大叶杨群落植物性系统多样性的分布格局

应用丰富度指数、多样性指数、均匀度指数等指标,分析了湖北大老岭自然保护区不同样地大叶杨群落物种和性系统多样性。结果表明:组成大叶杨群落的植物共有182种,隶属于73科143属,其中单种属和寡种属占优势。大叶杨群落物种丰富度受海拔、坡向和林内小气候的影响,在样方3达峰值。从4个样地科属种的共有性来看,科的共有性较高,种的共有性较低,与样地间微环境的差异程度有关。大叶杨群落是演替过程中的群落,大叶杨的年龄结构除2号样地表现为增长型结构外,其他3个样地均是衰退型。群落植物性系统类型较丰富,两性花植物最多,雌雄异株和雌雄同株植物在大叶杨群落中也占有重要地位;乔木层中重要的性系统类型是雌雄异株植物,与建群种大叶杨的性系统一致,灌木层和草本层中两性花植物是重要的类型,并且两性花植物所占的比例随草本层植物种类的增加而增大。此外乔木层中建群种大叶杨的重要值最大且在样方3中最高。4个样地中物种多样性和植物性系统多样性指数变化一致,即乔木层多样性指数的变化不大,灌木层随海拔的升高逐渐增大,草本层在样方3达到最大,这种变化与各样地不同层物种数的变化相一致;在最低海拔样方中,各层的均匀度指数最大,物种和植物性系统分布最均匀。

An improved constrained model predictive control approach for Hammerstein-Wiener nonlinear systems

Many industry processes can be described as Hammerstein-Wiener nonlinear systems. In this work, an improved constrained model predictive control algorithm is presented for Hammerstein-Wiener systems. In the new approach, the maximum and minimum of partial derivative for input and output nonlinearities are solved in the neighbourhood of the equilibrium. And several parameter-dependent Lyapunov functions, each one corresponding to a different vertex of polytopic descriptions models, are introduced to analyze the stability of Hammerstein-Wiener systems, but only one Lyapunov function is utilized to analyze system stability like the traditional method. Consequently, the conservation of the traditional quadratic stability is removed, and the terminal regions are enlarged. Simulation and field trial results show that the proposed algorithm is valid. It has higher control precision and shorter blowing time than the traditional approach.

Species-diversified plant cover enhances orchard ecosystem resistance to climatic stress and soil erosion in subtropical hillside

Naturally occurring plants in agroecosystem evidently play an important role in ecosystem stability. Field studies on the ecological effects of native plants conserved in orchard and their resistance to adverse climatic stress, and soil erosion were conducted from 1998 to 2001 in a newly developed Changshan-huyou (Citrus changshan-huyou Y.B. Chang) orchard. The experimental area covered 150 ha in typical red soil hilly region in southeastern China. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with six combinations of twelve plant species with four replications. All species used were native in the orchard. Plots were 15×8m^2 and separated by 2m buffer strips. Precipitation, soil erosion in rainstorm days and aboveground biomass of plant community when rainstorm days ended, soil temperature and moisture under various plant covers during seasonal megathermal drought period, antiscourability of soil with different root density under various simulated rainfalls were measured. Plant cover significantly decreased the daily highest and mean soil temperature and its daily variation in hot-drought season, but there was no significant difference of the alleviation among various plant covers. Plant covers significantly increased the soil moisture in seasonal megathermal drought period. Better moisture maintenance and soil erosion reduction was found when the plant species numbers in cover plant communities increased from one to eight. Higher root density in plant communities with higher species richness increased significantly the antiscourability of the soil. It was suggested that conserving plant communities with diversified native species could produce the best positive ecological effects on citrus orchard ecosystem stability.

Relationship between Physical and Chemical Soil Attributes and Plant Species Diversity in Tropical Mountain Ecosystems from Brazil

Although the high diversity of plant species in the rupestrian fields has been primarily attributed to the existence of a set of distinct habitats, few studies support this assertion. The present study aimed to further investigate the relationship between physical and chemical attributes of soils with the diversity of plant species in this unique ecosystem. The rupestrian field is a unique vegetation formation that covers some of the southeastern Brazilian mountains in the transition of the Atlantic rain forest and the Cerrado(savanna). Different habitats occur according to soil characteristics(e.g., presence of rocks, sand, fertility, hydrology, etc.). These attributes ultimately influence the vegetation that is highly adapted to the harsh edaphic and climatic mountain conditions. Five distinct habitats were studied by us: rocky outcrops, peat bogs, sandy bogs, quartz gravel fields, and "cerrado"(savanna). A floristic survey indicated that four families are found at greater frequency: Poaceae, Asteraceae, Cyperaceae, and Leguminosae. The greatest diversity of plant species was found in the rocky outcrops habitat, followed by cerrado, peat bog, quartz gravel grassland, and sandy bogs, respectively. The main difference in the floristic composition among these habitats was related to the dominant species. Trachypogon spicatus(Poaceae) was the most dominant species in the rocky outcrops, Axonopus siccus(Poaceae) in the peat bogs, Lagenocarpus rigidus(Cyperaceae) in the sandy bogs, Schizachyrium tenerum(Poaceae) in the cerrado, while Vellozia sp. 8(Velloziaceae) dominated the vegetation in the quartz gravel grassland. This study demonstrated that physical and chemical soil properties strongly related the diversity of plant species occurring in the different habitats of rupestrian fields.

Diversity and Bioactivity of Actinomycetes from Marine Sediments of the Yellow Sea

Among the 116 actinomycetes collected from marine sediments of the Yellow Sea,56 grew slowly and appeared after 2?3 weeks of incubation.Among the 56 strains,only 3 required seawater(SW) for growth,and 21 grew well in the medium prepared with SW rather than distilled water(DW),while the remaining 32 grew well either with SW or with DW.Six representatives with different morphological characteristics,including 1 SW-requiring strain and 5 well-growing with SW strains,were selected for phy-logenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene.Two strains belong to Micrococcaceae and Nocardiopsaceae respectively.The other 4 strains belong to the family of Streptomycetaceae.In the analyzed 6 strains,one was related to Nocardiopsis spp.and the other three were related to Streptomyces spp.,representing new taxa.Bioactivity testing of fermentation products from 3 SW-requiring strains and 21 well-growing with SW strains revealed that 17 strains possessed remarkable activities against gram-positive pathogen or/and tumor cells,suggesting that they were prolific resources for natural drug discovery.

Spatio-temporal variability of periphytic protozoa related to environment in the Niyang River,Tibet,China

The Niyang River, a main tributary of the Yarlung Zangbo River, is an important and typical plateau fiver ecosystem in Tibet, China. At present, few studies have focused on its aquatic living resources and fiver ecology. In this study, the composition, abundance, and diversity of periphytic protozoa were investigated across four seasons from 2008 to 2009 to better understand their spatio-temporal patterns and relationship to the environment. Our investigation shows that periphytic protozoa in the Niyang River contained 15 genera, belonged to Tubulinea, Alveolata, Discosea and Rhizaria, Alveolata possessed most genera, up to nine, with highest share in abundance, exceeding 50%, Difflugia and Glaucoma were dominant genera. Moreover, four diversity indices of periphytic protozoa, including species richness, total abundance, Shannon-Wiener diversity index and Pielou＇s evenness index, displayed a significant descending trend as the seasons continued, in the order of winter, spring, summer and autumn; with a significant difference existing between winter and summer （or autumn） for Shannon-Wiener diversity index and species richness （P〈0.05）. Four of these diversity indices also presented a V-shaped pattern between the upper middle course of the Niyang River and the confluence of the Niyang River and Yarlung Zangbo River, with the lowest value occurred in the middle course of the Niyang River. However, no significant variation was found through the Niyang River （P〉0.05）. In addition, canonical correlation analysis （CCA） shows that the densities of Difflugia, Glaucomais, Enchelydium, Cyphoderia, and Enchelys correlate with water temperature, alkalinity, hardness, pH, and dissolved oxygen, respectively. Lastly, the relationship between periphytic protozoa diversity and the environmental factors of the Niyang River can be predicted using classification and regression trees （CART） annalysis, which suggests that the total abundance and Shannon-Wiener diversity index would be higher when the elevation is above 3 308 m. On the other hand, the Shannon-Wiener diversity index and Pielou＇s evenness index would be lower when pH and ammoniacal nitrogen have lower or higher values. Finally yet importantly, close attention should be paid to periphytic protozoa and its environment to ensure sustainable development of the Niyang River ecosystem.

Multiformity of Optical Quantum Coherence Systems with Y and Inverted Y-type Schemes

Y and inverted Y-type four-level schemes for optical quantum coherence systems,which may be intuitivelyconsidered to be very simple,have not been studied intensively till now.In this paper,we present the multiformity ofthese two types of schemes by considering that they can be classified into nine possible level styles as the second-ordersub-schemes using laser fields.Further we point out the complexity of their more than one hundred realistic configurationsas the third-order four-level sub-schemes that may appear in the optical quantum coherence experiments.Throughoutthis paper we review which configurations have been studied in some research aspects and which ones not,accordingto our knowledge,in order to be propitious to next steps of theoretical and experimental investigations,especially forapplications in the fields of quantum optics,quantum information science,laser spectroscopy,and so on.

GyrB Gene Acts as a Phylogenetic Discriminator for Bacterial Diversity in Acid Mine Drainage

To study the efficiency ofDNA gyrase subunit B （gyrB） gene as means of diversity analysis, diversities of gyrB genes in three AMD samples collected from Dabaoshan Mine were studied by analyzing gyrB gene library. Many novel gyrB sequences and groups were detected. The results show that Acidithiobacillusferrooxidans-like bacteria represented 88.0% of the bacterial population in a sample. However, other two samples showed much high diversities. These diversities were characterized by the reciprocal of Simpson＇s index （l/D）, and show ferrous ion strongly influenced the composition of the microbial communities. The study indicate that gyrB Gene as a phylogenetic discriminator is a good tool to study different strains in same species that were difficult to be distinguished by 16S genes. But now gyrB Gene cannot define clearly unknown sequences to certain lineage, due to the incompleteness of the gyrB database.

Diversity and Antimicrobial Activity of Cultivable Halophilic Archaea from Three Algerian Sites

Hypersaline environments are colonized by communities of microorganisms, which developed adaptations from halotolerant to extreme halophilic lifestyles. Twenty-four halophilic archaeal strains were isolated from three Algerian hypersaline sites, including the solar salterns in Ichekaben and two natural salt lakes at Ouargla and Oran. Almost full-length 16S rRNA genes were amplified using archaeal-specific primers, sequenced and phylogenetically analyzed. Three isolates from the salt lake of Ouargla were affiliated to Halorubrum sp., while six isolates from Ichekaben were Natrinema sp.. The remaining strains belonged to the genus Haloarcula, which was identified in the three Algerian sites. A phylogenetic tree of Haloarcula sp. including the two copies of the 16S rRNA gene, showed that two strains group with Haloarcula hispanica, while the other 13 cluster with OHF-1/OHF-2 isolated from French commercial salt. Both Natrinema sp. and Haloarcula sp. were persistent at Ichekaben. For the six Natrinema sp. isolates, this observation correlates with their capacity to produce antimicrobial compounds, and a DNA fragment closely related to the halocin C8 gene was amplified for five strains.

Economic Value of Crop Productivity Biodiversity in ljebu Ode Agricultural Zone of Ogun State, Nigeria

Biological diversity involves genetic, species, and ecosystem diversity. Genetic diversity denotes the variation within species in the functional units of heredity present in any plant or animal, microbial or other origin of living things. Species diversity encompasses the variety of species--whether wild or domesticated, within a geographical area. This study assesses the economic value of crop productivity biodiversity in Ijebu Ode agricultural zone of Ogun State. The authors proposed a dynamic model of market equilibrium with vertical product differentiation that enabled us to take into account the economic consequences of respondents＇ monthly income and species crop of three different communities. The objectives of the study are to identify the personal and socio-economic characteristics of farmers and determine the importance of biodiversity in the study area using Simpson＇s Index. The result showed that 52.50% were male, majority （32.50%） were within the age range of 31 and 40 years old, 44.17% were married, 62.50% had household size of 6-10, and majority （45.83%） had secondary education while 46.67% had up to 20 years farming experience. In conclusion, the authors find that effective factors play an important role in explaining the support for biodiversity conservation, particularly when people do not have specific knowledge about species; while ecological-scientific considerations appear when people are well-informed.

Variation in the methods leads to variation in the interpretation of biodiversity-ecosystem multifunctionality relationships

Aims Biodiversity is often positively related to the capacity of an ecosystem to provide multiple functions simultaneously(i.e.multifunctionality).However,there is some controversy over whether biodiversity–multifunctionality relationships depend on the number of functions considered.Particularly,investigators have documented contrasting findings that the effects of biodiversity on ecosystem multifunctionality do not change or increase with the number of ecosystem functions.Here,we provide some clarity on this issue by examining the statistical underpinnings of different multifunctionality metrics.Methods We used simulations and data from a variety of empirical studies conducted across spatial scales(from local to global)and biomes(temperate and alpine grasslands,forests and drylands).We revisited three methods to quantify multifunctionality including the averaging approach,summing approach and threshold-based approach.Important Findings Biodiversity–multifunctionality relationships either did not change or increased as more functions were considered.These results were best explained by the statistical underpinnings of the averaging and summing multifunctionality metrics.Specifically,by averaging the individual ecosystem functions,the biodiversity–multifunctionality relationships equal the population mean of biodiversity-single function relationships,and thus will not change with the number of functions.Likewise,by summing the individual ecosystem functions,the strength of biodiversity–multifunctionality relationships increases as the number of functions increased.We proposed a scaling standardization method by converting the averaging or summing metrics into a scaling metric,which would make comparisons among different biodiversity studies.In addition,we showed that the range-relevant standardization can be applied to the threshold-based approach by solving for the mathematical artefact of the approach(i.e.the effects of biodiversity may artificially increase with the number of functions considered).Our study highlights different approaches yield different results and that it is essential to develop an understanding of the statistical underpinnings of different approaches.The standardization methods provide a prospective way of comparing biodiversity–multifunctionality relationships across studies.

Archaeal viruses-novel,diverse and enigmatic

Recent research has revealed a remarkable diversity of viruses in archaeal-rich environments where spindles, spheres, fila- ments and rods are common, together with other exceptional morphotypes never recorded previously. Moreover, their dou- ble-stranded DNA genomes carry very few genes exhibiting homology to those of bacterial and eukaryal viruses. Studies on viral life cycles are still at a preliminary stage but important insights are being gained especially from microarray analyses of viral transcripts for a few model virus-host systems. Recently, evidence has been presented for some exceptional archaeal- nspecific mechanisms for extra-cellular morphological development of virions and for their cellular extrusion. Here we sum- marise some of the recent developments in this rapidly developing and exciting research area.

A taxonomic and phylogenetic perspective on plant community assembly along an elevational gradient in subtropical forests

Aims Biodiversity patterns along elevational gradients have been well documented.Yet,the variations of biodiversity patterns along elevations and their underlying mechanisms are still unclear.Integrating multiple facets of biodiversity provides novel insights into the mechanisms for driving community assembly.In this study,species abundance information was incorporated into taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity to reveal the ecological and evolutionary forces of plant community assembly along an elevational gradient in subtropical forests.Methods We selected 17 woody plant plots along an elevational gradient from 270 to 1470 m in eastern China’s subtropical forests.Both presence-based and abundance-based measures of angiosperm species were used to quantify taxonomic alpha diversity,phylogenetic alpha diversity,phylogenetic relatedness,as well as taxonomic and phylogenetic dissimilarity among these plots.And the relations between these measures and climatic and topographic variables were analyzed.Important Findings For both abundance-weighted and unweighted measures,we observed an overall increasing pattern for taxonomic alpha diversity along elevation,and distance-decay trends of taxonomic and phylogenetic similarity with increased elevational distances.However,there were disparity patterns of phylogenetic alpha diversity between abundance-weighted and unweighted measures.For phylogenetic structure,there was no significant trend along elevation.Both topographical and microclimatic variables were main drivers of diversity patterns and phylogenetic structure.Compared with unweighted measures,abundance-weighted measures were strongly related with the slope and stand basal area.Overall,our results prove that deterministic processes mediated by local species abundance imprint on plant community composition along the elevational gradient.

Genetic diversity and offspring fitness in the red and white fruit color morphs of the wild strawberry Fragaria pentaphylla

Aims Fruit color polymorphisms are widespread in plants,but what maintains them is largely unclear.One hypothesis is that some morphs are preferred by dispersers while others have higher pre-or postdispersal fitness.This leads to the prediction that fruit color morphs will differ in pre-or postdispersal fitness.Methods We compared genetic and clonal diversity,mating system,morphological traits that might be associated with resistance to freezing,and germination,survival and seed production of progeny of the red and white fruit morphs in a population of a diploid,wild strawberry,Fragaria pentaphylla,from south-central China.Important Findings The red morph was much more abundant than the white but did not show higher genetic diversity as measured by observed and effective numbers of alleles,Shannon information index,or expected or observed heterozygosities.AMOVA showed that most of the genetic variation in the population was within rather than between morphs.Morphs did not differ in mating system parameters,and no significant biparental inbreeding was found in either morph.Gene flow between two morphs was high(N_(m)=6.89).Seeds of the red morph germinated about 2 days earlier and had a 40%higher rate of germination than those of the white morph,but survival of seedlings and seed production by surviving offspring did not differ between morphs.The whole postdispersal fitness of the red morph was about two times higher than that of the white morph.Red morphs had hairier petioles but not more surface wax on leaves.Overall,results showed partial evidence for difference in pre-and postdispersal fitness between fruit color morphs in F.pentaphylla.Differences in fitness independent of dispersal may thus partially account for fruit color polymorphism in all cases.