牦牛粪便对青藏高原东部高寒草甸土壤养分系统的影响

川西北高寒草甸位于青藏高原东部地区，是我国四大牧区之一，也是长江和黄河等江河源区的重要水源涵养功能区。近几十年来，大量牦牛粪便被牧民作为生物能源、肥料或者食用菌产业的原料而利用，为草原生态系统的养分平衡增加了生态风险。鉴于在青藏高原地区针对牦牛粪便的相关研究尚未见报道，本文从粪便和土壤养分相互变化趋势的角度出发，研究了粪便在夏秋两季的分解状况和粪便其下及其周围土壤的养分变化。通过此研究，将有助于了解牦牛粪便在自然状态下的分解速率以及粪便对土壤养分及土壤微生物生物量的影响，为粪便对草地土壤生态系统的贡献提供概念性认识，同时也为高寒草甸草地这种脆弱生态系统的可持续管理提供理论依据。 针对牦牛粪便自身养分释放及其对土壤在时间和空间尺度上的影响，本文通过模拟牛粪堆积，在不同时间和固定区域内对牛粪和土壤进行了夏秋两季的采样测定，分析了牛粪及土壤NO3--N、NH4+-N、速效K、无机P、有机C、全N 和全P 含量随时间的变化趋势。得到如下结果： 1. 在研究区域内，牛粪对草地生态系统具有较强的养分（N、P）贡献能力。据初步统计，其估值大致为氮素699~932 kg ha-1，P 素为110~147 kg ha-1。牛粪（湿重、干重）在夏秋季节的分解速率具有较大差异，夏季显著快于秋季。夏季牛粪湿重、干重在2 个月左右之后分别降为初期的14%和24%，而秋季同期分别降为35%和52%。牛粪养分（NO3--N、NH4+-N、速效K、无机P、有机C、全N 和全P）的分解速率在夏季也要显著快于秋季。秋季经过2 个月左右的分解之后，牛粪以上含量分别降至初始态的32%、60%、36%、64%、58%、63%和43%，远高于夏季的同期水平。 2. 在不同季节，牛粪周围的土壤养分（NO3--N、NH4+-N、速效K 和无机P）含量变化随时间改变呈现相同的趋势。但是，牛粪周围不同远近下土壤养分随时间的动态变化幅度略有不同。粪下土壤养分含量随时间变化波动较大，距粪便越远，随时间变化的变幅越为平缓。总体来说，在夏季由于粪便分解较快，对土壤养分的持续作用时间不及秋季，秋季粪便分解变慢，表现出养分的缓释特征。其次，牛粪对粪下土壤影响的持续时间也长于对周围土壤的作用时间。 3. 粪便对土壤养分（NO3--N、NH4+-N、速效K、无机P）影响的范围在不同季节具有差异。夏季要高于秋季，但对周围土壤养分影响的持续时间低于秋季。在夏季短期内，牛粪对土壤NO3--N 和速效K 含量的影响范围能够超过30cm，而对NH4+-N 和无机P 的影响范围则介于10cm 和30cm 之间。在2 个月左右之后，牛粪对周围土壤养分的影响能力基本消失。在秋季，牛粪对周围土壤养分影响范围难以达到30cm 处。粪便在夏季对其下土壤和周围土壤的有机C、全N 和全P 含量并无显著影响，但在秋季能显著增加其下土壤有机C、全N 和全P 含量。 4. 牛粪在秋季对土壤SMB-C、SMB-N 和SMB-P 含量的影响能够持续2 个月以上，由于秋冬季节牛粪分解缓慢，因此推断这种效应持续时间至少能够1 年左右。另一方面，牛粪在秋季对土壤SMB-C、SMB-N 和SMB-P 含量的影响范围主要集中在其下土壤，而周围的影响效应并不明显。 The grassland on the eastern fringe of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau was one of the four greatest pasture zones in our country and the main water conservation function zones in the hesastream of Yangtse River and Huanghe river. Rencent years, lots of dung in this area was used as biological energy, fertilizer or material of fungoid growing, leading to high risk of nutrient banlance in grassland ecosystem. In view of the researches on the impact of yak dung in this area are relatively rare, the present study focused on the relationship of dung and soil nutrient transformation in sunmer and autumn, which could profoundly illuminate the mechanism of dung decomposition and the effect of dung on soil chemical properties and soil microbe biomass. The present study also contributed to a basic understand and provided scientific management in the high-frigid ecosystem. Decomposition of yak dung and its effect on soil chemical properties in eastern grassland of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau were determined. The study simulated the real dung pats, took dung and soil samples at different time and fixed-point in summer and autumn. The samples were analysed for NO3--N, NH4+-N, available K, inorganic P, total organic C (TOC), total N (TN), total P (TP). It was concluded that: 1. In study area, the yak dung supplied to ecosystem substantial nutrient. It is estimated that the N contribution of dung was approximately 699~932 kg ha-1, P contribution was approximately 110~147 kg ha-1. The rate of yak decomposition was more rapid in summer than autumn, the wet and dry weight of yak decreased to 14% and 24% respectively after 2 months when dung excreted in summer, with 35% and 52% in autumn. The content of NO3--N、NH4+-N、available K、inorganic P、TOC、TN and TP in dung decomposed more rapid in summer too. After 2 months when dung excreted in autumn, the content of above nutrient decreased to 32%、60%、36%、64%、58%、63% and 43% respectively，which were significantly higher than summer. 2. The content of NO3--N、NH4+-N、available K and inorganic P in soil around dung had the same transformation trend in each season, whereas it was distinguishing at different gradient of distance from dung, the nutrient in soil below dung had the most significant change while the more far from dung, the less change in soil. It was concluded that the yak dung had prolong impacts on soil in autumn compared with summer, besides, it aslo showed that the yak dung had protract effect on soil below dung compared with soil around dung. 3. The yak dung had expansive impact on soil around dung in summer whereas had relatively short effect compared with autumn. In short-term at summer, there was a significant increase about the content of NO3--N and available K around 30cm radius from dung pat while the content of NH4+-N and inorganic P between 10cm to 30cm. After 2 months, the impact almost disappeared. In autumn, the effect was hard to reach 30cm. The yak dung had no significant effects on the content of TOC、TN and TP in soil below or around dung in summer whereas there was a obvious increase in soil below dung pat in autumn. 4. The duration of effect of yak dung on soil microbial biomass(SMB) C、N and P was at least 2 months, maybe even more than 1 year. On the other hand, the impact of dung on SMB-C、SMB-N and SMB-P mainly acted on soil below dung while no obious effect on soil around dung.

How yak farmers can hold back a glacial tsunami

As Himalayan glaciers melt, the natural dams formed beneath them become a dangerous threat to villages below. However, local yak farmers could soon have a simple solution.

Revision of the dung beetle genus Temnoplectron Westwood (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeini)

Temnoplectron Westwood is revised and five new species described, four from North Queensland: cooki, finnigani, lewisense, monteithi, one from New Guinea: wareo. Temnoplectron reyi Paulian is removed from synonymy with T. politulum Macleay, Temnoplectron laevigatum Matthews is placed in synonymy with T. boucomonti Paulian, T. heurni Paulian and Z howdeni Paulian are synonymised with Z atropolitum Gillet, and T. major Paulian is recognised in Australia for the first time. All known species are redescribed. A key is provided for the 19 species of Temnoplectron and new distribution records are noted. A cladistic analysis of the genus is presented, the results of which suggest at least two origins for flightlessness in the genus. The biogeography of Temnoplectran is discussed with reference to isolation of rainforest blocks during periods of maximum aridity.

Nocturnal Perching of Scarabaeine Dung Beetles (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae) in an Australian Tropical Rain Forest

Wongabel, a northeastern Queensland tropical, wet, evergreen forest, contains 22 species of Scarabaeinae dung beetles. Five of these species were observed to perch commonly on leaves at night. Length of the beetle and the height of its perch were recorded for each of 56 1 specimens. Unlike the New World tropical dung beetle perchers, no clear evidence was found that small species perched closer to the ground than larger species. The evidence gathered, at least for the four most common perchers, supports the hypothesis that perching is one type of foraging strategy. The similarities and differences between the Australian and New World perchers are discussed.

Dung beetle communities in Madagascar

The traditional aim of community ecology has been to understand the origin and maintenance of species richness in local communities. Why certain species occur in one place but not in another, how ecologically apparently similar species use resources, what is the role of the regional species pool in affecting species composition in local communities, and so forth. Madagascar offers great opportunities to conduct such studies, since it is a very large island that has been isolated for tens of million of years. Madagascar has remarkable faunal and floral diversity and species level endemism reaches 100% in many groups of species. Madagascar is also exceptional for endemism at high taxonomic levels and for the skewed representation of many taxa in comparison with continental faunas. For example, native ungulates that are dominant large herbivorous mammals on the African continent are completely lacking in Madagascar. The largest native Malagasy herbivores, and the main dung producers for Malagasy dung beetles, are the endemic primates, lemurs. Cattle was introduced to Madagascar about 1,000 yrs ago and is today abundant and widespread. I have studied Malagasy dung beetle communities and the distributional patterns of species at several spatial scales and compared the results with comparable communities in other tropical areas. There are substantial differences in dung beetle communities in Madagascar and elsewhere in the tropics in terms of the life histories of the species, species ecological traits, local and regional species diversities, and the sizes of species geographical ranges. These differences are attributed to Madagascar s ancient isolation, large size, heterogeneous environment, skewed representation of the mammalian fauna, and recent though currently great human impact.

Dung beetle radiations in Madagascar

Speciation on islands is affected by island size and the range of habitats and resources available and often also by limited interactions with other taxa. An ancestral population may evolve into a large number of species via an adaptive radiation. In Madagascar, most groups of animals and plants have radiated on the island, having arrived via oceanic dispersal during the long isolation of Madagascar. Characteristic features of Malagasy biota are exceptionally high level of endemism, high species richness as well as lack of many higher taxa that are dominant on the African mainland. Malagasy dung beetles are dominated by two tribes, Canthonini and Helictopleurina, with more than 250 endemic species. In this thesis I have reconstructed molecular phylogenies for the two tribes using several gene regions and different phylogenetic methods. Evolution of closely related species and among populations of the same species was examined with haplotype networks. The Malagasy Canthonini consists of three large lineages, while Helictopleurina forms a monophyletic group. The ancestors of each of the four clades colonised Madagascar at different times during Cenozoic. The subsequent radiations differ in terms of the number of extant species (from 37 to more than 100) and the level of ecological differentiation. In addition, Onthophagini (6 species) and Scarabaeini (3) have colonised Madagascar several times, but they have not radiated and the few species have not entered forests where Canthonini and Helictopleurina mostly occur. Among the three Canthonini radiations, speciation appears to have been mostly allopatric in the oldest and the youngest clades, while in the Epactoides clade sister species have diverged in their ecologies but have similar geographical distributions, indicating that speciation may have occurred in regional sympatry. The most likely isolating mechanisms have been rivers and forest refugia during dry and cool geological periods. Most species are generalists feeding on both carrion and dung, and competition among ecologically similar species may prevent their coexistence in the same communities. Some species have evolved to forage in the canopy and a few species have shifted to use cattle dung, a new resource in the open habitats following the introduction of cattle 1500 years ago. The latter shift has allowed species to expand their geographical ranges.

If dung beetles (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) arose in association with dinosaurs, did they also suffer a mass co-extinction at the K-Pg boundary?

The evolutionary success of beetles and numerous other terrestrial insects is generally attributed to co-radiation with flowering plants but most studies have focused on herbivorous or pollinating insects. Non-herbivores represent a significant proportion of beetle diversity yet potential factors that influence their diversification have been largely unexamined. In the present study, we examine the factors driving diversification within the Scarabaeidae, a speciose beetle family with a range of both herbivorous and non-herbivorous ecologies. In particular, it has been long debated whether the key event in the evolution of dung beetles (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) was an adaptation to feeding on dinosaur or mammalian dung. Here we present molecular evidence to show that the origin of dung beetles occurred in the middle of the Cretaceous, likely in association with dinosaur dung, but more surprisingly the timing is consistent with the rise of the angiosperms. We hypothesize that the switch in dinosaur diet to incorporate more nutritious and less fibrous angiosperm foliage provided a palatable dung source that ultimately created a new niche for diversification. Given the well-accepted mass extinction of non-avian dinosaurs at the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary, we examine a potential co-extinction of dung beetles due to the loss of an important evolutionary resource, i.e., dinosaur dung. The biogeography of dung beetles is also examined to explore the previously proposed "out of Africa" hypothesis. Given the inferred age of Scarabaeinae as originating in the Lower Cretaceous, the major radiation of dung feeders prior to the Cenomanian, and the early divergence of both African and Gondwanan lineages, we hypothesise that that faunal exchange between Africa and Gondwanaland occurred during the earliest evolution of the Scarabaeinae. Therefore we propose that both Gondwanan vicariance and dispersal of African lineages is responsible for present day distribution of scarabaeine dung beetles and provide examples.

Dung as a potential medium for inter-sexual chemical signaling in Asian elephants (Elephas maximus)

Chemical signaling is a prominent mode of male-female communication among elephants, especially during their sexually active periods. Studies on the Asian elephant in zoos have shown the significance of a urinary pheromone (Z7-12:Ac) in conveying the reproductive status of a female toward the opposite sex. We investigated the additional possibility of an inter-sexual chemical signal being conveyed through dung. Sixteen semi-captive adult male elephants were presented with dung samples of three female elephants in different reproductive phases. Each male was tested in 3 separate trials, within an interval of 1-3 days. The trials followed a double-blind pattern as the male and female elephants used in the trials were strangers, and the observer was not aware of the reproductive status of females during the period of bioassays. Males responded preferentially (P < 0.005), in terms of higher frequency of sniff, check and place behavior toward the dung of females close to pre-ovulatory period (follicular-phase) as compared to those in post-ovulatory period (luteal-phase). The response toward the follicular phase samples declined over repeated trials though was still significantly higher than the corresponding response toward the non-ovulatory phase in each of the trials performed. This is the first study to show that male Asian elephants were able to distinguish the reproductive phase of the female by possibly detecting a pre-ovulatory pheromone released in dung. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

How much Dillenia indica seed predation occurs from Asian elephant dung?

Elephants are thought to be effective seed dispersers, but research on whether elephant dung effectively protects seeds from seed predation is lacking. Quantifying rates of seed predation from elephant dung will facilitate comparisons between elephants and alternative dispersers, helping us understand the functional role of megaherbivores in ecosystems. We conducted an experiment to quantify the predation of Dillenia indica seeds from elephant dung in Buxa Reserve, India from December 2012 to April 2013. Using dung boluses from the same dung pile, we compared the number of seeds in boluses that are a) opened immediately upon detection (control boluses), b) made available only to small seed predators (<= 3 mm wide) for 1-4 months, and c) made available to all seed predators and secondary dispersers for 1-4 months. Using a model built on this experiment, we estimated that seed predation by small seed predators (most likely ants and termites) destroys between 82.9% and 96.4% of seeds in elephant dung between the time of defecation and the median germination date for D. indica. Exposure to larger seed predators and secondary dispersers did not lead to a significant additional reduction in the number of seeds per dung bolus. Our findings suggest that post-dispersal seed predation by small insects (<3 mm) substantially reduces but does not eliminate the success of elephants as dispersers of D. indica in a tropical moist forest habitat. (C) 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Pig dung as pond manure: effect on water quality, pond productivity and growth of carps in polyculture system

Pig dung was used as manure at 18 and 36 t/ha/year in carp polyculture (without supplementary feeding) for 270 days. It was observed that pig dung at both the levels did not degrade the physico-chemical properties (pH, dissolved oxygen and alkalinity) of water. The nutrient (phosphates and nitrates) level of water was higher in manured ponds than control ponds (no manuring, only supplementary feeding). Further, plankton levels (phyto- and zooplankton) were also significantly higher in manured ponds. The growth of Catla catla and Labeo rohita was significantly more in manured ponds than in control ponds. Growth of Cirrhinus cirrhosus and Cyprinus carpio was significantly more in ponds manured with pig dung at 18 t/ha/year than in control ponds and the growth of Ctenopharyngodon idellus was significantly more in control than in manured ponds.

Assessment of cattle genetic introgression into domestic yak populations using mitochondrial and microsatellite DNA markers

Hybridization between yak Poephagus grunniens and taurine Bos taurus or indicine B. indicus cattle has been widely practiced throughout the yak geographical range, and gene flow is expected to have occurred between these species. To assess the impact of cattle admixture on domestic yak, we examined 1076 domestic yak from 29 populations collected in China, Bhutan, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia and Russia using mitochondrial DNA and 17 autosomal microsatellite loci. A cattle diagnostic marker-based analysis reveals cattle-specific mtDNA and/or autosomal microsatellite allele introgression in 127 yak individuals from 22 populations. The mean level of cattle admixture across the populations, calculated using allelic information at 17 autosomal microsatellite loci, remains relatively low (mY(cattle) = 2.66 +/- 0.53% and Q(cattle) = 0.69 +/- 2.58%), although it varies a lot across populations as well as among individuals within population. Although the level of cattle admixture shows a clear geographical structure, with higher levels of admixture in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and Mongolian and Russian regions, and lower levels in the Himalayan and Pamir Plateau region, our results indicate that the level of cattle admixture is not significantly correlated with the altitude across geographical regions as well as within geographical region. Although yak-cattle hybridization is primarily driven to produce F-1 hybrids, our results show that the subsequent gene flow between yak and cattle took place and has affected contemporary genetic make-up of domestic yak. To protect yak genetic integrity, hybridization between yak and cattle should be tightly controlled.

Genetic diversity and divergence in Chinese yak (Bos grunniens) populations inferred from blood protein electrophoresis

In 6 Chinese yak (Bos. grunniens) populations including 177 yaks, 34 blood protein loci were studied by horizontal starch gel electrophoresis, four of these loci (AKP: ALB, LDH-1, TF) were found to be polymorphic. The percentage of polymorphic loci(P) is 0.118, the mean individual heterozygosity(H) is 0.015, which means a low level of genetic diversity in the whole Chinese yak population. The coefficient of gene differentiation (G(ST)) is 0.0625, which indicated an almost-indistinguishable divergence among different populations at the level of blood protein electrophoresis.

Polymorphism in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of yak (Bos grunniens)

Mitochondrial DNAs (mtDNA) from 21 yaks (Bos grunniens) were assayed for restriction fragment length polymorphisms by using 20 restriction endonucleases, six of which (AvaI, AvaII, BglII, EcoRI, HindIII, and HpaI) detected polymorphism. Four different mtD

The indel polymorphisms of the prion protein gene (PRNP ) in Chinese yak

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