Nutrient characteristics in the Yangtze River Estuary and the adjacent East China Sea before and after impoundment of the Three Gorges Dam

From November 2002 to 2006, five cruises were undertaken in the Yangtze River Estuary and the adjacent East China Sea to compare the nutrient concentrations, ratios and potential nutrient limitation of phytoplankton growth before and after impoundment (June 2003) of the Three Gorges Dam (TGD). Concentrations of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) and total nitrogen (TN) exhibited an increasing trend from 2002 to 2006. In contrast, total phosphorus (TP) concentration exhibited a decreasing trend. The mean concentrations of DIN, SRP, and TN in the total study area increased from 21.4 mu M, 0.9 mu M, and 41.8 mu M in 2002 to 37.5 mu M, 1.3 mu M. and 82.2 mu M in 2006, respectively. while TP decreased from 2.1 mu M to 1.7 mu M. The concentration of dissolved reactive silica (DRSi) had no major fluctuations and the differences were not significant. The mean concentration of DRSi in the total study area ranged from 52.5 to 92.3 mu M. The Si:N ratio decreased significantly from 2.7 in 2002 to 1.3 in 2006, while TN: TP ratio increased from 22.1 to 80.3. The area of potential P limitation of phytoplankton growth expanded after 2003 and potential Si limitation appeared in 2005 and 2006. Potential P limitation mainly occurred in an area of salinity less than 30 after 2003, while potential Si limitation occurred where the salinity was greater than 30. By comparison with historical data, the concentrations of nitrate and SRP in this upper estuary during November 1980-2006 increased obviously after impoundment of TGD but DRSi decreased. Meanwhile, the ratios of N:P, Si:N and Si:P decreased obviously. (c) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The change of gaseous carbon fluxes following the switch of dominant producers from macrophytes to algae in a shallow subtropical lake of China

Successions of lake ecosystems from clear-water, macrophyte-rich conditions into turbid states with abundant phytoplankton have taken place in many shallow lakes in China. However, little is know about the change of carbon fluxes in lakes during such processes. We conducted a case study in Lake Biandantang to investigate the change of carbon fluxes during such a regime shift. Dissolved aquatic carbon and gaseous carbon (methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2)) across air-water interface in three sites with different vegetation covers and compositions were studied and compared. CH4 emissions from three sites were 0.62 +/- 0.36, 0.70 +/- 0.36, and 1.31 +/- 0.57 mg m(-2) h(-1), respectively. Correlation analysis showed that macrophytes, rather than phytoplankton, directly positively affected CH4 emission. CO2 fluxes of three sites in Lake Biandantang were significantly different, and the average values were 77.8 +/- 20.4, 52.2 +/- 14.1 and 3.6 +/- 26.8 mg m(-2) h(-1), respectively. There were an evident trend that the larger macrophyte biomass, the lower CO2 emissions. Correlation analysis showed that in different sites, dominant plant controlled CO2 flux across air-water interface. In a year cycle, the percents of gaseous carbon release from lake accounting for net primary production were significantly different (from 39.3% to 2.8%), indicating that with the decline of macrophytes and regime shift, the lake will be a larger carbon source to the atmosphere. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Changes in the benthic macroinvertebrates in Xiangxi Bay following dam closure to form the Three Gorges Reservoir

Benthic macroinvertebrates were assessed monthly in Xiangxi Bay of the Three Gorges Reservoir for two years after the initial closure of the dam. Mean total density of macroinvertebrates varied from 275 ind./m(2) during the first year to 5,094 ind./m(2) during the second year, and the community of 50 taxa was overwhelmingly dominated by oligochaetes and chironomids (44 and 48% of the total taxa, respectively). As sediment accumulated in the substrate of the bay, the species composition changed dramatically, with oligochaetes comprising 91.3-99.3% of the total abundance during the second year. The dominant oligochaetes were Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri and Nais inflata. The chironomids Procladius sp., and Polypedilum scalaenum group sp. were similarly abundant in both years.

Partial compensatory growth in hybrid tilapia Oreochromis mossambicus x O-niloticus following food deprivation

The capacity of hybrid tilapia Oreochromis mossambicus x O. niloticus [23.2 +/- 0.2 g (mean +/- SE)] to show compensatory growth was assessed in an 8-week experiment. Fish were deprived of feed for 1, 2 and 4 weeks, and then fed to satiation for 4 weeks; fish fed to satiation during the experiment served as control. Water temperature gradually declined from 28.1 to 25.5 degrees C throughout the experiment. Specific growth rate (SGR) decreased with progressive food deprivation. At the end of deprivation, body weight was lower in the deprived fish than in the control. Fish deprived for 4 weeks exhibited lower contents of lipids and energy in whole body, and higher moisture content and ratio of protein to energy (P/E) than those of the control; they also consumed feed faster than the control when normal feeding was resumed. All deprived fish showed higher food intake (FI) than that of the control during re-alimentation; however, enhanced SGR was only observed in the fish deprived for 4 weeks. There were no significant differences in digestibility of protein and energy, food efficiency (FE) or energy retention efficiency between the control and deprived fish. At the end of re-alimentation, deprived fish failed to catch up in body weight with the control, while content of moisture, lipids and energy, and P/E in whole body of the deprived fish did not significantly differ from that of the control. The results of the experiment revealed that the hybrid tilapia reared in freshwater showed partial capacity for compensatory growth following food deprivation of 4 weeks, and that growth compensation was due mainly to increased FI, rather than to improved FE.

卧龙自然保护区不同海拔的中国沙棘(Hippophae rhamnoides subsp. sinensis)天然群体的遗传多样性分析

中国沙棘是一种雌雄异株、风媒传粉的灌木或乔木，在中国西南的卧龙自然保护区有广泛的分布。本研究以采集于四川卧龙自然保护区5 个海拔(1800 m、2200 m、2600 m、3000 m、3400 m)梯度的中国沙棘天然群体为材料，以ISSR 和AFLP 标记技术研究其遗传多样性水平及其遗传结构，旨在了解卧龙地区中国沙棘天然群体的遗传多样性水平以及遗传多样性在群体间、群体内以及雌雄亚群体间的分布和特征，为中国沙棘树种的遗传改良及种质资源保存提供遗传研究背景与实验依据。同时探讨ISSR、AFLP 和RAPD三种标记对中国沙棘天然群体的遗传变异水平和群体间遗传结构的评估能力和各自的优缺点。研究得出以下主要结论： 1. ISSR和AFLP分析都表明卧龙自然保护区的中国沙棘群体拥有较高的遗传变异水平(h = 0.249，HT = 0.305)。出现这种结果的主要原因可能与卧龙自然保护区多变的气候条件和生境的异质度大有关。 2. ISSR 和AFLP 都揭示出卧龙自然保护区中国沙棘群体的遗传多样性随着海拔的增加发生显著的变化，表现为中海拔群体(2200 m 和2600 m)比高海拔群体(3000 m 和3400 m)和低海拔群体(1800 m)有更高的遗传多样性的趋势。出现这种趋势的可能解释是低海拔群体处在相对高温和相对干旱的环境，高海拔群体受到低温和紫外线胁迫，而中海拔群体存在中国沙棘生长的适宜环境。 3. ISSR 和AFLP 分析都表明：卧龙自然保护区中国沙棘的遗传结构遵循分布范围广、交配系统以异交为主的木本植物的通常模式，即大多数的遗传变异存在于群体内，只有少部分的遗传变异存在于群体间。 4. 经Mantel 检测表明，卧龙自然保护区中国沙棘群体间的海拔距离和对应遗传距离之间存在显著的正相关关系，即随着垂直海拔距离的增加，群体间的遗传距离也随之增加。Mantel 检测结果以及聚类分析将卧龙自然保护区5 个不同海拔的中国沙棘群体分为低、中、高海拔群体三组的研究结果都表明，海拔很可能是限制群体间基因交流的主要因素。 5. ISSR 分析发现同一海拔的雌雄亚群体首先聚类的研究结果表明，同一海拔的雌雄亚群体在遗传上最相似。方差分析结果表明只有3.8%的总遗传变异存在于雌雄亚群体间，这可能与雌雄植株间的交配和遗传物质的混合有关。 6. ISSR、AFLP 和RAPD 分析都表明卧龙自然保护区不同海拔的中国沙棘天然群体的遗传多样性水平较高。它们的分析结果估算得到的Nei's 平均基因多样度(h)分别为0.249、0.214 和0.170。从该结果可以看出ISSR 和AFLP 比RAPD 检测到更多的遗传多态性,这很可能是不同标记检测的基因组的位点不同所致。 7. 依据对不同标记系统的比较分析，认为ISSR、AFLP 和RAPD 三种分子标记系统都能成功地用于调查卧龙自然保护区不同海拔的中国沙棘群体的遗传变异水平及遗传变异结构，提供关于中国沙棘天然群体多态性水平和遗传变异分布的有用信息。在三者中，AFLP 具有最高效能指数和标记指数，在确定种间分类关系或鉴别个体方面是一种比较理想的标记。 Hippophae rhamnoides subsp. sinensis, a dioecious and deciduous shrub species,occupies a wide range of habitats in the Wolong Nature Reserve, Southwest China. Ourpresent study investigated the pattern of genetic variation and differentiation among fivenatural populations of H. rhamnoides subsp. sinensis, occurring along an altitudinal gradientthat varied from 1,800 to 3,400 m above sea level in the Wolong Natural Reserve, by usingISSR and AFLP markers to guide its genetic improvement and germplasm conservation. And,comparative study of ISSR, AFLP and RAPD was performed to detect their capacity toestimating the level and pattern of genetic variation occurring among the five elevationpopulations of H. rhamnoides subsp. sinensis, and to discuss their application to the study onplant genetics. The results were list following: 1. The ISSR and AFLP analysis conducted for the H. rhamnoides subsp. sinensispopulations located in the Wolong Natural Reserve of China revealed the presence of highlevels of genetic variation (h = 0.249, HT = 0.305). Besides such features as relatively widedistribution, dominantly outcrossing mating system, and effective seed dispersal by small animals and birds, it is sometimes argued that hard climatic conditions and heterogeneous habitats may also contribute to high levels of diversity. 2. Genetic diversity of H. rhamnoides subsp. sinensis populations was found to varysignificantly with changing elevation, showing a trend that mid-elevation populations (2,200m and 2,600 m) were genetically more diverse than both low-elevation (1,800 m) andhigh-elevation populations (3,000 m and 3,400 m). H. rhamnoides subsp. sinensis is thoughtto be stressed by drought and high temperature at low elevations, and by low temperature athigh elevations. The high genetic variability present in the mid-elevation populations of H.rhamnoides subsp. sinensis is assumed to be related to a greater plant density in the middlealtitudinal zone, where favorable ecological conditions permit its continuous distributioncovering the zone from 2,200 m to 2,600 m above sea level. 3. The genetic structure of H. rhamnoides subsp. sinensis revealed by ISSRs andAFLPs followed the general pattern detected in woody species with widespread distributionsand outcrossing mating systems. Such plants possess more genetic diversity withinpopulations and less variation among populations than species with other combinations oftraits. 4. In the present study, Mantel tests showed positive correlations between altitudinaldistances and genetic distances among populations or subpopulations. The observedrelationship between altitude and genetic distances, and the result of the cluster analysisincluding populations or male subpopulations and classifying the groups into three altitudeclusters suggest that altitude is a major factor that restricts gene flow between populationsand subpopulations. 5. The analysis of molecular variance showed that only 3.8% of the variability residedbetween female and male subpopulations. Such a very restricted proportion of the totalmolecular variance between female and male subpopulations is due to common sexuality andmixing of genetic material between females and males. 6. The analysis based on ISSRs, AFLPs and RAPDs all revealed relatively high levelsof genetic variation among different altitudinal populations of H. rhamnoides subsp. sinensisin Wolong Natural Reserve of China. Their estimates of mean Nei’s gene diversity is equal to0.249, 0.214 and 0.170 respectively, suggesting the higher capacity of detecting geneticvariation of ISSR and AFLP than RAPD. It might be ascribed to their distinct sensitivity todifferent type of genetic variation. 7. Based on the coparative study on ISSR, AFLP and RAPD, we drew a conclusion thatthey all successfully reveal some useful information concerning the level and pattern ofgenetic vatiation occurring among different elevation populations of H. rhamnoides subsp.sinensis. AFLP is a ideal tool to taxonomic study and individual identification for theirhighest efficiency index and marker index among the three marker systems.