Offspring of aged mothers of rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus shows lower sexual propensity than their elder siblings under crowded conditions

Maternal effects are one of the most interesting topics in evolutionary ecology as they can affect the rate of evolution and population dynamics by phenotypic manipulation of offspring related to fitness.At present,studies examining the interaction between maternal environment effects and maternal age(birth order)effects are scarce.We designed an experiment to reveal whether environmentally induced maternal manipulation works equally on offspring across birth orders in rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus.In the experiment,newborn amictic mothers(FO)were cultured parallelly in low(LD)and high(HD)population density.Offspring(F_1)of young(YF_0)and old(OF_0)mothers in both LD and HD groups were cultured under a crowded condition and the mixis ratios of both F_1 and F_2 were examined.Results show that F_1 from HD-YF_0 had a significantly higher mixis ratio and those amictic ones produced daughters(F_2)with higher mixis ratio in response to crowding than those from HD-OF_0.In contrast,no such differences among F_1 siblings were found in the LD-F_0 group.Therefore,the effect of maternal age on the sexual propensity of the offspring can be affected independently by the maternal population density.     

CHARACTERISTICS OF TURBULENCE SPECTRA IN DIFFERENT WEATHER PROCESSES UNDER UNSTABLE CONDITIONS*

In this paper,the data chosen from measurements by supersonic anemometers in Tongxian County of Beijing in 1990 are used to study characteristics of turbulence spectra in precipitation weather.Some turbulence parameters such as turbulence intensity,heat and momentum fluxes,friction velocity,M-O length and stability parameter are calculated and their dependence on turbulence spectra in different stability conditions are analyzed.Some encouraging results are obtained and compared with others' results.     

Effects of sexual reproduction of the inferior competitor Brachionus calyciflorus on its fitness against Brachionus angularis

Sexual reproduction adversely affects the population growth of cyclic parthenogenetic animals. The density-dependent sexual reproduction of a superior competitor could mediate the coexistence. However,the cost of sex may make the inferior competitor more vulnerable. To investigate the effect of sexual reproduction on the inferior competitor,we experimentally paired the competition of one Brachionus angularis clone against three B rachionus calyciflorus clones. One of the B. calyciflorus clones showed a low propensity for sexual reproduction,while the other two showed high propensities. The results show that all B. calyciflorus clones were excluded in the competition for resources at low food level. The increased food level promoted the competition persistence,but the clones did not show a clear pattern. Both the cumulative population density and resting egg production increased with the food level. The cumulative population density decreased with the mixis investment,while the resting egg production increased with the mixis investment. A trade-off between the population growth and sexual reproduction was observed in this research. The results indicate that although higher mixis investment resulted in a lower population density,it would not determinately accelerate the exclusion process of the inferior competitor. On the contrary,higher mixis investment promoted resting egg production before being excluded and thus promised a longterm benefit. In conclusion,our results suggest that mixis investment,to some extent,favored the excluded inferior competitor under fierce competition or some other adverse conditions.     

Effects of exposure to four endocrine disrupting-chemicals on fertilization and embryonic development of Barbel chub (Squaliobarbus curriculus)

The toxicities of 4 common endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), 17β-estradiol (E2), p,p′-dichlorodiphenyldichloro-ethylene (DDE), 4-nonylphenol (NP) and tributyltin (TBT), to sperm motility, fertilization rate, hatching rate and embryonic development of Barbel chub (Squaliobarbus curriculus) were investigated in this study. The duration of sperm motility was significantly shortened by exposure to the EDCs at the threshold concentrations of 10 ng L^?1 for E2 and TBT, 1 μg L^?1 for NP and 100 μg L^?1 for DDE, respectively. The fertilization rate was substantially reduced by the EDCs at the lowest observable effect concentrations (LOECs) of 10 ng L^?1 for E2 and TBT and 10 μg L^?1 for DDE and NP, respectively. Of the tested properties of S. curriculus, larval deformity rate was most sensitive to EDC exposure and was significantly increased by DDE at the lowest experimental level of 0.1 μg L^?1. Other EDCs increased the larval deformity rate at the LOECs of 1 ng L^?1 for E2, 10 ng L^?1 for TBT and 1 μg L^?1 for NP, respectively. Despite their decreases with the increasing EDC concentrations, the hatching rate and larval survival rate of S. curriculus were not significantly affected by the exposure to EDCs. The results indicated that all the 4 EDCs affected significantly and negatively the early life stages of the freshwater fish S. curriculus. Overall, E2 and TBT were more toxic than NP and DDE, while DDE might be more toxic to larval deformity rate than to other measured parameters. Thus, the 4 EDCs showed potential negative influences on natural population dynamics of S. curriculus. Our findings provided valuable basic data for the ecological risk assessment of E2, DDE, NP and TBT.     

一株南极细菌（Pseudoalteromonas sp.）对模拟海水养殖水体的净化作用

试验选用一株高产低温蛋白酶的南极细菌菌株Pseudoalteromonas sp. AN64,从溶解氧、化学需氧量、氨氮、亚硝态氮、pH值5个方面研究了南极细菌对养殖水体的影响。结果显示,随着饲料中蛋白质的散失,水体中蛋白质的含量在第7天达到高峰,溶解氧下降,化学需氧量持续上升,在第11天达最大值9.88 mg/L,并且维持在较高的水平。缺氧条件下,有害物质氨氮和亚硝态氮含量逐渐增加,在第9天和第11天分别达最大值0.65 mg/L和0.352 mg/L,而pH值持续下降,在第9天达最低值5.95。当水体中加入高产蛋白酶的南极菌株AN64后,蛋白质含量在第5天即达高峰,溶解氧无明显变化,化学需氧量在第7天达最高峰,比对照组提前4天,但含量仅约为后者的一半。同时,氨氮和亚硝态氮含量远低于对照组,分别仅为对照的47.7 %和26.5 %,而pH值有小幅下降,维持在6.85到7.52之间。由此可以看出,南极菌株产生的低温蛋白酶可以有效分解海水中的蛋白质,降低水体中的氨氮和亚硝态氮等有害物质,维持pH值的稳定性,为健康养殖提供了有效途径。     

An analysis of the structure of thunderstorm in the atmospheric boundary layer

The structure of thunderstorm in the atmospheric boundary layer in Beijing area is analysed by using three-year data of tower. It is indicated that the outflow current of the thunderstorm in the lower layer is a sort of density current. An area of evident wind direction shear is found at about half an hour to one hour before the arrival of the gust front.The maximum intensity of the shear can reach 0.35sec-1.The inner structure within the density current is also very complicated. At the nocturnal stable boundary layer in summertime, the development of the convective motions is often triggered due to the instability of the Kelvin-Helmholtz wave.     

单巢类轮虫有性生殖的研究进展与展望

作为轮虫动物门的主体,单巢类轮虫是淡水浮游动物的重要组成部分.它们通常作为一类主要的初级消费者在淡水生态系统中起着重要作用,因而深入了解它们在自然水体中的种群动态及其决定机制对淡水生态系统理论与应用研究都有重要意义.作为一类具有典型周期性孤雌生殖生活史的动物,有性生殖的发生和进化策略对其种群动态和进化都有重要影响,因而单巢类轮虫有性生殖的机理和进化研究一直是轮虫学研究领域的一个核心内容.本文就当前单巢类轮虫有性生殖的主要研究进展,包括其发生机理、信息素、理论模型、影响因素和相关实证研究等进行了系统综述;特别就单巢类轮虫有性生殖策略的三个理论模型:"bang-bang"模型、中等有性生殖比率模型和非延迟的有性生殖模型进行了详细论述.此外,本文还对影响单巢类有性生殖的内外源因素进行了总结,主要的外源因素包括食物的浓度及种类、温度、盐度和特殊的细菌等,而主要的内源性因素则包括母体年龄、食物浓度诱导的跨代母系效应、延迟的有性生殖和其他一些潜在的母系效应因素等.其中,因为延迟的有性生殖现象广泛存在且可能是轮虫物种共存或克隆共存现象的一种潜在解释,所以就此现象的理论模型、机理和实证研究等方面进行了深入讨论.另外,本文还简要讨论性比率资源分配与单巢类轮虫有性生殖的关系.最后,对未来几个可能的热点方向简单评述,以期为国内轮虫学和相关方面的研究提供帮助.     

2010年夏季北极冰情变化及大气环流场演变

利用美国冰雪中心(NSIDC)资料分析2010年夏季中国第4次北极科学考察期间北极海冰的冰情变化,并通过NCEP再分析资料对同时期的大气环流演变进行分析,发现6月与8月环流形势为偶极子正异常,加速了海冰的融化,其中2010年6月的海冰覆盖范围达到有历史记录以来的6月最低值;7月为低压控制,减缓了海冰覆盖范围的进一步减少...