Strong functional stability of soil microbial communities under semiarid Mediterranean conditions and subjected to long-term shifts in baseline precipitation

We investigated the effect of soil microclimate on the structure and functioning of soil microbial communities in a Mediterranean Holm-oak forest subjected to 10 years of partial rain exclusion manipulations, simulating average drought conditions expected in Mediterranean areas for the following decades. We applied a high throughput DNA pyrosequencing technique coupled to parallel measurements of microbial respiration (R_H) and temperature sensitivity of microbial respiration (Q₁₀). Some consistent changes in the structure of bacterial communities suggest a slow process of community shifts parallel to the trend towards oligotrophy in response to long-term droughts. However, the structure of bacterial communities was mainly determined by short-term environmental fluctuations associated with sampling date (winter, spring and summer) rather than long-term (10 years) shifts in baseline precipitation. Moreover, long-term drought did not exert any chronic effect on the functioning of soil microbial communities (R_H and Q₁₀), emphasizing the functional stability of these communities to this long-term but mild shifts in water availability. We hypothesize that the particular conditions of the Mediterranean climate with strong seasonal shifts in both temperature and soil water availability but also characterized by very extreme environmental conditions during summer, was acting as a strong force in community assembling, selecting phenotypes adapted to the semiarid conditions characterizing Mediterranean ecosystems. Relations of climate with the phylogenetic structure and overall diversity of the communities as well as the distribution of the individual responses of different lineages (genera) to climate confirmed our hypotheses, evidencing communities dominated by thermotolerant and drought-tolerant phenotypes.     

Rate-specific responses of prokaryotic diversity and structure to nitrogen deposition in the Leymus chinensis steppe

Serious nitrogen (N) deposition in terrestrial ecosystems causes soil acidification and changes the structure and function of the microbial community. However, it is unclear how these changes are dependent on N deposition rates, other factors induced by N (e.g., pH), and their interactions. In this study, we investigated the responses of soil prokaryotic community structure and stability after a 13-year N addition in the semi-arid Leymus chinensis steppe in Inner Mongolia, China. Our results demonstrated that the prokaryotic community structure changed at the low N addition rate of 1.75 g N m⁻² yr⁻¹; however, dramatic changes in microbial abundance, respiratory quotient, and prokaryotic diversity occurred at N addition rates of more than 5.25 g N m⁻² yr⁻¹ when the soil pH dropped below 6.0. The two patterns indicated the difference in driving forces for different microbial properties. The N-driven and pH-driven processes are likely the most important mechanisms determining the responses of bacterial community to N. Some copiotrophic/oligotrophic bacteria, e.g., Proteobacteria and Acidobacteria, changed their relative abundances with the N addition continuously even at a low rate, indicating that they were more sensitive to N directly. Some bacterial groups significantly changed their relative abundance at a high N addition rate when pH dropped below 6.0, e.g., Verrucomicrobia and Armatimonadetes, indicating that they were more sensitive to pH below 6.0. N addition altered the prokaryotic community structure through enrichment of copiotrophic bacteria (species adjustment) at low N addition rates and through enrichment of nitrophilous taxa and significant loss of diversity at high N rates. The results also demonstrated that a high N addition diminished the stability of the prokaryotic community structure and activity through reduction in species diversity and bacterial interaction. Overall, this study supported the hypothesis that the responses of prokaryota to N were dependent on deposition rates, and N-driven and pH-driven processes were the important mechanisms to control the shift of the prokaryotic community.     

藏北羌塘牧民家庭人口特征和收入构成之间的关系

为探讨牧民家庭人口特征和收入构成之间的关系，通过半结构式访谈调查了藏北羌塘高寒草甸、高寒草原和荒漠草原区682户牧民，比较了其家庭规模、劳动力、抚养比、草场面积、放牧强度、家庭收入及其多样性的差异，结合多元线性回归评价了家庭人口特征对收入构成的影响。结果显示：羌塘地区牧民家庭规模大（5.3人·户^-1）、抚养比高（0.62）、劳动力充足（3人·户^-1）但受教育年限短（2.3年），高度依赖政策性收入；高寒草甸区牧民家庭规模、劳动力数量及受教育年限、抚养比和放牧强度等指标显著高于高寒草原和荒漠草原区（P<0.05），后两者之间无显著差异；荒漠草原区牧民家庭草场面积和政策性收入较高（P<0.05）；家庭规模、文盲率和抚养比是影响高寒草原和荒漠草原牧民收入构成的主要因子，人口特征对高寒草甸牧民收入影响不显著。综上所述，建议分区精准施策以提高牧民生计。     

广州桑树植原体分子检测及多样性初探

采用植原体16S-23S rDNA区段的通用引物对P1/P7和巢式引物对Rm16F2/Rm16R1,建立了快速准确的桑树植原体巢式PCR检测技术。对广州的两个桑树品种资源圃中的部分桑树品种进行了植原体分子检测,结果在两个资源圃中均发现有植原体存在。对巢式PCR的扩增产物(16S rDNA片段)进行了限制性片断长度多态性(RFLP)分析,显示出3种RFLP带型,暗示桑树植原体存在多样性。对所得植原体16S rDNA片段进行序列测定,并与其它植物植原体作亲缘关系分析,结果表明该植原体的16S rDNA序列与其它植物病原植原体之间的同源性为83.3%~99.9%,并初步判断所检测到的桑树植原体属于16S rI组。     

Divergence of a strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa during an outbreak of ovine mastitis

Bacterial infections causing mastitis in sheep can result in severe economic losses for farmers. A large survey of milk samples from ewes with mastitis in Sardinia, Italy, indicated an increasing prevalence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections. It has been shown previously that during chronic, biofilm-associated infections P. aeruginosa populations diversify. We report the phenotypic and genomic characterisation of two clonal P. aeruginosa isolates (PSE305 and PSE306) from a mastitis infection outbreak, representing distinct colony morphology variants. In addition to pigment production, PSE305 and PSE306 differed in phenotypic characteristics including biofilm formation, utilisation of various carbon and nitrogen sources, twitching motility. We found higher levels of expression of genes associated with biofilm formation (pelB) and twitching motility (flgD) in PSE305, compared to the biofilm and twitching-defective PSE306. Comparative genomics analysis revealed single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and minor insertion/deletion variations between PSE305 and PSE306, including a SNP mutation in the pilP gene of PSE306. By introducing a wild-type pilP gene we were able to partially complement the defective twitching motility of PSE306. There were also three larger regions of difference between the two genomes, indicating genomic instability. Hence, we have demonstrated that P. aeruginosa population divergence can occur during an outbreak of mastitis, leading to significant variations in phenotype and genotype, and resembling the behaviour of P. aeruginosa during chronic biofilm-associated infections.     

西藏地区青稞籽粒营养品质分析及评价

为探明西藏地区青稞品种间的性状差异及性状间的相关性，筛选优异品质青稞种质，以251个西藏青稞种质资源为材料，测定了籽粒淀粉、粗蛋白、β-葡聚糖、γ-氨基丁酸、大量元素（Ca、P）、微量元素（Fe、Zn、Se）含量共9个品质指标，分析了被测指标间关系。结果表明，所测定的9项品质指标在供试种质资源间均存在不同程度的差异，淀粉含量的变异系数最小，Se含量的变异系数最大；粗蛋白与淀粉含量呈极显著负相关（r= -0.54），粗蛋白与γ-氨基丁酸、Ca、P、Zn、Fe含量均呈极显著正相关。对被测指标进行主成分分析发现，可将9项品质指标简化成3个主成分，其累积方差贡献率为74.5%，其中第一主成分因子的贡献率达到了 48.0%，第一主成分中因子载荷量大的品质指标是Zn、P、Ca、粗蛋白、γ-氨基丁酸、淀粉、Fe含量。综合评价筛选出10个营养品质较高的种质，分别为BJX152、BJX008、BJX149、BJX004、BJX003、BJX015、BJX005、藏青2000、BJX227、喜马拉22号。     

青海湖流域沙地植物群落多样性研究

土地沙漠化是青海湖流域重要的生态问题之一,明晰区域内不同沙化阶段植物群落的演化特征,有助于为该区沙漠化防治工作有效开展提供科学依据。本研究通过野外样方调查并应用方差分析、主成分分析和相关性分析,厘清该区潜在、轻度、中度、重度和极重度沙化阶段植物组成特征与变化规律。结果表明,随沙化程度加剧,植物优势种从矮生嵩草、草地早熟禾和垂穗披碱草演替为青海固沙草、驼绒藜和沙蒿,生活型从中生向旱生演替;植物盖度、高度、地上生物量和多度依次降低;物种丰富度、Shannon-Wiener指数、Simpson指数与Pielou指数均为先升后降,轻度沙化阶段最高,符合“中度干扰假说”。沙化过程对多样性指数影响为Shannon-Wiener指数>物种丰富度>Simpson指数>Pielou指数,除Pielou指数外,其余多样性指数与植被特征相关性显著。研究结果可为青海湖流域沙化防治及群落多样性研究提供参考。     

高寒草甸不同黄帚橐吾密度斑块的植物群落结构特征

为了解黄帚橐吾（Ligularia virgaurea）斑块植物群落维持和演替过程,本研究以不同密度黄帚橐吾微斑块为研究对象,根据密度等级设置6个斑块梯度（D0,D1,D2,D3,D4和D5）,分析不同斑块草地群落结构及生产力的变化特征。结果表明：随着黄帚橐吾密度的增加,禾本科和莎草科重要值明显降低,黄帚橐吾逐渐成为建群种;物种多样性指数呈先增加后降低趋势,且在D1~D2之间香农维纳指数、均匀度指数和优势度指数均为最高值;去除黄帚橐吾后的总地上生物量表现为D1显著高于D5（P<0.05）,禾本科、莎草科和豆科植物的地上生物量为D4最高,杂类草生物量为D1显著高于D3~D5（P<0.05）;总地下生物量和0~10 cm土层的地下生物量变化趋势一致,为D1显著高于D4（P<0.05）,10~20 cm土层的地下生物量随密度的增大呈显著增加趋势（P<0.05）。因此,当黄帚橐吾的密度介于D1~D2时,对草地稳定性的维持具有积极作用。     

Geographical patterns of phenotypic diversity in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Oryza sativa</Emphasis> landraces of Côte d’Ivoire

The knowledge of agro-morphological diversity and the distribution pattern of variation among conserved accessions could be an invaluable aid in germplasm management and crop improvement strategies. In this study, the geographical pattern of morphological variation of 880 landrace rice (Oryza sativa (L.)) accessions in Côte d’Ivoire was evaluated for 13 agro-morphological characters. Shannon –weaver diversity index indicated an overall mean of 0.47 ± 0.07 in the collection, with the greatest diversity from derived Savanna and north-west (H′ = 0.52 and 0.50) while the west-central had the lowest diversity (H′ = 0.41). Canonical discriminant analysis showed that traits such as panicle length, grain size (weight and length), tillering ability, number of days to heading and maturity were the main discriminatory characteristics. Result of the phenotypic frequency shows that, the landraces from the north and north-western zones were mostly tall, early heading and maturity, compared to those from the west and west-central which were mainly dwarf to medium height, late heading and maturing. This differential distribution of landraces with height, heading and maturity period reflected the distribution pattern of different Oryza sativa landraces in Côte d’Ivoire, which could be useful in germplasm management and breeding programs.     

载畜率对荒漠草原植物群落影响的研究

对不同载畜率下短花针茅荒漠草原植物群落特征进行比较,结果表明:不同植物种群的盖度对载畜率的响应不同,无芒隐子草盖度在轻度放牧区最大,栉叶蒿盖度在7月份、8月份分别以中度放牧区和轻度放牧区最大;短花针茅、冷蒿、阿氏旋花、细叶葱、木地肤随载畜率增大高度下降明显,猪毛菜高度在四个载畜率下差异均不显著;随着载畜率的增大,植物群落生物量呈下降趋势,且重度放牧与不放牧、轻度放牧有显著差异;随着载畜率的增大,建群种、优势种地位改变不明显,但一年生的猪毛菜重要值增大,在重度放牧区达到最大并占据优势地位;Shannon-wiener指数、Simpson指数、Pielou均匀度指数均以轻度放牧区最大,Shannon-wiener指数、Simpson指数均为轻度放牧>中度放牧>重度放牧>不放牧,且不放牧与轻度放牧差异显著。