Best environmental predictors of breeding phenology differ with elevation in a common woodland bird species

Temperatures in mountain areas are increasing at a higher rate than the Northern Hemisphere land average, but how fauna may respond, in particular in terms of phenology, remains poorly understood. The aim of this study was to assess how elevation could modify the relationships between climate variability (air temperature and snow melt‐out date), the timing of plant phenology and egg‐laying date of the coal tit (Periparus ater). We collected 9 years (2011–2019) of data on egg‐laying date, spring air temperature, snow melt‐out date, and larch budburst date at two elevations (~1,300 m and ~1,900 m asl) on a slope located in the Mont‐Blanc Massif in the French Alps. We found that at low elevation, larch budburst date had a direct influence on egg‐laying date, while at high‐altitude snow melt‐out date was the limiting factor. At both elevations, air temperature had a similar effect on egg‐laying date, but was a poorer predictor than larch budburst or snowmelt date. Our results shed light on proximate drivers of breeding phenology responses to interannual climate variability in mountain areas and suggest that factors directly influencing species phenology vary at different elevations. Predicting the future responses of species in a climate change context will require testing the transferability of models and accounting for nonstationary relationships between environmental predictors and the timing of phenological events.     

Seed quality and seed quantity in red maple depends on weather and individual tree characteristics

Under future climate change, plant species are expected to shift their ranges in response to increasing temperatures and altered precipitation patterns. As seeds represent the single opportunity for plants to move, it is critical to quantify the factors that influence reproduction. While total seed production is clearly important, seed quality is equally as critical and often overlooked. Thus, to quantify how environmental and tree‐level characteristics affect seed quality and quantity, the reproductive output of red maple (Acer rubrum) was measured along an elevation gradient in the Monongahela National Forest, WV. A variety of individual‐level characteristics were measured (e.g., DBH, canopy area, height, and tree cores were taken to quantify growth), and seed traps were placed under seed‐bearing trees to collect samaras and quantify total seed production. A random subsample of collected seeds from each tree was micro‐CT scanned to determine embryo volume, photographed for morphology measurements, and used for germination trials. The number of seeds produced was negatively affected by frost events during flowering, and stand density. The trees with the most seeds also showed reduced growth in recent years. Only 63% of scanned seeds showed embryo development, and of those seeds—only 23% germinated. The likelihood of embryo presence increased as growth rate decreased, while embryo size increased with tree height, smaller DBH, and in areas dominated by hemlock. Both larger embryo volume and larger overall seed size increased the likelihood of germination. The results highlight the importance of including seed quality in addition to seed quantity for a more complete representation of reproductive output.     

攀枝花不同海拔高度烤烟农田红壤中氨氧化细菌与氨氧化古菌的群落结构分析

为探究攀枝花干热河谷区农田土壤氨氧化古菌（Ammonia oxidizing archaea,AOA）与氨氧化细菌（Ammonia oxidizing bacteria,AOB）群落对海拔高度的响应特征,深入认识该区域的氮素循环过程。以攀枝花米易县不同海拔（1600 m、1800 m和2000 m）农田红壤为研究对象,运用化学分析和末端限制性片段长度多态性（Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism,T-RFLP）分别测定土壤理化性质、AOA和AOB群落组成及多样性,研究不同海拔农田土壤中AOA和AOB群落变异及其驱动因子。研究结果显示,不同海拔农田土壤pH均小于7,土壤有机碳（SOC）、全氮（TN）、速效钾（AK）和铵态氮（NH₄⁺-N）含量随海拔升高而降低,碱解氮（AN）、有效磷（AP）和硝态氮（NO₃^--N）含量随海拔升高先增加后降低;随海拔升高,AOA群落多样性指数增加,而AOB群落多样性指数先增加后降低;AOA以亚硝基球菌属（Nitrososphaera）为优势菌群,AOB以亚硝化螺菌属（Nitrosospira）为优势菌群;土壤有机碳（SOC）、速效钾（AK）和硝态氮（NO₃^--N）是影响该区域农田土壤AOA和AOB群落发育的主要因子。总体而言,攀枝花干热河谷区不同海拔农田土壤AOA和AOB群落结构变化明显,土壤硝态氮、速效钾和有机碳是影响AOA和AOB群落结构变异的主要因子;研究结果可为揭示干热河谷区农田红壤氮循环相关微生物的海拔分布格局提供理论依据。     

西藏色季拉山垂直植被带土壤细菌群落组成及功能潜势

研究青藏高原土壤微生物群落组成和功能的空间分布特征有助于深入理解典型高寒生态系统中土壤微生物的重要生态功能。本研究采用16S rDNA高通量测序方法,分析了西藏色季拉山4个不同海拔土壤细菌群落物种组成和功能潜势的变化特征及其驱动因子。结果表明: 随着海拔的升高,土壤细菌的丰富度和Shannon多样性指数显著降低;酸杆菌门、绿弯菌门、芽单胞菌门和硝化螺旋菌门的相对丰度显著增加,而变形菌门、放线菌门和拟杆菌门的相对丰度则显著降低。KEGG二级代谢通路中,膜运输及氨基酸、脂类、萜类和聚酮类化合物代谢相关基因的相对丰度在高海拔显著降低,而碳水化合物代谢、信号转导、复制与修复、酶家族等基因丰度则显著升高。不同海拔土壤细菌群落组成和功能潜势的变化受到植被和土壤因子的显著影响,并且pH值是关键驱动因子。群落功能潜势与放线菌门、拟杆菌门、纤维杆菌门等种群丰度显著相关。不同海拔下群落KEGG代谢通路基因组成的差异(β多样性)与土壤细菌群落结构的差异呈显著正相关,说明微生物群落组成与功能潜势之间可能存在紧密关联。     

Fungal community composition and diversity in the rhizosphere soils of Argentina (syn. Potentilla) anserina,on the Qinghai Plateau

Fungal communities and diversity in the rhizosphere soil of Argentina (syn. Potentilla) anserina were investigated by high-throughput sequencing. Soil fungal communities changed seasonally; nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium contents in the soil were highly correlated with specific fungal groups and distributions. At the class level, the fungal community of A. anserina rhizosphere was mainly composed of Sordariomycetes, Pezizomycetes, Dothideomycetes, and Leotiomycetes. Moreover, rhizosphere soil was dominated by Ascomycota and characterized by a relatively high percentage of saprotrophic, parasitic, endophytic, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi: Mortierella (3.95 %), Fusarium (3.11 %), Cadophora (2.19 %), Phoma (2.01 %), Preussia (1.18 %) and Glomerales (0.37 %). FUNGuild analysis revealed different fungal ecotypes in rhizosphere soil, including symbiotic, saprotrophic, and pathogenic fungi. The structure and quantity of different ecotypes of fungi showed dynamic changes and may have different functions in the agro-ecosystem. These results provide a theoretical framework for further development and utilization of microbial resources to improve sustainable management strategies.     

Response of resource allocation of Saussurea leontodontoides during its fruiting stage to the elevation

植物资源分配是目前植物生态学研究的热点问题, 主要集中在性分配和繁殖分配两个方面。该研究以分布在青藏高原的狮牙草状风毛菊(Saussurea leontodontoides)作为研究材料, 研究了6个海拔高度上果期植株的繁殖特征及资源分配的差异, 并用异速模型分析了繁殖性状及资源分配与个体大小的关系。结果显示: 1)狮牙草状风毛菊的个体大小、繁殖器官生物量、营养器官生物量、种子数和营养分配均与海拔存在极显著负相关关系, 百粒质量和繁殖分配与海拔存在极显著正相关关系。2)在不同海拔高度下, 百粒质量、种子数、繁殖器官生物量及营养分配与植株个体大小呈正相关关系; 繁殖分配与植株个体大小呈负相关关系; 而营养器官生物量与植株个体大小呈极显著正相关关系。这表明海拔和个体大小对狮牙草状风毛菊的繁殖对策有不同程度的影响, 狮牙草状风毛菊通过增加繁殖部分的生物量和百粒质量来适应高海拔的胁迫环境。     

Widespread phenotypic and genetic divergence along altitudinal gradients in animals

Altitudinal gradients offer valuable study systems to investigate how adaptive genetic diversity is distributed within and between natural populations and which factors promote or prevent adaptive differentiation. The environmental clines along altitudinal gradients tend to be steep relative to the dispersal distance of many organisms, providing an opportunity to study the joint effects of divergent natural selection and gene flow. Temperature is one variable showing consistent altitudinal changes, and altitudinal gradients can therefore provide spatial surrogates for some of the changes anticipated under climate change. Here, we investigate the extent and patterns of adaptive divergence in animal populations along altitudinal gradients by surveying the literature for (i) studies on phenotypic variation assessed under common garden or reciprocal transplant designs and (ii) studies looking for signatures of divergent selection at the molecular level. Phenotypic data show that significant between‐population differences are common and taxonomically widespread, involving traits such as mass, wing size, tolerance to thermal extremes and melanization. Several lines of evidence suggest that some of the observed differences are adaptively relevant, but rigorous tests of local adaptation or the link between specific phenotypes and fitness are sorely lacking. Evidence for a role of altitudinal adaptation also exists for a number of candidate genes, most prominently haemoglobin, and for anonymous molecular markers. Novel genomic approaches may provide valuable tools for studying adaptive diversity, also in species that are not amenable to experimentation.     

Search for critical loading condition of the spine–A meta analysis of a nonlinear viscoelastic finite element model

The relative vulnerability of spinal motion segments to different loading combinations remains unknown. The meta-analysis described here using the results of a validated L2–L3 nonlinear viscoelastic finite element model was designed to investigate the critical loading and its effect on the internal mechanics of the human lumbar spine. A Box-Behnken experimental design was used to design the magnitude of seven independent variables associated with loads, rotations and velocity of motion. Subsequently, an optimization method was used to find the primary and secondary variables that influence spine mechanical output related to facet forces, disc pressure, ligament forces, annulus matrix compressive/shear stresses and anulus fibers strain. The mechanical responses with respect to the two most-relevant variables were then regressed linearly using the response surface quadratic model. Axial force and sagittal rotation were identified as the most-relevant variables for mechanical responses. The procedure developed can be used to find the critical loading for finite element models with multi input variables. The derived meta-models can be used to predict the risk associated with various loading parameters and in setting safer load limits.     

Superiority of total white blood cell count over other leukocyte differentials for predicting long-term outcomes in patients with non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome

Abstract

Context: Leukocytes have been found to be the predictor of outcome following acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

Objective: We sought to determine the relationship between leukocyte differentials and developing major adverse cardiac events (MACE) in patients with non-ST elevation ACS (NSTE-ACS).

Materials and methods: A total of 490 consecutive patients were enrolled, and MACE incidence was evaluated at long-term follow-up period.

Results: Total white blood cell (WBC) was higher in subjects occurring MACE. Moreover, elevated total WBC, ≥7.5?×?10³/µL, independently predicted MACE.

Discussion and conclusion: Elevated admission total WBC can predict long-term MACE in NSTE-ACS patients better than other differentials.