Can a problem-solving approach strengthen landscape ecology’s contribution to sustainable landscape planning?

The need to avert unacceptable and irreversible environmental change is the most urgent challenge facing society. Landscape ecology has the capacity to help address these challenges by providing spatially-explicit solutions to landscape sustainability problems. However, despite a large body of research, the real impact of landscape ecology on sustainable landscape management and planning is still limited. In this paper, we first outline a typology of landscape sustainability problems which serves to guide landscape ecologists in the problem-solving process. We then outline a formal problem-solving approach, whereby landscape ecologists can better bring about disciplinary integration, a consideration of multiple landscape functions over long time scales, and a focus on decision making. This framework explicitly considers multiple ecological objectives and socio-economic constraints, the spatial allocation of scarce resources to address these objectives, and the timing of the implementation of management actions. It aims to make explicit the problem-solving objectives, management options and the system understanding required to make sustainable landscape planning decisions. We propose that by adopting a more problem-solving approach, landscape ecologists can make a significant contribution towards realising sustainable future landscapes.     

石榴新品种‘玛瑙红’

利石榴新品种‘玛瑙红’是‘大笨子’的优良芽变，成熟期比‘大笨子’晚 10 d 左右，平均单果质量 357.6 g，比‘大笨子’提高 50 g ；果实近圆形，果皮底色为黄白色，表面着美丽红霞，果面光洁鲜艳，外观品质优良，综合品质上等。成枝力、萌芽力较强，丰产、稳产；抗早期落叶病及干腐病能力较强，抗逆性较好。     

花青苷生物合成转录调控研究进展

花青苷生物合成由一系列结构基因编码的酶催化完成,而结构基因的表达受 MYB、bHLH和 WD40 这 3 类转录因子组成的 MBW（MYB-bHLH-WD40）转录复合体的协同调控。花青苷合成的转录调控研究最先在 30 多年前见于玉米、拟南芥和矮牵牛等模式植物,近年来在肉质果实上也取得了重要进展。在介绍果实花青苷的种类、分布与功能的基础上,回顾了 MYB、bHLH、WD40 这 3 类转录因子的基本特性及其在花青苷合成调控中的作用,进而就 MBW 转录复合体协同调控果实花青苷生物合成的机制研究的近年进展进行了综述。     

Effects of immune-activated platelets and LDL on expression and activity of COX-2 and PPAR-α in HUVECs

AIM: To observe the effect of immune-activated platelets and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) on the expression and activity of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and peroxisome proliferator activated receptor α (PPAR-α) in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) treated with activated platelets and LDL. METHODS: The platelets were activated by ADP. The co-culture system of HUVECs with immune activated platelets and/or LDL were established. The activity of COX-2 and expression of PPAR-α at mRNA and protein levels in HUVECs were detected by RT-PCR and Western blotting. The concentration of PGE2 was measured by ELISA for representing the COX-2 activity. The PPAR-α activity was determined by a nuclear factor assay kit. RESULTS: The COX-2 activity and mRNA expression of PPAR-α, the protein levels of COX-2 and PPAR-α and PGE2 concentration in activated platelets group were significant higher than those in un-activated platelets group (all P<0.01). No difference of PPAR-α binding activity was observed between two groups. LDL didnt affect the COX-2 activity and PPAR-α expression, but significantly promoted the stimulating effect of immune-activated platelets. CONCLUSION: Immune-activated platelets significantly promote COX-2 activity and PPAR-α expression in HUVECs, but dont change the PPAR-α binding activity. LDL at general concentration does not affect the expression and activity of COX-2 and PPAR-α, but promote the effect of activated platelets on HUVECs.     

黄瓜 CsFT 基因的克隆及其功能分析

利用同源克隆的方法得到黄瓜的 FT 同源基因 CsFT，通过表达分析、进化树分析以及遗传转化拟南芥等方法初步验证了 CsFT 在黄瓜花发育过程中的作用。不同于之前的研究结果，CsFT 主要在雄花与雌花中表达，而在叶中基本不表达。异源过表达 CsFT 导致拟南芥提前开花，并且茎顶部出现顶端花，说明黄瓜的 CsFT 基因与拟南芥 AtFT 基因在开花调控上存在保守性。     

Bat richness and activity in heterogeneous landscapes: guild-specific and scale-dependent?

Context

The conversion of natural environments into agricultural land has profound effects on the composition of the landscape, often resulting in a mosaic of human-altered and natural habitats. The response to these changes may however vary among organisms. Bats are highly vagile, and their requirements often imply the use of distinct habitats, which they select responding to both landscape and local features.

Objectives

We aimed to identify which features influence bat richness and activity within Baixo Vouga Lagunar, a heterogeneous landscape located on the Central-North Portuguese coast, and to investigate if that influence varies across a gradient of focal scales.

Methods

We sampled bats acoustically, while simultaneously sampling insects with light traps. We assessed the relationships between species richness, bat activity, and activity of eco-morphological guilds with landscape and local features, across four scales.

Results

Our results revealed both scale- and guild-dependent responses of bats to landscape and local features. At broader scales we found positive associations between open-space foraging bats and habitat heterogeneity and between edge-space foraging bats and greater edge lengths. Woodland cover and water availability at an intermediate scale and weather conditions and insect abundance at a local scale were the factors that mostly influenced the response variables.

Conclusions

Globally, our results suggest that bats are sensitive to local resource availability and distribution, while simultaneously reacting to landscape features acting at coarser scales. Finally, our results suggest that the responses given by bats are guild-dependent, and some habitats act as keystone structures for bats within this mosaic.

     

Morphological and Structural Features of Lactarius hatsutake and L. hatsutake-Pinus massoniana Ectomycorrhiza

Fruit body , basidiospore and mycelialmorphology ,and the structure of the ectomy-corrhiza formed with the host plant , arei mportant characteristics for identifying variouskinds of ectomycorrhizal fungi . AGERER[1]described the microstructure of ectomycorrhizaformed byPiceirhiza internicrassihyphisandPicea abiesas thick-walled hyphae in themycelial mantle , some of which grew inparallel . WANGet al[2 ,3]studied structuresdissected from ectomycorrhizae ofBoletusedulis,Tricholoma matsutakea…     

葡萄 SNP 标记的 CAPS 和 TSP 分析

为了建立起葡萄 SNP 标记分析的一般方法和探索 EST-SNP 标记在葡萄中的应用,对前期开发的葡萄 EST-SNP 位点进行了筛选,设计了 28 对 CAPS（cleaved amplified polymorphic sequences,酶切扩增多态性序列）标记引物和 22 对 TSP（Temperature-switch PCR,温度转变 PCR）标记引物,并在 31份葡萄材料中进行了分析,其中 20 对 CAPS 引物和 10 对 TSP 引物电泳条带较清晰,多态性较好。基因分型统计显示：所有的 SNP 位点均含有 2 个等位基因,平均多态性信息含量（PIC）为 0.336,平均Shannon’s 信息指数为 0.511。基因分型和葡萄材料聚类结果均显示这两种方法所获结果提供的信息量大且结果可靠。本方法简便、成本低,可作为 SNP 分型有效方法用于葡萄品种鉴定、基因分型和遗传多样性分析等。     

Individual and combined effects of shading and thinning chemicals on abscission and dry-matter accumulation of ‘Royal Gala’ apple fruit

Summary

Shade and chemical thinning treatments were applied to mature ‘Royal Gala’/M.26 apple trees either alone or in combination to study their effects on the pattern of abscission and growth of spur fruit. Natural fruit drop occurred in two distinct waves in both years; the first wave peaked 20 d after bloom (DAB) at a weekly abscission rate of c 15% in both years. The second wave of fruit drop in 2001 occurred earlier and was more intense than in the previous season. Application of NAA as a bloom thinner increased the maximum weekly abscission rate during the first wave of fruit drop in both years. Chemical fruit thinning treatments (Carbaryl in 2000, BA or delayed lime sulphur in 2001) had no effect on abscission or growth of spur fruit. Covering trees with 80% shade cloth for 3 d (2000) or 5 d (2001) stimulated a wave of fruit abscission that peaked c 10–15 d after removal of the cloth. Shade during the period from 20–25 DAB stimulated more fruit drop than earlier shade treatments, resulting in weekly abscission rates as high as 70%.There were no additive effects of combining thinning chemicals and shade treatments on abscission of fruit from spurs. However, additive effects of shade and thinning treatments were observed when measured as whole-tree crop density values, indicating that abscission of fruit from one-year wood was stimulated when low light conditions preceded application of (fruit) thinning chemicals. Shading trees from 34–39 DAB in 2000 resulted in a transient reduction and subsequent increase in the rate of dry-matter accumulation in fruit that were retained. Considerable challenges lie ahead in developing models of fruit growth that can account for the inter-dependent effects of light and crop load on fruit abscission and development that exist within an orchard environment.     

基因枪介导红叶石楠遗传转化因素分析

以红叶石楠（Photinia fraseri）的胚性愈伤组织为受体材料,利用基因枪法导入外源抗寒基因 rd29A,以期建立基因枪转化红叶石楠的技术体系。结果表明,基因枪转化红叶石楠的最佳组合条件为：胚性愈伤组织在诱导培养基 MS + 6-BA 2.0 mg ·L-1+ NAA 5.0 mg ·L-1+ 2,4-D 0.5 mg ·L-1+ 琼脂 5.0g ·L-1+ 蔗糖 20 g ·L-1里,用 0.3 mol ·L-1甘露醇处理 15 ~ 16 h;基因枪轰击时添加 12.5 mol ·L-1氯化钙50 μL+0.1 mol ·L-1亚精胺 50 μL,每枪含金粉 300 μg + 质粒 DNA3.0 μg,轰击距离 9 cm,轰击压力 1 100psi,轰击次数 1 次。经多次筛选获得了 6 株转基因植株,转化植株经 PCR 检测和 Southern 分析,证实了rd29A 已经整合到红叶石楠基因组中。     

Flowering performance and yield of established and recent strawberry cultivars (Fragaria × ananassa) as affected by raising temperature and photoperiod

Plants of six strawberry cultivars were raised under controlled conditions and tested for flowering and yield potential. Short days (SD) at intermediate temperatures for 4 weeks in August induced profuse flowering in subsequent long days (LD) in all cultivars except the late-flowering ‘Malwina’. LD conditions induced flowering only in ‘Nobel’, which has an everbearing parent. ‘Nobel’ and ‘Saga’ exhibited broad temperature adaptation for SD floral induction, which was generally reduced or suppressed at 9 and 27°C. After autumn planting, all cultivars flowered most abundantly in plants raised in SD and intermediate temperatures. Flowering was earliest in ‘Nobel’ and ‘Rumba’. Plants that did not reach floral commitment after 4 weeks in SD continued and completed induction under subsequent natural SD conditions after planting in the field, demonstrating the capability of fractional induction. Berry yield varied in parallel with flowering in the field and was always higher in plants raised under SD conditions. The traditional cultivars ‘Florence’ and ‘Sonata’ out-yielded the more recent cultivars. Some cultivars lost more than two thirds of their initiated flowers during the winter with obvious consequences for their yields. With proper raising management, acceptable yields were obtained after autumn planting even in a cool Nordic climate.     

抗青枯病番茄新品种‘益丰 2 号’

‘益丰 2 号’番茄是以 g-8 为母本,g-4 为父本配制而成的番茄一代杂种。植株无限生长型,生长势强。幼果无绿肩,果面有光泽,果实圆形,成熟果鲜红色,着色均匀,硬实,耐裂,耐贮运。抗青枯病,适应性强,单果质量 110 g 左右,产量 50 ~ 60 t ·hm-2,适宜在华南地区春、秋露地种植。     

新型试管花卉姬松高效再生体系的研究

以新型试管花卉多肉类植物姬松（Crassula clavata N. E. Brown）为材料进行高效再生体系的研究。结果表明：以姬松茎尖为外植体的初代培养中，MS 培养基添加 IBA 并未诱导出根系生成，而是直接诱导出丛生芽，在 MS + IBA0.3 mg ·L-1培养基上，由叶片表面诱导出的丛生芽质量最佳；在继代培养中，最佳培养基为 MS + NAA0.1 mg ·L-1+ 6-BA 0.5 mg ·L-1，诱导产生大量胚性愈伤组织，且表面有芽体分化；在彩色培养中，在 1/2MS 中添加 0.25 mg ·L-1的食用色素亮蓝，观赏效果佳且对植株生长无毒害。     

Canadian urban tree canopy cover and carbon sequestration status and change 1990–2012

Urban trees provide numerous ecosystem goods and services by providing shade, habitat for wildlife, removal of air pollutants and the removal and storage of atmospheric CO₂. Carbon removal services provided by Canadian urban trees have previously been assessed using an IPCC 2006 guidelines approach based on the percentage of urban area covered by tree canopy (UTC) for the 2012 time period (Pasher et al., 2014). That work however provided only a single point in time assessment of the national scale UTC and carbon removal services. The research undertaken for this study was a continuation of this earlier work focusing on a 1990 national scale UTC assessment and carbon sequestration estimates for 1990. UTC estimates for 1990 were developed using a point sampling approach with circa 1990 air photos covering a large portion of Canadian urban areas. In total almost 179,000 points were sampled for the 1990 time period, reassessing 83% of the points used for the previous 2012 assessment. Based on the urban area boundary layers for 1991 and 2011, Canada’s urban areas grew by an estimated 6% for this time period. Most of this growth occurred through conversion of agricultural and forested lands to urban. At the national scale the UTC for 1990 was estimated to be 27.6%, as compared to the 2012 UTC estimate of 26.1%, the difference between estimates for the two time periods fell within the uncertainty range. Carbon removal estimates based on the UTC estimates were also very similar for the two dates with 660.2 kt C removed in 1990 and 662.8 kt C removed in 2012. It was noted that urban development in the Prairie regions resulted in an increase in tree cover as compared to the pre-conversion agricultural and natural landscapes and also that in most urban areas across the country UTC increases through time as tree cover matured in newly developed urban areas. These two assessments provide a time series of urban trees for 22 year time period, which will be useful for further studies and analysis.     

杧果新品种‘桂热杧 3 号’

‘桂热杧 3 号’是从‘黄象牙杧’的实生后代选出的杧果新品种，果实外观美、平均单果质量 305 g，肉质细滑、汁多、味蜜甜、芳香，表现质优，结实早，丰产稳产。     

Trees in planters – Growth,structure and ecosystem services of Platanus x hispanica and Tilia cordata and their reaction to soil drought

Urban environments are often characterized by extensive paved surfaces, exacerbating the urban heat island effect. At the same time, limited root space due to underground infrastructure poses a challenge for planting new trees in these areas. Trees in planters have emerged as popular design elements, offering innovative and sustainable greening solutions, particularly in urban environments with limited rooting space. However, growing conditions in planters may strongly impact tree growth and the provision of environmental ecosystem services (ES). In this 3-year study, we analyzed tree growth and ecosystem services (cooling by shading, CO₂-fixation) of London plane (Platanus x hispanica Münchh.) and small-leaved lime (Tilia cordata Mill.) in four planting treatments: in-ground (G), planters in the ground (PG), non-insulated plastic planters (P), and insulated planters (PI). We also recorded soil temperature throughout the experiment and implemented soil drought conditions by reducing soil irrigation for half of the trees after one year. Our findings revealed higher thermal fluctuations in soil temperature within non-insulated plastic planters (P), reaching a maximum of 45 °C, surpassing the critical temperature threshold for plant growth (>38 °C). In contrast, insulated planters (PI) effectively mitigated soil temperatures, staying below 33.8 °C. When planted in the ground (G), P. x hispanica exhibited a significantly higher stem diameter increment (52–66%) compared to other planting treatments, aligning with the provision of ecosystem services. However, T. cordata trees showed a more moderate response to planting treatments in terms of growth and ecosystem service provision. Furthermore, the implementation of soil drought conditions resulted in a reduction of up to 34% in stem diameter increment for P. x hispanica and up to 25% for T. cordata. Our results underscore the necessity of tree species-specific knowledge about growth responses to different planting treatments for effective urban planning perspectives, as the provision of ecosystem services may be influenced differently.     

Are protected areas preserving ecosystem services and biodiversity? Insights from Mediterranean forests and shrublands

Landscape Ecology - Protected areas (PAs) are essential for biodiversity conservation and the provision of ecosystem services (ES), representing 15% of the earth’s surface and targeted to...