人工饲养条件下荒漠猫的饲养与繁殖管理

在人工饲养条件下,通过模拟野外栖息环境,加强科学饲养管理,成功繁殖荒漠猫的饲养管理方法和荒漠猫的发情、交配、妊娠、哺乳等繁殖行为。同时对在西宁动物园产下并成活的3只幼猫的体尺、体重、形态和行为的变化进行了描述。     

渥丹百合种内居群形态多样性研究

对渥丹百合种内10个居群的茎、叶、花、果实、种子的25个性状进行了调查和分析,研究不同居群的形态多样性。结果表明:根据分类学性状可将渥丹分为变种有斑百合、黄花渥丹和大花百合。大花百合比有斑百合的叶宽且短,花瓣长且宽,花粉生活力低,种子有胚率低;黄花渥丹比有斑百合叶长且宽,花瓣长且宽,种子有胚率和发芽率低。有斑百合与黄花渥丹亲缘关系较近,与大花百合亲缘关系较远。     

Florida panther dispersal and conservation

We studied dispersal in 27 radio-collared Florida panthers Puma concolor coryi in southern Florida from 1986 to 2000. Male dispersal was longer (mean=68.4 km) than that of females (mean=20.3 km), tended to be circular, frustrated, and of insufficient length to ameliorate inbreeding. Females were philopatric and established home ranges that were less than one home range width away from their natal ranges. All females were successful in establishing territories, whereas males were successful 63% of the time. Dispersing panthers avoided moving toward the southeast and into an area of limited forest cover. Independence and the initiation of dispersal occurred at about 14 months of age and lasted for an average of 7.0-9.6 months for females and males, respectively. On average, Florida panthers disperse shorter distances than are typical for western populations of Puma concolor. A recent increase in long distance male dispersal events may be related to an increase in reproduction and population density resulting from the introduction of female cougars P. c. stanleyana into south Florida. Although the population exhibits the behavioral ability to colonize nearby vacant range, females have yet to do so. Successful dispersal to these areas could be facilitated by habitat restoration and translocation of females.     

Ecdysteroid receptor docking suggests that dibenzoylhydrazine-based insecticides are devoid of any deleterious effect on the parasitic wasp Psyttalia concolor (Hym. Braconidae)

BACKGROUND: The moulting accelerating compounds (MACs) or ecdysteroid agonists represent a selective group of insecticides acting upon binding to the ecdysteroid receptor (EcR) and leading to lethal premature moulting in larval stages and aborted reproduction in adults. Psyttalia concolor Szèpl. is a useful parasitic wasp attacking important tephritid pests such as the medfly and olive fruit fly. RESULTS: Contact and oral exposure in the laboratory of female parasitic wasps to the dibenzoylhydrazine‐based methoxyfenozide, tebufenozide and RH‐5849 did not provoke negative effects. No mortality and no reduction in beneficial capacity were observed. The ligand‐binding domain (LBD) of the EcR of P. concolor was sequenced, and a homology protein model was constructed which confirmed a cavity structure with 12 α‐helices, harbouring the natural insect moulting hormone 20‐hydroxyecdysone. However, a steric clash occurred for the MAC insecticides owing to a restricted extent of the ligand‐binding cavity of the PcLBD‐EcR, while they did dock well in that of susceptible insects. CONCLUSIONS: The insect toxicity assays demonstrated that MACs are selective for P. concolor. The modelling/docking experiments are indications that these insecticides do not bind with the LBD‐EcR of P. concolor and support the theory that they show no biological effects in the parasitic wasp. These data may help in explaining the compatible use of MACs together with parasitic wasps in IPM programmes. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

Wildfire Effects on Understory Vegetation,Natural Regeneration,and Forest Floor Fuels in a Sierran Mixed Conifer Stand

Wildfire effects on understory shrubs and herbs, regeneration of the seedling and sapling size classes, and downed and dead fuels were assessed in a mixed conifer stand located in the Lake Tahoe Basin in which California white fir (Abies concolor var. lowiana [Gord.] Lemm.) was most abundant but with Jeffrey pine (Pinus jeffreyi Grev. & Balf.) also prevalent. In burned and unburned stand portions, prefire measurements served as a basis of comparison for the postfire measurements pertinent to each study component. Fire severely suppressed the understory vegetation, which was dominated by shrubs such as bush chinquapin (Chrysolepis sempervirens [Kellogg] Hjelmqvist) and antelope bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata [Pursh] DC.), while a tepid postfire recovery of most of the preexisting species in the burned stand portion was augmented by new ones, including shrubs such as snowbrush (Ceanothus velutinus Douglas ex Hook.) and whitethorn (Ceanothus cordulatus Kellogg) ceanothus and herbs such as Holboell's rockcress (Arabis holboellii Hornem.). Tree seedling abundance was also substantially reduced in the burned portion, but the postfire population was dominated by Jeffrey pine whereas white fir had been most prevalent originally. Sapling regeneration was eliminated from the burned stand portion regardless of species. Downed and dead fuel loading was severely diminished by the fire, especially regarding fine fuels, permitting subsequent sheet erosion to imperil new seedling regeneration. These results contribute to an understanding of the direction and pace of postwildfire succession on sites occupied by Sierra Nevada mixed conifer and similar forest cover types, which is critical in decisions concerning the need for, and extent of, postfire site rehabilitation measures.     

渥丹百合多倍体气孔性状的调查研究

用秋水仙素处理二倍体渥丹百合得到四倍体,对渥丹四倍体、二倍体及对照气孔进行观察.3个加倍的四倍体渥丹百合株系的气孔长度分别为51.25、56.50和54.26/μm,对照的气孔长度为37.42 μm,经秋水仙处理未加倍的二倍体株系气孔长度与对照接近,为38.75 μm.四倍体百合株系的气孔长度明显长于二倍体,从气孔密度看,加倍的四倍体渥丹各株系均明显低于二倍体,平均为10个/mm2,而二倍体渥丹及未加倍株系的气孔密度分别为17.1个/mm2和17.9个/mm2.气孔的大小和密度可以作为鉴别渥丹百合多倍体的显著区别性状.同时四倍体渥丹的保卫细胞也较二倍体有显著增大.     

有斑百合多倍体诱导及鉴定

为了建立野生有斑百合多基因型种子离体多倍体诱导方法及快速、准确和高效的多倍体鉴定技术,本研究在离体培养条件下,以野生有斑百合预培养7 d的无菌萌动种子(2n=2x=24)为材料,用不同含量的秋水仙素溶液进行不同时间的诱变处理。以种子下胚轴明显膨大作为变异植株早期鉴定的标准,通过流式细胞仪检测细胞核DNA含量,并结合染色体计数法对诱导后的植株进行倍性鉴定,探讨在相同的种子萌动状态下,不同含量、不同浸泡时间的秋水仙素诱变效果,并初步建立了种子离体多倍体诱导和鉴定技术流程。结果表明:0.10%的秋水仙素溶液可有效地诱导野生有斑百合萌动种子的染色体加倍,其中以浸泡处理36 h的诱导效果最好,诱导率达44.43%;与二倍体植株相比,四倍体植株表现出叶片肥厚且增宽、叶色深绿、叶表面轻微褶皱、叶柄粗壮、生长缓慢等特征。研究还发现,植物外部形态变化不仅在二倍体和四倍体之间存在,而且在不同基因型的四倍体之间也存在差异。本研究利用下胚轴的膨大作为早期筛选多倍体的有效指标,同时结合直接测定细胞中DNA含量和计数染色体数可快速有效地培育出野生有斑百合同源四倍体植株。本研究建立的离体多倍体诱导流程除可应用于有斑百合种子多倍体的诱导外,也可为其他野生百合种子离体染色体加倍提供参考。      

Development of a new humane toxin for predator control in New Zealand

The endemic fauna of New Zealand evolved in the absence of mammalian predators and their introduction has been responsible for many extinctions and declines. Introduced species including possums (Trichosurus vulpecula Kerr), ship rats (Rattus rattus L.) and stoats (Mustela erminea L.) are targeted to protect native birds. Control methodologies currently rely largely on labor-intensive trapping or the use of increasingly unpopular poisons, or poisons that are linked with low welfare standards. Hence, the development of safer humane predator toxins and delivery systems is highly desirable. Para-aminopropiophenone (PAPP) is being developed as a toxin for feral cats (Felis catus L.) and stoats. Carnivores appear to be much more susceptible to PAPP than birds, so it potentially has high target specificity, at least in New Zealand. Pen trials with 20 feral cats and 15 stoats have been undertaken using meat baits containing a proprietary formulation of PAPP. A PAPP dose of 20–34 mg kg⁻¹ was lethal for feral cats and 37–95 mg kg⁻¹ was lethal for stoats. Our assessments suggest that PAPP, for the control of feral cats and stoats, is a humane and effective toxin. PAPP causes methaemoglobinaemia, resulting in central nervous system anoxia, lethargy and death.     

低温胁迫下布鲁拉诺×渥丹杂交后代的抗寒性分析

以亚洲百合系品种布鲁拉诺与我国原产野生种渥丹百合种间杂交后代群体5个株系和亲本为试材,研究了4℃,-2℃,-8℃,-14℃,-20℃低温胁迫下百合鳞片组织电导率、SOD活性、MDA含量及可溶性蛋白含量的变化规律。结果表明:在低温胁迫下,百合鳞片的电导率呈"S"形增长,但不同试材间略有差异;SOD活性呈先升高后下降的趋势;MDA和可溶性蛋白的含量呈上升—下降—上升的变化趋势。运用隶属函数法对杂交后代进行初步抗寒综合评价,抗寒强弱顺序为BW-12>渥丹>BW-4>BW-11>BW-6>BW-1>布鲁拉诺,多数杂交后代的抗寒性介于父母本之间,但也有超亲现象出现。     

Do domestic cats impose an unsustainable harvest on urban bird populations?

We assessed the impact of domestic cats on population persistence of native and exotic urban bird populations using a model adjusted for habitat-specific catch rates, cat ownership and hunting activity data. GPS-derived home ranges of 32 cats and resource selection indices demonstrated the degree of penetration and preference for native vegetation fragments. Owners reported on prey brought back by 144 domestic cats in Dunedin, New Zealand, during 12 months. One third of cats never brought back prey, and 21% returned more than one item/month. Cats brought back a mean of 13.4 prey items/year (median = 4), with cats aged <1 year returning more prey than older cats. Birds were the most common prey, followed by rodents. Although cats penetrated adjacent vegetation fragments they did not catch more birds and preferred garden habitat, suggesting that predation pressure may be reduced in fragments. Cat home range size appears to be constrained by cat density while the number of birds caught depends on the density of available prey. Estimates of city-wide catch for six bird species were either more than total urban population size estimates or close to lower confidence intervals. Modelling of three species indicated low likelihood of population persistence with cat predation. The observed persistence of these prey species suggests a meta-population structure with urban populations acting as sinks with source populations located on the city fringe.