Carotenoid-derived ornaments reflect parental quality in male and female yellow-eyed penguins (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Megadyptes antipodes</Emphasis>)

The handicap principle suggests that ornamental traits that function as honest signals in mate selection must be costly to be effective. We evaluated in the sexually monochromatic yellow-eyed penguin (Megadyptes antipodes) whether the carotenoid-derived plumage and eye coloration predicts parental quality and whether males and females within pairs mate assortatively in relation to these carotenoid-derived ornaments. In addition, we investigated whether age or body condition was related to the coloration of the ornamental traits. In yellow-eyed penguins, parental quality of males and females was predicted by eye and head plumage coloration. Even when we controlled for gender- and age-specific differences, eye and head plumage coloration reflected honestly parental quality. Males and females mated assortatively in relation to these ornamental traits. While age influenced coloration of both the eye and head plumage, body condition was related only to the saturation of plumage coloration. These results provide evidence that the carotenoid-derived ornaments in yellow-eyed penguins reflect the parental abilities of birds and, therefore, may be costly signals. Potentially, female and male yellow-eyed penguins could use eye and plumage coloration as an indirect cue in assessing age and quality of individual birds during mate choice. This is only the second study to examine plumage coloration in relation to sexual selection in penguins, while conspicuous ornamental traits in other species of penguin beg the question whether they also play a role in sexual selection.Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at Communicated by C.R. Brown     

长潭水库沉积物色素剖面分布及其环境意义

通过对长潭水库沉积物柱芯剖面色素、有机质、总氮和总磷的分析,结合现状水生态监测数据和近50年气候变化数据,揭示了长潭水库营养状态演替及初级生产力变化过程,探讨了人类活动和气候变化对长潭水库初级生产力和藻类演替的驱动作用.结果表明:长潭水库营养状态经历了稳定期、缓慢增长期和快速增长期3个阶段演替过程;沉积物色素剖面浓度也呈现3个阶段上升趋势,藻类由甲藻、硅藻为优势种逐渐演化为蓝藻、绿藻为优势种.外源氮磷输入增加和建库导致的水动力条件变化驱动了长潭水库初级生产力的增加和藻类种群的演替;近50年气候变化加速了水库藻类群落的演替,藻类的优势种演变为对温度敏感的蓝藻拉式拟柱孢藻.本文研究结果可为历史水生态资料缺乏水库的水生态演替识别和生态安全评估提供可借鉴的方法支撑.     

砷胁迫对不同烟草品种光合色素和叶绿素荧光特性的影响

为了研究不同浓度砷(As)对烟草光合色素和叶绿素荧光特性的影响,首先将3个烟草品种翠碧1号、K326和云烟-87幼苗种植在从0到100 mg·kg-1亚砷酸钠(Na As O2)的6个浓度组中进行盆栽试验,并定期进行烟草受害症状的观测,测定叶片的光合色素含量、叶绿素荧光参数。结果表明:烟草在As胁迫下的反应因As胁迫浓度、胁迫时间和烟草品种而异。烟草光合色素含量、叶绿素荧光参数均表现为低浓度下有促进效应和高浓度下有抑制效应,同时3种烟草在40 mg·kg-1As浓度处理下出现生长受阻,且浓度越高胁迫症状越明显。K326和云烟-87表观症状较明显,对As毒害的敏感性高于翠碧1号。随着As胁迫时间的延长,烟草的耐性增强,对As胁迫的敏感性减弱。     

Influence of short-term irrigation of textile mill wastewater on the growth of chickpea cultivars

The effect of textile mill wastewater on germination, delay index, physiological growth parameters, and plant pigments of two cultivars of chickpea was studied. The aim of this study was to evaluate the suitability of textile mill wastewater (treated and untreated) at different concentrations (0, 6.25, 12.5, 25, 50, 75, and 100%) for irrigational purposes. The textile effluent did not show any inhibitory effect on seed germination at a lower concentration (6.25%). The other reported plant parameters (delay index, root length, shoot length, dry weight, chlorophyll, and carotenoid) also followed a similar trend. Seeds germinated in 100% effluents but did not survive for longer periods. It has also been concluded that the effect of the textile effluent is cultivar-specific, and due care should be taken before using the textile mill wastewater for irrigation purposes.     

Norway spruce needles as bioindicator of air pollution in the area of influence of the Sostanj Thermal Power Plant, Slovenia

This paper reports the results of total sulphur content, photosynthetic pigments, ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E) analysed in current-year needles of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) in the area influenced by sulphur emissions from the Sostanj Thermal Power Plant (STPP), Slovenia, in the period 1991-2004. Ten differently polluted sampling sites in the emission area of STPP were selected. After desulphurization of emission gases from STPP total sulphur content in needles decreased and vitality parameters of needles increased. Moreover, a strong correlation between the average annual emissions of SO(2) from STPP and average annual sulphur content (increase) or average annual chlorophyll content (decrease) in current-year needles was found. The results showed that spruce needles may be an useful bioindicator for detecting changes in the emission rates of SO(2).     

氯代阻燃剂得克隆对纤细裸藻的生态毒性效应

得克隆(Dechlorane Plus,DP)作为全球广泛使用的氯代阻燃剂,具有POPs特性和环境毒性,但其生物毒性数据非常有限。本文选择水生初级生产者纤细裸藻(Euglena gracilis)作为研究对象,通过检测藻细胞生长状况、光合色素水平、抗氧化酶活性、谷胱甘肽(GSH)和丙二醛(MDA)含量变化,研究了不同浓度DP对其生态毒性效应的影响。结果显示,低浓度DP对纤细裸藻生长具有一定促进作用,但差异不显著;DP浓度较低时(0.1和0.5 mg·L-1DP)类胡萝卜素含量受到轻微抑制;较高浓度DP暴露导致超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、过氧化物酶(POD)和谷胱甘肽(GSH)水平显著增加,同时高浓度DP(8 mg·L-1)下MDA含量显著上升,提示膜结构受到损伤;表明较高实验浓度范围内,DP对纤细裸藻的生长及抗氧化系统均产生一定影响,结果将为DP的环境生态风险评价提供科学依据。     

微塑料对小麦生长及生理生化特性的影响

土壤环境中微塑料污染及毒理学效应逐渐引起关注,但微塑料对植物的毒性及其机制研究仍十分匮乏.为探究微塑料对陆生高等植物小麦(Triticum aestivum)的毒性作用,选用100 nm和5μm聚苯乙烯微塑料(PS-MPs)进行土培处理,结合水培生长试验,研究了PS-MPs对小麦生长及叶片光合色素、可溶性蛋白含量和抗氧化酶活性等的影响.结果表明,水培试验中,高浓度(200 mg·L-1) PS-MPs显著抑制小麦根、茎的伸长,5μm PS-MPs较100 nm PS-MPs表现出更大的毒性效应,小麦根和茎的长度抑制率分别为67. 15%和56. 45%.土培条件下,10 mg·kg-1PS-MPs对小麦生长影响最为显著.在试验含量范围内(0～100 mg·kg-1),随PS-MPs含量的增加,小麦叶片光合色素和可溶性蛋白含量先升后降,提示PS-MPs对小麦叶片光合系统产生了损害,抑制其蛋白的合成;超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)活性下降,过氧化氢酶(CAT)活性先降后升,表明PS-MPs对小麦毒性的可能机制涉及氧化应激.本研究结果将为土壤环境中微塑料的生态风险评价提供依据.     

有机颜料行业清洁生产技术的实施效果分析

我国有机颜料行业起步较晚,但近年来发展迅速。有机颜料行业的环境污染问题,尤其是废水治理方面,越来越受到人们的关注。以大分子有机颜料产品为例,说明清洁生产技术的实施应用是有机颜料行业实现节能降耗、减污增效的有效手段。     

珠江口水域表层水体光合色素分布特征研究

于2011年2月对珠江口水域表层水体进行了调查,利用反相高效液相色谱测定了水体中19种光合色素的含量,研究了珠江口水域浮游植物特征色素组成及其分布特征。结果表明:表层水体主要特征色素为岩藻黄素、多甲藻素和别藻黄素,还存在少量的青绿素、19’-已酰基氧化岩藻黄素、二乙烯基叶绿素a。各光合色素具有明显的分布特征,如叶绿素a、叶绿素c2、岩藻黄素和多甲藻素等表现为珠江口水域内侧(淡水端)高,外海区(海水端)低的特点;19’-已酰基氧化岩藻黄素、玉米黄素、叶绿素b和青绿素等主要分布在外海区,在珠江口水域内侧未检出。根据光合色素分布特征,可以确定在珠江口海域存在的浮游藻种类包括硅藻、甲藻、隐藻、青绿藻和原绿球藻等浮游微藻。     

纳米BiOBr对羊角月牙藻的毒性效应

纳米BiOBr(n-BiOBr)是具有广泛应用前景的高活性光催化材料,由于n-BiOBr能在可见光区响应,一旦进入水环境将会造成严重的水生态安全隐患.为探究n-BiOBr对藻类的毒性效应及机理,以羊角月牙藻(Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata)为受试生物,研究n-BiOBr对羊角月牙藻生长状况、光合色素、超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、过氧化氢酶(CAT)及脂质过氧化物丙二醛(MDA)的影响.结果表明,n-BiOBr对羊角月牙藻的生长有抑制作用,72 h半数效应浓度(EC_(50))为7.407 mg·L~(-1). n-BiOBr处理藻细胞72 h后,藻细胞的叶绿素总量及叶绿素a/b值随着n-BiOBr浓度的升高而降低,呈现一定的浓度-效应关系.随着n-BiOBr浓度增加,MDA、SOD和CAT活性呈现"升高-降低"的趋势.本研究可为纳米材料的科学、有效、无害化应用和管理提供理论依据.