鲢对藻类摄食效应的室内模拟研究

为研究鲢(Hypophthalmichthys molitrix)对藻类的摄食作用, 采用小环藻(Cyclotella)、小球藻(Chlorella)、微囊藻(Microcystis)和东湖原水开展了小规格鱼种的养殖试验, 对鲢摄食和排泄物进行了研究。结果显示: 在3 种纯培养藻种投喂下鲢存活率从高到低依次是小环藻组 小球藻组 微囊藻组;相应地, 鲢对藻的平均摄食率排序也是小环藻组 小球藻组 微囊藻组。在显微镜下观察粪便发现大部分小环藻为空壳, 一部分小球藻外部形态结构不完整, 外部形态完整的小球藻则色泽暗淡、内部结构紊乱, 微囊藻没有明显变化;3 种藻类细胞的受损率分别为20.04%、7.13%和1.97%。叶绿素荧光活性显示, 粪便中小环藻基本失去光合活性, 小球藻活性极显著降低(P0.01), 微囊藻活性明显降低(P0.05), 东湖原水处理组光合活性较对照极显著降低(P0.01)。对东湖水饲喂试验组排泄物的检测发现, 浮鞘丝藻Planktolyngya、鱼腥藻Anabeana(有破损)、假鱼腥藻Pseudoanabaena 和颤藻Oscillatoria 细胞受损严重;空星藻Coelastrum 和盘星藻Pediastrum 细胞部分破损;针杆藻Synedra、小环藻、桥弯藻Cymbella 和舟形藻Navicula 多为空壳。鱼粪中平裂藻Merismopedia、微囊藻、浮鞘丝藻、鱼腥藻、颤藻、卵囊藻Oocystis、栅藻Scenedesmus 和衣藻Chlamydomonas 在重新培养后恢复了生长。本研究显示硅藻尤其是小环藻、针杆藻和舟形藻对鲢摄食最敏感;栅藻、卵囊藻和平裂藻对摄食压力不敏感。研究表明鲢捕食对藻类群落结构有明显的改变效应, 利用鲢的滤食进行藻类群落调节和水华防控具有可行性。       

空间层次及人工基质对着生藻类建群特性的影响

为全面了解着生藻类在建群中群落变化的生态学特性,揭示着生藻类的建群规律,在以丝状藻类为优势藻的生态塘中,采用花岗岩和瓷砖为附着材料,设置水体底部和中部为附着位点,进行频次为10d的采样分析。结果表明,生态塘中共检出8门73属117种着生藻类,其中以硅藻、蓝藻、绿藻为优势类群。同时不同人工基质和不同空间层次条件下着生藻类的建群特征较一致,早期以单细胞硅藻如舟形藻(Navicula sp.)、脆杆藻(Fragilaria sp.)、曲壳藻(Achnanthes sp.)等为优势,后期以丝状藻类如鞘丝藻(Lyngbya sp.)、颤藻(Oscillatoria sp.)、伪鱼腥藻(Pseudanabaena sp.)等为优势;研究结果发现不同人工基质(花岗岩和瓷砖)对着生藻类的种类组成、细胞密度、生物量和藻类多样性无显著影响,花岗岩和瓷砖上附着的着生藻类具有较高的相似性;但不同的空间层次对着生藻类建群特征影响明显,水体底部具有更多的硅藻种类数,中部具有更多的绿藻,随着建群时间的发展,蓝藻比例不断增加;就生物量而言,底部的着生藻类叶绿素a显著高于水体中部,但两者的细胞密度无显著性差异;随着建群过程的发展,水体底部的着生藻类生物量达峰值所需的时间比中部更长。通过相关性分析,生态塘中着生藻类的生长主要受总磷的影响。     

温度、盐度和食物条件对西藏拟溞摄食强度的影响

报道了不同温度、盐度和饵料条件下西藏拟溞的摄食强度、西藏拟溞对不同饵料生物蛋白核小球藻(Chlorellapyrenoidesa)、牟氏角毛藻(Chaetoceros muelleri)、湛江等鞭金藻(Isochrysis zhanjiangensis)、亚心形扁藻(Platymonas subcordiformis)、盐藻(Dunaliella salina)、新月拟菱形藻(Nitzschiella closterium)的选择性以及摄食节律。结果表明,在适温范围(2 20℃)内,西藏拟溞的滤水率、摄食率随着温度的升高而增加,14 16℃为西藏拟溞的适宜温度。在盐度20时,西藏拟溞的摄食率最高,幼、成溞对等鞭金藻的摄食率分别为1.88 ng C/(ind.h)和3.46 ng C/(ind.h)。西藏拟溞对角毛藻的滤水率和摄食率均随着龄期增加而增加,而对等鞭金藻呈相反趋势,但二者的日粮均随体长增大而减小。幼、成溞的滤水率和摄食率随食物密度变化的趋势基本一致,均是在盐藻密度为1×106 ind./L时均最高,分别为0.194、0.221 mL/(ind.h)和0.030μgC/(ind.h)和0.034μgC/(ind.h)。幼溞对6种藻的食物选择性为角毛藻小球藻盐藻扁藻金藻拟菱形藻;成溞为扁藻角毛藻盐藻金藻小球藻拟菱形藻。幼溞、成溞均对角毛藻和盐藻的选择性较好。西藏拟溞的幼溞和成溞对牟氏角毛藻的摄食有相同的节律,在15:00 17:00和01:00 03:00时有两个摄食高峰,在09:00 11:00和23:00 01:00有两个低谷。     

五种淡水微藻的适宜培养温度和光照强度

从淡水中分离得到绿球藻(Chlorococcum sp.)SHOU-F3、纤维藻(Ankistrodesmus sp.)SHOU-F33、小球藻(Chlorella sp.)SHOU-F46、空星藻(Coelastrum sphaericum)SHOU-F10和栅藻(Scenedesmus sp.)SHOU-FX,分别在光照培养箱中研究了温度、光照强度对5种微藻增殖的影响,并分析了5种微藻的细胞组成。结果表明:绿球藻SHOU-F3、纤维藻SHOU-F33、小球藻SHOU-F46、空星藻SHOU-F10和栅藻SHOU-FX的最适生长温度分别为29.8、23.5、31.4、34.4和24.7℃;最适光照强度分别为16、119、42、82和106μmol·m-2·s-1;在适宜培养条件下,绿球藻SHOU-F3的色素、蛋白以及总糖的百分含量最高,纤维藻SHOU-F33的脂肪百分含量最高。     

南水北调中线干渠两个水工构筑物对着生藻类群落的影响

在南水北调中线干渠两个水工构筑物沙河渡槽与穿黄工程渠段分别设置沙河渡槽上游明渠、沙河渡槽入口、沙河渡槽出口、穿黄工程入口、穿黄工程出口、穿黄工程下游明渠和穿黄工程下游沁河倒虹吸7个监测位点, 对着生藻类群落与水质指标进行了原位同步监测。结果表明: 监测位点的蓝藻优势种有鞘丝藻(Leptolyngbya sp.)、聚球藻(Synechococcus sp.)、眉藻(Calothrix sp.)、席藻(Phormidium sp.)、集胞藻(Synechocystis sp.)和拟色球藻(Chroococcidiopsis sp.)等; 真核藻类优势种有链带藻(Desmodesmus sp.)、土佐牧野藻(Makinoella sp.)、芒球藻(Radiococcus sp.)、盘星藻(Monactinus sp.)、卵囊藻(Oocystella sp.)、菱形藻(Nitzschia sp.)、针杆藻(Synedra sp.)和肘形藻(Ulnaria sp.)等。经过渡槽后藻类生物量下降50%, 藻类种类数下降16%; 经过穿黄工程后藻类生物量下降80%, 藻类种类数下降18%。经过沙河渡槽后, 真核藻类中链带藻(Desmodesmus sp.)相对丰度由26.4%增至77.4%, 针杆藻(Synedra sp.)相对丰度由10.4%降至0.4%, 肘形藻(Ulnaria sp.)相对丰度由2.3%降至0.4%; 经过穿黄工程后, 鞘丝藻(Leptolyngbya sp.)相对丰度由82.6%降至56.5%, 胶须藻(Rivularia sp.)相对丰度由6.2%增至61.8%。水工构筑物通过影响水流条件和水质改变微生境从而对着生藻类群落结构产生显著影响, 研究有助于深入了解着生藻类群落特点及水工构筑物对其具体影响。     

白洋淀硅藻分布及其与水环境的关系

记录了白洋淀不同水域发现的硅藻85个种、变种及未定种,隶属于22个科31个属,其中小环藻属(Cyclotella)、菱形藻属(Nitzschia)、美壁藻属(Caloneis)和舟形藻属(Navicula)等为优势类群。在白洋淀东北部景区水域,以梅尼小环藻(Cyclotellameneghiniana)为主;污染严重的入库河道水域,以半裸具席藻(Sellaphora seminulum)和蓝绿舟形藻(Navicula veneta)为代表;村落水域,以菱形藻属、舟形藻属硅藻为主;航道水域,以颗粒沟链藻(Aulacoseira granulata)为代表;荷塘以弯棒杆藻(Rhopalodia gibba)为代表;而鱼池以菱形藻属硅藻为主。典范对应分析(canonical correspondence analysis,CCA)显示水体总磷浓度(total phosphorus,TP)和pH是影响白洋淀硅藻种群分布的重要因素。利用欧洲硅藻数据库对白洋淀TP和pH做了定量重建,TP为0.13-0.25 mg/L,pH为6.92-7.23,此估测值极为接近实测值。     

溶藻菌R1的分离鉴定以及对栅藻共处代谢的影响

【目的】分离并鉴定溶藻菌和栅藻,并对溶藻菌抑制栅藻的机理进行分析。【方法】溶藻菌分离采用高氏一号培养基,经多次划线纯化而得;溶藻菌鉴定采用生理生化性质判定;栅藻分离和鉴定主要采用镜检和《中国常见淡水浮游藻类图谱》完成;溶藻菌对栅藻的影响分析测定包括:测定栅藻叶绿素a变化、水体中溶解氧变化、藻细胞数目变化、藻蛋白表达变化、抑藻特殊物质测定等。【结果】共分离出4株溶藻菌(R1-R4),通过对其理化性质测定初步判定均属于芽孢杆菌属(Bacillus sp.),其中溶藻菌R1对栅藻生长的影响最明显,其对栅藻叶绿素a的抑制率为65%、溶解氧最低达6.5 mg/L,远低于栅藻单独培养下的10.4 mg/L;栅藻单独培养条件下的蛋白质表达为0.845 7 mg/L,与溶藻菌R1共培养时栅藻蛋白表达仅有0.192 6 mg/L;傅里叶红外光谱(FTIR)测定表明溶藻菌对栅藻细胞结构产生影响;相差显微镜对溶藻菌R1-栅藻共培养动态观察图可以看出,溶藻菌R1对栅藻的生长具有明显的抑制作用。【结论】从影响栅藻细胞结构、栅藻蛋白表达、栅藻光合作用等方面进行了分析,为揭示溶藻菌对栅藻抑制的机理提供了一定的理论基础。     

沉积再悬浮颗粒物对马氏珠母贝摄食生理影响的室内模拟

采用实验生态学方法室内模拟研究了不同浓度沉积再悬浮颗粒物对马氏珠母贝清滤率、摄食率、吸收率的影响。结果表明:(1)水体中总悬浮颗粒物对马氏珠母贝清滤率的影响极显著(P<0.01)。总悬浮颗粒物由低浓度(12.6 mg/L)趋高浓度(500 mg/L)时,马氏珠母贝的清滤率呈现峰值变化规律。与总悬浮颗粒物浓度50 mg/L时的最大清滤率(1.12 L.个体-1.h-1)比较,悬浮颗粒物浓度为500 mg/L时,清滤率达最小值(0.17 L.个体-1.h-1)),其清滤率降幅达85%。这表明在高浓度悬浮颗粒物的水环境下,贝类受到环境胁迫,其生理和自身摄食机制受到限制,引起摄食减少和机体损伤。马氏珠母贝类的清滤率(CR)与总悬浮颗粒物浓度(TPM)之间的关系可表达为:CR=-0.701+1.627×TPM-0.463×TPM2+0.036×TPM3(R2=0.928)。(2)水体中总悬浮颗粒物对马氏珠母贝摄食率的影响极显著(P<0.01)。马氏珠母贝的摄食率随着总悬浮颗粒物浓度的升高而增加,在50 mg/L时达最大值(38.28 mg/h),当总悬浮颗粒物浓度超过50 mg/L时,摄食率反而下降,在总悬浮颗粒物浓度为500 mg/L时,降为最小值(16.22 mg/h),摄食率降幅为58%。随着悬浮颗粒物浓度的增加,马氏珠母贝摄食率受到的影响小于清滤率受到的影响。马氏珠母贝类的摄食率(IR)与总悬浮颗粒物浓度(TPM)之间的关系可表达为:IR=-46.631+70.957×TPM-18.385×TPM2+1.367×TPM3(R2=0.907)。(3)水体中总悬浮颗粒物对马氏珠母贝吸收率影响极显著(P<0.01)。总悬浮颗粒物由低浓度(12.6 mg/L)趋高浓度(500 mg/L)时,马氏珠母贝的吸收率呈逐渐下降趋势,在总悬浮颗粒物12.6 mg/L时,马氏珠母贝的吸收率最大(48.57%),而总悬浮颗粒物500 mg/L时,马氏珠母贝的吸收率最小(8.56%)。马氏珠母贝的吸收率(AE)与总悬浮颗粒物浓度(TPM)之间的关系可表达为:AE=52.189+0.132×TPM-3.111×TPM2+0.316×TPM3(R2=0.976)。     

南美白对虾精养塘浮游微藻动态研究

2006年4月30日～2006年8月31日,对舟山市马岙镇的旭旺无公害对虾精养基地水体的浮游微藻群落结构进行调查分析.结果表明:精养塘中共检出常见浮游微藻5门16种,其中蓝藻4种,绿藻5种,硅藻5种,裸藻1种,甲藻1种.主要蓝藻有微小平裂藻(Merismopedia tenuissima.)、小席藻(Phorimidium sp.)、螺旋藻(Spirulina sp.)等;常见绿藻有小球藻(Chlorella sp.)、衣藻(Chlamydomonas sp.)等;常见硅藻有舟形藻(Navicula sp.)、尖针杆藻(Synedra acus)等.养殖早期3门9种,蓝藻门与裸藻门的微藻未检查到,且浮游微藻细胞数量为0.8×10⁷cells·L^-1,香浓多样性指数平均为0.445.养殖后期4门12种,多甲藻未出现了,浮游微藻细胞数量为1.5×10⁷ cells·L^-1,香浓多样性指数平均为0.375.浮游藻类多样性指数总体表现为养殖前期高后期低的特征.     

啃食性端足类强壮藻钩虾对筼筜湖三种大型海藻的摄食选择性

为了评估啃食性端足类强壮藻钩虾Ampithoe valida对筼筜湖大型海藻群落的影响,作者在实验室内开展了强壮藻钩虾对筼筜湖三种大型海藻(绿藻石莼Ulva lactuca和根枝藻Rhizoclonium sp.、红藻细基江蓠繁枝变种Gracilaria tenuistipitata var. liui)的摄食实验,并分析了大型海藻的营养价值是否对强壮藻钩虾的摄食选择产生影响。结果显示,在无选择性摄食实验中,强壮藻钩虾的摄食率与海藻的干湿比和鲜藻总有机碳含量有着明显的负相关关系,这表明强壮藻钩虾有明显的补偿摄食行为,能通过增加低营养价值藻类的摄食量来满足自身代谢的需求。强壮藻钩虾对绿藻石莼和根枝藻有明显的摄食偏好,对它们的摄食率分别占总摄食率的40.6%和57.1%,而红藻细基江蓠繁枝变种则属于偶然性摄食的种类,海藻的营养价值并没有对强壮藻钩虾的摄食选择产生影响。不过,强壮藻钩虾对绿藻的摄食偏好并没有在筼筜湖形成一个以红藻占主导的大型海藻群落,这可能是由于筼筜湖超富营养化的水体使得来自强壮藻钩虾的下行控制已经无法抑制来自超富营养化的水体通过上行控制对绿藻生长的促进作用。     

Foreign exploration for Scirtothrips perseae Nakahara (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) and associated natural enemies on avocado (Persea americana Miller)

Scirtothrips perseae Nakahara was discovered attacking avocados in California, USA, in 1996. Host plant surveys in California indicated that S. perseae has a highly restricted host range with larvae being found only on avocados, while adults were collected from 11 different plant species. As part of a management program for this pest, a “classical” biological control program was initiated and foreign exploration was conducted to delineate the home range of S. perseae, to survey for associated natural enemies and inventory other species of phytophagous thrips on avocados grown in Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Trinidad, and Brazil. Foreign exploration efforts indicate that S. perseae occurs on avocados grown at high altitudes (>1500 m) from Uruapan in Mexico south to areas around Guatemala City in Guatemala. In Costa Rica, S. perseae is replaced by an undescribed congener as the dominant phytophagous thrips on avocados grown at high altitudes (>1300 m). No species of Scirtothrips were found on avocados in the Dominican Republic, Trinidad, or Brazil. In total, 2136 phytophagous thrips were collected and identified, representing over 47 identified species from at least 19 genera. The significance of these species records is discussed. Of collected material 4% were potential thrips biological control agents. Natural enemies were dominated by six genera of predatory thrips (Aeolothrips, Aleurodothrips, Franklinothrips, Leptothrips, Scolothrips, and Karnyothrips). One genus each of parasitoid (Ceranisus) and predatory mite (Balaustium) were found. Based on the results of our sampling techniques, prospects for the importation of thrips natural enemies for use in a “classical” biological control program in California against S. perseae are not promising.     

Molecular phylogeny of Phebalium (Rutaceae: Boronieae) and related genera based on the nrDNA regions ITS 1+2

Parsimony analyses of the internal transcribed spacer regions of nuclear ribosomal DNA (ITS 1 & ITS 2) for 38 taxa sampled from the Phebalium group (Rutaceae: Boronieae) and two outgroups confirm that, with the exception of Phebalium sensu stricto and Rhadinothamnus, six of the currently recognised genera within the group are monophyletic. The data indicate that Phebaliums. str. is paraphyletic with respect to Microcybe, and Rhadinothamnus is paraphyletic with respect to Chorilaena. Rhadinothamnus and Chorilaena together are the sister group to Nematolepis. Drummondita, included as an outgroup taxon, clustered within the ingroup as sister to Muiriantha and related to Asterolasia.The phylogeny suggests that the evolution of major clades within a number of these genera (e.g. Phebalium) relates to vicariance events between eastern and south-western Australia. Leionema is an eastern genus, with the most basal taxon being the morphologically distinct Leionema ellipticum from northern Queensland. Leionema also includes one species from New Zealand, but this species (as with some others) proved difficult to sequence and its phylogenetic position remains unknown. Taxonomic changes at the generic level are recommended.The authors wish to thank Paul G.Wilson, PERTH, for advice and discussion, and Paul Forster, BRI, for collecting and providing material of Leionema ellipticum. The project was supported by a Melbourne University Postgraduate Award (to BM), the Australian Biological Resources Study (ABRS), Australian Systematic Botany Society and Wolf Den (Australia) Investments.     

Tracking down the "head blob": comparative analysis of wingless expression in the developing insect procephalon reveals progressive reduction of embryonic visual system patterning in higher insects

The evolution of larval head morphology in holometabolous insects is characterized by reduction of antennal appendages and the visual system components. Little insight has been gained into molecular developmental changes underlying this morphological diversification. Here we compare the expression of the segment polarity gene wingless (wg) in the pregnathal head of fruit fly, flour beetle and grasshopper embryos. We provide evidence that wg activity contributes to segment border formation, and, subsequently, the separation of the visual system and protocerebrum anlagen in the anterior procephalon. In directly developing insects like grasshopper, seven expression domains are formed during this process. The activation of four of these, which correspond to polar expression pairs in the optic lobe anlagen and the protocerebral ectoderm, has shifted to postembryonic stages in flour beetle and Drosophila. The remaining three domains map to the protocerebral neuroectoderm, and form by disintegration of a large precursor domain in flour beetle and grasshopper. In Drosophila, the precursor domain remains intact, constituting the previously described “head blob”. These data document major changes in the expression of an early patterning gene correlated with the dramatic evolution of embryonic visual system development in the Holometabola.     

Phylogeny of cardinalfishes (Teleostei: Gobiiformes: Apogonidae) and the evolution of visceral bioluminescence

The cardinalfishes (Apogonidae) are a diverse clade of small, mostly reef-dwelling fishes, for which a variety of morphological data have not yielded a consistent phylogeny. We use DNA sequence to hypothesize phylogenetic relationships within Apogonidae and among apogonids and other acanthomorph families, to examine patterns of evolution including the distribution of a visceral bioluminescence system. In conformance with previous studies, Apogonidae is placed in a clade with Pempheridae, Kurtidae, Leiognathidae, and Gobioidei. The apogonid genus Pseudamia is recovered outside the remainder of the family, not as sister to the superficially similar genus Gymnapogon. Species sampled from the Caribbean and Western Atlantic (Phaeoptyx, Astrapogon, and some Apogon species) form a clade, as do the larger-bodied Glossamia and Cheilodipterus. Incidence of visceral bioluminescence is found scattered throughout the phylogeny, independently for each group in which it is present. Examination of the fine structure of the visceral bioluminescence system through histology shows that light organs exhibit a range of morphologies, with some composed of complex masses of tubules (Siphamia, Pempheris, Parapriacanthus) and others lacking tubules but containing chambers formed by folds of the visceral epithelium (Acropoma, Archamia, Jaydia, and Rhabdamia). Light organs in Siphamia, Acropoma, Pempheris and Parapriacanthus are distinct from but connected to the gut; those in Archamia, Jaydia, and Rhabdamia are simply portions of the intestinal tract, and are little differentiated from the surrounding tissues. The presence or absence of symbiotic luminescent bacteria does not correlate with light organ structure; the tubular light organs of Siphamia and chambered tubes of Acropoma house bacteria, those in Pempheridae and the other Apogonidae do not.     

Molecular identification of Taenia spp. in wolves (Canis lupus), brown bears (Ursus arctos) and cervids from North Europe and Alaska

Taenia tapeworms of Finnish and Swedish wolves (Canis lupus) and Finnish brown bears (Ursus arctos), and muscle cysticerci of Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus), Alaskan Grant's caribou (Rangifer tarandus granti) and Alaskan moose (Alces americanus) were identified on the basis of the nucleotide sequence of a 396 bp region of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene. Two species were found from wolves: Taenia hydatigena and Taenia krabbei. The cysticerci of reindeer, caribou and one moose also represented T. krabbei. Most of the cysticercal specimens from Alaskan moose, however, belonged to an unknown T. krabbei-like species, which had been reported previously from Eurasian elks (Alces alces) from Finland. Strobilate stages from two bears belonged to this species as well. The present results suggest that this novel Taenia sp. has a Holarctic distribution and uses Alces spp. as intermediate and ursids as final hosts.     

Fungal Thyroiditis: An Overview

The authors review the epidemiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment of fungal thyroiditis cases previously reported in the medical literature. Aspergillus was by far the most common cause of fungal thyroiditis. Immunocompromised patients, such as those with leukemia, lymphoma, autoimmune diseases, and organ-transplant patients on pharmacological immunosuppression were particularly at risk. Fungal thyroiditis was diagnosed at autopsy as part of disseminated infection in a substantial number of patients without clinical manifestations and laboratory evidence of thyroid dysfunction. Local signs and symptoms of infection were indistinguishable from other infectious thyroiditis and included fever, anterior cervical pain, thyroid enlargement sometimes associated with dysphagia and dysphonia, and clinical and laboratory features of transient hyperthyroidism due to the release of thyroid hormone from follicular cell damage, followed by residual hypothyroidism. Antemortem diagnosis of fungal thyroiditis was made by direct microscopy and culture of a fine-needle aspirate, or/and biopsy in most cases. Since most patients with fungal thyroiditis had disseminated fungal infection with delay in diagnosis and treatment, the overall mortality was high.     

安徽牯牛降的丝孢菌Ⅰ

本文报导作者采自安徽枯牛降自然保护区的18种丝孢菌,分属于5个属,其中有3个新种:牛皮冻生尾孢(Cercospora paederiicola),山鸡椒假尾饱(Pseudocercospora litseae-cubebae),鸡血藤生假尾孢(P. millettiicola)和2个中国新纪录。文中对新种进行了描述及绘图,新记录种作了简要说明。研究的标本保存在中国科学院微生物研究所真菌标本室(HMAS)。     

Changes of dung beetle communities from rainforests towards agroforestry systems and annual cultures in Sulawesi (Indonesia)

Little is known about how tropical land-use systems contribute to the conservation of functionally important insect groups, including dung beetles. In a study at the margin of Lore Lindu National Park (a biodiversity hotspot in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia) dung-beetle communities were sampled in natural forest, young secondary forest, agroforestry systems (cacao plantations with shade trees) and annual cultures (maize fields), each with four replicates (n = 16 sites). At each site we used 10 pitfall traps, baited with cattle dung, along a 100 m transect for six 3-day periods. The number of trapped specimens and species richness at the natural forest sites was higher than in all land-use systems, which did not significantly differ. Each land-use system contained, on average, 75% of the species richness of the natural forest, thereby indicating their importance for conservation. However, a two-dimensional scaling plot based on NESS indices (m = 6) indicated distinct dung beetle communities for both forest types, while agroforestry systems and annual cultures exhibited a pronounced overlap. Mean body size of dung beetles was not significantly influenced by land-use intensity. Five of the six most abundant dung beetle species were recorded in all habitats, whereas the abundance of five other species was significantly related to habitat type. Mean local abundance and number of occupied sites were closely correlated, further indicating little habitat specialisation. The low dung beetle diversity (total of 18 recorded species) may be due to the absence of larger mammals in Sulawesi during historical times, even though Sulawesi is the largest island of Wallacea. In conclusion, the dung beetle fauna of the lower montane forest zone in Central Sulawesi appears to be relatively robust to man-made habitat changes and the majority of species did not exhibit strong habitat preferences.