Diel feeding chronology of six fish species in Anchuthengu backwater, Kerala

The study examined diel feeding chronology of six fish species in Anchuthengu backwater, Kerala. Over the 24h period, more or less same items contributed to the diet of Arius arius. Mugil cephalus exhibited substantial diel variation in diet composition, with algae forming the main dietary component in the diurnal diet, and prawns in the crepuscular and nocturnal diets. Algae and rotifers formed the main food items throughout the 24h feeding period in Hyporhamphus xanthopterus. No change was noticed in the diel diet composition in Ambassis commersonii. While Caranx ignobilis showed no diel variation, Gerrus lucidus that feeds on a variety of prey items seemed to exhibit some diel variation in feeding. All the fish examined had diurnal feeding peaks. The results indicate that because of diel variation in diet composition and feeding periodicity for these six species, dietary analysis conducted at only one interval would not provide an accurate representation of the diet of these species.

云南大山包黑颈鹤日间越冬时间分配和活动节律

2006年10月-2007年4月采用瞬时扫描取样法对云南省昭通市大山包黑颈鹤国家级自然保护区内越冬的黑颈鹤(Grus nigricollis)种群进行了越冬时间分配和日间活动节律的研究.取食是黑颈鹤越冬期间最主要的行为,占(53.05±4.93)%,其次为警戒(18.75±2.65)%、搜寻00.38±1.34)%和休整(10.32±4.93)%,其余行为依次为:行走(4.901±1.59)%、飞行(1.70±0.38)%、其他(0.55±0.41)%、争斗(0.36_±0.25)%.黑颈鹤的出飞时间与日出时间、飞回时间与日落时间分别具有显著的正相关和负相关关系.越冬期间黑颈鹤日间各时间段(1h)(09:00-18:00)和各月份间(2006.11-2007.03)行为差异极显著(P<0.05),并呈现出上午和下午取食双峰、中午休息高峰的规律性变化.气温高时黑颈鹤增加休整时间减少取食时间;气温低时则减少休整时间增加取食时间.偏相关分析说明:环境温度独立地对越冬时间分配产生影响,湿度通过温度对黑颈鹤越冬时间分配产生相反的影响.

Cloning,Expression and Sequence Analysis of A Luciferase Gene from the Chinese Firefly Pyrocoelia pygidialis

从一种来自中国日行性萤火虫(云南窗萤)发光器官mRNA中克隆、测序并表达了有功能的荧光素酶.云南窗萤荧光素酶的cDNA序列有1647个碱基,编码548个氨基酸残基.从推测得到的氨基酸序列的比对分析得出:云南窗萤的荧光素酶与来自Lampyris noctiluca,L.turkestanicus和Nyctophila cf.caucasica三种萤火虫的荧光素酶有97.8%的序列一致性.从推测得出的氨基酸序列进行系统发育分析,其结果表明:云南窗萤和Lampyris+Nyctophila聚在一起,与同属的发光强夜行性的萤火虫不形成的单系.云南窗萤荧光素酶在大肠杆菌中表达的条带大约70kDa,并且在有荧光素存在时发出黄绿色荧光.对荧光素酶的结构模拟和分析表明,云南窗萤荧光素酶基因的氨基端和羧基端结构域之间的裂沟处存在这5个多肽环,这正是从其他荧光素酶推测得到的催化荧光反应时的底物结合位点.云南窗萤和窗萤属的其他3种萤火虫的荧光素酶卡目比,有13个不同氨基酸位点,位于模拟分子结构的表面.对于这些多肽环、不刚氨基酸残基和晶体结构的进一步研究有利于解释日行和夜行性萤火虫荧光素酶的差异.

The status and significance of invertebrate communities

Invertebrates constitute a major link in energy flow culminating into fish production in aquatic ecosystems. In tropical water bodies relatively little research has been done on invertebrate ecology especially their role in fishery production. European scientists through periodic expeditions to Africa in the last quarter of the 20th century carried out the earliest research on zooplankton. Rzoska (1957) listed these early workers including Stuhlmann (1888), Weltner (1897) and Mrazek (1897-1898). Daday (1907), Verestchagin (1915) and Delachaux (1917) undertook further work during the early twentieth century. These earlyworks provide a useful basis for tracking community changes by comparison with modem investigations. Worthington (1931) provided the first quantitative account of the zooplankton of Lake Victoria along with information on diurnal vertical migrations, compared to a temperate lake. The establishment of the East African Freshwater Fisheries Research Organisation (EAFFRO) at Jinja in 1947 enabled investigations on the fisheries, algae, invertebrates and water quality aspects of the lake (EAFFRO Annual Reports 1947-1977) to be regularly carried out. Macdonald (1956) made the first detailed observations on the biology of chaoborids and chironomids (IakefJies) in relation to the feeding of the elephant snout fish, Mormyrus kannume. A detailed study of the biology of the mayfly, Povilla adusta Navas with special reference to the diurnal rhythms of activity was carried out by Hartland-Rowe (1957). The search to unravel the ecological role of aquatic invertebrates in the production dynamics of the lake has taken invertebrate research to greater heights through recent investigations including Okedi (1990), Mavut

Effect of building integrated photovoltaics on microclimate of urban canopy layer

Building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) has potential of becoming the mainstream of renewable energy in the urban environment. BIPV has significant influence on the thermal performance of building envelope and changes radiation energy balance by adding or replacing conventional building elements in urban areas. PTEBU model was developed to evaluate the effect of photovoltaic (PV) system on the microclimate of urban canopy layer. PTEBU model consists of four sub-models: PV thermal model, PV electrical performance model, building energy consumption model, and urban canyon energy budget model. PTEBU model is forced with temperature, wind speed, and solar radiation above the roof level and incorporates detailed data of PV system and urban canyon in Tianjin, China. The simulation results show that PV roof and PV façade with ventilated air gap significantly change the building surface temperature and sensible heat flux density, but the air temperature of urban canyon with PV module varies little compared with the urban canyon of no PV. The PV module also changes the magnitude and pattern of diurnal variation of the storage heat flux and the net radiation for the urban canyon with PV increase slightly. The increase in the PV conversion efficiency not only improves the PV power output, but also reduces the urban canyon air temperature. © 2006.

Preliminary observations on the feeding of Tilapia nilotica Linn. in Lake Rudolf

Tilapia nilotica is commercially very important throughout the Ethiopian region including the major rivers in West Africa, the Chad basin, the Nile and its associated lakes. The Tilapia fishery of Lake Rudolf is at present small, but potentially important, particularly on the eastern shores of the lake where fishing intensity is low. Preliminary results from observations on the feeding of Tilapia nilotica in Lake Rudolf are presented. The fish exhibit a regular diurnal feeding rhythm, commencing between 05.00 hours and 08.00 hours and ceasing between 14.00 hours and 18.00 hours. The largest fish appear to feed longer. Quantitative estimates of the daily food intake indicate less material to be ingested than by populations in other lakes. The lysis of algae, intestinal pH and food material are also investigated.

Thylakoid terminal oxidases are essential for the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 to survive rapidly changing light intensities.

Cyanobacteria perform photosynthesis and respiration in the thylakoid membrane, suggesting that the two processes are interlinked. However, the role of the respiratory electron transfer chain under natural environmental conditions has not been established. Through targeted gene disruption, mutants of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 were generated that lacked combinations of the three terminal oxidases: the thylakoid membrane-localized cytochrome c oxidase (COX) and quinol oxidase (Cyd) and the cytoplasmic membrane-localized alternative respiratory terminal oxidase. All strains demonstrated similar growth under continuous moderate or high light or 12-h moderate-light/dark square-wave cycles. However, under 12-h high-light/dark square-wave cycles, the COX/Cyd mutant displayed impaired growth and was completely photobleached after approximately 2 d. In contrast, use of sinusoidal light/dark cycles to simulate natural diurnal conditions resulted in little photobleaching, although growth was slower. Under high-light/dark square-wave cycles, the COX/Cyd mutant suffered a significant loss of photosynthetic efficiency during dark periods, a greater level of oxidative stress, and reduced glycogen degradation compared with the wild type. The mutant was susceptible to photoinhibition under pulsing but not constant light. These findings confirm a role for thylakoid-localized terminal oxidases in efficient dark respiration, reduction of oxidative stress, and accommodation of sudden light changes, demonstrating the strong selective pressure to maintain linked photosynthetic and respiratory electron chains within the thylakoid membrane. To our knowledge, this study is the first to report a phenotypic difference in growth between terminal oxidase mutants and wild-type cells and highlights the need to examine mutant phenotypes under a range of conditions.

Photosynthesis and growth of Arthrospira (Spirulina) platensis (Cyanophyta) in response to solar UV radiation, with special reference to its minor variant

The minor variant of the economically important cyanobacterium, Arthrospira platensis, usually appears in commercial production ponds under solar radiation. However, how sensitive the minor variant to solar UVR and whether its occurrence relates to the solar exposures are not known. We investigated the photochemical efficiency of PSII and growth rate of D-0083 strain and its minor variant in semi-continuous cultures under PAR (400-700 nm) alone, PAR + UV-A (320-400 nm) and PAR + UV-A + UV-B (280-700 nm) of solar radiation. The effective quantum yield of D-0083 at 14:00 p.m. decreased by about 86% under PAR, 87% under PAR + UV-A and 92% under PAR + UV-A + UV-B (280-315 nm), respectively. That of the minor variant was reduced by 93% under PAR and to undetectable values in the presence of UV-A or UV-A + UV-B. Diurnal change of the yield showed constant pattern during long-term (10 days) exposures, high in the early morning and late afternoon but the lowest at noontime in both strains, with the UVR-related inhibition being always higher in the variant than D-0083. During the long-term exposures, cells of D-0083 acclimated faster to solar UV radiation and showed paralleled growth rates among the treatments with or without UVR at the end of the experiment; however, growth of the minor variant was significantly reduced by UV-A and UV-B throughout the period. Comparing to the major strain D-0083, the minor variant was more sensitive to UVR in terms of its growth, quantum yield and acclimation to solar radiation. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An in situ estimate of food consumption by icefish in Lake Chaohu, China

The icefish (Neosalanx taihuensis) of Lake Chaohu, China, foraged almost exclusively on crustacean zooplankton in both spring and summer. The icefish showed diurnal feeding periodicity, with peak feeding in the morning. No food was observed in icefish guts collected at night. Our results indicate that that the icefish was a particulate feeder and light intensity greatly affected its foraging on zooplankton. Daily consumption of zooplankton by icefish varied significantly both diurnally and among seasons, which ranged from 0.22 to 2.23 g (wet weight) per 100 g wet fish weight at temperatures between 16.3 degrees C (spring) and 28.8 degrees C (summer).

Daily production and photosynthetic characteristics of Nostoc flagelliforme grown under ambient and elevated CO2 conditions

Diurnal photosynthesis of Nostoc flagelliforme was investigated at varied levels of CO2 concentrations and desiccation in order to estimate the effects of enriched CO2 and watering on its daily production. Photosynthetic activity was closely correlated with the desiccated status of the algal mats, increased immediately after watering, reached a maximum at moderate water loss, and then declined with further desiccation. Increased CO2 concentration enhanced the diurnal photosynthesis and raised the daily production. Watering twice per day enhanced the daily production due to prolonged period of active photosynthesis. The values of daily net production were 1321280 mumol CO2 g (d. wt)(-1) d(-1), corresponding to about 0.6-6.1% daily increase in dry weight. High-CO2-grown mats required higher levels of photon flux density to saturate the alga's photosynthesis in air. Air-grown mats showed higher photosynthetic affinity for CO2 and higher levels of dark respiration compared with high-CO2-grown samples.

黄土高原半干旱区侧柏(Platycladus orientalis)树干液流动态

应用热扩散式树干茎流计(TDP)于2008年4～10月对黄土高原安塞县侧柏人工林树干液流速率进行了连续测定,并对周围气象、土壤水分等多个环境因子进行了同步测定。结果表明:侧柏在不同月份晴天树干液流速率变化具有明显的昼夜节律性,呈单峰曲线;且各月液流速率日均值受土壤供水水平限制总体上呈下降趋势,即4月份最大,为0.00135cm.s-1;10月份最小为0.00011cm.s-1;树干液流速率与光合有效辐射、大气温度、水汽压差呈极显著正相关,与相对湿度呈负相关,其相关程度:光合有效辐射>水汽压差>大气温度>相对湿度,并可用线性表达式来估算;侧柏边材面积和地径呈幂指数关系,并以此结合密度估算出样地侧柏人工林的边材面积为4.65m2,最终估算出侧柏人工林生长季总耗水量为1159.6t.hm-2。

干旱胁迫下本氏针茅光合特性和水分利用效率日动态研究

采用盆栽和人工控制土壤水分的方法,使用Li-6400便携式光合测定系统观测本氏针茅(Stipa bungeana)光合生理生态特征的日变化。结果表明:在不同土壤水分状况下,本氏针茅净光合速率日变化曲线均呈"双峰"型,并有不同程度的"午休"现象,且上午的净光合速率明显高于下午,随着土壤水分的升高而增加;蒸腾速率日变化曲线也呈"双峰"型,表现为较高土壤水分处理针茅具有较高的蒸腾速率;气孔导度受水分和光热胁迫的影响,日变化曲线呈凹型;胞间CO2浓度受空气CO2浓度和气孔导度的双重影响,呈现早晚高,正午低的日变化进程;水分利用效率最高值出现在上午较早的时段,随着土壤水分的增加,水分利用效率却降低。

黄土旱塬区冬小麦不同施肥处理的土壤呼吸及土壤碳动态

依据黄土旱塬区黑垆土上中国科学院长武站长期定位试验(始于1984年),于2008年3月到6月,测定了冬小麦连作系统中返青期、拔节期、抽穗期、灌浆期和收获期土壤呼吸日变化、生育期变化以及土壤可溶性有机碳(Dissolved organic C,DOC)和微生物量碳(Soil microbial biomass C,MBC),研究了施肥措施对土壤呼吸、DOC和MBC的影响以及土壤呼吸与碳组分之间的关系。研究涉及6个处理:休闲地(F)、不施肥(CK)、有机肥(M)、氮肥(N)、氮磷肥(NP)和氮磷有机肥(NPM)。结果表明,冬小麦连作系统中土壤呼吸的日变化格局呈单峰曲线,最高值出现在12:00左右(拔节期)和14:30左右(成熟期),最小值出现在0:00～3:00之间或6:00左右;冬小麦土壤呼吸速率拔节期最高,其次是灌浆后期,抽穗期最低;不同施肥条件下,各生育期土壤呼吸速率大小顺序:NPM>M>NP>N>CK>F。土壤水分亏缺是导致抽穗期和灌浆期土壤呼吸速率降低的重要原因。各施肥处理DOC含量高低顺序为灌浆期>抽穗期>成熟期>返青期>拔节期;除M,NPM处理MBC含量拔节期>灌浆期外,各施肥处理MBC含量高低顺序...

黄土旱塬冬小麦水分利用效率及相关生理特性研究

采用Li-6400便携式光合测定系统在模拟光照条件下,通过对冬小麦叶片生理指标及其相应环境因子的测定,研究了小麦的生理指标和叶片水分利用效率的动态变化规律及其对环境因子的响应。结果表明:净光合速率日变化呈不明显的双峰曲线,蒸腾速率日变化呈明显的倒"U"型曲线,且不同生育期两者峰值出现的时间不同。拔节期环境因子对生理指标的影响要比灌浆期明显的多。光合有效辐射和CO2浓度是对净光合速率和叶片蒸腾速率影响最强烈的环境因子。在小麦整个生长过程中,温湿度对气孔导度的影响在逐渐增大,对胞间CO2浓度的影响也比较明显。小麦叶片水分利用效率的日变化呈不明显的双峰曲线,其峰值出现的时间早于净光合速率和蒸腾速率峰值出现的时间。灌浆期日平均WUE比拔节期低30.5%。小麦净光合速率、蒸腾速率和气孔导度三者之间极显著相关,叶片温度与气孔导度显著负相关。

桃树茎直径变化及其与气象因子关系

用线性差分径向变化仪连续监测充分灌溉条件下的仕女红桃树茎直径变化,结合同步观测的气象因子数据,分析2007年3月中旬～10月下旬的仕女红桃树茎直径变化规律,为基于果树直径变化的灌溉管理提供基础依据。结果表明:仕女红桃树茎直径具有很好的时间变化规律,日变化曲线呈均匀"U"型,日最大值出现在黎明前后,日最小值出现在下午4时左右;季节变化方面,MDS呈低—高—低变化规律,从萌芽—开花期到果实成熟期的不同生长阶段,MDS平均值依次为87μm、200.84μm、253.75μm、171.67μm、138.67μm和94.34μm,坐果—展叶期和第一次果实膨大期MDS值居全生育期最高,需水量最大。桃树直径生长呈慢—快—慢变化规律,3月中下旬,开始生长,平均日生长量从12.68μm逐渐增加大36.84μm,7月24日～8月23日之间生长最快,平均日生长量达73.67μm,然后迅速下降,到生长末期平均日生长量仅为7.36μm。3～5月和7～9月可分别采用DI和MDS作为灌溉控制指标。茎直径变化与气象因子响应强烈,但不同生长阶段对茎直径变化产生主要影响的气象因子不同,对MDS产生主要影响的气象因子依次为:Rn、Tmax、Tma...