Two questions in the research of animal personality—whether there is a correlation between a personality trait and individual reproductive success,and what is the genetic basis underlying a personality trait—remain ...Two questions in the research of animal personality—whether there is a correlation between a personality trait and individual reproductive success,and what is the genetic basis underlying a personality trait—remain unresolved.We addressed these two questions in three shrub-nesting birds,the Azure-winged Magpie(Cyanopica cyanus,AM),White-collared Blackbird(Turdus albocinctus,WB),and Brown-cheeked Laughingthrush(Trochalopteron henrici,BL).The personality type of an individual was first identified according to its response to a territorial intruder.Then,we compared the fleeing distance,breeding parameters,and differential expressed genes(DEGs) in the brain transcriptome between bold and shy breeders.In the three species,bold breeders exhibited more aggressiveness towards an intruder of their territory than did shy breeders.The reproductive success of bold breeders was significantly higher than that of shy breeders in AM but not in WB and BL.The three species shared one DEG,crabp1,which was up-regulated in bold relative to in shy individuals.By regulating the expression of corticotropin-releasing hormone,higher crabp1 gene expression can decrease cellular response to retinoic acid.Therefore,bold individuals are insensitive to external stresses and able to exhibit more aggressiveness to intruders than their shier counterparts.Aggressiveness is beneficial to bold individuals in AM but not in WB and BL because the former could evoke neighbors to make the same response of defending against intruders but the latter could not.Although a personality trait may have the same genetic basis across species,its correlation with reproductive success depends largely on the life history style of a species.展开更多
Stylonema alsidii(Zandardini)Drew f.ramosum Zheng et Li is a common species in the genus Stylonema,but there are limited reports on morphological taxonomy and a lack of studies on life history and the regulation of ea...Stylonema alsidii(Zandardini)Drew f.ramosum Zheng et Li is a common species in the genus Stylonema,but there are limited reports on morphological taxonomy and a lack of studies on life history and the regulation of early development.The early development,discoid formation,and erect thallus growth of Stylonema alsidii f.ramosum were observed under laboratory conditions.In addition,the influence of main environmental factors such as temperature and light intensity on its development was briefly studied,and various stages of its life history were observed.The result shows:(1)there are two reproductive modes:asexual reproduction and sexual reproduction;(2)the morphology of this species varies in different degrees under laboratory culture conditions;(3)sexual reproduction and asexual reproduction can coexist under suitable conditions.Five pathways of life history were inferred from experimental phenomena.Mature sporophytes form mature gametophytes by producing initially isolated or initially attached monospore,and mature gametophytes form mature sporophytes by fertilization of eggs and sperms.The sexual and asexual reproduction processes of Stylonema alsidii f.ramosum were reported for the first time,and this is also the first report on sexual reproduction in the genus Stylonema.展开更多
Xu Chunfu was a famous medical expert in the Ming Dynasty, who authored the Gu Jin Yi Tong Da Quan and the Yi Xue Zhi Nan Jie Jing Liu Shu. This paper uses the Xu family genealogy, literature catalog, historical recor...Xu Chunfu was a famous medical expert in the Ming Dynasty, who authored the Gu Jin Yi Tong Da Quan and the Yi Xue Zhi Nan Jie Jing Liu Shu. This paper uses the Xu family genealogy, literature catalog, historical records to study the Xu family’s life and deeds. Xu Chunfu was born in the second year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty (1523) and passed away in the 24th year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty (1596). He served as an official in the Tai Hospital for about 20 years. His work Gu Jin Yi Tong Da Quan was written around the 43rd year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty (1556), with a lower limit of the fifth year of the Longqing reign of the Ming Dynasty (1571), and the initial engraving time was not earlier than the eighth year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty (1580). This paper corrects the shortcomings and errors in previous research, and provides a comprehensive and systematic examination of Xu Chunfu’s life and works.展开更多
On the basis of morphological observations, life history and molecular phylogeny, Grateloupia yangjiangensis, which is similar to G. filicina, G. orientalis, G. catenata, and G. ramosissima in appearance, was re-exami...On the basis of morphological observations, life history and molecular phylogeny, Grateloupia yangjiangensis, which is similar to G. filicina, G. orientalis, G. catenata, and G. ramosissima in appearance, was re-examined. The results are as follows：（1） the auxiliary-cell ampullae of G. yangjiangensis were of Grateloupia type, thalli was fleshy and gelatinous in texture, and the erect axes were compressed; the cortex was 0.25–0.30 mm thick, consisting of five to seven outer layers, and there were five inner layers of triangular or stellate cells;（2） there was no filamentous stage in the development of the carpospores;（3） the ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase gene（rbcL） sequence of four G. yangjiangensis examined showed that there was no intergeneric divergence among them, and for the phylogenetic tree, four sequences of G. yangjiangensis formed a single monophyletic subclade within the large Grateloupia clade of Halymeniaceae. In conclusion, G. yangjiangensis was a single species within the genus Grateloupia. This research provided criterion for identification and cultivation of G. yangjiangensis.展开更多
The effect of temperature on the life history characteristics of amictic females (AF), unfertilized mictic females (UMF) and fertilized mictic females (FMF) in Brachionus calyciflorus was studied with replicated indiv...The effect of temperature on the life history characteristics of amictic females (AF), unfertilized mictic females (UMF) and fertilized mictic females (FMF) in Brachionus calyciflorus was studied with replicated individual cultures at 20℃,25℃ and 30℃, and with algae Scenedesmus obliquus for their food. There were highly significant effects of both temperature and female type, independently and interactively, on the duration of juvenile and post-reproduction periods, and the number of eggs produced by the rotifer per life cycle. Among all the temperature-female type combinations, all the juvenile periods of FMF, and the post-reproduction periods of UMF and FMF at 20℃, were the longest, and the number of eggs produced by an UMF at 30℃ was the highest. There were highly significant effects of both temperature and female type on the duration of the reproduction period, but no clear correlation was observed between temperature and female type. The reproduction period of AF was longer than that of UMF and FMF. Only temperature influenced significantly the mean life-span of the three types of females. The duration of juvenile, reproduction and post-reproduction periods as well as the life-span of the three types of females were all reduced very significantly with rise of temperature, but the rates of reduction varied with female type. Among the three types of females, the number of eggs produced per life cycle by an UMF was the highest, and that of a FMF was the lowest. A significant relationship between the number of eggs produced per life cycle and temperature was observed only in the UMF.展开更多
Over the past few decades, extreme changes have occurred in the characters of exploited fish populations. The majority of these changes have affected the growth traits of fish life history, which include a smaller siz...Over the past few decades, extreme changes have occurred in the characters of exploited fish populations. The majority of these changes have affected the growth traits of fish life history, which include a smaller size-at-age, an earlier age-at-maturation and among others. Currently, the causes of these life history traits changes still require systematic analyses and empirical studies. The explanations that have been cited are merely expressed in terms of fish phenotypic adaptation. It has been claimed that the original traits of fish can be recovered once the intensity of exploitation of the fish is controlled. Sustained environmental and fishing pressure will change the life history traits of most fish species, so the fish individual's traits are still in small size-at-age and at earlier age-at-maturation in exploited fish populations. In this paper, we expressed our view of points that fishing gear has imposed selectivity on fish populations and individuals as various other environmental factors have done and such changes are unrecoverable. According to the existing tend of exploited fish individual's life history traits, we suggested further researches in this field and provided better methods of fishery management and thereby fishery resources protection than those available early.展开更多
Large portions of the world＇s fishery resources are overexploited. Life history traits of fish species are important indicators to reveal different life history strategies and to indicate population responses to fish...Large portions of the world＇s fishery resources are overexploited. Life history traits of fish species are important indicators to reveal different life history strategies and to indicate population responses to fishing pressures. For this study, empirical data on fishing grounds located in the coastal area between Fujian Coast and Taiwan Island were collected. These areas have experienced severe overfishing in the past 30 years, leading to changes in the structure and function of the fish communities. Fifty-one commercial fish species in this fishing ground were selected to study the life history traits. Using the life history traits, all the species were grouped into five different life history strategies by principle component analysis. More than 60% of the species were categorized in Group 5 that was similar to r-strategists. Twenty-five commercial species were selected for further analysis of changes in life history variables, and to discuss the population responses to exploitation. Results showed that most of the species appeared to become smaller size, shorter life, earlier maturation and faster growing under long-term exploitation. The exploitation rate of each species was also calculated to further discuss the impacts of fishing pressures to fish populations. Four species were found with the severest changes on life history traits indicating some of the species might be more susceptible to exploitation. This study on fish life history traits and their long-term variations under fishing pressures could provide important scientific implications for fishery management and conservation.展开更多
Cyanobacterial blooms in eutrophic freshwater systems are a worldwide problem, creating adverse effects for many aquatic organisms by producing toxic mierocystins and deteriorating water quality. In this study, microc...Cyanobacterial blooms in eutrophic freshwater systems are a worldwide problem, creating adverse effects for many aquatic organisms by producing toxic mierocystins and deteriorating water quality. In this study, microcystins （MCs） in Microcystis aeruginosa, and Daphnia magna exposed to M. aeruginosa, were analyzed by HPLC-MS, and the effects of M. aeruginosa on D. magna were investigated. When D. magna was exposed to M. aeruginosa for more than 2 h, Microcystin-LR （MC-LR） was detected. When exposed to 1.5× 10^6, 3× 10^6, 0.75× 10^7, and 1.5× 10^7 cell/mL of M. aeruginosa for 96 h, average survival of D. magna for treatments were 23.33%, 33.33%, 13.33%, 16.67%, respectively, which were significantly lower than the average 100% survival in the control group （P 〈 0.05）. The adverse effects ofM. aeruginosa on body length, time for the first brood, brood numbers, gross fecundity, lifespan, and population growth olD. magna were density-dependent. These results suggest that the occurrence of M. aeruginosa blooms could strongly inhibit the population growth of D. magna through depression of survival, individual growth and gross fecundity. In the most serious situations, M. aeruginosa blooms could undermine the food web by eliminating filter-feeding zooplankton, which would destroy the ecological balance of aquaculture water bodies.展开更多
As the largest genus of Halymeniaceae,Grateloupia has been widely reported.Here,we observed the life history and early development of Grateloupia constricata Li et Ding and investigated the effects of temperature,irra...As the largest genus of Halymeniaceae,Grateloupia has been widely reported.Here,we observed the life history and early development of Grateloupia constricata Li et Ding and investigated the effects of temperature,irradiance,and photoperiod on the discoid crust and sporeling development of G.constricata under laboratory conditions.We observed that the type of carpospore development was“mediate discal type”.The life history included homotypic gametophyte(haploid),carposporophyte(diploid),and tetrasporophyte(diploid),with typical isomorphic alternation of generations.The results of double factorial analysis showed that both single factorial effects and interaction among temperature,photoperiod,and irradiance were obviously significant on the discoid crust and sporeling development.Furthermore,we found that the optimum combination of condition for the early growth and development of G.constricata was temperature 20°C,irradiance 80μmol photons/(m^2·s)and photoperiod 16L:8D.This study provides the theoretical basis and technical support for the conservation of the Grateloupia germplasm,artificial breeding,large-scale cultivation and sustainable development.展开更多
Morphology and life history of a brown alga Scytosiphon lomentaria (Lyngbye) Link (Scytosiphonaceae, Phaeophyceae) were investigated from 2005 to 2009 in the coastal waters of Dalian, China. The erect thalli collected...Morphology and life history of a brown alga Scytosiphon lomentaria (Lyngbye) Link (Scytosiphonaceae, Phaeophyceae) were investigated from 2005 to 2009 in the coastal waters of Dalian, China. The erect thalli collected in the field were tubular, hollow, and commonly constricted at intervals. Ascocysts were presented. Plurilocular gametangia, which were positioned in continuous sori on the erect thallus surface, produced biflagellar gametes. Gametophytes were dioecious and gametes were nearly isogamous. Gametes fusion occurred in three types. Type one, female and male gametes fused directly while swimming; type two, female gamete settled first, with which a male one contacted and fused rapidly; type three, while settling adjacently, a male gamete's entire protoplast moved slowly into the previously settled female one, with only an empty cell membrane left. In culture zygotes developed into crustose sporophytes that formed unilocular sporangia. Biflagellar zoospores developed into erect thalli that formed plurilocular gametangia. The results indicated that a periodical heteromorphic alternation history with haploid gametophyte generation and diploid sporophyte generation exists in S. lomentaria of the Dalian populations.展开更多
Background: In temperate-breeding birds, individuals must adjust their physiological states from one life-history stage to another in response to changing conditions to maximize ecological fitness. Previous evidences ...Background: In temperate-breeding birds, individuals must adjust their physiological states from one life-history stage to another in response to changing conditions to maximize ecological fitness. Previous evidences have shown that body mass, size-corrected mass(SCM), and hematocrit(Hct) could be used as estimates of the energetic state of individuals to illustrate life-history trade-offs and individual quality in field physiology. Plasma alkaline phosphatase(ALP) plays critical roles in regulating the metabolism of energy but very limited information is known on its link with body mass or Hct.Methods: We determined the changes of plasma ALP levels in both early breeding and wintering stages of male Eurasian Tree Sparrows(Passer montanus), and examined the relationships between ALP and body mass, SCM, and Hct of the birds.Results: Our study showed that(1) in male Eurasian Tree Sparrows, body mass did not vary with life-history stage but plasma ALP activity significantly increased in the wintering stage compared to the breeding stage;(2) ALP activity was not correlated with individual body mass but was positively correlated with individual SCM and Hct. Such positive correlations, however, only occurred in the wintering but not in the breeding stages.Conclusions: Our results suggest that plasma ALP activities in free-living birds can be used as one of the indicators o body condition or nutritional status for analyzing individual variation in the wintering but not in the breeding stages. The life-history dependent relationships between plasma ALP activity and body condition may contribute to our better understanding of the trade-off between individual survival and reproduction in free-living animals.展开更多
Background:Black soldier fly(BSF)is one of the most promising species for the intensive breeding of insects given its adaptability and its efficiency in the conversion of waste.To maximize the production and use waste...Background:Black soldier fly(BSF)is one of the most promising species for the intensive breeding of insects given its adaptability and its efficiency in the conversion of waste.To maximize the production and use waste as substrates,it is essential to determine the larvae nutritional requirements.The study aims to evaluate the effects of5 practical,semi-purified and isoenergetic diets(PSPID)with increasing protein levels(10%,CP10;14%,CP14;16%,CP16;19%,CP19)on BSF life history traits.A total of 2000 six-day-old larvae were weighed and divided into groups of 100(4 replicates/treatment[PSPID and Gainesville diet(GA)used as environmental control]).In larva-prepupa stage,sampling was carried out on 30 individuals/replicate,while in prepupa-adult stage on 35.Results:In the whole larval stage,the CP16 treatment performed better when compared to the other groups.At18 days old,the CP14 treatment showed a higher weight than the CP19(P<0.01),while the CP10 and CP16weights were intermediate.On the contrary,the CP10 prepupae weight was higher than the CP19(P<0.01).The CP10 and CP14 pupae performed better in terms of weight when compared to the others(P<0.01).The dietary treatments did not affect the adult parameters.The sex significantly influenced both the exuvia weight,which was the greatest in females(P<0.001),and the fly lifespan,longest in males(P<0.05).Fly lifespan was also influenced by the interaction between treatment and sex,with the CP19 females showing a longer life than the others(P<0.05).Conclusions:In conclusion,the optimal protein level considering the whole larval stage is 16%on dry matter(DM).At 18 days old,looking at the size intended for the meal production,it can be considered 14%on DM.The result obtained on adult emergence in PSPID may not be attributable to the protein content.Further researches on macronutrients requirements determination have to be conducted to evaluate the substrates composition effects on BSF life history traits.展开更多
Ranalisma rostratum (Alismataceae) is an endangered aquatic plant, and now there is only one population existing in China. In its natural habitat, Huli marsh in Chaling, Hunan province, the best growing plants have be...Ranalisma rostratum (Alismataceae) is an endangered aquatic plant, and now there is only one population existing in China. In its natural habitat, Huli marsh in Chaling, Hunan province, the best growing plants have been observed at microsites where the water depth is 5～10cm, and the plants grow in emergent form.R. rostratum reproduces asexually or sexually. The recruitment of asexual propagules into population is a very important way to maintain the natural population size. Although seed production does not appear to limitR. rostratum, restricted dispersal of propagules and seeds, low seed viability, low germinability, slow growth of seedlings under all conditions, and habitat loss due to agriculture appear to be more important reasons for the endangerment of this plant.展开更多
This paper describes the research carried out in partial fulfilment of the degree of doctor of education. The study was qualitative in nature with a phenomenological interpretive paradigm dominating the philosophical ...This paper describes the research carried out in partial fulfilment of the degree of doctor of education. The study was qualitative in nature with a phenomenological interpretive paradigm dominating the philosophical approach. The research methods adopted combined life story and grounded theory. As far as the author has been able to determine there are very few, if any studies which have applied this approach specifically to this area of research which investigated the influence life history has on attitude to lifelong learning. Twenty five respondents were interviewed in face-to-face informal interviews. The main aim was to elicit the respondent＇s subjective interpretation of the interaction between school, family, work, and learning within their lives. The researcher was then able to identify when they occurred and what or who made them particularly meaningful. This paper describes how initial decisions were made regarding the substantive area for the research. Sampling technique and method for collecting the data is discussed and a worked example is given of how the data was analysed. It is intended that this paper will give an insight into the challenge of combining these two much debated methods of research. The empirical data lead to some interesting findings which educators and policy makers will find helpful in order to strengthen the school, college, and workplace interface.展开更多
Among plants,there is considerable variation in lifespan:annuals live less than one year,whereas perennials live for several years,with the longest-living perennial having survived 43,600 years.As proposed by the Disp...Among plants,there is considerable variation in lifespan:annuals live less than one year,whereas perennials live for several years,with the longest-living perennial having survived 43,600 years.As proposed by the Disposable Soma Theory,this lifespan variation among plants likely reflects differential investment of limited energy and nutrient resources,with perennials investing more energy and nutrients into biomolecular maintenance compared to annuals in order to ensure persistence over multiple seasons.Such differential investment may be particularly important during periods of exogenous stress,which are known to accelerate biomolecular damage.The present study evaluated this hypothesis using annual and perennial flax(Linum L.)subjected to two exogenous stressors—increased oxidative stress(i.e.,foliar H2O2spraying)and complete prolonged darkness.As chlorophyll has been shown to exhibit degradation in response to changes in environmental conditions,we utilized changes in chlorophyll levels during and after periods of exogenous stress to evaluate our hypotheses.We predicted that i)perennials would exhibit a slower rate of chlorophyll degradation during exposure to exogenous stressors compared to annuals,and ii)perennials would exhibit a faster rate of chlorophyll resynthesis following such exposure compared to annuals.Chlorophyll levels before,during,and after exposure to both exogenous stressors were measured in two separate trails,once using image colour analysis and once using spectrophotometry.While chlorophyll degradation rates in response to oxidative stress did not differ between annuals and perennials,contrary to our predictions,chlorophyll resynthesis rates following such exposure were significantly higher in perennials,as predicted.When plants were subjected to complete prolonged darkness,chlorophyll degradation rates were significantly lower in perennials than annuals,as predicted;however,when plants were subsequently reintroduced to natural photoperiod,chlorophyll resynthesis rates did not consistently differ between annuals and perennials,though they tended to be higher in the latter,as predicted.Overall,our study illuminates that evolutionary transitions between life history strategies in plants have been accompanied by physiological modifications to chlorophyll dynamics that permit perennial species to better maintain chlorophyll levels—and thus photosynthetic energy acquisition-in the face of exogenous stressors,which likely underlies their capacity to survive for multiple growing seasons.Future studies should explore whether other key biomolecules(e.g.,proteins,DNA)are also better maintained in perennial plants,especially in the face of exogenous stress.展开更多
The fall armyworm(FAW),Spodoptera frugiperda,is a newly invasive,widespread agricultural pest in China.Understanding the suitability of the main field crops in Chinese agricultural system as host for this polyphagous ...The fall armyworm(FAW),Spodoptera frugiperda,is a newly invasive,widespread agricultural pest in China.Understanding the suitability of the main field crops in Chinese agricultural system as host for this polyphagous herbivore is especially important for making control strategy.Here,after FAWs were fed three important oil-bearing crops(oilseed rape,soybean and sunflower)planted in China and resultant population parameters were compared using the age-stage,two-sex life table method,survival of larvae on soybean was significantly lower than that on oilseed rape and sunflower.Developmental duration of larvae on soybean was also the longest(23.3 days).The highest pupation rate was recorded on sunflower.The highest pupal mass(0.19 g)was attained on oilseed rape,significantly higher than on the other host plants;the lowest mass was on soybean(0.15 g).On soybean,oilseed rape and sunflower,respectively,the average generation period was 42.21,39.10 and 40.44 d;the intrinsic rate of increase(r)was 0.0844,0.1041 and 0.1134;the finite rate of increase(λ)was 1.0881,1.1098 and 1.1202.While the most suitable host plant overall was sunflower,S.frugiperda completed development and increased its population on all three host plants.Thus,soybean,oilseed rape and sunflower were all suitable for FAW,and population monitoring and management of FAW in these crops should be increased.展开更多
Studying the population ecology of endangered plants provides important baseline information for its monitoring and conservation.Juniperus phoenicea L.is an endangered species in arid ecosystems in Africa and the Midd...Studying the population ecology of endangered plants provides important baseline information for its monitoring and conservation.Juniperus phoenicea L.is an endangered species in arid ecosystems in Africa and the Middle East.The static life tables,survival curve and age structure of J.phoenicea populations from two mountains in North Sinai,Egypt(Gabal(G.)El-Halal and G.El-Maghara)were investigated.In each mountain,fifteen plots were selected,and field measurements such as stand density,tree height,and crown diameter were conducted.Moreover,44 trees were cored and crossdated according to standard dendrochronological procedures.The results showed that the tree ages ranged from 50 to 262 years at G.El-Halal and 96 to431 years at G.El-Maghara.Mature J.phoenicea individuals dominated the study area,with only a few individuals being younger than 100 years.Moreover,seedling recruitment was extremely limited.Since the studied J.phoenicea populations showed high mortality rates among both old and young individuals,there is an imminent need for establishing a conservation program to prevent its extinction in the future.Therefore,management and conservation efforts should be made to minimize human disturbance and protect the relic habitats of this endangered species at its southern distribution limits in Africa.展开更多
Natural secondary forest has a strong capacity to regrow naturally and recover biodiversity rapidly on abandoned lands.However,at the neighborhood scale,which can truly reflect the facilitative or competitive interact...Natural secondary forest has a strong capacity to regrow naturally and recover biodiversity rapidly on abandoned lands.However,at the neighborhood scale,which can truly reflect the facilitative or competitive interactions among individual plants,the local diversity spatial structure in secondary forest and the feedback effects of neighborhood diversity on natural regeneration remain unclear,and this may be the key to properly understand the mechanisms of natural secondary forest species diversity recovery.To this end,this study established a dynamic plot in a rehabilitated secondary forest after disturbance and conducted a comprehensive survey of 68,336 individual plants with repeated measurements at 5-year interval to assess the characteristics of neighborhood diversity structure across life history stages and link the neighborhood species richness(NSR)effect translated by species interactions at species diversity structure with individual trees recruitment/mortality in secondary forest regeneration.The results showed that,compared with tropical and temperate natural forests,a higher proportion of diversity accumulators and a lower proportion of repellers in subtropical secondary forests resulted in neighborhood diversity structures characterized by heterospecific or high-diversity patches,which are beneficial to the maintenance or restoration of biodiversity.As an important supplement to the research on the relationship between diversity and productivity,our findings show a positive diversity-survival relationship in subtropical secondary forests.Importantly,we observed that the neighborhood diversity structure exhibited a trend of accumulator-dominated to neutral-dominant changes with life stage from sapling to adult,which,in turn,determined the direction and strength of NSR effects on recruitment/mortality.Specifically,diverse local neighborhoods at a later successional stage characterized with‘neutral’species-species interactions can act as a‘welfare net’by offering favorable microhabitats for the most vulnerable recruitments or saplings,i.e.,the NSR effects that promoted individual recruitment/survival in our study.These results not only enrich our understanding of the biodiversity-productivity-survival relationship but also highlight the importance of retaining latesuccessional species of native trees in intensive forest production or in situ conservation policies.展开更多
Genome size changes significantly among taxonomic levels,and this variation is often related to the patterns shaped by the phylogeny,life histories and ecological factors.However,there are mixed evidences on the main ...Genome size changes significantly among taxonomic levels,and this variation is often related to the patterns shaped by the phylogeny,life histories and ecological factors.However,there are mixed evidences on the main factors affecting molecular evolution in animals.In this study,we used phylogenetic comparative analysis to investigate the evolutionary rate of genome size and the relationships between genome size and life histories(i.e.,hatchling mass,clutch size,clutches per year,age at sexual maturity,lifespan and body mass)among 199 squamata species.Our results showed that the evolutionary rate of genome size in Lacertilia was significantly faster than Serpentes.Moreover,we also found that larger species showed larger hatchling mass,more clutches per year and clutch size and longer lifespan.However,genome size was negatively associated with clutch size and clutches per year,but not associated with body mass we looked at.The findings suggest that larger species do not possess the evolution of large genomes in squamata.展开更多
Marine structures are mostly made of metals and always experience complex random loading during their service periods. The fatigue crack growth behaviors of metal materials have been proved from laboratory tests to be...Marine structures are mostly made of metals and always experience complex random loading during their service periods. The fatigue crack growth behaviors of metal materials have been proved from laboratory tests to be sensitive to the loading sequence encountered. In order to take account of the loading sequence effect, fatigue life prediction should be based on fatigue crack propagation（FCP） theory rather than the currently used cumulative fatigue damage（CFD） theory. A unified fatigue life prediction（UFLP） method for marine structures has been proposed by the authors＇ group. In order to apply the UFLP method for newly designed structures, authorities such as the classification societies should provide a standardized load-time history（SLH） such as the TWIST and FALSTAFF sequences for transport and fighter aircraft. This paper mainly aims at proposing a procedure to generate the SLHs for marine structures based on a short-term loading sample and to provide an illustration on how to use the presented SLH to a typical tubular T-joint in an offshore platform based on the UFLP method.展开更多
基金provided by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant 32071491, 31772465, 31672299, 31572271, and 32260128)the Natural Sciences Foundation of the Tibetan (XZ202101ZR0051G)。
文摘Two questions in the research of animal personality—whether there is a correlation between a personality trait and individual reproductive success,and what is the genetic basis underlying a personality trait—remain unresolved.We addressed these two questions in three shrub-nesting birds,the Azure-winged Magpie(Cyanopica cyanus,AM),White-collared Blackbird(Turdus albocinctus,WB),and Brown-cheeked Laughingthrush(Trochalopteron henrici,BL).The personality type of an individual was first identified according to its response to a territorial intruder.Then,we compared the fleeing distance,breeding parameters,and differential expressed genes(DEGs) in the brain transcriptome between bold and shy breeders.In the three species,bold breeders exhibited more aggressiveness towards an intruder of their territory than did shy breeders.The reproductive success of bold breeders was significantly higher than that of shy breeders in AM but not in WB and BL.The three species shared one DEG,crabp1,which was up-regulated in bold relative to in shy individuals.By regulating the expression of corticotropin-releasing hormone,higher crabp1 gene expression can decrease cellular response to retinoic acid.Therefore,bold individuals are insensitive to external stresses and able to exhibit more aggressiveness to intruders than their shier counterparts.Aggressiveness is beneficial to bold individuals in AM but not in WB and BL because the former could evoke neighbors to make the same response of defending against intruders but the latter could not.Although a personality trait may have the same genetic basis across species,its correlation with reproductive success depends largely on the life history style of a species.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.31970216,32270219)。
文摘Stylonema alsidii(Zandardini)Drew f.ramosum Zheng et Li is a common species in the genus Stylonema,but there are limited reports on morphological taxonomy and a lack of studies on life history and the regulation of early development.The early development,discoid formation,and erect thallus growth of Stylonema alsidii f.ramosum were observed under laboratory conditions.In addition,the influence of main environmental factors such as temperature and light intensity on its development was briefly studied,and various stages of its life history were observed.The result shows:(1)there are two reproductive modes:asexual reproduction and sexual reproduction;(2)the morphology of this species varies in different degrees under laboratory culture conditions;(3)sexual reproduction and asexual reproduction can coexist under suitable conditions.Five pathways of life history were inferred from experimental phenomena.Mature sporophytes form mature gametophytes by producing initially isolated or initially attached monospore,and mature gametophytes form mature sporophytes by fertilization of eggs and sperms.The sexual and asexual reproduction processes of Stylonema alsidii f.ramosum were reported for the first time,and this is also the first report on sexual reproduction in the genus Stylonema.
基金the 2020 National Social Science Foundation Major Project(20&ZD222)Open Project of Key Laboratory of Xin’an Medical Education in 2022,“Research on the Active Utilization of Intangible Cultural Heritage Resources in the Gu Jin Yi Tong Da Quan"(2022xayx01)2022 Anhui Provincial Central Finance Traditional Chinese Medicine Special Fund“North Huatuo,South Xin’an”Inheritance and Innovation Project:Systematic Compilation and Audiovisual Protection Research of Xin’an Medical Traditional Medicine Intangible Cultural Heritage Project(2022BHTNXA02).
文摘Xu Chunfu was a famous medical expert in the Ming Dynasty, who authored the Gu Jin Yi Tong Da Quan and the Yi Xue Zhi Nan Jie Jing Liu Shu. This paper uses the Xu family genealogy, literature catalog, historical records to study the Xu family’s life and deeds. Xu Chunfu was born in the second year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty (1523) and passed away in the 24th year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty (1596). He served as an official in the Tai Hospital for about 20 years. His work Gu Jin Yi Tong Da Quan was written around the 43rd year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty (1556), with a lower limit of the fifth year of the Longqing reign of the Ming Dynasty (1571), and the initial engraving time was not earlier than the eighth year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty (1580). This paper corrects the shortcomings and errors in previous research, and provides a comprehensive and systematic examination of Xu Chunfu’s life and works.
基金The general program of the National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC)under contract Nos 30870161 and 31270251
文摘On the basis of morphological observations, life history and molecular phylogeny, Grateloupia yangjiangensis, which is similar to G. filicina, G. orientalis, G. catenata, and G. ramosissima in appearance, was re-examined. The results are as follows：（1） the auxiliary-cell ampullae of G. yangjiangensis were of Grateloupia type, thalli was fleshy and gelatinous in texture, and the erect axes were compressed; the cortex was 0.25–0.30 mm thick, consisting of five to seven outer layers, and there were five inner layers of triangular or stellate cells;（2） there was no filamentous stage in the development of the carpospores;（3） the ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase gene（rbcL） sequence of four G. yangjiangensis examined showed that there was no intergeneric divergence among them, and for the phylogenetic tree, four sequences of G. yangjiangensis formed a single monophyletic subclade within the large Grateloupia clade of Halymeniaceae. In conclusion, G. yangjiangensis was a single species within the genus Grateloupia. This research provided criterion for identification and cultivation of G. yangjiangensis.
基金NSFC (No .3 9870 15 8) ,NaturalScienceFoundationofAnhuiProvince (No .10 0 3 3 0 No .0 42 416)andtheExcellentYouthFoundation (No .0 40 43 0 5 0 )
文摘The effect of temperature on the life history characteristics of amictic females (AF), unfertilized mictic females (UMF) and fertilized mictic females (FMF) in Brachionus calyciflorus was studied with replicated individual cultures at 20℃,25℃ and 30℃, and with algae Scenedesmus obliquus for their food. There were highly significant effects of both temperature and female type, independently and interactively, on the duration of juvenile and post-reproduction periods, and the number of eggs produced by the rotifer per life cycle. Among all the temperature-female type combinations, all the juvenile periods of FMF, and the post-reproduction periods of UMF and FMF at 20℃, were the longest, and the number of eggs produced by an UMF at 30℃ was the highest. There were highly significant effects of both temperature and female type on the duration of the reproduction period, but no clear correlation was observed between temperature and female type. The reproduction period of AF was longer than that of UMF and FMF. Only temperature influenced significantly the mean life-span of the three types of females. The duration of juvenile, reproduction and post-reproduction periods as well as the life-span of the three types of females were all reduced very significantly with rise of temperature, but the rates of reduction varied with female type. Among the three types of females, the number of eggs produced per life cycle by an UMF was the highest, and that of a FMF was the lowest. A significant relationship between the number of eggs produced per life cycle and temperature was observed only in the UMF.
基金the financial support from Special Fund for Agro-scientific Research in the Public Interest (No. 201203018)
文摘Over the past few decades, extreme changes have occurred in the characters of exploited fish populations. The majority of these changes have affected the growth traits of fish life history, which include a smaller size-at-age, an earlier age-at-maturation and among others. Currently, the causes of these life history traits changes still require systematic analyses and empirical studies. The explanations that have been cited are merely expressed in terms of fish phenotypic adaptation. It has been claimed that the original traits of fish can be recovered once the intensity of exploitation of the fish is controlled. Sustained environmental and fishing pressure will change the life history traits of most fish species, so the fish individual's traits are still in small size-at-age and at earlier age-at-maturation in exploited fish populations. In this paper, we expressed our view of points that fishing gear has imposed selectivity on fish populations and individuals as various other environmental factors have done and such changes are unrecoverable. According to the existing tend of exploited fish individual's life history traits, we suggested further researches in this field and provided better methods of fishery management and thereby fishery resources protection than those available early.
基金the Project of Fishery Resources Protection from the Ministry of Agriculture of Chinathe National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC)under contract No.31101902
文摘Large portions of the world＇s fishery resources are overexploited. Life history traits of fish species are important indicators to reveal different life history strategies and to indicate population responses to fishing pressures. For this study, empirical data on fishing grounds located in the coastal area between Fujian Coast and Taiwan Island were collected. These areas have experienced severe overfishing in the past 30 years, leading to changes in the structure and function of the fish communities. Fifty-one commercial fish species in this fishing ground were selected to study the life history traits. Using the life history traits, all the species were grouped into five different life history strategies by principle component analysis. More than 60% of the species were categorized in Group 5 that was similar to r-strategists. Twenty-five commercial species were selected for further analysis of changes in life history variables, and to discuss the population responses to exploitation. Results showed that most of the species appeared to become smaller size, shorter life, earlier maturation and faster growing under long-term exploitation. The exploitation rate of each species was also calculated to further discuss the impacts of fishing pressures to fish populations. Four species were found with the severest changes on life history traits indicating some of the species might be more susceptible to exploitation. This study on fish life history traits and their long-term variations under fishing pressures could provide important scientific implications for fishery management and conservation.
基金Supported by the Aquaculture and Fisheries Collaborative Research Support Program of USAID (No. 1366)the Shanghai Rising-Star Program (No. 08QA1405900)+1 种基金the Innovation Program of Shanghai Municipal Education Commission (No. 09YZ277)the Shanghai Leading Academic Discipline Project (No. Y1101)
文摘Cyanobacterial blooms in eutrophic freshwater systems are a worldwide problem, creating adverse effects for many aquatic organisms by producing toxic mierocystins and deteriorating water quality. In this study, microcystins （MCs） in Microcystis aeruginosa, and Daphnia magna exposed to M. aeruginosa, were analyzed by HPLC-MS, and the effects of M. aeruginosa on D. magna were investigated. When D. magna was exposed to M. aeruginosa for more than 2 h, Microcystin-LR （MC-LR） was detected. When exposed to 1.5× 10^6, 3× 10^6, 0.75× 10^7, and 1.5× 10^7 cell/mL of M. aeruginosa for 96 h, average survival of D. magna for treatments were 23.33%, 33.33%, 13.33%, 16.67%, respectively, which were significantly lower than the average 100% survival in the control group （P 〈 0.05）. The adverse effects ofM. aeruginosa on body length, time for the first brood, brood numbers, gross fecundity, lifespan, and population growth olD. magna were density-dependent. These results suggest that the occurrence of M. aeruginosa blooms could strongly inhibit the population growth of D. magna through depression of survival, individual growth and gross fecundity. In the most serious situations, M. aeruginosa blooms could undermine the food web by eliminating filter-feeding zooplankton, which would destroy the ecological balance of aquaculture water bodies.
基金Foundation item: The National Natural Science Foundation of China under contract No. 31570209.
文摘As the largest genus of Halymeniaceae,Grateloupia has been widely reported.Here,we observed the life history and early development of Grateloupia constricata Li et Ding and investigated the effects of temperature,irradiance,and photoperiod on the discoid crust and sporeling development of G.constricata under laboratory conditions.We observed that the type of carpospore development was“mediate discal type”.The life history included homotypic gametophyte(haploid),carposporophyte(diploid),and tetrasporophyte(diploid),with typical isomorphic alternation of generations.The results of double factorial analysis showed that both single factorial effects and interaction among temperature,photoperiod,and irradiance were obviously significant on the discoid crust and sporeling development.Furthermore,we found that the optimum combination of condition for the early growth and development of G.constricata was temperature 20°C,irradiance 80μmol photons/(m^2·s)and photoperiod 16L:8D.This study provides the theoretical basis and technical support for the conservation of the Grateloupia germplasm,artificial breeding,large-scale cultivation and sustainable development.
基金supported by National Key Project of Scientific and Technical Supporting Programs Funded by Ministry of Science and Technology of China (No. 2006B AD09A01)
文摘Morphology and life history of a brown alga Scytosiphon lomentaria (Lyngbye) Link (Scytosiphonaceae, Phaeophyceae) were investigated from 2005 to 2009 in the coastal waters of Dalian, China. The erect thalli collected in the field were tubular, hollow, and commonly constricted at intervals. Ascocysts were presented. Plurilocular gametangia, which were positioned in continuous sori on the erect thallus surface, produced biflagellar gametes. Gametophytes were dioecious and gametes were nearly isogamous. Gametes fusion occurred in three types. Type one, female and male gametes fused directly while swimming; type two, female gamete settled first, with which a male one contacted and fused rapidly; type three, while settling adjacently, a male gamete's entire protoplast moved slowly into the previously settled female one, with only an empty cell membrane left. In culture zygotes developed into crustose sporophytes that formed unilocular sporangia. Biflagellar zoospores developed into erect thalli that formed plurilocular gametangia. The results indicated that a periodical heteromorphic alternation history with haploid gametophyte generation and diploid sporophyte generation exists in S. lomentaria of the Dalian populations.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 31672292, 31372201)the Natural Science Foundation of Hebei Province (C2017205059)
文摘Background: In temperate-breeding birds, individuals must adjust their physiological states from one life-history stage to another in response to changing conditions to maximize ecological fitness. Previous evidences have shown that body mass, size-corrected mass(SCM), and hematocrit(Hct) could be used as estimates of the energetic state of individuals to illustrate life-history trade-offs and individual quality in field physiology. Plasma alkaline phosphatase(ALP) plays critical roles in regulating the metabolism of energy but very limited information is known on its link with body mass or Hct.Methods: We determined the changes of plasma ALP levels in both early breeding and wintering stages of male Eurasian Tree Sparrows(Passer montanus), and examined the relationships between ALP and body mass, SCM, and Hct of the birds.Results: Our study showed that(1) in male Eurasian Tree Sparrows, body mass did not vary with life-history stage but plasma ALP activity significantly increased in the wintering stage compared to the breeding stage;(2) ALP activity was not correlated with individual body mass but was positively correlated with individual SCM and Hct. Such positive correlations, however, only occurred in the wintering but not in the breeding stages.Conclusions: Our results suggest that plasma ALP activities in free-living birds can be used as one of the indicators o body condition or nutritional status for analyzing individual variation in the wintering but not in the breeding stages. The life-history dependent relationships between plasma ALP activity and body condition may contribute to our better understanding of the trade-off between individual survival and reproduction in free-living animals.
基金supported by the Fondazione Cariplo project CELLOW-FEEP:Circular economy:live larvae recycling organic waste as sustainable feed for rural poultry(ID 2019–1944)。
文摘Background:Black soldier fly(BSF)is one of the most promising species for the intensive breeding of insects given its adaptability and its efficiency in the conversion of waste.To maximize the production and use waste as substrates,it is essential to determine the larvae nutritional requirements.The study aims to evaluate the effects of5 practical,semi-purified and isoenergetic diets(PSPID)with increasing protein levels(10%,CP10;14%,CP14;16%,CP16;19%,CP19)on BSF life history traits.A total of 2000 six-day-old larvae were weighed and divided into groups of 100(4 replicates/treatment[PSPID and Gainesville diet(GA)used as environmental control]).In larva-prepupa stage,sampling was carried out on 30 individuals/replicate,while in prepupa-adult stage on 35.Results:In the whole larval stage,the CP16 treatment performed better when compared to the other groups.At18 days old,the CP14 treatment showed a higher weight than the CP19(P<0.01),while the CP10 and CP16weights were intermediate.On the contrary,the CP10 prepupae weight was higher than the CP19(P<0.01).The CP10 and CP14 pupae performed better in terms of weight when compared to the others(P<0.01).The dietary treatments did not affect the adult parameters.The sex significantly influenced both the exuvia weight,which was the greatest in females(P<0.001),and the fly lifespan,longest in males(P<0.05).Fly lifespan was also influenced by the interaction between treatment and sex,with the CP19 females showing a longer life than the others(P<0.05).Conclusions:In conclusion,the optimal protein level considering the whole larval stage is 16%on dry matter(DM).At 18 days old,looking at the size intended for the meal production,it can be considered 14%on DM.The result obtained on adult emergence in PSPID may not be attributable to the protein content.Further researches on macronutrients requirements determination have to be conducted to evaluate the substrates composition effects on BSF life history traits.
文摘Ranalisma rostratum (Alismataceae) is an endangered aquatic plant, and now there is only one population existing in China. In its natural habitat, Huli marsh in Chaling, Hunan province, the best growing plants have been observed at microsites where the water depth is 5～10cm, and the plants grow in emergent form.R. rostratum reproduces asexually or sexually. The recruitment of asexual propagules into population is a very important way to maintain the natural population size. Although seed production does not appear to limitR. rostratum, restricted dispersal of propagules and seeds, low seed viability, low germinability, slow growth of seedlings under all conditions, and habitat loss due to agriculture appear to be more important reasons for the endangerment of this plant.
文摘This paper describes the research carried out in partial fulfilment of the degree of doctor of education. The study was qualitative in nature with a phenomenological interpretive paradigm dominating the philosophical approach. The research methods adopted combined life story and grounded theory. As far as the author has been able to determine there are very few, if any studies which have applied this approach specifically to this area of research which investigated the influence life history has on attitude to lifelong learning. Twenty five respondents were interviewed in face-to-face informal interviews. The main aim was to elicit the respondent＇s subjective interpretation of the interaction between school, family, work, and learning within their lives. The researcher was then able to identify when they occurred and what or who made them particularly meaningful. This paper describes how initial decisions were made regarding the substantive area for the research. Sampling technique and method for collecting the data is discussed and a worked example is given of how the data was analysed. It is intended that this paper will give an insight into the challenge of combining these two much debated methods of research. The empirical data lead to some interesting findings which educators and policy makers will find helpful in order to strengthen the school, college, and workplace interface.
基金GAM is supported by a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada(NSERC)Discovery Grant。
文摘Among plants,there is considerable variation in lifespan:annuals live less than one year,whereas perennials live for several years,with the longest-living perennial having survived 43,600 years.As proposed by the Disposable Soma Theory,this lifespan variation among plants likely reflects differential investment of limited energy and nutrient resources,with perennials investing more energy and nutrients into biomolecular maintenance compared to annuals in order to ensure persistence over multiple seasons.Such differential investment may be particularly important during periods of exogenous stress,which are known to accelerate biomolecular damage.The present study evaluated this hypothesis using annual and perennial flax(Linum L.)subjected to two exogenous stressors—increased oxidative stress(i.e.,foliar H2O2spraying)and complete prolonged darkness.As chlorophyll has been shown to exhibit degradation in response to changes in environmental conditions,we utilized changes in chlorophyll levels during and after periods of exogenous stress to evaluate our hypotheses.We predicted that i)perennials would exhibit a slower rate of chlorophyll degradation during exposure to exogenous stressors compared to annuals,and ii)perennials would exhibit a faster rate of chlorophyll resynthesis following such exposure compared to annuals.Chlorophyll levels before,during,and after exposure to both exogenous stressors were measured in two separate trails,once using image colour analysis and once using spectrophotometry.While chlorophyll degradation rates in response to oxidative stress did not differ between annuals and perennials,contrary to our predictions,chlorophyll resynthesis rates following such exposure were significantly higher in perennials,as predicted.When plants were subjected to complete prolonged darkness,chlorophyll degradation rates were significantly lower in perennials than annuals,as predicted;however,when plants were subsequently reintroduced to natural photoperiod,chlorophyll resynthesis rates did not consistently differ between annuals and perennials,though they tended to be higher in the latter,as predicted.Overall,our study illuminates that evolutionary transitions between life history strategies in plants have been accompanied by physiological modifications to chlorophyll dynamics that permit perennial species to better maintain chlorophyll levels—and thus photosynthetic energy acquisition-in the face of exogenous stressors,which likely underlies their capacity to survive for multiple growing seasons.Future studies should explore whether other key biomolecules(e.g.,proteins,DNA)are also better maintained in perennial plants,especially in the face of exogenous stress.
基金supported by the National Key R&D Program of China(2019YFD0300102)the earmarked fund for China Agriculture Research System(CARS-15-19)the Central Public-interest Scientific Institution Basal Research Fund,China(CAAS-ZDRW202007)。
文摘The fall armyworm(FAW),Spodoptera frugiperda,is a newly invasive,widespread agricultural pest in China.Understanding the suitability of the main field crops in Chinese agricultural system as host for this polyphagous herbivore is especially important for making control strategy.Here,after FAWs were fed three important oil-bearing crops(oilseed rape,soybean and sunflower)planted in China and resultant population parameters were compared using the age-stage,two-sex life table method,survival of larvae on soybean was significantly lower than that on oilseed rape and sunflower.Developmental duration of larvae on soybean was also the longest(23.3 days).The highest pupation rate was recorded on sunflower.The highest pupal mass(0.19 g)was attained on oilseed rape,significantly higher than on the other host plants;the lowest mass was on soybean(0.15 g).On soybean,oilseed rape and sunflower,respectively,the average generation period was 42.21,39.10 and 40.44 d;the intrinsic rate of increase(r)was 0.0844,0.1041 and 0.1134;the finite rate of increase(λ)was 1.0881,1.1098 and 1.1202.While the most suitable host plant overall was sunflower,S.frugiperda completed development and increased its population on all three host plants.Thus,soybean,oilseed rape and sunflower were all suitable for FAW,and population monitoring and management of FAW in these crops should be increased.
文摘Studying the population ecology of endangered plants provides important baseline information for its monitoring and conservation.Juniperus phoenicea L.is an endangered species in arid ecosystems in Africa and the Middle East.The static life tables,survival curve and age structure of J.phoenicea populations from two mountains in North Sinai,Egypt(Gabal(G.)El-Halal and G.El-Maghara)were investigated.In each mountain,fifteen plots were selected,and field measurements such as stand density,tree height,and crown diameter were conducted.Moreover,44 trees were cored and crossdated according to standard dendrochronological procedures.The results showed that the tree ages ranged from 50 to 262 years at G.El-Halal and 96 to431 years at G.El-Maghara.Mature J.phoenicea individuals dominated the study area,with only a few individuals being younger than 100 years.Moreover,seedling recruitment was extremely limited.Since the studied J.phoenicea populations showed high mortality rates among both old and young individuals,there is an imminent need for establishing a conservation program to prevent its extinction in the future.Therefore,management and conservation efforts should be made to minimize human disturbance and protect the relic habitats of this endangered species at its southern distribution limits in Africa.
基金supported by the Innovative Team Project of Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences,MEECentral Public Welfare Scientific Institution Basal Research Fund,Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China(Nos.GYZX210302,GYZX200203):Biodiversity Survey,Observation and Assessment Program of Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China+2 种基金The National Environmental Protection Public Welfare Industry Targeted Research Fund:Research and demonstration of key technologies for dynamic supervision of nature reserves(No.201509042)The Special Foundation for National Science and Technology Basic Resources Investigation of China(No.2019FY202300)The Jiangsu Postdoctoral Research Funding Program(No.2021K038A)。
文摘Natural secondary forest has a strong capacity to regrow naturally and recover biodiversity rapidly on abandoned lands.However,at the neighborhood scale,which can truly reflect the facilitative or competitive interactions among individual plants,the local diversity spatial structure in secondary forest and the feedback effects of neighborhood diversity on natural regeneration remain unclear,and this may be the key to properly understand the mechanisms of natural secondary forest species diversity recovery.To this end,this study established a dynamic plot in a rehabilitated secondary forest after disturbance and conducted a comprehensive survey of 68,336 individual plants with repeated measurements at 5-year interval to assess the characteristics of neighborhood diversity structure across life history stages and link the neighborhood species richness(NSR)effect translated by species interactions at species diversity structure with individual trees recruitment/mortality in secondary forest regeneration.The results showed that,compared with tropical and temperate natural forests,a higher proportion of diversity accumulators and a lower proportion of repellers in subtropical secondary forests resulted in neighborhood diversity structures characterized by heterospecific or high-diversity patches,which are beneficial to the maintenance or restoration of biodiversity.As an important supplement to the research on the relationship between diversity and productivity,our findings show a positive diversity-survival relationship in subtropical secondary forests.Importantly,we observed that the neighborhood diversity structure exhibited a trend of accumulator-dominated to neutral-dominant changes with life stage from sapling to adult,which,in turn,determined the direction and strength of NSR effects on recruitment/mortality.Specifically,diverse local neighborhoods at a later successional stage characterized with‘neutral’species-species interactions can act as a‘welfare net’by offering favorable microhabitats for the most vulnerable recruitments or saplings,i.e.,the NSR effects that promoted individual recruitment/survival in our study.These results not only enrich our understanding of the biodiversity-productivity-survival relationship but also highlight the importance of retaining latesuccessional species of native trees in intensive forest production or in situ conservation policies.
基金Financial support was provided by the National Natural Sciences Foundation of China(31772451,31970393)the Science and Technology Youth Innovation Team of Sichuan Province(2019JDTD0012)。
文摘Genome size changes significantly among taxonomic levels,and this variation is often related to the patterns shaped by the phylogeny,life histories and ecological factors.However,there are mixed evidences on the main factors affecting molecular evolution in animals.In this study,we used phylogenetic comparative analysis to investigate the evolutionary rate of genome size and the relationships between genome size and life histories(i.e.,hatchling mass,clutch size,clutches per year,age at sexual maturity,lifespan and body mass)among 199 squamata species.Our results showed that the evolutionary rate of genome size in Lacertilia was significantly faster than Serpentes.Moreover,we also found that larger species showed larger hatchling mass,more clutches per year and clutch size and longer lifespan.However,genome size was negatively associated with clutch size and clutches per year,but not associated with body mass we looked at.The findings suggest that larger species do not possess the evolution of large genomes in squamata.
基金financially supported by the Fourth Term of"333 Engineering"Program of Jiangsu Province(Grant No.BRA2011116)Youth Foundation of Jiangsu Province(Grant No.BK2012095)Special Program for Hadal Science and Technology of Shanghai Ocean University(Grant No.HAST-T-2013-01)
文摘Marine structures are mostly made of metals and always experience complex random loading during their service periods. The fatigue crack growth behaviors of metal materials have been proved from laboratory tests to be sensitive to the loading sequence encountered. In order to take account of the loading sequence effect, fatigue life prediction should be based on fatigue crack propagation（FCP） theory rather than the currently used cumulative fatigue damage（CFD） theory. A unified fatigue life prediction（UFLP） method for marine structures has been proposed by the authors＇ group. In order to apply the UFLP method for newly designed structures, authorities such as the classification societies should provide a standardized load-time history（SLH） such as the TWIST and FALSTAFF sequences for transport and fighter aircraft. This paper mainly aims at proposing a procedure to generate the SLHs for marine structures based on a short-term loading sample and to provide an illustration on how to use the presented SLH to a typical tubular T-joint in an offshore platform based on the UFLP method.
