The effects of invasive macrophytes, water level fluctuations and predation on freshwater unionids Pyganodon grandis and Utterbackia imbecillis were studied in three small impoundments in Northeastern Texas in 2003–2005. Mussel density was sampled with quadrats. Mortality,
associated with the water level fluctuations and predation, was estimated by collecting dead shells on the shore at about
two month intervals. In two ponds, horizontal distribution of unionids was limited by dense beds of invasive and noxious macrophytes
(mainly Eurasian watermilfoil Myriophyllum spicatum and American lotus Nelumbo lutea): mussel densities were significantly lower in these macrophyte beds (P < 0.001). In the third pond with the lowest density of macrophytes (stonewort Chara sp.), unionids were distributed more evenly, and the average unionid biomass was the highest among all ponds studied. Vertical
distribution of unionids in all ponds was likely limited by low oxygen at depth >2 m. The total amount of shells found on
the shore per year varied from 0.1% to 28% of the total population in the pond and was negatively correlated with water level
(r = −0.72 to −0.81, P < 0.005). Mammalian predators consumed up to 19% of the total unionid population and predation was facilitated by water level
fluctuations.
Handling editor: K. Martens 相似文献
We assessed the effects of topographic heterogeneity and stem density on species composition between grains of different sizes
(20 × 20, 50 × 50, and 100 × 100 m), based on partial Mantel tests. Similarity in species composition was measured by the
abundance-based Jaccard index (C_J) and by an index that incorporates phylogenetic information into C_J (pC_J). Plants were
divided into five groups, arbor, subarbor, and shrub according to life form and two other groups: species that produce dry
fruits (PDF) and that produce fleshy fruits (PFF). C_J and pC_J between any two grains at each grain size were calculated
separately for these groups and for all species combined. In order to examine what influences C_J and pC_J, we analyzed their
correlations with topographic heterogeneity variables and two dispersal limitation-related variables (stem and topographic
resistance). Our data indicate that at all three grain sizes, C_J and pC_J decrease with increasing distance for all plant
groups. Dispersal limitation and topographic heterogeneity were both important at 20 × 20 and 50 × 50 m grain sizes for C_J
and pC_J of all plant groups; and at 100 × 100 m grain size, topographic heterogeneity dominates over dispersal limitation
for some plant groups. C_J and pC_J of PDFs are less negatively correlated with stem resistance than those of PFFs. We conclude
that both beta diversity and phylobetadiversity are dependent on plant groups and grain sizes. 相似文献
It has long been known that rates of synonymous substitutions are unusually low in mitochondrial genes of flowering and other
land plants. Although two dramatic exceptions to this pattern have recently been reported, it is unclear how often major increases
in substitution rates occur during plant mitochondrial evolution and what the overall magnitude of substitution rate variation
is across plants. 相似文献
Both the size of founding populations (propagule size) and environmental suitability are known to influence whether a species newly introduced to a location will establish a self-sustaining population. However, these two factors do not operate independently: it is the interaction between propagule size and environmental suitability that determines the probability an introduced population will establish. Here I use the example of dung beetle introductions to Australia to illustrate the importance of this interaction. I first describe equations that model establishment success jointly as a function of propagule size and environmental suitability. I then show how these equations provide insight into the different outcomes observed in two dung beetle species widely introduced to Australia. In one species, variation in propagule size had relatively little influence on establishment success due to large variation in environmental suitability, leading to an essentially bimodal outcome: sites were either very suitable for establishment and introductions succeeded, or sites were unsuitable and introductions failed regardless of propagule size. For the second species, there was much less variation among locations in environmental suitability, leading to propagule size having a strong influence on establishment success. These examples highlight how the interplay between environmental suitability and founding population size is central to determining the probability an introduced species will establish. 相似文献
We are proposing graphene (G)-based multilayered plasmonic spatial switch, operating at 10 THz. It is composed of hBN/Ag/hBN/G/hBN/G/hBN/SiO2/p+-Si multilayers. When a 10-THz transverse magnetic (TM)-polarized signal is normally incident upon the structure top surface, the nanoaperture devised in the Ag nanolayer, acting as a grating, excites surface plasmons at the top graphene micro-ribbons/hBN interface. These surface plasmons depending on the graphenes chemical potentials can be coupled to the lower-right or left graphene micro-ribbons and continue to propagate laterally towards the corresponding output port. Numerical simulations show that a change of ∆VG ≈ ± 2.7 V in the voltage, applied to the gated micro-ribbons, can modulate their chemical potentials sufficiently to switch the right (left) output port from ON (OFF) to OFF(ON) and vice versa. Besides its low power consumption, the switch ultra-small dimensions make it a potential spatial router suitable for THz-integrated circuit applications.
Anthropogenic habitat modifications have led to the extinction of many species and have favoured the expansion of others.
Nonetheless, the possible role of humans as a diversifying force in vertebrate evolution has rarely been considered, especially
for species with long generation times. We examine the influence that humans have had on the colonization and phenotypic and
genetic differentiation of an insular population of a long-lived raptor species, the Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus). 相似文献
The study was designed to determine whether methionine-enkephalin (M-ENK) was present in the digestive system of the scallop
Chlamys farreri and investigate the effects of M-ENK on the activity of amylase, protease and lipase in the digestive system of C. farreri. The results indicated that M-ENK-like material was present in the epithelium and connective tissue of labial palps, mouth
labia, stomach, intestine, rectum, and hepatopancreas of the scallop C. farreri. Moreover, it was also found that many isolated small cells showing M-ENK-like immunoreactivity were scattered in the epithelial
layer of intestine, and many isolated big epithelial cells showing M-ENK-like immunoreactivity were scattered in tubules of
hepatopancreas of the scallop. The activity levels of amylase and lipase in crystalline style, hepatopancreas and intestine
were enhanced at 1 h after injection of exogenous M-ENK into adductor muscle of the scallops, whereas protease activity levels
were significantly suppressed. Our report constitutes the first characterization of M-ENK in the digestive system of scallop
C. farreri and investigates the effects of M-ENK on the activities of digestive enzymes of mollusk for the first time. The results suggest
an involvement of M-ENK in the functional regulation of the digestive system of C. farreri.相似文献
Vertical ionization energies (VIEs) of medazepam, nordazepam and their molecular subunits have been calculated using the electron
propagator method in the P3/CEP-31G* approximation. Vertical electron affinities (VEAs) have been obtained with a ∆SCF procedure
at the DFT-B3LYP/6-31+G* level of theory. Excellent correlations have been achieved between IEcalc and IEexp, allowing reliable assignment of the ionization processes. Our proposed assignment differs in many instances from that previously
reported in the literature. The electronic structure of the frontier Dyson orbitals shows that the IE and EA values of the
benzodiazepines can be modulated by substitution at the benzene rings. Hardness values, evaluated as (IE − EA)/2, follow the
trend of the experimental singlet transition energies. Medazepam is a less hard (i.e., less stable) compound than nordazepam. 相似文献