Improved mass spectrometry compatibility is afforded by ammoniacal silver staining

Sequence coverage in MS analysis of protein digestion-derived peptides is a key issue for detailed characterization of proteins or identification at low quantities. In gel-based proteomics studies, the sequence coverage greatly depends on the protein detection method. It is shown here that ammoniacal silver detection methods offer improved sequence coverage over standard silver nitrate methods, while keeping the high sensitivity of silver staining. With the development of 2D-PAGE-based proteomics, another burden is placed on the detection methods used for protein detection on 2-D-gels. Besides the classical requirements of linearity, sensitivity, and homogeneity from one protein to another, detection methods must now take into account another aspect, namely their compatibility with MS. This compatibility is evidenced by two different and complementary aspects, which are (i) the absence of adducts and artefactual modifications on the peptides obtained after protease digestion of a protein detected and digested in - gel, and (ii) the quantitative yield of peptides recovered after digestion and analyzed by the mass spectrometer. While this quantitative yield is not very important per se, it is however a crucial parameter as it strongly influences the S/N of the mass spectrum and thus the number of peptides that can be detected from a given protein input, especially at low protein amounts. This influences in turn the sequence coverage and thus the detail of the analysis provided by the mass spectrometer.     

白龙江干旱河谷不同坡向主要灌丛群落随海拔梯度变化的物种多样性研究

采用样方调查法,研究了白龙江干旱河谷不同坡向主要灌丛群落沿着海拔梯度的结构特征、物种多样性的变化规律,旨在了解白龙江干旱河谷不同海拔梯度植被特征和物种多样性变化,为白龙江干旱河谷区域不同海拔植被恢复提供理论依据。研究结果表明：（1）不同海拔梯度同一坡向物种数不同,同一海拔不同坡向物种数也不同,随着海拔的升高不同坡向物种数表现为先增加后减少的趋势,同一海拔梯度内不同坡向主要植被类型也不同。（2）主要灌木群落α多样性在不同坡向随着海拔梯度的升高,表现出先升高后减小的趋势。不同坡向草本群落α多样性随着海拔的升高,也表现出先升高后减小的趋势。对主要灌丛α多样性指数进行相关性分析得物种丰富度指数对物种多样性贡献率最大,表现为丰富度指数（D₁、D₂）> 生态优势度指数（SN）> 种间机遇指数（H）> 群落均匀度指数（R）。（3）不同坡向主要灌丛群落β多样性Whittaker指数沿着不同海拔梯度变化不大,最大值出现在海拔1250~1650m;Routledge和Codyβ多样性指数在海拔1450~1650m出现最大值,但是大体呈现出波形变化。草本β多样性随着海拔的升高变化较大,阳坡植物的β多样性指数在海拔1050~1250m达到最大,阴坡和半阴半阳坡在海拔区间1250~1450m达到最大,半阴半阳坡的β多样性指数均大于阳坡。白龙江干旱河谷不同坡向、不同海拔梯度物种α多样性和β多样性都不同,且不同坡向随着海拔梯度的变化物种α多样性和β多样性呈一定的相关性,说明海拔和坡向是影响生物多样性主要因子之一。     

植被覆盖度和综合治理对纸坊沟流域土壤氮素流失的影响

同小流域土壤侵蚀一样,小流域土壤氮素随洪流流失也受到植被覆盖度的影响,通常经过调整小流域内土地利用结构以达到控制水土流失。该研究以8.27 km2纸坊沟流域和1:400比例流域模型为研究对象,研究植被覆盖度和综合治理对纸坊沟流域土壤氮素流失的影响。结果表明:在模拟降雨下,当流域植被覆盖度分别为60%、40%、20%和0时,流域模型铵态氮流失量分别为87.08、44.31、25.16和13.71 kg/km2,硝态氮为85.50、74.05、63.95和56.23 kg/km2,全氮为0.81、1.18、1.98和7.51 t/km2;在自然降雨下,1998年与1992年相比,全流域年土壤侵蚀量为1 086 t/km2和1 119 t/km2,氮素流失量为8 758.5和7 562.2 kg,减少了15.8%,其中农地减少了52.0%。流域对降水中的矿质氮具有过滤作用,硝态氮的过滤作用明显高于铵态氮。洪流泥沙中<20 mm微团聚体富集造成了泥沙有机质和全氮的富集。植被覆盖虽能有效地减少流域土壤侵蚀和全氮的流失,却能增加土壤矿质氮的流失。坡地退耕还林草可显著减少流域土壤氮素流失。     

High Arctic summer warming tracked by increased Cassiope tetragona growth in the world's northernmost polar desert

Rapid climate warming has resulted in shrub expansion, mainly of erect deciduous shrubs in the Low Arctic, but the more extreme, sparsely vegetated, cold and dry High Arctic is generally considered to remain resistant to such shrub expansion in the next decades. Dwarf shrub dendrochronology may reveal climatological causes of past changes in growth, but is hindered at many High Arctic sites by short and fragmented instrumental climate records. Moreover, only few High Arctic shrub chronologies cover the recent decade of substantial warming. This study investigated the climatic causes of growth variability of the evergreen dwarf shrub Cassiope tetragona between 1927 and 2012 in the northernmost polar desert at 83°N in North Greenland. We analysed climate–growth relationships over the period with available instrumental data (1950–2012) between a 102‐year‐long C. tetragona shoot length chronology and instrumental climate records from the three nearest meteorological stations, gridded climate data, and North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and Arctic Oscillation (AO) indices. July extreme maximum temperatures (JulT_emx), as measured at Alert, Canada, June NAO, and previous October AO, together explained 41% of the observed variance in annual C. tetragona growth and likely represent in situ summer temperatures. JulT_emx explained 27% and was reconstructed back to 1927. The reconstruction showed relatively high growing season temperatures in the early to mid‐twentieth century, as well as warming in recent decades. The rapid growth increase in C. tetragona shrubs in response to recent High Arctic summer warming shows that recent and future warming might promote an expansion of this evergreen dwarf shrub, mainly through densification of existing shrub patches, at High Arctic sites with sufficient winter snow cover and ample water supply during summer from melting snow and ice as well as thawing permafrost, contrasting earlier notions of limited shrub growth sensitivity to summer warming in the High Arctic.     

Circumpolar arctic tundra biomass and productivity dynamics in response to projected climate change and herbivory

Satellite remote sensing data have indicated a general ‘greening’ trend in the arctic tundra biome. However, the observed changes based on remote sensing are the result of multiple environmental drivers, and the effects of individual controls such as warming, herbivory, and other disturbances on changes in vegetation biomass, community structure, and ecosystem function remain unclear. We apply ArcVeg, an arctic tundra vegetation dynamics model, to estimate potential changes in vegetation biomass and net primary production (NPP) at the plant community and functional type levels. ArcVeg is driven by soil nitrogen output from the Terrestrial Ecosystem Model, existing densities of Rangifer populations, and projected summer temperature changes by the NCAR CCSM4.0 general circulation model across the Arctic. We quantified the changes in aboveground biomass and NPP resulting from (i) observed herbivory only; (ii) projected climate change only; and (iii) coupled effects of projected climate change and herbivory. We evaluated model outputs of the absolute and relative differences in biomass and NPP by country, bioclimate subzone, and floristic province. Estimated potential biomass increases resulting from temperature increase only are approximately 5% greater than the biomass modeled due to coupled warming and herbivory. Such potential increases are greater in areas currently occupied by large or dense Rangifer herds such as the Nenets‐occupied regions in Russia (27% greater vegetation increase without herbivores). In addition, herbivory modulates shifts in plant community structure caused by warming. Plant functional types such as shrubs and mosses were affected to a greater degree than other functional types by either warming or herbivory or coupled effects of the two.     

Salinity tolerance of three competing rangeland plant species: Studies in hydroponic culture

Halogeton (Halogeton glomeratus) is an invasive species that displaces Gardner's saltbush (Atriplex gardneri) on saline rangelands, whereas, forage kochia (Bassia prostrata) potentially can rehabilitate these ecosystems. Salinity tolerance has been hypothesized as the predominant factor affecting frequency of these species. This study compared relative salinity tolerance of these species, and tall wheatgrass (Thinopyrum ponticum) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa). Plants were evaluated in hydroponics, eliminating the confounding effects of drought, for 28 days at 0, 150, 200, 300, 400, 600, and 800 mmol/L NaCl. Survival, growth, and ion accumulation were determined. Alfalfa and tall wheatgrass shoot mass were reduced to 32% of the control at 150 mmol/L. Forage kochia survived to 600 mmol/L, but mass was reduced at all salinity levels. Halogeton and Gardner's saltbush increased or maintained shoot mass up to 400 mmol/L. Furthermore, both actively accumulated sodium in shoots, indicating that Na⁺ was the principle ion in osmotic adjustment, whereas, forage kochia exhibited passive (linear) Na⁺ accumulation as salinity increased. This study confirmed the halophytic nature of these three species, but, moreover, discovered that Gardner's saltbush was as saline tolerant as halogeton, whereas, forage kochia was less tolerant. Therefore, factors other than salinity tolerance drive these species’ differential persistence in saline‐desert ecosystems.     

载畜率对短花针茅荒漠草原灌木及其邻近土壤养分含量的影响

草地灌丛化现象在草地生态系统上广泛发生。放牧是人类利用草原的重要方式,通过分析不同载畜率下荒漠草原灌木种群及其邻近土壤养分含量的变化,可研究放牧干扰下不同灌木种群的耐牧特性,对深入了解荒漠草原植物群落演替机制具有重要意义。以荒漠草原灌木小叶锦鸡儿(Caragana microphylla)、半灌木驼绒藜(Ceratoides latens)及小半灌木冷蒿(Artemisia frigida)和木地肤(Kochia prostrata)(下称为“灌木”)为研究对象,探究不同载畜率下各个灌木种群的密度、高度、盖度及地上生物量(下称为“数量特征值”)及其邻近土壤养分含量。结果表明:冷蒿的数量特征值均随着载畜率的增加而降低,其他植物种群的数量特征值均在CK或LG区出现最大值,且不同灌木邻近土壤养分含量随着土壤深度的增加而下降(P < 0.05)。不同灌木邻近土壤全氮含量随着载畜率增加而下降;冷蒿邻近有机碳含量在CK区最高,小叶锦鸡儿邻近速效磷含量在HG区最高,其余灌木邻近有机碳、速效磷含量在LG区最高。灌木种群数量特征与土壤养分的关系为:土壤有机碳与冷蒿和驼绒藜的高度、盖度、地上生物量呈正相关,土壤速效磷与木地肤高度、地上生物量呈显著负相关。因此,载畜率均会对灌木植物种群的数量特征值及其邻近土壤养分含量产生影响。     

生态修复前后祁连山地区植被覆盖变化

祁连山是我国重要的生态屏障,定量评估气候变化和人类活动对植被变化的影响对祁连山生态保护和修复具有重要意义。以祁连山地区为研究区,分析1986—2020年植被覆盖时空动态变化,计算气候变化及人类活动对植被覆盖变化的贡献率,进而评估生态修复工程对于植被覆盖变化的影响程度。结果表明：(1)1986—2020年间祁连山地区植被覆盖度呈现显著增加趋势,变化趋势为0.022/10a;中高覆盖度主要分布在东南地区,西北地区仍然是以低覆盖度为主,且1999年的退耕还林还草工程施行后,中低覆盖度向中高覆盖度方向转化。(2)祁连山地区植被覆盖变化是气候因素和人类活动共同作用的结果。气候因素对植被覆盖的贡献率为93.40%,人类活动贡献率为6.60%,气候因素是祁连山区植被变化的主导因素,但人类活动在植被变化中的影响程度逐年增加。祁连山地区植被覆盖呈转好趋势,这主要是因为退耕还林还草等生态工程极大地改善了祁连山地区的植被覆盖状况,为后续植被的恢复和生态系统的稳定奠定了良好的基础。     

祁连山中部优势灌木物种叶功能性状参数变化特征

植物叶功能性状是连接植物与外界环境的重要桥梁,是探索植物适应环境、进行全球气候变化研究的指标,也是生态水文模型重要的输入参数。通过高时间分辨率样品的采集结合图像处理技术,对祁连山中部优势物种金露梅(Dasiphora fruticosa)和鬼箭锦鸡儿(Caragana jubata)叶功能性状变化特征进行研究,结果表明：叶面积(LA)从生长初期到生长末期发生明显变化,且2020年6—7月初灌木叶面积变化最为明显;比叶面积(SLA)分别在76—157 cm²/g之间和120—217 cm²/g之间,金露梅SLA平均值(123 cm²/g)<鬼箭锦锦鸡儿SLA平均值(176 cm²/g);在生长初期金露梅的叶面积指数(LAI)明显大于鬼箭锦鸡儿,金露梅和鬼箭锦鸡儿的叶面积指数随时间的变化都符合三次函数;生物量与基径和高度的乘积呈显著性相关,最优回归模型均为幂函数;地上生物量与叶功能性状参数在不同阶段的模拟方程均不同,地上总生物量与叶生物量在生长期的最优选择模型分别呈S型函数和幂函数,金露梅的单株地...