Estimating genetic relationships among historical sources of alfalfa germplasm and selected cultivars with sequence related amplified polymorphisms

Fifteen alfalfa populations consisting of six public cultivars and nine historically recognized sources of alfalfa germplasm in North American cultivars were examined using sequence related amplified polymorphisms (SRAPs). Three bulk DNA samples from each population were evaluated with fourteen different SRAP primer pairs. This resulted in 249 different amplicons, of which over 90% were polymorphic. A dendrogram from the analysis suggests that the public cultivars are quite diverse from all the historical sources of germplasm. The highest mean genetic similarity among the nine original sources of Medicago germplasm was 0.85 between PI 536535 (Peruvian) and 536536 (Indian), while the lowest (0.47) was between PI 560333 (M. falcata) and 536539 (African). The highest mean genetic similarity among the nine original sources of Medicago germplasm and the public alfalfa cultivars was 0.78 between PI 536532 (Ladak) and Vernal, while the lowest (0.59) was between PI 536539 (African) and Oneida. Relationships based on SRAP analysis appear to generally concur with expected relationships based on fall dormancy. This report demonstrates that SRAPs are a promising marker system for detecting polymorphisms in alfalfa.     

Potential for Selection in the Progeny of an Interspecific Hybrid in Foxtail Millet

Genetic variation for morphology and grain yield components was studied in the F₂ and 14 F₃ families of an interspecific cross of Setaria italica (foxtail millet) with S. viridis s. s. (green foxtail). It appeared possible to recover the cultivated type using a simple selection procedure in F₂ and F₃. Comparison with a cross involving S. viridis var. major (giant green foxtail) is discussed.     

Relationships between African species of the genus Cucumis L. Estimated by the production,vigour and fertility of F1 hybrids

Summary The production, vigour, and fertility of F₁ hybrids between nine African species of the genus Cucumis L. were studied as a measure of the relationships between the species. Hybrid plants were obtained from 29 out of the 72 possible cross combinations. Two F₁ hybrids died as seedlings, and 27 hybrids were raised to maturity. Pollen production and stainability varied greatly amongst these hybrids, as did fruit and seed set following self pollination and backcrossing with either parental species. The fruit shape of the hybrids was always intermediate between that of both parental species.Two species appeared to be closely related: C. prophetarum L. and C. anguria var. longipes A. Meeuse. Most other species produced highly to moderately fertile F₁ hybrids with at least one other species. C. metuliferus Naud. produced only sterile hybrids with C. zeyheri Sond. 2x. The results sustain the recent taxonomic classification of the genus (Jeffrey, 1980).     

云南省砚山县石漠化区域植被修复的物种配置研究

[目的]对石漠化区域人工植被恢复的物种配置方案进行研究,为恢复石漠化地区的生态服务功能,遏制水土流失提供技术支撑。[方法]通过对砚山县不同等级石漠化区域的植被进行实地调查,选取并查明无明显石漠化、潜在石漠化和轻度石漠化3类小区域植物群落结构特征及各物种在群落中的地位。[结果]清香木、栓皮栎是乔木层优势种,火棘、野花椒是灌木层优势种,茅草为草本层优势种,葛藤为藤本植物优势种,它们均具有极为重要的生态价值和经济价值。[结论]结合当地实际情况,提出采用各层乡土优势种并结合引进物种山葡萄等进行石漠化山地乔灌草藤搭配为适合人工植被修复的物种配置方案。     

北川河流域退耕还林不同配置模式对土壤抗冲性的影响

在青海大通县北川河流域分浅山区和脑山区各选择了5种退耕还林配置模式,研究了不同配置模式对土壤抗冲性的影响,结果表明:在浅山区,土壤抗冲性指数与枯落物现存量呈显著正相关,以模式D(中国沙棘)的抗冲性指数最大,为1.136 s/g,以模式E(柠条)的最小,为0.385 s/g;在脑山区,土壤抗冲性指数与团聚度、总孔隙度呈显著正相关,模式F(青海云杉)的土壤抗性指数最大,为1.652 s/g,模式J(青杨 中国沙棘)的土壤抗冲性指数最小。     

Ecogeographic and genetic diversity based on morphological characters of indigenous rice (Oryza sativa L.) in Yunnan, China

Yunnan is one of the largest centres of genetic ecological diversity and the richest area for elite germplasm of rice (O. sativa L.) resources in the world. Its indigenous rice average diversity index of six ecological groups are, in turn, javanica (1.2319) > aman (1.1738) > communis (1.1726) > nuda (1.1618) > aus (1.1371) > boro (0.9889), and there are great differences between indica (1.1454) and japonica (1.2081). The indigenous rice in Yunnan can be divided into 58 varieties, almost the total number found in China, and the cultivars account for 8.6% of the total cultivars in China. A great difference in ecological diversity index of rice resources between prefectures or counties in Yunnan province also exists, with the southwest part (Lincang, Xishuangbanna, Dehong, Simao) and southeast part (Wenshan) having been found to be the largest centre of genetic diversity, as their average genetic diversity index ranges from 1.2735 to 1.2036, especially. The average diversity index of the Cangyuan, Gengma, Zhenkang, Yongde, Yingjiang, Jinghong, Menghai, Shuangjiang, Ruili, Longchuan, Mojiang, Wenshan and Guangnan counties, in particular, have an average diversity index ranging from 0.8 to1.0. On the contrary, in Diqing, Dongchuan, Kunming, Lijiang, Qujing, Chuxiong, it is comparatively low, i.e., 0.7843–1.1075. Differences in the ecological diversity index of rice resources between rice regions are small, only 1.1322 to 1.2849.     

山区小流域自然资源垂直分异特征及其治理模式研究—以开县石碗溪流域为例

以开县石碗溪流域为例,论述了山区小流域自然资源的垂直分异特性,并在垂直分异的基础上,对该流域进行了综合分区,同时,结合成都山地灾害研究所在该地实施的生态项目,提出了垂直分异综合分区治理模式。     

水稻品种多样性持续控制稻瘟病研究

在对水稻品种进行抗病基因同源序列RGA(Resistance gene analogue)分析的基础上,应用品种多样性有利于病菌稳定化选择原理,选择抗性遗传背景差异大的品种,在吉安和石城进行混合间栽防治稻瘟病研究。不同年份不同生态环境下试验均表明,遗传背景差异大的水稻品种混合间栽,对稻瘟病有明显控制效果,特别是感病优质糯稻品种混合问栽后,稻瘟病发病率、病情指数均极显著下降,其防治效果达82．14％～95．91％。混合间栽对杂交稻稻瘟病也有一定控制效果,防治效果为40.82％～70．87％。与净栽相比,水稻产量增幅在6．03％～11．81％之间。     

Effects of nonindigenous tadpoles on native tadpoles in Florida: evidence of competition

The impacts of nonindigenous species on native ecosystems can be severe, sometimes leading to the extinction of native taxa. Interspecific competition is a potential mechanism of negative impact of invasive species, but few studies have conclusively demonstrated competition between native and nonindigenous taxa. In this study I used experimental manipulations to examine the competitive effects of the larvae of two widely introduced anurans, the cane toad, Bufo marinus, and the Cuban treefrog, Osteopilus septentrionalis, on the growth and development of the larvae of two native anurans (the southern toad, Bufo terrestris, and the green treefrog, Hyla cinerea). The presence of O. septentrionalis larvae consistently impacted growth and development of native larvae, resulting in reduced growth rates and delayed metamorphosis of both native species and smaller mass at metamorphosis of B. terrestris. Hyla cinerea larvae transformed at greater body masses when reared with the rapidly transforming nonindigenous species as a result of competitive release. The negative effects of O. septentrionalis on native larvae were generally significant whether native tadpoles were exposed to O. septentrionalis alone or in combination with B. marinus. In contrast, B. marinus tadpoles did not significantly impact the growth or development of either native species. Neither nonindigenous species significantly decreased the survivorship of native larvae, although a trend toward decreased survivorship was evident for H. cinerea. These results suggest that nonindigenous larval anurans may adversely impact native tadpole communities as a result of interspecific competition.     

Recovery of native plant communities after the control of a dominant invasive plant species, Foeniculum vulgare: Implications for management

The control and/or removal of a dominant invasive species is expected to lead to increases in native species richness and diversity. Small pilot studies were performed on Santa Cruz Island (SCI), California, in the early 1990s to test the efficacy of different methods on the control of Foeniculum vulgare (fennel) and management’s effects on native species recovery. We chose a treatment that showed significant native species recovery, applied it at the landscape scale, and followed its effects on fennel infested plant communities. We tested the hypothesis that results from small-scale studies translate to the landscape level. We found that although the control of fennel translated from the small to landscape scale, decreasing from an average of 60% to less than 3% cover, native species recovery did not occur in the landscape study as it did in the pilot studies. Invasive fennel cover was replaced by non-native grass cover over time. Unexpectedly, fennel cover in untreated fennel plots decreased significantly (though not as drastically) from over 60% cover to just under 40% cover while native species richness in untreated areas increased significantly. The correlation between precipitation and changes in native and non-native species richness and abundance in this study imply that changes in species abundances were highly correlated with environmental fluctuations. The lack of a native seedbank and the accumulation of non-native grass litter likely prevented the recovery of native species in treated areas. Greater vertical complexity found in fennel communities, which increased visitation by frugivorous birds and likely increased native seed dispersal, may have been responsible for the increase in native species richness in the untreated areas. These results suggest that successful invasive species control and native species recovery experiments conducted at small scales may not translate to the landscape level, and active restoration should be an organic component of such large-scale projects.