Morphological Adaptations of the Ear in the Rodent Family Heteromyidae

Middle and inner ear structure and auditory sensitivity havebeen studied in all five genera of the rodent family Heteromyidae.In the most xericc genera (Dipodomys and Microdipodops) themiddle ears are greatly inflated the tympano-ossicular systemvery efficient the organ of Corti extremely modified and low-frequencysensitivity extremely acute. In the most mesic genera (Heteromysand Liomys) the middle and inner ears show few modificationsand the low frequency sensitivity is rather poor. Perognathusis intermediate in habitat structure, and low frequency sensitivity.Experimental data demonstrate that the low frequency sensitivityin Dipodomys is adaptive in predator avoidance.     

Nitrogen and phosphorus acquisition by the mycelium of the ectomycorrhizal fungus Paxillus involutus and its effect on host nutrition

The contribution of the extramatrical mycelium to N and P nutrition of mycorrhizal Norway spruce ( Picea abies (L.) Karst.) was investigated. Seedlings either inoculated with Paxillus involutus (Batsch) Fr. or non-mycorrhizal were grown in a two compartment sand culture system where hyphae were separated from roots by a 45 μm nylon net. Nutrient solution of the hyphal compartment contained either 1.8 m m NH₄⁺ and 0.18 m m H₂PO₄⁻ or no N and P. Aluminium added to the hyphal compartment as a tracer of mass flow was not detected in the plant compartment, indicating that measurements of N and P transfer by the mycelium were not biased by solute movement across the nylon net.
The addition of N and P to the hyphal compartment markedly increased dry weight, N and P concentration and N and P content of mycorrhizal plants. Calculating uptake from the difference in input and output of nutrient in solution confirmed a hyphal contribution of 73% and 76% to total N and P uptake, respectively. Hyphal growth was increased at the site of nutrient solution input.     

Development and Physical Validation of a Finite Element Model of Total Hip Dislocation

Component-on-component impingement, followed by levering of the femoral head, is a common mode of dislocation in total hip arthroplasty. While there have been many registry-based studies of dislocation incidence, confounding factors and sources of variability in the clinical domain make it difficult to identify specific parameter influences. A three dimensional nonlinear finite element model has been developed for the purpose of studying the dislocation event, to allow determination of how individual factors such as component design and clinical implantation position affect the propensity for dislocation. Also, a laboratory testing apparatus was constructed to provide physical validation of the computational model. The finite element model correctly predicted the range of motion observed in the physical apparatus to within 1%, and predicted the peak resisting moment to within 2.5%. Under even a light joint load of 200 N, the von Mises stresses developed in the polyethylene insert reached 13 MPa, and the contact stresses rose to as high as 30 MPa. These deleterious elevations occurred not only at the site of neck impingement, but also at the site of head egress from the liner.     

Spatial variation in regional CO2 exchange for the Kuparuk River Basin, Alaska over the summer growing season

The spatial and temporal patterns in CO₂ flux for the Kuparuk River Basin, a 9200‐km² watershed located in NE Alaska were estimated using the Regional Arctic CO₂ Exchange Simulator (RACES) for the 1994–1995 growing seasons. RACES uses non‐linear models and a Geographical Information System database (GIS) consisting of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and dynamic temperature and radiation maps. The spatial and temporal patterns in the NDVI during both growing seasons suggest that ecosystem development occurred 2–4 weeks earlier and was relatively more rapid in the southern portion of the Kuparuk River Basin. Rates of gross primary production (GPP) and whole‐ecosystem respiration (R) were 2–4 fold higher in the southern basin than along the arctic coastal plain depending on time of year. The higher rate of GPP estimated for the southern basin was primarily due to higher NDVI values, while the higher R estimated for the southern basin was due in part to higher temperature and the NDVI. While GPP and R showed strong latitudinal trends, spatial and temporal trends in net ecosystem CO₂ exchange (NEE) were much more variable. Thus, while spatial trends in carbon gain (GPP) and loss (R) were highly correlated, small spatial and temporal differences in these large fluxes (GPP and/or R) lead to corresponding large spatial variations in the NEE.     

Molecular data reveal that the tetraploid Tragopogon kashmirianus (Asteraceae: Lactuceae) is distinct from the North American T. mirus

Tragopogon kashmirianus (Asteraceae: Lactuceae) (2n = 24) was described based on collections from Kashmir. The tetraploid is morphologically similar to allotetraploid T. mirus from North America that has formed in western North America from the introduced T. dubius (2n = 12) and T. porrifolius (salsify; 2n = 12). Singh and Kachroo (1976 ) suggested that T. kashmirianus might have formed from the same diploid parental combination as T. mirus. To determine this, we investigated internal and external transcribed spacers (ITS, ETS) and five plastid regions of T. kashmirianus and species reported from Kashmir, northern India and neighbouring countries (T. badachschanicus, T. longirostris, T. porrifolius, T. pratensis, T. orientalis, T. subalpinus, T. trachycarpus, T. gracilis and T. dubius). Molecular data indicate that the parents of T. kashmirianus are not the European T. porrifolius and T. dubius. The exact parentage of T. kashmirianus is still unclear, but if it is an allotetraploid, at least one parent is a species native to Kashmir/India. Alternatively, it may represent an autopolyploid, again with the diploid parent native to Kashmir/India. We also found that ‘T. dubius’ from Kashmir is phylogenetically and morphologically distinct from collections of T. dubius from Europe and probably represents a previously unrecognized species. © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2008, 158 , 391–398.     

Estimation of Successful Breeding Pairs for Wolves in the Northern Rocky Mountains,USA

Abstract: Under the Endangered Species Act, documenting recovery and federally mandated population levels of wolves (Canis lupus) in the Northern Rocky Mountains (NRM) requires monitoring wolf packs that successfully recruit young. United States Fish and Wildlife Service regulations define successful breeding pairs as packs estimated to contain an adult male and female, accompanied by ≥2 pups on 31 December of a given year. Monitoring successful breeding pairs will become more difficult following proposed delisting of NRM wolves; alternatives to historically intensive methods, appropriate to the different ecological and regulatory context following delisting, are required. Because pack size is easier to monitor than pack composition, we estimated probability a pack would contain a successful breeding pair based on its size for wolf populations inhabiting 6 areas in the NRM. We also evaluated the extent to which differences in demography of wolves and levels of human-caused mortality among the areas influenced the probability of packs of different sizes would contain successful breeding pairs. Probability curves differed among analysis areas, depending primarily on levels of human-caused mortality, secondarily on annual population growth rate, and little on annual population density. Probabilities that packs contained successful breeding pairs were more uniformly distributed across pack sizes in areas with low levels of human mortality and stable populations. Large packs in areas with high levels of human-caused mortality and high annual growth rates had relatively high probabilities of containing breeding pairs whereas those for small packs were relatively low. Our approach can be used by managers to estimate number of successful breeding pairs in a population where number of packs and their sizes are known. Following delisting of NRM wolves, human-caused mortality is likely to increase, resulting in more small packs with low probabilities of containing breeding pairs. Differing contributions of packs to wolf population growth based on their size suggests monitoring successful breeding pairs will provide more accurate insights into population dynamics of wolves than will monitoring number of packs or individuals only.     

Grizzly Bear Behavior and Global Positioning System Collar Fix Rates

Abstract: Animal locations collected by Global Positioning System (GPS) collars will represent a biased sample of the sites an animal used if some position fixes fail and if those missed locations do not occur randomly. Probability of a GPS receiver obtaining a position fix is known to decline as canopy cover increases, but the impact of forest canopy cover was insufficient to account for the low fix rates we observed for GPS collars on grizzly bears (Ursus arctos). We tested the hypothesis that GPS fix rates were related to the interaction between animal activity (active vs. resting) and canopy cover by evaluating the following predictions: 1) grizzly bear activity should follow a circadian pattern similar to the circadian fix-rate pattern, 2) grizzly bear use of canopy cover should follow a circadian pattern similar to the circadian fix rates, 3) grizzly bear activity should be related to canopy cover (i.e., bears should rest in areas with relatively high canopy covers and feed and move in relatively open areas), and 4) collar orientation and canopy cover should interact to affect the fix rates of test collars. The GPS fix rates traced a bimodal circadian pattern that was directly related to the circadian pattern of grizzly bear activity. Fix rates declined when bears were more likely to be using denser cover, and fix rates of test collars demonstrated that collar orientation interacted with canopy cover, such that fix rates declined much more with increasing canopy cover when the collar was on its side than when the collar was upright. We concluded that inferences made about grizzly bear microhabitat use, based on GPS locations, will underrepresent high canopy cover sites, especially when grizzly bears are resting there. (JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT 72(3):596–602; 2008)