Are naked and common mole-rats eusocial and if so, why?

Eusociality in mammals is defined in the present paper by the following criteria: reproductive altruism (which involves reproductive division of labor and cooperative alloparental brood care), overlap of adult generations, and permanent (lifelong) philopatry. We argue that additional criteria such as the existence of castes, colony size, reproductive skew, and social cohesion are not pertinent to the definition of eusociality in mammals. According to our definition of mammalian eusociality, several rodent species of the African family Bathyergidae can be considered eusocial, including the naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber), Damaraland mole-rat (Cryptomys damarensis), and several additional, if not all, species in the genus Cryptomys. Furthermore, some species of social voles (like Microtus ochrogaster) may also fulfill criteria of mammalian eusociality. Understanding the evolution of eusociality in mole-rats requires answers to two primary questions: (1) What are the preconditions for the development of their eusocial systems? (2) Why do offspring remain in the natal group rather than dispersing and reproducing? Eusociality in mammals is by definition a special case of monogamy (more specifically: monogyny one female breeding), involving prolonged pair bonding for more than one breeding period. We argue that eusociality in mole-rats evolved from a monogamous mating system where cooperative brood care was already established. A tendency for group living is considered to be an ancestral (plesiomorph) trait among African bathyergid mole-rats, linking them to other hystricognath rodents. A solitary lifestyle seen in some genera, such as Bathyergus, Georychus, and Heliophobius, is assumed to be a derived trait that arose independently in different lineages of bathyergids, possibly as a consequence of selective constraints associated with the subterranean environment. In proximate terms, in eusocial mole-rats either puberty is assumed to be developmentally delayed so that under natural conditions most animals die before dispersal is triggered (e.g., in the case of Heterocephalus) or dispersal is induced only by an incidental encounter with an unfamiliar, yet adequate sexual partner (e.g., in the case of Cryptomys). Ultimately, a combination of strategies involving either dispersal and/or philopatry can be beneficial, especially in a highly unpredictable environment. If genetic relatedness among siblings is high (e.g., a coefficient of relatedness of 0.5 or more), then philopatry would not invoke an appreciable loss of fitness, especially if the cost of dispersing is higher than staying within the natal group. High genetic relatedness is more likely in a monogamous mating system or a highly inbred population. In this paper, we argue that the preconditions for eusociality in bathyergid mole-rats were a monogamous mating system and high genetic relatedness among individuals. We argue against the aridity food-distribution hypothesis (AFDH) that suggests a causal relationship between cooperative foraging for patchily distributed resources and the origin of eusociality. The AFDH may explain group size dynamics of social mole-rats as a function of the distribution and availability of resources but it is inadequate to explain the formation of eusocial societies of mole-rats, especially with respect to providing preconditions conducive for the emergence of eusociality.     

采果期甜椒氮素营养特性及分配规律

利用^15N示踪技术研究了水培甜椒果实收获期间吸收的氮素在体内的动态分配规律。结果表明：甜椒果实收获期间营养器官与生殖器官干物质积累动态呈一平行的线性增长趋势，果实干物质积累量于始采期以后开始超过叶片，而果实氮素积累到盛采期才超过叶片，果实含氮量在整个采果期间保持稳定，随生长发育，叶片含氮迅速下降，盛采期时与果实和根相近，且均高于茎和侧枝，始采期通过根吸收的标记态氮主要贮存在叶片与果实中，叶片、果实是甜椒始采用氮素分配的最主要器官。此后，叶片和根成为主要的氮素输出器官，而果实则成为主要的输入器官。研究发现，甜椒体内的氮即使一度成为结合态，能能够被再度输出，但是，氮素在植株体内滞留的时间越长，越难以再度向外输出，并且不同器官输出的难易程度也是不相同的，比较而言，叶片和根中一度成为结合态的氮素容易被再交输出，甜椒果实是氮的强力库，氮素竞争力最强。     

Power-law behaviour and parametric models for the size-distribution of forest fires

This paper examines the distribution of areas burned in forest fires. Empirical size distributions, derived from extensive fire records, for six regions in North America are presented. While they show some commonalities, it appears that a simple power-law distribution of sizes, as has been suggested by some authors, is too simple to describe the distributions over their full range. A stochastic model for the spread and extinguishment of fires is used to examine conditions for power-law behaviour and deviations from it. The concept of the extinguishment growth rate ratio (EGRR) is developed. A null model with constant EGRR leads to a power-law distribution, but this does not appear to hold empirically for the data sets examined. Some alternative parametric forms for the size distribution are presented, with a four-parameter ‘competing hazards’ model providing the overall best fit.     

豆科树种刺槐、黄檀、合欢根瘤菌的数值分类及16S rDNA-PCR RFLP研究

测定了从豆科树种刺槐、黄檀、合欢根瘤中分离获得的51个菌株与18株参比菌株的唯一碳源、氮源利用，抗生素抗性，耐逆性和酶活性等132个表型性状，并用MINTS软件进行聚类分析，结果表明，全部供试菌株在59％的相似性水平上分为两大群：一个各为慢生菌群，另一群为快生和中慢生菌群，在85.1%的相似性水平上分为5个亚群，其中亚群4不与任何已知参比菌株聚在一起，可能为新种。同时，表型性状测定结果发现某些菌株对抗生素（300μg／mL）、温度（40℃）有较强抗性，大多数菌株能在较宽的pH值范围内生长（pH5-12），这些具有抗逆特性的菌株为我国西部大中种植豆科植物接种适宜的根瘤菌提供了宝贵的种质资源，在数值分类的基础上，又对47株菌进行了16S rD-NA-PCR RFLP分析，经SPSS软件聚类后，划分为7个亚群，在较大类群的划分上，与数值分类的结果有较好的一致性，16S rDNA-PCR RFLP遗传图谱共有30种类型。表型及遗传型分析结果表明，豆科树种根瘤菌具有极大的多样性，图2表2参14。     

安徽省长江以北地区土壤水溶性氟含量及分布特征

采集安徽省长江以北地区有代表性土壤样品３４７个，测定了其水溶性氟含量。结果表明，土壤水溶性氟含量范围０３８～１２６９ｍｇ／ｋｇ，平均为２３８ｍｇ／ｋｇ。地区分布是南低北高，以淮北宿州和阜阳地区为最高，平均含量在３ｍｇ／ｋｇ以上。主要土壤类型土壤水溶性氟含量顺序是砂姜黑土、潮土＞黄棕壤、紫色土＞水稻土＞石灰土、粗骨土。不同母质土壤水溶性氟含量顺序是古黄土性河湖相沉积物＞黄泛冲积物＞紫色砂岩＞下蜀黄土＞石灰岩＞酸性结晶岩风化物＞河流冲积物。土壤水溶性氟含量与土壤ｐＨ呈正相关。ｐＨ高的黄泛冲积物和古黄土性河湖相沉积物母质土壤含水溶性氟多，该土壤地区发生氟中毒可能性较大。     

杉木观光木混交林和杉木纯林群落细根生产力、分布及养分归还

研究了福建三明27a生杉机光木混交林和杉木群落细根（d＜2mm）的生产力、分布、和养分归还。结果表明，混交林细根生物量、N、P养分现存量分别为5．381thm^2、48．085kghm^-2和4．174kghm^-2，分别比杉木纯林增加17．4％、27．2％和20．0％，混交林林细根的年净生产力达4．124thm^-2a^-1，比纯林高出16．9％，混交林杉木和观光木细根均在表层土壤富集，而在较深层土壤再会得分布具镶嵌性；与混交林杉林相比，纯林杉木土吉表层细根量较少，最大分布层次下移，混交林中观光木细根的周转速率咪1．16，杉木为0．96和0．95；而林下植被层细根周转速率（1．46－1．52）均同于相应的乔木层，混交林细根的年死亡量、N和P养分年归还量分别达2．119thm^-2、18．559kghm^-21．565kgkhm^-2，分别是纯林的1．21倍、1．23倍和1．14 倍，其中林下植被细根占有较为重要位置，对细根分布与土壤性质的相关分析表明，细根的垂直分布与土壤全N的相关性最强（0．87－0．89）。     

鼓翅皱膝蝗生态学特性研究

在甘肃省夏河县对鼓翅皱膝蝗的种群结构、数量变动、空间格局及动脉进行了系统研究。鼓翅皱膝蝗1a发生1代，以卵在土中越冬，翌年5月中旬开始孵化出土，6月上旬达到出土高峰，此期蝗虫种群仅由1龄和2龄蝗蝻组成，其中1龄蝗蝻占81.8％，2龄蝗蝻占18.2％，成虫于7月上旬开始羽化，8月上旬达到羽化高峰，此期的成虫数量达61.3％，而蝗蝻仅占38.7％，蝗蝻期约为72d，成虫寿命54d左右，每雌平均产卵32.6粒。鼓翅皱膝蝗在草地上属聚集分布，蝗蝻发生期种群的空间动态主要表现出扩散趋势，但初孵化出土时有短暂的聚集行为。取食量随龄期增大而增大，每头鼓翅皱膝蝗取食牧草量蝗蝻期平均为1.5g，成早期约为5.8g，成早期的食量是蝗蝻期的3.7倍。表3参12     

On the Estimation of Dispersal Kernels from Individual Mark-Recapture Data

We present a new method for estimating a distribution of dispersal displacements (a dispersal kernel) from mark-recapture data. One conventional method of calculating the dispersal kernel assumes that the distribution of displacements are Gaussian (e.g. resulting from a diffusion process) and that individuals remain within sampled areas. The first assumption prohibits an analysis of dispersal data that do not exhibit the Gaussian distribution (a common situation); the second assumption leads to underestimation of dispersal distance because individuals that disperse outside of sampling areas are never recaptured. Our method eliminates these two assumptions. In addition, the method can also accommodate mortality during a sampling period. This new method uses integrodifference equations to express the probability of spatial mark-recapture data; associated dispersal, survival, and recapture parameters are then estimated using a maximum likelihood method. We examined the accuracy of the estimators by applying the method to simulated data sets. Our method suggests designs for future mark-recapture experiments. Received: January 2004 / Revised: July 2005     

Probability distributions and statistical inference for axial data

Observations on axes which lack information on the direction of propagation are referred to as axial data. Such data are often encountered in enviromental sciences, e.g. observations on propagations of cracks or on faults in mining walls. Even though such observations are recorded as angles, circular probability models are inappropriate for such data since the constraint that observations lie only in [0, π) needs to be enforced. Probability models for such axial data are argued here to have a general structure stemming from that of wrapping a circular distribution on a semi-circle. In particular, we consider the most popular circular model, the von Mises or circular normal distribution, and derive the corresponding axial normal distribution. Certain properties of this distribution are established. Maximum likelihood estimation of its parameters are shown to be surprisingly, in contrast to trigonometric moment estimation, numerically quite appealing. Finally we illustrate our results by several real life axial data sets. Received: September 2004/ Revised: December 2004     

Scenarios of major terrestrial ecosystems in China

The spatial pattern and mean-center shift of major terrestrial ecosystems, termed Holdridge Life Zones (HLZ), during the periods from 1961 to 1990 (T1), from 2010 to 2039 (T2), from 2040 to 2069 (T3) and from 2070 to 2099 (T4) were analyzed by combining the zonal patterns of climatic change in China and the climatic change scenarios of HadCM2 and HadCM3. The results showed that nival area would decrease rapidly with temperature increase in the future. HadCM2 and HadCM3 predicted that the nival areas might disappear in 552 years and 204 years, respectively. Using both HadCM2 and HadCM3, the five HLZ types with the largest areal extent are nival zone, cool temperate moist forest, warm temperate moist forest, subtropical moist forest and boreal wet forest, which collectively account for more than 50% of China's land mass. Among these five HLZ types, nival zone, warm temperate moist forest and boreal wet forest would decrease continuously, whereas subtropical moist forest and cool temperate forest would increase continuously during the four periods. HLZ diversity and patch connectivity would increase continuously in the 21st century. The shift distances of mean centers of HLZ types simulated using HadCM3 were markedly greater than those simulated using HadCM2, in general. The results from both HadCM2 and HadCM3 showed that boreal wet forest, subtropical moist forest, tropical dry forest, warm temperate moist forest and subtropical wet forest had bigger shift ranges, indicating that these HLZ types are more sensitive to the climatic change scenarios of HadCM2 and HadCM3.