Lipid distribution in branching coral Montipora digitata

>ABSTRACT: The lipid profile was studied along the branch length, from the top, middle to base portion, of coral Montipora digitata to gain more insight into the physiological significance of lipids in the coral energy budget. The lipids of M. digitata consisted of seven major lipid classes: polar lipid, sterol, free fatty acid, unknown lipids 1 and 2, triacylglycerol (TG), and wax ester. The concentration of storage lipids, TG, and wax ester showed a top–base gradient along the length, whereas the levels of free fatty acid and unknown lipids showed a base–top gradient. The proportions of polar lipid and sterol in the top portion of the branch were slightly higher than those in the base portion. This observation appeared to be compatible with the view that the increased energy expenditure for proliferation enhanced the mobilization of the storage fuel lipids of wax ester and TG rather than the structure lipids of polar lipids and sterols at the top portion of the branch. Compositions of fatty acid also showed a length-wise diversity. The top portion had a lower proportion of palmitic acid (16   :   0) in all lipid classes of fatty acid ester, suggesting that this fatty acid was preferentially mobilized at the top portion, probably for the growth of coral cells.     

Effects of natural barriers on the spillover of a marine mollusc: implications for fisheries reserves

• 1. The movement of organisms and dispersal of propagules is fundamental to the maintenance of populations over time. However, the existence of barriers, created through the spatial configuration of habitats, may significantly affect dispersal patterns and thus influence community dynamics and resource sustainability.
• 2. Within marine environments unstructured or open habitats may form partial or complete ecological barriers due to elevated risk of predation or physical stresses associated with them. The existence and effects of such barriers may be of particular importance when considering the establishment of marine protected areas with a fisheries enhancement focus.
• 3. In this paper, the spillover of post‐settlement queen conch (Strombus gigas) from a protected area in the Turks and Caicos Islands is investigated. It is hypothesized that the reserve boundaries overlap with a series of shallow, sand habitats that effectively enclose the protected population, reducing the spillover of conch into the adjacent fished areas.
• 4. To test this, density gradient maps for juvenile and adult conch populations were constructed using underwater visual survey data at 68 sites within and surrounding the protected area. These maps illustrate very low densities coinciding with poor, shallow sand habitats along the two marine boundaries of the reserve where spillover is expected to take place.
• 5. These sand habitats are thought to create ecological barriers to a slow, sedentary gastropod largely due to their shallowness (physical stresses of solar exposure or anoxia) and lack of food reducing the tendency of individuals to move across these areas, despite the 10‐times higher density of adult queen conch observed in the protected area compared with outside.

Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Grassland responses to grazing disturbance: plant diversity changes with grazing intensity in a desert steppe

This study quantifies the impact of four different grazing regimes (heavy, moderate, light and ungrazed) on the vegetation dynamics of rangeland ecosystems along the southern boundary area of the Mu Us Desert, China. As the grazing intensities decreased, the soil quality, canopy cover, height, density, above‐ and below‐ground biomass, litter, root/shoot ratio and native plant (Aneurolepidium dasystachys) and grass abundances significantly increased; the above‐ground biomass of grasses increased, but the above‐ground biomass of forbs decreased. Ungrazed grassland has significantly improved from grasslands experiencing three other levels of grazing pressure, especially in the grassland biomass. Species richness increased as the grazing intensity decreased in the grazing grasslands, but peak species richness appeared under moderate and light grazing against lower productivity. Grazing exclusion causes desirable transitions in plant communities of desert steppe rangelands. Therefore, appropriate and efficient grazing exclusion is an available way to counteract local grassland degradation and promote rangeland sustainability.     

城郊环境梯度下地表径流污染特征研究

采用事件平均浓度（EMC）和M（V）曲线初期冲刷效应判识方法,对2011年4月北京市中心城区和远郊区县降雨径流污染特征进行分析.结果表明,受城郊环境差异影响,径流污染物种类、浓度和初期冲刷效应存在明显分异,城区COD、TP、TN污染物浓度低于郊区,氨氮浓度高于郊区;城区径流存在初期冲刷效应,郊区无明显初期冲刷效应.     

混合益生菌对仔猪生长及肠道菌群的影响

选用50头体重相近的三元杂交断奶健康仔猪,随机分为5组:对照组全程饲喂玉米-豆粕型基础日粮;试验1、2、3、4组在试验第1天到第28天分别饲喂基础日粮+蜡样芽孢杆菌、鼠李糖乳杆菌和戊糖乳杆菌(质量比为1∶1∶1、1∶2∶1、2∶1∶2、1∶1∶2)的混合益生菌制剂,在第29天到第42天饲喂基础日粮。饲喂28 d后计算各组仔猪日增重、料重比、腹泻率。结果表明:4个试验组仔猪的日增重均高于对照组,料重比均低于对照组,腹泻率均显著低于对照组;试验1、3组仔猪的日增重显著高于对照组,且试验1组仔猪的日增重又稍高于试验3组;试验1、3组仔猪的料重比显著低于对照组,而试验1组仔猪的料重比又稍低于试验3组;试验1组和3组仔猪的腹泻率相同,且低于试验2组和4组,表明4种比例混合的益生菌制剂均能促进仔猪生长,且以质量比1∶1∶1、2∶1∶2混合的益生菌制剂促进仔猪生长的效果较好;对试验1组和对照组仔猪在试验0、7、14、21、28、42 d肠道内菌群的定量PCR结果表明,试验1组仔猪肠道内蜡样芽孢杆菌、鼠李糖乳杆菌数量在饲喂益生菌制剂期间呈现一致的变化趋势,即先上升后下降,再上升,而对照组3种菌的变化趋势不一致;在停喂益生菌制剂2周后,3种益生菌仍呈规律变化,表明饲喂益生菌制剂能够调节仔猪肠道相应菌群的生长;对仔猪肠道粪样菌群的16SrDNA的特异序列的进行变性梯度凝胶电泳及抠胶测序的结果表明,仔猪在饲喂益生菌制剂7 d后,肠道蜡样芽孢杆菌、肠球菌、链球菌、双歧杆菌、戊糖乳杆菌、大肠杆菌、鼠李糖乳杆菌菌群数量均下降,到第28天时,各种菌群数量均上升,表明饲喂益生菌制剂不仅能调节仔猪肠道相应益生菌的生长,还能调节肠道肠球菌、链球菌、大肠杆菌与双歧杆菌的生长。     

梯度铁电薄膜性质研究

以二级相变铁电材料为例,利用推广的Ginzburg-Landau-Devonshire（GLD）理论,研究不均匀结构对梯度铁电薄膜性质的影响.结果表明：退极化场对于两层薄膜中间的极化影响较小,而在薄膜的两端处影响最大;梯度铁电薄膜的平均极化随膜厚按线性规律变化;在接近相变温度时,自发极化消失,梯度铁电薄膜的这一现象与铁电材料的性质相同.在外场不等于零的情况下,得到的梯度铁电薄膜的电滞回线中心对称.     

坡度对东北黑土流失影响的研究

通过室外人工模拟降雨的方法，得出了在不同坡度、降雨量和降雨强度时，不同植被覆盖度的流失泥沙颗粒组成、黑土地表的径流量以及土壤含水量的相应变化。     

连作对棉田土壤枯、黄萎病菌数量及细菌群落的影响

采用选择培养法测定新疆库尔勒不同连作年限棉田土壤枯、黄萎病病菌数量的变化,运用PCR-DGGE(Polymerase chain reaction-denatured gradient gel electrophoresis)技术分析棉花连作对土壤细菌群落结构和多样性的影响。结果表明,不同连作年限棉田的枯萎病菌和黄萎病菌量具有相似的变化特征,即在5~20年连作年限内,土壤中病原菌量随着连作年限的延长而增加,20年连作土壤病原菌数量达到最高峰;连作超过20年,土壤菌源数量开始下降。不同连作年限棉田土壤中枯、黄萎病病原菌的数量与发病株率呈显著正相关关系。连作棉田土壤细菌群落的DGGE图谱分析显示,连作棉田土壤细菌种群的组成、结构、丰富度均发生变化。连作5~40年的棉田土壤细菌种群Shannon-Wiener多样性指数(H')、均匀度(EH′)和丰富度(S)指数均降低,且连作年限越长降低越突出。     

梯度风对雾滴穿透性影响的研究及试验

该文对梯度风中果树枝叶的运动规律的理论分析发现：梯度风可以使果树枝叶产生“躲闪”、“退让”和“扭转”运动，有利于雾滴穿透和沉积。室内和田间试验证明：只提高弥雾机出口风速对雾滴的穿透效果不好，反而容易造成近风侧粘附雾滴的逃逸。而弥雾机械梯度风的存在，有利于雾滴的穿透和沉积。因此，为了提高雾滴的穿透性和沉积性，应该提高梯度风的梯度。为减少已粘附雾滴的逃逸损失，提高雾滴在整株果树上分布均匀性，提高药效，必需合理选择和控制风机的出口风速。     

天津市不同污染梯度树木吸滞重金属及硫能力分析

以天津市主要绿化树种为研究对象,对叶片中重金属元素和硫含量进行了分析。结果表明:各研究区域内重金属污染程度为:昆仑桥(市区)水上公园(近郊公园区)蓟县(远郊园林区)杨柳青庄园(远郊风景区),随着市中心到远郊污染程度降低,不同区域各树种叶片吸滞重金属程度也随之降低,4个区域树木叶片吸滞污染元素排序大致均为:SAsPbCuCrCd;在昆仑桥柳树对各元素的吸滞能力均比较强,槐树吸滞As和Cr能力较强,杨树吸滞Pb和Cr能力较强,白蜡吸滞Cu和As能力较强;水上公园桧柏吸滞Cd和Cr能力较强,龙柏吸滞Cd和As能力较强,白蜡对Pb和Cu吸滞能力较强,柳树对S吸滞能力较强,雪松对各种元素的吸滞能力较强,杨树吸滞各元素能力相对较弱;杨柳青庄园桧柏吸滞Cr能力较强,雪松和龙柏吸滞Pb能力较强,杨树对Cd和Cu吸滞能力较强,杜仲对As和S吸滞能力较强;蓟县雪松吸滞Cr的能力较强,杨树吸滞Cd,S和Cu的能力较强,柳树对各元素的吸滞能力均较强,龙柏对各元素吸滞能力均相对较弱。