Changes in growth and osmoregulation during acclimation to saltwater in juvenile Amur sturgeon Acipenser schrenckii

We evaluated the ability of juvenile Amur sturgeon (Acipenser schrenckii) to osmoregulate and grow in saltwater. Hatchery-reared juveniles (mean weight 106.8 g, 5-month old) were transferred from freshwater to 10, 20, and 25 salinity saltwater over a period of 20 d. We measured the growth, serum osmolality, ion concentrations, and Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase activity. In addition, we prepared samples of gill tissue to quantify morphological changes in gill ultrastructure. Rearing in up to 25 saltwater for 30 d had no significant effect on growth. Similarly, serum osmolality and ion concentrations were similar to levels reported in other teleosts following acclimation to saltwater. Serum osmolality and Na⁺, Cl⁻ concentrations increased significantly with the initial increase in salinity. Afterwards, levels tended to stabilize and then decrease. Serum K⁺ levels did not change during acclimation to saltwater. Gill Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase activity increased initially as salinity was increased. However, the activity later decreased and, finally stabilized at 3.7±0.1 μmol P_i/mg·prot·h in 25 saltwater (1.6 times higher than the level in those in freshwater). In fish that were held only in freshwater, the chloride cells were located in the interlamellar regions of the filament and at the base of the lamella. Following acclimation to 25 saltwater for 30 d, the number and size of chloride cells increased significantly. Our results suggest that juvenile Amur sturgeon is able to tolerate, and grow in, relatively high concentrations of saltwater.     

Otolith development in larval and juvenile Schizothorax davidi: ontogeny and growth increment characteristics

Laboratory-reared Schizothorax davidi larvae and juveniles were examined to assess the formation and characteristics of David’s schizothoracin otoliths.Otolith development was observed and their formation period was verifi ed by monitoring larvae and juveniles of knownage.The results revealed that lapilli and sagittae developed before hatching,and the first otolith increment was identified at 2 days post hatching in both.The shape of lapilli was relatively stable during development compared with that of sagittae;however,growth of four sagittae and lapilli areas was consistent,but the posterior area grew faster than the anterior area and the ventral surface grew faster than the dorsal surface.Similarly,the sum length of the radius of the anterior and posterior areas on sagittae and lapilli were linearly and binomially related to total fish length,respectively.Moreover,daily deposition rates were validated by monitoring knownage larvae and juveniles.The increase in lapilli width was 1.88±0.080 0μm at the ninth increment,which reached a maximum and the decreased gradually toward the otolith edge,whereas that of sagittae increased more slowly.These results illustrate the developmental biology of S.davidi,which will aid in population conservation and fish stock management.     

Effect of dietary potassium on growth,nitrogen metabolism,osmoregulation and immunity of pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) reared in low salinity seawater

An 8 weeks feeding experiment was conducted to determine the effect of dietary potassium on the growth and physiological acclimation of Pacific white shrimp(Litopenaeus vannamei) reared in diluted seawater(salinity 4). Six semi-purified practical diets containing 0.59, 0.96, 1.26, 1.48, 1.74, and 2.17+ g potassium K per 100 g diet were formulated, respectively. The survival and feed conversion rate did not show significant difference among groups of shrimps given these diets(P0.05). The shrimps fed the diets containing 0.96-1.48 g K+ per 100 g diet gained the highest weight, specific growth rate, and protein efficiency ratio. Their ammonium-N excretion rate as well as hemolymph concentration of Na+ and Cl- were significantly lower than those of the control(P0.05), but a reverse trend was observed for their gill Na+/K+-ATPase. Moreover, the shrimps fed with 1.48 g K+ per 100 g diet were the highest in hemolymph urea level, and the phenoloxidase and lysozyme activities were significantly higher than those of the control(P0.05). The growth and physiological response of the test shrimps suggested that diet containing 1.48 g K+ per 100 g diet improved the growth of L. vannamei in low-salinity seawater, and enhanced the physiological acclimation of the organism.     

Effects of dietary corn gluten meal on growth performance and protein metabolism in relation to IGF-I and TOR gene expression of juvenile cobia (Rachycentron canadum)

A growth experiment was conducted on cobia(Rachycentron canadum,initial weight 108.2 g ± 3.0 g) to investigate the effects of dietary corn gluten meal(CGM) levels on the fish growth,whole body composition and protein metabolism in relation to specific gene expression.Five isonitrogenous(crude protein 45%) and isoenergetic(gross energy 20 kJ g 1) practical diets were formulated by replacing 0%(the control),17.5%,35.0%,52.5%,and 70.0% of fish meal(FM) protein with CGM protein.No significant differences were observed in the survival,feed intake(FI),specific growth rate(SGR),feed efficiency(FE) and protein productive value(PPV) among fish fed diets with 0%,17.5%,35.0%,and 52.5% of CGM protein.However,these indices were significantly lower in fish fed the diet with 70.0% of CGM protein than those in fish fed the control diet(P < 0.05).The whole-body crude protein and lipid contents were significantly lower while the whole-body moisture content was significantly higher in fish fed the diet with 70.0% of CGM protein compared with the control group(P < 0.05).When 70.0% of FM protein was replaced by CGM,plasma total protein and cholesterol contents were significantly lower than those in the control group(P < 0.05).Fish fed the diet with 70.0% of CGM protein had significantly lower hepatic insulin-like growth factor I(IGF-I) expression levels than those in the control group(P < 0.05).However,no significant differences were observed in hepatic target of rapamycin(TOR),dorsal muscle IGF-I and TOR expression levels among dietary treatments.Results of the present study indicated that 52.5% of FM protein could be replaced by CGM in the diets without significant influences on the growth,feed utilization and protein metabolism of juvenile cobia.The present results might be useful for developing cost effective and sustainable cobia dietary formulations.     

Growth and energy budget of juvenile lenok Brachymystax lenok in relation to ration level

We evaluated the effect of ration level(RL) on the growth and energy budget of lenok Brachymystax lenok. Juvenile lenok(initial mean body weight 3.06±0.13 g) were fed for 21 d at five different ration levels: starvation,2%,3%,4% bwd(body weight per day,based on initial mean values),and apparent satiation. Feed consumption,apparent digestibility,and growth were directly measured. Specific growth rates in terms of wet weight,dry weight,protein,and energy increased logarithmically with an increase in ration levels. The relationship between specific growth rate in terms of wet weight(SGRw,%/d) and RL(%) was characterized by a decelerating curve: SGRw=-1.417+3.166ln(RL+1). The apparent digestibility coefficients of energy exhibited a decreasing pattern with increasing ration level,and there was a significant difference among different RLs. Body composition was significantly affected by ration size. The relationship between feed efficiency rate in terms of energy(FERe) and RL was: FERe=-14.167+23.793RL–3.367(RL)2,and the maximum FERe was observed at a 3.53% ration. The maintenance requirement for energy of juvenile lenok was 105.39 k J BW(kg)-0.80/d,the utilization efficiency of DE for growth was 0.496. The energy budget equation at satiation was: 100IE=29.03FE+5.78(ZE+UE)+39.56 HE+25.63 RE,where IE is feed energy,FE is fecal energy,ZE+UE is excretory energy,HE is heat production,and RE is recovered energy. Our results suggest that the most suitable feeding rate for juvenile lenok aquaculture for wet weight growth is 2.89% bwd,whereas for energy growth,the suggested rate is 3.53% bwd at this growth stage.     

Changes in vegetation and soil properties during recovery of a subtropical forest in South China

Secondary forests account for a large amount of subtropical forest due to persistent anthropogenic disturbance in China. The interaction between vegetation and soil during recovery process is rather complex and dependent on forest conditions. Understanding how vegetation and soil properties changes and how their relationship develops in secondary forests is key to effective forest restoration and management. Here we explored the patterns of vegetation and soil properties as well as their correlations during forest recovery process in a subtropical forest in south China. Plots of three forest types, i.e., broadleaf-conifer mixed forest, broadleaved forest and old growth stand, were established to represent the recovery stages. The results showed that diversity patterns in the tree, shrub and herb layers were different: in the tree layer the species diversity peaked at the intermediate stage, while in the understory layers it decreased chronologically. Most of the soil factors showed an increasing trend, and different effects of soil factors were found for the three layers as well as for the two spatial scales. Together, our results suggested that vegetation and soil might be interdependent during the recovery course. Further studies are needed on exploring how vegetation interplays with soil at different scales and how nutrient limitations affects the vegetation development in a chronosequence.     

Effects of dietary soy isoflavones on feed intake, growth performance and digestibility in juvenile Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus)

An 8-week feeding trial was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary soy isoflavones on feeding intake,growth performance,and digestion of juvenile Japanese flounder(Paralichthys olivaceus).Four isonitrogenous(49% crude protein) and isoenergetic(20.1 MJ kg-1) diets were formulated to contain four graded levels of soy isoflavones,namely,0,1,4 and 8 g soy isoflavones in 1 kg of diet.Each diet was randomly fed to triplicate tanks of fish(Initial average weight:2.58 g ± 0.01 g),and each tank was stocked with 35 fish.No significant difference was observed among diets with levels of 0,1 and 4 g kg-1 soy isoflavones in feed intake,weight gain,feed efficiency ratio(FER),proximate composition of fish whole body and apparent digestibility coefficients(ADC) of nutrients and energy(P>0.05).However,high dietary soy isoflavones level(8 g kg-1) significantly depressed weight gain,FER,whole-body crude lipid content of fish and ADC of nutrients(P<0.05).These results indicate that high level of dietary soy isoflavones(above 4 g kg-1) significantly depresses growth responses and FER of Japanese flounder.However,as the content of soy isoflavones in soybean meal is around 1 to 3 g kg-1,the adverse effects might be neglected when soybean products are used as a fish feed ingredient.     

Tissue-specific bioaccumulation and oxidative stress responses in juvenile Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) exposed to mercury

To understand mercury (Hg) toxicity in marine fish, we measured Hg accumulation in juvenile Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) and assessed the effects on growth and antioxidant responses. After Hg exposure (control, 5, 40, and 160 μg/L Hg) for 28 d, fish growth was significantly reduced. The accumulation of Hg in fish was dose-dependent and tissue-specific, with the maximum accumulation in kidney and liver, followed by gills, bone, and muscle. Different antioxidants responded differently to Hg exposure to cope with the induction of lipid peroxidation (LPO), which was also tissue-specific and dosedependent. As Hg concentration increased, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities increased significantly, whereas glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity and glutathione (GSH) levels decreased significantly in the gills. SOD and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities and the GSH level increased significantly in the liver. SOD activity and GSH levels increased significantly, but CAT activity decreased significantly with an increase in Hg concentration in the kidney. LPO was induced significantly by elevated Hg in the gills and kidney but was least affected in the liver. Therefore, oxidative stress biomarkers in gills were more sensitive than those in the liver and kidney to Hg exposure. Thus, the gills have potential as bioindicators for evaluating Hg toxicity in juvenile flounder.     

Changes in the contents of ATP and its related breakdown compounds in various tissues of oyster during frozen storage

The changes in the contents of adenosine 5’-triphosphate (ATP) and its related breakdown compounds were investigated in the adductor muscle, mantle, gill and body trunk of oyster (Crassostrea gigas) during frozen storage at -20℃ and -30℃ and compared with that of the fresh oyster. The investigation was performed using an HPLC system. Different extents of ATP decomposi- tion were found in various tissues frozen at the two temperatures. The K, K’ and A.E.C values were calculated as the chemical fresh- ness indices. Considering the results of sensory evaluation, the A.E.C. value in body trunk at -20℃ and -30℃ could be used as the best freshness index for frozen oyster.     

Effects of supplemental coated or crystalline methionine in low-fishmeal diet on the growth performance and body composition of juvenile cobia Rachycentron canadum （Linnaeus）

We evaluated the effects of supplemental coated and crystalline methionine （Met） on the growth performance and feed utilization of juvenile cobia （Rachycentron canadum Linnaeus） in a 60-d feeding trial. Fish groups were fed one of six isonitrogenous and isolipidic diets： 1） fishmeal control; 2） un- supplemented experimental （low-fish-meal diet deficient in Met）; or 3） one of four Met diets supplemented with crystalline L-Met, cellulose-acetate-phthalate coated L-Met, acrylic-resin coated L-Met, or tripalmitin- polyvinyl alcohol coated L-Met. The test diets were fed to triplicate groups of cobia （initial body weight 5.40-4-0.07 g） twice a day. The weight gain and specific growth rate of the fish fed the RES diet were highest among the Met-supplemented groups and were 23.64% and 7.99%, respectively, higher than those of the fish fed with the un-supplemented experimental diet （P〈0.05）. The protein efficiency ratio of the fish fed the MET diet was significantly higher than that of the fish fed the un-supplemented experimental diet and the fish in the other methionine supplementation groups （P〈0.05）. Our results suggest that supplementation of crystalline Met in low-fish-meal diets promotes the growth performance of juvenile cobia.     

Changes in Agricultural System as Farmers Adapt to Economic-Social and Climatic Changes in the Min Upriver Rural Areas in Western Sichuan,Southwestern China

Rapid economic growth in China has brought about great economic-social changes in rural areas, having considerable impact on the society in economy and environment. With a per capita possession of about 0.08 ha of cropland, Chinese farmers in rural areas adopt various ways in response to these changes in a bit to maintain their livelihood, wherein the agricultural system is facing one more options possible. To understand how rural communities have used different mechanisms to adapt to the economic and natural changes, we joined a survey in dry valleys of the Min upriver area under Maoxian county of western Sichuan province, southwestern China and visited the local people. Changes in the main crop cultivation have shown up an important means to keep up their household income. Farm households start seeking economic growth through diversified cultivating of cereal and economic crops in five lines, namely cereal, apple monoculture, apple and vegetables, plum and vegetables, mixed fruits and vegetables. These new lines mirror farmers’ flexibility to cope with today’s economic-social and climatic changes. The farming operation has changed all the more from a subsistence on grain to special agricultural products. Economic reforms in the early 1980 s motivated theprogress first in conversion of production from grain to fruits, and the desire to increase family income turned out to be an impetus for the subsequent events. At present, more farmers moving out of the rural areas, uneasy availability of labor force, increased opportunity cost of labors and their wages, increased farm size, and the urgent demand for the agricultural labor force, all these combine into the trend of the agricultural system of China on facing further economic-social reforms and reconstruction of the countryside across China.     

Changes during late-stage embryonic development from egg-juvenile to free-living hatchling in Chinese freshwater crab Sinopotamon yangtsekiense (Decapoda, Brachyura, Potamidae)

This study expands on recent reports that direct development in the Chinese potamid freshwater crab Sinopotamon yangtsekiense involves the completion of all brachyuran larval stages (nauplius, zoea, and megalopa) inside the egg case during embryonic development. Detailed studies of embryonic development in this species revealed the presence of an additional larval stage (the egg-juvenile) between the megalopa and the free-living hatchling crab. We described and compared the appendages of the head, thorax, and abdomen of the egg-juvenile with those of the hatchling crab in S. yangtsekiense. Significant differences were found between most of the appendages of these two stages with a soft exoskeleton in the egg-juvenile, no joint articulation, a slimmer appearance, and a lack of setae when compared with the newly emerged free-living hatchling crab. These modifications of the appendages are related to the confinement within the egg case of the egg-megalopa and egg-juvenile during direct development, and the need for the free-living hatchling freshwater crab to move, feed, and respire. In marine crabs, the megalopa gives rise to the first crab stage whereas in freshwater crabs the egg-juvenile follows the megalopa and immediately precedes the free-living first crab stage.     

飞机草提取物对斑马鱼心、脑毒性的病理组织学影响

制备飞机草95%(φ)乙醇提取物冻干粉,以200、500、800mg/L3种用量对斑马鱼进行水浴染毒,21d后取斑马鱼的心和脑制作病理组织切片,显微观察。结果表明,提取物冻干粉导致斑马鱼心肌细胞溶解,萎缩,严重时坏死,脑组织局灶性炎性细胞浸润、血栓形成和各细胞层结构变化,随着提取物冻干粉含量的增大,斑马鱼心、脑的病理组织学变化更加明显。乙醇提取物的冻干粉对斑马鱼的心、脑具有较大的毒性作用。     

Vegetation Restoration in Response to Climatic and Anthropogenic Changes in the Loess Plateau,China

A thorough understanding of the vegetation succession in relation to both climatic changes and anthropogenic activities is vital for the formulation of adaptation strategies that address potential ecosystem challenges. Various climatic factors such as temperature, precipitation, and solar radiation, as well as anthropogenic factors such as ecological engineering and population migration, will affect the conditions for vegetation. However, the relationships among various factors remain unclear and the response of vegetation to climate change and anthropogenic activities in the Loess Plateau of China has not been well established. This study investigated the spatio-temporal characteristics and relationships between vegetation coverage and climatic factors in the Loess Plateau for the period of 1985–2015. Further analysis separated the anthropogenic and climatic factors on vegetation succession based on residual analysis. The results showed that the normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI) followed a significant upward trend with annual change rates of 0.15% during 1985–2015. The trend of human-induced NDVI increase was consistent with the spatial distribution of increasing forest areas in the eastern part of the Loess Plateau. Eco-restoration projects were the main driving factors that promoted vegetation coverage on the Loess Plateau. Furthermore, these results demonstrated that migrants to cities in the Loess Plateau could relieve ecological pressures and promote vegetation restoration. Therefore, the government should strive to increase population mobility and restore vegetation to sustain this particularly fragile ecological environment.     

中国2005-2016年地质灾害的时空变化及影响因素分析

基于中国地质环境监测院发布的《全国地质灾害通报》,本文从时空分布及影响因素2个方面,对2005-2016年的地质灾害发生类型变化、空间分布、成因、损失和避让情况进行了统计分析。分析结果表明：① 滑坡与崩塌是主要的地质灾害类型,分别占地质灾害总数的70%与10%左右,地质灾害总数、滑坡与崩塌均呈明显减少趋势;② 在空间分布上,地质灾害主要分布在湖南省和四川省,它们也是直接经济损失最大省份,四川省同时为死亡失踪人数最多的省份;③ 自然因素造成的地质灾害从96.6%降低到92.0%,人为因素造成的地质灾害则呈整体增加趋势,通过回归方程,每年平均增加量约为0.5%;④ 地质灾害造成的死亡、失踪和受伤的总人数逐渐递减,每年约减少75人左右;特大型地质灾害占总数的0.5%,却造成人员伤亡总数的25.7%和直接经济损失总量的47.7%;⑤ 避免的地质灾害与经济损失占地质灾害总数与直接经济损失总量的百分比,分别从2005年的2.8%与9.3%提高到2016年的6.9%与22.4%。通过回归方程,避免地质灾害数目与避免经济损失的百分比每年增长为0.7%与1.5%左右。通过对中国地质灾害的长时间动态监测结果进行分析,说明中国的防灾减灾工作取得了明显进展。     

Changes in fish diversity and community structure in the central and southern Yellow Sea from 2003 to 2015

The central and southern Yellow Sea is an important overwintering ground for many fish species in the Bohai Sea and Yellow Sea. For better understanding the status of the fish community after years of heavy exploitation, variations in fish community structure and diversity were analyzed using data from bottom trawls during 2003–2015. Five fish assemblage indices all showed fluctuations without clear trends from 2003 to 2015, yet there were strong positive and significant correlations(P 0.05) among them. The top-five dominant species accounted for a high weight percentage(49.7%–82.1%) in the annual fish catch. Multivariate analysis showed that two year groups could be pooled for the fish community: Group Ⅰ consisted of the years 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2015, while Group Ⅱ consisted of the years 2003, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2010 and 2014; the groups aggregated with 63.71% similarity, indicating a high level of similarity among all years. The multivariate dispersion values were 1.455 and 0.818 for Groups Ⅰ and Ⅱ, respectively, indicating greater variances in fish assemblage structure in Group Ⅰ than that in Group Ⅱ. Similarity of percentage analysis demonstrated that the average similarities for Group Ⅰ and Group Ⅱ were 71.58% and 67.51%, respectively. Size-spectra analysis revealed no consistent trend in the intercept and slope( P 0.05); there were also no significant differences between the slope of the size-spectra and fishing ef fort. The catch per unit ef fort and mean individual weight analyses of the whole fish assemblage both showed a significantly decreasing trend over time. Overall, the results showed that the fish community structure in the central and southern Yellow Sea was relatively stable from 2003 to 2015 and the study could be used as a reference for supporting ecosystem-based fishery management.     

联合GRACE与GRACE-FO反演2002～2020年长江流域陆地水储量变化

探讨采用不同激励函数的BP和RBF神经网络方法填补GRACE与GRACE-FO卫星空缺数据的精度及可行性,并基于最优方案对缺失数据进行填充;利用ITSG-Grace2018和ITSG-Grace_operational时变重力场模型反演2002～2020年长江流域陆地水储量变化,并结合GLDAS模型、降水、气温及长江流域水资源公报等数据对该区域的陆地水储量变化进行综合分析。结果表明：1）隐含层激励函数为线性整流函数（ReLU）的BP神经网络算法具有较好的拟合效果,可用于填充GRACE与GRACE-FO卫星任务间的数据空缺;2）长江流域的陆地水储量变化具有一定的区域差异性,主要表现为上游东部与中游大部分地区陆地水储量以5 mm/a左右的速率上升,上游中西部区域下降,下游基本保持不变;长时间序列的GRACE/GRACE-FO时变模型能够反映长江流域2019年的干旱与2017年、2019年的洪涝等灾害。     

State and Development： Changes in Livelihood Strategies in Garhwal with Special Reference to Ecotourism in the Gangotri Region

The object of the paper is to provide an insight into the changes in livelihood strategies of the people in the Garhwal Himalayas over time. From sustaining an economy based on transit trade and subsistence agriculture, there has been a shift towards tourism in recent times. This shift has been due to the tradition of pilgrimage to the higher reaches and also due to promotion by the state by developing infrastructure and providing incentives. The paper is divided into four parts. In the first part, the policies of the colonial state and the events leading to the destruction of forests and the impoverishment of the self-sustaining semi-pastoral economy in the Garhwal Himalayas are outlined. It is argued that the destruction of forests and subsequently, the economy of the Himalayas were directly responsible for the large-scale migration to the plains. This also led to further exploitation of forests by the people who were unfamiliar with any other form of livelihood. The paper also discusses the policies of the newly independent Indian state and sees them as an extension of the British policy of large-scale exploitation of Himalayan forests for the purpose of development and economic growth. In the third section, the growth of ecotourism as a direct outcome of the orocess of deforestation and as resulting from the need of society to conserve and yet to earn a livelihood is discussed. The case study of the Gangotrir egion examines the dilemma faced by the people of Garhwal in sustaining their livelihood, income or the development in the area. In addition, tourism has fostered monopolies of groups external to the region thereby contributing neither to the income or the development in the area. In addition, there is an added threat to the environment-deforestation, and erosion-a direct outcome of increased and unplanned tourism. Such problems demand state intervention and management of t.ourism. The conclusion to the paper asserts that in order that the requirements of the society to progress and to sustain itself in its natural habitat are not compromised, it is essential to increase the process of democratization by strengthening local structures and by vesting the community with the autonomy to determine its future. The paper therefore argues that ecotourism in the Himalayas undertaken without local involvement is not desirable. The constant need for local monitoring of external agencies or even of the State‘s participation and the need for re-evaluation of environmental standards are cumbersome details that add to the costs of promoting low-impact tourism. To be viable, ecotourism should be community based and the needs of the community, their ideas of conservation should be given prime importance and local community must be encouraged to review the standards governing conservation. Local structures should thus receive patronage and promotion, so that ecotourism becomes a dynamic facet of economic development.     

滇黔桂盆地碎屑物源的变化及其对古特提斯洋演化历史的启示

古特提斯洋的构造与演化过程一直是研究热点,很多学者在其产生、扩张、俯冲及闭合的时间上持有不同观点.本次研究中,运用LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb测年技术对滇黔桂盆地三叠纪罗楼组碎屑锆石、泥盆纪坡松冲组碎屑独居石进行分析测试,同时结合古生代以来碎屑物源的演化历史,以期确定出古特提斯洋开启与闭合的时间.锆石测试结果显示:者...