Temperate Asia Research Articles

Degree of connectivity in reconstructed precipitation dynamics and extremes for semiarid regions across South Siberia

Tree rings from forest-steppes of temperate continental Asia are useful proxies for the moisture regime reconstructions, encompassing environmental variations such as warming climate, changing frequency and intensity of droughts. Heterogeneity of precipitation leaves open the question of the probability of spatially large-scale droughts in this macro-region. Theoretically, such events could be driven by global tele-connections and/or common astronomic cycles. We have attempted the precipitation reconstructions of two distant (~1000 km) intermountain valleys in South Siberia, based on the tree ring width of Pinus sylvestris L. To enhance the quality of the precipitation reconstruction models, networks of existing tree-ring data were expanded and daily precision of instrumental precipitation series was implemented for calibration. Within-region (150–200 km) common signal between local chronologies r = 0.37–0.90 (p < 0.05) allowed obtaining regional ones, registering precipitation up to annual temporal scale. High correlations of both regional chronologies with annual precipitation were found for period from previous July 22 to current July 21 (r = 0.71–0.72). These precipitation series were further reconstructed. Reconstruction models explaining 50–52% of variation were developed for the years 1753–2015 and 1798–2015. Although both valleys do not record many concurrent extreme precipitation events, some common and opposite extremes have been revealed. For both regions, an 11-year and 26–29-year cycles were commonly observed. These were probably associated with the solar activity and Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). However, phase shifts of these cycles were recorded between the regions and with PDO. Stronger impact of oceanic air masses was observed in the eastern one of the two considered territories. Whereas higher significance of frequencies associated with astronomic cycles (solar and lunar-nodal) was found in the western one. Data availabilityTemperature and precipitation series of climatic stations were obtained from the website of All-Russia Research Institute of Hydrometeorological Information, World Data Centre (RIHMI-WDC, http://meteo.ru/data). Other climatic time series and solar activity series were obtained from the website of The Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) Climate Explorer (https://climexp.knmi.nl). Used in the study tree-ring width measurements will be submitted to the International Tree-Ring Data Bank (ITRDB; https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/paleoclimatology/tree-ring) upon publication of the manuscript and with reference to it.

Phylogenetic analysis of the complete mitochondrial genome of the Japanese peacock butterfly Aglais io geisha (Stichel 1907) (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae)

The peacock butterfly Aglais io (Linnaeus, 1758) (Nymphalidae: Nymphalinae: Nymphalini) is a colorful and charismatic flagship butterfly species whose range spans from the British Isles and Europe through temperate Asia and the Far East. In Europe, it has been used as a model species for studying the effects of GMO maize pollen on caterpillar growth and survivorship. The Japanese subspecies, Aglais io geisha (Stichel 1907), is not as well studied as its European counterpart. Genome skimming by Illumina sequencing allowed the assembly of a complete circular mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of 15,252 bp from A. io geisha consisting of 80.6% AT nucleotides, 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNAs, two rRNAs, and a control region in the gene order typical of butterfly species. Aglais io geisha COX1 gene features an atypical start codon (CGA) while COX1, COX2, CYTB, ND1, ND3, ND4, and ND5 display incomplete stop codons finished by the addition of 3’ A residues to the mRNA. Bayesian phylogenetic reconstruction places A. io geisha within a clade with European A. io mitogenomes in the tribe Nymphalini, which is consistent with previous phylogenetic hypotheses.

Gelidocalamus fengkaiensis (Poaceae: Bambusoideae),\xa0a new bamboo species from Guangdong, China,\xa0with an analysis of branch development in relation to flowering

BackgroundBamboos, widely distributed in temperate and tropical Asia, Africa and America, refer to a group of special plants in Poaceae, Bambusoideae. China is rich in bamboo species. However, due to a long flowering cycle, the flowering habit and the flowering structure of many bamboo species are still not well understood. Here, we report a new bamboo species from Guangdong, China and an analysis of its interesting branch development in relation to flowering.ResultsThis species is similar to G. stellatus, the type species, but differs in the characteristics of its lemma and palea, mid-culm branch complement, and culm-sheath ligules. The initial branches at a culm node do not apically develop flowering structures during a flowering episode; instead, these form on what appears to be specialized flowering branches.ConclusionsThe results of morphological comparison support the recognition of Gelidocalamus fengkaiensis as a new species. And during a flowering episode, two branch types (‘foliage branch’ and ‘flowering branch’) can be distinguished in this species.

Diversity and species-specificity of brood pollination of leafflower trees (Phyllanthaceae: Glochidion) by leafflower moths (Lepidoptera: Epicephala) in tropical Southeast Asia (Cambodia)

Glochidion (Phyllanthaceae; leafflower trees) is a genus of trees which is widely reported to be pollinated by leafflower moths (Gracillariidae: Epicephala) in temperate and subtropical Asia, Australia, and the Pacific islands. However, the pollination ecology of Glochidion is not well described from tropical Asia, the region where it is most species-rich at both local (≤9 spp.) and regional (~200 spp.) scales. Here we report investigations of pollination biology and species-specificity of five Glochidion species in tropical Southeast Asia (Cambodia). Through nocturnal observations and fruit dissections, we find that at least three and likely five Glochidion species in Cambodia are pollinated by seed-parasitic leafflower moths. We find no evidence that any of these leafflower moths are non-mutualistic parasites, despite known examples of such parasites of this mutualism elsewhere in Asia. While the presence of a single larva in a fruit results in only a fraction of seeds being consumed, the presence of more than one larva per fruit—a frequent occurrence in some species—can result in almost all seeds within the fruit being infested. Multilocus phylogenetic analysis indicates that there are five different minimally monophyletic leafflower moth clades, each of which pollinates a unique Glochidion host species. Our results indicate that in its center of diversity in tropical Asia this system is an obligate pollination mutualism as previously described at the global margins of its distribution. These findings provide insights into the processes that generate and maintain biodiversity and maintain mutualism stability in plant–insect interactions in this biodiversity hotspot.

Taxonomic status of Macaronesian Eucyclops agiloides azorensis (Arthropoda: Crustacea: Copepoda) revisited – morphology suggests a Palearctic origin

Macaronesia, with the exception of the Azores, is one of the few Palearctic provinces where basic taxonomic information on the freshwater copepods is still lacking. We redescribed Eucyclops azorensis, a cyclopid crustacean so far known only in the Azores, and report the occurrence of this species in Algeria and Madeira Island. Eucyclops azorensis was formerly considered to be a subspecies of E. agiloides (East Africa); therefore, the latter species is redescribed here as well based on type and non-type material. Morphological comparisons between E. azorensis, E. agiloides and other taxa (E. serrulatus and E. roseus), assumed to be closely related to our target species, support a closer relationship between E. azorensis and E. serrulatus (Palearctic) than between E. azorensis and E. agiloides (Afrotropical). The slight differences between E. azorensis and E. serrulatus in the surface ornamentation of the antennal coxobasis and intercoxal sclerites of legs 1 and 4 suggest a relatively young separation of these lineages. Eucyclops agiloides is morphologically close to E. roseus (temperate and subtropical Asia, southeastern Europe, East Africa). The numerous and clear-cut differences indicate a species rather than subspecies-level differentiation between E. agiloides and E. roseus, unlike what was formerly proposed in the taxonomic literature.

Integrating continental mainland and islands in temperate East Asia: liverworts and hornworts of the Korean Peninsula.

The liverwort and hornwort flora of the Korean Peninsula possesses some unique traits arising from the geographic position of the Peninsula, where the mainland flora meets insular flora. This flora is still not exhaustively studied, due not only to political reasons, but also because much less attention has been paid than to adjacent lands by hepaticologists. A checklist presented is based on a study of ca. 15,500 specimens collected by the authors and a review of relevant literature. This study provides the checklist of liverworts and hornworts known from Korea and the geographical distribution of each species within the peninsula. The liverworts and hornworts in Korean flora include 346 taxa (326 species, 16 subspecies and four varieties) in 112 genera and 50 families. Since 2007, 75 taxa of liverworts and four taxa of hornworts are reported as new to the Korean Peninsula, with a number of the new records arising following application of new taxonomic concepts that have become apparent over the last few decades. While compiling the checklist, 42 species, previously reported to Korea, are excluded from the Korean liverwort flora.

Regional CO&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;2&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt; fluxes from 2010 to 2015 inferred from GOSAT XCO&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;2&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt; retrievals using a new version of the Global Carbon Assimilation System

Abstract. Satellite retrievals of the column-averaged dry air mole fractions of CO2 (XCO2) could help to improve carbon flux estimation due to their good spatial coverage. In this study, in order to assimilate the GOSAT (Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite) XCO2 retrievals, the Global Carbon Assimilation System (GCAS) is upgraded with new assimilation algorithms, procedures, a localization scheme, and a higher assimilation parameter resolution. This upgraded system is referred to as GCASv2. Based on this new system, the global terrestrial ecosystem (BIO) and ocean (OCN) carbon fluxes from 1 May 2009 to 31 December 2015 are constrained using the GOSAT ACOS (Atmospheric CO2 Observations from Space) XCO2 retrievals (Version 7.3). The posterior carbon fluxes from 2010 to 2015 are independently evaluated using CO2 observations from 52 surface flask sites. The results show that the posterior carbon fluxes could significantly improve the modeling of atmospheric CO2 concentrations, with global mean bias decreases from a prior value of 1.6 ± 1.8 ppm to −0.5 ± 1.8 ppm. The uncertainty reduction (UR) of the global BIO flux is 17 %, and the highest monthly regional UR could reach 51 %. Globally, the mean annual BIO and OCN carbon sinks and their interannual variations inferred in this study are very close to the estimates of CarbonTracker 2017 (CT2017) during the study period, and the inferred mean atmospheric CO2 growth rate and its interannual changes are also very close to the observations. Regionally, over the northern lands, the strongest carbon sinks are seen in temperate North America, followed by Europe, boreal Asia, and temperate Asia; in the tropics, there are strong sinks in tropical South America and tropical Asia, but a very weak sink in Africa. This pattern is significantly different from the estimates of CT2017, but the estimated carbon sinks for each continent and some key regions like boreal Asia and the Amazon are comparable or within the range of previous bottom-up estimates. The inversion also changes the interannual variations in carbon fluxes in most TransCom land regions, which have a better relationship with the changes in severe drought area (SDA) or leaf area index (LAI), or are more consistent with previous estimates for the impact of drought. These results suggest that the GCASv2 system works well with the GOSAT XCO2 retrievals and shows good performance with respect to estimating the surface carbon fluxes; meanwhile, our results also indicate that the GOSAT XCO2 retrievals could help to better understand the interannual variations in regional carbon fluxes.

Tree canopy accession strategy changes along the latitudinal gradient of temperate Northeast Asia

AbstractAimUnderstanding how natural forest disturbances control tree regeneration is key to predicting the consequences of globally accelerating forest diebacks on carbon stocks and forest biodiversity. Tropical cyclones (TCs) are important drivers of forest dynamics in Eastern Asia, and it is predicted that their importance will increase. However, little is known about the impact of TCs on forest regeneration.LocationLatitudinal gradient from south Korea (33° N) to the Russian Far East (45° N).Time periodLast 300 years.Major taxa studiedQuercus mongolica, Abies nephrolepis and Pinus koraiensis.MethodsWe explored the effects of TC activity on canopy accession strategies derived from long‐term tree radial growth patterns along a 1,500‐km latitudinal gradient of decreasing TC activity. We analysed canopy accession strategies for &gt; 800 trees of three widely distributed tree species by dividing them into gap trees (GTs), which established immediately after gap formation, and released trees (RTs), which accessed the upper canopy after a period of competitive suppression.ResultsWe found a substantial decrease in GTs and increase in RTs proportionally along the gradient of decreasing TC activity. Pinus koraiensis and A. nephrolepis exhibited high variability in the proportions of the individual canopy accession strategies along the latitudinal gradient, whereas it was more stable for Q. mongolica. We identified the gradient of TC activity as the main driver influencing canopy dynamics and thus changes in life‐history traits for P. koraiensis and Q. mongolica, whereas maximal growth rate was the main driver for A. nephrolepis.Main conclusionsFlexibility in growth strategies enabled the studied species to cover extensive areas and indicates that they will be able to cope with shifts in disturbance regimes induced by the poleward migration of TCs and increasing TC intensity. Our results highlight the canopy accession strategy as an ecological indicator of past disturbance activity.

Mitogenome, Gene Rearrangement and Phylogeny of Dicroglossidae Revisited

The paddy frog (Fejervarya multistriata) belonging to the family Dicroglossidae, is a species widely distributed in temperate and tropical Asia. In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of F. multistriata was sequenced. The mitogenome was 17 677 bp in size, consisting of 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 23 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, two ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes, and a non-coding control region (D-loop). Like in other vertebrates, most mitochondrial genes of the species are encoded on the heavy (H) strand, except for ND6 and eight tRNA genes which are encoded on the light (L) strand. The overall base composition contained 28.03% A, 29.90% T, 26.91% C and 15.16% G. The alignment of the Fejervarya and related species' control regions exhibited high genetic variability and rich A + T content. In addition, we found that the tRNA-Leu2 rearrangement occurred in the LTPF gene cluster in the mitochondrial genome of the F. multistriata, resulting in a new arrangement (T-PL-F). There was a tandem duplication of the tRNA-Met gene between tRNA-Gln and ND2, and the similarity rate of the two genes reached 74.6%. The phylogenetic relationships based on nucleotide sequences of 13 PCGs was analysed by re-establishing phylogenetic trees (ML and BI). The results indicated that F. multistriata was more closely related to F. limnocharis than to F. cancrivora and F. manoharani, the two latter showing a new gene rearrangement (ND6-tRNA-Glu-Cytb-D-loop-ND5-tRNA-Thr-tRNA-Pro-tRNA-Leu-tRNA-Phe). Our results indicate that F. limnocharis sample found in Yancheng, and F. multistriata from Mojia, Santai and Ji'an, are possible conspecifics. This study on the mitochondrial genome of F. multistriata provides an important reference for the future studies on phylogenetic relationship and the taxonomic status of Fejervarya and related Dicroglossidae species.

Morphological characterization of diploid and triploidAcorus calamus(Acoraceae) from southern Western Siberia, parthenocarpy in sterile plants and occurrence of aneuploidy

AbstractFinding morphological differences between cytotypes that are stable throughout their geographical range is important for understanding evolution of polyploid complexes. The ancient monocot lineage Acorus includes two groups, of which A. calamus s.l., an important medicinal plant, is a polyploid complex with a centre of diversity in Asia. European plants are sterile triploids introduced by humans. An early study suggested that plants from temperate Asia are tetraploids, but subsequent work revealed diploids and triploids rather than tetraploids in Asiatic Russia; however, cytotype diversity in Western Siberia is insufficiently known. We document the occurrence of diploids and triploids in Western Siberia. Triploids that do not differ in genome size from European Acorus are abundant in the valley of the river Ob where the ability for extensive vegetative propagation provides ecological advantages. An isolated population of aneuploid triploids with 33 chromosomes is found outside the Ob valley. Flow cytometry provides an efficient tool for identification of aneuploid plants in Acorus. All triploids are sterile, but their flowers develop uniform parthenocarpic fruits. Fruits of diploids usually vary in size within a spadix depending on the number of developing seeds. In contrast to North America, where the native diploid plants differ from the introduced triploids by the absence of a secondary midrib of the ensiform leaf blade, Siberian diploids are similar to triploids in possessing a secondary midrib. We confirm that diploids differ from triploids in the size of air lacunae in leaves, which is determined by cell number rather than cell size in septa of aerenchyma. A combination of spathe width and spadix length measured after the male stage of anthesis shows different (slightly overlapping) patterns of variation between diploids and triploids in our material.

Identification of wood species used in particleboard production

Abstract Wood and wood products including particleboard imported into the European Union (EU) are subject to the EU Timber Trade Regulation (EUTR) since 2013. With regard to the correct and complete required declaration, many such products not produced in the EU are currently investigated independently. The particles processed for the manufacture of particleboard are significantly smaller than solid wood samples. Thus, the preparation for anatomical analysis is more complex, as is their identification. The composition of the taxa identified allows a distinction between certain assortments according to the origin of the processed wood: temperate Europe; plantation-grown (worldwide); tropical and subtropical Asia; temperate Asia; tropical Africa. Important information for the evaluation of EUTR-subjected timbers in particleboard is provided.

Projecting the continental accumulation of alien species through to 2050.

Biological invasions have steadily increased over recent centuries. However, we still lack a clear expectation about future trends in alien species numbers. In particular, we do not know whether alien species will continue to accumulate in regional floras and faunas, or whether the pace of accumulation will decrease due to the depletion of native source pools. Here, we apply a new model to simulate future numbers of alien species based on estimated sizes of source pools and dynamics of historical invasions, assuming a continuation of processes in the future as observed in the past (a business-as-usual scenario). We first validated performance of different model versions by conducting a back-casting approach, therefore fitting the model to alien species numbers until 1950 and validating predictions on trends from 1950 to 2005. In a second step, we selected the best performing model that provided the most robust predictions to project trajectories of alien species numbers until 2050. Altogether, this resulted in 3,790 stochastic simulation runs for 38 taxon-continent combinations. We provide the first quantitative projections of future trajectories of alien species numbers for seven major taxonomic groups in eight continents, accounting for variation in sampling intensity and uncertainty in projections. Overall, established alien species numbers per continent were predicted to increase from 2005 to 2050 by 36%. Particularly, strong increases were projected for Europe in absolute (+2,543±237 alien species) and relative terms, followed by Temperate Asia (+1,597±197), Northern America (1,484±74) and Southern America (1,391±258). Among individual taxonomic groups, especially strong increases were projected for invertebrates globally. Declining (but still positive) rates were projected only for Australasia. Our projections provide a first baseline for the assessment of future developments of biological invasions, which will help to inform policies to contain the spread of alien species.

Population genetic characterization of the black-veined white, Aporia crataegi (Lepidoptera: Pieridae), using novel microsatellite markers and mitochondrial DNA gene sequences

The black-veined white, Aporia crataegi (Lepidoptera: Pieridae), is distributed from northwest Africa throughout most of Europe and temperate Asia to far eastern Russia and Japan and is presumed to be extinct in South Korea, with only a few dried specimens remaining. A common conservation practice for such near-extinct species is the launch of an introduction program, but prior genetic analysis of donor and donee populations may be essential for the success of such a program. In the present study, we investigated the genetic diversity and the relationships of A. crataegi populations from South Korea and nearby Asian countries, using 11 newly developed A. crataegi-specific microsatellite markers and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences from two genes (a total of 1317 bp from COI and CytB). mtDNA-based analyses, using a total of 115 individuals collected from China, Russia, Mongolia, and Japan and museum specimens from South Korea consistently showed long-held, close genetic relationships between A. crataegi populations from Mongolia, China, and Russia and those from South Korea, with the highest diversity detected in the Mongolian population. Principal coordinate analyses and STRUCTURE analyses, based on microsatellite markers, also suggested that A. crataegi from South Korea had a similar gene pool to populations from China, Mongolia, and Russia, with a similar degree of genetic diversity among these populations. Taken together, the mtDNA and microsatellite data suggest that the northern populations, particularly those from Mongolia, can be considered the most suitable population as an immediate donor for the near-extinct South Korean population of A. crataegi.

The genus Catathelasma (Catathelasmataceae, Basidiomycota) in China.

Two new species, Catathelasmalaorentou and C.subalpinum, are described on the basis of morphological characters, phylogenetic evidence, host preferences and geographic distributions. A taxonomic key to the known species in China is also provided to facilitate identification. Based on samples from temperate Asia, Europe and North America, the phylogeny of Catathelasma was reconstructed using the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, the large subunit (LSU) of the ribosomal DNA and the translation elongation factor 1-α (TEF1).The phylogenetic results showed that Catathelasma contains two monophyletic clades: the /subalpinum clade and the /imperiale clade. The Asian species C.laorentou and C.subalpinum are closely related to the North American C. sp. (labelled as C.ventricosum in GenBank) in the /subalpinum clade, whereas C.imperiale and C.singeri are closely related in the /imperiale clade.

Genetic variability of Prunus padus (Rosaceae) elaborates “a new Eurasian phylogeographical paradigm”

The extent of glacial survival of woody plants in temperate Asia is still poorly known. A reliable way to clarify this issue in the absence of sufficient paleontological data is a phylogeographic analysis of contemporary populations. A recent study of Juniperus communis genetic diversity in Eurasia suggested that this species with wide ecological tolerance survived the glaciation in many periglacial microrefugia at high latitudes and subsequently spread to new areas during interglacials (Hantemirova et al. in J Biogeogr 44:271–282, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.12867). This pattern was termed a “new Eurasian phylogeographical paradigm” as opposed to survival in few major refugia. We have tested the proposed “paradigm” with another hardy species with wide Eurasian area, Prunus padus, to find out if any general phylogeographic patterns may exist for cold-tolerant Eurasian arboreal plant species. We interpret the observed genetic structure [nuclear (ITS) and plastid DNA] of the Eurasian populations of P. padus as plausibly resulted from at least two cycles of glacial survivals in refugia followed by post-glacial colonization events. The species likely originated in East Asia and subsequently spread across all Eurasia. Its continuous range had been fragmented by early-Pleistocene glaciations, when the species survived in the Caucasian and Far Eastern refugia as well as in northern periglacial microrefugia with an active gene flow between them. The known major glacial refugia, such as Iberian Peninsula, the Colchis, the Southern Urals, and the Beringia, played little role as a source of the species post-glacial expansion.

东北地区北红尾鸲巢址选择及繁殖成效

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 东北地区北红尾鸲巢址选择及繁殖成效 DOI: 10.5846/stxb201812062673 作者: 作者单位: 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 国家自然科学基金项目（31872231） Nest site selection and breeding success of Daurian redstart Phoenicurus auroreus in northeast China Author: Affiliation: Fund Project: 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:北红尾鸲（Phoenicurus auroreus）是一种分布广泛的小型雀形目鸟类，主要分布于南亚东北部，东南亚北部、东亚及俄罗斯等地区，我国东北、华北、华中至西南等地也均有分布，是重要的食虫益鸟。为探究北红尾鸲巢址选择的影响因素，找到影响北红尾鸲繁殖成功率的主要巢址因子，于2017年4-7月，在辽宁仙人洞国家级自然保护区开展系统研究。共发现北红尾鸲自然巢44个，其中29巢繁殖成功，15巢繁殖失败。北红尾鸲主要筑巢于石墙缝、空心砖墙缝及废旧电表箱中。巢址参数的主成分分析结果表明：巢口因子（27.738%）、巢位因子（14.195%）、光照因子（12.145%）、人为干扰因子（10.440%）、安全因子（9.266%）和隐蔽因子（7.187%）是影响北红尾鸲巢址选择的重要因子。采用二元逻辑斯蒂回归分析繁殖成功巢与失败巢参数发现，成功巢的巢口最大高度显著小于失败巢（P=0.047），且其距顶的距离更近（P=0.043）。多元线性回归分析表明，巢上方盖度对繁殖成功率有极显著影响（t=2.883，P=0.009）。总的来说，北红尾鸲虽偏爱筑巢于人为干扰较大的村庄房屋附近，但较小的巢口能有效避免巢捕食者的捕食，更近的距顶距离和更大的巢上方盖度能有效降低巢上方的可视程度和降水等不利因素的影响，从而提高繁殖成功率。 Abstract:Daurian redstart Phoenicurus auroreus is a secondary hole-nesting bird distributed widely in temperate Asia. The aim of this study is to identify critical features of nest site selection that affect reproductive success of the bird. All 44 nests (29 succeeded and 15 failed) were built in gaps of stone wall, cavities of hollow brick wall and ropey electricity meter boxes. The main factors that affect nest site selection were nest entrance factors (21.738%), spatial location factors (14.195%), sunshine factors (12.145%), human disturbance (10.440%), nest security (9.266%), and nest concealment (7.187%). Binary logistic regression results showed that succeed breeding nests were nearer to the roof (P=0.043) and had smaller entrance (P=0.047) than the failed nests. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that nest coverage significantly positively related with reproductive success (t=2.883, P=0.009). These findings demonstrate that Daurian redstart prefers to build their nests around villages, where strong disturbance also exist. Small entrance, sheltered above and short distance to the roof-top are relatively adaptive nest-site choice, which may play important roles in the breeding success of Daurian redstart. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

Comparison of Regional Simulation of Biospheric CO2 Flux from the Updated Version of CarbonTracker Asia with FLUXCOM and Other Inversions over Asia

There are still large uncertainties in the estimates of net ecosystem exchange of CO2 (NEE) with atmosphere in Asia, particularly in the boreal and eastern part of temperate Asia. To understand these uncertainties, we assessed the CarbonTracker Asia (CTA2017) estimates of the spatial and temporal distributions of NEE through a comparison with FLUXCOM and the global inversion models from the Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service (CAMS), Monitoring Atmospheric Composition and Climate (MACC), and Jena CarboScope in Asia, as well as examining the impact of the nesting approach on the optimized NEE flux during the 2001–2013 period. The long-term mean carbon uptake is reduced in Asia, which is −0.32 ± 0.22 PgC yr−1, whereas −0.58 ± 0.26 PgC yr−1 is shown from CT2017 (CarbonTracker global). The domain aggregated mean carbon uptake from CTA2017 is found to be lower by 23.8%, 44.8%, and 60.5% than CAMS, MACC, and Jena CarboScope, respectively. For example, both CTA2017 and CT2017 models captured the interannual variability (IAV) of the NEE flux with a different magnitude and this leads to divergent annual aggregated results. Differences in the estimated interannual variability of NEE in response to El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) may result from differences in the transport model resolutions. These inverse models’ results have a substantial difference compared to FLUXCOM, which was found to be −5.54 PgC yr−1. On the one hand, we showed that the large NEE discrepancies between both inversion models and FLUXCOM stem mostly from the tropical forests. On the other hand, CTA2017 exhibits a slightly better correlation with FLUXCOM over grass/shrub, fields/woods/savanna, and mixed forest than CT2017. The land cover inconsistency between CTA2017 and FLUXCOM is therefore one driver of the discrepancy in the NEE estimates. The diurnal averaged NEE flux between CTA2017 and FLUXCOM exhibits better agreement during the carbon uptake period than the carbon release period. Both CTA2017 and CT2017 revealed that the overall spatial patterns of the carbon sink and source are similar, but the magnitude varied with seasons and ecosystem types, which is mainly attributed to differences in the transport model resolutions. Our findings indicate that substantial inconsistencies in the inversions and FLUXCOM mainly emerge during the carbon uptake period and over tropical forests. The main problems are underrepresentation of FLUXCOM NEE estimates by limited eddy covariance flux measurements, the role of CO2 emissions from land use change not accounted for by FLUXCOM, sparseness of surface observations of CO2 concentrations used by the assimilation systems, and land cover inconsistency. This suggested that further scrutiny on the FLUXCOM and inverse estimates is most likely required. Such efforts will reduce inconsistencies across various NEE estimates over Asia, thus mitigating ecosystem-driven errors that propagate the global carbon budget. Moreover, this work also recommends further investigation on how the changes/updates made in CarbonTracker affect the interannual variability of the aggregate and spatial pattern of NEE flux in response to the ENSO effect over the region of interest.

Traditional Uses, Chemical Constituents and Biological Activities of Plants from the Genus Thymus.

The genus Thymus (Lamiaceae) comprises about 214 species throughout the world, mainly found in North Africa, Europe, and temperate Asia zone. They are traditionally used as food additives and folk medicines. This review comprehensively summarizes information about traditional uses, chemical constituents, and biological activities of this genus and provides recommendations for future investigations. All information was gathered from scientific databases including Google Scholar, Sci-Finder, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and CNKI. Volatile oils are the most concerned constituents of this genus. Flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, tannins, organic acids, terpenoids, and phytosterols were also summarized. This genus plants possessed a variety of activities including antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic, analgesic, and antidiabetic. In brief, this review will be helpful to provide valuable data for explorations and create more interests towards Thymus genus in the future.

Chronological distribution of the tiger Panthera tigris and the Asiatic lion Panthera leo persica in their common range in Asia

Abstract Highly mobile creatures with remarkable exploratory behaviour, the modern tiger Panthera tigris and the modern Asiatic lion Panthera leo persica colonised Eurasia during the Late Pleistocene (from 126000 ± 5000 to 11700 years before present, BP) and the Holocene (from 11700 BP to the present day). Their respective ranges have overlapped several times but we tend to ignore the extent to which they have really coexisted because this situation has not occurred in recent times. We provide a state‐of‐the‐art review of all the data covering their chronological distribution, in order to evaluate the extent to which they have coexisted. We include new data from petroglyph analysis in Central Asia. The data set covers two major biogeographical regions: the Palearctic Biogeographic Realm (western Asia and Central Asia) and the Indo‐Malaysian Biogeographic Realm in Monsoon Asia. Lions and tigers shared space with a large variety of medium‐sized carnivores. We can hypothesise that, due to the plentiful prey and the diversity in habitats within their common range, they lived in sympatry there during the Holocene (although in local allopatry), as long as human interference was low. The Indo‐Malaysian Biogeographic Realm offered the best habitats for coexistence due to the tropical climate, the variety of habitats, and the great diversity in prey. In temperate Asia, the carrying capacity was naturally lower due to cold winters and dry summers, except along the coasts. Suitable habitats were limited, in Central Asia, to the tugais of the alluvial valleys and the adjacent steppes. In this region, lions were particularly sensitive to stresses, due to their low adaptability to harsh winters, the long distance to their main population sources, and the likelihood that they were pushed into the steppes by tigers, where they were killed by humans, for symbolic or pragmatic reasons.

Taxonomic notes on some photosynthetic species of Neottia (Orchidaceae) from North Temperate Asia

Taxonomy of two species of genus Neottia, N. puberula and N. pinetorum, is discussed. A widely used name Listera savatieri is lectotypified, and by lectotypification, it falls into the synonymy of Neottia pinetorum. A poorly known species from Central Asia, N. tianschanica, is shown to be synonymous to N. pinetorum.