Homing in the wolf spider Lycosa tarantula (Araneae, Lycosidae): the role of active locomotion and visual landmarks

Previous studies on the homing of the wolf spider Lycosa tarantula have shown that it is carried out by path integration. Animals using this mechanism must measure the distance walked and the angles turned. This study aims to understand if wolf spider L. tarantula is able to estimate the walked distance in an outward path. As this information is more likely obtained by proprioceptive mechanisms, active or passive displacements have been performed. An active locomotion was found essential to estimate distances. During passive locomotion, spiders searched for their burrows near the release point while when displaced actively the inbound journey was longer than the outbound one. The possible use of visual landmarks near the burrow was also tested as a cue to complete the inbound journey. Our results did not show that L. tarantula used these visual landmarks to find the burrow. L. tarantula seems to use only proprioceptive information obtained during the outbound path to estimate the distance traveled.     

黄土高原两种针叶树种不同器官水碳氮磷分配格局及其生态化学计量特征

植物不同器官水、碳、氮、磷等元素含量及其生态化学计量特征能够反映植物的生态策略及其环境适应性。本研究以黄土高原两种乡土树种油松(Pinus tabulaeformis)和柴松(Pinus tabulaefirmis f.shekanensis)为研究对象,分析了研究区两种树种水、碳、氮和磷在不同器官的含量及其生态化学计量特征,探讨了两种树种基于水、碳、氮和磷分配格局的生态适应策略。结果表明:(1)油松和柴松对水分和碳素的分配格局总体表现为根和叶最大,其次为枝和干,树皮最小;对氮、磷的分配格局则表现为叶片显著高于其他器官。(2)油松将更多的水和氮分配给叶、根等生产性器官,而柴松将更多的水和碳分配给枝、干等防御性器官,反映了柴松较油松具有更加保守的生长策略,能够更好适应逆境条件。(3)植物器官不同元素间通过相互耦合后可以表现出较好的相关性,反映了植物元素之间具有高度复杂的协同关系,这种协同关系的体现形式可能与植物类型及其对外界环境变化的生长适应策略密切相关。     

Sexual contact influences orientation to plant attractant in Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Chemical signals emitted by insects and their hosts are important for sexual communication and host selection. Plant volatiles facilitate the location of suitable hosts for feeding and oviposition, and may moderate responses to sex and aggregation pheromones. While mating has been shown to moderate behavioral responses to pheromones in a number of insects, little is known about the effects of mating on behavioral responses of insects to plant attractants, and even less is known about the mechanisms involved. In this study, mating was shown to decrease behavioral responses of the Colorado potato beetle to a host kairomone within 24 h, and attraction to the kairomone recovers only after 72 h. This decrease in responsiveness also occurs when only contact with the opposite sex is allowed; the effect is not observed with contact among individuals of the same sex. Peripheral olfactory responses to a component of the kairomone correlate with the observed behavioral responses and suggest involvement of antennal receptors in the behavioral change.     

Intrageneric differences in the four stereoisomers of stenusine in the rove beetle genus, Stenus (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae)

Most species of the rove beetle genus Stenus employ the spreading alkaloid stenusine as an escape mechanism on water surfaces. In the case of danger, they emit stenusine from their pygidial glands, and it propels them over the water very quickly. Stenusine is a chiral molecule with four stereoisomers: (2′R,3R)-, (2′S,3R)-, (2′S,3S)-, and (2′R,3S)-stenusine. The percentile ratio of these four isomers is only known for the most common species of the genus: Stenus comma. With the intention of determining the stereoisomer ratios of five additional species from the two subgenera, Stenus and Hypostenus, we used GC/mass spectrometry measurements with a chiral phase. The results showed that the ratio differs among the genus. These findings can be a basis for chemotaxonomy. It is also possible that the biological function of stenusine, e.g., as antibiotic or fungicide, varies with changing stereoisomer composition.

芦苇抑藻化感物质的分离及其抑制蛋白核小球藻效果研究

采用乙醇提取、溶剂萃取法从芦苇中分离出2组能抑制蛋白核小球藻生长的化感物质. 该2组化感物质对蛋白核小球藻的半效应浓度(EC₅₀)分别为0.68mg/L和2.65mg/L. 将前者用碱性氧化铝层析柱分离得到一组抑藻活性更强的化感物质和一组能够促进蛋白核小球藻生长的化感物质: 前者对蛋白核小球藻的EC₅₀为0.50mg/L, 是目前报道的抑藻能力最强的化感物质; 后者在浓度为0.63mg/L时能显著促进蛋白核小球藻的生长. 芦苇化感物质可以用来控制淡水中有害藻类.     

Community fire use,resource change,and livelihood impacts: The downward spiral in the wetlands of southern Sumatra

Fire is an important community wetland management tool in Indonesia, but its increasing use in the wetlands of southern Sumatra is degrading the landscape and diminishing household incomes and livelihood options. We studied evolving community land and fire use, resource and livelihood impacts on two sites of roughly 250 km² each using satellite image analysis and biological and socio-economic surveys. Uncontrolled fire use expanded over time in relation to sonor or swamp rice cultivation, logging, fishing, grazing, and annual cropping on drained wetlands. As a result, most of the landscape has been subject to repeated fires of varying intensities, more extensive in El Niño years. Direct burning by companies played a smaller transitory role in fire ignition over the two decades. But company activities and other large-scale developments contributed to expanding community fire-based land use by bringing in more people, improving access to remote wetlands or making them more flammable. Widespread, repeated fires have transformed the landscape from mature high swamp forests to uniform stands of fire-resistant Gelam (Melaleuca cajuputi) forests and thickets, open savannas and grasslands. These new types of land cover are also degrading. Local communities have rapidly adapted to the changing resources and new opportunities. Logging and fishing declined in importance, and sonor and harvesting of Gelam expanded. But resource depletion has led to falling incomes and fewer livelihood options. The impacts extend beyond local areas as workers migrate into neighbouring forests to extract resources. Large-scale developments, community fire-based management practices and landscape transformation are spreading from accessible to formerly more remote wetlands.     

Effects of nature organic matters and hydrated metal oxides on the anaerobic degradation of lindane, p, p '-DDT and HCB in sediments

Effects of natural organic matters(NOM) and hydrated metal oxides(HMO) in sediments on the anaerobic degradation of γ-666,p, p‘-DDT and HCB were investigated by means of removing NOM and HMO in Liaohe River sediments sequentially. The results showed that the anaerobic degradation of γ-666, p, p‘ -DDT and HCB followed pseudo-first-order kinetics in different sediments. But, the extents and rates of degradation were different, even the other conditions remained the same. Anaerobic degradation rates of γ-666, p, p ‘-DDT and HCB were 0.020 d^-1, 0.009 d^-1 and 0.035 month^-1 respectively for the sediments without additional carbon resources. However, with addition ofcarbon resources, the anaerobic degradation rates of γ-666, p, p‘-DDT and HCB were 0.071 d^1, 0.054 d^-1 and 0.088 month^-1 in the original sediments respectively. After removing NOM, the rates were decreased to 0.047 d^-, 0.037 d^-1 and 0.066 month^-1 ; in thesediments removed NOM and HMO, the rates were increased to 0.067 d^-1 , 0.059 d^-1 and 0.086 month^-1 . These results indicated that NOMin the sediments accelerated the anaerobic degradation of γ-666, p, p‘-DDT and HCB ; the HMO inhibited the anaerobic degradation of γ-666,p, p ‘-DDT and HCB.     

夏秋季北京及河北三城市的大气污染联合观测研究

为评估北京西南方向城市群对北京大气污染的影响,于2009年夏秋季节（2009年7月16日～10月15日）,利用自动在线大气环境观测仪器,对北京及太行山东侧河北省的3个城市涿州、保定和石家庄进行了大气污染物PM10、NOx和O3的联合观测研究.结果表明,夏秋季节4个城市的首要污染物均为可吸入颗粒物（PM10）,平均质量浓...     

Convergent evolution in the antennae of a cerambycid beetle, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Onychocerus albitarsis,</Emphasis> and the sting of a scorpion

Venom-injecting structures have arisen independently in unrelated arthropods including scorpions, spiders, centipedes, larval owlflies and antlions, and Hymenoptera (wasps, ants, and bees). Most arthropods use venom primarily as an offensive weapon to subdue prey, and only secondarily in defense against enemies. Venom is injected by biting with fangs or stinging with a specialized hypodermic structure used exclusively for the delivery of venom (usually modified terminal abdominal segments). A true sting apparatus, previously known only in scorpions and aculeate wasps, is now known in a third group. We here report the first known case of a cerambycid beetle using its antennae to inject a secretion that causes cutaneous and subcutaneous inflammation in humans. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the terminal antennal segment of Onychocerus albitarsis (Pascoe) has two pores opening into channels leading to the tip through which the secretion is delivered. This is a novel case of convergent evolution: The delivery system is almost identical to that found in the stinger of a deadly buthid scorpion.     

N and P dynamics in the litter layer and soil of Mexican semi-arid forests, state of Morelos

In central Mexico, it is common for farmers to retain useful trees in abandoned lands after maize cultivation, creating a park-like landscape of scattered trees for extensive livestock grazing, among other land uses (mature forests, secondary forests, and livestock grazing in secondary forests). Among these trees Acacia cochliancantha and Ipomoea arborescens are the most common species associated with this land use in the region. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of both tree species on soil N and P recycling. To this end, we measured N and P concentrations in leaves of both species; and the seasonal N and P (total and dissolved) content in the litter, and total N and P, inorganic N, and bicarbonate-extractable-P concentrations, and the N transformations in the soil, in samples collected under crown of Acacia and Ipomoea and in open areas. Trees of different species varied in their capacity to cycle N. The leaves of Acacia were richer in N than those of Ipomoea (29.7 and 25.0 mg N g⁻¹, respectively), and nutrient resorption was higher in leguminous trees than in Ipomoea (by 20% in the case of N, and 35% in the case of P). Acacia trees had higher effects on soils than Ipomoea trees, like consistent increases of N concentrations (by 30% in the case of total N, and by 50% in the case of inorganic N) and transformations (N mineralization and nitrification in rainy season increases by a factor of 20 and 36, respectively). On the other hand, Ipomoea produced senescent leaves and accumulated forest litter with less P concentration (0.8 and 0.7 mg P g⁻¹, respectively) in relation to Acacia (senescent leaves: 1.3 mg P g⁻¹; litter: 1.1 mg P g⁻¹), reflecting the lower availability of the nutrient in the soil. The total litter N and P pools decreased in the rainy season under crown of both species, as the dissolved P pool did. The total soil N and P concentrations did not change with sampling season. However, potential N transformations and bicarbonate P under both species were higher in dry season than in rainy season samples. Comparison with other land uses in the region suggests that the Acacia–Ipomoea system cycles low quantity of nutrients, but there are no notable differences in the availability of P in the soils. These results demonstrate that scattered trees improve the N and P cycling following the discontinuation of agricultural practices, and the effects will vary depending on the tree species.     

Spatial and temporal variations of two cyanobacteria in the mesotrophic Miyun reservoir, China

Spatial variations in phytoplankton community within a large mesotrophic reservoir （Miyun reservoir, North China） were investigated in relation to variations in physico-chemical properties, nutrient concentrations, temperature and light conditions over a 5 month period in 2009. The dynamics of phytoplankton community was represented by the dominance of cyanobacteria through summer and fall, following with a short term dominance of chlorophyta in late fall, and a relatively high abundance of diatom in October; on the other hand, maximum phytoplankton biomass was recorded in the north shallow region of Miyun reservoir with a higher nutrients level. Particular attention was paid to the impacts of environmental conditions on the growth of two cyanobacteria genera, the toxin-producing Microcystis and the taste ＆ odor-producing Oscillatoria. Microcystis biomass was in general greatly affected by water temperature and mixing depth/local water depth ratio in this reservoir, while the Oscillatoria biomass in the surface and middle layers was greatly affected by total dissolved phosphorus, and that in the bottom layer was related with the Secchi depth/local water depth ratio. Abundant Oscillatoria biomass was observed only in late September when Microcystis biomass decreased and allowed sufficient light go through.     

Bee-hawking by the wasp, <Emphasis Type="BoldItalic">Vespa velutina</Emphasis>, on the honeybees <Emphasis Type="BoldItalic">Apis cerana</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="BoldItalic">A</Emphasis>. <Emphasis Type="BoldItalic">mellifera</Emphasis>

The vespine wasps, Vespa velutina, specialise in hawking honeybee foragers returning to their nests. We studied their behaviour in China using native Apis cerana and introduced A. mellifera colonies. When the wasps are hawking, A. cerana recruits threefold more guard bees to stave off predation than A. mellifera. The former also utilises wing shimmering as a visual pattern disruption mechanism, which is not shown by A. mellifera. A. cerana foragers halve the time of normal flight needed to dart into the nest entrance, while A. mellifera actually slows down in sashaying flight manoeuvres. V. velutina preferentially hawks A. mellifera foragers when both A. mellifera and A. cerana occur in the same apiary. The pace of wasp-hawking was highest in mid-summer but the frequency of hawking wasps was three times higher at A. mellifera colonies than at the A. cerana colonies. The wasps were taking A. mellifera foragers at a frequency eightfold greater than A. cerana foragers. The final hawking success rates of the wasps were about three times higher for A. mellifera foragers than for A. cerana. The relative success of native A. cerana over European A. mellifera in thwarting predation by the wasp V. velutina is interpreted as the result of co-evolution between the Asian wasp and honeybee, respectively.     

长期施用氮肥对土壤细菌硝化基因多样性及组成的影响

以中国科学院桃源农业生态试验站水稻长期定位试验为平台(28°55′49.8″N,111°26′25.7″E),运用PCR、克隆文库构建等分子生物学技术研究长期单施氮肥(尿素)对亚硝化基因(amoA和hao)多样性及其群落结构的影响.结果表明,长期单施氮肥使amoA基因多样性降低(Shannon指数减少了11%),而ha...     

Present status and changes of the phytoplankton community after invasion of Neosalanx taihuensis since 1982 in a deep oligotrophic plateau lake, Lake Fuxian in the subtropical China

Phytoplankton assemblages in the subtrophical oligotrophic Lake Fuxian, the second deepest lake in China, were investigated monthly from September 2002 to August 2003. A total of 113 species belonging to seven phyla were identified, among them, a filamentous green alga, Mougeotia sp., dominated almost throughout the study period and comprised most of the total phytoplankton biomass.Mougeotia sp. has made a substantial development during the past decades: it was absent in 1957, only occasionally present in 1983,increased substantially in 1993, and became predominant in 2002--2003. It is likely that natural invasion of the Taihu Lake noodlefish (Neosalanx taihuensis) has led to a change of dominant herbivorous zooplankton from small to large calanoid, which has increased grazing pressure on small edible algae, and thus has indirectly favored the development of the inedible filamentous Mougeotia sp.     

大型溞对水环境中抗生素抗性菌与抗性基因的摄食与去除

原后生动物是污水生物处理系统中的常见生物,了解它们是否能够摄食与去除抗生素抗性菌(ARB)和抗生素抗性基因(ARGs),对于建立藉捕食作用的ARB和ARGs去除技术具有重要意义.本研究以大型溞作为代表生物,探究了其对ARB和ARGs的摄食、去除效果与机制.使用荧光抗性菌直接观察其摄食过程,证实大型溞对ARB的摄食与富集...     

九龙江的碳酸盐体系、CO2分压及其调控

于2011年枯水期和丰水期调查了九龙江的溶解氧、pH、溶解无机碳(DIC)和总碱度(TAlk),并计算水体CO2分压(pCO2)。九龙江溶解氧饱和度平均为67±18%(枯水期)和57±12%(丰水期),最低只有10%(枯水期)和35%(丰水期);pH为7.08±0.12(枯水期)和7.22±0.11(丰水期),最低只有6.88(枯水期)和6.98(丰水期);DIC为1027±620μmol/kg(枯水期)和820±340μmol/kg(丰水期);TAlk在枯水期为885±570μmol/kg,比相应DIC低140±70μmol/kg。水体TAlk受控于流域地质背景和化学风化的影响,而DIC既包含流域风化过程的产物HCO3-,也包含水柱呼吸过程和沉积物中其他生物地球化学过程释放的游离CO2。九龙江pCO2高达3470±1640μatm(枯水期)和3590±1410μatm(丰水期),超过大气平衡水平8.9~9.2倍。过饱和CO2与表观耗氧量的耦合分析表明,水柱呼吸作用只能说明九龙江高pCO2的66%~94%。     

郑州市臭氧污染变化特征、气象影响及输送源分析

基于环境空气质量和气象在线监测数据,研究了郑州市近地面臭氧(O3)污染的年际变化、空间差异及气象影响,并分析了 O3传输路径和潜在源区.结果表明,2014～2018年郑州市近地面03污染超标时间跨度增加,城区站点03日最大8 h滑动平均值(MDA8)第90％分位呈显著上升趋势(P＜0.05),增长速率为15.50μg·...     

Effects of WOx modification on the activity, adsorption and redox properties of CeO2 catalyst for NOx reduction with ammonia

A series of WO₃/CeO₂ (WOx/CeO₂) catalysts were synthesized by wet impregnation of ammonium metatungstate on a CeO₂ support. The resulting solid acid catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-Vis spectroscopy (UV-Vis), Raman spectroscopy (Raman), in-situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (in-situ FT-IR) of ammonia adsorption, NH₃-TPD, H₂ temperature-programmed reduction (H₂-TPR), NH₃/NO oxidation and activity measurements for NOx reduction by NH₃ (NH₃-SCR). The results show that polytungstate (WOx) species are the main species of tungsten oxide on the surface of ceria. The addition of tungsten oxide enhances the Brönsted acidity of ceria catalysts remarkably and decreases the amount of surface oxygen on ceria, with strong interaction between CeO₂ and WOx. As a result, the N₂ selectivity of NH₃ oxidation and NH₃-SCR at high temperatures (> 300℃) is enhanced. Therefore, a wide working temperature window in which NOx conversion exceeds 80% (NOx conversion > 80%) from 200 to 450℃, is achieved over 10 wt.% WOx/CeO₂ catalyst. A tentative model of the NH₃-SCR reaction route on WOx/CeO₂ catalysts is presented.     

倭肯河着生硅藻群落结构及其与环境因子的关系

为了合理的评价倭肯河水生态健康状况,2018年8月（丰水期）,调查了19个点位的着生藻类群落结构和水环境特征.使用Mcnaughton优势度分析、聚类分析和生态型分析3种方法研究了倭肯河着生藻类群落结构和清洁度,使用Spearman相关分析、除趋势对应分析和典范对应分析等方法研究了倭肯河着生硅藻群落和环境因子的响应关系.结果表明：倭肯河共鉴定出着生硅藻89种,物种丰富,不同采样点位之间生物多样性差异较大,Nitzschia palea等富营养指示种是倭肯河的优势种.聚类分析结果表明,倭肯河采样点位可分为3组,从组1到组3,优势种清洁度逐渐下降,低度需氧型、中腐-高度腐生型和极度富营养型硅藻比例逐渐上升.影响倭肯河着生硅藻群落结构的主要水环境因子为TN、DO和pH,其中DO和TN是组3着生硅藻群落的主要影响因子,pH是组2着生硅藻群落的主要影响因子.由此可见,除河流源头区域外,倭肯河水生态环境质量状况较差,着生硅藻群落可以有效的指示倭肯河水体营养状况和腐生状况.     

Seasonal dynamics of water bloom-forming Microcystis morphospecies and the associated extracellular microcystin concentrations in large, shallow, eutrophic Dianchi Lake

The increasing occurrence of Microcystis blooms is of great concern to public health and ecosystem due to the potential hepatotoxic microcystins （MCs） produced by these colonial cyanobacteria. In order to interpret the relationships between variations of Microcyst/s morphospedes and extracellular MC concentrations, the seasonal dynamics of phytoplankton community composition, MC concentrations, and environmental parameters were monitored monthly from August, 2009 to July, 2010. The results indicated that Microcystis dominated total phytoplankton abundance from May to December （96%--99% of total biovolume）, with toxic Microcystis viridis and non-toxic Microcystis wesenbergii dominating after July （constituting 65%- 95% of the Microcystis population）, followed by M. viridis as the sole dominant species from November to January （49%--93%）. Correlation analysis revealed that water temperature and nutrient were the most important variables accounting for the occurrence ofM. wesenbergii, while the dominance ofM. viridis was related with nitrite and nitrate. The relatively low content of MCs was explained by the association with a large proportion of M. viriclis and M. wesenbergii, small colony size of Microcystis populations, and low water temperature, pH and dissolved oxygen. The extracellular MC （mean of 0.5 ± 0.2 μg/L） of water samples analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） demonstrated the low concentrations of MC in Dianchi Lake which implied the low potential risk for human health in the basin. The survey provides the first whole lake study of the occurrence and seasonal variability of Microcyst/s population and