West Nile Virus and California Breeding Bird Declines

Since it was first detected in 1999, West Nile virus (WNV) quickly spread, becoming the dominant vector-borne disease in North America. Sometimes fatal to humans, WNV is even more widespread among birds, with hundreds of species known to be susceptible to WNV infection in North America alone. However, despite considerable mortality and local declines observed in American crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos), there has been little evidence of a large regional association between WNV susceptibility and population declines of any species. Here we demonstrate a correlation between susceptibility to WNV measured by large-scale testing of dead birds and two indices of overall population change among bird species following the spread of WNV throughout California. This result was due primarily to declines in four species of Corvidae, including all species in this family except common ravens (Corvus corax). Our results support the hypothesis that susceptibility to WNV may have negative population consequences to most corvids on regional levels. They also provide confirmation that dead animal surveillance programs can provide important data indicating populations most likely to suffer detrimental impacts due to WNV.     

高寒草甸生态系统牲畜种群结构和动态

本文用Leslie矩阵模型研究了高寒草甸生态系统牲畜种群结构及动态。模型考虑了更加精确的年龄组转移关系,出栏率是种群波动的主要因子。目前,牲畜种群结构不合理,种群数量不能保持平衡。     

Genetic diversity and differentiation of guanaco populations from Argentina inferred from microsatellite data

Genotype data from 14 microsatellite markers were used to assess the genetic diversity and differentiation of four guanaco populations from Argentine Patagonia. These animals were recently captured in the wild and maintained in semi-captivity for fibre production. Considerable genetic diversity in these populations was suggested by the finding of a total of 162 alleles, an average mean number of alleles per locus ranging from 6.50 to 8.19, and H(e) values ranging from 0.66 to 0.74. Assessment of population differentiation showed moderate but significant values of F(ST)=0.071 (P=0.000) and R(ST)=0.083 (P=0.000). An amova test showed that the genetic variation among populations was 5.6% while within populations it was 94.4%. A number of 6.6 migrants per generation may support these results. Unambiguous individual assignment to original populations was obtained for the Pilcaniyeu, Las Heras and La Esperanza populations. The erroneous assignment of 18.75% Rio Mayo individuals to the Las Heras population can be explained by the low genetic differentiation found between these two populations. Thirty-nine of 56 loci per population combinations were in Hardy--Weinberg disequilibrium because of guanaco heterozygote deficiency, which may be explained by population subdivision. The high level of genetic diversity of the guanacos analysed here indicates that the Patagonian guanaco constitutes an important genetic resource for conservation or economic utilization programmes.     

Spontaneous and induced activation of genes affecting the phenotypic expression of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase in Daphnia pulex

Summary Evidence has previously been presented on the occurrence spontaneous variations in the electrophoretic mobility (EM) of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD E.C. 1.1.1.49) in laboratory clones of parthenogenetically reproducing Daphnia (Ruvinsky et al. 1983). The present study is concerned with a natural population of Daphnia living under the extreme conditions of shallow, dessicating pond. The number of individuals having the slow (S) variant of the EM of G6PD increased sharply during their 1.5 month life span. This increase is suggested to result from alternational variability related to activation of latent genetic material.     

Conserving biodiversity under climate change: the rear edge matters

Modern climate change is producing poleward range shifts of numerous taxa, communities and ecosystems worldwide. The response of species to changing environments is likely to be determined largely by population responses at range margins. In contrast to the expanding edge, the low-latitude limit (rear edge) of species ranges remains understudied, and the critical importance of rear edge populations as long-term stores of species' genetic diversity and foci of speciation has been little acknowledged. We review recent findings from the fossil record, phylogeography and ecology to illustrate that rear edge populations are often disproportionately important for the survival and evolution of biota. Their ecological features, dynamics and conservation requirements differ from those of populations in other parts of the range, and some commonly recommended conservation practices might therefore be of little use or even counterproductive for rear edge populations.     

Design and comparison of gene-pyramiding schemes in animals

Marker-assisted gene pyramiding provides a promising way to develop new animal breeds or lines, in which genes responsible for certain favorable characters identified in different breeds or lines are incorporated. In consideration of features of animal populations, we proposed five schemes for pyramiding three genes, denoted Scheme A-E, and five schemes for pyramiding four genes, denoted Scheme F-J. These schemes are representative of the possible alternatives. We also provided an algorithm to compute the population sizes needed in each generation. We compared these schemes with respect to the total population size and the number of generations required under different situations. The results show that there is no scheme that is optimal in all cases. Among the schemes for pyramiding three genes from three lines (L1, L2 and L3), Scheme D (a three-way cross between the three lines are first performed, followed by a backcross to L1 and a subsequent intercross to obtain the desired genotype) has a significant advantage over the other schemes when the recombination rate between adjacent genes ranges from 0.1 to 0.4, while Scheme A (a two-way cross between L1 and L2 and a subsequent intercross are performed, followed by a cross with L3 and a subsequent intercross to obtain the desired genotype) is optimal when recombination rate is 0.5. Among schemes for pyramiding four genes from four lines (L1, L2, L3 and L4), Scheme I (seperately, a two-way cross between L1 and L2 (L3 and L4) followed by a backcross to L1 (L3) and a subsequent intercross are performed, then the offspring from the two sides are crossed and followed by a backcross to L1 and a subsequent intercross to obtain the desired genotype) is optimal when the recombination rate ranges from 0.1 to 0.4, while Scheme F (cross and subsequent intercross between the four lines are performed successively) is the optimal when the recombination rate is 0.5. We also disscuss how the animals' reproductive capacity, the probabilities of obtaining the desired genotypes and genetic distance between adjacent genes would affect the design of an optimal scheme.     

基于 DArT 标记的三疣梭子蟹地理种群遗传多样性分析

三疣梭子蟹是中国重要的水产养殖动物。目前,其养殖业的蟹苗主要还是依靠野生资源,但种质（生长速度、肌肉品质和抗病性）退化现象严重,因此迫切需要了解个体、种群和物种遗传多样性。报道了一种检测三疣梭子蟹多样性芯片技术（diversityarraystechnology,DART）。DArT技术采用芯片可同时检测数百个基因座,即使没有基因组DNA序列信息也可以分析遗传多态性。采用了风tL／TaqI复杂性降低方法,多态性效率为12．5％。利用多样性芯片杂交获得313个DArT标记。这些DArT标记用于点制多态性富集芯片,DArT标记具有较高的多态性信息含量（polymorphisminformationcontent,PIC）。最后根据0／1矩阵获得UPGMA系统进化树,结果表明样品间的遗传多样性与文献报道一致。芯片质量检测中包括赋值重复性为99．1％,同一样品不同个体间的差异不显著,其差异介于0．7％～1．6％。研究表明,DArT技术具有高通量和低成本的显著特点,该技术可为三疣梭子蟹资源保护和良种选育提供支持。     

四川省不同天然种群珙桐叶片解剖结构与其耐热性的关系

以四川省15个珙桐种群为试材,采用石蜡切片法、NaClO法观察叶片16项解剖结构,应用变异系数、聚类分析、相关性分析对叶片解剖结构进行筛选,利用隶属函数法对不同种群的耐热性进行综合评价,以期了解珙桐应对热胁迫的生理变化机制,为野生珙桐资源的保护及园林应用提供参考。结果表明：珙桐叶片为异面叶,气孔主要分布于下表皮。16项解剖结构指标在不同种群间达到极显著差异水平;栅海比、栅栏组织厚度、气孔密度、下表皮角质厚度、主脉凸起度、上表皮角质层厚度、下表皮细胞厚度是影响珙桐耐热性的主要解剖结构指标,叶厚度、海绵组织厚度、主脉厚度、上表皮细胞厚度、主脉维管束厚度、气孔长度、气孔宽度、叶片结构紧密度、叶片结构疏松度与耐热性关系不大;15个珙桐种群耐热性存在一定差异,其强弱顺序为：汉源 > 筠连 > 雷波 > 沐川 > 屏山 > 荥经 > 天全 > 美姑 > 平武 > 碧峰峡 > 北川 > 洪雅 > 宝兴 > 大邑 > 邛崃;15个种群耐热性大致分为4类：汉源种群为耐热型,筠连、雷波、沐川等3个种群为中度耐热型,屏山、荥经、天全、美姑、平武、碧峰峡、北川为低耐热型,洪雅、宝兴、雷波、邛崃等4个种群为不耐热型。     

广州帽峰山次生林主要种群种间联结性研究

运用方差比率法(VR)、χ²统计量、2×2联列表和共同出现百分率对帽峰山次生林群落10000m²典型样地乔木层15个主要种群和灌木层9个主要种群进行种间联结的测定与分析,指出乔木层15个种群总体呈不显著的负联结,主要种群黄樟、三叉苦、鸭脚木和亮叶猴耳环只与极少数种群形成显著联结,与大部分种群联结关系较弱。灌木层9个种群整体为显著负联结,但主要种群三叉苦与九节、七裂叶悬钩子和假鹰爪呈显著正联结,鸭脚木与九节呈显著正联结,亮叶猴耳环与灌木层其它种群不存在显著联结关系。本文比较了多物种间总体关联性指标和3个成对物种间联结性测定指标的优缺点,并探讨了帽峰山生态公益林示范区次生林经营管理和可持续发展的基本途径。