DEVELOPMENT OF MICROSATELLITE LOCI FOR PINUS KORAIENSIS (PINACEAE)

Premise of the study: Microsatellite markers were developed for Pinus koraiensis to characterize its genetic diversity and understand its population structure. Methods and Results: Using the Fast Isolation by AFLP of Sequences COntaining (FIASCO) Repeats protocol, 20 primer sets were developed in Chinese populations of P. koraiensis. Three of the markers showed polymorphism with two alleles per locus when assessed in a sample of two populations of P. koraiensis from the Changbai Mountain in the Jilin Province of China. Five and three loci were successfully amplified in P. taiwanensis and P. massoniana, respectively. The amplification size of these loci matches those in P. koraiensis. Conclusions: These markers may be useful for further investigation of population genetics of P. koraiensis.

Natural selection on EPAS1 (HIF2 alpha) associated with low hemoglobin concentration in Tibetan highlanders

By impairing both function and survival, the severe reduction in oxygen availability associated with high-altitude environments is likely to act as an agent of natural selection. We used genomic and candidate gene approaches to search for evidence of such genetic selection. First, a genome-wide allelic differentiation scan (GWADS) comparing indigenous highlanders of the Tibetan Plateau (3,200 3,500 m) with closely related lowland Han revealed a genome-wide significant divergence across eight SNPs located near EPAS1. This gene encodes the transcription factor HIF2 alpha, which stimulates production of red blood cells and thus increases the concentration of hemoglobin in blood. Second, in a separate cohort of Tibetans residing at 4,200 m, we identified 31 EPAS1 SNPs in high linkage disequilibrium that correlated significantly with hemoglobin concentration. The sex-adjusted hemoglobin concentration was, on average, 0.8 g/dL lower in the major allele homozygotes compared with the heterozygotes. These findings were replicated in a third cohort of Tibetans residing at 4,300 m. The alleles associating with lower hemoglobin concentrations were correlated with the signal from the GWADS study and were observed at greatly elevated frequencies in the Tibetan cohorts compared with the Han. High hemoglobin concentrations are a cardinal feature of chronic mountain sickness offering one plausible mechanism for selection. Alternatively, as EPAS1 is pleiotropic in its effects, selection may have operated on some other aspect of the phenotype. Whichever of these explanations is correct, the evidence for genetic selection at the EPAS1 locus from the GWADS study is supported by the replicated studies associating function with the allelic variants.

Six new records of intertidal polychaetes from Pakistan

This paper describes six species of polychaete worms, which are new records from Pakistan. The species are: Arabella iricolor (Montagu), Capitella capitata (Fabricius), Mesochaetopterus sagittarius (Claparede), Phyllochaetopterus herdmani Willey, Lysidice natalensis Kinberg and Marphysa depressa (Schmarda).

陕西秦岭平河梁自然保护区小型兽类的组成与分布

2005年9月利用铗日法辅以陷阱法对位于秦岭山脉南坡东段的平河梁自然保护区及牛背梁自然保护区小型兽类进行了调查,共设置采集点10个;2 460铗日中共捕获小型兽类689只,隶属于3目6科19属27种(另有两种鼢鼠和一种鼯鼠系其他手段捕获),平均捕获率28.01%.对捕获的27种小型兽类生态和垂直分布进行分析结果表明:平河梁保护区3个群落的Shannon-Weiner多样性指数在2.9288-3.3639之间,Pielou均匀性指数在0.7669-0.8602之间.在上述调查的基础上,结合前人对邻近地区的调查,据一些物种的分布特点,订出平河梁自然保护区小型兽类的名录,计48种,结果显示秦岭南坡东段小型兽类的物种多样性和丰富度要高于秦岭其他地区.另在考察中采集到白尾鼹(Parascaptor leucura)、小纹背鼩鼱(Sorex bedfordiae)、斯氏鼢鼠(Myospalax smithⅡ)、川西白腹鼠(Niviventer excelsior),在秦岭山区尚属首次记录.还整理了秦岭南坡小型兽类名录,认为秦岭南坡有小型兽类55种,在动物地理区划上应属于西南区.

Status and distribution pattern of black crested gibbon (Nomaseas concolor jingdongensis) in Wuliang Mountains, Yunnan, China: implication for conservation

The western black crested gibbon (Nomascus concolor), or black gibbon, one of the lesser apes (Hylobatidae), is mainly distributed in Yunnan, China. Of the four recognized subspecies, N. c. jingdongensis is endemic to the Wuliang Mountain, central Yunnan,

Gibbons under seasonal stress: the diet of the black crested gibbon (Nomascus concolor) on Mt. Wuliang, Central Yunnan, China

The diet of a habituated group of black crested gibbon (Nomascus concolor jingdongensis) was studied from March 2005 to April 2006 in the Wuliang Mountains, central Yunnan, China. Gibbons consumed 77 different plant species, one mammal-, two bird-, one li

云南新平哀牢山秋季夜间网捕鸟类的影响因素

2007-09-05-2007-11-05和2008-09-03-2008-11-07期间,在云南省新平县哀牢山金山丫口(23°57′N,101°30′E)对影响秋季夜间网捕鸟类组成因素进行了调查.主要利用温湿度表和定性观察对各因素进行判断.其研究结果表明,地理特点是影响夜间刚捕鸟类种类的主要因素:气象条件是影响夜间网捕鸟类种类和数量的重要因素.气象条件中的风向、风力、雾以及月相周期对夜间网捕鸟类数量和种类的影响极其显著(P<0.01).风向的影响比风力大,其中,在西南风大雾新月或者存西南风大雾残月期间,夜间网捕鸟类数量和种类最多:光也是夜间网捕鸟类的必要条件.然而,温湿度对夜间网捕鸟类数量和种类影响不显著.

云南新平哀牢山夜间捕获鸟类的多样性

2007-09-05-2007-11-05和2008-09-03-2008-11-07期间,在云南省新平县哀牢山金山丫口用灯光诱捕对秋季夜间迁徙鸟类组成进行了调查.共捕获鸟类129种,7943只,分属于14日23科.雀形目鸟类为网捕主要鸟类,占总网捕数量的58.9%.其中红尾伯劳(Lanius cristatus)、小杜鹃(Cuculus poliocephalus)和红喉歌鸲(Luscinia calliope)3种是该地夜间网捕优势种鸟类,三者数量皆超过网捕岛类总数的5%.每天夜间20:00-22:00和次日凌晨04:00-4)6:00是捕获鸟类数最的高峰时段.网捕期间,早期Shannon-Wiener指数和Pielou指数最低,优势指数C最高;中期Shannon-Wiener指数和Pielou指数最高,优势度指数C最低.2008与2007年相比,优势指数C和G-F指数较低.但Shannon-Wiener指数和Pielou指数较高.云南省不同"打雀山"仪问捕获鸟类的种类和数量存在差异.地理和气候可能是造成这些差异的主要因素.

Molecular phylogeography and population structure of a mid-elevation montane frog Leptobrachium ailaonicum in a fragmented habitat of southwest China

Leptobrachium ailaonicum is a vulnerable anuran restricted to a patchy distribution associated with small mountain streams surrounded by forested slopes at mid-elevations (approximately 2000-2600 m) in the subtropical Mount Wuliang and Mount Ailao ranges in southwest China (Yunnan Province) and northern Vietnam. Given high habitat specificity and lack of suitable habitat in lower elevations between these ranges, we hypothesized limited gene flow between populations throughout its range. We used two mitochondrial genes to construct a phylogeographic pattern within this species in order to test our hypothesis. We also examined whether this phylogeographic pattern is a response to past geological events and/or climatic oscillations. A total of 1989 base pairs were obtained from 81 individuals of nine populations yielding 51 unique haplotypes. Both Bayesian and maximum parsimony phylogenetic analyses revealed four deeply divergent and reciprocally monophyletic mtDNA lineages that approximately correspond to four geographical regions separated by deep river valleys. These results suggest a long history of allopatric separation by vicariance. The distinct geographic distributions of four major clades and the estimated divergence time suggest spatial and temporal separations that coincide with climatic and paleogeographic changes following the orogeny and uplift of Mount Ailao during the late Miocene to mid Pliocene in southwest China. At the southern distribution, the presence of two sympatric yet differentiated clades in two areas are interpreted as a result of secondary contact between previously allopatric populations during cooler Pleistocene glacial cycles. Analysis of molecular variance indicates that most of the observed genetic variation occurs among the four regions implying long-term interruption of maternal gene flow, suggesting that L ailaonicum may represent more than one distinct species and should at least be separated into four management units corresponding to these four geographic lineages for conservation. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Development of a tool for rapidly assessing the implementation difficulty and emissions benefits of innovations

Consumer goods manufacturers aiming to reduce the environmental impact associated with their products commonly pursue incremental change strategies, but more radical approaches may be required if we are to address the challenges of sustainable consumption. One strategy to realize step change reductions is to prepare a portfolio of innovations providing different levels of impact reduction in exchange for different levels of organizational resource commitment. In this research a tool is developed to support this strategy, starting with the assumption that through brainstorming or other eco-innovation approaches, a long-list of candidate innovations has been created. The tool assesses the potential greenhouse gas benefit of an innovative option against the difficulty of its implementation. A simple greenhouse gas benefit assessment method based on streamlined LCA was used to analyze impact reduction potential, and a novel measure of implementation difficulty was developed. The predictions of implementation difficulty were compared against expert opinion, and showed similar results indicating the measure can be used sensibly to predict implementation difficulty. The assessment of the environmental gain versus implementation difficulty is visualized in a matrix, showing the trade-offs of several options. The tool is deliberately simple with scalar measures of CO 2 emissions benefits and implementation difficulty so tool users must remain aware of other potential environmental burdens besides greenhouse gases (e.g. water, waste). In addition, although relative life cycle emissions benefits of an option may be low, the absolute impact of an option can be high and there may be other co-benefits, which could justify higher levels of implementation difficulty. Different types of consumer products (e.g. household, personal care, foods) have been evaluated using the tool. Initial trials of the tool within Unilever demonstrate that the tool facilitates rapid evaluation of low-carbon innovations. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

REPORT ON THE DISTRIBUTION, POPULATION, AND ECOLOGY OF THE YUNNAN SNUB-NOSED MONKEY (RHINOPITHECUS-BIETI)

The Yunnan snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus bieti), an endangered species in China, has received more protection in theory than in practice. Therefore it is on the very verge of extinction. The population of the species was estimated less than 2,000 individuals spread in 19 distinct groups. It was confirmed that the monkey was confined to the Yunling Mountain System, the area between the Yangtze River (Changjiang, aka Jinshajiang) to the east and the Mekong River (Lancangjiang) to the west. We further concluded that a lowland belt to the east, about 100 km long and 20 - 30 km wide was not suitable habitat for the monkeys, and appeared to serve as the natural ecogeologic barrier for the species. Our results indicated that the southern limit of the distribution was at Longma (26-degrees 14'N), and that the northern limit of the distribution was at Xiaochangdu (29-degrees 20'N). The distribution area of the species was substantially smaller than previously estimated. There were substantial ecological differences between the southern and northern parts of the species range. The monkey was found only in fir-larch forest.

神农架地区珍稀植物沿河岸带的分布格局(英文)

在神农架香溪河流域内不同海拔高度沿河岸带共设置42个与河岸方向相同的10 m宽、100 m长样带进行植被调查,发现河岸带分布有珍稀保护植物14种,占神农架地区珍稀植物总数的42.4%,这些珍稀植物主要分布在1200～1800 m山地常绿阔叶林、落叶阔叶混交林带,表明在神农架地区植物群落的物种多样性在中等海拔高度上最大。TWINSPAN分类可把14种珍稀物种可划分为低海拔、中等海拔和较高海拔种组3组,DCA排序也使14种珍稀物种在反映海拔梯度的第一轴可以得到很好的展示。本文还对河岸带珍稀植物分布格局的成因进

三峡地区河岸带植物群落的特征及其分类与排序研究(英文)

本文以长江三峡干流河岸植物群落为研究对象,对群落的物种组成、物种多样性进行了分析,并利用TWINSPAN和DCA对植物群落进行等级式划分。结果表明:河岸植物区系组成较为复杂,以温带成分为主,有着较高比率的世界分布成分。灌、草丛群落之间的物种多样性差异不显著,但部分草丛的不同层次间存在较大差异。TWINSPAN 和DCA分析显示,河岸植物群落呈现沿湿度梯度方向的分布格局。图2表3参8。

A redescription of Piguetiella denticulata Liang and, Xie (Oligochaeta, Tubificidae, Naidinae) from China, with a key to the genus Piguetiella

Piguetiella denticulata Liang & Xie, 1997 is redescribed based on the type series collected from the type locality, Songtao River, and streams of the Zhangjiajie Mountain in southwestern China, and specimens from several tributaries of the Yangtze River. This species is characterized by a large body size, the absence of eyespots and dorsal hair chaetae, the same size and shape of dorsal and ventral chaetae, the presence of 3-4 intermediate teeth on both ventral and dorsal chaetae, and an intestinal dilation in IX-X segments. The essential characteristics used to diagnose the genus are discussed and a key to the genus is provided.

Threatened fishes of the world: Tanichthys albonubes Lin 1932 (Cyprinidae)

The white cloud mountain minnow Tanichthys albonubes Lin is an endemic species to southern China and the genus has two species, Tanichthys albonubes Lin and Tanichthys micagemmae Freyhof et Herder. The distribution range of T. albonubes Lin and T. micagemmae is very narrow and only found in the mountain brooks of Baiyunshan Mountain (White Cloud Mountain), Huaxian Country and the vicinity of Guangzhou in Guangdong Province and Halong, Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam respectively. The wild populations of this fish had already been on the verge of extinction when Shu-Yan Lin first discovered it in 1932 at the Baiyunshan Mountain. It was believed to be extinct in the wild because there were no reports of this fish in the wild since 1980. In September 2003, a small and isolated population of the fish was discovered in a mountain puddle in the north vicinity of Guangzhou. Additional studies are needed to determine the survival and propagation of the released fish. The protection of their natural habitat should be implemented.