The impact of water-level regulation on littoral macroinvertebrate assemblages in boreal lakes

Regulation of lake water level for power production and flood control is among the major anthropogenic disturbances in boreal aquatic ecosystems. In Finland, over 300 lakes, representing one third of the total inland water area of the country, are artificially regulated. To study the effects of regulation on lake littoral macroinvertebrate communities, samples were taken from upper stony littoral and from lower soft bottom littoral habitats of 11 lakes with different regulation amplitudes (wintertime fall in water level 1.19–6.75 m). Twelve unregulated (wintertime fall in water level 0.11–0.55 m) lakes with otherwise similar characteristics were used as a reference. Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling ordinations showed that the composition of macroinvertebrate assemblages was strongly associated with the amplitude of water level regulation. Taxon richness also decreased with increasing intensity of regulation. Freezing and flushing of sediments in late winter are probably the most important factors leading to the impoverished littoral macroinvertebrate fauna. Invertebrates with long life cycle seem to be particularly vulnerable to unnatural water level fluctuation. Our results show that regulation of water level has a major impact on functionally significant lake littoral macroinvertebrates.     

Competitive and facilitative relationships among three shrub species,and the role of browsing intensity and rooting depth in the Succulent Karoo,South Africa

Abstract. The nearest‐neighbour technique is used to infer competition and facilitation between the three most abundant species in a semi‐arid region of western South Africa. Relationships among the shrubs Leipoldtia schultzei and Ruschia robusta, which are leaf‐succulent members of the Mesembryanthemaceae (‘mesembs’) and Hirpicium alienatum a non‐succulent Asteraceae, were compared on two adjacent sites with different histories of browsing intensity. Competition was more prevalent and more important than facilitation. The only evidence for facilitation was found at the heavily‐browsed site where the palatable Hirpicium was larger under the unpalatable Leipoldtia. Generally the prevalence and importance of competition was reduced at the heavily‐browsed site. Strong evidence was obtained for intraspecific competition in each of the three species; also, competition was evident between the two mesembs, where Leipoldtia was competitively dominant over Ruschia, although neither species inhibited Hirpicium. Minimal competition between the mesembs and the asteraceous shrub was interpreted in terms of differentiation in rooting depth, and competition within the mesembs, in terms of overlap in rooting depth. The mesembs had the bulk of their roots in the top 5 cm of soil, while the asteraceous shrub had the bulk of its roots, and all its fine roots, at greater depths. The shallow‐rooted morphology of the mesembs is well adapted to utilize small rainfall events, which occur frequently in the Succulent Karoo, and do not penetrate the soil deeply. Modifications of existing methods are applied for analysing nearest‐neighbour interactions.     

Description of a new anaerobic thermophilic bacterium,Thermoanaerobacterium butyriciformans sp. nov.

Strain USBA-019^T, an anaerobic and thermophilic strain, was identified as a new member of the genus Thermoanaerobacterium. USBA-019^T cells are gram-positive, strictly anaerobic, thermophilic, chemoorganotrophic, moderately acidophilic, non-motile, endospore-forming, slightly curved, and rod-shaped. Cells measure 0.4 × 3.0–7.0 μm. Optimal growth occurs at 50–55 °C (35–65 °C). Optimum pH is 5.0–5.5 (4.0–8.5). Thiosulfate, elemental sulfur and nitrate were utilized as electron acceptors. Fermentation of glucose, lactose, cellobiose, galactose, arabinose, xylose, starch and xylan primarily produced acetate and butyrate. Xylan, starch and cellobiose produced ethanol and starch, cellobiose, galactose, arabinose and mannose produced lactic acid. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequence comparison and genomic relatedness indices show the close relation of USBA-019^T to Thermoanaerobacterium thermostercoris and Thermoanaerobacterium aotearoense (similarity value: 99%). Hybridization of USBA-019^T, Th. thermostercoris DSM22141^T and Th. aotearoense DMS10170^T found DNA–DNA relatedness of 33.2% and 18.2%, respectively. Based on phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic evidence, along with low identity at whole genome level, USBA-019^T is a novel species of the genus Thermoanaerobacterium which we propose to name Thermoanaerobacterium butyriciformans sp. nov. The type strain is USBA-019^T (=CMPUJ U-019^T = DSM 101588^T).     

中国秋海棠属植物的叶表皮特征及其分类学意义

在光学显微镜下,对中国秋海棠属(Begonia)植物7组52种2变种的叶表皮进行观察。结果表明秋海棠属植物叶表皮形态在属内组间具有较大的相似性,表皮细胞为多边形或近多边形,垂周壁平直或弓形,大多数种类表皮细胞内具有晶体,气孔器仅分布于下表皮,且以不等型为主。叶表皮综合特征,例如表皮细胞形状,表皮毛类型,表皮细胞内晶体的类型和形态,气孔器形态以及与一些种类独有特征的组合,在种间,尤其在近缘种之间具有明显的差异。     

Contributions to the knowledge of the Chinese Primeuchroeus Linsenmaier, 1968 (Hymenoptera,Chrysididae), with a key to species

The genus Primeuchroeus Linsenmaier, 1968 from China is revised and an illustrated identification key is produced for the first time. Three species are recorded from China, with one species, Primeuchroeus yongdaerianus Kim, new to China.     

中国翠雀花属修订(一)

该文对中国毛茛科(Ranunculaceae)翠雀花属(Delphinium)进行了修订,收载了该属232种和55变种,并写出了检索表;同时对每个种写出了形态描述,绘出了多幅墨线图,并将全部种划分为2亚属、5组、11亚组和26系,其中包括4新亚组、11新系、15新种和5新变种。此外,还给出了此属的分类学研究简史、地理分布和经济用途。