Ecological Analysis of Spleen Hypertrophy in Cyclomorphic Rodents Taking into Account the Type of Ontogeny

The functional approach at the level of physiological functional groups (PFGs) reflecting two types of ontogeny was used to analyze spleen hypertrophy in five species of rodents. In addition to a wide variation of spleen weight, its hypertrophy was observed: in bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus), the spleen weight was as great as 3.5 g versus the normal value of 100–150 mg. The variation range of the relative spleen weight was estimated. For example, in the dominant species, C. glareolus, this range was considerable (from 2 to 125). A distinct relationship with the types of animal ontogeny was revealed. The genus specificity of the phenomenon—its occurrence in three species of Clethrionomys voles and absence in Microtus voles and mice—was determined in the study region. The animals with normal and hypertrophied spleens did not differ from each other significantly in their vital activity (at least, with respect to the parameters studied). The voles with hypertrophied spleens normally reproduced, and the hypertrophy was asymptomatic. These findings suggest that the populations have adapted to a damaging factor (or factors) in the course of a prolonged coevolution. This parameter is regarded as the indicator of the presence of a damaging factor in the population.     

Alternative Types of Ontogeny in Cyclomorphic Rodents and Their Role in Population Dynamics: An Ecological Analysis

Two alternative ontogenetic pathways regularly effected in the populations of small mammals are analyzed as a manifestation of developmental multiversality. The types of ontogeny in rodents are characterized. These data are reflected in the concept of the functional approach. Multiversality of development in plants and animals is considered. Based on the results of long-term (26-year) observations on the natural populations of six rodent species, the dynamics of relationships between the types of ontogeny, abundance, and basic population parameters are analyzed using an example of a background species (Clethrionomys glareolus). A trigger mechanism of switching to a certain type of ontogeny, the role of environmental factors in actuating this mechanism, and the role of the genotype as a basis of multivalence are discussed. The existence of two developmental variants is regarded as a basis for functional rearrangements providing for a high flexibility of population responses and as a mechanism of population regulation determining the dynamics of rodent fauna. An adaptive population response to a board spectrum of influences, including anthropogenic damage, depends not only on the type and strength of the influence, but also on the functional structure of the population. The concepts described in the paper may explain the significance of critical periods in the life of populations.     

Determining size and dispersion of minimum viable populations for land management planning and species conservation

The concept of minimum populations of wildlife and plants has only recently been discussed in the literature. Population genetics has emerged as a basic underlying criterion for determining minimum population size. This paper presents a genetic framework and procedure for determining minimum viable population size and dispersion strategies in the context of multiple-use land management planning. A procedure is presented for determining minimum population size based on maintenance of genetic heterozygosity and reduction of inbreeding. A minimum effective population size (N _e ) of 50 breeding animals is taken from the literature as the minimum shortterm size to keep inbreeding below 1% per generation. Steps in the procedure adjustN _e to account for variance in progeny number, unequal sex ratios, overlapping generations, population fluctuations, and period of habitat/population constraint. The result is an approximate census number that falls within a range of effective population size of 50–500 individuals. This population range defines the time range of short- to long-term population fitness and evolutionary potential. The length of the term is a relative function of the species generation time. Two population dispersion strategies are proposed: core population and dispersed population.     

盐胁迫下八宝景天不同生态型对土壤中Cd积累特征

采用Cd含量为2.22 mg·kg^-1的潮褐土开展盆栽试验,通过外源添加NaCl研究不同生态型八宝景天对Cd和盐分复合胁迫的生长响应以及Cd吸收积累的差异.结果表明,在Cd单一或与盐分复合胁迫下,八宝景天各生态型间地上部生物量和Cd含量均表现出显著差异,盐分胁迫进一步加剧了八宝景天的生长抑制,高盐胁迫下八宝景天各生态型地上部Cd含量总体呈下降趋势,这与盐分引起土壤pH显著升高导致Cd生物有效性降低有关.此外,不同生态型对盐分胁迫表现出的生长和Cd吸收响应有显著差异,LN生态型地上部生物量在各处理下均显著高于其他生态型,且在1% NaCl处理下生物量仍没有显著下降,耐性指数可达0.91.同时,其地上部Cd含量在不同处理下均显著高于其他生态型,其原因为LN生态型在Cd富集和解毒的生理机制方面更具优势,而这些同样是其耐盐性的重要生理机制.综上可知,尽管盐分胁迫减少了八宝景天地上部Cd富集量,但其不同生态型间差异显著,LN生态型在2% NaCl处理下地上部Cd富集量仍可达84.4 μg·plant^-1,且较其他生态型显著提高48.4%~89.3%,因此,LN生态型八宝景天具有应用于修复盐渍化土壤Cd污染的潜力.     

The wild ancestors of domestic animals as a neglected and threatened component of biodiversity

Domestic animals have immense economic, cultural, and practical value and have played pivotal roles in the development of human civilization. Many domesticates have, among their wild relatives, undomesticated forms representative of their ancestors. Resurgent interest in these ancestral forms has highlighted the unclear genetic status of many, and some are threatened with extinction by hybridization with domestic conspecifics. We considered the contemporary status of these ancestral forms relative to their scientific, practical, and ecological importance; the varied impacts of wild–domestic hybridization; and the challenges and potential resolutions involved in conservation efforts. Identifying and conserving ancestral forms, particularly with respect to disentangling patterns of gene flow from domesticates, is complex because of the lack of available genomic and phenotypic baselines. Comparative behavioral, ecological, and genetic studies of ancestral-type, feral, and domestic animals should be prioritized to establish the contemporary status of the former. Such baseline information will be fundamental in ensuring successful conservation efforts.