Toxicity and attraction effects produced byMorinda citrifolia fruits on theDrosophila melanogaster complex of species

Summary The ripe fruit of the Indian mulberry,Morinda citrifolia, is the host plant forDrosophila sechellia but is highly toxic for three closely related species (D. melanogaster, D. simulans, D. mauritiana). A simple bioassay is described with which a clear dose response to the fruit was found for these species. Significant differences in reactivity to the ripe fruit were found among species. Tested strains ofD. simulans andD. mauritiana adults were more sensitive to the toxic properties of the fruit thanD. melanogaster. A marked intraspecific variability was shown inD. melanogaster. Reciprocal interspecific hybridizations betweenD. sechellia andD. mauritiana suggested an autosomal dominant control of resistance. MoreoverD. melanogaster intraspecific crossings suggested the influence of an additional X-linked factor. Responses of flies toMorinda fruit in different states were tested in a T olfactometer. The less resistant strains ofDrosophila generally showed less preference for the ripe fruit.     

Accounting for the Mesoscale Effects on the Air Pollution in Some Cases of Large Sulfur Pollution in Bulgaria or Northern Greece

The objective of the present work is to demonstrate the influence of the meso-scale dynamic phenomena on the larger scale air pollution characteristics. A limited set of episodes with very large sulphur pollution in Bulgaria or Northern Greece is chosen for the study. A 3D quasi-hydrostatic model of the meso-scale dynamics, based on the Businesque approximation (the formulation of Guthman) is used for the purpose. Some numerical experiments for the Balkan Peninsula are carried out under different background (synoptic) conditions. The simulated flow systems outline the main topography effects, typical for the region, such as slope winds, channelling of the air flows or blocking effects. Numerical simulations of the air pollution transport are also carried out, with and without accounting for the meso-scale deformations of the wind field. The comparison of the air pollution characteristics, obtained in both the cases demonstrates that the underlying surface heterogeneity in some of the synoptic situations may have influence not only on the detailed air pollution field in the region, but also on some larger scale pollution characteristics – the total pollution quantity in the air above the countries, the mean surface concentration, the pollution fluxes trough the country boundaries, dry and wet deposition.     

[CO2]和温度增加的相互作用对植物生长的影响

ＣＯ2 和温度是影响植物生长、发育和功能的两个关键因子 .在过去一个世纪中 ,[ＣＯ2 ]从 2 80 μｍｏｌ/ｍｏｌ增加到 36 0μｍｏｌ/ｍｏｌ且每年增长速率为 1～ 5 μｍｏｌ/ｍｏｌ,到 2 0世纪末达到更高的浓度[1] .最近的模型预测表明 ,到 2 10 0年 ,全球表面温度可能会增加 1～ 4 .5℃ [2 \〗.ＣＯ2 是光合作用的底物 ,而且还是初级代谢过程 (气孔反应和光合作用 )、光合同化物分配和生长的调节者 .温度几乎影响植物所有的生物学过程 .因此 ,在全球气候变化要素中 ,大气 [ＣＯ2 ]和温度升高对植物的生理过程和生物量及产量具有极为重要的…     

Environmental conditions influence egg color of reed warblers <Emphasis Type="Italic">Acrocephalus scirpaceus</Emphasis> and their parasite,the common cuckoo <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cuculus canorus</Emphasis>

The outer layer of the eggshell in birds is in many cases covered by pigments that are assumed to be genetically determined traits with a negligible environmental component. To test the hypothesis that spring environmental conditions (i.e., temperature and rainfall) may affect bird egg pigmentation, we measured by spectrophotometry and photography egg coloration and spottiness on reed warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus L.) clutches parasitized by the common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus L.) collected over a period of 24 years and preserved in the Zoological Museum, Copenhagen, Denmark. In addition, we investigated whether spring environmental conditions may influence the coevolutionary relationship between the cuckoo and its host via changes in cuckoo–host egg matching. Generalized mixed models revealed that reed warbler eggs were more brilliant in those springs with a higher rainfall and tended to be bluer and greener in springs with a lower relative temperature. On the other hand, cuckoo eggs were bluer and greener in springs with a higher rainfall. Cuckoo–host egg matching in blue-greenness and spottiness was better in springs with a higher rainfall. These results provide support for the existence of an environmental component on bird egg coloration and suggest that environmental factors may potentially affect the outcome of important features of the arms race between cuckoos and reed warblers.     

Environmental and genetic influences on mating strategies along a replicated food availability gradient in guppies (Poecilia reticulata)

Food availability is expected to influence the relative cost of different mating tactics, but little attention has been paid to this potential source of adaptive geographic variation in behavior. Associations between the frequency of different mating tactics and resource availability could arise because tactic use responds directly to food intake (phenotypic plasticity), because populations exposed to different average levels of food availability have diverged genetically in tactic use, or both. Different populations of guppies (Poecilia reticulata) in Trinidad experience different average levels of food availability. We combined field observations with laboratory “common garden” and diet experiments to examine how this environmental gradient has influenced the evolution of male mating tactics. Three independent components of variation in male behavior were found in the field: courtship versus foraging, dominance interactions, and interference competition versus searching for mates. Compared with low-food-availability sites, males at high-food-availability sites devoted more effort to interference competition. This difference disappeared in the common garden experiment, which suggests that it was caused by phenotypic plasticity and not genetic divergence. In the diet experiment, interference competition was more frequent and intense among males raised on the greater of two food levels, but this was only true for fish descended from sites with low food availability. Thus, the association between interference competition and food availability in the field can be attributed to a genetically variable norm of reaction. Genetically variable norms of reaction with respect to food intake were found for the other two behavioral components as well and are discussed in relation to the patterns observed in the field. Our results indicate that food availability gradients are an important, albeit complex, source of geographic variation in male mating strategies.     

Reproductive Success of Captive-Bred Steelhead Trout in the Wild: Evaluation of Three Hatchery Programs in the Hood River

Abstract:  Population supplementation programs that release captive-bred offspring into the wild to boost the size of endangered populations are now in place for many species. The use of hatcheries for supplementing salmonid populations has become particularly popular. Nevertheless, whether such programs actually increase the size of wild populations remains unclear, and predictions that supplementation fish drag down the fitness of wild fish remain untested. To address these issues, we performed DNA-based parentage analyses on almost complete samples of anadromous steelhead ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ) in the Hood River in Oregon (U.S.A.). Steelhead from a supplementation hatchery (reared in a supplementation hatchery and then allowed to spawn naturally in the wild) had reproductive success indistinguishable from that of wild fish. In contrast, fish from a traditional hatchery (nonlocal origin, multiple generations in hatcheries) breeding in the same river showed significantly lower fitness than wild fish. In addition, crosses between wild fish and supplementation fish were as reproductively successful as those between wild parents. Thus, there was no sign that supplementation fish drag down the fitness of wild fish by breeding with them for a single generation. On the other hand, crosses between hatchery fish of either type (traditional or supplementation) were less fit than expected, suggesting a possible interaction effect. These are the first data to show that a supplementation program with native brood stock can provide a single-generation boost to the size of a natural steelhead population without obvious short-term fitness costs. The long-term effects of population supplementation remain untested.     

煤烟型复合污染物相互作用与转移过程及其特点

粉尘,ＳＯ２,ＮＯｘ等的煤烟型复合污染是我国尤其是南方我的主要类型。本文根据实验观测,详细分析了主要污染物间的相互作用过程及其复污染物从产生,转移至植物界面的运动过程及其特点。     

长江三角洲晚第四纪陆-海交互地层的光释光年代学

长江三角洲地层的年代学研究对探讨晚第四纪以来我国东部沿海地区陆海交互作用历史以及海岸地貌的形成与演化具有重要价值。本研究选择长江三角洲YZ07和EGQD14两支钻孔开展系统光释光（optically stimulated luminescence,OSL）测年研究,总结前期已发表的50个年代数据并收集整理该区域相关钻孔的年代地层资料,探讨在可靠的年代框架约束下晚第四纪长江三角洲沉积地层演变特征,取得了以下几点认识：（1）在长江三角洲地区,常规OSL测年以较细石英颗粒OSL测年效果较为理想;对粗颗粒石英,若存在长石包裹体对石英OSL信号的影响,建议用脉冲释光测年（POSL）技术加以解决。（2）以YZ07孔为例,¹⁴C测年和OSL测年结果对比表明在三角洲海岸地区,¹⁴C测年方法建立的年代地层框架需要谨慎对待,建议在此区域开展年代地层学研究时可以尝试将两种测年方法结合使用,以确保年代地层框架的准确和可靠。（3）针对争议较大的氧同位素3阶段（MIS3）沉积环境问题,EGQD14孔给出了新的年代学证据,认为MIS3阶段（约30?—?50 ka）长江三角洲可能是陆地河流相沉积环境为主导,这也得到了区域相邻的几支钻孔沉积记录的佐证。（4）两支钻孔从年代学角度证实了前人关于末次盛冰期（Last Glacial Maximum,LGM）以来长江三角洲发育下切河谷的沉积学判识和地层学论断。此外,多钻孔的年代地层学特征也验证了全新世时段海平面变化控制下的长江三角洲及海岸演变的时空动态。     

测土配方施肥对油菜生产的影响——基于1 722份田间试验材料的经济学分析

论文基于1 722份田间试验数据,将氮、磷、钾肥的投入量和油菜的产出量分别折算为相应的具体投入值和产出值,首先,运用超越对数生产函数模型计算出各种化肥要素的边际产出,研究发现氮、磷、钾肥的投入对油菜产出值的作用大小存在一定差异,对油菜产出值的影响大小关系为氮肥>磷肥>钾肥,其中氮肥的产出弹性值为0.288 3,磷肥的产出弹性值为0.180 3,钾肥的产出弹性值为0.087 7。其次,继续探究氮、磷、钾肥在油菜生产中的相互关系,结果显示,氮肥替代弹性系数为-0.058 8,磷肥为0.120 9,钾肥为0.281 0。最后,测算出使油菜产出值最大的氮肥最佳投入值为951.20 元/hm²,最佳磷肥投入值为3 766.08 元/hm²,最佳钾肥投入值为621.32 元/hm²。     

Selective sorption of perfluorooctane sulfonate on molecularly imprinted polymer adsorbents

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), as a potential persistent organic pollutant, has been widely detected in water environments, and has become a great concern in recent years. PFOS is very stable and difficult to decompose using conventional techniques. Sorption may be an attractive method to remove it from water. In this study, the molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) adsorbents were prepared through the polymerization of 4-vinylpyridine under different preparation conditions in order to remove perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) from water. The MIP adsorbents using perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) as the template had good imprinting effects and could selectively remove PFOS from aqueous solution. The sorption behaviors including sorption kinetics, isotherms, and effect of pH, salt, and competitive anions were investigated. Experimental results showed that the sorption of PFOS on the MIP adsorbents was very fast, pH-dependent, and highly selective. The achieved fast sorption equilibrium within 1 h was attributed to the surface sorption on the fine adsorbents. The sorption isotherms showed that the sorption selectivity of PFOS on the MIP adsorbents decreased at high PFOS concentrations, which may be due to the double-layer sorption and the formation of PFOS micelles on the sorbent surface. The sorption of PFOS on the MIP adsorbents was mainly dominated by the electrostatic interaction between the protonated vinylpyridine on the adsorbent surface and the anionic PFOS. The prepared MIP adsorbents can potentially be applied in water and wastewater treatment for selective removal of PFOS.