Epichloë endophyte affects the ability of powdery mildew (Blumeria graminis) to colonise drunken horse grass (Achnatherum inebrians)

The effect of the systemic seed-borne endophyte Epichloë gansuensis on the colonization by Blumeria graminis, the cause of powdery mildew disease, and the growth of the host grass Achnatherum inebrians, was studied under four soil water conditions. Infection incidence, disease lesion parameters, disease index, biomass production and growth parameters of the grass with and without the fungal endophyte were measured and counted after a period of disease. There was a significantly (P < 0.05) higher disease incidence and disease index for endophyte-free (E−) compared to endophyte-infected (E+) plants under different drought stresses. The presence of the endophyte significantly positively affected all of the host grass growth factors. The results of the present study demonstrate that the presence of the Epichloë endophyte reduced the ability of B. graminis to colonise A. inebrians and also conferred enhanced host plant growth at all soil water conditions tested.     

Soil nutrient budgets following projected corn stover harvest for biofuel production in the conterminous United States

Increasing demand for food and biofuel feedstocks may substantially affect soil nutrient budgets, especially in the United States where there is great potential for corn (Zea mays L) stover as a biofuel feedstock. This study was designed to evaluate impacts of projected stover harvest scenarios on budgets of soil nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) currently and in the future across the conterminous United States. The required and removed N, P, and K amounts under each scenario were estimated on the basis of both their average contents in grain and stover and from an empirical model. Our analyses indicate a small depletion of soil N (?4 ± 35 kg ha^?1) and K (?6 ± 36 kg ha^?1) and a moderate surplus of P (37 ± 21 kg ha^?1) currently on the national average, but with a noticeable variation from state to state. After harvesting both grain and projected stover, the deficits of soil N, P, and K were estimated at 114–127, 26–27, and 36–53 kg ha^?1 yr^?1, respectively, in 2006–2010; 131–173, 29–32, and 41–96 kg ha^?1 yr^?1, respectively, in 2020; and 161–207, 35–39, and 51–111 kg ha^?1 yr^?1, respectively, in 2050. This study indicates that the harvestable stover amount derived from the minimum stover requirement for maintaining soil organic carbon level scenarios under current fertilization rates can be sustainable for soil nutrient supply and corn production at present, but the deficit of P and K at the national scale would become larger in the future.     

Performance of bottom ramps to mitigate gravel habitat bottlenecks in a channelized lowland river

The long‐term performance of measures to restore in‐stream habitat in gravel bed rivers is uncertain in the presence of impoundments, land use pressures, and fine sediment inputs. The goal of this study was to evaluate the longer‐term performance of five bottom ramps, designed to facilitate fish passage, and constructed similarly to artificial riffles to provide compensatory gravel riverbed habitat for benthic invertebrates and lithophilic, coarse‐substrate‐preferring fish in a channelized lowland river. Bottom ramp age did not significantly influence habitat conditions indicated by a lack of correlations with the percentage of fine sediment less than 2 mm, the organic content of the substrate, and the years since construction. A significant decrease in the relative abundances of coarse‐substrate‐preferring benthic invertebrates corresponding to project construction age was found, but there were no significant differences in the density of rheophilic, fast‐flow‐preferring or lithophilic fish species among sites. This study presents substantial evidence that similarly constructed bottom ramps in comparable environmental settings provided sufficient habitat for sensitive benthic invertebrates and fish to be present for over 13 years. However, a sudden decrease in habitat suitability cannot be excluded in the long‐term if there is a fine sediment deposition threshold, which results in ramps becoming full. Nevertheless, bottom ramps are recommended as effective measures to enhance longitudinal connectivity, fish passage, and gravel habitat provision in channelized lowland rivers.     

Increased heat requirement for leaf flushing in temperate woody species over 1980–2012: effects of chilling,precipitation and insolation

Recent studies have revealed large unexplained variation in heat requirement‐based phenology models, resulting in large uncertainty when predicting ecosystem carbon and water balance responses to climate variability. Improving our understanding of the heat requirement for spring phenology is thus urgently needed. In this study, we estimated the species‐specific heat requirement for leaf flushing of 13 temperate woody species using long‐term phenological observations from Europe and North America. The species were defined as early and late flushing species according to the mean date of leaf flushing across all sites. Partial correlation analyses were applied to determine the temporal correlations between heat requirement and chilling accumulation, precipitation and insolation sum during dormancy. We found that the heat requirement for leaf flushing increased by almost 50% over the study period 1980–2012, with an average of 30 heat units per decade. This temporal increase in heat requirement was observed in all species, but was much larger for late than for early flushing species. Consistent with previous studies, we found that the heat requirement negatively correlates with chilling accumulation. Interestingly, after removing the variation induced by chilling accumulation, a predominantly positive partial correlation exists between heat requirement and precipitation sum, and a predominantly negative correlation between heat requirement and insolation sum. This suggests that besides the well‐known effect of chilling, the heat requirement for leaf flushing is also influenced by precipitation and insolation sum during dormancy. However, we hypothesize that the observed precipitation and insolation effects might be artefacts attributable to the inappropriate use of air temperature in the heat requirement quantification. Rather than air temperature, meristem temperature is probably the prominent driver of the leaf flushing process, but these data are not available. Further experimental research is thus needed to verify whether insolation and precipitation sums directly affect the heat requirement for leaf flushing.     

未来气候变化对河南省冬小麦需水量和缺水量的影响预估

采用美国农业部土壤保持局推荐的方法计算有效降水量,应用Penman-Monteith模型和作物系数法计算需水量,在对河南省1981—2010年冬小麦生育期内有效降水量、需水量和缺水量分析的基础上,结合《排放情景特别报告》的两种排放情景A2(强调经济发展)和B2(强调可持续发展)预估的未来气候情景,探讨了未来气候情景下河南省冬小麦的有效降水量、需水量和缺水量的时空演变规律及其主要气候影响因素.结果表明: 从整体上看,相对于基准时段(1981—2010年),A2和B2情景下,不同时段冬小麦全生育期的有效降水量、需水量和缺水量均表现出增加趋势,有效降水量均以2030s时段增加最多,分别增加33.5%和39.2%;需水量均以2010s时段增加最多,分别增加22.5%和17.5%,年代间呈现明显递减趋势;缺水量在A2情景下以2010s时段增加(23.6%)最多,B2情景下以2020s时段增加(13.0%)最多.偏相关分析表明,A2和B2情景下,太阳总辐射是影响河南省冬小麦需水量和缺水量变化的主要气候因素.由于地理环境和气候条件的差异,不同时段河南省冬小麦全生育期有效降水量、需水量和缺水量的距平百分率在空间分布上具有差异.未来河南省水资源可能更趋于短缺.     

Crocodylus niloticus (Crocodilia) is highly sensitive to water surface waves

Crocodiles show oriented responses to water surface wave stimuli but up to now behavioral thresholds are missing. This study determines the behavioral thresholds of crocodilians to water surface waves. Nile crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus) were conditioned to respond to single-frequency water surface wave stimuli (duration 1150 ms, frequency 15, 30, 40, 60 and 80 Hz), produced by blowing air onto the water surface. Our study shows that C. niloticus is highly sensitive to capillary water surface waves. Threshold values decreased with increasing frequency and ranged between 10.3 μm (15 Hz) and 0.5 μm (80 Hz) peak-to-peak wave amplitude. For the frequencies 15 Hz and 30 Hz the sensitivity of one spectacled caiman (Caiman crocodilus) to water surface waves was also tested. Threshold values were 12.8 μm (15 Hz) down to 1.76 μm (30 Hz), i.e. close to the threshold values of C. niloticus. The surface wave sensitivity of crocodiles is similar to the surface wave sensitivity of semi-aquatic insects and fishing spiders but does not match the sensitivity of surface-feeding fishes which is higher by one to two orders of magnitude.     

Contribution of habitat type to residency and dispersal choices by overwintered and summer adult Colorado potato beetles

The walking and flight dispersal of marked overwintered and summer Colorado potato beetles (CPB), Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), released in field box‐plots was monitored simultaneously in six habitats over a period of 4 days. The emigration out of plots by walking beetles was calculated from the catch in linear pitfall traps completely surrounding each box‐plot and emigration flight was estimated from the number of beetles missing from the plot or captured by the trap. Overwintered beetles dispersed sooner after release than summer beetles. Overall, the mean number of beetles retained by the habitat was significantly higher in the host habitat (potato) than in any non‐host habitat tested (soybean, pasture, bare ground, water, woodland). Unexpectedly, there was no or little difference in overall beetle retention between non‐host habitats except for higher retention in the water habitat. No difference in the ratio of flight over walking could be detected by the study between overwintered and summer CPB except in the water and woodland habitats. Twenty‐four hours after release, the highest ratios were obtained in the water and woodland habitats and the lowest in the bare‐ground habitat, but ratios were similar for all habitats, except water, after 96 h. As a population, under these experimental conditions, 96 h after release, it seems that CPB displayed a slight preference for flight over walking, with walking as a default mode. A fed and starved pre‐release treatment had no effect on dispersal rates or mode of dispersal. Essentially, our results showed that over a 96‐h period, northeastern North American CPB emigrated at similar rates from the various non‐host habitats encountered, except for water, using walking as much as flight. The host habitat retained CPB significantly longer than non‐host habitats but with a mode of dispersal ratio similar to that in non‐host habitats. The impact on dispersal of the various habitats encountered by CPB in the agro‐ecosystem was less important than expected suggesting that the interaction of environmental parameters is likely to have the most significant impact in determining dispersal rates and dispersal modes.     

大水面放养水葫芦对富营养化湖泊水体可培养细菌群落结构的影响

【目的】了解大水面放养水葫芦对富营养化湖泊水体可培养细菌群落结构和多样性的影响。【方法】采用稀释平板法,分别对云南滇池紫根水葫芦放养区(ZW)、野生型普通水葫芦放养区(PW)、未放养水葫芦对照区(CK)水体中细菌进行分离,并对其16S r RNA序列进行分析。【结果】分别从ZW、PW、CK 3种水体分离得到54、49、40株菌落形态差异的细菌,Shannon-Wiener多样性指数分别为3.17、3.07、2.73,细菌数量分别为1.35×107、8.35×106、2.70×106 CFU/L。16S r RNA序列分析表明,ZW、PW、CK 3种水体可培养细菌主要包括变形菌门α亚群(Alphaproteobacteria,35.1%、32.4%和40%)、放线菌门(Actinobacteria,18.9%、32.4%和20%)、变形菌门β亚群(Betaproteobacteria,13.5%、5.9%和16.0%)、变形菌门γ亚群(Gammaproteobacteria,13.5%、14.6%和12.0%)、拟杆菌门(Bacteroidetes,13.5%、8.8%和8.0%)和厚壁菌门(Firmicutes,2.7%、5.9%和4.0%)。在属的水平上,3种水体仅有鞘氨醇盒菌属(Sphingopyxis)、红细菌属(Rhodobacter)、黄色杆菌属(Xanthobacter)、新鞘脂菌属(Novosphingobium)、鞘氨醇单胞菌属(Sphingomonas)、假单胞菌属(Pseudomonas)、微杆菌属(Microbacterium)、链霉菌属(Steptomyces)、黄杆菌属(Flavobacterium)、芽孢杆菌属(Bacillus)等10个属的细菌为共有菌属。【结论】大水面放养水葫芦提高了富营养化湖泊水体中可培养细菌的多样性,改变了细菌的群落结构。     

Patch occupancy of two hemipterans sharing a common host plant

Aim Two hemipteran species were chosen as a study system for the comparative analysis of patch occupancy and spatial population structure of insects sharing a common host plant. This study tested whether (1) the incidence in the host plant patches differed between the two species, and (2) the two species exhibited a different spatial population structure, i.e. were they affected differentially by isolation and area of the host plant patches. Location The porphyry landscape north of Halle (Saale) in Germany comprising 506 patches of the host plant Brachypodium pinnatum. Methods The host plant patches were surveyed for the two hemipterans. To assess the influence of patch quality on species occurrence the patches were characterized by mean cover abundance of B. pinnatum, type of subsoil, slope, exposure, and shading. The spatial configuration of the patches was considered by patch area and isolation. The influence of the habitat factors and the spatial configuration on the occupancy of the two species was analysed by logistic regression. Results Adarrus multinotatus was found in 441 patches, while Neophilaenus albipennis was found in only 90 patches. While A. multinotatus showed virtually no relationship to the habitat factors, the occupancy of N. albipennis was influenced by subsoil type, cover abundance, and shading. The effects of area and isolation on occupancy of the patches also differed between the two species. The occupancy of N. albipennis was determined largely by area and isolation, whereas in A. multinotatus no considerable effect of spatial configuration was found. Main conclusions The study revealed a marked difference between the two hemipteran species in respect of spatial population structure. Adarrus multinotatus built up a ‘patchy population’, whereas N. albipennis showed a ‘metapopulation’ structure within the same set of patches in the same landscape. Spatial population structure was found to be not only a function of spatial configuration of habitat patches, but population structure differed between the habitat generalist A. multinotatus and the habitat specialist N. albipennis.