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.     

Assessing the Impacts of Long-Range Sulfur and Nitrogen Deposition on Arctic and Sub-Arctic Ecosystems

For more than a decade, anthropogenic sulfur (S) and nitrogen (N) deposition has been identified as a key pollutant in the Arctic. In this study new critical loads of acidity (S and N) were estimated for terrestrial ecosystems north of 60° latitude by applying the Simple Mass Balance (SMB) model using two critical chemical criteria (Al/Bc = 1 and ANC_le = 0). Critical loads were exceeded in large areas of northern Europe and the Norilsk region in western Siberia during the 1990s, with the more stringent criterion (ANC_le = 0) showing the larger area of exceedance. However, modeled deposition estimates indicate that mean concentrations of sulfur oxides and total S deposition within the Arctic almost halved between 1990 and 2000. The modeled exceeded area is much reduced when currently agreed emission reductions are applied, and almost disappears under the implementation of maximum technically feasible reductions by 2020. In northern North America there was no exceedance under any of the deposition scenarios applied. Modeled N deposition was less than 5 kg ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ almost across the entire study area for all scenarios; and therefore empirical critical loads for the eutrophying impact of nitrogen are unlikely to be exceeded. The reduction in critical load exceedances is supported by observed improvements in surface water quality, whereas the observed extensive damage of terrestrial vegetation around the mining and smelter complexes in the area is mainly caused by direct impacts of air pollution and metals.     

Moving beyond the conceptual: specificity in regional climate change adaptation actions for biodiversity in South East Queensland,Australia

While many scientific assessments have been recommending general strategies for biodiversity conservation under climate change, translation of these recommendations into specific actions and practice has been limited. Focusing on two biomes, rainforest and wetlands in biodiverse South East Queensland, Australia, we demonstrate how general principles can be translated into specific actions for stakeholders and responsible agencies. We synthesize research that is contextualizing protection of refugia and habitat connectivity, establishing baseline data sets to detect change and developing strategic conservation planning scenarios to adjust reserve boundaries or situate new reserves. This has been achieved by coupling spatial information on biological assets (i.e. ecosystems and species) with future climate scenarios and process models to anticipate movement of critical habitats. Conservation planning software is also being used to prioritize investment to meet specific objectives. This approach is enabling us to identify at-risk biological assets, opportunities to ameliorate threats and obstacles to delivering regional adaptation actions. A larger total reserved area is needed, with proactive planning to capture areas further inland and along watercourses. Major obstacles include conflict between urbanization and priorities for habitat conservation and the need for greater levels of investment for monitoring programmes and to protect landward shifted wetlands on private land.     

Determination of fecal contamination indicator sterols in an Australian water supply system

This paper reports a reconnaissance survey of the concentrations of sterol compounds (as indicators of fecal contamination) in a large water supply system in southeast Australia comprising a network of rivers, channels, and drains. Levels of coprostanol and cholestanol were determined in surface water and bottom sediment using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis across 17 strategic sampling sites and over 12 months. Clear differences in the levels of fecal contamination were observed among sites. Four sites routinely contained high levels of the fecal indicator sterols indicated from surface water and sediment sample analysis. Coprostanol concentrations at each location varied from 0 ng/L at the reference site to 11,327 ng/L in a surface water sample of a drain directly downstream of a knackery. The majority of the sites contained coprostanol in the range of 500 to 800 ng/L. Since no fecal-associated sterol compounds were detected at the external reference sites, these were assumed to be free from fecal contamination. Sewage water discharge and/or substantial water runoff maybe the principal factors contributing to fecal contamination of the supply drains and channels.     

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.