Environmental drivers of phytoplankton crops and taxonomic composition in northeastern Antarctic Peninsula adjacent sea area

The ecosystem of the sea region adjacent to the Antarctic Peninsula is undergoing remarkable physical and biological changes, in the context of global warming. However, understanding of the dynamics of phytoplankton taxonomic composition in this marginal ice zone remains unclear. In this study, seawater samples collected from 36 stations in the northeastern Antarctic Peninsula were analyzed for nutrients and phytoplankton pigments.Combining with CHEMTAX analysis, remote sensing data, and physico...     

Distribution of phytoplankton in the East China Sea and the southern Yellow Sea in spring in relation to environmental variables and dimethylsulfide compounds

The coastal ecosystems are highly sensitive to climate change and are usually influenced by variations in phytoplankton communities and water physiochemical factors. In the present study, the phytoplankton community, chlorophyll a（Chl a） and their relationships with environmental variables and dimethylsulfide（DMS） and dimethylsulfoniopropionate（DMSP） were investigated in spring 2017（March 24 to April 16） in the East China Sea（26.0°–33.0°N, 120.0°–128.0°E） and southern Yellow Sea（31.0°–36.0°N, 12...     

Spatial patterns of phytoplankton communities in an International Seabed Authority licensed area (COMRA,Clarion-Clipperton Zone) in relation to upper ocean biogeochemistry

The Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ) hosts one of the largest known oceanic nodule fields worldwide and is regulated by the International Seabed Authority. A baseline assessment of diversity and distribution patterns is essential for reliable predictions of disturbed ecosystem response scenarios for sustained commercial activities in the future. In the present study, the spatial patterns and diversity of phytoplankton communities were analyzed along with upper ocean biogeochemistry, in the licensed China Ocean Mineral Resources R&D Association (COMRA) contract area and the surrounding western CCZ between August 21 and October 8, 2017. Results indicated this was a typical low-nutrient low-chlorophyll a (Chl a) environment, characterized by low levels of phytoplankton abundance and diversity. In total 112 species belonging to 4 phyla were recorded (>10 μm), with species counts including 82 diatoms, 27 dinoflagellates, 1 cyanobacteria and 2 chrysophyte. Dominant taxa in successive order of descending abundance and occurrence included Nizschia marina, Cyclotella stylorum, Dactyliosolen mediterraneus, Rhizosolenia setigera, Pseudo-nitzschia delicatissima, Thalassiothrix frauenfeldii, Synedra sp., Chaetoceros simplex and Pseudo-nitzschia circumpora. The depth-averaged abundance and Chl a concentrations were (265±233) cells/L and (0.27±0.30) μg/L, respectively. Diatoms accounted for 90.94% of the community with (241±223) cells/L, while dinoflagellates accounted for 5.67% and (15±13) cells/L. The distribution pattern exhibited the same trend as abundance, Chl a and species richness, showing subsurface maximum levels at around 100 m, with stations near 10°N having higher levels than in the north. Cluster analysis was performed in two assemblages, relating to geographic locations to the south and north of 12°N. The subsurface maximum of abundance, Chl a, species richness, dissolved oxygen and nitrite were generally corresponding to the presence of high salinity North Pacific Central Water at depths of 50?120 m. Higher availability of nitrate, phosphate and silicic acid in the subsurface may account for the shift in phytoplankton distribution, as shown by redundancy correspondence and spearman correlation analysis. Diel variation in an anchor station demonstrated prominent species succession without significant differences in oceanographic variables, among which diatoms succession resulted from the light limitation, while dinoflagellate diel variation mainly related to lateral transport of water masses. The observed patchiness in spatial phytoplankton distributional patterns was attributed to upper ocean environmental gradients in the CCZ. The baseline generated in this study could be analyzed using current conservation strategy programs associated with deep-sea mining.     

河北抚宁海湾扇贝养殖区浮游植物与水质因子的相关研究

为研究抚宁海湾扇贝养殖区浮游植物变化特征,探讨水质因子对浮游植物的影响,2020年5月—11月,每月测定该海域的主要水质因子,统计浮游植物。结果表明:共鉴定浮游植物69种,优势种33种;浮游植物密度(8.3~267.9)×10⁴cell/L,5月份最高;生物多样性指数为0.458~3.747,均匀度指数0.099~0.796,丰富度指数0.933~4.755。海水水温范围11.8~26.8℃,盐度28.8~34.0,活性硅酸盐(SiO₃^2–-Si)含量0.025~0.627mg/L,硝酸盐氮(NO₃^–-N)浓度0.057~0.284mg/L,均呈“上升-下降”趋势;pH范围为7.867~8.190,化学需氧量(COD)为0.260~1.415mg/L,活性磷酸盐(PO₄^3–-P)0.003~0.006mg/L,变化趋势为“下降—上升”;对优势种与水质因子的分析表明,影响该海域浮游植物变化的主要环境因子为活性硅酸盐、盐度、活性磷酸盐和硝酸盐氮;裸藻门与活性磷酸盐、盐度呈正相关,与活性硅酸盐、硝酸盐氮呈负相关;甲藻门与活性硅酸盐呈正相关,与活性磷酸盐、硝酸盐氮呈负相关;隐藻门与活性硅酸盐、盐度成正相关,与硝酸盐氮呈负相关。     

基于网络药理学探讨滋补精血、温肾暖宫药物治疗卵巢功能异常疾病的作用机制

目的：基于网络药理学探讨滋补精血、温肾暖宫中药治疗卵巢功能异常疾病的作用机制。方法：采用TCMSP平台获取具有滋补精血、温肾暖宫作用的桑椹、覆盆子、小茴香的活性成分和靶点;网络药理学方法涉及“药物-成分-靶点”网络图的构建和靶点预测。运用京都基因与基因组百科全书（KEGG）数据库确定桑椹、覆盆子、小茴香与卵巢功能异常疾病集群网络的重要信号通路。采用分子对接软件对主要活性成分与核心靶点蛋白进行计算机模拟对接,预测主要成分与核心靶点的结合度。结果：筛选出欧前胡素、β-谷甾醇、槲皮素等10个有效成分,对应于桑椹、覆盆子、小茴香的196个靶点。此外,549个基因与卵巢功能异常疾病密切相关,其中87个与桑椹、覆盆子、小茴香的靶点重叠,被认为与治疗相关。KEGG通路富集分析显示桑椹、覆盆子、小茴香主要作用于卵巢功能异常疾病相关的炎症、卵巢类固醇生成及生长激素的合成分泌和作用等信号通路。分子对接结果显示主要活性成分欧前胡素、β-谷甾醇、槲皮素与靶点均能自发结合。结论：具有滋补精血、温肾暖宫作用的桑椹、覆盆子、小茴香通过多组分、多靶点和多途径协同治疗卵巢功能异常疾病,为后续进一步研究桑椹、覆盆子、小茴香的活性成分及作用机制提供了依据。     

琼东水体后向散射系数与浮游植物生物量的关系模型*

海洋中光后向散射系数的变化包含了浮游植物生物量的信息, 可应用于卫星遥感和光学剖面观测平台获取海洋中大时空尺度-高分辨率剖面的浮游植物生物量变化特征。本文选取了琼东上升流影响下生物—光学变异性较为显著的海域, 基于2013年航次实测数据, 建立了颗粒物后向散射系数(b_bp)与叶绿素a浓度(Chl a)间的区域性关系模型。模型假定颗粒物后向散射系数由不随叶绿素浓度变化的固定背景值, 以及较大粒级(>2μm)和pico级(微微型, <2μm)两类浮游植物的后向散射贡献累加所得。采集的数据集进行了模型检验, 结果表明, 模型能很好地模拟琼东海域水体的b_bp与Chl a间的变化趋势, 性能优于常用的幂函数关系模型, 尤其在低叶绿素浓度范围, 很好地解决幂函数显著低估的现象; 琼东海域的b_bp和Chl a关系存在显著的水层变化, 底层后向散射固定背景值显著高于上层水体背景值, 表明底层受上升流的影响, 水体中不随Chl a共变的颗粒物浓度增大, 其后向散射相应增强; 叶绿素最大层的后向散射固定背景值显著低于上层其他水体的固定背景值, 后向散射固定背景值的贡献百分比约为21%~35%; 随着叶绿素浓度增大, 较大粒级的浮游植物对颗粒物后向散射系数的贡献也显著增大, 可达到50%以上, pico级浮游植物贡献稳定在40%附近。本研究的结果将为琼东海域浮游植物生物量的光学遥感、生物地球化学过程研究提供更为精确的区域性模型和基础支撑数据。     

开垦年限对黑土农田土壤微生物功能多样性的影响

开垦年限对黑土农田土壤微环境产生影响,土壤微生物的功能多样性发生变化。于2019年7月在黑龙江省黑河市黑土区采集不同土层（0~10 cm、10~20 cm、20~30 cm）开垦98 a、50 a和10 a的黑土农田土壤,采用Biolog-Eco微平板法研究开垦年限对黑土农田土壤微生物的活性、功能多样性和微生物对不同碳源的利用情况的影响。结果表明,开垦98 a的农田土壤微生物活性最强。农田土壤微生物群落组成及功能多样性开垦98 a >开垦10 a >开垦50 a。开垦年限和土层深度影响黑土农田土壤微生物对碳源的利用能力。在0~10 cm层中,土壤微生物对碳源的利用程度最高。主成分分析结果表明,黑土农田土壤中的微生物主要利用的是糖类和氨基酸类。     

青藏高原国家公园群功能评价与结构分析

国家公园群是青藏高原推动生态安全屏障与区域绿色发展协同提升的重要模式探索。深入研究青藏高原国家公园群的功能结构特征,是推进国家公园有序组织、协同建设的关键科学问题。本文综合PSR评价模型、位序—规模法则、耦合协调度模型构建国家公园群功能结构识别评价方法,解析青藏高原国家公园群的多元功能类别、等级结构与功能结构特征。结果表明：① 青藏高原国家公园群要维护内生和外延两类关系,对内要促进生态保护、游憩利用和社区发展之间的利益合理配置,对外要通过单体国家公园之间的有序组织来推进生态安全屏障功能和区域绿色发展,在功能发挥的尺度跨越过程中处理好协同演化关系;② 青藏高原国家公园群生态保护、游憩和社区发展功能的重要性突出,科研和教育功能发展空间较大,Zipf指数表明多元功能等级符合位序—规模法则且呈现均衡发展特征,单体国家公园需根据特色定位强化其优势功能项;③ 青藏高原国家公园群各项功能之间的耦合度为0.7809、协调度为0.6227,呈较高强度耦合、中级协调状态,单体国家公园的多元功能耦合强度及协调程度差异较大,呈现不同的功能结构特征,可分为全面协调型、优势发展型、一般发展型和一般滞后型。本文深化了国家公园（群）功能评价研究,为青藏高原国家公园群功能优化与可持续发展提供科学参考。     

Civil society lobbying and countries’ climate change policies: a matching approach

Does civil society lobbying affect states’ policies on climate change? Does it facilitate or hamper cooperation towards ‘greener’ policies? Environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs) and business lobbying groups alike are increasingly seeking to access states’ negotiation delegations at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in order to affect or even change official delegates’ policies. Previous studies have failed to control for the fact that the set of states that have granted civil society access to their delegations is unlikely to be a random sample. Moreover, the fact that a delegation's policy outputs may converge with the preferences of a civil society group cannot be taken as evidence that it was caused by civil society lobbying. A matching approach that addresses both problems is proposed, which corrects for the non-random assignment of civil society organizations to state delegations and forms quasi-experimental contrasts by sampling a set of ‘most similar’ cases that only differ in their treatment; i.e. civil society lobbying. This approach facilitates a causal interpretation of lobbying efforts. The results indicate that only business groups are likely to exert a causal influence on states’ climate delegations. However, contrary to expectations, these groups appear to have enhanced states’ efforts towards environmentally friendly policies.

Policy relevance

What impact can non-governmental actors have in influencing states’ policies at the climate change negotiations? This question is addressed empirically using a matching approach, which corrects potential challenges in the research on interest group influence. It is shown that business groups are likely to influence states’ policies at the UNFCCC – unlike green interest groups or civil society in general. In light of these findings, three policy implications are derived that might be of importance for states and non-governmental decision makers alike. Most importantly, ENGOs should refocus their efforts for exerting their influence. ENGOs could make their lobbying more effective by first identifying the states that may be more receptive to their preferences and positions.     

Women participation in formal decision-making: Empirical evidence from participatory forest management in Ethiopia

Amid growing emphasis on community-based approaches to natural resource management, there are concerns about the lack of women participation in communal decision-making. We analyze the association between participation of women in decision-making of forest user groups in Ethiopia and several forest management outcomes. We combine longitudinal survey, administrative and forest inventory data and find that participation of women in executive committees (i.e., formal decision-making) is associated with greater forest benefits, and an improved (perceived and actual) condition of the forest. Alternatively, the association between women participation in group-level meetings and outcomes is not robust. This implies that women participation in formal decision-making is required to reach forest conservation and livelihood gains.