Indicators of biodiversity, what do they indicate? - Lessons for conservation of cryptogams in oak-rich forest

In the Nordic countries, sets of Indicator (Signal) species, predominantly cryptogams, have been used as one measure to find forest stands which may harbour Red List species. Such data could potentially also be used to prioritise among stands for protection as nature reserves. We studied if the number of Signal species indicates the number of Red List species in oak-rich mixed forest in south Sweden. We also explored if species richness of the investigated groups is correlated with the number of Red List or Signal species. In 25 stands, we surveyed epiphytic and epixylic bryophytes and lichens, ground-floor bryophytes, and wood-living fungi. We studied correlations for two datasets; (1) all forest species and (2) deciduous forest specialists. When relating the number of Signal species to the number of Red List species for each taxon and in total, a significant correlation was found for temperate deciduous forest lichens. The number of Signal species was further significantly correlated to total species richness for lichens (all forest species) and for wood-living fungi (both datasets). The number of Red List lichens was correlated to total lichen richness (deciduous forest species). Signal species seem not to be unequivocal in prioritising potential reserves among valuable oak-rich woodlands and surveys by Red List species experts may be needed. Signal species may be more useful for finding relatively valuable sites in a matrix of production forest. Moreover, Signal species seem to be useful surrogates for total cryptogam species richness.     

Diversity and function of decomposer fungi from a grassland soil

Despite the substantial interest to ecologists of the relationship between species diversity and ecosystem functioning, little is known about how the high species richness of decomposer (saprotrophic) fungi and their relative frequencies of occurrence influence the decomposition of organic matter. Three experiments were conducted to test the ability of culturable saprotrophic fungal isolates to utilise a range of artificial and more natural substrates that occur in organic matter, with the aims of (1) characterising the functional potential of ‘common’ and ‘occasional’ taxa in an upland grassland soil and (2) determining whether there was a high degree of apparent functional redundancy in these communities. ‘Function’ was defined as the ability of a fungal isolate to utilise broad categories of substrates (e.g. sugars, cellulose, lignin) that occur in organic matter and which change in proportion during decomposition. The terms ‘common/abundant/frequent’ and ‘occasional/infrequent’ usually referred here to the frequencies of occurrence of taxa estimated using Warcup soil plates. Accepting the difficulties of sampling fungi in soil, this appeared to be the most useful isolation method to produce a general picture of the microfungal community with an estimate of frequency of occurrence for every taxon obtained, and to provide cultures for use in function tests. The influence of this technique on the interpretation of the results is discussed.Forty-eight fungal isolates, obtained from an upland grassland in Roxburghshire, UK, were selected to cover the most ‘abundant’ taxa and a range of ‘occasionals’. Pure cultures of anamorphic fungi and members of the Zygomycota, Ascomycota and Basidiomycota were tested. Although there was apparently a high degree of functional redundancy (equivalence) in assemblages of culturable decomposer fungi, with ‘frequent’ and ‘infrequent’ taxa largely utilising the same substrates, the ‘infrequent’ taxa played important roles in decomposition. ‘Infrequent’ microfungi tested were potentially more active in decomposition than the ‘frequent’ taxa, i.e. several had a higher overall activity, were able to utilise a wider range of substrates and were more combative than the ‘abundant’ taxa. When ‘abundant’ and ‘occasional’ taxa from the same putative guild were inoculated together on grass litter, there was slight evidence of ‘positive’ indirect effects on decomposition and cellulose degradation. Some ‘negative’ effects on lignin degradation, probably as a result of combat, were observed.It is possible that the ‘occasional’ taxa increased the temporal resilience of the ecosystem process of decomposition, and were ‘waiting in the wings’ to replace the abundant taxa. Nevertheless, greater functional diversity could be associated with the uncultured taxa not studied here.     

Constraints on development of fungal biomass and decomposition processes during restoration of arable sandy soils

In an earlier study we reported the apparent stabilization of a low fungal biomass in ex-arable lands during the first decades after abandonment. It was hypothesized that the lack of increase in fungal biomass was due to constraints on development of fungi with persistent hyphae such as lignocellulolytic basidiomycetes and ericoid mycorrhizal fungi. With respect to the former group, the slow increase of the pool of lignocellulose-rich organic matter was expected to be the major constraint for their development. To study this, we enriched soil samples of one arable land, of two recently abandoned arable lands, of one older abandoned arable land and of heathland with carbon substrates that differed in composition (glucose, cellulose and sawdust). In addition, we combined the effect of carbon addition on fungal biomass development in arable and recently abandoned lands with inoculation of 1% of soil from the older abandoned site and the heathland. All treatments induced a fast increase and a subsequent rapid decline in fungal biomass in the arable and ex-arable fields. Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) band patterns and enzyme activities did show differences between the carbon treatments but not between the recent and older abandoned field sites, indicating a similarly responding fungal community even after three decades of land abandonment and irrespective of soil inoculation. Identification of fungi by sequencing and culturing confirmed that decomposition processes were mostly dominated by opportunistic fungi in arable and ex-arable fields. In the heathland, only a very slow increase of microbial activity was observed after addition of carbon and sequencing of DGGE bands showed that ericoid mycorrhiza (ERM) fungi were responsible for carbon decomposition. We conclude that an increase of enduringly present fungal hyphae in ex-arable land may only be possible when a separate litter layer develops and/or when suitable host plants for ERM fungi become established.     

内生枯草芽孢杆菌Thhyl的促生与定殖力研究

采用种子萌发及盆栽试验测定菌株Thhyl对番茄的促生长作用。结果表明：菌株培养液浓度在40％以下对番茄种子萌发具有强的促生作用,大于40％时对番茄种子萌发具有抑制作用;菌株培养液比菌株胞外分泌物对种子的萌发促生作用好;菌株Thhyl培养液对幼苗平均鲜重和干重增长率均达到120％以上;对幼苗的平均株高增长62．01％;对幼苗的平均根长增长率为44．14％;对幼苗的平均茎粗增长率为50．00％。以抗利福平（300μg／mL）的拮抗病原茵双抗性为标准,测定菌株Thhyl的内生及定殖性。采用浸种和叶片涂抹2种方法,结果证明菌株Thhyl能在番茄体内定殖,其中叶片涂抹法在植株体内的定殖量较浸种处理多。     

几种食药两用真菌的抗疲劳作用研究

为筛选有抗疲劳作用的食药两用真菌,并为其在抗疲劳药物和抗疲劳功能性食品研究中的应用提供实验依据,本实验通过游泳耐力和生化指标的测定对几种食药两用真菌的抗疲劳作用进行了研究。结果表明,灵芝、冬虫夏草、香菇、银耳、猴头均可延长小鼠游泳时间,降低小鼠游泳后血清尿素氮(BUN)和血乳酸含量;灵芝和冬虫夏草还可增强血清乳酸脱氢酶(LDH)活性。根据《保健食品功能学评价程序与方法》中的有关规定,可以认为:上述几种食药两用真菌能增强机体对运动负荷的适应能力,具有抗疲劳功能。     

真菌分类技术的研究进展

综述了真菌分类研究中一些常用技术的变化和发展,并归纳和总结了这些技术的优缺点。     

食用菌培养料不同处理方法效果的研究

试验选取 4种培养料处理方法 ,对其防杂菌污染效果及对食用菌菌丝生长和产量影响进行了研究。结果表明 :发酵 +高温蒸汽灭菌法与常规高温蒸汽灭菌法比较效果无明显差异 ,而发酵 +高温蒸汽灭菌法比常规高温蒸汽灭菌法可以缩短灭菌时间 6 5h ,具有广泛的推广价值。药剂处理法和发酵处理法虽然在菌丝生长和产量上不及常规高温蒸汽灭菌法 ,但其不需高温蒸汽灭菌 ,节省能源和设备投资 ,省工、省时。可在平菇、姬菇、鸡腿菇上应用推广     

石斛茎部内生真菌的分离与分布

采用70%酒精与0.1%升汞(HgCl2)相结合的表面消毒法,分离石斛茎部内生真菌。实验结果表明,升汞的消毒时间1~8 min均可,以5 min左右为宜。石斛茎部内生真菌主要分布于紧贴表皮的一小部分组织中。     

丛枝菌根菌对大田辣椒产量及抗病性的影响

在大田辣椒上接种两种丛枝菌根真菌(Glomus mosseae)和(Glomus etunicatum)。两种处理的单株产量比对照都有显著提高,其中G.etunicatum的单株产量增加了116.4%,疫霉病发病率降低了41%。     

辣木内生真菌产生抗菌物质的生物学特性研究

从辣木(Moringa sp.)中分离得到一株内生真菌(Aspergillus sp.),其发酵液对金黄色葡萄球菌和绿脓杆菌的生长有很强的抑制作用。曲霉ly14发酵液抑菌效果的最适碳源是麦芽糖,最适氮源是玉米浆,最适初始pH为5,最适装液量为50 mL和最适培养时间160 h,但生长因子(叶酸和VB12除外)和无机盐离子并不促进发酵夜得抑菌效果。