928 resultados para Espinhaço mountain range


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在米脂山地微灌枣树示范基地研究了一定流量范围、不同灌水量条件下,地表滴灌水分在水平和垂直方向上的运移规律及滴灌结束后的水分再分布特征。试验结果表明:在流量稳定条件下,湿润体的水平和垂直扩散距离均与时间有显著的幂函数关系;在4.6~5.0 L/h的流量范围内,湿润体的水平和垂直扩散距离与灌水量也存在显著的幂函数关系;滴灌停止后24 h内的土壤湿润体扩散很大,湿润体平均含水量降低很快,24 h后的扩散较小,平均含水量下降较小,确定滴灌停止后24 h时的湿润体特征值可作为滴灌系统设计的依据。

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Direct ion beam deposition of carbon films on silicon in the ion energy range of 15-500 eV and temperature range of 25-800-degrees-C has been studied. The work was carried out using mass-separated C+ and CH3+ ions under ultrahigh vacuum. The films were characterized with x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and transmission electron diffraction analysis. In the initial stage of the deposition, carbon implanted into silicon induced the formation of silicon carbide, even at room temperature. Further carbon ion bombardment then led to the formation of a carbon film. The film properties were sensitive to the deposition temperature but not to the ion energy. Films deposited at room temperature consisted mainly of amorphous carbon. Deposition at a higher temperature, or post-deposition annealing, led to the formation of microcrystalline graphite. A deposition temperature above 800-degrees-C favored the formation of microcrystalline graphite with a preferred orientation in the (0001) direction. No evidence of diamond formation in these films was observed.

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Optical filters capable of single control parameter-based wide tuning are implemented and studied. A prototype surface micromachined 1.3μm Si-based MOEMS (micro-opto-electro-mechanical-systems) tunable filter exhibits a continuous and large tuning range of 90 nm at 50 V tuning voltage. The filter can be integrated with Si-based photodetector in a low-cost component for coarse wavelength division multiplexing systems operating in the 1.3μm band.

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In order to design and fabricate a spectrometer for the infrared range widely used in the different applications, Volume Phase Grating (VPG) with. low Polarization Dependence Loss (PDL) and high efficiency has been adopted as the dispersion element. VPG is constructed by coating an optical substrate with a thin film of dichromated. gelatin and exposing the film to two mutually coherent laser beams to form index modulation. The diffraction efficiency for a VPG is governed by Bragg effects. The depth (d) and index modulation contrast of the grating structure control the efficiency at which the light is diffracted when the Bragg condition is satisfied. Gradient index lens with high performance and low aberration are used as collimating system instead of standard lens. The spot diagrams and MTF curve of the collimating lens are shown in the paper. The receive system is InCaAs photodiode (PD) array including 512 pixels with 25 mum pitch. The spectrum resolution of the spectrometer reaches to 0.2nm and wavelength accuracy is 40pm.

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A series of silicon film samples were prepared by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) near the threshold from amorphous to nanocrystalline state by adjusting the plasma parameters and properly increasing the reactions between the hydrogen plasma and the growing surface. The microstucture of the films was studied by micro-Raman and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The influences of the hydrogen dilution ratio of silane (R-H = [H-2]/[SiH4]) and the substrate temperature (T-s) on the microstructural and photoelectronic properties of silicon films were investigated in detail. With the increase of RH from 10 to 100, a notable improvement in the medium-range order (MRO) of the films was observed, and then the phase transition from amorphous to nanocrystalline phase occurred, which lead to the formation of diatomic hydrogen complex, H-2* and their congeries. With the increase of T-s from 150 to 275 degreesC, both the short-range order and the medium range order of the silicon films are obviously improved. The photoconductivity spectra and the light induced changes of the films show that the diphasic nc-Si/a-Si:H films with fine medium-range order present a broader light spectral response range in the longer wavelength and a lower degradation upon illumination than conventional a-Si:H films. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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We theoretically demonstrate a polarization-independent nanopatterned ultra-thin metallic structure supporting short-range surface plasmon polariton (SRSPP) modes to improve the performance of organic solar cells. The physical mechanism and the mode distribution of the SRSPP excited in the cell device were analyzed, and reveal that the SRSPP-assisted broadband absorption enhancement peak could be tuned by tailoring the parameters of the nanopatterned metallic structure. Three-dimensional finite-difference time domain calculations show that this plasmonic structure can enhance the optical absorption of polymer-based photovoltaics by 39% to 112%, depending on the nature of the active layer (corresponding to an enhancement in short-circuit current density by 47% to 130%). These results are promising for the design of organic photovoltaics with enhanced performance.

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收集长白山地区15个气象站1953-2007年气温、降水、蒸发、日照时数和水汽压观测数据和国家气候中心整理的2001-2099年的 气温、降水预估资料,利用数理统计方法,系统分析长白山地区气候现状、变化及其预估,为气候变化对人类生存环境影响研究并制定适应对策提供依据。主要结论如下: 1.长白山地区气温、降水日数、日照时数和不同界限温度(≥0℃、≥5℃、≥10℃和<0℃)积温均有显著趋势。年极端最低、年平均、平均最高/最低气温和气温日/年较差在1984、1992、1995、1985、1972和1979年发生突变。所有最高/最低气温与日照百分率有显著负相关关系,一定程度是温室效应结果;最高、最低气温变化不同步造成气温日较差和年较差的非对称性。 2.长白山地区生长季节合计降水量和降水强度日际变化较大。降水以7月30日为界,呈现前升后降极显著的线性趋势,且发生均值突变。降水强度以6月27日和9月3日为分界点,分为三个阶段。降水集中度、集中期和集中时段时空非均一性分布明显。 3.在SRES A1B、SRES A2和SRES B1三种情景下年平均气温均为上升趋势,年内变化一致为冬季升温最迅速,夏季则相对缓慢;而年降水强度总体增加,年内变化比较一致:冬季增加最为明显,而夏季变化不大。 4.未来长白山地区各站≥0℃、≥5℃和≥10℃的积温均有不同程度增加,持续时间延长。负积温增加,持续时间缩短,开始日期推迟,而结束时间提前。

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Switchable multiwavelength fiber laser outputs with a wide tuning range are experimentally observed in an ultralong cavity. Because of the long spooled single-mode fiber and filter effect of the cavity, multiwavelength lasers with the spacing of similar to 14.5 nm are obtained. The proposed fiber laser has the capacity of simultaneously emitting the three wavelengths. By means of adjusting the polarization controllers, the arbitrary single- and dual-wavelength operations are achieved in our laser. (C) 2010 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers. [DOI: 10.1117/1.3485754]

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混农季节性放牧(agropastoral transhumance)通过作物种植和畜牧生产相结合的方式对不同海拔高度带上的资源进行相互补充利用,在亚洲兴都库什地区、青藏高原、横断山、东部及南部非洲、南美安第斯地区等具有悠久的历史。这种传统的生计系统几千年以来一直是居住在该地区的人类社会和自然生态系统相互作用的主要形式之一。这种传统的资源利用方式与山地自然植被以及特殊的山地人类文化和社会特征具有密切的协同演变关系。认识和理解这一关系,是山地生态学和人类学的核心科学问题之一。近年来,山地生态系统的多重功能性及动态演变对山区社会经济可持续发展的重要意义受到人们的不断关注。本文通过对云南省德钦县的12个自然村的混农季节性放牧以及对云南德钦、四川壤塘等山地植被格局特别是高海拔地带植被格局的的详细调查,探讨青藏高原东缘地区混农季节性放牧的主要特征、系统构成及相互关系,及其在全球变化、经济全球化和市场化及现代化过程中的变化趋势,分析混农季节性放牧与高山林线格局及生态系统的互动关系,旨在探讨山地地区人类活动与自然生态系统之间的互动关系,从而为山区社会经济可持续发展、环境建设和生物多样性保护等国家战略提供理论依据。 调查结果表明,混农季节性放牧是一种适应青藏高原东部高山峡谷地区环境因子及自然资源呈明显的垂直分布、资源数量稀少而时空分布异质性极高的生存环境的一种传统经济形式。这种传统的畜牧业的主要生产目的仍然是提供当地基本生存所需的产品,饲养牲口的种类和数量取决于农户的当地需求并且受资源的限制,因而维持在比较低的水平的。分布在不同海拔高度的放牧资源在一年中被牲口利用的时间也不同,互为补充,共同构成混农季节性放牧的资源基础。根据各社区永久居住点的位置和该村的土地资源特别是牧草地资源的分布范围,牲口迁移的距离和格局有较大的差异。。天然牧场仍然是最主要的畜牧业生产资源。混农季节性放牧中的农业系统和牧业系统互为补充,共同构成调查地区完整的的生计系统,农耕活动为放牧活动提供精饲料如粮食等和冬季饲料如秸秆, 其数量往往成为家庭畜牧业生产规模的主要决定因子之一。 通过对牲口数量和结构、牲口的时空迁移格局、牧业活动在整个经济活动中的相对重要性以及牧业活动和作物种植的关系方面的研究分析,混农季节性放牧在近几十年发生了深刻的变化。主要表现在牲口数量总体下降,牲口组成发生变化,牲口移动性降低、牧业活动的经济重要性下降以及牧业活动和种植活动之间的相互依存度降低等。上述变化的根本驱动力是发生在当地、地区及全球尺度上的环境、政治、社会经济、技术和文化等的变化,从而造成当地群众畜牧生产目标、土地利用和劳动力的分布等发生了变化。当地生计系统发生的改变可能会带来对方面而深刻的政治、社会经济、文化和生态影响。 混农季节性放牧这种古老的传统生计策略面临着许多挑战,如冬季饲料短缺、草场退化、缺乏市场竞争力、经济重要性降低、对年轻人缺乏吸引力、国家缺乏专门的政策指导等。与此同时,经济全球化、市场经济、新技术的应用、替代生计机会的增加、国家对于山地生态系统的作用的重新定位等也为传统生计系统转型、实现社会与生态共赢创造了机遇。 混农季节性放牧活动对亚高山及树线交错带生态系统系统的互动方式主要体现在以下几个方面:(1)牲口啃食、践踏等影响森林群落更新,改变森林群落的组成和结构,从而影响森林群落的演替进程和植被格局。林线边缘是搭建夏棚的首选地点,因此林线及树线交错地带就成了牲口活动的主要场所之一;(2)利用火烧开辟、维持和改良高山牧场; 3)在亚高山火灾迹地的放牧活动能够阻止火烧迹地的顺向演替; 4)牧民在林线附近获取建材和薪材等活动影响高山林线附近森林的结构和功能。 在调查区域,梅里雪山、白马雪山、甲午雪山的林线海拔高度在4200-4300m之间; 四川雅江、理塘一线,林线位置多在4300-4400m;四川壤塘二林场一带的林线主体在4100-4200m,在个别地区达到4300m; 在贡嘎山的南坡和东坡一带,林线位置在3600-3700m;而在四川松潘一带,林线位置主体在3700-3800米左右。树线高度的分布趋势和林线一致。混农季节性放牧及其有关人类利用活动使研究地区很多地方高山林线降低、树线交错带宽变窄或消失。在研究地区,总体情况是,阳坡和半阳坡(南坡、西南坡等)的林线和树线比阴坡和半阴坡(北坡、东北坡等)低,变化幅度达20-200m。这种差异主要是为了开辟牧场而人为清除了南向坡自然林线及其以上的植被从而使林线位置下降所致。在南坡自然林线保留得比较好的地方,林线和树线依然可以达到甚至超过北坡林线和树线的高度。放牧活动抑制了高山林线带火烧迹地的天然更新,从而使林线位置保持在目前的位置。 放牧活动对高山林线带森林群落更新的影响是显著的。自然林线内的乔木个体密度特别是新生苗和幼苗的密度大大高于非自然林线。没有放牧的自然林线及树线交错带内的I级个体(新生苗)密度达到725-2917株/公顷,而与之相对的处理样地内I级个体的密度只有0-228株/公顷;II级个体(高度10-50cm)也表现出类似的趋势,在没有放牧的自然林线及树线交错带样方内,其密度达到550-5208株/,而在放牧处理样方内只有14-321株/公顷。在非自然林线带样地内,在有正常放牧的样地内,完全缺乏I级个体。 从相对比例来看,没有放牧的样方内的I、II级个体在全部个体中所占的比例显著高于有放牧活动的样方。放牧使林线交错带的乔木幼苗数量显著减少,从而影响林线及树线交错带森林群落的天然更新过程。林线和树线交错带的灌木对乔木幼苗具有重要的保护作用,能够为树线树种如冷杉等幼苗的定居体提供有利的微气候环境,同时保护苗免受牲口的啃食和践踏。火烧以后接着进行放牧能够100%地抑制高山林线带的幼苗更新。 高山牧场放牧强度降低、使用时间缩短而低海拔地带放牧强度增加是研究地区混农季节性放牧系统的一个显著变化。这种变化也必然会引起各海拔带上的生态系统的变化。放牧强度的降低、生产性用火的停止将导致原来通过人工火烧而降低并通过进一步的火烧和放牧活动来维持的林线及其以上地带的灌木盖度和高度的增加,从而为林线森林群落的扩张创造条件。 青藏高原东部高山峡谷地区是我国重要的山地生态系统,在我国的生物多样性保护、生态环境建设、社会经济可持续发展战略中具有举足轻重的作用。正确认识人类特别是当地传统的生计系统与生态环境系统的互动关系是实现上述战略目标的前提。决策者必须以综合、系统的的视角协调促进社会经济可持续发展、保护生物及文化多样性和维持人、牲口和生态系统之间的平衡的多重目标。 Agropastoral transhumance, which makes a complementary exploitation of the natural resources at different altitudinal belts through a combination of migratory animal husbandry and crop cultivation, has a long history in Hindu-Kush Himalaya, Tibet Plateau, Hengduan Ranges, eastern and southern Africa and the Andes region of south America.For millennia, this traditional livelihood strategy has been one of the main forms of interaction between human societies inhabiting in these regions and their natural ecocystems. A close co-evolutionary relationship has been developed between this indigenous resources management systems and the mountain vegetation systems on the one hand and a unique set of cultural values and social features on the other. Understanding this relationship has been one of the core scientific issues in mountain ecology and anthropology. In recent years, the importance of the multiple functions of the mountain ecosystems and their dynamic changes in the sustainable socio-economic development of the mountain regions has gained increasing attention. This paper, which is based on a detailed study on the agropastoral practices of the 12 natural villages in Deqin County of Yunnan, and the mountainnn vegetation patterns in Deqin of Yunnan and Rangtang County of Sichuan, intends to reveal the major characteristics, system composition and the inter-relations of the subsystems of the agropastoral transhumance in Eastern Tibetan Plateau as well as the trends of changes of the system within the context of global changes, economic globalization and modernity process of China and analyze the relations between agropastoral transhumance and alpine ecosystem, ao as to understand the interactions between human activities and natural ecosystems of the mountains and provide theoretical basis for the national strategies in eocioeconomic development, environmental reconstruction and biodiversity conservation in the mountain regions. Results of the survey indicate that agropastoral transhumance in the investigated area is a traditional economic form that is highly adapted to the eastern Tibet Plateau where the topography features high peaks and deep gorges and where the highly variable environmental parameters and scanty natural resources exhibit a distinct vertical spectrum of distribution and great temporal and spatial heterogeneity. The main objective of pastoral management is still aimed at the production of basic goods and services of local people and thus the type and size of animals raised for each household mainly depend on local needs and are limited by the availability of natural resources. The scale of production is relatively low. Pastoral resources at different altidudinal belts are complementarily used at different seasons of a year and thus form the resources basis for agropastoral production of the study area. Migration distances and patterns vary with the location of the permanent settlements, the elevational distribution range of the resources of the villages concerned. Natural pastures (rangelands) are the main fodder resources and sumplement feedings only account for less than 5% of the total fodder consumption. Crop cultivation and pastoral activities support each other to form a complete livelihood system. The ability of the farmig lands (crop cultivation) to provide the pastoral activities with concentrates and sumplements often becomes a main factor limiting the scale of livestock production at household level. Agropastoral transhumance is experiencing drastic changes in recent decades as is reflected in the size and composition of animals, the seasonal migration pattern, the relative importance of pastoralism in the household economy and the interplays of agricultural and pastoral elements of the system. In general, there is a decline in animal population and mobility, a shift in animal composition to meet new needs arising from changed macro-economic situation, a decrease in the relative importance in the household economy and an increasing decoupling of agro&pastoral relations. The fundamental divers of these changes can be traced to environmental, social, economic, technological and cultural changes from local to global levels and such changes have further caused local changes in livestock management objectives, land use and distribution of labor forces. Changes in local livelihood systems could have profound political, socioeconomic, cultural and ecological conseuquences. Agropastoral transhumance, as an age-old traditional livelihood strategy, is facing multifacet challenges, such as winter fodder shortage, rangeland degradation, lack of market competitiveness, decrease in economic importance, lack of appreciation among the young generation and adequate policies from the government. At the same time, economic globalization, market economy, intrdoctution of new technologies, increase of alternative income generating opportunities and the national re-oreitation of policies on mountain ecosystems have all brought about new opportunities for the transformation of the traditional livelihood system and the synchronized development of local society and the environment. Agropastoral transhumance interacts with the ecosystems at the timberline and treeline ecotone mainly through the following aspects: 1)Animal browsing and stamping affect the regeneration process of the forest communities and alters the composition and structure of the forest which in turn affect the succession process and vegetation pattern of the forest communities. Forest edges are the priority locations for summer houses and therefore the timeline and treeline area becomes the major venues of aninal activities; (2)herders create, maintain and improve pastures through burning that remove the forest communities at the timeline and treeline ecotone; 3)immediate grazing on the fire sites can significantly prevent the fire sites from perogressive succession; and 4)herders harvesting of construction timber and firewoods affects the structure and functions of the forest communities at the timberline and treeline zone. Timberline position in the survey region shows geographical variations. It is around 4200-4300m in Meilixueshan, Baimaxueshan and Jiawuxueshan in Northwest of Yunnan and rises to 4300-4400m in Yajiang County and Litang County of Sichuan. In Rangtang of Sichuan, it is between 4100-4200m, though reaching 4300m in localized sites. In the southern and eastern slopes of Gongga Mountain, the timberline is only between 3600m and 3700m and in Songpan County at the upper reach of the Minjiang River the timberline is around 3700-3800m.Treeline pattern follows similar trend. In many places, agropastoral transhumance and related human activities have lowered the timberline and treeline and narrowed or removed the treeline ecotone. In the area of survey, generally speaking, timberlines and treelines are lower on the southern slopes than on the northern slopes, with a difference between 20 and 200m. This is mainly because that the use of fires to crerate pastures has removed the forest vegetation at the previous timberline and above. In fact, in many places, well-preserved forests on the south slopes have even high timberline position that the corresponding northern slopes. At subalpine zone, grazing activities could have prohibited the natural regeneration of many forest fire sites and maintained the forest position at the present level. Grazing has a significant impact on the regernation process of forest communities at the timberline zone. Natural timberline and treeline ecotone has much higher density of treeline species individuals especially the emergents and seedlings than the timberlines that are maintained by human activities. In natural timberline and treelien ecotone without grazing interference, the density of the I Class seedlings (less than 10cm in height) ranges 725-2917 /hm2; while that in the treatment plots (with grazing disturbance) is only 0-228//hm2;II Class seedlings (10-50cm)exhibit similar density trends, reaching 550-5208//hm2 in natural timberline without grazing but only 14-321//hm2 in the plots with grazing treatment. In the man-created timberlines, there is no I Class seedling at all in plots with normal grazing activities. In relative terms, in plots without grazing activities, the propotion of I Class and II Class seedlings is much higher than that in plots with grazing. Grazing activities have significantly reduced the number of seedlings in the timberline ane treeline ecotone, and thus affect the natural regeneration process of the forests. Shrubs at the timberline and treeline ecotone can effectively protect the seedlings from severe climate and animal tramping, thus increasing the survival rate of the seedlings. Grazing following fires can completely inhibit forest regeneration process at timberline. Changes in agropastoral transhumance will have great impact on the timberline and treeline pattern of the studied area. The decrease in grazing intensity on alpine pastrues and the cessation of the use of fires will result an increase in the cover and height of shrubs above the present human-maintained treeline, which will create further condition for the expansion of timberline forest communities. Eastern Tibet Plateau harbors some most important mountain ecosystems of China that are of vital importance to the country’s strategy in biodiversity conservation, environmental construction and sustainable sociaoeconomic development. A proper knowledge of the interactions between traditional livelihood systems and the ecosystems in the region is a precondition to the realization of the above strategic goals. Therefore, the decision-makers must have a holistic and systemic perspective so as to integrate the multiple objectives of promoting sustainable socioeconomic development, conserving biological and cultural diversity and maintaining the balances among people, animal population and the ecosystems.

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近十年,植物群体遗传学的研究飞速发展,然而与海拔相关的植物群体遗传结构和遗传变异研究却相对较少。到目前为止,还不清楚遗传变异与海拔之间是否有一个通用的格局。在山区,各种生态因子,如温度、降水、降雪、紫外线辐射强度以及土壤成分都随海拔梯度急剧变化,造成了即使在一个小的空间区域,植被类型变化显著,这种高山环境的异质性和复杂性为我们研究植物群体遗传结构和分化提供了方便。沙棘(Hippophea)属于胡颓子科(Elaeagnaceae)为多年生落叶灌木或乔木,雌雄异株,天然种群分布极为广泛。中国沙棘(H. rhamnoides subsp. sinensis)是沙棘属植物中分布较广的一个亚种,种内形态变异非常丰富,加之其具有独特的繁育系统和广泛的生态地理分布,是研究沙棘属植物遗传变异和系统分化的理想材料。本文从1,800 m 到3,400 m 分5 个海拔梯度进行取样,用RAPD 和cpSSR 分子标记研究了卧龙自然保护区中国沙棘天然群体的遗传结构和遗传变异。5 个取样群体依次标记为A、B、C、D 和E,它们分别代表分布在海拔1,800,2,200,2,600,3,000 和3,400 m 的5 个天然群体。RAPD实验用11 条寡核苷酸引物,扩增得到151 个重复性好的位点,其中143 个多态位点,多态率达94.7%。在5 个沙棘群体中,总遗传多样性值(HT)为0.289,B群体内的遗传多样性值为0.315,这完全符合沙棘这种多年生、远交的木本植物具有高遗传变异的特性。5 个群体内遗传多样性随海拔升高呈低-高-低变异趋势,在2,200 m海拔处的B群体遗传多样性达最大值0.315,3,400 m海拔处的E群体则表现最小仅0.098。5 个群体间的遗传分化值GST=0.406,也即是说有40.6%的遗传变异存在于群体间,1,800 m海拔处的A群体与其它群体的明显分离是造成群体间遗传分化大的原因。UPGMA聚类图和PCoA散点图进一步确证了5 个群体间的关系和所有个体间的关系。最后,经过Mantel检测,遗传距离与海拔表现了明显的相关性(r = 0.646, P = 0.011)。cpSSR 实验中,经过对24 对cpSSR 通用引物筛选,11 对引物能扩增出特异性条带,只有2 对引物(ccmp2 和ARCP4)呈现多态性。4 个等位基因共组合出4 种单倍型,单倍型Ⅰ出现在A 群体的所有个体和B 群体的8 个个体中,C、D、E 三个群体均不含有,而单倍型Ⅱ出现在C、D、E 三个群体的所有个体及B 群体的18 个个体中,A 群体不含有。另外两种单倍型Ⅲ和Ⅳ为稀有类型,仅B 群体中的4 个个体拥有。这种单倍型分布模式和TFPGA 群体聚类图揭示了,C、D、E 群体可能来源于同一祖先种,而A 群体却是由另一祖先种发展起来的,B 群体则兼具了这两种起源种的信息,这可能是因为在历史上的某一时期,在中国沙棘群体高山分化的过程中,B 群体处某个或者某些个体发生了基因突变,具备了适应高海拔环境的能力,产生了高海拔沙棘群体的祖先种。 In recent ten years, studies about population genetics of plants developed rapidly,whereas their genetic structure and genetic variation along altitudinal gradients have beenstudied relatively little. So far, it is uncleared whether there is a common pattern betweengenetic variation and altitudinal gradients. In the mountain environments, importantecological factors, e.g., temperature, rainfall, snowfall, ultraviolet radiation and soil substratesetc., change rapidly with altitudes, which cause the vegetation distribution varying typically,even on a small spatial scale. The mountain environments, which are heterogeneous andcomplex, facilitate and offer a good opportunity to characterize population genetic structureand population differentiation.The species of the genus Hippophae L. (Elaeagnaceae) are perennial deciduous shrubs ortrees, which are dioecious, wind-pollinated pioneer plants. The natural genus has a widedistribution extending from Northern Europe through Central Europe and Central Asia toChina. According to the latest taxonomy, the genus Hippophae is divided into six species and12 subspecies. The subspecies H. rhamnoides ssp. sinensis shows significant morphologicalvariations, large geographic range and dominantly outcrossing mating system. Thesecharacteristics of the subspecies are favourable to elucidate genetic variation and systemevolution. To estimate genetic variation and genetic structure of H. rhamnoides ssp. sinensisat different altitudes, we surveyed five natural populations in the Wolong Natural Reserve at altitudes ranging from 1,800 to 3,400 m above sea level (a.s.l.) using random amplifiedpolymorphic DNA markers (RAPDs) and cpSSR molecular methods. The five populations A,B, C, D, and E correspond to the altitudes 1,800, 2,200, 2,600, 3,000 and 3,400 m,respectively.Based on 11 decamer primers, a total of 151 reproducible DNA loci were yielded, ofwhich 143 were polymorphic and the percentage of polymorphic loci equaled 94.7%. Amongthe five populations investigated, the total gene diversity (HT) and gene diversity within population B equaled 0.289 and 0.315, respectively, which are modest for a subspecies of H.rhamnoides, which is an outcrossing, long-lived, woody plant. The amount of geneticvariation within populations varied from 0.098 within population E (3,400 m a.s.l.) to 0.315within population B (2,200 m a.s.l.). The coefficient of gene differentiation (GST) amongpopulations equaled 0.406 and revealed that 40.6% of the genetic variance existed amongpopulations and 59.4% within populations. The population A (1,800 m a.s.l.) differed greatlyfrom the other four populations, which contributes to high genetic differentiation. A UPGMAcluster analysis and principal coordinate analyses based on Nei's genetic distances furthercorroborated the relationships among the five populations and all the sampling individuals,respectively. Mantel tests detected a significant correlation between genetic distances andaltitudinal gradients (r = 0.646, P = 0.011).Eleven of the original 24 cpSSR primer pairs tested produced good PCR products, onlytwo (ccmp2 and ARCP4) of which were polymorphic. Four total length variants (alleles) werecombined resulting in 4 haplotypes. The haplotype was present in all individuals of Ⅰpopulation A and 8 individuals of populations B, the other three populations (C, D and Epopulations) did not share. The haplotype was present in all individuals of populations C, D Ⅱand E and 18 individuals of populations B, population A did not share. The other twohaplotypes and were rare haplotypes, which were only shared in 4 individuals of Ⅲ Ⅳpopulation B. The distribution of haplotypes and TFPGA population clustering map showedthat the populations C, D and E might be origined from one ancestor seed and population Amight be from another, whereas population B owned information of the two ancestor seeds. Itwas because that gene mutation within some individual or seed in the location of population Bwas likely to happen in the history of H. rhamnoides, which was the original ancestor of thehigh-altitude populations.