Egg size and composition in an ageing capital breeder – consequences for offspring performance

1. Egg size is often used as a proxy of egg quality although size and composition may vary, e.g. in insects egg size usually decreases as female ages. Whether this decrease in size reflects reduced concentrations of essential nutrients such as lipids and proteins of eggs laid by ageing females, or does reduced size per se explain often observed lower fitness of later laid eggs is poorly explored. 2. Egg properties were compared with fitness parameters of offspring laid on the first and fourth night during the oviposition period of a capital breeding moth, Cleorodes lichenaria (Hufnagel). The study aim was to explore whether decreased egg size is caused by decreased provisioning into later laid eggs measured as egg protein and lipid concentration, and whether it results in lower fitness of later laid offspring. 3. The fresh and dry weight of eggs decreased over the oviposition period, but the protein and lipid concentration remained constant. Survival of larvae was lower among the fourth night laid offspring on a low quality host Parmelia sulcata Taylor compared to a high quality host Ramalina fraxinea (L.) Ach. No differences were observed in egg fertility or hatchability, neonate survival without food and pupal mass between the offspring produced on different nights. 4. Decreased survival of offspring produced later was rather attributable to absolute provisioning (i.e. lower weight of eggs) than relative provisioning (i.e. decreased concentrations of nutrients in eggs). It is argued that lower survival of later laid smaller eggs on low quality diet is likely attributable to physical and chemical characteristics of host lichens and/or physical properties of tiny neonate larvae.     

荒漠化地区生物结皮的研究进展

防沙、治沙和固沙一直以来是荒漠化生态环境建设的热点问题。作者从生物结皮对荒漠化地区生态环境的影响,以及在生态系统演替中起到的重要作用等方面进行了综述,指出了地衣在生物结皮中所占有的重要地位,展望了生物结皮研究与应用的前景。     

A new species of Phyllopsora (Lecanorales, lichen-forming Ascomycota) from Dominican amber, with remarks on the fossil history of lichens

Phyllopsora dominicanus sp. nov. (Bacidiaceae, Lecanorales,lichen-forming Ascomycota) is described and illustrated fromDominican amber. The diagnostic features of the lichen includea minute subfolious thallus of lacinulate, ascending squamules,a well-developed upper cortex, and a net-like pseudocortex onthe lower surface. The algal symbionts are unicellular greenalgae, forming a distinct layer immediately below the uppercortex. The fossil demonstrates that distinguishing featuresof Phyllopsora have remained unchanged for tens of millionsof years. The fossil also provides the first detailed viewsof mycobiont–photobiont contacts in Tertiary green algallichens. The mycobiont hyphae formed apical and intercalaryappressoria by pressing closely against the photobiont cells.This indicates that a conserved maintenance of structure isalso seen in the fine details of the fungal–algal interface. Key words: Amber, fossil, fungi, lichen, Phyllopsora, symbiosis, Tertiary Received 30 May 2007; Revised 30 November 2007 Accepted 21 December 2007     

The lichen-forming ascomycete Evernia mesomorpha associates with multiple genotypes of Trebouxia jamesii

The epiphyte Evernia mesomorpha forms a lichen association with green algae in the genus Trebouxia. Little is known about the population structure of E. mesomorpha. Here, population structure of the algal and fungal symbionts was examined for 290 lichen thalli on 29 jack pine (Pinus banksiana) trees in Manitoba. Through phylogenetic analysis of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequences, five algal genotypes were detected that were nested within T. jamesii. Two fungal genotypes were detected that formed a clade with two other Evernia species. The genus Evernia was paraphyletic with E. prunastri, sister to Parmelia saxatilis. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of ITS rDNA showed multiple algal genotypes in 45% of the 290 lichen thalli collected, whereas all thalli only contained one fungal genotype. Low population subdivision of algal and fungal genotypes among trees suggested that the algal symbiont was being dispersed in the lichen soredium. Low fungal specificity for multiple algal genotypes and a hypothesized algal switch may be important life history strategies for E. mesomorpha to adapt to changing environmental conditions.     

火烧对内蒙古草原中坚韧胶衣固氮活性的影响

 坚韧胶衣(Collema tenax)是干旱和半干旱草原中常见的一种固氮地衣, 是草原生态系统中生物土壤结皮(Biological soil crust)的 主要组成部分, 对生态系统氮循环具有重要的影响。火烧作为一种干扰因子, 是草原生态系统结构和功能维持的重要因素之一。该文采用乙炔 还原法(Acetylene reduction assay), 研究了火烧对内蒙古草原生态系统中坚韧胶衣固氮活性的短期影响。结果表明, 在个体尺度上, 与对照 相比, 火烧区中地衣体烧损的坚韧胶衣固氮活性降低了42.3%, 而无烧损的个体固氮活性则升高了28.4%。这表明火烧对坚韧胶衣的固氮功能在 个体尺度上具有双重影响: 1)通过烧损地衣体、恶化地表温度和水分条件, 而抑制个体的固氮活性; 2)通过改善光照条件, 使表土养分呈现脉 冲式增高, 而促进未烧损个体的固氮活性。在种群尺度上, 火烧与对照之间固氮活性并无显著差异, 这可能是由于火烧在个体尺度上对坚韧胶 衣的固氮活性的双重影响相互抵消所致。     

喇叭石蕊共生菌藻液体培养的研究(英文)

对喇叭石蕊共生菌、藻液体培养条件进行了研究。结果表明:共生菌生长在以40g/L肌醇为碳源、2g/LL-谷氨酰胺为氮源、起始pH值为7.0的LB液体培养基中,培养温度为20℃时表现最佳。其共生藻的生长在以160g/L葡萄糖为碳源、1.75g/LNaNO3为氮源、起始pH值为5.0的BBM液体培养基中,培养温度为20℃时表现最佳。     

Differences in the utilization of water vapour and free water in two co‐occurring foliose lichens from semi‐arid southern Australia

Hydration and dehydration kinetics were investigated in two xerophytic lichens with contrasting thallus morphologies, Chondropsis semiviridis (F.Muell. ex Nyl.) Nyl. and Xanthoparmelia convoluta (Krempehl.) Hale. Pulse‐modulated chlorophyll fluorescence was used to measure photosynthetic activity in thalli hydrated with either liquid water or water vapour in the laboratory and in the field. Water content (WC) and photosynthetic activity of thalli in both species increased rapidly on contact with liquid water. When exposed to water vapour, C. semiviridis hydrated more rapidly and achieved higher WC than X. convoluta. Both lichens achieved maximum Fv/Fm at low WC, regardless of hydration source. Rates of water loss were slower, and Fv/Fm remained high for longer, in X. convoluta than in C. semiviridis. Light saturated electron transport rates of both lichens were low compared with a homoiohydric plant from the same environment. Our results suggest that X. convoluta, which has a more complex morphology, retains water and remains photosynthetically active for significantly longer periods than C. semiviridis, providing X. convoluta with a potential advantage in the semi‐arid environment in which both species are found.     

Parameterization and validation of an ungulate‐pasture model

Ungulate grazing and trampling strongly affect pastures and ecosystems throughout the world. Ecological population models are used for studying these systems and determining the guidelines for sustainable and economically viable management. However, the effect of trampling and other resource wastage is either not taken into account or quantified with data in earlier models. Also, the ability of models to describe the herbivore impact on pastures is usually not validated. We used a detailed model and data to study the level of winter‐ and summertime lichen wastage by reindeer and the effects of wastage on population sizes and management. We also validated the model with respect to its ability of predicting changes in lichen biomass and compared the actual management in herding districts with model results. The modeling efficiency value (0.75) and visual comparison between the model predictions and data showed that the model was able to describe the changes in lichen pastures caused by reindeer grazing and trampling. At the current lichen biomass levels in the northernmost Finland, the lichen wastage varied from 0 to 1 times the lichen intake during winter and from 6 to 10 times the intake during summer. With a higher value for wastage, reindeer numbers and net revenues were lower in the economically optimal solutions. Higher wastage also favored the use of supplementary feeding in the optimal steady state. Actual reindeer numbers in the districts were higher than in the optimal steady‐state solutions for the model in 18 herding districts out of 20. Synthesis and applications. We show that a complex model can be used for analyzing ungulate‐pasture dynamics and sustainable management if the model is parameterized and validated for the system. Wastage levels caused by trampling and other causes should be quantified with data as they strongly affect the results and management recommendations. Summertime lichen wastage caused by reindeer is higher than expected, which suggests that seasonal pasture rotation should be used to prevent the heavy trampling of winter lichen pastures during summer. In the present situation, reindeer numbers in northernmost Finland are in most cases higher than in the management solutions given by the model.