Sacred sites as habitats of culturally important plant species in an Indian megacity

Cultural ecosystem services related to urban green spaces contribute significantly to liveable cities. While previous studies highlight the intersection of cultural ecosystem services with societal values, spiritual or religious values associated with urban nature have received less attention. In India, as in other parts of the world, sacred sites are known for their biological richness, but analyses from urban sacred sites are largely missing. Based on a stratified random sampling approach, we analysed the cultivated and wild plant species assemblages of 69 sacred sites in the megacity of Bengaluru, India, in relation to biological and cultural features, and parameters related to the urban matrix and type of sacred sites (temple vs. katte). Unlike other urban studies, we found a dominance of native species in the cultivated and spontaneous species pools (121 species in total), with Ficus religiosa and Azadirachta indica as most frequently planted species. Culturally relevant species prevailed in the species pool (89%), with overlaps between religious (36%), medicinal (50%) and ornamental (62%) plants; only 11% of species were weeds. Urban matrix parameters (age of development, housing density) and size and type of sacred sites were related to differences in species assemblages. We identified key species for different classes of age and housing density, and for types of sacred sites. Our study demonstrates that urban sacred sites have an important potential in harbouring both native and culturally significant species that can support urban livelihoods in developing countries by a range of cultural and provisioning ecosystem services, including medicinal uses. As such sites are conserved by communities for spiritual or cultural beliefs, local biodiversity can be enhanced, e.g. by adapting management practices through community participation. This would strengthen the important contribution of sacred sites within the green infrastructure of rapidly growing megacities.     

我国喀斯特断陷盆地石漠化区植物群落构建机制研究

喀斯特断陷盆地是我国石漠化综合治理8大喀斯特类型中治理成效最低、治理难度最大的区域，面临石漠化严重、干旱频发、植被恢复难等突出问题。文中针对水分是影响喀斯特断陷盆地石漠化治理与植被恢复成效最关键的限制因素，综合分析了国内外水分梯度差异与植物群落构建机制研究动态与发展趋势；提出利用日趋成熟的水分脆弱性评价方法，通过建立基于耦合暴露度、敏感性及适应性的水资源脆弱性评价指标体系，以满足遥感影像分辨率和植物群落调查样地大小的评价单元进行水分脆弱性评估；在建立物种库—功能性状—生境特征数据库的基础上，提出基于功能性状差异进行喀斯特断陷盆地植物群落机制构建的研究方案。提出的研究方案有望解决喀斯特断陷盆地石漠化区水分梯度特征与分布格局、自然植物群落组配规律及其生境特征、水分梯度与生境要素对植物群落特征及功能性状组成的影响规律等关键科学问题，可为不同脆弱生态区植被恢复群落构建机制研究提供重要参考和借鉴。     

马铃薯AP2/ERF转录因子的克隆及植物表达载体构建

AP2/ERF基因家族转录因子普遍存在于植物中,参与植物体内的各种生物学过程,包括植物的生长发育、生物和非生物胁迫响应等。前期转录组测序的结果发现马铃薯‘加湘1号’一个AP2/ERF家族基因(PGSC0003DMG400012154)在接种晚疫病菌(Phytophthora infestans)24 h后被显著激活。从接种P.infestans 24 h的‘加湘1号’的总RNA中通过RT-PCR获得了该基因CDS序列为885 bp,BLAST分析显示该基因编码一个295个氨基酸残基的蛋白,并且含有1个AP2/ERF结构域,是AP2/ERF转录因子家族中的ERF亚家族的一员。本研究将该基因与XcmⅠ酶切的表达载体pCXSN连接,转化大肠杆菌,通过测序挑选插入正确克隆酶切验证,并成功转化农杆菌。本研究结果为进一步研究该基因的功能提供了帮助。     

Comparison of the microbial communities of alpacas and sheep fed diets with three different ratios of corn stalk to concentrate

The objective of this study was to investigate the characteristics of ruminal microbial communities of alpacas (Lama pacos) and sheep (Ovis aries) fed three diets with varying ratios of roughage (corn stalk) to concentrate, 3:7 (LS), 5:5 (MS) and 7:3 (HS). Six alpacas (one-year-old and weighing 29.5 ± 7.1 kg) and six sheep (one-year-old and weighing 27.9 ± 2.7 kg) were used in this study, in a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square experiment. Total protozoa concentration was determined under the microscope; total fungi and methanogens were assessed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction and expressed as a percentage of total bacterial 16S rRNA gene copies; bacterial communities were investigated by targeted 16S rRNA gene (V3–V4 region) sequencing. The percentage of fungi was significantly higher in alpacas than in sheep under the LS diet, while the concentration of protozoa was significantly lower in alpacas under HS, MS and LS diets. The alpha diversity including Shannon, Chao l and ACE indices of bacterial communities was higher in alpacas than in sheep, under the LS diet. A total of 299 genera belonging to 22 phyla were observed in the forestomach of alpaca and sheep, with Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes dominating both animal species. Phyla Armatimonadetes and Fusobacteria, as well as 64 genera, were detected only in alpacas, whereas phyla Acidobacteria and Nitrospira, as well as 44 genera, were found only in sheep. The abundance of cellulolytic bacteria, including Butyrivibrio and Pseudobutyrivibrio, was higher in alpacas than in sheep under all three diets. These differences in the forestomach microbial communities partly explained why alpacas displayed a higher poor-quality roughage digestibility, and a lower methane production. Results also revealed that the adverse effects of high-concentrate diets (70%) were lesser in alpacas than in sheep.     

Influencing in vitro clonal propagation of Chonemorpha fragrans(moon) Alston by culture media strength,plant growth regulators,carbon source and photo periodic incubation

Chonemorpha fragrans is an endangered medicinal woody climber,regarded among alternative plant sources of camptothecin.Camptothecin is a monoterpene indole anti-cancer alkaloid with annual trade value of over three billion U.S.dollars in the recent,and is used in the production of its analog drugs approved for the chemotherapy of cancer of varied types.Effects of plant growth regulators,culture media strength and photoperi-odic duration on the micropropagation ef ciency of C.fragrans from nodal segment explants were studied on Murashige and Skoog(MS)medium amended with Thidiazuron(TDZ),Benzylaminopurine(BAP)or Kinetin(Kin).Thidiazuron was more ef cient over BAP and Kin when half basal MS medium was used over full or quarter strength.Results of carbon source experiment showed sucrose as the most effective over glucose,fructose,and maltose in the clonal production.Studies on the photope-riodic incubation duration showed 12 h as the best light period and sub or supra-optimal resulted in the production of abnormal and albino micro shoots.Experimental results on the evaluation of physiological,biochemical parameters showed the role of pigment molecules and antioxidant systems in the production of albino micro shoots.     

The microbial diversity and structure in peatland forest in Indonesia

The microbial community structure and function under forest in tropical peatlands are poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the microbial community structure and diversity in natural peat swamp forest soil, disturbed peat soil and mineral soil in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, using 454 pyrosequencing. The results showed that the natural peat soil had the greatest fungal species richness (Chao1), which was significantly (p < .05) larger than that in the other two soils. Community structure of both fungi and bacteria in natural peat soil differed significantly from that in the disturbed peat soil (p = .039 and p = .045, respectively). Ascomycota (40.5%) was the most abundant phylum across the three soils followed by Basidiomycota (18.8%), Zygomycota (<0.1%) and Glomeromycota (<0.1%). The linear discriminant analysis with effect size (LEfSe) showed that Ascomycota (p < .05) and genus Gliocephalotrichum (p < .05) dominated in natural peat soil. Functionally, pathotrophs were more abundant in disturbed peat soil (p < .05). Proteobacteria (43.8%) were the most abundant phylum followed by Acidobacteria (32.6%), Actinobacteria (9.8%), Planctomycetes (1.7%). Methylocystis, Telmatospirillum, Syntrophobacter, Sorangium and Opitutus were the more abundant genera in disturbed peat soil, whereas Nevskia and Schlesneria were more abundant in mineral soil and natural peat soil, respectively. The natural peat forest soil supported a more diverse microbiology; however, the land use of such a soil can change its microbial community structure. The results provide evidence that the disturbance of tropical peat land could lead to the introduction and spread of a large number of fungal diseases     

Responses of plant community to the linkages in plant-soil C:N:P stoichiometry during secondary succession of abandoned farmlands,China

Succession is one of the central themes of ecology;however,the relationship between aboveground plant communities and underground soils during secondary succession remains unclear.In this study,we investigated the composition of plant community,plant-soil C:N:P stoichiometry and their relationships during secondary succession after the abandonment of farmlands for 0,10,20,30,40 and 50 a in China,2016.Results showed that the composition of plant communities was most diverse in the farmlands after secondary succession for 20 and 50 a.Soil organic carbon and total nitrogen contents slightly decreased after secondary succession for 30 a,but both were significantly higher than those of control farmland(31.21%-139.10%and 24.24%-121.21%,respectively).Moreover,C:N ratios of soil and microbe greatly contributed to the changes in plant community composition during secondary succession of abandoned farmlands,explaining 35.70%of the total variation.Particularly,soil C:N ratio was significantly and positively related with the Shannon-Wiener index.This study provides the evidence of synchronous evolution between plant community and soil during secondary succession and C:N ratio is an important linkage between them.     

栀子和玉兰花提取物对烤烟主要化学成分及致香物质含量影响

以湘烟5号为材料,通过盆栽试验,探讨不同浓度植物提取物对烤烟主要化学成分及致香物质含量的影响。结果表明,喷施栀子花和玉兰花汁液提取物有利于烟叶原料主要化学成分含量的改善,与对照相比,喷施处理的上部橘黄二级（B2F）和中部橘黄三级（C3F）烟叶还原糖含量分别高15.0%~21.1%和14.3%~17.7%,钾含量分别高5.7%~13.9%和7.4%~14.0%;与对照相比,喷施处理的烟叶的石油醚提取物、类胡萝卜素降解物、降解产物、茄酮、非酶棕色化反应产物、芳香族氨基酸裂解产物、新植二烯和中性致香物质总量,上部橘黄二级（B2F）烟叶分别高10.0%~20.9%、11.2%~20.9%、9.6%~20.2%、9.8%~21.1%、10.8%~22.5%、11.2%~23.0%、14.9%~24.7%和11.9%~22.1%,中部橘黄三级（C3F）烟叶分别高13.5%~24.1%、11.3%~21.0%、11.4%~20.0%、10.8%~18.7%、13.1%~21.2%、10.1%~19.1%、17.5%~27.0%和18.1%~27.6%;烟叶感官质量评价权重得分高于对照。栀子花和玉兰花汁液提取物对烟叶主要化学成分及致香物质含量的作用效果以施用量3.5~5.0g/株的处理最佳。     

河套地区种植方式与密度对'张杂谷19号'产量的影响

为明确河套地区不同栽培模式对'张杂谷19号'产量的影响,以新抗旱谷子杂交种'张杂谷19号'为试验材料,研究3种种植方式（干旱无膜、干旱覆膜及灌溉无膜）和5种密度（4.5万、9万、13.5万、22.5万、45万株/hm²）对'张杂谷19号'稳产和丰产性的影响。结果表明,正常灌溉条件下,'张杂谷9号'的产量随着种植密度的增加而增加。当密度为45万株/hm²时产量最高,达到8724.36 kg/hm²。而干旱条件下,适宜种植密度可以同样获得较高产量,与正常灌溉条件下最高产量差异不显著。当种植密度为9万~ 45万株/hm²时,产量普遍提高到7700 kg/hm²以上,最高可达8654.33 kg/hm²。河套地区'张杂谷19号'播前灌溉1次足水、地膜覆盖及种植密度9万~45万株/hm²,可以实现水分高效利用和产量达到较高水平。     

植物来源药物联合抗肿瘤的研究进展

主要对长春碱、小檗碱、喜树碱和苦参碱等生物碱类、紫杉醇类药物联合抗肿瘤治疗进行了综述,并指出植物来源药物联合抗肿瘤的发展方向。