植物表面蜡质对植食性昆虫的影响研究进展

植物表面蜡质的最初角色是防止植株体内水分的散失和外界水分的进入,其分布的部位、化学成分和结构的复杂性与复杂的生态角色相对应.植物表面蜡质的物理化学特性能够抵抗各种各样生物与非生物侵害,这些侵害包括真菌病害、植食性昆虫、太阳射线、冻结温度等.植物表面蜡质还是植物、植食性昆虫及其捕食者和寄生者相互作用的竞技场,其特有的化学成分和形态学特征赋予它特有的生态机能,这些机能之一便是植物与植食性昆虫之间相互作用的媒介.植物表面蜡质的物理结构和数量能够影响植食性昆虫的附着和移动.表面蜡质可通过影响天敌对植食性害虫的捕食,从而间接影响植食性害虫的行为.表面蜡质提取物和单一的蜡质成分能够刺激或者抑制植食性昆虫产卵、活动和取食.烷烃、蜡酯、游离脂肪醇和酸等脂肪族化合物是表面蜡质的主要成分,在植食性昆虫选择寄主植物中,长链脂肪族化合物起着尤为重要的作用;芳香族化合物也影响昆虫对寄主植物的选择.植食性昆虫较少在光滑蜡质少表现型的作物上取食,在光滑蜡质少表现型的作物上,表面蜡质的数量少,化学组分和形态学特征也不同.研究光滑蜡质少作物抗虫的分子生物学机制,有助于阐明植物表面蜡质在植物与昆虫之间所起的作用.表面蜡质的理化特性能够改变害虫与寄主植物间的相互作用,具有重要的农业影响,已成为一个活跃的研究领域.     

Bi-directional sex change in a coral-dwelling goby

Bi-directional sex change has recently been reported among obligate coral-dwelling gobies of the genus Gobiodon. However, neither the functional role of this pattern of sex change nor the frequency of sex change in either direction in natural populations is known. We investigated the social structure and pattern of sex change of Gobiodon histrio at Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef. The social structure of G. histrio within coral colonies usually consisted of a single juvenile or a heterosexual adult pair. The size of adult social groups was not constrained by coral colony size. In contrast to expectations for pair-forming species, G.␣histrio was primarily a protogynous hermaphrodite. All immature G. histrio were females and sex change from female to male occurred readily when two mature females were placed in a coral colony. In addition, male G. histrio were able to change back to females when two mature males were placed in a coral. Sex change from female to male, however, occurred with over twice the frequency of sex change from male to female. Where two males were placed in a coral colony, heterosexual pairs were most frequently re-established by immigration of females from outside the treatment population. This pattern might be predicted if sex change from male to female is more expensive than sex change from female to male for G. histrio. Where sex change is expensive, movement may be favoured over sex change, particularly where coral densities are high and movement among corals incurs little mortality risk. Received: 10 November 1997 / Accepted after revision: 16 May 1998     

Establishing principal soil quality parameters influencing earthworms in urban soils using bioassays

Potential contamination at ex-industrial sites means that, prior to change of use, it will be necessary to quantify the extent of risks to potential receptors. To assess ecological hazards, it is often suggested to use biological assessment to augment chemical analyses. Here we investigate the potential of a commonly recommended bioassay, the earthworm reproduction test, to assess the status of urban contaminated soils. Sample points at all study sites had contaminant concentrations above the Dutch soil criteria Target Values. In some cases, the relevant Intervention Values were exceeded. Earthworm survival at most points was high, but reproduction differed significantly in soil from separate patches on the same site. When the interrelationships between soil parameters and reproduction were studied, it was not possible to create a good model of site soil toxicity based on single or even multiple chemical measurements of the soils. We thus conclude that chemical analysis alone is not sufficient to characterize soil quality and confirms the value of biological assays for risk assessment of potentially contaminated soils.     

Molecular behavior assessment on initial stages of oil spill in terrestrial environments

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The contamination of terrestrial environments by oil spills creates biological risks to humans and affects the ecosystem’s health. The studies...     

The Importance of Selecting Appropriate Criteria for Calculating Acidity Critical Loads for Terrestrial Ecosystems Using the Simple Mass Balance Equation

The Simple Mass Balance (SMB) equationis commonly used throughout Europe for thecalculation of acidity critical loads for forestsoils. Different criteria can be set in themodel depending on whether the receptor (e.g. treeroots) is more sensitive to the toxic effects ofaluminium or to unfavourable pH conditions. Thispaper examines the effects on critical loadscalculations of using different criteria andcritical limits, and demonstrates the importanceof selecting the most appropriate and justifiablecriteria for the chosen receptor, since they caneffect the critical loads values obtained. Abrief review of the range of different criteriaand limits used throughout Europe is included. In addition, the gibbsite equilibrium constant,used in the SMB equation to represent therelationship between dissolved aluminium andhydrogen ions in soil solution, is discussed. This relationship is not generally described inthe literature as a criterion in the equation,but this work highlights the effects differentgibbsite values have on critical loadcalculations and the importance of applying themost appropriate value for the soil in therooting zone of the receptor.     

Offspring genetic diversity increases fitness of female Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)

Inbreeding has negative effects on individual and population performances. Therefore, enhancement of offspring genetic diversity is believed to play a major role in shaping mating systems. However, no study has clearly separated the direct effect of having multiple partners from the indirect effect of having more outbred offspring on the resulting reproductive success of individuals in the wild. In this study, we report significant associations between both multiple mating and within-individual genetic diversity of offspring, and an increased reproductive success of wild female Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar. Specifically, we found that females with a higher number of mates also have more outbred offspring (within-individuals), and that both of these characteristics increased their reproductive success expressed in terms of offspring surviving when combining all freshwater juvenile stages. Our findings also indicate that determinants of fitness are different among sexes as within-individual offspring genetic diversity was not a strong predictor of male reproductive success, while the number of mates was important. We also show that females mated with more outbred males than on average, which potentially increased their chances of producing outbred offspring. These results therefore suggest that there could be more important indirect genetic benefits of multiple mating for females than for males.Communicated by M. Abrahams