Post‐glacial history and introgression in Abies (Pinaceae) species of the Russian Far East inferred from both nuclear and cytoplasmic markers

Aim The main aim of the present study is to infer the post‐glacial history of Abies species from north‐east Asia and to test the hypotheses that coastal Abies populations suffered less from climatic fluctuations during Pleistocene glacial periods than their more continental counterparts, and that Sakhalin was a major area of introgression. Location Natural ranges of the fir species Abies nephrolepis, Abies sachalinensis and Abies holophylla in the Russian Far East, and of Abies gracilis, which is endemic to the Kamchatka Peninsula. Methods Nineteen populations were sampled for allozyme analysis. Seventeen of these populations were also screened for variation at two paternally inherited chloroplast DNA microsatellite loci (cpSSR) and variation at one maternally inherited mitochondrial marker (nad4‐3/4). Finally a subset of 11 populations was analysed with amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP). Comparisons were made with already available Abies sibirica data. For all sets of markers, we estimated genetic diversity and differentiation using an analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA). Population clustering was assessed with a Bayesian approach implemented in structure v.2.3. Results Among the three major species, A. sibirica, A. nephrolepis and A. sachalinensis, A. sachalinensis demonstrated the highest cytoplasmic and nuclear diversity and the most continental species, A. sibirica, the lowest. Both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA markers revealed the presence of a transitional zone on Sakhalin Island between A. nephrolepis and A. sachalinensis of south Sakhalin. The structure analysis delivered very clear results confirming the admixed origin of A. sachalinensis, with a genetic contribution from A. nephrolepis. No variation in cytoplasmic markers was found in A. gracilis, suggesting the occurrence of a recent bottleneck. Main conclusions There is a clear reduction of genetic diversity in Abies species from the Pacific coast into the continent. The higher diversity in A. sachalinensis could have two causes: a larger effective population size in the islands due to relatively stable climatic conditions and consequently less pronounced demographic fluctuations in population size and/or hybridization with continental and Japanese populations. Sakhalin Island is a major transitional zone for conifer species. Finally, the fir from Kamchatka, A. gracilis, should be regarded as a separate species closely related to the A. nephrolepis–A. sachalinensis complex.     

Can water mites control populations of planktonic Cladocera?

Predatory pelagic water mites, Piona sp., in a small subtropical lake of Argentina showed rapid numerical response and protection from fish consumption. In experiments, predation rates of Piona on cladocerans equalled those of the principle lake planktivore, Moenkhausia intermedia Eigenmann (about 100 prey · predator^–1 day^–1). As a result, the mites caused a summer depression in the dominant lake zooplankter, Daphnia laevis Birge, evidenced by the analysis of its population dynamics and simple modelling.     

雪灾干扰后林冠开阔度对黄心树幼苗更新的影响

幼苗更新是森林更新的关键过程,而林窗对于植物幼苗更新、生长及最终存活具有重要影响。极端气候事件会使森林在短时间内形成大量林窗,从而显著影响林内幼苗更新和存活。本研究以2015年雪灾后云南省哀牢山中山湿性常绿阔叶林优势种黄心树(Machilus bombycina)幼苗为对象,对194个1 m×1 m样方中的幼苗生长和死亡动态进行为期4年的监测,利用线性混合模型(LMM)和广义线性混合模型(GLMM),分析林冠开阔度对幼苗高度相对生长率、叶片相对增长率、新增率和死亡率的影响,研究了雪灾干扰后的林冠开阔度对植物幼苗更新的影响。结果表明:(1)林冠开阔度随时间推移逐渐变小(20.07%~9.97%),且速度由快到慢;(2)2015-2016年,已有幼苗高度相对生长率与林冠开阔度呈显著正相关(P<0.05),其余年份两者间无显著相关性;2016-2017年已有幼苗叶片相对增长率与林冠开阔度呈显著正相关(P<0.05),其余年份两者间无显著相关性;(3)林冠开阔度与幼苗新增率和死亡率均无显著相关性。本研究表明,雪灾后造成的林冠开阔度增加有利于黄心树幼苗生长。     

温度对亚热带地区常见树种叶片甲烷排放的影响

以亚热带常见树种米槠、木荷、浙江桂、罗浮栲、杉木和柑橘为对象,利用控制试验研究了温度对树木叶片甲烷(CH4)排放的影响.结果表明:当温度在10℃时,供试的6种树木中,仅木荷、柑橘和罗浮栲的叶片排放CH4;温度高于20℃时,所有树木叶片均可排放CH4.温度高于30℃时,叶片排放CH4的平均排放速率(1.010ngCH4·g-1DM·h-1)是10～30℃时平均排放速率(0.255ngCH4·g-1DM·h-1)的3.96倍.增温对柑橘和杉木CH4排放速率的影响显著高于其他4种树木.培养时间对叶片排放CH4速率有显著影响,温度胁迫对树木排放CH4的影响受植物活性的控制.在低温或高温条件下,树木干叶均不能排放CH4.高温胁迫对树木叶片排放CH4有重要影响,全球变暖可能增加植物的CH4排放.     

Continuous light after a long-day treatment is equivalent to melatonin implants to stimulate testosterone secretion in Alpine male goats

In rams, artificial long days followed by continuous light stimulate testosterone secretion during the non-breeding season. The objective of this study was to determine whether artificial long days followed by continuous light could stimulate testosterone secretion in Alpine bucks as well as in those exposed to long days followed by a melatonin treatment. All bucks were kept in shaded open pens. Control males were exposed to natural photoperiod conditions (n=5). Males of the two experimental groups were exposed to 2.5 months of long days from 1 December (n=5 each). On 16 February, one group of males was exposed to 24 h of light per day until 30 June; the other group was exposed to natural variations of photoperiod and received two s.c. melatonin implants. Testicular weight was determined every 2 weeks, and the plasma testosterone concentrations once a week. In the control and the two photoperiodic-treated groups, a treatment×time interaction was detected for testicular weight and plasma testosterone concentrations (P<0.001). In control bucks, testicular weight increased from January and peaked in June, whereas in both photoperiodic-treated groups, this variable increased from January, but peaked in April, when the values were higher than in controls (P<0.05). In the control group, plasma testosterone concentrations remained low from January to June, whereas in both photoperiodic-treated groups, this variable remained low from January to March; thereafter, these levels increased in both photoperiodic-treated groups, and were higher than controls in April and May (P<0.05). We conclude that continuous light after a long-day treatment stimulate testosterone secretion in Alpine male goats during the non-breeding season as well as the long days followed by a melatonin treatment. Therefore, continuous light could replace the implants of melatonin.     

Vegetation and environment changes inferred from pollen records since 3000 cal. yr BP in Kanas wetland,Xinjiang

Aims Climate change can significantly affect the vegetation worldwide. Thus, paleovegetation and paleoclimate reconstruction should consider the quantitative relationship between modern vegetation and climate. The specific objectives of this study were (i) to assess the influence of environmental variables on pollen assemblages in the Kanas region, (ii) to reconstruct the evolution of vegetation over the past 3000 years using pollen records and (iii) to quantify historical climate change (including mean annual temperature and total annual precipitation) using a weighted averaging partial least squares regression method (WAPLS) applied to fossil pollen data from the Kanas wetland in Xinjiang, China.     

神农架常绿落叶阔叶混交林凋落物养分特征

凋落物是联结陆地生态系统植物与土壤养分的重要媒介,了解凋落物养分特征有助于理解陆地生态系统物质循环的机理。该研究于2015年收集了神农架地区常绿落叶阔叶混交林的新鲜凋落物及现存凋落物,测定其不同器官中大量元素(C、N、P、K、Ca、Mg)的含量,据此分析其养分含量、养分归还量、养分储量及化学计量比的特征。结果发现:该常绿落叶阔叶混交林新鲜凋落物的C、K养分含量显著高于现存凋落物,N、P、Ca、Mg养分含量显著低于现存凋落物;其凋落物大量元素的养分归还量及养分储量大小顺序均为C Ca N Mg K P,分别为1569.84、52.44、34.82、6.24、5.24、1.30 kg hm~(-2) a~(-1)及1835.29、87.87、51.17、12.12、3.90、1.95 kg hm~(-2) a~(-1);其新鲜凋落物及现存凋落物的C∶N∶P分别为1307.33∶27.73∶1及976.48∶26.77∶1,新鲜凋落物的C∶N、C∶P显著高于现存凋落物,N∶P无显著区别。研究表明,新鲜凋落物与现存凋落物养分含量之间的差异与不同元素在分解过程中的可淋溶性及生物固持等因素有关。该地区常绿落叶阔叶混交林凋落物养分归还量及养分储量相对于亚热带阔叶林平均水平较低;且显著低于喀斯特地区同类型森林,主要与其凋落物产量、降水量及植被类型有关。该森林生态系统新鲜凋落叶与中国及全球范围内阔叶树种凋落叶相比C∶N较低,C∶P、N∶P较高,这可能是由于该地区N沉降及P限制现象较为严重所致。     

Survival of boll weevil （Coleoptera： Curculionidae） adults after feeding on pollens from various sources

The survival of overwintering boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis grandis （Boheman）, adults on non-cotton hosts in the Lower Rio Grande Valley （LRGV） of Texas was examined from 2001 to 2006. The success of the Boll Weevil Eradication Program, which was reintroduced into the LRGV in 2005, depends on controlling overwintering boll weevil populations. Laboratory studies were conducted using boll weevil adults that were captured in pheromone traps from September through March. The number of adults captured per trap declined significantly in the field from fall to the beginning of spring （3.5-7.0-fold）. The proportion of trapped males and females did not differ significantly. The mean weight of boll weevil adults captured in September was 13.3 mg, while those of captured adults from November to February were significantly lower and ranged from 6.7 to 7.8 mg. Our results show that boll weevil adults can feed on different plant pollens. The highest longevity occurred when adults were fed almond pollen or mixed pollens （72.6 days and 69.2 days, respectively） and the lowest when they fed on citrus pollen or a non-food source （9.7 days or 7.4 days, respectively）. The highest adult survival occurred on almond and mixed pollens [88.0%-97. 6% after 1st feeding period （10 days）, 78.0%-90.8% after 3rd feeding period （10 days）, 55. 0%-83.6% after 5th feeding period （10 days）, and 15.2%-32.4% after lOth feeding period （10 days）]. The lowest adult survival occurred on citrus pollen [52.0%-56.0% after 1st feeding period （10 days）, 13.3% after 3rd and 5th feeding periods （10 days）, and 0 after 6th feeding period （10 days）]. Pollen feeding is not a behavior restricted to adult boll weevils of a specific sex or physiological state. Understanding how boll weevil adults survive in the absence of cotton is important to ensure ultimate success of eradicating this pest in the subtropics.     

北祁连山东段早石炭世棘鱼类、辐鳍鱼类和软骨鱼类--北祁连山东段石炭纪鱼类序列研究之一

对甘肃靖远一带和内蒙古自治区黑山地区早石炭世前黑山组、臭牛沟组和靖远组中三亚纲鱼类微体化石进行了形态学和古组织学研究。这些化石涉及 7个目或亚目 ,含 4属 4种 ,其中有 2新种。文中记述的属均为全球广布的属。建立了 3个早石炭世鱼类组合 ,这是我国早石炭世第一个鱼类组合序列。辐鳍鱼类和软骨鱼类中 2个目的化石均为我国早石炭世鱼类的首次记录     

Leaf domatia and foliar mite abundance in broadleaf deciduous forest of north Asia

Plant morphology may be shaped, in part, by the third trophic level. Leaf domatia, minute enclosures usually in vein axils on the leaf underside, may provide the basis for protective mutualism between plants and mites. Domatia are particularly frequent among species of trees, shrubs, and vines in the temperate broadleaf deciduous forests in north Asia where they may be important in determining the distribution and abundance of mites in the forest canopy. In lowland and montane broadleaf deciduous forests at Kwangn;akung and Chumbongsan in Korea, we found that approximately half of all woody species in all forest strata, including many dominant trees, have leaf domatia. Pooling across 24 plant species at the two sites, mites occupied a mode of 60% (range 20-100%) of domatia and used them for shelter, egg-laying, and development. On average, 70% of all active mites and 85% of mite eggs on leaves were found in domatia; over three-quarters of these were potentially beneficial to their hosts. Further, mite abundance and reproduction (expressed as the proportion of mites at the egg stage) were significantly greater on leaves of species with domatia than those without domatia in both forests. Effects of domatia on mite abundance were significant only for predaceous and fungivorous mite taxa; herbivore numbers did not differ significantly between leaves of species with and without domatia. Comparable patterns in broadleaf deciduous forest in North America and other biogeographic regions suggest that the effect of leaf domatia on foliar mite abundance is general. These results are consistent with several predictions of mutualism between plants and mites, and indicate that protective mutualisms may be frequent in the temperate zone.