东灵山不同林型五角枫叶性状异速生长关系随发育阶段的变化

分析植物叶片性状种内水平的异速生长关系有助于加深理解生长发育过程中叶片的资源利用模式。分析了东灵山3个主要林型(白桦林、胡桃楸林、辽东栎林)中五角枫成树、幼树、幼苗的叶面积、叶体积、叶含水量与叶干重之间的异速生长关系。结果表明:成树叶面积增长速度小于叶干重的增长速度,幼树、幼苗叶面积与叶干重保持同速增长;成树、幼树叶干重与叶体积保持同速增长,幼苗叶体积的增长速度超过了干重的增长速度;成树叶含水量的增长速度小于叶干重的增长速度,幼树、幼苗两性状间保持等速增长。叶含水量与叶干重的异速生长指数在不同的林型间有显著差异,白桦林叶含水量的增长速度小于叶干重的增长速度,其余两个林型均为等速增长趋势。这些结果揭示了不同发育阶段五角枫资源利用方式的转变。随叶干重的增加,成树将更多的叶生物量投资于同化和支持结构;幼树则保持对光合面积和光合同化结构的稳步投资;而幼苗主要投资于叶面积的增大。叶含水量与叶干重的异速曲线在不同林型间的差异说明叶片代谢活性相较于其他叶性状可塑性更高。     

松嫩平原林缘草地羽茅无性系构件结构与生长分析

以分蘖丛为单位,在生长季末期,采取大样本(n=30)随机取样的测定方法,定量分析了松嫩平原人工林缘草地的羽茅无性系构件结构及其数量特征之间的变化规律,为丛生型无性系植物生长策略的深入研究提供了科学积累。结果表明,在分株总数[(34.0±11.05)分株]中营养株占优势(83.3%)并显著高于生殖株(16.7%);在分株总生物量[(21.51±10.28)g]中生殖株占优势(66.9%)并显著高于营养株(33.1%)。羽茅无性系构件数量性状均存在较大变异。其中,变异系数最大的为生殖株分蘖节芽数达76.4%,最小为丛径27.6%;单株生产力生殖株是营养株的9.6倍,单株营养繁殖力营养株显著高于生殖株。羽茅无性系构件组分数量及其生物量均随着丛径的增加呈极显著的(P<0.01)幂函数异速生长,具有内、外部空间兼顾的补充和拓展策略。     

Site‐specific reproductive performance of an invasive fleshy‐fruited tree in remnant grasslands of the Argentinean Pampas

Prunus mahaleb (Saint Lucie's cherry) is a fleshy‐fruited small rosaceous tree, native to the Mediterranean region that has been extensively used as a rootstock species for commercial orchard trees. It has been widely introduced in several countries, becoming invasive in many regions, including the Pampas region of southern Argentina. We studied the reproductive performance of trees spontaneously growing in natural grasslands inside a protected area, estimating age at first reproduction and analysing changes in fruit production, age, canopy volume and basal stem diameter associated with different soil types: rock crevices on hillsides, deep soils in valleys and deep soils in stream‐side habitats. Fruit production starts at the age of 3–6 years, and it can be abundant, even for young plants. We found evidence that fecundity is related to plant size, and that the age at which individuals reach a particular size and begin fruiting differs depending on the soil type where they grow. Trees in the study area show an order of magnitude increase in fruit production on reaching ages from 7 to 10 years for plants growing in deep soils at stream‐side habitats and 13–16 years for plants growing in rock crevices. Invasive trees should be felled before they reach a basal stem diameter of c. 9 cm to avoid this increase in propagule pressure. Considering that the age at which this stage is reached depends on soil type, the streams could act as dispersal corridors for the spread and invasion of this species.     

Body Size,Rather Than Male Eye Allometry,Explains Chrysomya megacephala (Diptera: Calliphoridae) Activity in Low Light

Male Chrysomya megacephala (F.) blow fly compound eyes contain an unusual area of enlarged dorsal facets believed to allow for increased light capture. This region is absent in females and has been hypothesized to aid in mate tracking in low light conditions or at greater distances. Many traits used in the attraction and capture of mates are allometric, growing at different rates relative to body size. Previous reports concerning C. megacephala eye properties did not include measurements of body size, making the relationship between the specialized eye region and body size unclear. We examined different morphological features of the eye among individuals of varying sizes. We found total eye size scaled proportionately to body size, but the number of enlarged dorsal facets increased as body size increased. This demonstrated that larger males have an eye that is morphologically different than smaller males. On the basis of external morphology, we hypothesized that since larger males have larger and a greater number of dorsally enlarged facets, and these facets are believed to allow for increased light capture, larger males would be active in lower light levels than smaller males and females of equal size. In a laboratory setting, larger males were observed to become active earlier in the morning than smaller males, although they did not remain active later in the evening. However, females followed the same pattern at similar light levels suggesting that overall body size rather than specialized male eye morphology is responsible for increased activity under low light conditions.     

条石鲷早期发育阶段的生长模式

为研究条石鲷在早期发育阶段的生长特性和重要功能器官的异速生长规律,测定了条石鲷仔稚幼鱼(0~50日龄)全长和体质量随日龄的生长变化。通过统计学方法分析发现,全长、体质量随日龄的变化均符合Cubic函数关系式,其变化曲线呈S型。全长、体质量随日龄的变化可分为3个阶段,不同阶段的全长、体质量生长率具有显著性差异(P<0.05)。运用SPSS 13.0和OriginPro 7.5软件分析了条石鲷仔稚幼鱼头长、头高、体高、眼径、口裂、吻长、腹长、尾鳍长等外部形态参数与全长的变化关系,发现各功能器官的生长均呈现出异速生长的特点,但生长的拐点却各不相同。研究表明,在条石鲷的早期发育过程中,有关运动、摄食、消化等的重要器官(眼、口、腹部、尾鳍等)具有优先发育的特征,且发育的时段各有差异,故在其苗种的培育过程中,应根据其生长、生态规律为其创造最佳的环境条件,以提高苗种的存活率。     

Simplified inference about dominance in forest stands

In a series of papers, Binkley and coauthors suggested dominance curves as a framework for understanding growth dominance and resource use efficiency in forest stands. Constructing a dominance curve requires three major supporting components: an appropriate allometric equation for biomass, sufficient data to characterize the size distribution of trees in the stand, and data on growth from a sufficient number of trees to characterize the relationship between tree size and growth across the entire size distribution. These components are not always available. Here, I propose a simplified approach to inference that can be used to diagnoze positive, neutral, and reverse dominance when the conditions for constructing a full dominance curve cannot be met. I illustrate the approach with published data from an old-growth kauri (Agathis australis) stand, which shows clear evidence of reverse dominance.     

No modularity at ventral level in the horse skull

Morphological integration and modularity are concepts that refer to the covariation level between the components of a structure. Morphological modules are independent subsets of highly correlated traits. The horse skull has been studied as a whole functional structure for decades, but the integrative approach towards quantitative examination of modules is scarce. We report here the first evaluation of cranial modularity in the horse at basal level. For this, we studied the modularity hypothesis for splanchnocranium and basicranium modules in the horse, two phenotipic regions under local influence by soft-tissue–hard-tissue interfaces. Using geometric morphometrics to capture the shape and location, we examined both modules in a sample of 23 dry skulls belonging to Pyrenean Horse Breed using 57 two-dimensional cranial landmarks. Modules were compared through partial least squares analyses and Escoufier (RV) coefficient. We tested whether the integration (measured by Escoufier RV coefficient) of splanchnocranium and basicranium strength modules and their covariation pattern (as analysed by partial least squares analysis) subordinate and express similar integration results. A clear modularity was observed. The lack of disproportions in the skulls of domestic horse breeds (compared to dog and cat breeds, for instance) might be an expression of the lack of single modules to evolve. On the other side, integration might have a positive impact on survival as long as the selection pressure is along the trajectory of integrated variation.     

Assessing the performance of urban forest carbon sequestration models using direct measurements of tree growth

Across cities worldwide, people are recognizing the value of greenspace in ameliorating the health and well-being of those living there, and are investing significant resources to improve their greenspace. Although models have been developed to allow the quantification of ecosystem services provided by urban trees, refinement and calibration of these models with more accurate site- and species-specific data can increase confidence in their outcomes. We used data from two street tree surveys in Cambridge, MA, to estimate annual tree mortality for 592 trees and diameter growth rates for 498 trees. Overall tree turnover between 2012 and 2015 was relatively low (annualized 3.6% y⁻¹), and mortality rate varied by species. Tree growth rates also varied by species and size. We used stem diameter (DBH) and species identity to estimate CO₂ sequestration rates for each of 463 trees using three different model variations: (1) i-Tree Streets, (2) Urban Tree Database (UTD) species-specific biomass allometries and growth rates, and (3) empirically measured growth rates combined with UTD biomass allometries (Empirical + UTD). For most species, the rate of CO₂ sequestration varied significantly with the model used. CO₂ sequestration estimates calculated using i-Tree Streets were often higher than estimates calculated with the UTD equations. CO₂ sequestration estimates were often the lowest when calculated using empirical tree growth estimates and the UTD equations (Empirical + UTD). The differences among CO₂ sequestration estimates were highest for large trees. When scaled up to the entire city, CO₂ sequestration estimates for the Empirical + UTD model were 49.2% and 56.5% of the i-Tree Streets and UTD estimates, respectively. We suggest future derivations of ecosystem service provision models allow localities to input their own species-specific growth values. By adding capacity to easy-to-use tools, such as i-Tree Streets, we can increase confidence in the model output.     

林木生物量参数的非线性最小二乘解法研究

为了提高林木生物量参数的计算精度,根据林木相对生长公式(幂函数),阐述用非线性最小二乘法求解生物量参数估值的原理、方法和过程;给出计算参数估值之方差与协方差的公式;揭示幂函数对数线性化回归的本质。通过理论和实例分析,将非线性最小二乘(NLS)法与常用的对数线性化最小二乘(LLLS)法进行比较。结果为用NLS求解的林木生物量参数与用LLLS求解的林木生物量参数相比有明显的差异;用NLS求解的林木生物量参数的精度高于用LLLS求解的林木生物量参数的精度;用NLS回归的林木生物量方程比用LLLS回归的林木生物量方程具有更好的相容性;LLLS法具有异方差性,不满足标准线性回归的基本假设。     

松嫩平原羊草种群生殖分蘖株的数量特征及其定量分析

在松嫩平原羊草籽实的乳熟-成熟期,对翻耙样地和封育样地的羊草生殖蘖进行取样调查.结果表明,在同一生境条件下,生殖蘖株高、穗序长、节间长、穗节数和生殖生长比率5个性状较均匀整齐,籽实数、结实率、小花数和小穗数的生态可塑性较大.生殖蘖高度与穗序长、节间长呈极显著正相关,与生殖生长比率呈显著或极显著负相关,穗序长与节间长、穗节数、小穗数和小花数均呈显著或极显著正相关,穗节数与小穗数和小花数、小穗数与小花数、籽实数与小花数和结实率均呈极显著正相关.羊草生殖蘖数量特征的生态可塑性及其相互间的定量关系,揭示了羊草生殖蘖个体生长、发育和生殖的协调发展规律.小花数随小穗数、籽实数随小花数和结实率在2个样地呈异速增长,是翻耙样地羊草生殖蘖籽实产量远大于封育样地的主要原因.