Utility of Mitochondrial DNA Barcodes in Species Conservation

Abstract:  Molecular tools are a standard part of many conservation studies and can be informative at many different levels of analysis, although there are inherent limitations and strengths of different genes or parts of genes to inform specific questions. Animal DNA barcodes, 600- to 800-base-pair segments of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome oxidase I, have been proposed as a means to quantify global biodiversity. Although mitochondrial (mt) DNA has a long history of use at the species level, recent analyses suggest that the use of a single gene, particularly mitochondrial, is unlikely to yield data that are balanced, universally acceptable, or sufficient in taxonomic scope to recognize many species lineages. Mitochondrial and nuclear genomes have different patterns of evolution and modes of inheritance, which can result in very different assessments of biodiversity. The ramifications of choosing a particular definition of species (species concept) need to be carefully considered because current efforts have designated DNA barcodes as the universal species concept without demonstrating its superiority over preexisting concepts. The results of such a barcoding paradigm may include a failure to recognize significant portions of biodiversity or nuclear/mitochondrial mixed lineages and could spuriously focus conservation resources on populations with relatively minor mtDNA divergence. DNA barcodes are most likely to provide potentially useful information for groups that are already well studied, and such taxa do not constitute the majority of biodiversity or those in most need of research attention. DNA barcode-length sequences are an important source of data but, when used alone or out of context, may offer only a fraction of the information needed to characterize species while taking resources from broader studies that could produce information essential to robust and informed conservation decisions.     

Conservation Value of Non-Native Banteng in Northern Australia

Abstract:  The global species extinction crisis has provided the impetus for elaborate translocation, captive breeding, and cloning programs, but more extreme actions may be necessary. We used mitochondrial DNA, Y-chromosome, and nuclear lactoferrin-encoding gene sequencing to identify a wild population of a pure-strain endangered bovid ( Bos javanicus ) introduced into northern Australia over 150 years ago. This places the Australian population in a different conservation category relative to its domesticated conspecific in Indonesia (i.e., Bali cattle) that has varying degrees of introgression from other domesticated Bos spp. The success of this endangered non-native species demonstrates that although risky, the deliberate introduction of threatened exotic species into non-native habitat may provide, under some circumstances, a biologically feasible option for conserving large herbivores otherwise imperiled in their native range.     

A Global Indicator for Biological Invasion

Abstract:  "Trends in invasive alien species" is one of only two indicators of threat to biodiversity that form part of the Convention on Biological Diversity's (CBD) framework for monitoring progress toward its "2010 target" (i.e., the commitment to achieve by 2010 a significant reduction in the current rate of biodiversity loss). To date, however, there is no fully developed indicator for invasive alien species (IAS) that combines trends, derived from a standard set of methods, across species groups, ecosystems, and regions. Here we provide a rationale for the form and characteristics of an indicator of trends in IAS that will meet the 2010 framework goal and targets for this indicator. We suggest single and composite indicators that include problem-status and management-status measures that are designed to be flexible, readily disaggregated, and as far as possible draw on existing data. The single indicators at national and global scales are number of IAS and numbers of operational management plans for IAS. Global trends in IAS are measured as the progress of nations toward the targets of stabilizing IAS numbers and the implementation of IAS management plans. The proposed global indicator thus represents a minimum information set that most directly addresses the indicator objective and simultaneously aims to maximize national participation. This global indicator now requires testing to assess its accuracy, sensitivity, and tractability. Although it may not be possible to achieve the desired objective for a global indicator of biological invasion by 2010 as comprehensively as desired, it seems possible to obtain trend estimates for a component of the taxa, ecosystems, and regions involved. Importantly, current indicator development initiatives will also contribute to developing the mechanisms necessary for monitoring global trends in IAS beyond 2010.     

生态毒理基因组学——后基因组时代生态毒理学的新领域

基因组学、蛋白组学和代谢组学技术为生态毒理学的发展提供了生物高通量的技术手段,构成了新的交叉学科——生态毒理基因组学.生态毒理基因组学着重研究环境毒物暴露下非靶生物基因和蛋白的表达,能够在基因组水平上更深入地理解环境污染物的致毒机制,同时,它引进生物标志物为生态风险评价提供了平台.论文对生态毒理基因组学的发展历程、技术支持、模式生物及其在生态风险评价方面的应用进行了综述,以推动生态毒理基因组学技术在我国的进一步发展.     

城市绿化中选择净化空气的植物配植

文章叙述了在城市绿化中选择净化空气的植物配植的方法、原则，介绍了几种对大气污染吸收净化能力强的植物种类，和室内选择净化空气的花草。     

Concentration Evolution of Gas Species within a Collapsing Bubble in a Liquid Medium

In this study numerical methods are used to investigate the relationship between chemical concentration of gas species within a cavitating bubble, equilibrium radius of the gas bubble and pressure variations in the ambient liquid. For this purpose, governing equations are developed to describe the dynamic equilibrium of a bubble in a flowing fluid and mass transfer between gas and liquid phases, where it was assumed that gases undergo isothermal compression, obey the ideal gas law, Henry law. It is further assumed that the concentration of each phase within the bubble is uniform. The resulting nonlinear equations are solved using implicit Trapezoidal method with Newton iteration. Four gas species are modeled under various initial and ambient pressure variation conditions. These conditions maybe considered to represent typical cavitation events. The numerical results obtained are presented in terms of dimensionless numbers. These results indicate that chemical damage maybe an important component of cavitation surface damage, since high concentration profiles may develop within a collapsing bubble. Proposed formulation and numerical solutions are simple and cost effective to implement. The results presented in this study maybe used to benchmark experimental investigations or other more complex solutions, which are outside the scope of this study.     

马尾松纯林及其与阔叶树混交林的凋落量与养分通量

在25a生马尾松林下分别套种1a生火力楠、闽粤栲、苦槠、格氏栲、青栲和拉氏栲等阔叶树种的幼苗,16a后形成郁闭的针阔混交异龄林.通过定位监测和化学分析,对上述6种混交林类型及林下未套种阔叶树的马尾松纯林的森林凋落量及养分通量进行了研究.统计结果显示,6个混交群落的年凋落量分别为7137.3kghm-2、6741.1kghm-2、8041.7kghm-2、7151.3kghm-2、7533.2kghm-2和6149.1kghm-2,而马尾松纯林的年凋落量仅3442.8kghm-2.在所有林分的凋落物组成中,枯叶占绝对优势,占凋落物总量的49.7%~71.5%,其余依次为枯枝(5.7%~26.1%)、其它组分(5.5%~17.1%)、树皮(7.7%~18.9%)和果实(0.7%~2.0%).各混交林分中来自马尾松的凋落物占50.4%~58.0%,而来自阔叶树的凋落物占42.0%~49.6%,且两者的组成存在明显差异.各林分总凋落量的季节动态呈双峰型,第1次峰值出现在2~4月份,第2次峰值出现在8、9月份.凋落物中主要养分元素的含量依林分类型、凋落物组分和凋落时间不同而异,N、P、K、Ca和Mg的含量范围依次为3.25~12.98gkg-1、0.23~0.97gkg-1、0.42~4.02gkg-1、7.34~32.57gkg-1和1.34~5.58gkg-1.不同的林分类型,凋落物中各养分元素的年通量大小均为:Ca>N>Mg>K>P.马尾松纯林中,通过凋落物的5种养分元素的年流通量为142.01kghm-2;而在林下分别套种上述6种阔叶树后,其养分年流通量依次增加到204.95kghm-2、223.93kghm-2、304.12kghm-2、288.46kghm-2、213.77kghm-2、238.05kghm-2.图3表4参13     

中国珍稀格氏栲林的数量特征

运用伽玛分布，对数正态分布、韦布（Weibull)分布，正态分布等4种概率分布模型对格氏栲林的乔木层、灌木层、藤本层，草本层的物种-多度关系进行拟合分析，并用多种物种多样性指标测定格氏栲林各层次数量特征。结果表明：格氏栲林群落各层次物种-多度关系均符合伽玛分布，即伽玛分布模型应用于格氏栲林物种-多度分布研究是理想的；格氏栲林物种多样性指标介于中亚热带常绿阔叶林与南亚热带季风常绿阔叶林之间，表5参20。     

东北过伐林灌木层物种多样性与林分因子的典型相关分析

研究林分特征尤其是经营上可以控制的因子对生物多样性的影响，将有助于制定合理的经营措施来维持和保护生物多样性，本文作者以我国东北过伐林区3种典型天然林类型为对象，采用典型相关分析方法，研究影响灌木层物种多样性的主要因子。结果表明：影响灌木层物种多样性的主要因子包括土壤含水率，树种多样性和林分密度；灌木层多样性组的变异被林分组第一典型变量解释的比例为68.32%,仍有31.68%的变异不能得到解释。     

Extension of twoCaulerpa species along the Tunisian coast

Two species of the green alga genusCaulerpa are considered as invasive in Tunisia:Caulerpa racemosa andC. taxifolia. C. racemosa is found in a many new localities at the central and southern Tunisian coast, and even in the North of the country in colder water. These new observations lead to the hypothesis of the multiplicity of the origins of the introduction of the species and suggest possible invasive potentialities. The general thallus, and more particularly the number, the shape as well as the arrangement of ramelli on fronds allowed us to identify four morphologically different groups. These groups could be either different systematic entities or polymorphic variations of the same taxon due to different ecological conditions.Caulerpa taxifolia was observed for the first time in Tunisia at the roadstead of Sousse in the beginning of the year 2000. It is recognized as identical to that found in the other Mediterranean localities (GenBank number AJ228960). Up to the end of March 2000, a submarine prospecting campaign revealed an affected area of about 350 ha in front of 2 km of coast. Colonies ofCaulerpa taxifolia disseminating in this area appear in isolated spots. form, In the growing stage, they form surfaces varying between 0.5 to 6 m² and located 20 to 100 m from each other. The total covered surface was estimated to be between 0.5 and 1 ha.