Conversion of a tropical forest into agroforest alters the fine root-related carbon flux to the soil

Large areas of remaining tropical forests are affected by anthropogenic disturbances of various intensities. These disturbances alter the structure of the forest ecosystem and consequently its carbon budget. We analysed the role of fine root dynamics in the soil carbon budget of tropical moist forests in South-east Asia along a gradient of increasing disturbance intensity. Fine root production, fine root turnover, and the associated carbon fluxes from the fine root system to the soil were estimated with three different approaches in five stands ranging from an old growth forest with negligible anthropogenic disturbance to a cacao agroforestry system with planted shade trees. Annual fine root production and mortality in three natural forest sites with increasing canopy openness decreased continuously with increasing forest disturbance, with a reduction of more than 45% between the undisturbed forest and the forest with large timber extraction. Cacao agroforestry stands had higher fine root production and mortality rates than forest with large timber extraction but less than undisturbed forest. The amount of carbon annually transferred to the soil carbon pool through fine root mortality was highest in the undisturbed forest and generally decreased with increasing forest use intensity. However, root-related C flux was also relatively high in the plantation with planted shading trees. In contrast, the relative importance of C transfer from root death in the total above- and below-ground C input to the soil increased with increasing forest use intensity and was even similar to the C input via leaf litter fall in the more intensively managed agroforest. We conclude that moderate to heavy disturbance in South-east Asian tropical moist forests has a profound impact on fine root turnover and the related carbon transfer to the soil.     

Salinity tolerance in young Allis shad larvae (Alosa alosa L.)

Abstract –  Estuarine migration in Allis shad ( Alosa alosa ) usually does not take place before mid-summer, but exposure to salinity in brackish water may occur earlier as many spawning areas are of necessity located in upper estuarine zones due to the placement of dams. Therefore, Allis shad conservation programmes need to consider the risk of mortality due to the ability of young Allis shad to tolerate salinity. To evaluate larval mortality due to the inability of larvae to withstand salinity during early ontogeny, we exposed larvae of different ages (from few days old to 27 days old) to salinities ranging from 0 to 30 g·l⁻¹. Results indicate that direct seawater exposure induces high mortality in young larvae whatever the ontogenetic stage. However, young larvae can easily deal with upper estuary salinity conditions.     

Evaluation of three phytoplankton species as food for the pearl oyster <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinctada fucata</Emphasis>

In the pearl cultivation farms of the Ehime Prefecture, Japan, mass mortalities of the pearl oyster Pinctada fucata have occurred since 1994. The occurrences of mass mortality roughly coincided with a shift of the dominant phytoplankton from Skeletonema and Chaetoceros to Chaetoceros and Nitzschia all of which belong to Bacillariophyceae. Hence, we evaluated Nitzschia, together with Chaetoceros and Isocrysis, as food for the oyster. Wet weights, lengths, widths, glycogen contents, and growth rates in terms of wet weight of the oysters in all the feeding treatments were significantly higher than those in the non-feeding treatment. The highest glycogen content (2.34%) and growth rate (2.21 g month⁻¹) were found in the Chaetoceros treatment. Growth rate in the Isocrysis treatment (1.63 g month⁻¹) was also high, although glycogen content in this treatment (0.41%) was low. In the Nitzschia treatment, growth rate of the oyster (0.94 g month⁻¹) was the lowest and glycogen content (0.83%) was also low relative to that in the Chaetoceros treatment. Chlorophyll a concentration in fecal pellets was lowest in the Nitzschia treatment (<2.7 μg mg⁻¹), suggesting more complete digestion of Nitzschia by the oyster. Thus, Nitzschia was edible and digestible but not assimilated by P. fucata. We propose the following scenario for the relationship between Nitzschia dominance and mass mortality. When Nitzschia dominates in a culture area, the physiological condition of P. fucata deteriorates due to low assimilation of Nitzschia by the oyster, followed by susceptibility of the oyster to infection by agents lethal to the oyster.     

Discovery of a synergistic effect of oxytocin on the efficacy of Alpha-Chloralose,a drug used for capturing and controlling birds

Overdose and death of both target and non-target species are not uncommon when α–chloralose is used for animal control. Alpha–chloralose appears to depress the central nervous system by having an affect on the GABA-A receptor in a manner similar to ethanol. Recently central administration of oxytocin was shown to block ethanol-induced impairment in rodents. Our study investigates whether IM administration of oxytocin speeds avian recovery from α–chloralose and reduces mortality under simulated field conditions. We found that when injected twice with oxytocin (30 uL/kg) chickens entered α–chloralose narcosis more quickly and showed greater behavioral impairment. When fed the LD₅₀ dose of α–chloralose, repeated injection with oxytocin produced no significant difference in mortality rate or time to death in comparison to the control group. The effects of peripheral oxytocin on female chicks were different than results found previously in cockerels given oxytocin centrally. Oxytocin is not a suitable antidote for α–chloralose overdose during animal capture in the field but instead accentuates α–chloralose narcosis, making capture more likely and efficient.     

黏虫CYP9A134基因的克隆及其解毒功能

昆虫体内的细胞色素P450酶系统在昆虫解毒过程中发挥着重要作用。本次试验通过转录组测序获得一条新的黏虫P450基因,经国际委员会命名为CYP9A134（登录号为MT990973）。该序列全长为1801 bp,开放序列长度为1596 bp,编码531个氨基酸,分子质量为61.42 kDa,等电点为4.90。在黏虫幼虫阶段用2.5%高效氯氟氰菊酯和20%氯虫苯甲酰胺诱导时该基因表达量会有不同程度上升,最高的可分别达对照组的2.6倍和6.5倍。RNA干扰后,该基因表达量最低下降了70%,以上2种杀虫剂LD30杀虫效果分别提高了13%和25%;在黏虫成虫阶段用20%氯虫苯甲酰胺LD30诱导时,该基因表达量最高可达7.8倍。RNA干扰后,该基因表达量最低下降了61%,LD30剂量的氯虫苯甲酰胺杀虫效果提高26%。结果表明,该基因可能在杀虫剂诱导的解毒代谢过程中发挥重要作用。     

高海拔孵化鸡胚死亡曲线分析

利用2阶段增长曲线模型拟合藏鸡和2种低地鸡及其杂交种蛋在2900m（西藏林芝）和3650m（西藏拉萨）海拔的孵化胚胎死亡曲线，分析海拔高度对不同鸡种胚胎死亡的影响。结果表明该模型适宜拟合鸡蛋高海拔孵化时的胚胎死亡规律，拟合度高。藏鸡是高原适应品种，在2个海拔环境中胚胎死亡率均较低。在2900m海拔孵化时，各品种胚胎第l死亡高峰出现在第2．30～4．05d，第2高峰期出现在第17．20～17．68d．品种间相差不大：但藏鸡的第1高峰期持续时间相时较长，为4．04～9．92d；低地鸡和杂种鸡为2．59～3．93d。海拔从2900m升高到3650m，胚胎死亡率增加33．48％～54．12％；同时藏鸡第2高峰期死亡比例增加7．70％～15．65％；低地鸡第2高峰持续期延长13．7l～15．44d；杂交鸡第1高峰期死亡比例增加了5．55％～7．34％，持续期延长0．15～0．66d。     

玉米螟不同虫态发生期、发生量对第1,2代玉米螟发生程度的影响

通过对第１,２代玉米螟各虫态发生期、发生量和为害率的连续调查结果分析表明：玉米螟各代的虫量基数只是影响当代发生程度的因素之一,并不能决定发生程度。玉米螟的发生程度与当代发生数量呈正相关,与田间落卵量关系更为密切,与发生时期关系不大。发生数理与发生历期呈正相关,第１,２代玉米螟的发生程度没有必然的联系,而表现为间断性和相对独立性。第２代玉米螟的田间产卵量是第１代玉米螟的３．７５～７．１倍,造成玉米被害率成倍增加。     

超声波对粘虫的处理效果

以常见害虫粘虫为试验材料,用不同剂量超声波处理成虫,观察处理后期粘虫发育阶段的死亡率和羽化率变化情况。结果表明:随着超声波剂量的增大,粘虫死亡率呈明显上升趋势,羽化率有明显下降趋势,超声波作用生物效应显著,当作用时间为140 s时,成虫死亡率急剧升高,高于50%,当作用时间超过180 s时,几乎没有羽化的粘虫。     

黑缘红瓢虫成虫的耐饥力研究

在完全不提供食物的条件下黑缘红瓢虫成虫的耐饥力进行测定,试验结果表明：其阶段死亡率（M）与存活时间（T）之间可以用正态分布曲线拟合。而成虫的LT50取曲线中参数μ的值。同时LT50与成虫发育时间（t)之间也有线性相关关系：LT50=3.1385 1.9324t,即随着成虫发育,其饥饿耐受能力逐渐增强。     

Dynamic Development of Aphelenchoides besseyi on Rice Plant by Artificial Inoculation in the Greenhouse

A study was done on the relationship between Aphelenchoides besseyi and the symptoms of small grains and erect panicles. This is an important rice disease in Jiangsu Province, China. A. besseyi was extracted from small grains and erect panicles and cultured artificially, and then inoculated into bud and leaf sheaths of seedlings of two Oryza sativa cultivars, namely Zhendao 2 and Wuyunjing 7 in a greenhouse. The effect on rice growth, in particular the small grains and erect panicles, was revealed by the extent of the disease, seed expansion stages, nematode load, and nematode mortality. In contrast to healthy seedlings, the height, length, and the numbers of spikelets of unhealthy panicles of Zhendao 2 were decreased by 6.7, 16.4, and 13.5%, respectively. Before anthesis, nematodes were attracted to the leaf sheath and apical meristem, nematode load increased by 40%; after anthesis, nematodes occurred in spikelets principally and the number increased by 90.8%. The percentages of infected seeds and nematode load were highest in plump seeds and lowest in empty seeds. Nematode mortality on grain with normal endosperm was lower than seeds with abnormal endosperm. Results indicated that A. besseyi was the pathogen in rice with the symptoms of small grains and erect panicles. Wuyunjing 7 manifests only the small grains and erect panicles symptoms and not the symptoms of leaf white-tip. These symptoms of small grains and erect panicles are new symptom records for the disease caused by A. besseyi on rice.