A test of reproductive skew models in a field population of a multiple-queen ant

Determining the evolutionary basis of variation in reproductive skew (degree of sharing of reproduction among coexisting individuals) is an important task both because skew varies widely across social taxa and because testing models of skew evolution permits tests of kin selection theory. Using parentage analyses based on microsatellite markers, we measured skew among female eggs (n=32.3 eggs per colony, range=20–68) in 17 polygynous colonies from a UK field population of the ant Leptothorax acervorum. We used skew among eggs as our principal measure of skew because of the high degree of queen turnover in the study population. Queens within colonies did not make significantly unequal contributions to queen and worker adult or pupal offspring, indicating that skew among female eggs reflected skew among daughter queens. On average, both skew among female eggs (measured by the B index) and queen–queen relatedness proved to be low (means±SE=0.06±0.02 and 0.28±0.08, respectively). However, contrary to current skew models, there was no significant association of skew with either relatedness or worker number (used as a measure of productivity). In L. acervorum, predictions of the concession model of skew may hold between but not within populations because queens are unable to assess their relatedness to other queens within colonies. Additional phenomena that may help maintain low skew in the study population include indiscriminate infanticide in the form of egg cannibalism and split sex ratios that penalize reproductive monopoly by single queens within polygynous colonies.     

Selection on social traits in greater spear-nosed bats, Phyllostomus hastatus

Many studies assume that selection molds social traits and have investigated the manner in which this occurs, yet very few studies have measured the strength of selection on social traits in natural populations. In this paper, I report results of phenotypic selection analyses on two social traits – the size of social groups and the frequency of group foraging – in Phyllostomus hastatus, the greater spear-nosed bat. I found significant positive directional selection on individual group foraging frequency, but no directional selection on individuals in different-sized social groups. These results have implications for the structure of social groups, cooperative behavior among group mates, and maternal investment strategies. I argue that combining studies of natural selection on wild populations with experiments to identify the agents and mechanisms of selection can do much to increase our understanding of social evolution.     

Sparse regression for analyzing the development of foliar nutrient concentrations in coniferous trees

Analyzing and predicting the development of foliar nutrient concentrations are important and challenging tasks in environmental monitoring. This article presents how linear sparse regression models can be used to represent the relations between different foliar nutrient concentration measurements of coniferous trees in consecutive years. In the experiments the models proved to be capable of providing relatively good and reliable predictions of the development of foliage with a considerably small number of regressors. Two methods for estimating sparse models were compared to more conventional linear regression models. Differences in the prediction accuracies between the sparse and full models were minor, but the sparse models were found to highlight important dependencies between the nutrient measurements better than the other regression models. The use of sparse models is, therefore, advantageous in the analysis and interpretation of the development of foliar nutrient concentrations.     

The two reindeer parasites,Hypoderma tarandi andCephenemyia trompe (Oestridae), have evolved similar olfactory receptor abilities to volatiles from their common host

Summary Using the linked gas chromatographical/electroantennogram (GC/EAG) technique it was revealed that the reindeer warble fly (H. tarandi) was specifically able to sense the same components from reindeer interdigital pheromone gland as the reindeer nose bot fly (C. trompe) another reindeer endoparasite. These two species belong to the same family (Oestridae), but different subfamilies, and the evolution towards an endoparasitic life cycle is thought to have been independent. The development of olfactory abilities to find reindeer from long distances is hypothesized to have taken place through convergent evolution or exists because of their common ancestry.     

荔枝营养需求特点及其施肥技术研究

通过采样分析,探明了荔枝的营养特点,并在此基础上提出了施肥技术.研究表明,叶片养分含量为N＞K＞P;各生育期叶片N变化不大,P、K则有逐步下降的趋势,显示后期需要补充P、K养分;花的发育必须有较多的P、K供应,果实发育后期必须有较多的Ca供应;中后期施用硫酸钾能提高荔枝的品质和产量.     

玉米-花生混作系统中的氮铁营养效应

采用盆栽试验的方法研究了不同施氮水平和种间相互作用对花生铁营养、根瘤固氮能力以及系统氮营养的影响。结果表明,在本试验种植密度下,施氮水平和种植方式对下针期单株花生生物量无显著影响。在不同施氮水平下,玉米-花生混作不仅均显著改善了花生铁营养,而且玉米对氮素的大量吸收显著降低了混作花生根际土壤硝态氮的质量分数,从而使得花生根瘤数增加,根瘤固氮酶活性增强。混作花生铁营养受混作玉米氮营养及作物发育状况的影响较大,并且下针期花生固氮酶活性受施氮抑制及花生铁营养改善的促进。这说明,根际土壤硝态氮的质量分数的降低和花生铁营养的改善是石灰性土壤上花生固氮能力增强的关键因素,而花生生物固氮作用的增强是该混作系统体现氮营养优势的主要原因。     

长江上游沿江产业带产业结构演进研究

长江上游沿江产业带是一个资源富集,开发潜力巨大的区域,既是长江产业带的重要组成部分,也是西南地区经济发展的重心地带。区域经济的快速发展有赖于区域产业结构的有序演进。本文在分析长江上游沿江产业带产业结构演进背景－产业基础,经济基础,资源基础和宏观环境的基础上,根据国外产业结构演进手一般经验,对本区产业结构演进的历史进程和目前所处阶段进行了分析和判定。     

三门火山盆地的层状矿床及其与盆地形成演化的关系

浙江三门中生代火山——沉积盆地的形成演化可分四个阶段。每一阶段均伴产有不同成因和各具特色的金属矿床,显示了陆相火山作用较为完整的成矿体系。其中层状矿床具有同生和后生的双重特征,多成因,多来源,是较典型的火山沉积——后期热液迭加改造型矿床。本文着重介绍它的主要特征及盆地的形成演化对火山成因矿床的控制。     

1615—1619年中国蝗灾时空演化及环境背景研究

基于对历史文献资料的梳理,针对1615—1619年我国发生的重大旱、蝗、涝等群发灾害,以蝗灾为主线,复原蝗灾事件的时空演化过程,解析其发生的气候背景和社会响应。结果表明：（1）蝗灾事件呈现五年的发生发展衰亡周期,县次波动明显,1616和1617年为峰值年份;（2）蝗灾以中、高等级发生为主,核心区域为黄淮海平原,热点地区为山东、河南、安徽等;空间上呈现“北密南疏”、“北方主导”的分布格局;（3）蝗与旱、涝的空间叠加显示,旱-蝗组合集中分布于黄淮海平原及其毗邻地区,涝-蝗组合则呈零星分布,旱蝗并发的频次高于涝蝗,旱蝗关系更紧密;（4）蝗灾频发与大发伴生饥荒、疫灾,体现了灾异的时空传递与承继,且次生灾害的出现存在滞后效应;（5）在寒冷期,蝗灾与温度呈现正相关,与降水呈现负相关。     

三峡库区社区水平乡村路网对森林景观变化的影响

人为扰动是短时空尺度内森林景观变化或用途转换的主要动力,而乡村路网则成为人为扰动拓展的主要通道。基于1992、2002、2014年三峡库区重庆市石柱县西沱镇3期遥感影像和实地调研数据,在ArcGIS平台支持下,研究社区水平乡村路网对森林景观变化的影响。结果表明：1）1992—2014年研究区乡村路网影响域内次生林、退化林地和耕地的动态变化较显著,集中分布在中西部平坦区。1992—2002年乡村路网缓冲区内森林景观整体呈退化趋势,退化类型以次生林→退化林地、次生林→耕地、退化林地→耕地为主,演化量达1 705.91 hm²;2002—2014年乡村路网缓冲区内森林景观主要呈恢复趋势,恢复类型以耕地→退化林地、耕地→次生林、退化林地→次生林和原始林→退化原始林为主,演化量达1 674.52 hm²。2）相比发现,前一时期研究区乡村路网长度的增加和路网材质的提升很大程度上驱动森林景观的退化,而后一时期低等级路段的消失、废弃或利用率的降低则有助于森林景观的恢复,消失路段恢复率近100%。3）研究有助于丰富人们对社区水平乡村路网影响森林景观变化的理解与认识,为生态文明建设中合理规划乡村路网提供科学依据。