Strong functional stability of soil microbial communities under semiarid Mediterranean conditions and subjected to long-term shifts in baseline precipitation

We investigated the effect of soil microclimate on the structure and functioning of soil microbial communities in a Mediterranean Holm-oak forest subjected to 10 years of partial rain exclusion manipulations, simulating average drought conditions expected in Mediterranean areas for the following decades. We applied a high throughput DNA pyrosequencing technique coupled to parallel measurements of microbial respiration (R_H) and temperature sensitivity of microbial respiration (Q₁₀). Some consistent changes in the structure of bacterial communities suggest a slow process of community shifts parallel to the trend towards oligotrophy in response to long-term droughts. However, the structure of bacterial communities was mainly determined by short-term environmental fluctuations associated with sampling date (winter, spring and summer) rather than long-term (10 years) shifts in baseline precipitation. Moreover, long-term drought did not exert any chronic effect on the functioning of soil microbial communities (R_H and Q₁₀), emphasizing the functional stability of these communities to this long-term but mild shifts in water availability. We hypothesize that the particular conditions of the Mediterranean climate with strong seasonal shifts in both temperature and soil water availability but also characterized by very extreme environmental conditions during summer, was acting as a strong force in community assembling, selecting phenotypes adapted to the semiarid conditions characterizing Mediterranean ecosystems. Relations of climate with the phylogenetic structure and overall diversity of the communities as well as the distribution of the individual responses of different lineages (genera) to climate confirmed our hypotheses, evidencing communities dominated by thermotolerant and drought-tolerant phenotypes.     

Infrared Thermography Applied to Monitoring Musculoskeletal Adaptation to Training in Thoroughbred Race Horses

Infrared thermography has been used to help in diagnosing lameness. It is hypothesized that, if used in a routine basis, it could help in understanding musculoskeletal modifications during race training. This study aimed to evaluate thermal variation in the musculoskeletal regions of young Thoroughbred (TB) horses during their initial months of race training. Thermographic examinations were performed once every 2 weeks on 16 (10 male, 6 female) two-year-old TB racehorses, from arrival to the racetrack in June 2016, until January 2017, for a total of 16 evaluations. Thermographic imaging was performed using the appropriate protocol. Temperature (°C) was measured at the dorsal and palmar/plantar aspects of specific regions of interest (fetlock, metacarpal, metatarsal, carpal, tarsal, thoracolumbar, sacroiliac spine, and both hips). Initially, we found a thermal balance and all regions demonstrated a positive correlation with one another. However, a significant difference was noted between the left and right sides as training progressed. Four horses were withdrawn from the study after 50% of evaluations because of metacarpal conditions associated with training. Thermographic examination revealed changes before the clinical manifestation of these conditions. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that infrared thermography is an image technique that can facilitate understanding of musculoskeletal system modifications to race training and should be further investigated as a predictive tool to anticipate the occurrence of lesions.     

气候变化对非洲水资源和农业的影响

尽管非洲是世界上温室气体排放总量或人均排放量最少的地区,但在承受气候变化造成的恶劣影响方面首当其冲。气候变化已经给非洲的水资源、农业、生物多样性、人类健康和国家安全等带来诸多严重影响,粮食生产和水资源一直是非洲长期面临的两大难题,也是深受气候变化影响的两大领域还较欠缺,需要在未来的研究中进一步加强,以探寻减缓气候变化对非洲水资源和农业不利影响的有效途径。本文系统梳理了气候变化对非洲水资源系统和农业生产影响的研究成果和不足,以期为非洲气候变化影响评估工作提供一定参考和借鉴。已有的观测结果表明,气候变化导致非洲许多山脉冰川面积正在大范围缩减、大部分地区降水量有所减少,降雨的年际间分布也更为不稳定,通过水文模型的模拟预测,未来气候变化将进一步影响降水量和非洲部分地区河流的径流量,导致非洲水资源供给压力加大。同样,气候变化也给非洲农业生产带来了巨大的挑战,无论是观测结果分析,还是统计模型和作物模型等对不同气候情景和时间尺度下非洲农业的模拟研究,都显示气候变化对非洲农业以负面影响为主,导致非洲干旱加剧、生长季改变和粮食产量下降,并可能危及非洲的粮食安全。然而,现有研究结果还存在较多不确定性,其主要集中在未来气候情景数据、研究方法、数据的质量和数量等方面。与世界其它地区相比,非洲气候变化影响研究无论是研究的深度和广度都     

崇西潮滩湿地木本工程物种引种的初步研究

崇西湖滩湿地高潮区引种工程物种成活率及生长状况的研究结果表明：（1）根据物种的成活率来看,对潮汐干扰适应性表现最好的物种有落雨杉、沼生栎和喜树;表现较好的有细叶水团花、江南桤木、木麻黄、枫杨、重阳木、鸟桕和白杜;表现一般的有彩叶杞柳、海滨木槿和构树;表现较差的为常青白蜡;不能适应的有美国复叶槭、朴树、榉树、苦楝、枸杞、桑和枣。除了喜树和构树没有变化外,其他工程物种第2年的成活率较第1年都有了不同程度的下降;（2）综合各工程物种引种2年后的生长指标（高度、冠辐和胸径等）,成活的乔木物种中,江南桤木的生长态势最好,生长速度最快,其他生长态势较好的有落雨杉、沼生栎和木麻黄;成活的灌木中,海滨木槿、彩叶杞柳和细叶水团花的生长态势较好;（3）综合引种物种的成活率和生长指标,崇西湿地高潮区在今后大规模营建有林湿地的过程中,江南桤木是应该重点引种的乔木物种,其他推荐的引种乔木还有落雨杉、沼生栎、木麻黄;细叶水团花是最适宜引种的灌木,而彩叶杞柳和海滨木槿可以进行适量的引种,并加以精细的维护和管理,同样可以达到增加景观多样性的效果。     

辐射胁迫与植物的生理生态响应

利用国内外有关文献,对辐射胁迫影响植物的形态特征与光合作用进行了分析和评述,讨论了辐射胁迫影响下植物的生理生态和生化等特征的响应,指出了该领域研究中存在的问题,对今后应加强研究的内容提出了建议。     

欧亚温带草原东缘生态样带研究探讨

为揭示全球变化与欧亚温带草原东缘生态系统的关系,提出沿着从中国长城至俄罗斯贝加尔湖设置一条经向样带,主要表征欧亚大陆东缘经向热量梯度,反映受大陆性气候控制下的草原地带的生态系列.沿样带开展生物地球化学过程、能量交换、植被结构动态、气候—植被、放牧—草地—牧草驯化、土地利用格局与管理、模型模拟等研究工作,对于加深气候变化和人为影响对草原生态系统的发生、发展、利用及演变规律的影响的认识,增强对气候变化的减缓和适应能力,具有非常重要的意义.     

农民的气候适应性行为研究——基于山东省部分地区的实证调研

通过问卷调查和SPSS软件,分析和探讨了农民气候适应性行为的现状及影响因素,并在此基础上思考探讨应对之策,即建立和健全农业科技服务体系,加强对农民气候认知和适应能力的教育培训,推进农民之间气候适应性行为的合作,加强对农民气候适应性行为的指导。     

Effects of yard weaning and training on the behavioural adaptation of cattle to a feedlot

Two experiments were conducted to determine the effect of weaning in small yards, with or without a feed bunk training procedure, on the subsequent behaviour and performance of Bos taurus steers in a feedlot. A reduction in the incidence of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) was the primary objective. In each experiment, about 200 male beef calves (Angus × Hereford and Hereford) were separated from their mothers at 7–9 months of age and allocated to one of three matched weaning treatment groups. The treatments were (1) yard weaning with hay or silage, (2) yard weaning with hay or silage plus a novel handling procedure to train the animals to be able to find a grain ration in a trough, and (3) paddock weaning without supplement or handling according to common industry practice in southeastern Australia. Paddock weaning is the practice of abrupt separation of cows and calves followed by return to separate pasture paddocks, whereas yard weaning involves abrupt separation but the calves remain in the yards for several days. Experimental vaccines against the major BRD pathogens were given to half of each group 1–2 months prior to entry into a commercial feedlot. The yard weaned and yard trained cattle had a significantly greater weight gain in the first month and over the 90-day feeding period than the paddock weaned control groups. There was no difference between the groups in pre-feedlot weight gain. The yard trained groups showed greater feeding activity during the first few days in the feedlot, but were not significantly different in weight gain from yard weaned. The vaccination treatment also significantly improved the weight gain in the first month and over 80 days. The combination of yard weaning and vaccination produced the highest weight gains overall. There was consistently less morbidity in the yard weaned groups compared to paddock weaned controls. The morbidity in yard trained groups was intermediate between these two. Weaning in small yards and the appropriate use of effective BRD vaccines 1–2 months before feedlot entry are recommended for B. taurus feeder steers in southeastern Australia to minimise sickness and improve productivity in the feedlot. Associated benefits are reduced risks of antibiotic residues and of animal welfare problems.     

Altitudinal and longitudinal variations in Pinus brutia (Ten.) of Crete Island,Greece: some needle,cone and seed traits under natural habitats

Four populations representing the entire natural distribution range of Pinus brutia (Ten.) in Crete (Greece) were sampled to determine: (1) Altitudinal variation within populations of Lassithi, Vorizia, Koustagerako, and Samaria, and; (2) Longitudinal variation among the four populations, based on morphological and anatomical differences in cone, needle and seed characteristics. Samples were collected from 10 trees per altitude, at three altitudes in each population. A total of 12 morphological and anatomical traits from needles, cones and seeds were analyzed to assess the altitudinal and longitudinal variations of the species in the island. The number of teeth per cm showed significant (P<0.01) differences between altitudes in Samaria, Vorizia and Lassithi, while needle length, width and the number of resin canals showed significant differences (P<0.01) between altitudes in Koustagerako. Cone width showed patterns of variation along the altitudinal gradient in Koustagerako, Samaria and Vorizia. Most traits had their highest means at the middle altitudes (650masl) in all the four populations. Overall, no clear altitudinal differentiation was detected, probably due to high rate of gene flow. Longitudinal variability showed a clear pattern of differentiation along the east–west climatic gradient. Needle length, width, sheath length, number of teeth per cm and the number of resin canals were the most useful traits for determining the climatic gradient clines.     

Foliar traits of jasmine plants intercropped in coconut

Shade is one of the important limiting factors in intercropped agro-ecosystems. Objective of this work is to analyze the role of eight foliar traits of juvenile plants of five different species of Jasminum grown under coconut shade. The results reveal the shade tolerant J. pubescence to produce more number of nodes and longer shoots in all the three seasons studied. J. grandiflorum produced longer leaves and internodal distance than other species tested. Winter season shoots were longer with more number of nodes and longer internodal distances than rainy season. Results are discussed in relation to the adaptive behavior of plants to shade.