黄土丘陵区草本群落生物量空间分布格局及其影响因素

草地是干旱半干旱地区黄土高原植被组成的主体,而草本植物作为草地生态系统的优势群落,在黄土高原恢复植被和水土保持建设方面存在着不可替代的优势。因此本试验选取黄土丘陵区不同纬度下的草本群落为研究对象,分析草本群落地上、地下生物量的空间分布特征及其影响因素,同时并验证等速生长关系,以期为黄土丘陵区恢复植被、改善生态建设方面提供理论指导。结果表明:(1)在纬度梯度35.95°~38.36° N变化范围内,黄土丘陵区不同植被带草本群落地上生物量变化范围为54.60~204.32 g·m^-2,平均值156.968 g·m^-2,变异系数为27.83%;地下生物量变化范围为78.88~829.64 g·m^-2,平均值469.21 g·m^-2,变异系数为48.87%;草本群落地下/地上生物量变化范围为 0.93~4.49,平均值2.89,变异系数为39.18%。草本群落生物量(地下、地上)大小顺序均为:森林-草原带>草原带>森林带>草原-荒漠带,且地上、地下生物量随纬度梯度变化规律均呈现出“先增加后减少”的单峰型变化趋势。(2)草本群落地下与地上生物量呈极显著正相关(P<0.01),决定系数达到0.59,且符合等速生长关系。(3)草本群落地下生物量与年均降水、年均温、土壤有机碳、全氮、全磷含量之间均呈显著相关。气候因子和土壤理化性质对地下生物量都具有重要影响作用,其影响机理还需进一步结合植物生物学和生理生态方面的综合研究才能做出准确结论。     

Virulence traits of avian pathogenic (APEC) and fecal (AFEC) <Emphasis Type="Italic">E. coli</Emphasis> isolated from broiler chickens in Algeria

Avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC) is the etiologic agent of avian colibacillosis, the most common disease responsible for chicken morbidity in the world. Although multiple virulence-associated factors were identified, their prevalence in Algeria is still poorly known. In the present research, 92 avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC) isolates were recovered from broilers with clinical signs and lesions of colibacillosis. In addition, 32 E. coli isolates collected from feces of healthy birds (AFEC) were included for comparison. All isolates were investigated by PCR for the presence of a total of 11 virulence-associated genes described for avian pathogenic (iroN, ompT, hlyF, iss, iutA, and fimC) and diarrheagenic E. coli (eae, stx, elt/est, ipaH, and aggR). The sensitivity of 39 APEC isolates to 16 antibiotics was also determined using antimicrobial pretreated microplates. Here, we report that 98% of the examined isolates host at least one of the tested virulence factors. The most prevalent genes in APEC were iutA (90.6%), ompT (86.9%), and iss (85.8%); whereas, iutA (78.1%), fimC (78.1%), and iroN (68.7%) were the highest prevalent genes in AFEC. Our data showed that none of the AFEC isolates harbor any of the tested diarrheagenic genes. Moreover, only elt/est (5.4%), stx (2.1%), and ipaH (2.1%) genes were carried by APEC isolates. We further established that ceftazodime, ceftiofur, mequindox, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, and meropenem were the most efficient antibiotics against the analyzed APEC isolates. Overall, our findings provide more insights about APEC and AFEC virulence potential in Algeria which could participate in the fight against colibacillosis.     

Effects of in ovo feeding of L‐arginine on the development of digestive organs,intestinal function and post‐hatch performance of broiler embryos and hatchlings

This study was to investigate the effects of in ovo feeding (IOF) L‐arginine (Arg) solution on the development of digestive organs, the duodenal mucosa of broiler embryos and hatchlings, and the growth performance of chicks during the first week post‐hatch. A total of 720 fertilized eggs with similar weight were randomly allocated to three groups, consisting of eight replicates of 30 eggs each. Three treatments were arranged as non‐injected control, diluent‐injected (0.75% NaCl solution) group and Arg solution‐injected group containing 1% Arg, dissolved in diluent. At 17.5 days of incubation, 0.6 ml of IOF solution was injected into amniotic fluid of each egg of injected groups. Results showed IOF of Arg solution increased (p < .05) the chick embryo weight at 19 days of incubation; the body weight gain of post‐hatch broilers during 1–7 days; the weights of liver, pancreas, proventriculus and gizzard; the concentrations of duodenal ghrelin, vasoactive intestinal peptide and glucagon‐like peptide 2; and the duodenum mucosal enzyme activities of alkaline phosphatase, maltase, sucrase and inducible nitric oxide synthase of 7‐day‐old post‐hatch broilers compared with other groups. The IOF of Arg solution also increased (p < .05) the villus height (VH) and the ratio of VH to crypt depth (CD) and decreased (p < .05) the CD in duodenum of broiler embryos and post‐hatch hatchlings, except for the CD at 19 days of incubation. In conclusion, IOF of 1% Arg solution into the amnion at 17.5 days of incubation could improve the development of digestive organs, the duodenal morphology, the releasing of gastrointestinal hormones and mucosal enzyme activities of broiler embryos and hatchlings and finally the growth performance of chicks during the first week post‐hatch. Therefore, IOF of appropriate Arg solution could be an effective technology for regulating early nutrition supply and subsequent growth development in poultry industry.     

Based serum metabolomics analysis reveals simultaneous interconnecting changes during chicken embryonic development

Metabolic disorder is a major health problem and is associated with a number of metabolic diseases. Due to native hyperglycaemia and resistance to exogenous insulin, chickens as a model had used in the studies of adipose tissue biology, metabolism and obesity. But no detailed information is available about the comprehensive changes of serum metabolites at different stages of chicken embryonic development. This study employed LC/MS‐QTOF to determine the changes of major functional metabolites at incubation day 14 (E14d), 19 (E19d) and hatching day 1 (H1d), and the associated pathways of differential metabolites during chicken embryonic development were analysed using Metabolite Set Enrichment Analysis method. Results showed that 39 metabolites were significantly changed from E14d to E19d and 68 metabolites were significantly altered from E19d to H1d in chicken embryos. Protein synthesis was promoted by increasing the concentrations of L‐glutamine and threonine, and gonadal development was promoted through increasing oestrone content from E14d to E19d in chicken embryos, which indicated that serum glutamine, threonine and oestrone contents may be considered as the candidate indicators for assessment of early embryonic development. 2‐oxoglutaric acid mainly contributed to enhancing the citric cycle, and it plays an important role in improving the growth of chicken embryos at the late development; the decreasing of L‐glutamine, L‐isoleucine and L‐leucine contents from E19d to H1d in chicken embryonic development implied their possible functions as the feed additive during early posthatch period of broiler chickens to satisfy the growth. These results provided insights into understand the roles of serum metabolites at different developmental stages of chicken embryos, it also provides available information for chicken as a model to study metabolic disease or human obesity.     

Methyl donors dietary supplementation to gestating sows diet improves the growth rate of offspring and is associating with changes in expression and DNA methylation of insulin‐like growth factor‐1 gene

The study aimed to investigate the effects of maternal dietary methyl donors on the performance of sows and their offspring, and the associated hepatic insulin‐like growth factor‐1 (IGF‐1) expression of the offspring. A total of 24 multiparous sows were randomly fed the control (CON) or the CON diet supplemented with methyl donors (MD) at 3 g/kg betaine, 15 mg/kg folic acid, 400 mg/kg choline and 150 μg/kg VB₁₂, from mating until delivery. After farrowing, sows were fed a common lactation diet through a 28‐days lactation period and six litters per treatment were selected to be fed until at approximately 110 kg BW. Maternal MD supplementation resulted in greater birthweight (p < 0.05) and increased the piglet weights (p < 0.01) and litter weights (p < 0.05) at the age of day 28, compared with that in CON group. The offspring pigs in the MD group had greater ADG (p < 0.05) and tended to lower F:G ratio (p = 0.07) compared with that of CON group from day 28 to 180 of age. The offspring pigs from MD group had greater serum IGF‐1 concentrations and expressions of hepatic IGF‐1 gene and muscular IGF‐1 receptor (IGF‐1r) protein at birth (p < 0.05), and greater hepatic IGF‐1 protein (p = 0.03) and muscular IGF‐1r gene expressions (p < 0.05) at slaughter, than that from the CON group. Moreover, the methylation at the promoter of IGF‐1 gene in the liver of newborn piglets and finishing pigs was greater in the MD group than that of the CON group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, maternal MD supplementation throughout gestation could enhance the birthweight and postnatal growth rate of offspring, associated with an increased expression of the IGF‐1 gene and IGF‐1r, as well as the altered DNA methylation of IGF‐1 gene promotor.     

不同年限封育对黄土高原典型草原地上植被的影响

为了揭示自然恢复过程中植被动态变化规律,以黄土高原典型草原为研究对象,采用野外调查与室内分析相结合的方法,分析不同年限封育(0、5、15、23和32年)对草地植被特征、物种多样性和群落演替动态变化的影响。结果表明,随着封育年限的增加,枯落物量和厚度呈递增趋势,群落盖度呈先增加后降低趋势,群落密度呈递减趋势,地上生物量和禾草地上生物量均呈先增加后降低的趋势,且均在封育23年草地达到了峰值。不同年限的封育对Simpson多样性指数和Pielou均匀度指数影响不显著(P0.05)。地上植被的物种丰富度呈先增加后降低趋势,且在封育15年达到峰值。地上植被群落封育演替的一般模式为杂类草生长阶段→本氏针茅(Stipa bungeana)逐渐占优势阶段→本氏针茅稳定发展阶段。     

苜蓿抗旱生理与分子机制

苜蓿(Medicago sativa)是我国乃至全世界最优质的豆科牧草之一,具有较高的经济价值、营养价值和生态价值。然而我国的苜蓿种植大多集中在干旱半干旱的西北、东北一带,水分是影响其产量的主要因素。本文通过对比光合呼吸系统、活性氧防御系统、渗透调节系统、脱落酸等在干旱胁迫下的变化分析了苜蓿抵御干旱胁迫的生理机制,同时对转录因子、蛋白酶基因和抗旱基因在苜蓿干旱胁迫下的应答过程进行了阐述,并对未来苜蓿应答干旱胁迫的研究重点进行了展望。     

基于GIMMS NDVI 3g.v1的近34年青海省植被生长季NDVI时空变化特征

在气候变化和人类活动的综合影响下,青海省生态环境发生了明显变化。在此背景下,以GIMMS NDVI 3g.v1为数据源,采用Sen+Mann-Kendal方法研究青海省1982-2015年植被覆盖区域NDVI时空变化,将趋势分析和R/S(rescaled range analysis)分析叠加,研究植被生长季NDVI变化的持续性特征,并揭示植被对气候变化及人类活动的响应规律。结果表明:1)近34年青海省植被NDVI整体呈从西北到东南的增加趋势;且变异系数显示,波动性较大地区集中在柴达木盆地周边和青南牧区西北部等植被NDVI较低的区域,波动性较小地区集中在祁连山东部、东部农业区和青南牧区东南部等植被NDVI较高的区域。2)近34年青海省植被NDVI整体呈增加趋势,增长率为0.38%·10a~(-1);且NDVI变化具有明显的阶段性,存在1994年和2000年两个突变点。3)近34年青海省植被改善区域(75.4%)远大于退化区域(24.6%),其中显著改善面积占植被覆盖区域面积的40.9%,退化区随时间变化在空间上表现出明显的转移现象。4)Hurst指数表明,青海省植被变化反持续性较强,趋势分析与Hurst指数叠加得出,由退化转为改善的区域占植被覆盖区面积的13.7%,由改善转为退化的区域占植被覆盖区面积的44.3%,另41.5%的区域无法确定未来变化趋势。5)青海省植被生长季NDVI受气候变化和人类活动的双重影响,且不同植被类型对气候变化的响应存在较大差异。