Growth rhythms in the shrimp Penaeus vannamei and P. schmitti

Growth increments of the penaeid shrimp Penaeus vannamel (Boone) and P. schmitti (Burkenroad) grown in commercial production ponds in Ecuador and Colombia were measured over a 4 mo period between October 1987 and January 1988. P. vannamel grown from wild caught seed in Ecuadorian ponds exhibited a growth rhythm which significantly coincided with lunar phases. Growth increments of at least 1 gwk^-1 occurred around a new and full moon, while growth increments of less than 1 gwk^-1 occurred during first and last quarters. P. vannamel transported from Ecuador as nauplii, raised in Colombian hatcheries and on grown in Colombian ponds exhibited a cyclic pattern in wet weight increments but not correlation to lunar cycles was observed. P. schmitti showed no cyclic pattern in growth. The two species under consideration are indigenous to two different, and quite unique areas displaying different environmental characteristics. The link between the growth pattern, biological and lunar cycles is discussed.     

Enumeration of methanogens with a focus on fluorescence in situ hybridization

Methanogens, the members of domain Archaea are potent contributors in global warming. Being confined to the strict anaerobic environment, their direct cultivation as pure culture is quite difficult. Therefore, a range of culture-independent methods have been developed to investigate their numbers, substrate uptake patterns, and identification in complex microbial communities. Unlike other approaches, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is not only used for faster quantification and accurate identification but also to reveal the physiological properties and spatiotemporal dynamics of methanogens in their natural environment. Aside from the methodological aspects and application of FISH, this review also focuses on culture-dependent and -independent techniques employed in enumerating methanogens along with associated problems. In addition, the combination of FISH with micro-autoradiography that could also be an important tool in investigating the activities of methanogens is also discussed.     

基于GIS的气候变化对马铃薯生长的脆弱性评价

利用层次分析和专家打分法构建了气候变化对内蒙古马铃薯生产的脆弱性影响评价指标体系,运用脆弱性的定义及灾害风险的理论建立了马铃薯脆弱性综合指数评估模型,通过分析主产区的敏感性、适应性来评估脆弱性影响程度。结果表明:内蒙古马铃薯生产脆弱性分布呈中部高、东西部低的分布特点。以乌兰察布市中部、呼和浩特市南部、包头市南部及锡林郭勒盟西南部脆弱性为最高;呼伦贝尔市、兴安盟、通辽市及鄂尔多斯市南部脆弱性为最低;赤峰市大部、巴彦淖尔市及鄂尔多斯市北部为中等。针对主产区马铃薯生长脆弱性的成因,提出了应分别采取不同的应对措施。研究结果可为自治区马铃薯生产可持续发展提供科学依据。     

上海佘山国家森林公园空气负离子动态及其主要影响因子

以上海佘山国家森林公园为研究地,通过定点观测,对比分析了林内与空地的空气负离子在日变化和季节变化上的规律。研究结果表明:在一日内的上午、中午、下午3个时段,林内与空地的空气负离子浓度和安培空气离子评价系数(CI)值均无显著性差异;而在这3个时段,林内的空气负离子浓度和CI值均显著高于空地;季节上,林内与空地的负离子浓度、CI值以及空气清洁程度均为夏秋季大于春季大于冬季,林内和空地在夏秋两季负离子浓度和CI值都显著大于空地。同时林内的空气清洁程度在4个季节皆高于空地。通过多元回归分析得出,总悬浮颗粒物(TSP)是影响夏秋两季林内负离子浓度和CI值的主要影响因素;相对湿度是影响夏秋两季空地空气负离子浓度和CI值的主要影响因素。     

河西走廊石羊河下游地区盐碱土中放线菌多样性

为了解甘肃省河西走廊石羊河流域地区盐碱土中放线菌种群结构及多样性,采用非培养法对河西走廊石羊河下游流域的3种不同类型土样(原生盐碱土、次生盐碱土和农田土)的总DNA进行提取,用放线菌特异性引物对16S rRNA基因进行扩增,构建放线菌16S rRNA克隆文库.用HaeⅢ和HhaⅠ两种限制性内切酶对阳性克隆子进行16S rDNA扩增片段限制性内切酶分析(Amplifed Ribosomal DNA Restriction Analysis,ARDRA),提取酶切带型不同的菌液进行测序,构建其系统发育树并进行多样性指数分析.结果显示:原生盐碱土克隆文库中90个阳性克隆分归于20个OTUs,分属于微球菌科(Micrococcaceae)、中村氏菌科(Nakamurellaceae)、类诺卡氏菌科(Nocardioidaceae)、链霉菌科(Streptomycetaceae)、棒状杆菌科(Corynebacteriaceae)、诺卡氏菌科(Nocardiaceae)和未知类群;次生盐碱土克隆文库中98个阳性克隆分归于32个OTUs,分属于纤维素单胞菌科(Cellulomonadaceae)、微球菌科(Micrococcaceae)、地嗜皮菌科(Geodermatophilaceae)、类诺卡氏菌科(Nocardioidaceae)、小单孢菌科(Micromonosporaceae)、伪诺卡氏菌科(Pseudonocardiaceae)、链霉菌科(Streptomycetaceae)、链孢囊菌科(Streptosporangiaceae)、高温单孢菌科(Thermomonosporaceae)、动孢囊菌科(Kineosporiaceae)、糖霉菌科(Glycomycetaceae)和未知类群;农田土克隆文库中98个阳性克隆分归于10个OTUs,分属于微球菌科(Micrococcaceae)、博戈里亚湖菌科(Bogoriellaceae)、地嗜皮菌科(Geodermatophilaceae)、中村氏菌科(Nakamurellaceae)、类诺卡氏菌科(Nocardioidaceae)和未知类群.其中,微球菌亚目(Micrococcineae)是3种不同类型土壤中的优势类群.多样性指数和稀释性曲线分析结果显示,3种不同类型土壤中放线菌多样性为次生盐碱土>原生盐碱土>农田土.     

滇池流域蔬菜地土壤氮素分布与转移特征

选取滇池流域蔬菜设施保护地油麦菜（Lactuca sativa var.ramosa）种植区进行研究,分为高量组和低量组两个组别进行,每组分别设置9个施肥处理。试验结果表明：土壤总氮在各水平处理之间并没有规律性变化,在垂直梯度上（0-20、20-40、40-60cm）,土壤养分随深度增加而递减;高量组和低量组在生长期和成熟期,土壤总氮积累量和施氮量表现出了显著正向线性相关,相关系数R分别为0.9873、0.9901、0.9881和0.9880;适量施氮,土壤氮积累量表现出减少,而过量施氮则表现出了盈余;高量组氮损失量均大于低量组,且高量组在不同生育期的氮损失量与施氮量表现出极显著的线性正相关,相关系数R分别为0.9823、0.9719。高量组与低量组氮素损失率生长期均高于成熟期,而各处理之间未表现出明显的变化规律,最大损失率为39.79%,在适宜施肥量的处理中,损失率也达到了20%以上。     

Geographic patterns of non-carpeted floor dust loading in Syracuse, New York (USA) homes

Residential floor dust loading was measured on the smooth floor surface of 488 houses in Syracuse, New York, during the summers of 2003 and 2004. Using U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) wipe methods, pre-weighed Ghost Wipes, Lead Wipes, or Whatman Filters were employed to collect duplicate samples from (predominantly) kitchens. The collection efficiency of the various media was determined from multiple wipe tests and side-by-side comparisons. The results were normalized and aggregated at the census tract level to determine whether spatial patterns of dust loading could be observed. Loading was found to be log-normally distributed, with a geometric mean value of 0.311 g m⁻² (29 mg of dust per square foot of floor); 95% of the observations fell in the range of 0.042–2.330 g m⁻² (4–216 mg foot⁻²). The sampling for floor dust loading shows some bias for day of the week in which visits to the residential properties were made. After a first-order correction for this effect, results were aggregated by census tract and mapped in a geographic information system (GIS); strong spatial patterns can be identified in an inverse distance weighted mapping. The geographic patterns exhibit a strong correlation with socio-economic/demographic covariates extracted from the 2000 census summaries. Dust mass on the floors is positively correlated with renter-occupied properties and family size; it is negatively correlated with measures of household income.     

Seasonal decline in reproductive performance varies with colony size in the fairy martin, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Petrochelidon ariel</Emphasis>

Reproductive success within populations often varies with the timing of breeding, typically declining over the season. This variation is usually attributed to seasonal changes in resource availability and/or differences in the quality or experience of breeders. In colonial species, the timing of breeding may be of particular importance because the costs and benefits of colonial breeding are likely to vary over the season and also with colony size. In this study, we examine the relationship between timing of breeding and reproductive performance (clutch size and nest success) both within and between variable sized colonies (n = 18) of fairy martins, Petrochelidon ariel. In four of these colonies, we also experimentally delayed laying in selected nests to disentangle the effects of laying date and individual quality/experience on reproductive success. Within colonies, later laying birds produced smaller clutches, but only in larger colonies. The general seasonal decline in nest success was also more pronounced in larger colonies. Late laying birds were generally smaller than earlier laying birds, but morphological differences were also related to colony size, suggesting optimal colony size also varies with phenotype. Experimentally delayed clutches were larger than concurrently produced non-delayed clutches, but only in larger colonies. Similarly, delayed clutches were more likely to produce fledglings, particularly later in the season and in larger colonies. We suggest that the reduced performance of late breeding pairs in larger colonies resulted primarily from inexperienced/low quality birds preferring to settle in larger colonies, possibly exacerbated by an increase in the costs of coloniality (e.g., resource depletion and ectoparasite infestations) with date and colony size. These findings highlight the importance of phenotype-related differences in settlement decisions and reproductive performance to an improved understanding of colonial breeding and variation in colony size.     

Spatial and temporal patterns of dissolved nitrogen and phosphorus in surface waters of a multi-land use basin

Research on relationships between dissolved nutrients and land-use at the watershed scale is a high priority for protecting surface water quality. We measured dissolved nitrogen (DN) and ortho-phosphorus (P) along 130 km of the Calapooia River (Oregon, USA) and 44 of its sub-basins for 3 years to test for associations with land-use. Nutrient concentrations were analyzed for spatial and seasonal patterns and for relationships with land-use and stream discharge. Ortho-P and DN were higher in lower-elevation sub-basins dominated by poorly drained soils and agricultural production compared with higher-elevation sub-basins dominated by well-drained soils and forests. Eight lower basins had at least one sample period with nitrate-N?>?10 mg L^?1. The Calapooia River had lower concentrations of dissolved nutrients compared with lower sub-basins, often by an order of magnitude. Dissolved organic N represented a greater proportion of DN in the upper forested sub-basins. Seasonal nutrient concentrations had strong positive correlations to the percent of a sub-basin that was managed for agriculture in all seasons (p?values?≤?0.019) except summer. Results suggest that agricultural lands are contributing to stream nutrient concentrations. However, poorly drained soils in agricultural areas may also contribute to the strong relationships that we found between dissolved nutrients and agriculture.