Responses in carcass lean pH at 24 hours post-mortem in lines of Large White pigs selected for growth rate on a fixed ration over a set time

A restricted maximum likelihood analysis applied to an animal model showed no significant differences (P > 0.05) in pH value of the longissimus dorsi measured at 24 h post-mortem (pH24) between high and low lines of Large White pigs selected over 4 years for post-weaning growth rate on restricted feeding. Genetic and phenotypic correlations between pH24 and production and carcass traits were estimated using all performance testing records combined with the pH24 measurements (5.05–7.02) on slaughtered animals. The estimate of heritability for pH24 was moderate (0.29 ± 0.18). Genetic correlations between pH24 and production or carcass composition traits, except for ultrasonic backfat (UBF), were not significantly different from zero. UBF had a moderate, positive genetic correlation with pH24 (0.24 ± 0.33). These estimates of genetic correlations affirmed that selection for increased growth rate on restricted feeding is likely to result in limited changes in pH24 and pork quality since the selection does not put a high emphasis on reduced fatness.     

2005年兴凯湖中俄湿地鹤类调查

兴凯湖是亚太地区水鸟重要的迁飞区和栖息地，在鹤类保护中占有特殊的地位。2005年中俄在春、夏、秋三个季节开展了兴甄湖鹤类资源联合调查。调查总面积达3255km^2。共记录到鹤类3346只，其中丹顶鹤799只，白枕鹤2523只，白头鹤14只，蓑羽鹤3只，白鹤7只。还对兴凯湖流域鹤类生存环境及其影响因素进行了分析，提出了该区域鹤类保护的建议。     

赞皇大枣的群体遗传多样性评价

为了探明三倍体赞皇大枣的遗传基础,利用22个多态性引物对赞皇县及周边县区的50个赞皇大枣类型、26个酸枣类型、8个枣品种等3个群体进行了RAPD扩增,共扩增285个位点。遗传多样性分析表明:赞皇大枣群体的多态性位点百分率为58％,小于枣品种群体(66％)和酸枣群体(89％);赞皇大枣群体共扩增出205种带型,而酸枣群体扩增出416种带型;赞皇大枣群体内平均遗传距离为0．087,小于枣品种群体(0．181)和酸枣群体(0．254)。说明:赞皇大枣的遗传多样性小于枣品种群体,酸枣群体有较丰富的遗传背景。     

Landscape features influence genetic structure of black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus)

Black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) currently live in metapopulations in the parts of their range where plague, caused by the bacterium Yesinia pestis, has invaded. Prairie dogs are highly susceptible to the pathogen, with most animals within towns dying during Y. pestis outbreaks. A review of population genetic studies of prairie dogs demonstrates considerable differentiation between prairie dog towns. Despite declines and fluctuations in size of prairie dog populations, they continue to harbor considerable genetic variation. This results from continual dispersal and gene flow, likely along low-lying drainages that connect towns. When combined with estimates of population size, the landscape genetic approach described here will provide precise estimates of dispersal and gene flow, in addition to evaluation of long-term stability of prairie dog metapopulations.     

Effect of road density on abundance of white-footed mice

While several studies have demonstrated that roads can act as barriers to small mammal movement, the relationship between road density and small mammal abundance has not yet been investigated. In southeastern Ontario, Peromyscus leucopus (white-footed mice) suffer high over-winter mortality rates, resulting in small springtime populations and frequent local extinctions. Peromyscus leucopus movement is known to be inhibited by roads, which should result in lower rates of immigration into and recolonization of habitats in landscapes with high road density. We tested two predictions: (1) Forest sites situated in landscapes with high road densities have a higher chance of P. leucopus being absent during the early spring than forest sites situated in landscapes with low road densities and (2) P. leucopus populations during the summer are smaller in forest sites situated in landscapes with high road densities than in landscapes with low road densities. We sampled P. leucopus in focal patches within nineteen landscapes (7 rural, low-road-density landscapes; 7 rural, high-road-density landscapes; 5 urban landscapes). There was no significant relationship between road density and the presence/absence of P. leucopus during the early spring. We found a significant positive effect of road density on P. leucopus relative abundance during the summer, even when we excluded the urban landscapes and based the analysis on only the 14 rural landscapes. Our results suggest that any negative effect of roads on P. leucopus populations, created by their inhibition to moving across roads, is far outweighed by some positive effect of roads on P. leucopus abundance. We suggest that the two most likely explanations are that roads are positively correlated with an important as-yet-undetermined component of habitat quality, or that roads positively affect P. leucopus by negatively affecting their predators.     

AFLP analysis of Russian <Emphasis Type="Italic">Alternaria tenuissima</Emphasis> populations from wheat kernels and other hosts

Alternaria tenuissima is a common pathogen on a number of plants described in several geographic regions of the world. Genetic variation within and between Russian Far East, North West and Caucasus populations of A. tenuissima from wheat was examined. In addition, genetic differences between isolates from various hosts were estimated. In total, 101 isolates of A. tenuissima were studied using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) with four primer combinations. Wright’s fixation index (F _st), gene flow (N _m) and gene diversity (H _s) were calculated. AFLP banding patterns indicated significant genetic distance and at the same time a low level of gene flow between the Far East and the two other groups of isolates originating from the European part of country. The degree of similarity between the North West and Caucasus populations was very high, as was the migration rate. Isolates analysed by UPGMA-based cluster analysis were grouped according to location of origin but irrespective of plant host. Based on the F _st value, the group of isolates originating from wheat and barley were not found to differ significantly from each other.     

Density estimates of rural dog populations and an assessment of marking methods during a rabies vaccination campaign in the Philippines

We estimated the population density of dogs by distance sampling and assessed the potential utility of two marking methods for capture-mark-recapture applications following a mass canine rabies-vaccination campaign in Sorsogon Province, the Republic of the Philippines. Thirty villages selected to assess vaccine coverage and for dog surveys were visited 1 to 11 days after the vaccinating team. Measurements of the distance of dogs or groups of dogs from transect lines were obtained in 1088 instances (N = 1278 dogs; mean group SIZE = 1.2). Various functions modelling the probability of detection were fitted to a truncated distribution of distances of dogs from transect lines. A hazard rate model provided the best fit and an overall estimate of dog-population density of 468/km² (95% confidence interval, 359 to 611). At vaccination, most dogs were marked with either a paint stick or a black plastic collar. Overall, 34.8% of 2167 and 28.5% of 2115 dogs could be accurately identified as wearing a collar or showing a paint mark; 49.1% of the dogs had either mark. Increasing time interval between vaccination-team visit and dog survey and increasing distance from transect line were inversely associated with the probability of observing a paint mark. Probability of observing a collar was positively associated with increasing estimated density of the dog population in a given village and with animals not associated with a house. The data indicate that distance sampling is a relatively simple and adaptable method for estimating dog-population density and is not prone to problems associated with meeting some model assumptions inherent to mark-recapture estimators.     

Dynamics of Betula ermanni population in subalpine vegetation in Changbai Mountain, Northeast China

lntroductionNotonIyaretimberIinesthemostconspicuousvegetationboundaryinhighmountains,buttheyareaIsoanimportantecologicaIboundary(Bruce1996,Thomas1997).NowondersthenthosetimberIineshaveaIwaysattractedresearchersforbothscientificandpracticaIreasons.InChangbaiMountain,forexample,therestorationoftheclimatictimberlineandestabIishmentofanedectiveprotectiveforestarethetWoprincipalobjectivesofhigh-mountainfor-estmanagement.AIsointhisconnection,thepotentiaIresponseoftimberlinestoexpectedclimaticc…     

遮阴生境下假俭草的形态变化与能量分配研究

设四个遮阴梯度(0%、25%、45%、75%的光照),对遮阴生境下雅安、峨眉两野生假俭草居群的能量分配、形态变化进行了初步研究。结果表明:在遮阴情况下,两假俭草居群的叶片长度和宽度、节间长度、草层高度皆随遮阴梯度的增加而增加,茎的直径随遮阴梯度的增加而下降。在这些指标中,雅安居群随遮阴度变化的幅度比峨眉居群大。两者的生物量主要由地上部分组成,地上生物量与总生物量的比值都在0.88以上。遮阴度越大,两居群地上部分所占的比重也越大。两者相比较雅安的生物量小于峨眉,但地上/总生物量、叶量/茎量的值较大。     

祁连山浅山区金露梅群落种间关系及其分布格局

通过对祁连山浅山区金露梅群落特征、种间关系及分布格局的分析 ,结果表明 :浅山区金露梅群落相对重要值为 10 4 .2 8% ,频度为 92 .0 0 % ,为主要优势种 ;群落内种间关系关联性不强 ,分布状况受环境条件影响而独立地分享环境资源 ,种群间相互影响小 ;经各种群分布格局的检验 ,祁连山浅山区大多数种群呈聚集分布 ,有利于种群的生存和发展。