石荠苎属的系统学与进化

石荠苎属(Mosla (Benth.) Buch.-Hamilt. ex Maxim.)是唇形科的一个小属，仅分布于东亚，该属复杂的变异式样一直困扰着系统学家．本论文是对该属进行三年物种生物学研究的结果．本研究从居群生物学出发，在广泛的野外调查后选取了47个居群进行取样和观察，在控制环境因素的实验设计条件下，测量了31个居群53个形态性状并分析了其变异规律;在扫描电镜下观察了含外类群在内的6属38个居群的花粉和小坚果表面微形态：对27个居群做了细胞学研究：对22个居群15个酶系统做了等位酶分析，获得了28个位点的资料;进行了35个组合的796次人工杂交．综合上述各方面资料的分析结果，对石荠苎属的形态变异与进化、居群分化、生殖隔离、物种形成、类群划分，以及起源和扩展作了详细的分析和讨论． 形态特征的数量遗传学分析表明，叶片大小和形状、苞片形态、花序（果序）和花萼（果期花萼）的复杂变异式样是造成分类混乱的主要原因．叶片大小和形状在小鱼仙草(M. dianthera)中呈现幅度很宽的连续变异，极端情况常分别被描述为不同的种，如M．remottllora和M．grosseserrata．少数突变体以及种间偶尔产生的杂交个体在苞片和花序形态上表现异常，都曾引起分类的混乱．本研究已经澄清M. bracteata和M. tamdaoensis是突变体，而M. exfoliata和M. longispica则是种间杂种．M.fomosana花萼上唇裂片长度的变异是导致分类困难的另一个原因，是小鱼仙草花萼上唇中裂片变异的极端类型。 通过比较分析揭示了石荠苎属中苞片形状、花序结构、花朵大小、花萼形态、小坚果和花粉粒表面纹饰以及染色体的变异和演化趋势，苞片由发达的叶状类型向披针形方向演化;花序由花朵疏离的松散状向紧缩的头状类型演化;花萼由近辐射对称，五个裂片近等长向二唇形演化;花冠由发达、鲜艳向退化方向演化：小坚果由具旋涡状深雕纹向具网纹类型演化;花粉粒由无明显突起向有明显条文或块状突起的类型演化;核型由不对称性小向不对称性增强发展;繁育系统由以异交为主向以自交为主演化，并且带动一系列花部形态的相关变异． 等位酶分析结果表明，石荠苎属种内的进化以遗传变异的积累和繁育系统的转变造成的居群间分化为主要特征．杭州石荠苎各居群的平均遗传距离为0.026，聚类分析结果发现7个居群明显分化为两支，居群3704，4704和3712为一支，其他居群为一支，等位酶资料获得的结果也得到形态和生殖特征的支持．3704、4704和3712在毛被、花朵大小、小坚果大小和颜色在均与其他居群有差异，繁育系统上，这三个居群表现出更明显的异交特性．小鱼仙草居群之间遗传分化甚至大于少数亲缘种之间的遗传分化，平均遗传距离达到0.034，但杂交实验发现，居群之间并不存在生殖隔离，不同的居群之间在叶片大小、叶形、苞片长短和花萼上唇中裂片的长短也有所不同．杭州石荠苎和小鱼仙草种内居群之间的形态和等位酶分化说明居群之问正处于分化和物种形成的早期阶段，生殖隔离还没有建立。 突变（包括染色体结构变异）的积累和繁育系统的转变是石荠苎属物种形成的基础，苏州石荠苎和石荠苎的分化是由于染色体结构变异的积累，具体表现在核型不对称性上的差异，造成生殖隔离．另一些比较明显的物种形成机制为：染色体多倍化，形成M.pauciflora;染色体结构变异，如随体染色体的臂间易位，产生M.cavaleriei;繁育系统由异交转变为自交产生M．chinensis．另外，在物种形成过程中，花期和生态位分化等促进了生殖隔离的完善． 石荠苎属形态上界限清楚，而且存在生殖隔离的种有八个，它们是小花荠苎(M.cavaleriei Levl.);石香薷 (M. chinensis Maxim.);小鱼仙草 (M. dianthera (Buch.-Hamilt. ex Roxb.) Maxim.);杭州石荠苎(M．hangchouensis Matsuda);日本石荠苎(M. japonica (Benth.) Maxim.);疏花荠苎(M. pauciflora (C. Y. Wu) C. Y. Wu et H. W. Li);石荠苎(M. punctulata (J.F. Gmelin) Nakai)和苏州石荠苎(M. soochouensis Matsuda). 石荠苎属的近缘属是香薷属(Elsholtzia)、香简草属(Keiskea)和紫苏属(Perilla)。石荠苎属与近缘属的分化大约在260万年之前，因为那时石荠苎属的祖先就发生了分化，形成以杭州石荠苎一一石香薷的祖先和以小花荠苎一一小鱼仙草的祖先为代表的两条进化主线，从香薷属和香简草属的现代分布式样-以及石荠苎属的分布特点推断，华东地区可能是石荠苎属的起源和演化的舞台，华东地区具有最大的种类多样性、变异性、特有性和多度．

The effect of timing of tagging on streamer-tag recapture rates for American lobster (Homarus americanus)

Streamer tags are commonly used to study the ecology and population biology of the American lobster (Homarus americanus). Aquarium observations suggest that streamer tag loss, either through tag-induced mortality or tag shedding, is related to the molt stage of the lobster at the time of tagging, and the molting event itself. Tag-induced mortality, where lobsters did not molt, occurred within eleven and sixteen days following tagging for lobsters tagged in postmolt (4%) and late premolt (10%) stages, respectively; whereas no lobsters tagged in early premolt or intermolt stages died. Taginduced mortality at time of molting was observed for lobsters tagged in late premolt stage (11%), and tag shedding was observed for lobsters tagged both in early (25%) and late premolt (11%) stages, but was significantly higher (P=0.014) for lobsters tagged in early premolt stages. Autopsies revealed that lobsters died mainly of organ perforations (hepato-pancreas and pericardial sac) following the tagging process, and rupture of the dorsal thoraco-abdominal membrane during the molting process. The total tag loss was estimated at 4% for lobsters tagged after molting, and 27% and 31% for lobsters tagged in early and late premolt stages, respectively. There was no tag loss for lobsters tagged in the intermolt stage during four months of laboratory observations (July−October). To minimize streamer tag loss, lobsters should be tagged during the intermolt or postmolt stage. Based on field studies, recapture rates for lobsters tagged in premolt stage are always lower than those of lobsters tagged in postmolt stage. Furthermore, recapture rates during the second year, for lobsters that molt in the year following tagging, were drastically reduced, and no lobster was recaptured after four years at large. Finally, to account for tag loss during the first year at large, a minimal adjustment of 24.9% (SD 2.9%) and 4.4% (SD 1.6%) for the recapture rate of lobsters tagged immediately before and after the molting season, respectively, is recommended. Adjustments beyond one year at large are not recommended for the American lobster at this time.

东灵山地区辽东栎种群生物学研究

辽东栎是我国暖温带落叶阔叶林主要优势种之一。它具有很强的萌蘖能力，在东灵山地区存在于多种林分中，并成为辽东栎林和落叶阔叶混交林的优势种。本文以植物种群构件理论为基础，对辽东栎的种子、幼苗、幼树和成体四个阶段不同侧面进行了调查统计和试验分析。初步得出如下结果： 1. 种子库统计表明：（1）种子雨持续时间短、强度大，种子散落总密度为123个m~2。（2）土壤种子库存在时间约100天左右，种子密度最高时为42.7个／m~2。（3）土壤种子库输出途径主要有死亡后腐烂、发芽、动物当场取食和搬运，其中动物搬运是影响种子库动态的最重要因子。（4）动物搬运和取食是影响种子命运的主要因素，如果没有该因素的影响，辽东栎能够完成从种子到幼苗的过程;（5）被啮齿动物贮藏的种子大多被取食，极少存活;（6）地表覆盖物能减少动物搬运、取食的影响，但对成苗效果不明显。 2. 干旱处理和模拟去叶试验的结果表明：（1）干旱将显著降低单叶面积、叶面积比和叶比重，从而也显著降低了单株生物量，但根比重却较对照组有显著上升;（2）去叶显著提高了单株叶数、叶面积比和叶比重，尽管单株生物量只稍高于对照组。这说明了辽东栎幼苗在去叶后具有一定的补偿能力。 3. 芽的命运调查发现：（1）辽东栎的芽或保持休眠状态，或死亡后脱落，或分化为营养枝、雄花枝、雄花序、雌花枝和两花枝等;（2）不同生境中芽的命运不同，生活在林窗中的幼树上的芽分化为具有生殖功能的枝条的比例高于郁闭林中的幼树，而与成熟个体接近;（3）同一个体内部，上层芽分化为生殖枝的比例明显大于中、下层;（4）芽的命运与枝长关系密切，长枝上的芽分化为生殖枝的可能性较大;（5）结实枝的平均枝长、枝上平均叶数都明显高于非结实枝。 4. 构型分析表明：（1）不同发育阶段的辽东栎个体的分枝格局不同：幼苗阶段，高生长显著，枝条伸长较快，但分枝率低;幼树阶段，分枝率显著小于成株阶段;但上层枝条的平均枝节倾角大于其它两阶段，上层枝条的长度也大于成株阶段;成株阶段，冠幅迅速扩展，分枝率较前两时期显著增加，同时顶端优势减弱，引起休眠芽萌生苗的发生。（2）不同生境的辽东栎个体分枝格局也有较大差异：混交林中的辽栎个体多生活在林隙中，同灌丛中的个体相比，枝冠窄小，枝倾角较大，第一枝级枝条（上层）较长，但分枝率较小叶面积指数较低;枝、叶的方位角，叶倾角（上层）在不同生境中未发生显著变化。 5. 叶群体统计表明：（1）不同个体，同一个体内部不同层次，叶数量动态趋势都基本一致。现叶期和叶落半衰期很短，现叶方式为爆发型;（2）不同个体间叶期差异很大，暗示在辽东栎种群内部或许存在有强烈的遗传分化。 6. 对叶的生长和光合作用测定发现：（1）辽东栎叶的长度、面积和干重的增加有共同趋势：即在叶生长早期增加很快，其后渐渐降低，叶长度、面积约在六月初达极大值，叶干重稍后达极大值;（2）净光合速率在整个生生季里随叶的生长发育是先上升，至七月中旬达极大值，然后逐渐下降;而暗呼吸速率除在落叶前有微弱上升外，一直都处在下降状态;（3）叶的净光合速率日进程具“午休”现象，可能由高温和强光照引起;（4）叶的形成初期，碳的输入较高，展叶后约十天左右，输入输出达到平衡;碳输出在七月中旬达极大值，随后下降。可见：（5）叶的光合能力与叶的生长发育状况有密切关系。 7. 对叶养分季节动态的测定表明：（1）N、P、K、Ca、Mg、Fe等6种元素的浓度和贮量在叶的生活史中都发生了明显的季节变化，其中N、P、K等3种元素的浓度在展叶初期下降很快，随后逐渐下降的，但贮量是在7月下旬达到最大值;（2）Ca浓度和贮量整个生长季中一直保持上升趋势，Mg的季节变化无一定规律;（3）N、P、K、Mg都有一定程度的回收，其中N、P的回收率分别为67％和，Ca、Fe在叶中有所积累。 对栎属植物养分动态的比较分析表明：（1）落叶植物成熟叶中的N浓度显著高于常绿植物，但N、P的回收率与成熟叶中的浓度无明显相关性;（2）栎属植物的成熟叶和落叶中的N、P浓度间呈显著相关。

濒危植物疏花水柏枝种群生物学和回归引种的研究

　本文对三峡库区濒危植物疏花水柏枝的种子形成与传播、种子萌发与幼苗定居、植株生长动态等种群生物学特性及其与环境的关系，特别是对水淹胁迫的生理学与生态学响应进行了研究，并以此为基础结合疏花水柏枝抢救工程的实施，对疏花水柏枝回归引种的相关生态学问题进行了探讨。 　　疏花水柏枝植株的生殖分配极高，每株所形成的花枝、花序和种子数量都比较多，其种子传播的方式有风传播和水传播，种子直接传播是疏花水柏枝种群进行扩增的主要途径，自然分布疏花水柏枝种群因此而常常成群分布。种子通过江水的二次传播是沿长江呈星状分布的疏花水柏枝各种群间进行基因交流的主要途径。限制疏花水柏枝种子萌发的环境因素主要是土壤含水量，这也是导致该物种在自然条件下仅分布于消落带的关键因素。疏花水柏枝一年生幼苗的成活率以及衡量植株生长状况的生物量、枝条数和根系长度都随着密度的增加而显著下降，表明密度对疏花水柏枝一年生幼苗的定居与生长有明显的制约作用。疏花水柏枝每年夏天都要经历长时间的水淹，在该时期无论是否被水淹，其幼苗地上部的生长都处于停滞（休眠），水淹后植株生物量都有一定程度的减少，但在各种水淹程度处理与对照之间除根深有显著差异外，幼苗的存活率、生物量、一级枝数、一级枝长度、根冠比的差异都不显著，表明水淹对幼苗的定居和生长没有显著影响，疏花水柏枝是通过快速的生物量丧失和快速恢复来适应水淹阶段的环境胁迫的。夏季适当的水淹不仅不会影响植株的生长，反而有利于该物种躲避这个阶段河滩上的高温天气，提高幼苗的成活率。 　　疏花水柏枝对水淹的生理生态适应机制较复杂。夏季水淹过后，植株进入生长恢复阶段，恢复初期植株的日均蒸腾强度与日均光合速率随着其在夏季被淹没时间的增加而增加，说明夏季水淹有利于植株尽快恢复生长。生长季节的水淹胁迫会使疏花水柏枝植株最初的光合作用和蒸腾作用的能力有所下降，但是长期水淹后，植株会形成适应，其光合与水分生理又会恢复到正常状态。疏花水柏枝植株也会在生理生化上对水淹胁迫作出响应。在夏天洪水季节无论是否被水淹，植株的可溶性糖总糖与蔗糖的都含量上升，根系活力、丙二醛（MDA）含量、过氧化物酶(POD)活性、多酚氧化酶(PPO)活性在各种水淹处理与对照之间以及淹水后与淹水前之间没有显著差异，从生理上表明疏花水柏枝的生长在夏季处于生长停滞（休眠）状态，其生理生化变化是植株对休眠的响应。夏天洪水季节结束后，各处理植株的多酚氧化酶活性、过氧化物酶活性、蔗糖与总糖含量在生长恢复阶段显著下降，丙二醛含量、根系活力则分别有所增加，表明植株在生理生化上也得到恢复，且植株在夏季是否受水淹胁迫对生长恢复阶段植株的生理生化变化没有显著影响。生长阶段的水淹胁迫会导致丙二醛含量、多酚氧化酶、过氧化物酶活性上升，其中前两者的变化显著，而根系活力、可溶性总糖含量则在水淹后表现为下降。但是经长期水淹后，各种生理生化指标会逐渐恢复到正常水平，表明该物种对水淹的适应能力较强，水淹并不会对植株形成长期的生理压力。 　　疏花水柏枝被回归引种于长江三峡的几个主要支流上，形成几个相对隔离的重建种群。种群遗传多样性、年龄结构、分布格局、繁殖与扩展等生物学特性是种群持续发展的基础，疏花水柏枝种群的重建中必须予以考虑。各移栽点应分别从不同的地点采集移栽材料，且以生长旺盛、繁殖力强、遗传性状稳定的3-10年植株为主。在疏花水柏枝种群恢复与重建中目前所面临的主要问题是如何增强被隔离的种群间的基因交流、促进种群的种子扩散与萌发、协调新建种群与当地物种的关系、营造有利于新建种群定居与生长的生态环境。

Growth, osmoregulation and ion accumulation in the coastal halophyte Arthrocnemum indicum under field conditions

Life cycle and population biology of a perennial halophyte Arthrocnemum indicum Willd, was studied from February 1992 to January 1993. During the 12 months, the population was exposed to great variations in soil salinity from 35 to 58 ms/cm2 and soil moisture ranging from flood to drought levels. Seasonal changes in dry weight are directly related to soil salinity stress. When salinity levels become low, the dry matter production increases. A little increase in dry weight from April to July indicates that more negative soil water potentials were limiting plant growth. Proline content increased considerably during the dry season with a corresponding increase in salinity. Water soluble oxalate did not vary much with changes in salinity.

Bead-probe complex capture a couple of SINE and LINE family from genomes of two closely related species of East Asian cyprinid directly using magnetic separation

Background: Short and long interspersed elements (SINEs and LINEs, respectively), two types of retroposons, are active in shaping the architecture of genomes and powerful tools for studies of phylogeny and population biology. Here we developed special protocol to apply biotin-streptavidin bead system into isolation of interspersed repeated sequences rapidly and efficiently, in which SINEs and LINEs were captured directly from digested genomic DNA by hybridization to bead-probe complex in solution instead of traditional strategy including genomic library construction and screening. Results: A new couple of SINEs and LINEs that shared an almost identical 3'tail was isolated and characterized in silver carp and bighead carp of two closely related species. These SINEs (34 members), designated HAmo SINE family, were little divergent in sequence and flanked by obvious TSD indicated that HAmo SINE was very young family. The copy numbers of this family was estimated to 2 x 10(5) and 1.7 x 10(5) per haploid genome by Real-Time qPCR, respectively. The LINEs, identified as the homologs of LINE2 in other fishes, had a conserved primary sequence and secondary structures of the 3'tail region that was almost identical to that of HAmo SINE. These evidences suggest that HAmo SINEs are active and amplified recently utilizing the enzymatic machinery for retroposition of HAmoL2 through the recognition of higher-order structures of the conserved 42-tail region. We analyzed the possible structures of HAmo SINE that lead to successful amplification in genome and then deduced that HAmo SINE, SmaI SINE and FokI SINE that were similar in sequence each other, were probably generated independently and created by LINE family within the same lineage of a LINE phylogeny in the genomes of different hosts. Conclusion: The presented results show the advantage of the novel method for retroposons isolation and a pair of young SINE family and its partner LINE family in two carp fishes, which strengthened the hypotheses containing the slippage model for initiation of reverse transcription, retropositional parasitism of SINEs on LINEs, the formation of the stem loop structure in 3'tail region of some SINEs and LINEs and the mechanism of template switching in generating new SINE family.

贡嘎山植物小枝功能性状在不同生活型和不同海拔间的比较研究

植物功能生态学研究不仅提供了植物生理生态学与生态系统生态学的连接，还为植物种群生活史对策研究提供了材料。Westoby 等 (2002) 提出了利用植物功能性状变量的主导维度来确定和量化植物生活史的生态适应策略。在他们所提出四个主导维度中，叶大小－小枝大小是研究相对较少的一维；其内部各组分的关系、对环境的响应，以及与其它重要维度的关系，目前的理解非常有限。 本研究以贡嘎山不同海拔不同功能群物种为研究对象，采用种间比较和系统发生独立性比较等研究方法，系统研究了植物的功能特征及其相关性在不同生境及不同功能群间的差异，旨在分析不同功能群物种的叶大小－小枝大小的成本和收益。其研究结果将有助于我们理解植物生活史对策的进化，进而理解物种共存和维持物种多样性的机制。主要研究结果如下： 1. 叶大小－小枝大小关系 小枝茎横截面积与单叶面积和总叶面积均呈异速生长关系，即总叶面积和单叶面积的增加比茎横截面积的增加速度快。但是，总叶面积和叶片干重的增加却基本上与小枝茎干重的增加等速。系统发生独立性比较研究的结果与此相一致。表明，在某一给定的茎投入时，至少大叶大枝物种不比小叶小枝物种在支撑叶面积和叶片干重方面具有优势。同时，在某一给定的小枝茎投入时，常绿阔叶物种比落叶阔叶物种支撑更少的叶面积。在茎干重与总叶面积的关系中，落叶复叶物种比落叶单叶物种具有更高的y轴截距，表明复叶物种比单叶物种在展叶面积方面更有效。复叶物种与单叶物种相比，通常具有较大的叶大小和小枝大小。 2. 叶大小－叶数量关系 叶大小与数量间在不同的叶片习性、不同的叶片形态以及不同的生境类型的物种间均存在稳定的负的等速生长关系，且这种关系在系统发生独立性比较时依然成立。然而，在某一给定的出叶强度 (单位小枝的叶数量) 时，常绿阔叶物种比落叶物种具有更小的叶面积。而在给定体积基础上的出叶强度时，落叶复叶物种的叶面积显著大于落叶单叶物种，且复叶物种比单叶物种具有更大的叶大小和更小的出叶强度。但是，叶大小与数量间的关系在不同的海拔间并没有显著的差异。 3. 小枝大小－总叶面积关系 在不同的生活型或不同的生境下，小枝上总叶面积与茎干重和小枝干重均呈正的异速生长关系，且斜率显著小于1.0，表明小枝上总叶面积的增加都不能赶上小枝及茎大小的增加。这种“收益递减”表明随着小枝干重的增加，光截取的收益递减。此外，叶面积比 (总叶面积与小枝干重的比值) 与单叶干重呈显著负相关关系，系统发生独立性比较的结果与此相一致。根据以上结果，可以推测，大叶的物种在质量较好的生境中出现，而群落内部小枝茎的寿命较长的物种可以拥有较大的叶片。 4. 叶片色素浓度－LMA关系 随着海拔的升高，阔叶木本植物和草本植物的叶片色素浓度减少，叶绿素a/b和类胡萝卜素/叶绿素比值以及比叶重 (LMA) 增加。然而，在草本植物中的色素浓度、色素比值和LMA的变化比阔叶木本植物的更明显。同时，LMA与叶片色素浓度呈负相关关系，但是在落叶物种中的LMA对色素浓度的影响比常绿阔叶物种更强烈。总之，草本植物的叶片特征对海拔梯度的变化似乎比木本植物更敏感，LMA对叶片色素的保护作用在落叶物种中比在常绿阔叶物种显得更重要。这些结果表明不同生活型物种可能采取不同的保护机制来降低叶绿体器官的损伤和增加他们的碳获取能力。 Studies on plant functional ecology not only bridge plant eco-physiology and ecosystem functioning, but also enrich plant population biology. As pointed out by Westoby et al (2002), plant life history strategies can be identified and quantified by four leading dimensions of variations in plant functional traits, i.e., seed size/output, leaf mass per area and leaf life span, plant height, and leaf size-twig size. Compared to the other dimensions, the cost/benefit of the leaf size-twig size spectrum has scarcely been analyzed in relation to environmental gradients and life form types, and the adaptive significance of this spectrum is not fully understood. In the present study, the relationships between functional traits of plant twigs are determined for the species with different life forms along an altitudinal gradient of Gongga Mountain with both cross-species analysis and evolutionary divergence analysis. The primary objective of this study is to examine the cost/benefit of leaf size-twig size in plants. The study results are supposed to provide insights into the understanding of the mechanism of species coexistences. The results are shown in the following. 1. The relationship between leaf size and twig size Twig cross-sectional area allometrically scaled with both individual leaf area and total leaf area supported by the twigs. However, the increase in total lamina mass/area was generally proportional to the increase in stem mass. These correlations between trait variations were significant in both interspecies analysis and phylogenetically independent comparison (PIC) analysis, which indicated that thick-twigged/large-leaved species, at least, do not have an advantage in supporting leaf/lamina area and lamina mass for the same twig stem investment than thin-twigged/ small-leaved species. Meanwhile, the evergreen broad-leaved species supported a smaller leaf area for the same twig stem investment in terms of both cross-sectional area and stem mass than the deciduous species. The deciduous compound-leaved species have a higher y-intercept in the scaling relationship of twig stem mass versus total leaf area than the deciduous simple-leaved species, indicating that compound-leaved species were more efficient in displaying leaf area. The compound-leaved species were larger in both leaf size and twig size than their counterpart in the present study. 2. The relationship between leaf size and leaf number Significantly negative and isometric scaling relationships between leaf size and leafing intensity (leaf number per twig mass or volume) were found to be consistently conserved across species independent of leaf habit, leaf form and habitat type. The negative correlations between leaf size and leafing intensity were also observed across correlated evolutionary divergences. However, leaf area was smaller in the evergreen broad-leaved species at a given leafing intensity than in the deciduous species. The deciduous compound-leaved deciduous species were higher in leaf area than deciduous simple-laved species at a given volume-based leafing intensity. Moreover, the compound-leaved deciduous species were larger in leaf size but smaller in leafing intensity than their simple counterparts. No significant difference was found in the scaling relationships between altitudes. 3. The relationship between twig size and total leaf area Leaf area was found to scale positively and allometrically with both stem and twig mass (stem mass plus leaf mass) with slopes significantly smaller than 1.0, independent of life form and habitat type, indicating that the increase in total leaf area fails to keep pace with increasing twig size and stem size. This ‘diminishing returns’ suggests that the benefit of light intercept decreased with increasing twig mass. Moreover, the leaf area ratio (the ratio of total leaf area to stem or twig mass) correlated negatively with individual leaf mass. The results of PIC were consistent with the correlations. According to the results, it is speculated that large-leaved species may be favored when habitat is good and when stem longevity are long within community. 4. The relationship between leaf pigment concentrations and leaf mass per area With increasing altitude, the concentrations of pigments decreased, but the ratios of chlorophyll a/b and carotenoid/chlorophyll, and LMA increased, in both the broad-leaved woody species and herbaceous species groups. However, the changes in the pigment concentrations, ratios and LMA were more profound in the herbaceous species than in the woody species. In addition, pigment concentrations were negatively correlated with LMA in each life form type and in the pooled dataset. However, the LMA effect on leaf pigment concentrations was more profound in the deciduous species than in the evergreen braode-leaved species. In general, herbaceous species seemed more sensitive to the increasing altitude compared to woody species, and LMA seemed to be a more important mechanism for protecting leaf pigments in deciduous species than in evergreen broad-leaved species. These results suggested that the species with different life forms may employ different protective mechanisms to decrease the chloroplast apparatus damage and increase their carbon gain.

Burrowing rodents as ecosystem engineers: the ecology and management of plateau zokors Myospalax fontanierii in alpine meadow ecosystems on the Tibetan Plateau

1. Plateau zokors, Myospalax fontanierii, are the only subterranean herbivores on the Tibetan plateau of China. Although the population biology of plateau zokors has been studied for many years, the interactions between zokors and plants, especially for the maintenance and structure of ecological communities, have been poorly recognized. In the past, plateau zokors have been traditionally viewed as pests, competitors with cattle, and agents of soil erosion, thus eradication programmes have been carried out by local governments and farmers. Zokors are also widely and heavily exploited for their use in traditional Chinese medicine.2. Like other fossorial animals, such as pocket gophers Geomys spp. and prairie dogs Cynomys spp. in similar ecosystems, zokors may act to increase local environmental heterogeneity at the landscape level, aid in the formation, aeration and mixing of soil, and enhance infiltration of water into the soil thus curtailing erosion. The changes that zokors cause in the physical environment, vegetation and soil clearly affect the herbivore food web. Equally, plateau zokors also provide a significant food source for many avian and mammalian predators on the plateau. Zokor control leading to depletion of prey and secondary poisoning may therefore present problems for populations of numerous other animals.3. We highlight the important role plateau zokors play in the Tibetan plateau ecosystem. Plateau zokors should be managed in concert with other comprehensive rangeland treatments to ensure the ecological equilibrium and preservation of native biodiversity, as well as the long-term sustainable use of pastureland by domestic livestock.

Indicações do manejo de pragas para percevejos.

Epocas de aparecimento; Determinacao da intensidade populacional; Metodos de amostragem; Ocorrencia nas diferentes cultivares; Controle; Biologia; Consideracoes finais.

Ecology of frontier populations of the invasive grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) in Ireland

The rise in invasive species, together with habitat destruction, is associated with worldwide declines in biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Management of invasive species, as well as amelioration of invasion impacts, provide challenges to species and ecosystem ecologists and conservation managers. Although any species can become invasive if it is transported to, establishes in and spreads in a new environment outside of its native range, rodents are a particularly frequent invader. Rodent introductions are often inadvertent but are also commonly intentional as these animals are traded and transported as pets and may escape from captivity. Tree squirrel species are attractive to humans and are able to establish populations with only a few founding individuals, making them a group well suited to performing the role of biological invaders. The eastern grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) is the most commonly introduced squirrel species worldwide. This research addressed the grey squirrel invasion and frontier population biology. Novel results were generated through diverse research techniques. Public sighting surveys and hairtube surveys were used to locate the southern frontier of grey squirrel range expansion in Ireland. A 22-month intensive live trapping study of two frontier populations facilitated the collection of personality and demographic data from squirrels in increasing populations. A systematic literature search on grey squirrel demography provided context for the studied populations, among frontier and established introduced populations, as well as those in the native range. Advanced spatially explicit population modeling techniques predicted future range expansion and objectively compared the outcomes of 12 grey squirrel management strategies. The methods and results are discussed in both a basic scientific and applied invasion management context. An improved understanding of the behaviour, population dynamics, and future scenarios at the frontier of species invasions is crucial for managers worldwide and this is provided here for the grey squirrel in Ireland.

Multiple attractors of host-parasitoid models with integrated pest management strategies: eradication, persistence and outbreak

Host-parasitoid models including integrated pest management (IPM) interventions with impulsive effects at both fixed and unfixed times were analyzed with regard to host-eradication, host-parasitoid persistence and host-outbreak solutions. The host-eradication periodic solution with fixed moments is globally stable if the host's intrinsic growth rate is less than the summation of the mean host-killing rate and the mean parasitization rate during the impulsive period. Solutions for all three categories can coexist, with switch-like transitions among their attractors showing that varying dosages and frequencies of insecticide applications and the numbers of parasitoids released are crucial. Periodic solutions also exist for models with unfixed moments for which the maximum amplitude of the host is less than the economic threshold. The dosages and frequencies of IPM interventions for these solutions are much reduced in comparison with the pest-eradication periodic solution. Our results, which are robust to inclusion of stochastic effects and with a wide range of parameter values, confirm that IPM is more effective than any single control tactic.

An alpha 2-macroglobulin-like protein is the cue to gregarious settlement of the barnacle Balanus amphitrite

Many benthic marine invertebrates, like barnacles, have a planktonic larval stage whose primary purpose is dispersal. How these species colonize suitable substrata is fundamental to understanding their evolution, population biology, and wider community dynamics. Unlike larval dispersal, settlement occurs on a relatively small spatial scale and involves larval behavior in response to physical and chemical characteristics of the substratum. Biogenic chemical cues have been implicated in this process. Their identification, however, has proven challenging, no more so than for the chemical basis of barnacle gregariousness, which was first described >50 years ago. We now report that a biological cue to gregarious settlement, the settlement-inducing protein complex (SIPC), of the major fouling barnacle Balanus amphitrite is a previously undescribed glycoprotein. The SIPC shares a 30% sequence homology with the thioester-containing family of proteins that includes the alpha sub(2)-macroglobulins. The cDNA (5.2 kb) of the SIPC encodes a protein precursor comprising 1,547 aa with a 17-residue signal peptide region. A number of structural characteristics and the absence of a thioester bond in the SIPC suggest that this molecule is a previously undescribed protein that may have evolved by duplication from an ancestral alpha sub(2)-macroglobulin gene. Although the SIPC is regarded as an adult cue that is recognized by the cyprid at settlement, it is also expressed in the juvenile and in larvae, where it may function in larva-larva settlement interactions.

Simultaneous Determination Of Fluctuating Age Structure And Mortality From Field Data

The use of a Leslie matrix for analysis of a population normally implies that the age structure of the population is known. However, this restriction can be overcome if the population can be partitioned into recognisably different stages, and some information on stage duration and fecundity is available, in which case the age structure may be determined by the analysis itself. As an example of this approach we consider the estimation of the mortality rate applying to a population from a sequence of observed stage frequency vectors. The technique does not require that the population has attained a stable age structure nor that distinct cohorts can be recognised.

Molecular pedigree reconstruction and estimation of evolutionary parameters in a wild Atlantic salmon river system with incomplete sampling: a power analysis

Background: Pedigree reconstruction using genetic analysis provides a useful means to estimate fundamental population biology parameters relating to population demography, trait heritability and individual fitness when combined with other sources of data. However, there remain limitations to pedigree reconstruction in wild populations, particularly in systems where parent-offspring relationships cannot be directly observed, there is incomplete sampling of individuals, or molecular parentage inference relies on low quality DNA from archived material. While much can still be inferred from incomplete or sparse pedigrees, it is crucial to evaluate the quality and power of available genetic information a priori to testing specific biological hypotheses. Here, we used microsatellite markers to reconstruct a multi-generation pedigree of wild Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) using archived scale samples collected with a total trapping system within a river over a 10 year period. Using a simulation-based approach, we determined the optimal microsatellite marker number for accurate parentage assignment, and evaluated the power of the resulting partial pedigree to investigate important evolutionary and quantitative genetic characteristics of salmon in the system.

Results: We show that at least 20 microsatellites (ave. 12 alleles/locus) are required to maximise parentage assignment and to improve the power to estimate reproductive success and heritability in this study system. We also show that 1.5 fold differences can be detected between groups simulated to have differing reproductive success, and that it is possible to detect moderate heritability values for continuous traits (h(2) similar to 0.40) with more than 80% power when using 28 moderately to highly polymorphic markers.

Conclusion: The methodologies and work flow described provide a robust approach for evaluating archived samples for pedigree-based research, even where only a proportion of the total population is sampled. The results demonstrate the feasibility of pedigree-based studies to address challenging ecological and evolutionary questions in free-living populations, where genealogies can be traced only using molecular tools, and that significant increases in pedigree assignment power can be achieved by using higher numbers of markers.