Review of size- and age-dependence in batch spawning: implications for stock assessment of fish species exhibiting indeterminate fecundity

Most assessments of fish stocks use some measure of the reproductive potential of a population, such as spawning biomass. However, the correlation between spawning biomass and reproductive potential is not always strong, and it likely is weakest in the tropics and subtropics, where species tend to exhibit indeterminate fecundity and release eggs in batches over a protracted spawning season. In such cases, computing annual reproductive output requires estimates of batch fecundity and the annual number of batches—the latter subject to spawning frequency and duration of spawning season. Batch fecundity is commonly measured by age (or size), but these other variables are not. Without the relevant data, the annual number of batches is assumed to be invariant across age. We reviewed the literature and found that this default assumption lacks empirical support because both spawning duration and spawning frequency generally increase with age or size. We demonstrate effects of this assumption on measures of reproductive value and spawning potential ratio, a metric commonly used to gauge stock status. Model applications showed substantial sensitivity to age dependence in the annual number of batches. If the annual number of batches increases with age but is incorrectly assumed to be constant, stock assessment models would tend to overestimate the biological reference points used for setting harvest rates. This study underscores the need to better understand the age- or size-dependent contrast in the annual number of batches, and we conclude that, for species without evidence to support invariance, the default assumption should be replaced with one that accounts for age- or size-dependence.

Age, growth and mortality of the toadfish, Halobatrachus didactylus (Schneider, 1801) (Pisces: Batrachoididae), in the Bay of Cádiz (southwestern Spain)

Age, growth and mortality of the toadfish, Halobatrachus didactylus, were determined by examination of the whole sagittal otoliths of fish sampled in the Bay of Cádiz (southwestern Spain) from March 1999 to March 2000. A total of 844 specimens (425 males, 416 females, and 3 of indeterminate sex), ranging from 95 to 470 mm in total length were examined. Eighty-nine percent of the otoliths could be read allowing an age estimation. The opaque zone was formed between April and May coincident with the maximum reproductive peak, while the translucent zone formed mainly in summer-fall (June to December). Maximum ages for males and females were 12 and 10 years, respectively. The samples were dominated by 2- to 6-year-old specimens. Males matured at an age of approximately 2 years and females at 3 years. Fish total length and otolith radius were closely related. The von Bertalanffy growth curve was used to describe growth. The parameters were derived from back-calculated length-at-age. Significant differences in the growth parameters were found between sexes. Although the growth analysis revealed that this species is slow-growing, males reached larger sizes than females. Females appeared to experience higher natural mortality rates than males.

在异倍性水平多胚苗水稻的特征特性研究

通过无融合生殖方式固定水稻杂种优势是水稻育种中极具诱惑力的研究内容之一。自从1979年以来，我国水稻无融合生殖充种研究主要集中在筛选和鉴定水稻多胚苗材料。根据前人的研究结果，具有无融合生殖特性的植物大多数为多倍体。本试验以多胚苗水稻APIV及其衍生系为研究材料，在二倍体[APIV_((2))]、同源三倍体[APIV_((3))]和同源四倍体[APIV_((4))]水平，对其多个世代中的特征特性，其中包括形态学特征，遗传学和胚胎学特性进行了研究，旨在探讨在多倍性水平筛选水稻无融合生殖种质的可能性，获得如下主要研究结果： 1.在二倍体APIV_((2))的多个世代中，只发现单胚苗、双胚苗和三胚苗植株，多胚苗频率比较低(4.67～5.14%)，多胚苗性状的表达在一定程度上受到环境因素的影响，并且，多胚苗植株的成活率比较低(11.70～17.39%)，大部分多胚苗植株在三叶期之前死亡，这很可能与其胚乳的营养供应有关。根据APIV_((2))的多胚苗性状在多个自交世代和杂交世代中的表达特点，多胚苗性状不是显性性状，也不是隐性性状，而是一种比较特殊的数量性状。 2.胚胎学的研究结果表明，在APIV_((2))的2857个子房的胚囊中没有观察到与不定胚生殖有关的特异生殖现象;APIV_((2))在发生受精之前的胚囊构型包括正常蓼型胚囊（76.5%）、退化型胚囊（16.0%）和变异型胚囊（7.5%），在变异型胚囊中包括双卵卵器胚囊（86.7%）和三卵卵器胚囊（13.3%）;APIV_((2))的双受精与前人在正常二倍体水稻中所观察到的结果大致相符;在不同季节的颖花和同一季节同一稻穗的不同颖花内多卵和多胚苗频率存在着明显差异。 3.在同源四倍体水稻的诱导中对种芽进行预处理，促使其胚芽鞘明显伸长后再进行诱导处理是诱导成功的关键技术。在同源四倍体APIV_((4))的同一稻穗中强势颖花的多卵频率要明显地高于弱势颖花的多卵频率。在APIV_((4))去雄后的颖花中意外地观察到了单胚和双胚现象。同源四倍体水稻APIV_((4))的有性生殖能力明显变弱，在花药内正常花粉粒少而败育花粉粒多;在受精前正常胚囊数少而退化胚囊数比较多（36.0%）;花粉管进入胚囊的时间比较晚;双受精频率低而单受精频率高。 4.异倍性水稻间具有一定的可交配性，但其结实率比较低（0.20～-1.64%），通过常规杂交方法所获得的同源三倍体成活植株的频率更低（0.07%）。在湖南湘潭的秋季条件下同源三倍体水稻植株雄性完全败育，但有部分稻穗能结实（0.59%～7.71%)，由此可获得饱满种子和不饱满种子。 5.通过子房培养可以获得异倍性水稻间杂种植株。在APIV_((4))/APIV_((2))杂交组合的子房培养中出现了一株双胚苗;同源三倍体成活植株的获得率仍然比较低（0.78%），但比通过常规杂交法首先获得种子，进而获得同源三倍体成活植株的效率要倍出11.14倍。根据试验结果，提出了6个问题进行讨论。认为在杂交后代中有可能筛选到多胚苗发生频率更高的单株;多胚苗性状是比较复杂的数量性状;同源四倍体水稻的有性生殖能力明显变弱;通过合理配组和复重授粉可以提高异倍性水稻间的杂并结实率;通过子房培养可以明显提高获得同源三倍体成活植株的效率;在多倍体水稻中筛选无融合生殖种质在比二倍体水稻中筛选可能更容易成功。

中国植被与气候关系研究

植被－气候关系的研究是预测陆地生态系统对全球变化反应的基础，为研究中国生态系统对全球变化的响应模式，本文对植被分布和植被生产力与气候关系进行了初步探讨。 首先在分析中国气候与植被特点的基础上，将中国潜在自然植被共划分为18类：寒温带针叶林，温带针阔叶混交林，暖温带落叶阔叶林，亚热带常绿落叶林混交林，典型亚热带常绿落叶林，亚热带季风常绿阔叶林，亚热带北常绿阔叶林，西部亚热带旱性常绿阔叶林，西部热带旱性热带雨林、季雨林，热带雨林、季雨林区，森林草原，典型草原，荒漠草原，温带荒漠，暖温带极干旱荒漠，青藏高原高寒灌丛草甸，青藏高原高寒草原、温性草原，青藏高原离寒荒漠。然后从中国基准气象站的气象资料出发，采用Penman方法计算了中国标准气象站的水分平衡指标，根据植被分布的多维气候生态位理论，对水分平衡指标及温度指标与植被分布的关系进行了多元分析，经过主成分析、相关分析、判别分析，典型判别分析等方法综合评价，得出低温指数( LTI)，生长季实际蒸散( GAE)、生长季水分亏缺(GDE)，干燥度（RATI）是与植被关系最密切的指标，与其它分类系统指标相比较，用该系统中两参数(GAE，RATI)与其它七个两参数模型的邻近判别分析结果比较，本研究提出的气候参数对中国植被类型具有最大的正确判别率;与8个参数的Box植被生活型与气候关系系统相比较，本文四参数模型的判别正确率与之无显著差异．为更直观地表达出植被类型与气候指标之间的关系，运用多段线性判别方法设计了二维决策模型，正确区分率为73.5%． 在收集425个生物量、生产力数据的基础上，分析了气象要素与植被生产力关系，对选取部分地带性植被测量点的数据分析后，提出了中国植被生产力与水分平衡关系的回归模型： NPP=2.55×GAE×EXP(-4.2092-1.9665.RATI) 运用本文建立的植被分布及生产力与气候关系模型对全球气候变化（温度增加、雨量变化）后中国植被的可能变化进行了预测，结果表明青藏高原植被，寒温带针叶林与典型草原对全球变化较敏感，特别是生产力变化较明显，不同的温雨变化组合，不同植被类型的NPP的反应差异显著．

人类活动干扰下草原温室气体地-气交换特征及碳平衡研究

放牧和开垦目前是内蒙古草原最主要的两种人类生产活动，采用静态箱一气象色谱法对这两种土地利用方式下草原主要温室气体(CH4、N20和C02)地-气交换通量进行了原位观测，同时结合草原生态系统碳循环特征对放牧生态系统碳素收支状况进行了初步探讨，首次对开垦前后内蒙古草原CH4吸收和NzO排放的季节、昼夜变化特征进行了分析研究，对不同牧压梯度下内蒙古草原碳的损失进行了估算。主要研究结果包括以下4个方面： 1．内蒙古草甸草原开垦是大气CH4的汇，开垦为农田后，土壤．植物系统吸收大气CH4的能力增强。测定期间，农田与邻近的天然草原CH4平均吸收通量为23.38和24.57 ugCm'2h．1;尽管农业活动改变了草原CH4地．气交换通量，但是通量的量级仍是由当地季节性变化的气候条件决定的，其CH4吸收通量具有强烈的季节变化规律，表现为“春秋季高，夏季低”的特点;耕作使得土壤-植物系统CH4吸收通量的季节变化趋于平缓。 2．内蒙古天然草甸草原是大气N20的源。测定期间的平均排放通量为1.922ugNm'2h．1，通量范围为-0.484~7.425 ugNm.2h．1;天然草原N20排放具有明显的昼夜变化规律和季节变化特征，排放通量出现两个高峰期，整个生长季表现为高(5月中旬)一低（5月下旬至7月中下旬）一高（7月下旬至8月中旬）一低（8月下旬至9月）的趋势;农垦增强了土壤．植物系统排放N2O的能力。观测期间平均排放通量为2.914 ugNm'2h-l，比天然草原高52%，排放通量的季节规律性减弱，整个生长季呈现波动性变化，通量变化与天然草原相比趋于平缓。 3．内蒙古冷蒿小禾草草原与天然草甸草原一样，起着CH4汇、NzO源的功 能。主要温室气体CH4、N2O和C02的地．气交换通量受水热因子控制，与温度之间存在显著相关关系，具有季节变化特征：时间尺度对于讨论不同放牧压力下甲烷通量具有重要意义，不同放牧率处理9年后，土壤吸收甲烷的能力在当地自然气候条件下没有显著变化;放牧对草原N20排放通量影响显著，依次是轻度放牧<围栏封育<中度放牧<重度放牧;放牧增大了C02排放通量，观测期间四种处理间C02通量差异显著，C02排放通量四种处理依次为：围栏封育<轻牧<重牧<中牧。 4．对内蒙古草原放牧条件下碳收支状况的研究表明，冷蒿-小禾草草原受自然条件和人为因素双重作用存在由碳库（积累碳）向碳源（释放碳）转化的可能性。

Physicochemical and biological cycles in a tide dominated, nitrogen-polluted temperate estuary

Spatio-temporal variations in the physicochemical and biological parameters in the Morlaix estuary on the Brittany coast of France were studied. Hydrographically, the estuary can be classified into 3 segments: the upper estuary where stratification always persists, the lower estuary where vertical homogeneity is permanent, and a middle estuary where there is a regular oscillation of stratification and homogeneity during every tidal cycle, stratification being associated with slack waters and homogeneity, with ebb and flood. Nitrogen pollution in the estuary is very intense.