Size-Related Differential Seed Predation in a Heavily Defaunated Neotropical Rain Forest

Hunting and habitat loss represent an increasingly common anthropogenic impact. Available evidence suggests that defaunation is typically differential: medium/large mammals are most affected while small rodents are less affected, or even favored. In heavily impacted areas, such as Los Tuxtlas, the residual mammalian fauna is dominated by small rodents. We tested the expectation that if small rodents will preferentially attack small-seeded species, large-seeded species may escape predation in the absence of medium/large seed predators and that this may affect germination and, possibly, recruitment. Experiments with caged rodents ( Heteromys desmarestianus ) under laboratory conditions showed a preference for smaller seeds. A field experiment involving seeds of contrasting size showed that small, unprotected seeds experienced a predation risk 30-times larger than protected seeds, while the effect of protection was not significant for large seeds. These patterns of predation led to significant differences in germination: protected small-seeded species had a fourfold greater germination than unprotected small-seeded species, while germination was not significantly different between exposed and protected large seeds. The observed contrasts in germination suggest that under heavy defaunation, small-seeded species are likely to be penalized by the overabundance of small rodents, while large-seeded species escape predation. Our results are consistent with the observation of dense seedling carpets dominated by large-seeded species in the understory of Los Tuxtlas. We speculate that the patterns we uncovered may explain, at least partly, the impoverished diversity of the understory vegetation that characterizes heavily defaunated understories and that this has the potential to affect forest regeneration.     

Tropical rain forest fragmentation,howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata), and dung beetles at Los Tuxtlas,Mexico

In Neotropical rain forests, fresh mammal dung, especially that of howler monkeys, constitutes an important resource used by dung beetles as food and for oviposition and further feeding by their larvae. Tropical rain forest destruction, fragmentation, and subsequent isolation causing reductions in numbers of and the disappearance of howler moneys may result in decreasing numbers of dung beetles, but this has not been documented. In this study, we present information on the presence of howlers and dung beetles in 38 isolated forest fragments and 15 agricultural habitats. Howler monkeys were censused by visual means, while dung beetles were sampled with traps baited with a mixture of howler, cow, horse, and dog dung. Results indicated that loss of area and isolation of forest fragments result in significant decrements in howlers and dung beetles. However, dung beetle abundance was found to be closely related to the presence of howler monkeys at the sites and habitats investigated. Scenarios of land management designed to reduce isolation among forest fragments may help sustain populations of howler monkeys and dung beetles, which may have positive consequences for rain forest regeneration. Am. J. Primatol. 48:253–262, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

The Importance of Tropical Rain Forest Fragments to the Conservation of Plant Species Diversity in Los Tuxtlas, Mexico

Of what value are forest fragments to the conservation of the tropical rain forest diversity for a landscape? We compared the changes in composition, diversity, and plant structure of 15 small (1–76 ha) relatively unprotected forest fragments with those of a large (700 ha) well protected fragment (LWPF) in Los Tuxtlas, Mexico. The trees, shrubs, lianas, palms, and herbs with dbh?≥?2.5 cm were sampled in 1000 m² at each site. For each ecological group (based on light requirements for germination: primary, secondary, and non-secondary light demanding, NSLD, species) and life form, estimates of species diversity, density, and basal area were analyzed using a stepwise multiple regression to determine whether there were any relationships between these variables and fragment characteristics (size, shape index, and isolation). The composition and plant structure of LWPF were different from those of the small fragments and large trees are absent from the canopy of the latter. Fragment size best explained the differences in composition and plant structure. Species composition in the largest fragments was similar to that of LWPF, but there was no significant difference in total richness between LWPF and the fragments, even though both the richness and abundance of secondary and NSLD species did differ. LWPF had more large primary trees in the canopy, and a greater abundance and basal area of palms and herbs. For tropical rain forest conservation, it is important to maintain the greatest possible number of large fragments and establish policies that prevent forest remnants from being further reduced in size and increasingly isolated from each other.     

Reduction of dimensionality in Bayesian nonlinear regression with a pharmacokinetic application

Application of Bayes's theorem to the analysis of nonlinear regression models is limited by numerical problems associated with calculation of integrals of functions of several variables. For k-parameter models that are linear in l of the parameters, a dimension-reduction procedure is described for factoring the posterior distribution into the product of a multivariate normal density and a function of k-l nonlinear parameters. Integrals can then be calculated with (k-l)-dimensional numerical integration. A four-parameter, two-compartment pharmacokinetic model of lidocaine disposition is analyzed using a change of variables in order to obtain a model that is linear in two parameters. It is shown that a Bayesian analysis, with reduction of dimensionality, applied to this model produces appropriate results with reasonable CPU-time requirements.     

走向共治——洛杉矶都市区的山地开发管控

“二战”后山地开发日益成为缓解城市建设用地短缺的重要途径,分析相关法规文本能有效地识别不同城市的山地管控目的和策略。现有研究集中于美国城市,但未能揭示各级政府之间的相互关系及其管理策略的变化趋势。以洛杉矶都市区为研究案例,系统分析相关市、县、州和联邦政府的44个山地规划方案、法规条例、设计导则和调研报告。研究发现这些政府部门大多优先考虑资源保护、公共安全和户外游憩3个管控目的,其管辖区域的海拔高度与其行政级别总体上呈正相关,但大多都介入了那些邻近中心城市的山地。按时间先后顺序,四级政府依次采取保护地、叠加分区和共治模式3类管控策略,工作方式趋于灵活和包容。洛杉矶经验对当代中国具有2方面启示意义：一是对现有的土地利用分区体系进行创新性调整,二是在各级政府部门与当地社区之间构建合作伙伴关系。     

Rapid kinetics of lysis in human natural cell-mediated cytotoxicity: Some implications

The entire lytic process of natural cell-mediated cytotoxicity against sensitive target cells can occur rapidly, within minutes. This was demonstrated by ⁵¹chromium release and in single-cell assays. At the cellular level, most of the target cell lysis occurred within 15–30 min after binding to effector cells. The enriched natural killer cell subpopulation of lymphocytes obtained by Percoll density gradient centrifugation (containing >70% large granular lymphocytes (LGL)) was the most rapidly lytic population by ⁵¹chromium release. However, in the single-cell assay, the rate of lysis of bound target cells was quite similar for the LGL-enriched effector subpopulation and the higher density subpopulation of effector cells recognized previously. Both the light and dense effector cells contained similar numbers of target binding cells. Therefore, that the light subpopulation effected lysis more rapidly and to a greater extent than the dense subpopulation suggested that the low-density effector cells probably recycled more rapidly than those of higher density. This was corroborated by the finding that when conjugates were formed at 29 °C for the single-cell assay, a significant number of dead unconjugated targets could be observed only on the slides made with the LGL-enriched effector cells but not on those made with dense effector cell. Lysis continued to increase in the chromium-release assay probably because of recycling, recruitment, and/or heterogeneity of the effector cells, and/or because of heterogeneity or delayed death of the target cells.     

Enhanced sensitivity of trisomy 21 monocytes to the maturation-inhibiting effect ot interferon

Cultured peripheral blood monocytes from subjects with trisomy 21 (Down Syndrome) demonstrated a 3.7-fold enhanced sensitivity to the maturation-inhibiting effect of leukocyte interferon. This increased sensitivity is considered to be the result of the presence of an increased concentration of the interferon receptor, which is controlled by the IfRec locus on human chromosome 21, on the surface of the trisomic monocytes. Since macrophages are important components of many immune processes and interferon is itself a product of and has regulatory functions in immune reactions, the enhanced sensitivity of trisomic monocytes to interferon may be a factor leading, paradoxically, to the greater susceptibility of trisomic individuals to viral and bacterial infections.     

Physicochemical analysis of reversible molybdate effects on different molecular forms of glucocorticoid receptor

Several distinct molecular forms of glucocorticoid receptor have been identified in a melanoma model system. We have used velocity sedimentation to monitor molybdate dependent alterations in receptor size and heterogeneity. In the absence of molybdate, native glucocorticoid receptor from dexamethasone-sensitive tumors sediments at 7–8 S and 12–13 S. Under identical conditions, receptor isolated from dexamethasone-resistant tumors sediments at 7–8 S only. However, when molybdate is introduced, either during homogenization or immediately prior to centrifugation, glucocorticoid receptors from both dexamethasone-sensitive and -resistant tumors sediment sharply at 9–10 S. These molybdate induced phenomena are reversible. The activated forms of glucocorticoid receptor isolated from both dexamethasone-sensitive and -resistant tumors by DEAE-cellulose chromatography have similar sedimentation coefficients (4–5 S) which are unaffected by molybdate.     

Effects of defoliation on the saplings of a gap-colonizing neotropical tree

This paper describes a defoliation experiment on saplings of the gap-colonizing pioneer tree Heliocarpus appendiculatus in the tropical rain forest of Los Tuxtlas (Southeast Mexico). Four levels of defoliation (0, 25, 50, and 75% of the leaf area removed) were applied to naturally established plants in a medium-sized forest gap. Records were made of growth (height, diameter, and leaf production) and of whole-plant and leaf survival. Statistical comparisons for all variables showed that plants that had not been defoliated grew better than defoliated ones, but there were no statistically significant differences between the defoliation levels. The risk of death was significantly lower for control plants than for defoliated plants at any level of damage. Leaf survivorship was highly irregular. The most consistent pattern was that the leaves of intact plants always showed higher survivorship, while the most heavily defoliated ones always had the poorest survival. The survivorship pattern of leaves at intermediate defoliation levels was irregular. The results illustrate the lack of a monotonic response to a wide range of defoliation levels, and suggest the potential effect of herbivores as reducers of vegetative growth and survival in pioneer tropical species, and as limiting agents of plant establishment in regenerating forest gaps.     

Regulation of acetylcholinesterase activity by retinoic acid in a human neuroblastoma cell line

The ability of retinoic acid (RA) to modulate acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in a human neuroblastoma cell line (LN-N-5) was examined. The specific activity of AChE was significantly increased 3 days after exposure of LA-N-5 to RA and reached its maximum values after 9 or more days of culturing. Dose-response experiments demonstrated that large increases of AChE occurred at RA concentrations between 10(-7) and 10(-6) M with maximum AChE values detected at 10(-6)-10(-5) M. Increased AChE activity paralleled neurite outgrowth in LA-N-5 cultures. These findings demonstrate that RA can regulate specific AChE activity in human neuroblastoma cells in a manner consistent with neuronal maturation.