Epizoochorous and post-dispersal processes in a rare plant species: Jurinea cyanoides (L.) Rchb. (Asteraceae)

We used Jurinea cyanoides as a model plant species to ask the question whether sheep play a dual role in enabling the establishment of a rare species (1) by epizoochorous transport of diaspores and (2) by influencing post-dispersal processes. We carried out two field experiments in sand grassland (Jurineo–Koelerietum glaucae) in the northern upper Rhine valley, Germany. In the first one, we attached diaspores to the fleeces of sheep and assessed retention time, seed shadow, seedling emergence and establishment. In the second one, diaspore displacement by sheep trampling was investigated.It could be shown that establishment of J. cyanoides is possible after sheep-epizoochorous dispersal, but is severely limited by several factors. First, retention time is mostly short (only 18% of the diaspores remained in the fleeces >2 h). Thus, the seed shadow is concentrated around the place of attachment (mostly <5 m distance, maximum 17 m). Second, seedling emergence of dispersed achenes is severely limited by above-ground granivory (99%). Third, establishment is limited by seedling mortality (68%) due to summer drought. The seedlings germinated from achenes that had been incorporated into the soil (or into deeper parts of the bryophyte layer). The second experiment showed that sheep trampling significantly enhanced the incorporation of achenes into the soil compared with controls. Our study gives evidence that sheep can play a dual role: diaspore transport and facilitation of establishment by trampling.     

东莞市预防接种不良反应监测和处理控制系统的建立及评价

为了解东莞市各种疫苗预防接种不良反应的发生情况,建立预防接种不良反应(AEFI)监测和处理控制系统,评价其运行状况,提高预防接种工作质量。根据WHO对AEFI的定义和分类方法,确定了东莞市AEFI报告范围,报告人、报告程序、报告制度以及调查内容和方法,并对该系统2005年收集的AEFI病例进行描述性分析。全市共登记预防接种不良反应560例,其中疫苗反应占了95.36%。男性多于女性。在所使用的26种疫苗中有18种出现不良反应,以Hib和百白破(DPT)的发生率最高,且百白破的报告数最多,占57.5%。在报告的预防接种不良反应中,发热、局部红肿疼痛以及皮疹等过敏性反应占了94.1%。结果认为该系统在评价疫苗的安全性,发现不良反应发生的危险因素,改善预防接种服务质量起着重要作用。     

DNA barcoding and the documentation of alien species establishment on sub-Antarctic Marion Island

Invasive alien species constitute a substantial conservation challenge in the terrestrial sub-Antarctic. Management plans, for many of the islands in the region, call for the prevention, early detection, and management of such alien species. However, such management may be confounded by difficulties of identification of immatures, especially of holometabolous insects. Here we show how a DNA barcoding approach has helped to overcome such a problem associated with the likely establishment of an alien moth species on Marion Island. The discovery of unidentifiable immatures of a noctuid moth species, 5 km from the research station, suggested that a new moth species had colonized the island. Efforts to identify the larvae by conventional means or by rearing to the adult stage failed. However, sequencing of 617 bp of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene, and comparison of the sequence data with sequences on GENBANK and the barcoding of life database enabled us to identify the species as Agrotis ipsilon (Hufnagel), a species of which adults had previously been found regularly at the research station. Discovery of immatures of this species, some distance from the research station, suggests that a population may have established. It is recommended that steps to be taken to eradicate the species from Marion Island.     

The island biogeography of exotic bird species

Aim   A recent upsurge of interest in the island biogeography of exotic species has followed from the argument that they may provide valuable information on the natural processes structuring island biotas. Here, we use data on the occurrence of exotic bird species across oceanic islands worldwide to demonstrate an alternative and previously untested hypothesis that these distributional patterns are a simple consequence of where humans have released such species, and hence of the number of species released.
Location   Islands around the world.
Methods   Statistical analysis of published information on the numbers of exotic bird species introduced to, and established on, islands around the world.
Results   Established exotic birds showed very similar species–area relationships to native species, but different species–isolation relationships. However, in both cases the relationship for established exotics simply mimicked that for the number of exotic bird species introduced. Exotic bird introductions scaled positively with human population size and island isolation, and islands that had seen more native species extinctions had had more exotic species released.
Main conclusion   The island biogeography of exotic birds is primarily a consequence of human, rather than natural, processes.     

Establishment potential of the predatory mirid <Emphasis Type="Italic">Dicyphus hesperus</Emphasis> in northern Europe

The predatory mirid Dicyphus hesperus Knight (Hemiptera: Miridae) is native to North America. The species has been used for the control of glasshouse whitefly on aubergine in the Netherlands, and is currently being evaluated for continued and wider release in Europe. Field and laboratory studies were conducted on a population collected from southern California, USA, to assess the cold tolerance and potential for outdoor establishment under prevailing northern European climates. The supercooling points (whole animal freezing temperatures) of nymphal and adult insects were around −20°C. The lethal temperatures (LTemp₅₀) of non-diapausing nymphs and adults and diapausing adults were close to their respective freezing temperatures at −17.6, −17.6 and −19.2°C. At 5°C, the LTime₅₀ was 54, 101.7 and 117.5 days for fed nymphs, non-diapausing and diapausing adults respectively. When first instar nymphs were placed in the field in winter, starved samples died out after 70 days, but 5% of the fed nymphs survived until the end of winter (140 days) and developed to adult on return to the laboratory. After a similar 5-month field exposure, 50% of fed diapausing adults and 15% of fed non-diapausing adults were still alive at the end of winter, whereas starved diapausing adults died after 140 days. On return to the laboratory after 5 months in the field, both diapausing and non-diapausing adults mated and laid eggs, forming viable populations. Overall, the field and laboratory experiments indicate that this population of D. hesperus is able to enter diapause and that winter temperatures are not a barrier to establishment in northern Europe.     

Shoot water relations and gas exchange of western hemlock and western red cedar seedlings during establishment on a reforestation site

Summary Shoot water relations, summer gas exchange response and morphological development of western hemlock [Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.] and western red cedar (Thuja plicata Donn) seedlings were monitored over the first growing season on a coastal reforestation site in British Columbia. In March, osmotic potential (_s) at saturation [_s(sat)] was –1.98 MPa and turgor loss point [_s(tlp)] –2.38 MPa for western hemlock, while western red cedar had –1.45 MPa _s(sat) and –1.93 MPa _s(tlp). Seasonally _s increased through June and then decreased through September, with western hemlock –0.15 to –0.50 MPa lower than western red cedar. Maximum bulk modulus of elasticity (_max) for western hemlock was 29.3 MPa in March, decreased to 15.0 MPa in June and increased to 25.0 MPa from July through September, while western red cedar _max was 10.6 MPa in March and around 8.0 MPa thereafter. Utilized turgor (T _util) for western hemlock was <40% from March through May, 69 to 78% from June through August and 96% in September, while western red cedar T _util was 68 to 73% during March and April, 84 to 96% from May through August and 100% in September. Maximum CO₂ assimilation rate (A) of western red cedar was more than double western hemlock, and for both species A declined in a linear fashion with increasing vapour pressure deficit (D). Maximum foliage conductance (g _wv) declined in a concave manner as D increased in both species, with western red cedar values 50 to 67% greater than western hemlock. Maximum daily g _wv declined in a concave manner as predawn shoot water potential (_pd) decreased, with maximum daily g _wv 1.8 to 3.6 times greater in western red cedar than western hemlock, when _pd was –0.25 and –1.4 MPa, respectively. Western red cedar, compared to western hemlock, had a greater increase in A as g _wv increased. Eight months after planting, western red cedar seedlings had twice the root growth, measured as root dry weight and root number, of western hemlock.     

Age structure and dynamics of Rhododendron ferrugineum L. populations in the northwestern French Alps

Abstract. The ericaceous shrub Rhododendron ferrugineum occupies large areas at the subalpine level (1600–2200 m) of the northwestern French Alps. It frequently reaches 90–100 % cover, accumulates 60–70t/ha (dry weight) above-ground biomass and is able to dominate many subalpine landscapes by outcompeting other species. We formulated the hypothesis that the species shows a rapid and invasive seedling establishment and a fast population development. We investigated the age structure and development of two populations. Although classic colonization stages can be identified, and variation did occur depending on the site, R. ferrugineum populations showed a surprisingly slow development compared with other ericaceous species. Curves obtained from polynomial regression equations of cover on age allowed us to predict the future development of populations. Thus, depending on the site, it would take 150 to 250 yr to achieve total cover. We discuss the factors involved that could explain this slow development and discuss which biotic and abiotic factors may be responsible for the large extension of this species in the subalpine belt.     

Regulation of adenylate cyclase in cultured cardiocytes from neonatal rats by adenosine and other agonists

The presence of adenosine receptors coupled to adenylate cyclase in cultured cardiocytes from atria and ventricles from neonatal rats is demonstrated in these studies. N-Ethylcarboxamideadenosine (NECA), l-N⁶-phenylisopropyladenosine (PIA), and 2-chloroadenosine (2-cl-Ado) stimulated adenylate cyclase in a concentration-dependent manner in both cultured atrial and ventricular cells. The order of potency of stimulation was NECA > PIA > 2-cl-Ado. The stimulation of adenylate cyclase by NECA was enhanced by guanine nucleotides and was blocked by 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine in both these cells. Other agonists such as epinephrine, norepinephrine, dopamine, F^?, and forskolin were also able to stimulate adenylate cyclase, although the extent of stimulation by these agents was higher in ventricular than in atrial cells. The stimulation of adenylate cyclase by epinephrine and norepinephrine was inhibited by propranolol but not by phentolamine. On the other hand, phentolamine, propranolol, and haloperidol inhibited dopamine-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity to the same extent. Forskolin, at its maximal concentration, potentiated the stimulatory effect of epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine on adenylate cyclase in both atrial and ventricular cardiocytes, but the interaction of NECA with epinephrine, norepinephrine, or dopamine was different in atrial and ventricular cells. The stimulation by an optimal concentration of NECA was additive with maximal stimulation by the catecholamines in atrial cells but not in ventricular cells. The data suggest the existence of adenosine “Ra” and catecholamine receptors in cultured atrial and ventricular cardiocytes. It can be postulated that adenosine in addition to its role as a potent vasodilator might regulate cardiac performance through its interaction with “Ra” receptors associated with adenylate cyclase. The difference in the mode of interaction of adenosine with catecholamines in atrial and ventricular cells suggests that the mechanism by which these agents activate adenylate cyclase may be different in these cells.     

Plant competition,abiotic, and long- and short-term effects of large herbivores on demography of opportunistic species in a semiarid grassland

Summary The emergence and subsequent survival and growth of five opportunistic weeds were monitored after seed additions to long-term grazing treatments with or without current-year grazing, long-term ungrazed treatments, and removal treatments designed to eliminate plant competition from existing perennials while either leaving vegetation and soil structure unaltered or disturbed. The treatments were applied on both uplands and lowlands to assess the relative influence of macroabiotic environment versus plant competition. The long-term effects of large herbivores on the initial emergence of seedlings were greater than the effects of removing competition. Very few individuals emerged on the long-term grazed treatments that were either grazed or ungrazed during the experiment. Numbers of individuals emerging on the long-term ungrazed treatments were greater or equal to those emerging on the no-competition-undisturbed treatments, but numbers were greatest on no-competition-disturbed treatments. None of the seeded individuals on the long-term grazed, currently grazed treatments survived to the end of the growing season. There was a slightly greater end-of-season biomass of seeded species and percentage of the total population reaching reproductive status on the long-term ungrazed compared with grazed-nondefoliated treatments, and very high survival, biomass, and proportions of reproductives on both no-competition treatments. Cover types in the immediate vicinity of seedlings influenced both germination and survival, but the effects differed between species and treatments. Equal compensation to current-year herbivory occurred on long-term heavily grazed treatments even though above-ground production was much greater on long-term protected sites. Productivity varied with topography, but very few topographic main effects or interactions occurred with demographic variables of seeded species, suggesting that macroabiotic effects were of minor importance compared with grazing and plant competition.     

Relationships between iron and vanadium metabolism: The exchange of vanadium between transferrin and ferritin

The study of possible relationships between iron and vanadium metabolism (E. Sabbioni and E. Marafante, Proc. XIth Int. Conf. Biochem., 13-5-R122, Toronto, Canada) was extended to the vanadium in the biochemical mechanisms which involve the exchange of iron between transferrin and ferritin. The transfer of vanadium between transferrin and ferritin was investigated using ⁴⁸V radiotracer and gel filtration technique. ⁴⁸V labelled human transferrin and horse spleen ferritin, ⁴⁸V plasma from rats injected with ⁴⁸VO²⁺, unlabelled rat liver cytosol, and plasma were used as sources of the two proteins for their incubation under different conditions. The results show that the equilibrium:

occurs in vitro at physiological pH under the conditions of this experiment. No transfer of vanadium between the two proteins, however, occurs when they are incubated simply in a buffer at pH = 7.4. The maximum transfer was observed when transferrin and ferritin were mixed in their natural environments such as plasma and liver cytosol. This suggests that the exchange of the vanadium between the two proteins is affected by biochemical factors which are present in the body. A brief evaluation of the significance on the very low amounts of the element exchanged between the two proteins is also presented