Tracking Nutrient Routing in Avian Consumers in a Subtropical Desert

The nutrients animals ingest are allocated to serve different functions. We used contrasting C stable isotope signatures of dominant vegetation types in a North American subtropical desert to decipher how avian consumers allocate nutrients to fuel oxidative metabolism and to construct tissues. We conducted C stable isotope analysis of breath and feathers collected from nectarivores (hummingbirds) and of breath, plasma, and red blood cell samples collected from frugivores, granivores, and insectivores. Based on varying nutrient characteristics of food sources, we expected that for frugivores and granivores, CAM‐derived food (RC_CAM) would have similar importance for oxidative metabolism and for tissue building, that RC_CAM in nectarivores and insectivores would be more important for fueling metabolism than for generating tissues, and that (although low) RC_CAM in insectivores would be higher for sustaining metabolism than for building tissues. Our predictions held true for nectarivores and granivores, but RC_CAM use in tissue building was lower than expected in frugivores and higher than expected in insectivores. Our examination at the trophic guild, population, and individual levels showed that in general, nutrients used to sustain oxidative metabolism and tissue construction had a uniform isotopic origin. This finding suggests that the avian community under investigation does not route different food groups to fulfill different needs. However, we found some exceptions, indicating that birds can use different food sources for different functions, irrespective of trophic guild.     

红角鸮的食性及育雏行为初报

红角鸮(Otus sunia)广泛分布于东亚和南亚。2012和2013年的两个繁殖季节,在江苏省南京大学浦口校区通过红外摄像观察记录了红角鸮的摄食及育雏行为,统计了亲代红角鸮育雏食物的种类、育雏的时间和次数。以1 h为一个时段,利用单因素方差分析(ANOVA)及Student-Newman-Keulsa多重比较法分析各时段之间育雏频次的差异。亲鸟育雏的食物大部分为直翅目(62%)和鳞翅目(18%)昆虫,以及非昆虫类的无脊椎动物,如蜘蛛(8%)和唇足动物(7%),红角鸮也捕食小型陆栖脊椎动物例如田鼠、壁虎等育雏,但比例甚低(3%)。红角鸮育雏节律较为明显,亲鸟主要集中在夜间外出觅食,但在白天也有觅食行为。夜间共有三个育雏高峰,分别为日落之后的19:00~20:00时和21:00~22:00时以及日出之前的04:00~05:00时。     

长江上游中华沙鳅食性特征的C、N同位素分析

应用C、N稳定同位素技术并结合肠含物分析对我国长江上游特有鱼类中华沙鳅（Sinibotia superciliaris）不同发育阶段食性进行了探究。结果显示:中华沙鳅13C、15N平均值分别为（22.480.85）、（10.090.69）;不同体长段13C（P0.05,F=2.44）、15N（P0.01,F=6.06）值差异显著,暗示了中华沙鳅在生长发育过程中存在食性转变现象;体长80 mm的个体主要摄食水生昆虫和藻类,属杂食偏肉食性鱼类;体长80 mm的个体,其食物以虾类、淡水壳菜和水生昆虫为主,属肉食性鱼类。中华沙鳅营养级位于2.02-2.47,与长江上游多种底栖型鱼类生态位相似;食物竞争可能是导致其摄食强度弱和资源量下降的原因之一。研究结果可为长江上游中华沙鳅野生资源保护提供理论参考。     

对应分析和去趋势分析在有蹄类取食模式研究中的应用

本研究将2009年1月和2010年1月小兴安岭大沾河湿地自然保护区二可河林场内驼鹿冬季食性作为原始数据,分别以对应分析（CA）、去趋势分析（DCA）,并将数据以样本为单位进行标准化后,再进行去趋势分析（DCA_std）3种排序方法,对驼鹿冬季取食模式进行了研究,后通过普鲁克分析,比较了不同排序方法对大型有蹄类取食模式研究的效果。结果表明,3种排序法的1轴和2轴均能涵盖绝大多数信息量,CA涵盖79.27%,DCA涵盖66.65%,DCA_std涵盖68.22%;3种方法均能够在1轴上区分针叶树和落叶乔木类食物,在2轴上,3种方法主要能够达到针叶树种与除落叶乔木外的其他植物类别的区分。虽三者均能够展现有蹄类取食模式,但在图形可视化后,仅DCA_std无明显的弓形效应。普鲁克分析结果表明,DCA_std样本位移平方和与CA和DCA均有很大差异,即将数据先进行标准化再进行DCA分析能够有效去除弓形效应。因此,在由多度组成的食性数据在进行标准DCA分析前,应对数据进行前期处理会得到更好的效果。同时,以样本为单位的标准化将使排序分析结果生态学意义更明确。     

丁香北京瘿蚊的生物学特性研究

丁香北京瘿蚊Pekinomyia syringae Jiao & Kolesik以幼虫在北京丁香Syringa reticulata subsp. pekinensis和暴马丁香Syringa reticulata subsp. amurensis叶片内隐蔽为害,为害严重时导致寄主提前落叶。通过林间调查和室内试验,对其生活史、习性研究发现,该瘿蚊在北京1 a发生1代,以老熟幼虫在表土层结茧越冬。3月初越冬幼虫开始化蛹,成虫羽化盛期为3月底至4月初,成虫不需补充营养,有趋黄性,卵孵化期为4月上中旬,4-10月幼虫为害,10月老熟幼虫脱离叶片在表土层结茧越冬。本研究结果为该虫的综合防治提供了防治基础。     

Feeding strategies for <Emphasis Type="Italic">E. coli</Emphasis> fermentations demanding an enriched environment

The addition of a carbon nutrient feed to a fed-batch cultivation is often not enough to obtain satisfactory growth and/or production. In some cases, an additional feed with for example supplementary amino acids or complex media is required. This work presents the development of feeding strategies where more than one feed is required and the knowledge of the growth requirements is low. Simulations and cultivations with E. coli are shown using the proposed feed controllers which are based on a probing control concept. The strategies work well and they can be used to shorten the process development phase considerably.     

nr0b1 (DAX1) loss of function in zebrafish causes hypothalamic defects via abnormal progenitor proliferation and differentiation

The nuclear receptor DAX-1, encoded by the NR0B1 gene, is presented in the hypothalamic tissues in humans and other vertebrates. Human patients with NR0B1 mutations often have hypothalamic-pituitary defects, but the involvement of NR0B1 in hypothalamic development and function is not well understood. Here, we report the disruption of the nr0b1 gene in zebrafish causes abnormal expression of gonadotropins, a reduction in fertilization rate, and an increase in postfasting food intake, which are indicators of abnormal hypothalamic functions. We find that loss of nr0b1 increases the number of prodynorphin (pdyn)-expressing neurons but decreases the number of pro-opiomelanocortin (pomcb)-expressing neurons in the zebrafish hypothalamic arcuate region (ARC). Further examination reveals that the proliferation of progenitor cells is reduced in the hypothalamus of nr0b1 mutant embryos accompanying the decreased expression of genes in the Notch signaling pathway. Additionally, the inhibition of Notch signaling in wild-type embryos increases the number of pdyn neurons, mimicking the nr0b1 mutant phenotype. In contrast, ectopic activation of Notch signaling in nr0b1 mutant embryos decreases the number of pdyn neurons. Taken together, our results suggest that nr0b1 regulates neural progenitor proliferation and maintenance to ensure normal hypothalamic neuron development.     

Trophic niche changes associated with habitat fragmentation in a Neotropical bat species

Habitat fragmentation could alter ecological traits including species trophic habits. Here, we used carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios to establish differences in isotopic niche width and food resource use between forest fragments and the continuous forest for the phyllostomid frugivorous bat Artibeus lituratus. Using mist nests, we captured bats from two forest fragments and two sites in continuous forest, and sampled from each individual captured three body tissues with contrasting turnover rates (skin, muscle, and liver). Samples were collected between February and March (austral summer) and between August and September (austral winter). In addition, in each sampling site and season we collected potential food resources (fruits and insects) consumed by our A. lituratus. Our findings indicate that A. lituratus had a predominantly omnivorous diet, with high consumption of insects during summer in forest fragments. The increasing consumption of insects in these fragments seems to have led to a wider isotopic niche, in relation to the continuous forest. Because A. lituratus is typically a seed disperser, changes in trophic habits in the forest fragments from frugivory to insectivory may diminish their role in forest regeneration. Abstract in Portuguese is available with online material.     

Diet composition of bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) and yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) caught on aggregated schools in the western equatorial Atlantic Ocean

The present study aims to characterize and compare the diet of bigeye and yellowfin tunas caught on aggregated schools in the western equatorial Atlantic Ocean. The samples were collected from January 2011 to June 2016. The tunas were measured on board and the stomachs were removed after evisceration. The stomachs were analyzed regarding their Index of Fullness and the importance of each prey in the diet was estimated by the Index of Relative Importance (IRI). The diet overlap was assessed by the Morisita‐Horn's Index, Non‐Metric Multidimensional Scale (NMDS), and Analysis of Similarity (ANOSIM). The feeding strategy was determined by the Costello's Diagram. The 195 bigeye and 212 yellowfin tunas ranged in fork length from 51 to 137 cm and 43 to 174 cm, respectively. The diet of bigeye tuna was composed of 10 families of fish, three cephalopod families, and four crustacean orders. The diet of yellowfin tuna was composed of 11 families of fish, three cephalopod families, and three crustacean orders. The yellowfin tuna seems to feed upon more abundant prey species near the surface like flying fish, which have the concentration enhanced by the light attractors on the boat, and occasionally on other prey from deeper habitats like lanternfish, squids, and pomfret. Bigeye tuna feed mainly at prey that commonly occurs in deeper habitats like squids, drift fish, lanternfish, and pomfret.