Dynamic biogeography and conservation of endangered species

As one moves from the core to the periphery of a species' geographical range, populations occupy less favourable habitats and exhibit lower and more variable densities. Populations along the periphery of the range tend to be more fragmented and, as a result, are less likely to receive immigrants from other populations. A population's probability of extinction is directly correlated with its variability and inversely correlated with density and immigration rate. This has led to the prediction that, when a species becomes endangered, its geographical range should contract inwards, with the core populations persisting until the final stages of decline. Convinced by these logical but untested deductions, conservation biologists and wildlife managers have been instructed to avoid the range periphery when planning conservation strategies or allocating resources for endangered species. We have analysed range contraction in 245 species from a broad range of taxonomic groups and geographical regions. Here we report that observed patterns of range contraction do not support the above predictions and that most species examined persist in the periphery of their historical geographical ranges.     

Effective global conservation strategies

Using data on the global distribution of mammal, bird and amphibian species, Grenyer et al. conclude that planning based on individual taxa does not provide efficient solutions for the conservation of other taxa. They also report that the performance of existing global conservation strategies-endemic bird areas, biodiversity hotspots and global 200 ecoregions-in representing those taxa is often no better (and in some cases worse) than random. I argue here that the methodology used by Grenyer et al. was not appropriate for purported globally comprehensive analyses. Focusing on analyses of rare species as an example, I demonstrate how the data actually reveal substantial cross-taxon surrogacy and good performance of existing global conservation strategies.     

Veterinary epidemiology: vaccination strategies for foot-and-mouth disease

When foot-and-mouth disease struck the United Kingdom in 2001, the traditional 'stamping out' policy of 1967-68 was supplemented by the pre-emptive culling of animals in premises contiguous to infected premises. A model proposed by Tildesley et al. indicates that the introduction of vaccination should at least halve the number of premises that would need to be subjected to culling in the event of another outbreak. We contest, however, that the overlapping confidence intervals of the outputs of their model, and the inconsistency of their results compared with those from previous models, call into question the model's value as a decision tool, while adding little to the recognized tenet of ring vaccination.     

Optimal reactive vaccination strategies for a foot-and-mouth outbreak in the UK

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in the UK provides an ideal opportunity to explore optimal control measures for an infectious disease. The presence of fine-scale spatio-temporal data for the 2001 epidemic has allowed the development of epidemiological models that are more accurate than those generally created for other epidemics and provide the opportunity to explore a variety of alternative control measures. Vaccination was not used during the 2001 epidemic; however, the recent DEFRA (Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs) contingency plan details how reactive vaccination would be considered in future. Here, using the data from the 2001 epidemic, we consider the optimal deployment of limited vaccination capacity in a complex heterogeneous environment. We use a model of FMD spread to investigate the optimal deployment of reactive ring vaccination of cattle constrained by logistical resources. The predicted optimal ring size is highly dependent upon logistical constraints but is more robust to epidemiological parameters. Other ways of targeting reactive vaccination can significantly reduce the epidemic size; in particular, ignoring the order in which infections are reported and vaccinating those farms closest to any previously reported case can substantially reduce the epidemic. This strategy has the advantage that it rapidly targets new foci of infection and that determining an optimal ring size is unnecessary.     

濒危植物桫椤过氧化物酶的分离纯化与性质

将齿叶黑桫椤叶片提取液经硫酸铵盐析、透析、DEAE-琼脂糖凝胶柱层析和Sephacryl S-200凝胶柱层析分离得到纯化的POD,其纯化倍数为26.29,回收率为27.04%;通过SDS-PAGE法测得POD的分子量为43000D;通过IEF-PAGE法测得POD的等电点为4.55;齿叶黑桫椤POD最适pH在4左右;最适温度在45℃左右;Km值在最适温度45℃、最适pH4的条件下为0.07 mol/L。     

昆嵛山珍稀濒危植物资源及保护

报道了昆嵛山21种濒危植物资源的主要形态特征、分布和保护价值,并根据昆嵛山的特点 提出了相应的保护策略.通过对这些濒危植物的调查和概括,为昆嵛山濒危植物的研究和保护提供 了基础性资料.     

Modelling vaccination strategies against foot-and-mouth disease

Vaccination has proved a powerful defence against a range of infectious diseases of humans and animals. However, its potential to control major epidemics of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in livestock is contentious. Using an individual farm-based model, we consider either national prophylactic vaccination campaigns in advance of an outbreak, or combinations of reactive vaccination and culling strategies during an epidemic. Consistent with standard epidemiological theory, mass prophylactic vaccination could reduce greatly the potential for a major epidemic, while the targeting of high-risk farms increases efficiency. Given sufficient resources and preparation, a combination of reactive vaccination and culling might control ongoing epidemics. We also explore a reactive strategy, 'predictive' vaccination, which targets key spatial transmission loci and can reduce markedly the long tail that characterizes many FMD epidemics. These analyses have broader implications for the control of human and livestock infectious diseases in heterogeneous spatial landscapes.     

濒危植物小叶兜兰(Paphiopedilum barbigerum)微环境特点

茂兰国家级自然保护区有很丰富的兰花资源,小叶兜兰(Paphiopedilum barbigerumTang et Wang)生于海拔800~1 500m的石灰岩山丘荫蔽多石之地或岩隙中,被列入IUCN物种红色名录,属于IUCN濒危物种等级濒危(EN)。利用Li-6400便携式光合作用系统获得了小叶兜兰的光合反应日变化规律,分析植株和周围环境中微量的土壤,以及周围石灰岩的矿物质成分,得出结论,钙耐受和干旱耐受是茂兰国家级自然保护区作为小叶兜兰原生地最显著的特点。周围环境的高温,湿润的空气,高钙的土壤环境在全世界范围比较少见,这些特点是很多喜钙兰花在茂兰分布的主要原因。     

Does population increase alone ensure the long-term survival of endangered species

Over the past three decades, wildlife conservation in China has achieved a number of successes. Endangered animals such as the Chinese alligator and the crested ibis, and plants such as the dawn redwood and Dysosma versipellis have recovered from the brink of extinction after considerable in situ and ex situ conservation efforts. However, population increase alone does not ensure the longterm survival of rare and endangered species, which also requires support from different fields of conservation biology.     

濒危植物缙云卫矛的酯酶和超氧化物歧化酶同工酶变异的数量分析

采用酶电泳手段 ,测定了重庆北碚特产的缙云卫矛 (Euonymuschloranthoides) 3个居群 3 6个个体功能叶片的酯酶 (Es)和超氧化物歧化酶 (SOD)的同工酶谱带 ,并进行二群体态数据编码 ,然后采用Sokal-Michener结合系数的加权平均法 (WPGMA)对各酶谱带相关数据进行聚类分析 ,并结合遗传杂合度 (He)、遗传相似性系数(I)、遗传距离 (D)等遗传分化度量指标的分析 结果表明 ,来自同一居群的个体 ,同工酶谱带相似性高、遗传杂合度小、遗传相似性系数大、遗传距离小 ;显示出居群内个体遗传分化小 ,而居群间的个体则相反 究其原因 ,可能是由其特殊的生殖方式和环境隔离所引起的     

Floristic Characteristics of the Rare and Endangered Plants and the Conservation Countermeasures in Tibet, China

The floristic elements and the geographical distribution are analyzed in this paper based on statistics of elements of rare and endangered plants in Tibet. The results have been gained as following:① According to ““““the National Important Wild Conservative Plants List (List 1)““““ and ““““the National Important Wild Conservative Plants List (List 1)““““, there are a total of 54 plant species (48 genera and 33 families); ② The geographical elements are very complicated in Tibet with 12 of 15 distribution patterns of genera classified byacademician Wu; ③ There are obvious temperate genera with 28 genera accounting for 60.40% of the total genera; ④ There are abundant endemic speciesaccounting for 18.52% of total species but poor endemic genera; ⑤ The geographical distribution is uneven and a great of species distribute in the areas be-tween 1 000 m and 3 500 m above sea level; ⑥ To protect the rare and endangered plants efficiently, six conservation measures are proposed, and 35 species are suggested for the conservative plants of the autonomous conservation level.     

两类不同免疫策略下的SIR流行病模型

研究了两类不同免疫方式下具有饱和传染力的SIR流行病模型的动力学行为.在连续免疫接种方式下,确定了基本再生数R0.用Lassalle定理和Poincare-Bendixon的三分法定理得到疾病消除平衡点和地方病平衡点全局渐近稳定的条件.在脉冲免疫接种方式下,确定了基本再生数R.利用脉冲微分方程的Floquet乘子理论和比较定理,研究了疾病消除周期解的全局渐近稳定性和系统的一致持久性.结果表明,当基本再生数小于1时,该传染病将逐渐消失;当基本再生数大于1时,该传染病将流行,成为地方病.     

Testing reintroduction as a conservation strategy for the critically endangered Chinese alligator: Movements and home range of released captive individuals

The Chinese alligator (Alligator sinensis) is considered the most critically endangered crocodilian as a result of the near total loss of its habitat and its extremely small and fragmented wild populations. Plans for population recovery lie mostly with wetland res- toration and the reintroduction of captive-reared animals. We carried out a first-trial release of 3 adult Chinese alligators (1♂, 2♀) into a pond at the Hongxing conservation site, Xuancheng, southern Anhui Province; the animals were radio-tracked from May to October in 2003. We hypothesized that after a period of adaptation, the alligators would establish definable home ranges. Two (1♂, 1♀) of the 3 alligators were monitored for the whole of the tracking period. The male had an annual home-range size of 7.61 hm2, and the female 4.00 hm2. Water temperature and pond water level were two important factors influencing the alligators’ distributions, and daily movements. The radio-tracked alligators had overlapping home ranges, which notably included the one substantial island in the pond; that island is the only known nesting site of the local native wild alligators. Aggressive interactions between the released alligators and native wild alligators were observed during the breeding season around this island. All the three reintroduced alligators survived the winter of 2003 and were alive in the same pond in 2008. We concluded that the Hongxing conservation site provided a suitable habitat for the reintroduced alligators. However, the low water level in the pond resulting from farmland irrigation in August and September can be a substantial threat to the alligators’ survival. Therefore, regu- lations on irrigation in summer and autumn are needed to balance the water needs of the alligators and agriculture.     

长白山白鸡腰子野生珍稀濒危药用植物现状及保护

经过3年的调查研究，报道了长白山白鸡腰子国家级动植物科技示范园区共有野生珍稀濒危药用植物48种，隶属30科，38属．其中国家级保护的有9科，11属，11种，省级保护的有24科，29属，37种。在掌握了现有材料的基础上，提出了具体的保护措施和建议．     

赤水桫椤自然保护区受危物种现状及保护

列述了赤水桫椤自然保护区内的受危物种,并对其现状及主要威胁进行分析,在此基础上对受危物种的保护提出建议。     

山茶科濒危植物猪血木(Euryodendron excelsum H.T.Chang)的扦插繁殖

 报道了我国山茶科特有濒危植物猪血木(Euryodendron excelsum H.T.Chang)的扦插繁殖实验情况,通过激素处理可以获得其生根、生长正常的扦插繁殖苗,激素处理以100mg/L吲哚丁酸最好,其存活和生根率分别达20%和16%,为该植物的种质保育进行了有益的探索.     

胶东海岸野生玫瑰(Rosa rugosa)的濒危现状与保护策略

玫瑰是具有重要种质和生态价值的濒危植物,胶东海岸是玫瑰在我国的主要分布区之一．通过野外调查和种群特征分析,基本查清了该区域内现存的玫瑰野生分布区(点)及主要分布区的生境特征、玫瑰种群的数量、空间格局,揭示了人为导致的生境破坏、玫瑰种子传播受阻是导致野生玫瑰种群数量持续减少、有性繁殖成功率低的主要原因．在此基础上,提出应对该区域的野生玫瑰种群采取就地保护、迁地保护和利用性保护相结合的多途径保护策略．     

西北濒危动物资源现状与保护对策

综述了西北地区野生濒危动物的种类、分布、保护区建设和野生动物资源现状．从野生动物栖息地减少、人类的经济活动、保护区管理环节薄弱等方面分析了西北野生动物的濒危原因并提出了相应的保护对策．