Strengthening the Natural and National Park system of Iberia to conserve vascular plants

The diversity of the Iberian vascular flora has been investigated using WORLDMAP versions 3.08 and 3.18. Two data sets scoring plant distributions as presences within the Iberian Peninsula were compiled; one for 2133 species at 50 × 50 km grid and the other for 801 species at 10 × 10 km map grids. Patterns of biodiversity were determined using the diversity measures of species richness, range-size rarity and character richness diversity. Using the diversity measures, combined with an area selection method, maps of priority areas were calculated using iterative procedures. Near minimum sets (NMSs) for both scales were calculated. Comparison of the NMS for the 10 × 10 km grid with the near minimum set for existing reserves (NMSER) showed that at least 2% more of the land surface would be required above and beyond the existing protected area network, currently comprising 6% of the area, to ensure representation of all species at least once as listed within the present data-base. It is demonstrated that reserve systems selected on a variety of different criteria are suboptimal when compared to particular groups of target organisms with a definite goal of representation for conservation. Calculating efficiency of existing reserve systems and accounting for all taxa identifies precisely the extra required areas for the protected area system to satisfy particular goals of representation.     

Detrimental effects of recent ocean surface warming on growth condition of Atlantic salmon

Ocean climate impacts on survivorship and growth of Atlantic salmon are complex, but still poorly understood. Stock abundances have declined over the past three decades and 1992–2006 has seen widespread sea surface temperature (SST) warming of the NE Atlantic, including the foraging areas exploited by salmon of southern European origin. Salmon cease feeding on return migration, and here we express the final growth condition of year‐classes of one‐sea winter adults at, or just before, freshwater re‐entry as the predicted weight at standard length. Two independent 14‐year time series for a single river stock and for mixed, multiple stocks revealed almost identical temporal patterns in growth condition variation, and an overall trend decrease of 11–14% over the past decade. Growth condition has fallen as SST anomaly has risen, and for each year‐class the midwinter (January) SST anomalies they experienced at sea correlated negatively with their final condition on migratory return during the subsequent summer months. Stored lipids are crucial for survival and for the prespawning provisioning of eggs in freshwater, and we show that under‐weight individuals have disproportionately low reserves. The poorest condition fish (～30% under‐weight) returned with lipid stores reduced by ～80%. This study concurs with previous analyses of other North Atlantic top consumers (e.g. somatic condition of tuna, reproductive failure of seabirds) showing evidence of major, recent climate‐driven changes in the eastern North Atlantic pelagic ecosystem, and the likely importance of bottom‐up control processes. Because salmon abundances presently remain at historical lows, fecundity of recent year‐classes will have been increasingly compromised. Measures of year‐class growth condition should therefore be incorporated in the analysis and setting of numerical spawning escapements for threatened stocks, and conservation limits should be revised upwards conservatively during periods of excessive ocean climate warming.     

Virus particles in guttate and xylem of infected cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.)

Particles of plant viruses representing ten genera were visualised by electron microscopy in samples of guttate from systemically infected cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) plants. For the majority of viruses tested, guttation samples tested positively by ELISA and infectivity was also demonstrated. Virus particles of zucchini yellow mosaic potyvirus were also observed in xylem in sections of infected root tissue. Since guttate originates from xylem exudate, this study demonstrates the potential for xylem tissue to act as a conduit for a diverse group of plant viruses in planta     

Leidyana canadensis N. Sp. (Apicomplexa: Eugregarinida) from Larval Eastern Hemlock Looper, Lambdina fiscellaria fiscellaria (Lepidoptera: Geometridae)

ABSTRACT. Leidyana canadensis n. sp. (Apicomplexa: Eugregarinida) is described from larvae of the eastern hemlock looper, Lambdina fiscellaria (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) collected near St. Stephen, Charlotte County, New Brunswick, Canada. Gamonts solitary, located between host ventricular peritrophic membrane and ventricular epithelium. Protomerite very broadly ellipsoid with transverse posterior margin; length 43.7 μm, width 42.7 μm; protomerite-deutomerite septum strongly constricted. Deutomerite narrowly obovoid with anterior transverse margin; length 186.6 μm, width 58.7 μm; total length 227.1 μm. Nucleus spherical to broadly ellipsoid; length 26.3 μm, width 20.2 μm; placement abaxial in the posterior 2/3 of the deutomerite. Nucleus often obscured in late gamonts. Association late, caudofrontal, ephemeral and leading directly to syzygy. Gametocysts roughly spherical; diameter 216.7 μm; hyaline coat increasing diameter to 359.1 μm. Gametocysts mature and dehisce through six short spore tubes within 48 hours. Oocysts axially symmetric, dolioform in dorsal aspect, compressed in the plane perpendicular to the major axis, very uniform in size and shape; length along major axis 5.2 μm, terminal width 1.8 μm, medial width 3.8 μm; extruded in chains.     

Global and regional importance of the tropical peatland carbon pool

Accurate inventory of tropical peatland is important in order to (a) determine the magnitude of the carbon pool; (b) estimate the scale of transfers of peat‐derived greenhouse gases to the atmosphere resulting from land use change; and (c) support carbon emissions reduction policies. We review available information on tropical peatland area and thickness and calculate peat volume and carbon content in order to determine their best estimates and ranges of variation. Our best estimate of tropical peatland area is 441 025 km² (～11% of global peatland area) of which 247 778 km² (56%) is in Southeast Asia. We estimate the volume of tropical peat to be 1758 Gm³ (～18–25% of global peat volume) with 1359 Gm³ in Southeast Asia (77% of all tropical peat). This new assessment reveals a larger tropical peatland carbon pool than previous estimates, with a best estimate of 88.6 Gt (range 81.7–91.9 Gt) equal to 15–19% of the global peat carbon pool. Of this, 68.5 Gt (77%) is in Southeast Asia, equal to 11–14% of global peat carbon. A single country, Indonesia, has the largest share of tropical peat carbon (57.4 Gt, 65%), followed by Malaysia (9.1 Gt, 10%). These data are used to provide revised estimates for Indonesian and Malaysian forest soil carbon pools of 77 and 15 Gt, respectively, and total forest carbon pools (biomass plus soil) of 97 and 19 Gt. Peat carbon contributes 60% to the total forest soil carbon pool in Malaysia and 74% in Indonesia. These results emphasize the prominent global and regional roles played by the tropical peat carbon pool and the importance of including this pool in national and regional assessments of terrestrial carbon stocks and the prediction of peat‐derived greenhouse gas emissions.     

Salt induces Changes of Turbidity and Volume of <Emphasis Type="Italic">E. coli</Emphasis>

MANY people have observed that the addition of salts and sugars to Gram-negative bacteria causes rapid increases in turbidity^1–11. Changes in volume of particles of similar size to bacteria result in similar absorbance changes due to variations in light scattering¹².     

Simulated global changes alter phosphorus demand in annual grassland

In the Jasper Ridge Global Change Experiment – an annual grassland with elevated carbon dioxide (CO₂), nitrate deposition, temperature, and precipitation – we used six indices of phosphorus (P) limitation to test the hypothesis that global changes that increase net primary production (NPP) increase P demand or limitation. All indices indicated that nitrate deposition, the only factor that stimulated NPP, increased P demand or limitation: (1) soil phosphatase activity increased by 14%; (2) P concentration in green and (3) senescent leaves of the dominant grass genus, Avena , dropped by 40% and 44%, respectively; (4) N : P ratios in green and (5) senescent Avena widened by 99% and 161%, respectively; and (6) total aboveground plant P decreased by 17% with elevated nitrate deposition. The other three factors, which did not stimulate NPP, did not increase P demand: based on two indices, enhanced precipitation decreased P demand (11% decrease in phosphatase activity, 19% increase in total aboveground P), and there was no evidence that elevated CO₂ or temperature altered P demand. In a meta-analysis to assess the generality of P constraints on growth increases from global change factors, we found that six of 11 N-limited ecosystems responded to N deposition with enhanced P limitation or demand, but did not detect significant effects of elevated CO₂ or warming.