Abstract:The complete mitochondrial genome sequence of the raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) was determined by using the long and accurate polymerase chain reaction. The entire mitochondrial genome sequence is 16,713 bp in length contains two ribosomal RNA genes, 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes and 1 control region. Most mitochondrial genes are encoded on the H strand, except for the ND6 gene and 8 tRNA genes. The base compositions of mitochondrial genomes present clearly A–T skew. All the transfer RNA genes can be folded into the typical cloverleaf-shaped structure except tRNA-Ser (AGY), which lacks the dihydrouridine arm. Protein-coding genes mainly initiate with ATG and terminate with TAA. Some reading frame intervals and overlaps are found in the mitochondrial genome. The control region can be divided into three domains: the extended termination associated sequences (ETASs) domain, the central conserved domain and the conserved sequence blocks (CSBs) domain. Three conserved sequence blocks (CSBs) and one extended termination associated sequences (ETAS-1) is found in the control region. The phylogenetic analysis based on the concatenated data set of 14 genes in the mitochondrial genome of Canidae shows that the raccoon dog has close phylogenetic position with the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and they constitute a clade which has an equil evolutionary position with the clade formed by the genera Canis and Cuon.

Abstract:Azo dyes, as the largest group of synthetic dyes released from textile and dyestuff industries, have caused serious environmental problems. We investigated the removal ability and physiological response of sunflowers to simulated wastewater containing azo dyes with concentration similar to real wastewater or above. The percent decolorization of the three azo dyes within 4 days varied greatly. For the same dyes, the percent decolorization was descending with the primary dye concentration increasing. The percent decolorization of Bismark browny, Evans blue and Orange G at same concentration was also descending. The average percent decolorization of the three azo dyes at 100 mg/L within 4 days was 62.64%. The physiological effects of the tested azo dyes on sunflowers were also very different. The stress effects of Bismark browny, Evans blue and Orange G at same concentration were also descending. All tested azo dyes reduced significantly normalized relative transpiration (NRT), net photosynthesis rate (Pn), transpiration intensity (Tr) and stomatal conductance (Gs) of sunflowers. The percent of decline of all the indicators such as NRT, Pn, Tr and Gs was less than 50% when concentration of azo dyes was 100 mg/L. The result showed that sunflowers can survive in water containing 100 mg/L all tested azo dyes. We conclude that sunflowers can be used for phytoremediation of wastewater containing azo dyes.

Abstract:Anthropogenic activities and environmental changes have had a significant effect on the fishery ecosystem, biological characteristics, and population dynamics of marine fishes. Overfishing threatens the sustainability of many populations. We evaluated changes in the biological characteristics, distribution, and abundance of Cleisthenes herzensteini using bottom trawl survey data collected from 1985 to 2010 in the central and southern Yellow Sea. The dominant body length of C. herzensteini during spring was 80–160 mm in 1986, 60–160 mm in 1998, and 41–80 mm and 111–170 mm in 2010. During summer, the dominant body length was 80–180 mm and 130–169 mm in 2000 and 2007, respectively. During autumn, the dominant body length was 60–160 mm, 100–180 mm, and 90–149 mm in 1985, 2000, and 2009, respectively. During winter, the dominant body length was 80–200 mm, 120–220 mm, and 100–200 mm in 1985, 1999, and 2010, respectively. The dominant body length decreased gradually from 1985 to 2010 (excluding spring, 2010), illustrating the “miniaturization” of the C. herzensteini population. Growth was significantly different between male and female individuals, with male individuals forming a “smaller-size type”. The sex ratio of C. herzensteini was relatively stable during spring and summer, but significantly different during autumn and winter. The diet of C. herzensteini also changed significantly from 1985 to 2010. During 1985–1986, the diet consisted primarily of Crangon affinis, Eualus sinensis and Gammaridae species. C. affinis, Engraulis japonicus, and Ammodytes personatus were dominant during 1998–2000, whereas C. affinis was the dominant prey species during 2009–2010. Thus, there was a clear decrease in dietary diversity, with a shift to benthos shrimp, particularly C. affinis, which accounted for 82.58% of the total diet (by weight) in 2010. The gastric vacuous rate also decreased in every season and the gonad developmental stage changed with each season. The distribution of C. herzensteini shifted northward and offshore and became more concentrated. The average catch per haul of C. herzensteini decreased in spring and autumn. The average catch per haul ranged from 1.44 kg h^-1 to 0.14 kg h^-1 in spring and the percentage by weight ranged from 6.53% to 1.28%. The average catch per haul ranged from 3.03 kg h^-1 to 0.26 kg h^-1 in autumn and the percentage by weight ranged from 8.00% to 0.60%. The average catch per haul increased significantly during summer, ranging from 0.18 kg h^-1 to 0.58 kg h^-1, with a percentage by weight of 0.03–0.80%. The average catch per haul was relatively stable in winter (around 1.00 kg h^-1), but the percentage by weight gradually increased during 1985–2010. Taken together, our results suggested that the population structure, diet composition, and distribution of C. herzensteini had been altered during the last three decades. To address this, it is essential to initiate measures to conserve the C. herzensteini resource.

Abstract:Canidae fecal flora reflects the distal gut microbial community structure. Cuon alpinus was captured on Qilian Mountain in Gansu province of China, and other animals, including Canis lupus, Vulpes vulpes, Vulpes corsac and Nyctereutes procyonoides, were captured at the nearby Dalai Lake Nature Reserve in Inner Mongolia. Fecal samples were collected 2 h after defecation from five healthy unrelated adult animals of each species. None of the animals had recently fed or been administered any drugs or additives that could influence the composition or diversity of the fecal flora. Using traditional culture-dependent methods, we investigated the composition and diversity of the fecal flora of these five Canidae species. Gram-positive spore bacilli, gram-positive having no spore bacilli, gram-positive coccobacteria, gram-negative coccobacteria and gram-negative bacilli were first identified through microscopic observation and then formal identification tests were carried out, including oxygen needing, methyl red and Acetyl methyl methanol test, catalase, gelatin liquefaction, KNO₃ reduction, indole, fermentation of saccharides and mellows, sodium citrate and NaCl-phily and so on. Based on the results of these physiological and biochemical tests, along with the morphological description, species from approximately 19–21 genera were identified in the feces. The number of genera in the feces was 22 in C. lupus, 19 in C. alpinus, 21 in N. procyonoides, 21 in V. corsac and 19 in V. vulpes, as well as some unidentified strains. Although, some strains were endemic to the Canidae gut, there were some differences in the community among individuals and species. The Canidae fecal flora comprised 10¹⁰–10¹¹ colony forming units/g of feces (wet weight). The amount of bacteria reached 1.442 × 10¹¹ cfu/g in C. lupus, 8.330 × 10¹⁰ cfu/g in V. vulpes, 8.170 × 10¹⁰ cfu/g in V. corsac, 8.620 × 10¹⁰ cfu/g in N. procyonoides and 1.485 × 10¹¹ cfu/g in C. alpinus. The amount of bacteria was significantly different among species (P < 0.05) but not among different individuals of the same species (C. lupus: P = 0.19; V. vulpes: P = 0.898; V. corsac: P = 0.315; N. procyonoides: P = 0.074; C. alpinus: P = 0.197). The percentage of shared species among different Canidaes was 65–80%, with the highest percentage between V. vulpes and V. corsac, and the lowest between C. lupus and C. alpinus. Although the proportion of shared species between V. vulpes and C. alpinus was 78.95%, the amount of bacteria was markedly different. There was no correlation between the amount and the diversity of bacteria. The most common microbes were Escherichia, Enterobacter, Streptococcus, Proteus, Enterococcus and Lactobacillus. Of these, Escherichia and Enterobacter can be considered as beneficial strains and they were found in all the Canidaes. Our findings suggest that, despite some differences, there is high similarity in the dominant fecal bacteria of different Canidaes.

Abstract:The aim of the study was to determine effects of a wildfire on soil nutrients and soil microbial functional diversity in short-term time scales. Burned and unburned control soil samples were collected 1 day, and 2, 4, 8, 10, 12 and 15 months after a shrubbery fire in Yumin county of Xinjiang, Northwest China. Nutrients of soil in each sampling time were detected and soil microbial functional diversity was measured by Biolog Eco plates. Results of the study showed that soil nutrients were significantly affected by fire. Soil pH increased immediately after the wildfire and was higher than that of unburned soil during 15 months post fire. Soil organic matter and total N significantly decreased immediately after the fire and was even lower than control soil at the 15th month post fire. Soil available P level increased sharply during the 4th month after the fire, and later reached to the maximum value with eight times higher than that of unburned soil. Soil available N and available K were more than the control site in 2 months after the fire, then decreased, but available N began to increase, when vegetations restored 1 year after the fire. Soil microbial activity and functional diversity recovered gradually after fire. The average well color development (AWCD) and functional diversity indices (Shannon index, Simpson index, and McIntosh index) decreased significantly 1 day after the fire, but then increased and were similar to that of undisturbed soil 15 months after the fire, when plant started to regenerate in burned area. The changes in soil nutrients after the fire affected soil microbial activity and functional diversity. Correlation analysis revealed that AWCD was negatively correlated with soil pH and positively correlated with soil total N and available N, Shannon and Simpson index had positive significantly correlation with soil total N and McIntosh index had positive significantly correlation with available N. Result of principal component analysis based on the data of carbons metabolism showed that microbial catabolic profiles of burned soils of each sampling time after the wildfire were different and all were distinct from those of unburned soils, which might suggest that microbial community structure of fire-impacted area changed dynamically on monthly scale and was distinct from that of the control site in 15 months after fire, although microbial activity or richness showed similar to pre-fire level at the 15th month post-fire.

Abstract:The bacterial community composition and diversity in rock varnish of Turpan Basin were investigated by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and clone library of the 16S rRNA gene. 114 positive clones were screened, which could be grouped into 28 phylotypes and then further divided into 23 different operational taxonomic units (OTUs). These were affiliated into 5 phyla (Acidobacteria, Proteobacteria, Chloroflexi, Firmicutes and Cyanobacteria). Clones from actinobacteria were the dominant, accounting for 67.5% of total clones in the library, followed by Proteobacteria (15.8%), Chloroflexi (13.2%), Firmicutes (2.6%) and Cyanobacteria (0.9%). Rubrobacter (accounts for 35%) in the phylum Actinobacteria was the dominant genus and contained many species which might be resistant to gamma radiation. A 70% of the library clone sequences showed less 97% similarity to 16S rRNA gene sequences of standard strains obtained by pure culture. Shannon–Wiener index value of this study is 2.52 and is lower than deep-sea sediments, soils, lakes and other environments. Results of this study showed that bacterial diversity in rock varnishes of Turpan Basin was low, but maybe exist a large number of new unknown taxons, especially species that could well adapted to drought and resist radiation.

Abstract:Earthquake has great potential to destroy vegetation and water resources. Here, we estimated the ecosystem services before/after “5.12” Wenchuan earthquake in China, in the center zone (ca. 24, 696.94 km²) of the earthquake, the destroyed service value approximately 520.04 × 10⁶ $. Moreover, the losses of biodiversity conservation value were inestimable in this earthquake. The results suggested that earthquake can seriously damage service function of ecosystem. It is a nice opportunity for ecologists to study the recovery of ecosystem services after earthquake disturbance.

Abstract:Earthquake has great potential to destroy vegetation and water resources. Here, we estimated the ecosystem services before/after “5.12” Wenchuan earthquake in China, in the center zone (ca. 24, 696.94 km²) of the earthquake, the destroyed service value approximately 520.04 × 10⁶ $. Moreover, the losses of biodiversity conservation value were inestimable in this earthquake. The results suggested that earthquake can seriously damage service function of ecosystem. It is a nice opportunity for ecologists to study the recovery of ecosystem services after earthquake disturbance.