Coral reefs: corals' adaptive response to climate change

The long-term response of coral reefs to climate change depends on the ability of reef-building coral symbioses to adapt or acclimatize to warmer temperatures, but there has been no direct evidence that such a response can occur. Here we show that corals containing unusual algal symbionts that are thermally tolerant and commonly associated with high-temperature environments are much more abundant on reefs that have been severely affected by recent climate change. This adaptive shift in symbiont communities indicates that these devastated reefs could be more resistant to future thermal stress, resulting in significantly longer extinction times for surviving corals than had been previously assumed.     

砗磲人工繁育、资源恢复与南海岛礁生态牧场建设

南海珊瑚岛礁是海洋生态系统的重要组成部分,是区域特色海洋和渔业生物资源及其多样性的保障。砗磲是珊瑚岛礁的构成物种,具有优良的造礁、固礁护礁功能,并为其它岛礁生物提供栖息地、繁育和庇护场所；近二十多年来,在人类活动和全球环境变化影响下,砗磲及珊瑚等岛礁生物资源受到比较严重的破坏,其岛礁生态牧场天然参与者和构建者的功能受损明显。我们突破砗磲幼虫虫黄藻植入难点和变态率极低的瓶颈问题,率先在海南成功研发了砗磲规模化人工繁育和中培技术,并进行了放流增殖试验,取得了良好的效果。但目前和今后砗磲及珊瑚等生物资源情况依然严峻,期望今后开展更系统、科学、更大规模的基于砗磲、珊瑚及其它重要礁栖生物的放流增殖与生态牧场构建,全面恢复南海珊瑚岛礁的生态环境和生物资源,推动南海的可持续发展。     

近距离煤层下行跨煤柱开采巷道的合理布局

为了探究遗留区段煤柱对下伏回采巷道布局的影响，以煤峪口矿为工程背景，通过最大主应力集中系数判别底板应力增高区，采用理论解析、编程计算、数值模拟的方法，研究了不同开采阶段底板应力增高区的演化特征.结果表明：区段煤柱宽度、埋深、煤柱边缘至峰值区的距离及其垂直应力峰值控制着应力增高区的发育，采空区应力恢复特征对应力增高区的影响可以忽略；对比各模拟方案中煤柱-巷道错距与应力增高区对下煤层的影响范围峰值，并结合采空区应力逐渐恢复及工作面矿压显现的区域化特征，认为煤柱-巷道错距10～15 m为优选区间.选择12 m错距进行工业试验，取得了良好效果.     

The p66shc adaptor protein controls oxidative stress response and life span in mammals

Gene mutations in invertebrates have been identified that extend life span and enhance resistance to environmental stresses such as ultraviolet light or reactive oxygen species. In mammals, the mechanisms that regulate stress response are poorly understood and no genes are known to increase individual life span. Here we report that targeted mutation of the mouse p66shc gene induces stress resistance and prolongs life span. p66shc is a splice variant of p52shc/p46shc (ref. 2), a cytoplasmic signal transducer involved in the transmission of mitogenic signals from activated receptors to Ras. We show that: (1) p66shc is serine phosphorylated upon treatment with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) or irradiation with ultraviolet light; (2) ablation of p66shc enhances cellular resistance to apoptosis induced by H2O2 or ultraviolet light; (3) a serine-phosphorylation defective mutant of p66shc cannot restore the normal stress response in p66shc-/- cells; (4) the p53 and p21 stress response is impaired in p66shc-/- cells; (5) p66shc-/- mice have increased resistance to paraquat and a 30% increase in life span. We propose that p66shc is part of a signal transduction pathway that regulates stress apoptotic responses and life span in mammals.     

Communication arising. Is coral bleaching really adaptive?

From an experiment in which corals are transplanted between two depths on a Panamanian coral reef, Baker infers that bleaching may sometimes help reef corals to survive environmental change. Although Baker's results hint at further mechanisms by which reef-building corals may acclimatize to changing light conditions, we do not consider that the evidence supports his inference.     

珊瑚礁相关病毒的研究进展

珊瑚礁被称为海洋中的“热带雨林”,是海洋生态系统中的核心组成部分之一。珊瑚礁病毒包含珊瑚本身感染的病毒和珊瑚共生生物（如藻类、细菌等）感染的病毒,对于珊瑚礁健康与疾病、生长与死亡起着独特而重要的作用,在维持珊瑚礁生态系统的物质循环和能量流动等生态学功能方面起着潜在作用。由于技术的局限以及关注度较低等原因,有关珊瑚礁病毒的研究较少。近年来,随着高通量测序技术的发展,宏转录组和宏基因组逐渐成为研究珊瑚礁病毒多样性及其生态学功能的重要方法之一。本文对国内外相关研究进行总结和归纳,拟为珊瑚礁病毒后续研究提供新的方向和思路,同时指导我国珊瑚礁的保护以及修复。     

千岛湖风化基岩消落带植被的垂直分布特征

【目的】研究自然植被在湖滨消落带的分布规律,为消落带植被修复与重建提供参考。【方法】在千岛湖区风化基岩消落带上采用固定样地调查方法,结合千岛湖水位涨落动态观察,通过物种重要值、聚类分析及其多样性,研究自然植被在海拔98.0～108.9 m的垂直分布特征。【结果】千岛湖水位基本上呈现1—3月为98～100 m的低水位、4—6月逐渐升高至104 m、7—9月为105～106 m的高水位、10—12月再逐渐回落至100 m低水位的年变化动态规律。风化基岩消落带植被的垂直分布与水位的季节性涨落或淹没时间有关,106.0～108.9 m区间为乔灌草植被带,乔木种类主要有木荷(Schima superba)、香樟(Cinnamomum camphora)等; 104.0～105.9 m区间为灌草植被带,主要种类有苦竹(Pleioblastus amarus)、山莓(Rubus corchorifolius)等灌木和大狼杷草(Bidens frondosa)、鼠曲草(Pseudognaphalium affine)等草本; 102.0～103.9 m区间为草本植被带,主要种类为上位灌草植被带出现的毛茛(Ranunculus japonicus)、酸模(Rumex acetosa)、泥胡菜(Hemisteptia lyrata)、狗牙根(Cynodon dactylon)、类芦(Neyraudia reynaudiana)、粉披苔草(Carex pruinosa)等草本,但盖度只有20%左右; 98.0～101.9 m区间为无植被带。植物的多样性自上而下基本呈现上多下少的现象。【结论】千岛湖106.0～108.9 m乔灌草植被带、104.0～105.9 m灌草植被带自然植被的垂直分布和结构特征为消落带植被人工修复与重建提供了物种选择及其结构配置的重要依据; 102.0～103.9 m草本植被带和98.0～101.9 m无植被带是千岛湖风化基岩消落带生态系统极度脆弱的区间带,也是植被修复与重建最难、最重要的区间带。     

Positive interactions among alpine plants increase with stress

Plants can have positive effects on each other. For example, the accumulation of nutrients, provision of shade, amelioration of disturbance, or protection from herbivores by some species can enhance the performance of neighbouring species. Thus the notion that the distributions and abundances of plant species are independent of other species may be inadequate as a theoretical underpinning for understanding species coexistence and diversity. But there have been no large-scale experiments designed to examine the generality of positive interactions in plant communities and their importance relative to competition. Here we show that the biomass, growth and reproduction of alpine plant species are higher when other plants are nearby. In an experiment conducted in subalpine and alpine plant communities with 115 species in 11 different mountain ranges, we find that competition generally, but not exclusively, dominates interactions at lower elevations where conditions are less physically stressful. In contrast, at high elevations where abiotic stress is high the interactions among plants are predominantly positive. Furthermore, across all high and low sites positive interactions are more important at sites with low temperatures in the early summer, but competition prevails at warmer sites.     

Getting the measure of biodiversity

The term 'biodiversity' is a simple contraction of 'biological diversity', and at first sight the concept is simple too: biodiversity is the sum total of all biotic variation from the level of genes to ecosystems. The challenge comes in measuring such a broad concept in ways that are useful. We show that, although biodiversity can never be fully captured by a single number, study of particular facets has led to rapid, exciting and sometimes alarming discoveries. Phylogenetic and temporal analyses are shedding light on the ecological and evolutionary processes that have shaped current biodiversity. There is no doubt that humans are now destroying this diversity at an alarming rate. A vital question now being tackled is how badly this loss affects ecosystem functioning. Although current research efforts are impressive, they are tiny in comparison to the amount of unknown diversity and the urgency and importance of the task.     

基于优化多相编码和天线设计的MIMO STAP研究

多发多收（MIMO,multiple input and multiple output）雷达发射正交波形以获得良好的波形分集增益和更高的自由度。为了提高信号的自相关和互相关性能,采用循环算法（CA,cyclic algorithm）,得到了具有低自相关旁瓣峰值（ASP,auto correlation sidelobe peak）和互相关峰值（CP,cross correlation peak）的多相编码信号。仿真实验基于优化多相编码信号和天线阵列结构实现STAP（space-time adaptive processing）,克服了多信号间相互影响、稀疏天线布阵结构导致的盲速和密布天线布阵影响孔径大小等问题,验证了本文方法有效性。     

Interspecies and spatial diversity in the symbiotic zooxanthellae density in corals from northern South China Sea and its relationship to coral reef bleaching

Coral reef bleaching is usually characterized by expulsion of symbiotic zooxanthellae, loss of zooxanthellae pigmentation, or both. We collected 128 samples comprising 39 species of 21 genera of reef-building corals from Luhuitou and Xiaodonghai in Sanya of Hainan Island and Daya Bay of Guangdong Province, respectively, and analyzed the symbiotic zooxanthellae population density. The results show that： （1） the symbiotic zooxanthella density varies from 0.67×10^6 to 8.48×10^6 cell/cm^2, displaying significant interspecies variability, with branch corals usually having relatively less zooxanthellae （ranging from 0.67×10^6 to 2.47×10^6 cell/cm^2） than massive species （from 1.0×10^6 to 8.48×10^6 cell/cm^2）; （2） corals inhabiting within 4 m water depth have higher levels of symbiotic zooxanthellae than those living at the bottom （-7 m depth） of the reef area; （3） there is no discernable difference in the zooxanthellae density between corals from relatively high latitude Daya Bay （-22°N） and those from relatively low latitude Sanya （-18°N） at comparable sea surface temperatures （SST）; （4） in partially-bleached corals, the density of zooxanthellae shows the following order： healthy-looking part〉 semi-bleached part 〉 bleached part. Based on the above results, we suggest that （1） the zooxanthellae density difference between branching and massive coral species is the main cause that branching corals are more vulnerable to bleaching than massive corals. For example, symbiotic zooxanthellae levels are low in branching Acropora and Pocillopora corals and thus these corals are more susceptible to bleaching and mortality; （2） symbiotic zooxanthellae density can also be affected by environmental conditions, such as sediment loads, diving-related turbidity, and aquaculture-related nitrate and phosphate input, and their increase may reduce symbiotic zooxanthellae density in corals.     

长白落叶松人工林下草本植物对光环境变化的响应

对长白落叶松(Larix olgensis Henry)人工林进行带状皆伐和不同强度择伐,利用冠层分析仪研究冠下草本植物多样性、生物量、高生长和盖度对光环境变化的响应.结果表明:林下草本植物的多样性、生物量、高生长和盖度都随着光照强度的增大而增加,但不同主伐方式草本植物响应的光照强度区间和策略不同.在皆伐林带内,物种多样性与总辐射强度间没有明显相关性;在择伐林下,物种多样性与总辐射强度显著线性相关,光照越强,多样性越高.对比不同主伐方式可以发现,即使总辐射指数相同,皆伐带内也比择伐林冠下具有相对较高的草本植物多样性、生物量及盖度,说明带状皆伐更有利于草本植物生长和种群数量增加.同时发现,当总辐射指数i0.15时,不论哪种主伐方式草本植物的生物量、高生长及盖度均处于较低水平;而当i0.15时,草本植物的高度和盖度进入加速生长期;当i0.25时生物量开始进入加速生长期.研究结论可为林下生物多样性研究,确定合理的主伐方式及择伐强度提供参考依据.     

新建人工湖沉积物磷形态分布及其影响因素实验

通过采用连续分级提取法研究了某新建人工湖沉积物磷的形态分布,并研究了环境因素（溶解氧、温度、pH值和光照）对人工湖中的沉积物磷的影响。结果表明新建人工湖沉积物中无机磷含量在总磷中占绝对优势,其中“活性磷”占总磷的12.0%~15.1%,其质量浓度分布为：缓流区>出湖口>湖心区>入湖口>滞流区;有机磷含量占总磷的3.4%～8.5%,其质量浓度分布为：出湖口>湖心区>滞流区>缓流区>入湖口。新建人工湖中的沉积物磷表现出先吸附后释放的规律;较高的温度和pH以及较低的溶解氧都会促进沉积物中磷的释放,且磷的释放量在无光照下明显高于有光照。     

Ecology: ultraviolet reflectance by the skin of nestlings

Birds can perceive the reflectance of ultraviolet light by biological structures. Here we show that the skin of the mouth and body of starling nestlings substantially reflects light in the ultraviolet range and that young in which this reflectance is reduced will gain less mass than controls, despite low background levels of ultraviolet and visible light in the nest. We suggest that this ultraviolet reflectance from starling nestlings and its contrast with surrounding surfaces are important for parental decisions about food allocation.     

Coral mucus functions as an energy carrier and particle trap in the reef ecosystem

Zooxanthellae, endosymbiotic algae of reef-building corals, substantially contribute to the high gross primary production of coral reefs, but corals exude up to half of the carbon assimilated by their zooxanthellae as mucus. Here we show that released coral mucus efficiently traps organic matter from the water column and rapidly carries energy and nutrients to the reef lagoon sediment, which acts as a biocatalytic mineralizing filter. In the Great Barrier Reef, the dominant genus of hard corals, Acropora, exudes up to 4.8 litres of mucus per square metre of reef area per day. Between 56% and 80% of this mucus dissolves in the reef water, which is filtered through the lagoon sands. Here, coral mucus is degraded at a turnover rate of at least 7% per hour. Detached undissolved mucus traps suspended particles, increasing its initial organic carbon and nitrogen content by three orders of magnitude within 2 h. Tidal currents concentrate these mucus aggregates into the lagoon, where they rapidly settle. Coral mucus provides light energy harvested by the zooxanthellae and trapped particles to the heterotrophic reef community, thereby establishing a recycling loop that supports benthic life, while reducing loss of energy and nutrients from the reef ecosystem.     

Emerged fossil corals on the coast of northwestern Hainan Island, China: Implications for mid-Holocene sea level change and tectonic uplift

Fossil corals are widespread on the coast of northwestern Hainan Island, China. Most of these corals are exposed during low tide levels, indicating that a higher sea level may have existed during their life time. The radiocarbon data introduced by this paper in combination with those from other sources show that the corals were alive mainly during the midto late-Holocene. Mid-Holocene sea levels 1-3 m higher than the present level were confirmed for adjacent coasts; however, the emerged corals on the investigated coast are not necessarily indicators of a higher eustatic sea level. They do predict relative sea levels of 1.5-3.4 m when using 1 m below the tidal datum as the upper limit of coral growth. However, using the Mean Lower Low Water as the coral’s upper growth limit, the relative sea level on the non-volcanic coast was almost as high as the present level, whereas that on the volcanic coast was 0.4-2.0 m higher than present. Therefore, the exposure of these dead coral heads and their discrepancy in elevation may be the result of tectonic uplift caused by volcanic activities. From these results, the highest sea level of upward coral growth must be defined first when using fossil corals to reconstruct past sea levels. Meanwhile, vertical tectonics have to be taken into account as a significant factor when conducting high-resolution sea level reconstruction, although the South China coast is located in a "tectonically stable" region.     

裂缝诱导损伤力学模型研究

水力压裂后,当微裂缝闭合时初始损伤带的诱导应力导致围岩应力重新分布.为确定初次压裂后应力分布规律,将围岩区域分为破坏区、损伤区和弹性区,建立了基于损伤理论的人工裂缝诱导应力模型,选择吉林油田1口生产井为研究对象,计算结果表明:人工裂缝诱导应力随井筒的距离的增大而逐渐减小,计算结果与实际情况吻合较好.     

Overexpression of beta-carotene hydroxylase enhances stress tolerance in Arabidopsis

Plant stress caused by extreme environmental conditions is already a principal reason for yield reduction in crops. The threat of global environment change makes it increasingly important to generate crop plants that will withstand such conditions. Stress, particularly stress caused by increased sunlight, leads to the production of reactive oxygen species that cause photo-oxidative cell damage. Carotenoids, which are present in the membranes of all photosynthetic organisms, help protect against such light-dependent oxidative damage. In plants, the xanthophyll cycle (the reversible interconversion of two carotenoids, violaxanthin and zeaxanthin) has a key photoprotective role and is therefore a promising target for genetic engineering to enhance stress tolerance. Here we show that in Arabidopsis thaliana overexpression of the chyB gene that encodes beta-carotene hydroxylase--an enzyme in the zeaxanthin biosynthetic pathway--causes a specific twofold increase in the size of the xanthophyll cycle pool. The plants are more tolerant to conditions of high light and high temperature, as shown by reduced leaf necrosis, reduced production of the stress indicator anthocyanin and reduced lipid peroxidation. Stress protection is probably due to the function of zeaxanthin in preventing oxidative damage of membranes.     

水采矿压控制机理的有限元研究

本文利用有限元计算机模拟研究了水采采场周围的应力分布规律,着重探讨了顶板在煤体上方断裂前后的支承压力分布和不同的枪眼位置时的支承压力分布规律。研究结果表明,在塑性区掘进回采巷道引起的应力转移比在高应力的弹性区掘进回采巷道引起的应力转移要小得多,减轻水采矿压显现的关键是在低应力区掘进回采巷道和实行区段间交替回采。     

S引入ZnO的水热生长及其微观发光特性研究

利用单步水热法制备了纯ZnO和S引入的双棒状ZnO（S-ZnO）孪晶结构,并系统研究了掺杂对ZnO结构、形貌及荧光发光特性的影响。X射线衍射的实验结果表明,在引入S的ZnO样品中没有出现可以检测的新物相,S在样品中主要以杂质的形式存在。荧光光谱数据表明,在低温下纯ZnO样品无可见光发光,但S-ZnO样品出现了较强的绿光发光峰;室温下两个样品均出现了可见光发光：ZnO样品的发光峰位于橙光区（570 nm附近）,而S-ZnO位于绿光区（500 nm附近）。微区阴极荧光谱的数据表明,ZnO样品的橙光发光非常弱,几乎不可探测;S-ZnO样品的绿光发光则很强,要远远超过带边发光。本研究结果为进一步理解S在ZnO中引入的缺陷及其发光机理起到重要的作用,对增强ZnO的可见光发光特性进行了有益的探索。