准噶尔荒漠区域尺度浅层土壤化学计量特征及其空间分布格局

干旱荒漠生态系统具有降水稀少、土壤贫瘠、生物多样性低的特点,对荒漠土壤生态化学计量特征的研究有助于深入了解荒漠土壤养分供给能力及其对生物多样性和生态系统稳定性的影响。对准噶尔荒漠79个样点浅层(0~10cm)土壤及环境因子进行调查取样,分析了土壤有机碳(C)、全氮(N)及全磷(P)化学计量特征、空间分布及其影响因素。结果表明,准噶尔荒漠土壤C、N、P平均含量分别为(5.73±0.49),(0.207±0.009)和(0.347±0.004)g/kg,C∶N、C∶P、N∶P分别为(29.92±2.55),(15.97±1.23)和(0.498±0.024)。土壤P稳定性最高(CV=0.098),而C、C∶N和C∶P的变异性较强(CV=0.687~0.758)。C、P、C∶N及C∶P在不同生境(沙漠、戈壁和盐碱荒漠)、不同群落(白梭梭、梭梭及小灌木)间均存在差异。与全国及全球平均水平相比,准噶尔荒漠土壤C、N、P含量、C∶P及N∶P均较低而C∶N较高,养分元素缺乏程度表现为NCP。土壤养分元素及其化学计量比之间多具有显著的二次函数关系,且化学计量比主要受C和N的制约。在区域尺度上,各化学计量参数表现出明显的空间异质性,其中C、C∶N和C∶P分布格局相似,并受年降水量、纬度和经度的影响;N与N∶P分布格局相似,受经度、海拔和年均温的影响。     

乙烯利对干旱胁迫下草地早熟禾生理指标的影响

以草地早熟禾(Poa pratensis)‘Nuglade'品种为试验材料,研究叶片喷施乙烯利对草地早熟禾在水分充足、干旱及复水恢复3种处理下叶片电解质渗透率、叶绿素、可溶性蛋白、丙二醛(MDA)等生理指标的影响。结果表明,乙烯利与对照组(CK)相比,乙烯利在干旱胁迫下保持更高的叶片相对含水量23.5%(对照为11.5%)和更低的电解质渗透率68.1%(对照为90.7%)及MDA含量53.90μmol·g~(-1)(对照检查131.62μmol·g~(-1)),且复水后的电解质渗透率恢复程度更好;此外乙烯利处理提高了复水恢复过程草地早熟禾的可溶性蛋白含量;说明,叶片喷施乙烯利能够缓解草地早熟禾的干旱胁迫损伤,并促进干旱后的复水恢复。     

Using operating area size and adjacency constraints to mitigate the effects of harvesting activities on boreal caribou habitat

Context

Sustained timber harvesting conflicts with the long-term viability of boreal caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) populations. The spatial arrangement of harvest blocks in the landscape could mitigate the impact of logging on caribou populations. For the forest industry, however, these measures represent constraints that reduce the annual allowable cut (AAC).

Objective

Estimate the long-term impacts of spatial constraints to harvesting, applied alone or in combination, on AAC and boreal caribou populations.

Methods

We divided a 30,000 km² region into 20 harvest block sizes varying from 50 to 1000 km², and modeled the implementation of spatially explicit harvest schedule plans in combination with wildfire and caribou population dynamics. We then evaluated the probability of persistence of boreal caribou populations.

Results

The probability of maintaining an AAC target declined with increasing target AAC, increasing size of operating area, and increasing adjacency constraints. In contrast, the probability of maintaining caribou populations declined with increasing AAC, decreasing size of operating areas, and decreasing adjacency constraints. An increase in operating area size from 50 to 300 km² produced a considerable gain in AAC for all adjacency constraints.

Conclusions

Because adjacency constraints led only to a small increase in the probability of maintaining caribou populations, we recommend adopting less constraining landscape management actions, such as a 70-year period between two consecutive harvests in the same ~300-km² operating area.

     

Host status and reaction of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Medicago truncatula</Emphasis> accessions to infection by three major pathogens of pea (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pisum sativum</Emphasis>) and alfalfa (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Medicago sativa</Emphasis>)

Ditylenchus dipsaci, the stem nematode of alfalfa (Medicago sativa), Mycosphaerella pinodes, cause of Ascochyta blight in pea (Pisum sativum) and Aphanomyces euteiches, cause of pea root rot, result in major yield losses in French alfalfa and pea crops. These diseases are difficult to control and the partial resistances currently available are not effective enough. Medicago truncatula, the barrel medic, is the legume model for genetic studies, which should lead to the identification and characterization of new resistance genes for pathogens. We evaluated a collection of 34 accessions of M. truncatula and nine accessions from three other species (two from M. italica, six from M. littoralis and one from M. polymorpha) for resistance to these three major diseases. We developed screening tests, including standard host references, for each pathogen. Most of the accessions tested were resistant to D. dipsaci, with only three accessions classified as susceptible. A very high level of resistance to M. pinodes was observed among the accessions, none of which was susceptible to this pathogen. Conversely, a high level of variation, from resistant to susceptible accessions, was identified in response to infection by A. euteiches.     

Influence of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Nigella sativa</Emphasis> seeds, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rosmarinus officinalis</Emphasis> leaves and their combination on growth performance,immune response and rumen metabolism in Dorper lambs

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of dietary supplementation of Nigella sativa L. seeds, Rosmarinus officinalis L. leaves and their combination on rumen metabolism, nutrient intake and digestibility, growth performance, immune response and blood metabolites in Dorper lambs. Twenty-four entire male Dorper lambs (18.68?±?0.6 kg, 4–5 months old) were randomly assigned to a concentrate mixture containing on a dry matter basis either, no supplement (control, T1), 1% R. officinalis leaves (T2), 1% N. sativa seeds (T3) or 1% R. officinalis leaves +1% N. sativa seeds (T4). The lambs had ad libitum access to urea-treated rice straw (UTRS) and were raised for 90 days. Supplemented lambs had greater (P?< 0.05) intake of DM and UTRS than the control lambs. The T4 lambs had lower (P?< 0.05) nutrient digestibility than those fed other treatments. Total and daily weight gain was greater (P?< 0.05) in T2 lambs than those fed other diets. The T3 and T4 lambs had greater (P?< 0.05) ruminal pH than the T1 and T2 lambs. Supplemented lambs had lower (P?<?0.05) ruminal total volatile fatty acids, acetate, propionate, NH₃-N and C18:0 than the control lambs. The T4 lambs had lower (P?< 0.05) population of Fibrobacter succinogenes, Ruminococcus albus, methanogens and total protozoa compared with those fed other diets. Supplemented lambs had lower (P?< 0.05) neutrophils, basophils and serum urea and greater (P?<?0.05) serum IgA and IgG compared with the control lambs. The current results emphasised the variation in the efficacy of medicinal plants in ruminant nutrition.     

二月兰与杜鹃花共建百里杜鹃景区景观时空观赏性

百里杜鹃景区花期过于集中,花期大多在4—5月,旅游期短。现以二月兰与优势种马缨杜鹃为试材,通过在马缨杜鹃树下配种二月兰,研究二月兰是否增加景区的观赏效果,同时,研究引种二月兰是否对马缨杜鹃的生长造成不良影响。结果表明:在马缨杜鹃树下种植二月兰并不影响其生长;二月兰的花期为3—5月,株高多分布在50~100cm,与马缨杜鹃相比,在群落上属于下层景观;这使得景区的可观赏时间提前了将近1个月,同时增强景区空间上的观赏效果。     

Tenogenic induction of equine mesenchymal stem cells by means of growth factors and low-level laser technology

Tendons regenerate poorly due to a dense extracellular matrix and low cellularity. Cellular therapies aim to improve tendon repair using mesenchymal stem cells and tenocytes; however, a current limitation is the low proliferative potential of tenocytes in cases of severe trauma. The purpose of this study was to develop a method useful in veterinary medicine to improve the differentiation of Peripheral Blood equine mesenchymal stem cells (PB-MSCs) into tenocytes. PB-MSCs were used to study the effects of the addition of some growth factors (GFs) as TGFβ3 (transforming growth factor), EGF2 (Epidermal growth factor), bFGF2 (Fibroblast growth factor) and IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor) in presence or without Low Level Laser Technology (LLLT) on the mRNA expression levels of genes important in the tenogenic induction as Early Growth Response Protein-1 (EGR1), Tenascin (TNC) and Decorin (DCN). The singular addition of GFs did not show any influence on the mRNA expression of tenogenic genes whereas the specific combinations that arrested cell proliferation in favour of differentiation were the following: bFGF2 + TGFβ3 and bFGF2 + TGFβ3 + LLLT. Indeed, the supplement of bFGF2 and TGFβ3 significantly upregulated the expression of Early Growth Response Protein-1 and Decorin, while the use of LLLT induced a significant increase of Tenascin C levels. In conclusion, the present study might furnish significant suggestions for developing an efficient approach for tenocyte induction since the external administration of bFGF2 and TGFβ3, along with LLLT, influences the differentiation of PB-MSCs towards the tenogenic fate.     

Inhibition of porcine circovirus type 1 and type 2 production in PK-15 cells by small interfering RNAs targeting the Rep gene

Porcine circovirus type 1 (PCV1) and type 2 (PCV2) are two genotypes of porcine circovirus. Both of them are presumed to be widespread in the swine population. Currently, there is no specific treatment for their infections. RNA interference (RNAi) is a sequence-specific RNA degradation mechanism mediated by small interfering RNA (siRNA), which represents a possible therapeutic application for the treatment of viral infections. In this study, three siRNA expression plasmids (pS-RepA, pS-RepB and pS-RepC) were generated to target three different coding regions of the Rep protein (Rep) of PCV. These siRNAs were used to inhibit PCV production in a porcine kidney cell line, PK-15 cells. Our results revealed that Rep gene expression was inhibited by pS-RepA, pS-RepB and pS-RepC to different degrees. Moreover, our study also showed that the production of PCV1 and PCV2 was reduced by these siRNAs. pS-RepC, which targets the middle region of Rep gene, proved to be the most efficient siRNA for inhibition of Rep expression and viral production. Taken together, our data suggest that RNAi could be investigated as a potential treatment for PCV infection.     

日本细毛环腹瘿蜂对斑翅果蝇的寄生效能

日本细毛环腹瘿蜂Leptopilina japonica是斑翅果蝇Drosophila suzukii的优势寄生性天敌之一, 对斑翅果蝇具有良好的生防潜力。为更好地利用日本细毛环腹瘿蜂防控斑翅果蝇, 本研究在室内观察了日本细毛环腹瘿蜂的行为活动和生长发育特征。采用室内接虫法研究了该蜂对斑翅果蝇2龄幼虫的寄生能力。分别运用Holling Ⅱ型圆盘方程、搜寻效应方程和Hassell-Varley模型拟合分析了日本细毛环腹瘿蜂的寄生功能反应、搜寻效应和自身密度干扰效应。结果表明:日本细毛环腹瘿蜂的寄生功能反应符合Holling Ⅱ模型, 其拟合方程为:Na=0.70N/(1+0.03N); 寄生效能(a/Th)为15.78; 在一定空间内, 寄生蜂的寄生量随寄主密度增加而增大, 至寄主密度达25头/罐后寄生量趋于平稳; 寄生蜂的搜寻效应随着寄主密度的增加而减弱; 当斑翅果蝇的密度分别为10、20、30头/罐时寄生蜂自身密度干扰模型分别为E10=0.487 8P-0.871 3; E20=0.442 0P-0.676 8和E30=0.346 2P-0.433 7, 在同一寄主密度下, 日本细毛环腹瘿蜂的寻找效应均随自身密度的增加而减弱。日本细毛环腹瘿蜂对斑翅果蝇2龄幼虫具有较好的寄生效能, 但寄主密度较大会导致日本细毛环腹瘿蜂的寄生效能减弱, 随着寄生蜂自身密度的增加, 其种内个体间会出现干扰作用。