Longitudinal variation in food sources and their use by aquatic fauna along a subtropical river in Taiwan

1. River food webs rely on two major food sources: autochthonous primary production within the river and allochthonous organic matter transferred to the river. We characterised the consumer communities and assessed the food sources of dominant consumers along a subtropical mountainous river (the Lanyang River of north‐eastern Taiwan) at the catchment scale from the headwater to the estuary using natural abundances of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes. 2. The downstream transport of fine particulate organic matter (FPOM) was two orders of magnitude greater than that of coarse particulate organic matter (CPOM). Transport of both materials increased from the headwater and reached a maximum in the midstream reach. CPOM composition exhibited a gradual shift from leaves and branches in the headwater, an area characterised by high canopy cover, to algae in the midstream reaches and marsh plants in the downstream reaches. 3. Consumer communities can be classified into two regional categories: the upland category in the headwater and upstream and midstream reaches and the lowland category comprised of samples from the downstream reach and estuary. The upland category revealed a clear and gradual seasonal shift in community composition, but a seasonal shift was not apparent for the lowland category. Nutrient concentrations and water temperature were the main factors explaining longitudinal and seasonal variations. 4. The use of sources of organic matter by dominant consumers along the Lanyang River was primarily determined by their availability. Riparian C₃ plants were the major food sources in the headwater, upstream reach and estuary, but the contribution of periphyton increased in the upper midstream reach where the river flows through an agricultural area. In the lower midstream and downstream reaches, the contribution of riparian C₄ plants became dominant. 5. The trophic transfer of organic materials in the Lanyang River may be influenced by the fast current velocity and by sewage nutrient loading in the river, both of which have important implications for predicting how the functioning of subtropical river food webs will respond to human‐related changes in land use.     

薜荔榕小蜂对薜荔和爱玉子雌花期榕果挥发物的行为反应

薜荔和爱玉子均属雌雄异株桑科榕属植物,两者互为原变种与变种的关系,分别与薜荔传粉小蜂和爱玉子传粉小蜂(二者互为隐存种)建立了专性共生关系,榕树榕果挥发物在维系传粉小蜂与其寄主的共生关系上起着重要作用。利用Y型嗅觉仪测定薜荔榕小蜂(薜荔和爱玉子的传粉小蜂)对薜荔和爱玉子雌花期榕果挥发物的行为反应。结果表明:(1)雌花期果型的大小对薜荔榕小蜂行为反应无显著影响,薜荔大、小果型雌花期雌(雄)榕果挥发物对其传粉小蜂均具有强烈的吸引作用;(2)榕果挥发物浓度影响薜荔榕小蜂行为反应,薜荔、爱玉子雌花期雌(雄)榕果挥发物对其传粉小蜂的吸引作用均可能存在阈值反应,即榕果挥发物浓度未超过阈值时,雌花期榕果挥发物对传粉小蜂的吸引作用与挥发物浓度成正相关关系,而一旦超过阈值,榕果挥发物对传粉蜂的吸引作用显著下降,表明寄主榕果挥发物浓度影响传粉小蜂的寄主定位;(3)薜荔传粉小蜂对低浓度爱玉子雌花期雌(雄)榕果挥发物、爱玉子传粉小蜂对低浓度薜荔雌花期雌(雄)榕果挥发物均既无趋向也无驱避行为;薜荔传粉小蜂对高浓度的爱玉子雌花期雌(雄)榕果挥发物表现为显著的驱避行为,而爱玉子传粉小蜂对高浓度薜荔雌(雄)雌花期榕果挥发物表现为显著的趋向行为,因此,薜荔传粉小蜂与爱玉子传粉小蜂存在寄主专一性不对称现象,爱玉子传粉小蜂进入薜荔雌(雄)果内传粉或产卵的可能性较大,而福州地区的薜荔传粉小蜂可能难以进入爱玉子雌(雄)果内传粉或产卵。本研究结果将为榕-蜂共生体系的化学生态学理论研究以及爱玉子栽培提供科学依据。     

中国平鳍鳅科鱼类一新纪录种

20 0 2年 6月于云南省河口瑶族自治县采集到鱼类标本 3尾 ,经鉴定为我国华吸鳅属鱼类之新纪录种———红河华吸鳅 (Sinogastromyzonchapaensis)。测量标本 3尾均保存在台湾清华大学。体长 35～ 5 0mm。背鳍iii,8;臀鳍ii,5 ;胸鳍xiv～xv ,14～ 16 ;腹鳍x～xi,11～ 12。侧线鳞 6 0～ 6 4。体长为体高的 7 0～ 7 2倍 ,为体宽的 4 3～ 4 6倍 ,为头长的 4 9～ 5 1倍 ,为尾柄长的 5 4～ 6 0倍 ,为尾柄高的 12 7～ 14 0倍 ,为背鳍前距的 2 2倍 ,为腹鳍前距的 2 4～ 2 7倍。头长为头高的 1 8～ 1 9倍 ,为头宽的 0 9～ 1 1倍 ,为吻长的 2 0～2 1倍 ,为眼径的 4 7～ 5 0倍 ,为眼间距的 2 0～ 2 3倍。尾柄长为尾柄高的 2 2～ 2 6倍。头宽为口宽的 3 7～4 6倍。