籼型常规早稻穗分化期低温对颖花形成和籽粒充实的影响

以籼型常规早稻中嘉早17为材料,于盆栽条件下采用人工气候箱控温,在水稻穗分化一次枝梗原基分化期(Ⅱ)与花粉母细胞减数分裂期(Ⅵ)进行17和20 ℃的低温胁迫处理,研究不同低温对水稻枝梗、颖花分化与退化及籽粒充实的影响.结果表明： 与对照相比,不同低温处理均显著降低每穗枝梗及颖花分化数和现存数,颖花现存数降幅为7.2%～12.4%,同时增加了枝梗和颖花的退化数,影响了花粉活性、花药开裂等花器官发育,导致籽粒充实不良,以17 ℃低温胁迫效应更明显.穗分化Ⅵ期低温处理总枝梗和颖花分化数与现存数低于穗分化Ⅱ期,但二次枝梗和颖花退化数较多,颖花退化数较穗分化Ⅱ期高11.6%;穗分化Ⅱ期低温处理穗部籽粒结实率显著低于穗分化Ⅵ期,降幅达3.7%,主要与花粉粒活性、柱头花粉散落数、花药开裂系数和籽粒充实度受低温影响较大有关.另外,穗分化Ⅱ、Ⅵ两时期受17 ℃低温胁迫效应大于20 ℃.综合穗分化两时期低温胁迫效应的差异,生产中需加强相应栽培措施的调控.     

Temperature dependence of predation depends on the relative performance of predators and prey

The temperature dependence of predation rates is a key issue for understanding and predicting the responses of ecosystems to climate change. Using a simple mechanistic model, we demonstrate that differences in the relative performances of predator and prey can cause strong threshold effects in the temperature dependence of attack rates. Empirical data on the attack rate of northern pike (Esox lucius) feeding on brown trout (Salmo trutta) confirm this result. Attack rates fell sharply below a threshold temperature of +11°C, which corresponded to a shift in relative performance of pike and brown trout with respect to maximum attack and escape swimming speeds. The average attack speed of pike was an order of magnitude lower than the escape speed of brown trout at 5°C, but approximately equal at temperatures above 11°C. Thresholds in the temperature dependence of ecological rates can create tipping points in the responses of ecosystems to increasing temperatures. Thus, identifying thresholds is crucial when predicting future effects of climate warming.     

高温胁迫对水稻花粉粒性状及花药显微结构的影响

对两个耐热性不同的水稻品系进行高温处理(8:00～17:00,37℃,17:00～8:00,30℃),测定了高温胁迫对水稻花粉粒性状及花药显微结构的影响.结果表明,高温胁迫导致花药开裂、花粉活力、花粉萌发率和柱头上花粉粒数的显著下降,花粉粒直径增大.高温下耐热品系996的花药开裂、花粉活力、花粉萌发率和柱头上花粉粒数明显高于热敏感品系4628,这表明耐热品系996在高温胁迫条件下能保持较好地花粉散落特性和花粉萌发特性,是其耐热性的生理基础;高温下耐热品系996的花药壁的表皮细胞排列较整齐,细胞间隙小;药隔维管束较大,维管束鞘细胞排列整齐,簿壁细胞多且排列整齐,木质部和韧皮部清楚可见;而热敏感品系4628花药壁的表皮细胞形状不规则,排列疏松,细胞间隙大,药隔维管组织受到很大程度破坏,维管束鞘细胞形状异常,排列紊乱,木质部和韧皮部界限不清.     

Induction of secondary dormancy in sunflower seeds by high temperature. Possible involvement of ethylene biosynthesis

High temperature (45°C) inhibits seed germinition and seedling sunflower ( Helianthus annuus L. cv. Mirasol). Treatment of imbibed seeds at 45°C for more than 48 h induces a secondary dormancy, which is associated with progressive decrease of germination ability at optimal temperature (25°C) as well as with abnormal seedling growth. Ethylene (55μl l⁻¹) and 2-chloroethylphosphonic acid (ethephon) (2.5 m M ) improve germination of thermodormant seeds at 25°C. but the abnormal growth of the seedlings remains. O₂-enriched atmosphere and dry storage improve germination and normal seedling growth. The induction of thermodormancy in sunflower seeds seems associated with loss of their ability to convert 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) to ethylene. Possible effects of high temperature on membranes and ethylene forming enzyme (EFE) are discussed.     

Short-term cold storage of blowfly Lucilia sericata embryos

The developmental rate under low temperatures and cold tolerance were investigated in embryos of the blowfly Lucilia sericata. The larvae of this species are now widely used in maggot debridement therapy. Embryonic development was dependent on temperature, with a lower developmental threshold of 9.0 °C. The duration of the egg stage at a rearing temperature of 25 °C was 14 h, and a low temperature of 12.5 °C successfully prolonged this period to 66 h. Embryonic stages differed markedly in their cold tolerance; young embryos were less tolerant to cold than old ones. Late embryonic stages are suitable for cold storage at 5 °C and the storage for 72 h did not decrease the hatching rate by more than 50%. In the mass‐rearing process required for maggot debridement therapy, either of these two simple protocols would be beneficial.     

恢复状态下羊草（Leymus chinensis）草原植被根冠比动态及影响因子

利用内蒙古羊草草原围栏样地连续两年的地上、地下生物量数据和当地同时期的降水、气温资料,分析了退化羊草草原,在恢复过程中植被根冠比动态及与水热因子之间的关系。研究结果表明：（1）羊草草原植被地上、地下生物量季节变化均呈单峰型曲线,峰值出现在8月。（2）羊草草原植被根冠比具有明显的季节变化,生长季初和生长季末根冠比值较大,最低值出现在地上生物量最高的8月中下旬。（3）羊草草原植被月根冠比与上上月月降水量相关关系极显著,与七月平均气温相关关系显著;以根冠比为因变量,上上月月降水量、上月平均气温为自变量可分别建立线性回归方程。该方程可以较好地模拟羊草草原植被生长季内月根冠比的动态变化,这样在草地恢复过程中,可由上月的水热因子来指导下月的草地管理,并为更准确地估算草原生态系统生产力及碳储存动态提供重要参数。     

Survival of Theileria parva-infected adult Rhipicephalus appendiculatus under laboratory and quasi-natural conditions

Adult Rhipicephalus appendiculatus Muguga, having high or low intensities of Theileria parva Muguga infection in their salivary glands, were exposed to 20 °C and 85% relative humidity in the laboratory or quasi-natural conditions. Survival of the ticks and T. parva infections in their salivary glands was then monitored over a two year period. Ticks, having an average infection level of 2 infected acini per female, survived for up to 70 or 106 weeks after moulting under the laboratory or quasi-natural conditions respectively. Those having an infection level of 26 infected acini per female, survived for a similar duration except that those under quasi-natural conditions survived for a slightly shorter duration (102 weeks). Similarly, T. parva parasites survived for much longer periods under quasi-natural conditions than under the laboratory conditions. They survived for up to 38 or 78 weeks post salivary gland infection under the laboratory or quasi-natural conditions respectively in both categories of infection levels. There was apparently a density dependent relationship in T. parva survival, with a dramatic fall in infection occurring in ticks with high levels of infection between weeks 10 and 18 or weeks 38 and 46 post salivary gland infection in those exposed to laboratory or quasi-natural conditions before levelling off. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Diurnal changes in phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase and pyruvate, orthophosphate dikinase properties in the natural environment: interplay of light and temperature in a C4 thermophile

Activities of phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) carboxylase (EC 4.1.1.31) were measured in leaf extracts of field grown Amaranthus paniculatus L. (C₄) during a natural diurnal irradiance and temperature pattern. Enzyme assays were run at both fixed (30°C) and the corresponding leaf temperature at the time of harvest. Light activation of PEP carboxylase (PEPCase) at fixed assay temperatures was expressed as a decrease in S_0–5 (PEP) after a threshold (> 330 μmol m^–2 s^–1) photon fluence rate was surpassed at noon. Earlier in the morning, increase in apparent enzyme affinity for PEP was observed when the assay was run at leaf temperature, indicating a physiologically meaningfull effect of temperature on S^0.5 (PEP). The 3.3-fold increase in PEPCase activity at low PEP and fixed assay temperature between the minimal and maximal irradiance and temperature hours of the day, became 12.8-, 11.5- and 7.4-fold when assays were run at the corresponding leaf temperature during three diurnal cycles with respective temperature differences (max minus min) of 9.0, 8.3 and 7.4°C. The extent of malate inhibition was the same for both day and night forms of PEPCase assayed at 35°C, but increased considerably with night enzyme at 25°C. The results indicate that light increases the apparent affinity of PEPCase for PEP and that at lower temperatures malate becomes more inhibitory. Pyruvate orthophosphate dikinase activity started to increase immediately after sunrise and the 10-fold increase at fixed temperature became 14.8-, 14.2- and 13.1-fold when assays were run at the above leaf temperatures. This indicates that the light effect predominates with pyruvate, orthophosphate dikinase, while with phosphoenolpyravate carboxylase, light and temperature co-operate to increase the day enzyme activities.     

Development of a technique to study seedling emergence in response to moisture deficit in the field —The seed bed environment*

The ability of crops of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) to establish in farmers' fields depends largely on its capacity to germinate and emerge under limited soil moisture conditions. Studies on germination under moisture stress have been previously conducted using osmotic media which do not wholly reproduce the conditions of the seed bed in the field. Hence the need for a field screening technique. A line source irrigation system was used to provide five moisture regimes ranging from -0.08 MPa to -0.92 MPa. The drying rate of the soil and the soil temperature depended largely on incident radiation, and the relationship between the moisture content and daily soil temperature and daily radiation was consistant. Total porosity of the seed bed, derived from bulk density measurements and particle density ranged from 43.8% to 45.3%, which would allow sufficient aeration when as in the experiments conducted here, water content was low (> 0.14 g/g). Under these seed bed conditions the pattern of response of emergence to the moisture gradient was linear or curvilinear. Genotypic differences existed for emergence and its response to water level. The field method developed is useful for identifying genotypes able to germinate and emerge under conditions of low seed bed moisture.     

Temperature impact on the midsummer decline of Daphnia galeata: an analysis of long-term data from the biomanipulated Bautzen Reservoir (Germany)

1. The influence of water temperature on occurrence and duration of a midsummer decline (MSD) of Daphnia galeata was studied in the biomanipulated Bautzen Reservoir in Germany. The proportion of piscivores in the fish community of the reservoir has been enhanced experimentally since 1981. As a consequence, Daphnia galeata has dominated the zooplankton. Over 18 years of study (1981–1998), a long‐lasting MSD (longer than 30 days) occurred in 7 years, whereas a short MSD (shorter than 30 days) was observed in 6 years. During the remaining 5 years, an MSD was not observed.
2. Two hypotheses were examined to explain the observed patterns. First, we postulated that high water temperature during winter and early spring (January–April) leads to an MSD after an early and high spring peak of daphnids. On the other hand, low temperature during winter and early spring should not cause an MSD owing to a slower increase of the population, resulting in a later peak of daphnids. Second, we hypothesized that the mean water temperature during early summer (May and June) influences the occurrence of an MSD (by controlling young‐of‐the‐year (YOY) fish predation on daphnids).
3. The water temperature during winter and early spring explains 83%, and the early summer water temperature 55%, of interannual variation in the occurrence of an MSD.
4. The interannual variation in duration of an MSD was neither explained by temperature during winter and early spring nor by early summer temperature alone, but in 14 of the 18 years (78%) by a combination of both.
5. We conclude that water temperature during winter and early spring had a strong impact on Daphnia mortality by influencing height and timing of the spring peak which, in turn, influenced the extent of overexploitation of their food resources. By contrast, the water temperature during early summer probably influenced the mortality of daphnids caused by predation of YOY fish. The relative timing of both sources of mortality, which depends on the temperature regime during the first 6 months of the year, is the key process in controlling the occurrence and duration of an MSD. A long‐lasting MSD, therefore, is likely in Bautzen Reservoir only if temperatures are high during winter and early spring, as well as during early summer.
6. As a consequence of climate warming, recent climate records reveal warming during winter, spring and early summer in middle Europe, rather than an increase in mean annual temperatures. If our findings and conclusions are related to this regional and temporal pattern of climate warming, an increasing frequency of years with a long‐lasting MSD and, consequently, a decreasing efficiency of biomanipulation can be predicted.