern rock sole Lepidopsetta bilineata females reached 50% maturity at 347 mm L _T and an average age of 9 years. Spawning started in midwinter for northern rock sole and peaked during the spring, while spawning for southern rock sole occurred during the summer. The bottom depth for spawning northern rock sole ranged from 43 to 61 m and averaged 45 m; spawning depth for southern rock sole ranged from 35 to 120m and averaged 78m. Both species appeared to develop a single stock of oocytes and to ovulate them in a single spawning. Northern rock sole females grew faster overall ( K =0.24) than southern rock sole females ( K =0.12) but reached a smaller maximum length ( L _∞=430 mm) than southern rock sole ( L _∞=520mm). Males of both species grew more slowly than females after 5 years of age and reached a smaller maximum length.     

不同耕作方式对陇中旱农区春小麦和豌豆根系空间分布及产量的影响

依托陇中旱农区长期的保护性耕作定位试验,对不同耕作方式下春小麦和豌豆根系空间分布特征及作物产量进行研究,以探索耕作措施影响作物产量的机制.结果表明: 随着生育期的推进,春小麦和豌豆的总根长、根表面积呈先增后减的趋势,开花期达到最大;春小麦根系苗期以0～10 cm最多,花期、成熟期10～30 cm最多;而豌豆根系苗期和成熟期均以0～10 cm最多,花期10～30 cm最多.免耕秸秆覆盖和免耕覆膜增加了根长和根表面积,春小麦和豌豆各生育时期的根长较传统耕作增加了35.9%～92.6%,根表面积增加了43.2%～162.4%.免耕秸秆覆盖和免耕覆膜优化了春小麦和豌豆根系分布,与传统耕作相比,增加了春小麦和豌豆苗期0～10 cm土层根长和根表面积分布比例,花期和成熟期深层次根系分布也显著增加,免耕秸秆覆盖在开花期30～80 cm土层根长和根表面积的分布比例分别比传统耕作提高了3.3%和9.7%.春小麦各生育期的总根长、根表面积与产量呈显著正相关,豌豆各生育期的总根长与豌豆产量呈极显著正相关.免耕秸秆覆盖和免耕覆膜较传统耕作春小麦和豌豆产量增加23.4%～38.7%,水分利用效率提高了13.7%～28.5%.在陇中旱农区,免耕秸秆覆盖和免耕覆膜可以增加作物根长和根表面积,优化了根系在土壤中的空间分布,增强作物根层吸收能力,从而提高作物产量和水分高效利用.     

不同波长光照对罗汉果光合及生长影响

罗汉果试管苗在不同波长的LED(半导体)蓝(475±5nm)、黄(585±5nm)、红(660±5nm)及普通日光灯下培养,25d后观测发现,其外观的优劣依次为:蓝光>白光>红光>黄光;植株重量:蓝光>红光>黄光>白光;蓝光和白光下的植株叶大、色绿,植株矮壮,侧芽多;红光和黄光下的植株叶小、色黄绿,植株高、细、弯曲、节间长。测定罗汉果成熟叶片的吸收光谱,发现在波长380~500nm及660~680nm处有较强吸收。不同的光质下测定成熟叶片光合速率,大小依次为:红光>蓝光>白光>黄光。上述的各项试验表明,蓝光对罗汉果幼苗生长发育最好;红光和蓝光为成熟叶片光合作用的最佳光源。     

Succession of bacterial community composition over two consecutive years in two aquatic systems: a natural lake and a lake-reservoir

The succession in bacterial community composition was studied over two years in the epilimnion and hypolimnion of two freshwater systems: a natural lake (Pavin Lake) and a lake-reservoir (Sep Reservoir). The bacterial community composition was determined by cloning-sequencing of 16S rRNA and by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism. Despite large hydrogeological differences, in the Sep Reservoir and Pavin Lake the dominant bacteria were from the same taxonomic divisions, particularly Actinobacteria and Betaproteobacteria. In both ecosystems, these major bacterial divisions showed temporal fluctuations that were much less marked than those occurring at a finer phylogenetic scale. Nutrient availability and mortality factors, the nature of which differed from one lake to another, covaried with the temporal variations in the bacterial community composition at all sampling depths, whereas factors related to seasonal forces (temperature and outflow for Sep Reservoir) seemed to account only for the variation of the hypolimnion bacterial community composition. No seasonal reproducibility in temporal evolution of bacterial community from one year to the next was observed.     

Individual variation in early‐life telomere length and survival in a wild mammal

Individual variation in survival probability due to differential responses to early‐life environmental conditions is important in the evolution of life histories and senescence. A biomarker allowing quantification of such individual variation, and which links early‐life environmental conditions with survival by providing a measure of conditions experienced, is telomere length. Here, we examined telomere dynamics among 24 cohorts of European badgers (Meles meles). We found a complex cross‐sectional relationship between telomere length and age, with no apparent loss over the first 29 months, but with both decreases and increases in telomere length at older ages. Overall, we found low within‐individual consistency in telomere length across individual lifetimes. Importantly, we also observed increases in telomere length within individuals, which could not be explained by measurement error alone. We found no significant sex differences in telomere length, and provide evidence that early‐life telomere length predicts lifespan. However, while early‐life telomere length predicted survival to adulthood (≥1 year old), early‐life telomere length did not predict adult survival probability. Furthermore, adult telomere length did not predict survival to the subsequent year. These results show that the relationship between early‐life telomere length and lifespan was driven by conditions in early‐life, where early‐life telomere length varied strongly among cohorts. Our data provide evidence for associations between early‐life telomere length and individual life history, and highlight the dynamics of telomere length across individual lifetimes due to individuals experiencing different early‐life environments.     

气孔特征与叶片功能性状之间关联性沿海拔梯度的变化规律——以长白山为例

气孔是陆生植物与外界环境进行水分和气体交换的主要通道,控制着植物的光合作用和蒸腾过程。植物往往通过多种性状的组合来适应变化的环境,叶片功能性状之间的紧密关系已经在不同尺度得到证实。然而,植物气孔特征与叶片其它功能性状是否存在关联性以及这种关联性是否会受到环境变化梯度的影响仍鲜少报道。沿长白山北坡6个海拔梯度,测定了150种植物的气孔特征和叶片功能性状。结果发现,气孔密度(SD)与比叶面积(SLA)负相关,与单位面积的叶氮含量(N_(area))正相关;除了SLA和N_(area)外,气孔长度(SL)与SLA、叶片厚度(LT)和单位质量的叶氮含量(N_(mass))均存在显著的相关性(P0.05)。然而,气孔特征与叶片功能性状的相关性只在部分海拔梯度存在。此外,发现SD与SL之间存在稳定一致的负相关关系。这些结果表明,植物气孔特征与叶片形态和化学特征对环境变化的适应存在一定的协同变异性,但这种关系不具有普适性,主要与气孔特征和叶片功能性状的选择压力存在差异以及物种分布范围相关。未来仍需要在更多物种和不同区域内来验证气孔特征与植物功能性状之间的关联关系。