Repeated floristical observations on islets in the Aegean

Repeated observations are made on species and numbers of individuals in some islets. The changes after 14 years are reported for 11 islets. They include several extinctions and invasions. Great changes in numbers of individuals were found, especially for many of the annuals, in some of them as great as between 0–10 and over 10 000 individuals. The greatest constancy was found in a few dominant and subdominant perennials.Dedicated to Prof.K. H. Rechinger on the occasion of his 80th birthday.     

Concepts and analysis of mass extinction with the late Ordovician event as an example

Twelve groups of fossils, including graptolites, brachiopods, nautiloids, trilobites, corals, crinoids, bryozoans, conodonts, ostracods, gastropods, chitinozoans, and acritarchs expired in different but substantial magnitude and global extent during the late Caradoc to latest Ashgill. It indicates a multiple‐episodic mass extinction containing the possible Prologue (late Caradoc), Climax episode (Rawtheyan) and Epilogue (late Hirnantian). The main causes of this mass extinction are recognized as a global sea‐level lowering in the climax and remarkable rapid rise at the final, and global cooling. The Chinese data, especially from the South China Paleoplate, are evaluated first. They are significant for explaining this global bioevent.     

Surfing on the seascape: Adaptation in a changing environment

The environment changes constantly at various time scales and, in order to survive, species need to keep adapting. Whether these species succeed in avoiding extinction is a major evolutionary question. Using a multilocus evolutionary model of a mutation‐limited population adapting under strong selection, we investigate the effects of the frequency of environmental fluctuations on adaptation. Our results rely on an “adaptive‐walk” approximation and use mathematical methods from evolutionary computation theory to investigate the interplay between fluctuation frequency, the similarity of environments, and the number of loci contributing to adaptation. First, we assume a linear additive fitness function, but later generalize our results to include several types of epistasis. We show that frequent environmental changes prevent populations from reaching a fitness peak, but they may also prevent the large fitness loss that occurs after a single environmental change. Thus, the population can survive, although not thrive, in a wide range of conditions. Furthermore, we show that in a frequently changing environment, the similarity of threats that a population faces affects the level of adaptation that it is able to achieve. We check and supplement our analytical results with simulations.     

The evolution of genetic canalization under fluctuating selection

Abstract.— If the direction of selection changes from generation to generation, the ability to respond to selection is maladaptive: the response to selection in one generation leads to reduced fitness in the next. Because the response is determined by the amount of genetic variance expressed at the phenotypic level, rapidly fluctuating selection should favor modifier genes that reduce the phenotypic effect of alleles segregating at structural loci underlying the trait. Such reduction in phenotypic expression of genetic variation has been named "genetic canalization." I support this argument with a series of two- and multilocus models with alternating linear selection and Gaussian selection with fluctuating optimum. A canalizing modifier gene affects the fitness of its carriers in three ways: (1) it reduces the phenotypic consequences of genetic response to previous selection; (2) it reduces the genetic response to selection, which is manifested as linkage disequilibrium between the modifier and structural loci; and (3) it reduces the phenotypic variance. The first two effects reduce fitness under directional selection sustained for several generations, but improve fitness when the direction of selection has just been reversed. The net effect tends to favor a canalizing modifier under rapidly fluctuating selection regimes (period of eight generations or less). The third effect improves fitness of the modifier allele if the fitness function is convex and reduces it if the function is concave. Under fluctuating Gaussian selection, the population is more likely to experience the concave portion of the fitness function when selection is stronger. Therefore, only weak to moderately strong fluctuating Gaussian selection favors genetic canalization. This paper considerably broadens the conditions that favor genetic canalization, which so far has only been postulated to evolve under long-term stabilizing selection.     

Fisher'S geometrical model of fitness landscape and variance in fitness within a changing environment

The fitness of an individual can be simply defined as the number of its offspring in the next generation. However, it is not well understood how selection on the phenotype determines fitness. In accordance with Fisher's fundamental theorem, fitness should have no or very little genetic variance, whereas empirical data suggest that is not the case. To bridge these knowledge gaps, we follow Fisher's geometrical model and assume that fitness is determined by multivariate stabilizing selection toward an optimum that may vary among generations. We assume random mating, free recombination, additive genes, and uncorrelated stabilizing selection and mutational effects on traits. In a constant environment, we find that genetic variance in fitness under mutation-selection balance is a U-shaped function of the number of traits (i.e., of the so-called "organismal complexity"). Because the variance can be high if the organism is of either low or high complexity, this suggests that complexity has little direct costs. Under a temporally varying optimum, genetic variance increases relative to a constant optimum and increasingly so when the mutation rate is small. Therefore, mutation and changing environment together can maintain high genetic variance. These results therefore lend support to Fisher's geometric model of a fitness landscape.     

The Flagbearers: Israeli Druze Women Challenge Traditional Gender Roles

This ethnographic study expands educational anthropologists' knowledge of the relationship between higher education and personal and social change in so-called traditional societies. It describes transitions in the status of Druze women in Israel brought about by the first women from the community to obtain higher education, granting new insights into women's struggles for change. The study, conducted between 1998 and 2002, explores unique processes of change compatible with Druze tradition and culture initiated by these "first women," who served as role models and struggled to pave the way for themselves and other women in the community. The findings challenge research literature that expresses disappointment with the activities and influence of educated Arab women after returning to their society, thus enriching working anthropological theories that concern the dynamics of social change brought about by educated women.     

闽西北稻区"晚改中"避蚊减害技术研究与应用

针对闽西北海拔300-500m的单、双季水稻混栽区稻瘿蚊危害重、单季稻三代稻瘿蚊危害突出的情况,通过研究提出“晚改中”的依据和技术,在正常年份下,把以往5月份播种的单季稻的播种期提早到4月5日前,就可以有效地避开三代稻瘿蚊的危害,而不必提早到3月20日前,与农民农时操作习惯更吻合,农民更易接受采用。     

变化环境下火干扰研究进展

火是地球系统的重要过程,也是一种剧烈的环境干扰因素。火是生态系统变化的驱动力和催化剂,调节着生态系统的结构和功能,同时反馈给气候系统。近年来,世界多个国家相继爆发了历史上罕见的极端火事件,使得火干扰、气候变化和人类活动之间的相互作用关系得到了空前的关注。主要从3个方面回顾了变化环境下火干扰研究的进展,包括(1)火干扰的时空格局;(2)火干扰的驱动机制;(3)火干扰的生态效应。概括起来,遥感技术的发展使得火监测精度不断提高,对火时空格局的刻画由过去侧重火燃烧面积单一因素转向具有多重属性的火干扰体系。气候变化和人类活动共同决定着火干扰的分布格局、频率和强度,考虑气候的季节性能够提高火干扰的预测能力。火干扰调节着生态系统的草木平衡,对于生物多样性和生境的维持非常重要。此外,火干扰通过生物质燃烧释放的大量温室气体影响大气组成和空气质量,同时通过改变地表状况和陆-气相互作用来影响气候系统。正确理解气候-植被-火之间的相互作用和反馈机制有助于未来火干扰体系的预测。随着高温、大风、干旱等极端气候事件增多,未来全球大部分区域火发生的风险增加,但是人类活动可能会使火和气候之间的关系发生解耦。可持续的火管...     

模拟降水量变化对荒漠草原土壤酶活性的影响及其相关因素分析

为明确荒漠草原土壤酶活性对降水格局改变的响应机制, 该研究基于宁夏荒漠草原降水量不同梯度变化(减少50%、减少30%、自然降水、增加30%和增加50%)的野外试验(2014年开始试验), 于2016年5-7月采样, 测定分析不同降水梯度2年后对土壤酶活性的影响, 并分析酶活性与植物生物量、微生物生物量C∶N∶P生态化学计量特征以及土壤理化性质的关系。结果表明: (1)与自然降水量相比, 减少30%降水量对3种土壤酶活性均无显著影响, 减少50%降水量显著降低了土壤蔗糖酶活性(^P < 0.05); 增加降水量显著提高了土壤蔗糖酶和磷酸酶活性(^P < 0.05), 但对脲酶活性无显著影响。(2)减少降水量对植物生物量影响较小(尤其减少30%降水量), 但不同程度地降低了微生物生物量C、N、P, 提高了微生物生物量C∶N和C∶P; 增加降水量则不同程度提高了植物生物量及微生物生物量C、N、P。(3)土壤蔗糖酶和磷酸酶活性随植物及微生物生物量增加而增加; 对土壤酶活性影响显著的土壤因子包括: 含水量、NO₃^- N、NH₄⁺ N、C∶P、有机C、全N、C∶N和pH (P < 0.05)。研究认为, 减少降水量(尤其是减少30%降水量)对土壤酶活性影响较小, 增加降水量促进了植物的生长、刺激微生物活性, 进而提高了土壤酶活性, 但随着植物生物量增加, 土壤有机C输入增多, 磷酸酶活性相应增强并促进了有机P的矿化, 导致土壤微生物P限制增加。