Mass Coral Reef Bleaching: A Recent Outcome of Increased El Niño Activity?

Coral reefs are generally considered to be the most biologically productive of all marine ecosystems, but in recent times these vulnerable aquatic resources have been subject to unusual degradation. The general decline in reefs has been greatly accelerated by mass bleaching in which corals whiten en masse and often fail to recover. Empirical evidence indicates a coral reef bleaching cycle in which major bleaching episodes are synchronized with El Niño events that occur every 3–4 years on average. By heating vast areas of the Pacific Ocean, and affecting the Indian and Atlantic Oceans as well, El Niño causes widespread damage to reefs largely because corals are very sensitive to temperature changes. However, mass bleaching events were rarely observed before the 1970s and their abrupt appearance two decades ago remains an enigma. Here we propose a new explanation for the sudden occurrence of mass bleaching and show that it may be a response to the relative increase in El Niño experienced over the last two decades.     

10 000 years later: evolution of body shape in Haida Gwaii three-spined stickleback

The body shape of 1303 adult male three-spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus from 118 populations on Haida Gwaii archipelago off the mid-coast of British Columbia was investigated using discriminant function analysis on partial warp scores generated from 12 homologous landmarks on a digital image of each fish. Results demonstrated geographical differences in adult body shape that could be predicted by both abiotic and biotic factors of the habitat. Populations with derived shape (CV1−), including thick peduncles, posterior and closely spaced dorsal spines, anterior pelvis, small dorsal and anal fins, were found in small, shallow, stained ponds, and populations with less derived shape (CV1+), with small narrow peduncles, anterior and widely spaced dorsal spines, posterior pelvis, large dorsal and anal fins were found in large, deep, clear lakes. This relationship was replicated between geographic regions; divergent mtDNA haplotypes in lowland populations; between predation regimes throughout the archipelago, and in each geographical region and between predation regimes in lowland populations monomorphic for the Euro and North American mtDNA haplotype. There were large-bodied populations with derived shape (CV2−), including small heads and shallow elongate bodies in open water habitats of low productivity, and populations with smaller size and less derived shape (CV2+), with large heads and deeper bodies in higher productivity, structurally complex habitats. This relationship was replicated between geographic regions, and partially between divergent mtDNA haplotypes in lowland populations. Field tests for phenotypic plasticity of body shape suggest that <10% of the total variation in body shape among populations throughout the archipelago can be attributed to plasticity.     

Village Drift and Riverine Settlement: Modeling Akimel O'odham Land Use

Regular unscheduled movements of rancherías within a confined area or settlement district result in the phenomenon described as "village drift," a process whereby a settlement may change its location gradually by several kilometers over a period of years. This article presents a model of village drift based on data acquired from recent archaeological and geomorphological field studies and archival research on the Akimel O'odham, the Gila River Pima of south-central Arizona. The model provides an excellent example of human ecodynamics---an emerging landscape perspective that emphasizes the coevolution of humans and their ecosystem---with implications for understanding prehistoric and historic settlement in desert riverine environments.     

An evaluation of the Lost World and Vertical Displacement hypotheses in the Chimantá Massif, Venezuelan Guayana

Aim To document the occurrence of vertical displacements of vegetation in the high plateaus of the Venezuelan Guayana (tepuis) over the last c. 6000 years, and to discuss their significance for the origin of their flora, especially the endemism patterns observed in their flat summits. Two hypotheses have been proposed for the origin of the summit flora. One (the Lost World hypothesis) proposes a long history of evolution in isolation from the surrounding plains, while the other (the Vertical Displacement hypothesis) suggests that vertical movements of vegetation during the Pleistocene glacial‐interglacial cycles would have resulted in floristic mixing within the lowlands, and genetic interchange among plateau summits. Location This work has been conducted on the flat summit of the Churí‐tepui, in the Chimantá massif, at 5°15′ Lat. N and 62°01′ Long. W, around 2250 m altitude. Methods Pollen analysis and radiocarbon dating of two peat outcrops, using modern analogue technique and numerical methods for palaeoecological interpretation were used. Results The replacement of a high‐altitude plant community (a paramoid Chimantaea shrubland) by a lower elevation (< 2300 m) Stegolepis meadow, occurred about 2500 years before present (yr bp ). This vegetation change is inferred to have resulted from a regional climatic shift to higher temperature and moisture. A subsequent decrease in temperature and moisture led to the establishment of present conditions after about 1450 yr bp . Main conclusions The highland vegetation of the tepuis responded to climate shifts with vertical displacements, supporting the hypothesis of vertical mixing. However, a physiographical analysis shows that around half of the tepuis would never have been connected by lowlands. Therefore, both hypotheses are needed to explain the origins of the summit flora in the tepuis.     

The impact of climate change on the physical characteristics of the larger lakes in the English Lake District

1. The larger lakes of the English Lake District have been the subject of intensive scientific study for more than 60 years. Year‐to‐year variations in the weather have recently been shown to have a major effect on their physical characteristics. The area is mild but very wet and the dynamics of the lakes are strongly influenced by the movement of weather systems across the Atlantic. 2. Here, we combine the results of long‐term measurements and the projections from a Regional Climate Model (RCM) to assess the potential impact of climate change on the surface temperature and residence times of the lakes. 3. The RCM outputs used were produced by the U.K. Hadley Centre and are based on the IPCC ‘A2’ scenario for the emission of greenhouse gases. These suggest that winters in the area will be very much milder and wetter by the 2050s and that there will be a pronounced reduction in the summer rainfall. 4. An analysis of the meteorological data acquired between 1940 and 2000 shows that there have been progressive increases in the winter air temperature and in the rainfall which are correlated with the long‐term change in the North Atlantic Oscillation. The trends reported during the summer were less pronounced and were correlated with the increased frequency of anticyclonic days and a decrease in the frequency of westerly days in the British Isles. 5. A simple model of the year‐to‐year variations in surface temperatures showed that the highest winter temperatures were recorded in the deeper lakes and the highest summer temperatures in the lakes with the shallowest thermoclines. When this model was used to predict the surface temperatures of the lakes in the 2050s, the greatest winter increase (+1.08 °C) was observed in the shallowest lake and the greatest summer increase (+2.18 °C) in the lake with the shallowest thermocline. 6. The model used to estimate the seasonal variation in the residence time of the lakes showed that the most pronounced variations were recorded in lakes with a short residence time. Average winter residence times ranged from a minimum of 10 days to a maximum of 436 days and average summer values from a minimum of 23 days to a maximum of 215 days. When this model was used to predict the residence time of the lakes in the 2050s, the greatest winter decrease (−20%) was observed in the smallest lake and the greatest summer increase (+92%) in the lake with the shortest residence time. 7. The results are discussed in relation to trends reported elsewhere in Europe and the impact of changes in the atmospheric circulation on the dynamics of the lakes. The most serious limnological effects were those projected for the summer and included a general increase in the stability of the lakes and a decrease in the flushing rate of the lakes with short residence times.