Immune challenge of mating effort: steroid hormone profile,dark ventral patch and parasite burden in relation to intrasexual competition in male Iberian red deer

Testosterone secretion may regulate the reproductive effort and the development of sexual traits, but it may also involve costs at the immunological and metabolic levels. However, the evidence for this trade‐off in wild populations is scarce. Cortisol also plays an important role in mediating the reproductive and immune functions. In this study, we analyzed whether the endoparasite burden relates to hormonal levels (fecal testosterone and cortisol metabolites) and/or morphological sexual traits (size of the dark ventral patch, a trait that indicates reproductive effort in males) in male Iberian red deer. For this purpose, we sampled male red deer harvested during hunting actions in 2 types of populations in south western Spain that differed in structure, affecting the level of male–male competition for mates. We used coprological analyses to estimate the parasite burden mainly of gastrointestinal and bronchopulmonary nematodes and of protozoa, and assessed testosterone and cortisol metabolite levels from fecal pellets. We found a positive relationship of host parasitation with both testosterone levels and the size of the dark ventral patch, but these relationships depended on the intensity of male–male competition in the population, being only found under the high‐competition scenario. These results are discussed under the hypothesis of the testosterone immunocompetence handicap, suggesting a cost at the immunological level, and, therefore, higher susceptibility to parasite infection in males that make a greater reproductive effort. However, this effect seems to be modulated by the social environment (male–male competition) that might lead to different optima in testosterone production and sexual trait development.     

泥河沟流域农林复合生态系统景观格局变化研究

以淳化县泥河沟流域为研究对象,利用该区1986年和2004年的土地利用现状图,在A rc/in fo和A rcveiw软件支持下,对该流域18 a来农林复合生态系统景观格局的变化进行了研究。结果表明,除水域不变外,林地、草地和未利用地面积均减少,其他用地面积有所增加,尤其是居民地企业及交通用地增幅最大,达47.48%;流域的斑块数量减少,斑块形状趋于复杂,多样性指数增加,景观的破碎程度加大,景观格局正朝多极化和破碎化方向发展。     

高寒草甸不同斑块草地土壤微生物多样性特征研究

本文以矮嵩草（Kobresia humilis）高寒草甸及退化后形成的不同退化斑块群落类型草地土壤为研究对象,利用Illumina MiSeq高通量测序技术分析了不同斑块草地土壤中微生物群落结构组成和多样性变化特点,并分析了土壤微生物与土壤养分之间的相关性。结果表明：以矮嵩草为优势植物的高寒草甸群落变为以细叶亚菊（Ajania tenuifolia）、黄帚橐吾（Ligularia virgaurea）和甘肃马先蒿（Pedicularis kansuensis）为优势的群落或斑块后,土壤真菌群落丰富度和多样性未呈现出显著差异,但土壤细菌群落表现出了差别,表现为细叶亚菊和黄帚橐吾斑块土壤细菌丰富度指数显著高于矮嵩草草甸,而甘肃马先蒿斑块的低于矮嵩草高寒草甸。优势植物种类变化和土壤养分含量显著下降引起土壤真菌营养类型的分化,草地退化降低了腐生营养型真菌丰度,增加了共生营养型真菌丰度。土壤养分、pH和水分含量对真菌群落影响相对较小,对细菌群落影响相对较大。     

Matrix effects on bird assemblages in fragmented Afromontane forests in South Africa

We examine the effects of matrix type on forest bird species richness in historically fragmented forests of the KwaZulu-Natal midlands, South Africa. Bird species-area relationships for forest fragments within natural grassland were compared with those surrounded by plantation forestry (Pinus spp.). While fragments in grasslands displayed a species-area effect, no such effect (slope ∼0) was detected for fragments in plantations. The critical fragment size to avoid an island effect on species richness was 302 ha for fragments in grasslands, and contained 51 of the 61 forest bird species encountered. Small forest fragments (<50 ha) within grasslands were less species-rich than those surrounded by plantation, while the reverse was true for forests larger than 50 ha. Bird density was significantly lower in larger forest patches within plantation when compared to those in grassland. However, a slight decline in species density with increasing species richness in a patch (i.e. weak density compensation) characterised only those bird assemblages surrounded by a grassland matrix, suggesting these are approaching species saturation. Commercial plantations may increase the likelihood of colonisation of, and immigration from, small forest fragments by birds, reducing the incidence of area-dependent extinction in small fragments, but may also result in lower species richness in larger fragments. The latter is likely a consequence of the promotion by plantations of a wider distribution of generalist species in, and the loss of some specialised or rare species from, large patches. Management options are to avoid planting plantations near large forest patches and to increase the size of small patches where possible. Where afforestation is unavoidable, placing plantations in the vicinity of small forest patches rather than large forest patches may be preferable.     

侧柏风景林美景度的林内色彩斑块非线性模型研究

利用景观生态学的景观空间格局分析原理,以照片的色彩斑块结构为基础,开展风景林林内景观质量评价研究。分析美景度等级和14个斑块指数的关系,利用简相关法筛选出对美景度影响大的SPLIT、SHDI、DIV、SIEI、ACOV和LPI 6个指数,研究表明:随着美景度等级的降低,DIV、SIEI、ACOV和LPI呈曲线变化趋势;SPLIT、SHDI呈线性增大的变化趋势。依据6个指标,利用聚类方法将侧柏人工林分为4种类型。以指数为自变量分别构建了线性和非线性美景度模型。对比结果表明:非线性模型拟合精度高于线性模型,所以选用二次多项式逐步回归模型从总体上较好地反映出景观指数与美景度间的关系。      

放牧强度对黄土丘陵沟壑区生物土壤结皮分布格局的影响

【目的】明确放牧强度对生物土壤结皮（生物结皮）分布格局的影响。【方法】以黄土丘陵沟壑区4个典型的退耕还林（草）县（市）的退耕草地为对象,以单位面积羊粪球数(羊粪球密度)表征放牧强度,将放牧强度划分为轻度（羊粪球数0~10个/m²）、中度（羊粪球数＞10~20个/m²）、重度（羊粪球数＞20个/m²）3个强度,分别记作G1、G2、G3,以退耕封禁草地为对照(G0),基于景观生态学方法,通过拍照和GIS图像处理,采用景观格局指数定量分析了生物结皮分布格局的变化。【结果】放牧影响退耕草地生物结皮的盖度及组成,其中G2和G3处理藓结皮盖度显著低于G0和G1处理;藻结皮盖度随放牧强度的增加呈增大趋势,地衣结皮盖度无显著变化。放牧降低了生物结皮厚度,其中G3处理生物结皮厚度显著低于G0和G1处理。随着放牧强度的增加,藻生物量呈增大趋势,但各处理间差异不显著;而藓生物量呈降低趋势。与G0处理相比,放牧显著降低了生物结皮斑块的连结度,而增加了分离度,其中G3处理斑块连结度显著降低,而分离度显著增加。随着放牧强度的增加,生物结皮斑块密度变化不显著,斑块盖度、斑块连结度降低,而景观形状指数、分离度增加。放牧强度与生物结皮斑块盖度、斑块连结度、斑块分离度之间显著相关,拟合结果显示均呈二次函数关系。【结论】中度和重度放牧强度（羊粪球数>10个/m²）导致生物结皮斑块破碎化及退化。     

采煤沉陷区土地利用变化及其景观异质性分析——以山西省东大煤矿为例

以山西省东大煤矿为例，对采煤沉陷区沉陷前后土地利用状况的变化以及景观异质性进行了初步研究。主要分析了不同土地利用类型斑块数量、面积的变化，以及景观破碎度、多样性、均匀度、优势度等指标。研究结果表明，采煤沉陷造成地表移动变形产生的裂隙、陷坑、塌方或滑坡等，致使土地被分割破碎，斑块数量增加而面积减小，植被毁坏，生态环境向着不合理的方向发展。     

青藏高原"黑土滩"退化草地植物和土壤对秃斑面积变化的响应

在青藏高原典型"黑土滩"区对93个秃斑块及周边的土壤和植被特征以及变化规律进行了调查分析.结果表明,高寒草地草毡层消失后形成的"黑土滩"秃斑在草地中形成一个"负肥力岛",秃斑块内土壤养分低于秃斑周边有草皮层覆盖的草地,其中全氮、铵态氮、有机碳差异显著;同时秃斑内pH显著高于秃斑块外水平.秃斑块是草地养分流失的通道.当秃...     

改进型中草药921合剂结合α-酮戊二酸对断奶大鼠肠道免疫的影响

研究了改进型中草药921合剂结合α 酮戊二酸(α ketoglutarate,AKG)作为饲料添加剂对体重为40.0±5g18日龄断奶大鼠小肠上皮淋巴集结数量、面积和十二指肠肠液中IgA的含量进行了测定。纯系断奶大白鼠被随机分为对照组、中草药组和中草药加AKG组,每组10只,分别饲喂1～2周,然后对上述内容进行研究。结果为:饲喂1周后,对照组、中草药组和中草药加AKG组小肠上皮淋巴结数量分别为16.4±1.23,14.2±0.63,15.1±0.68个(P>0.05);3组间十二指肠肠液中IgA含量分别为0.844±0.020,0.921±0.039,1.236±0.131g·L-1(P<0.01)。饲喂2周后对照组、中草药组和中草药加AKG组小肠上皮淋巴结数量分别为15.6±0.50,16.4±0.94,15.6±0.99个(P>0.05);3组间前段肠上皮淋巴集结面积分别为27.7±2.02,44.8±4.34,42.4±1.93mm2(P<0.01);中段分别为28.1±1.10,40.5±5.68,55.4±2.28mm2(P<0.01);后段分别为37.6±4.57,63.6±4.94,59.0±5.35mm2(P<0.01);3组间十二指肠肠液中IgA含量分别为0.256±0.015,0.493±0.030,0.601±0.047g·L-1(P<0.01)。中草药组和中草药加AKG组十二指肠IgA含量均显著高于对照组。研究表明:中草药结合AKG可以通过增加小肠上皮淋巴集结面积,增加肠道IgA的分泌,从而快速有效的改善肠道的生长和发育及黏膜