Reproductive activity and physiological status of the calanoid copepods Calanus helgolandicus and Calanoides carinatus under food-limiting conditions

The reproductive activity and the physiological state of the calanoid copepods Calanus helgolandicus and Calanoides carinatus were investigated off the coast of NW Spain during autumn to evaluate the effect of short food resources on both populations. Phytoplankton biomass was low, and neither phytoplankton size distribution nor composition was suitable to support high reproductive rates. Accordingly, egg production rates (EPR) were much lower than maximum rates for both species, pointing to food limitation. The reproductive index (RI), which represents the proportion of females with mature gonads, was < 50% at each of the three zones into which the sampling area was divided (coast, shelf and ocean). Potential recruitment rates were very low except at some nearshore stations, where the highest concentrations of chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), diatoms, dinoflagellates and large cells were found. EPR of C. helgolandicus and C. carinatus were correlated with phytoplankton biomass and unaffected by temperature. Phytoplankton carbon ingestion explained ca. 50% of the variability in EPR for both species. At most of the stations, herbivory was insufficient to cover the carbon requirements for reproduction and respiration, so females probably fed on heterotrophic prey to meet their demands. However, given the low fecundity observed, this omnivorous diet did not seem to be optimum for reproduction, and a severe food limitation is thus suggested. Furthermore, the high C/N values measured point to a notable lipid storage, but given the low EPR found, lipid reserves were probably invested into female maintenance rather than into gonad maturation. C. helgolandicus and C. carinatus populations did not mirror phytoplankton biomass distribution, but they correlated well when considering only copepodites V (CV). The CV could be preparing for the overwintering, storing lipid reserves to ensure a successful diapause, and they could also be advected by the poleward current detected during the study. Females showed a diel feeding rhythm, with highest ingestion rates during night. From our results, it follows that C. helgolandicus and C. carinatus females did not perform diel vertical migrations. We suggest that this behaviour is likely due to the food-limiting conditions, which make it more advantageous to remain at the surface during daytime.     

Monitoring the natural attenuation of a sewage sludge toxicity using the Allium cepa test

Appropriate final disposal of sewage sludge (SS) generated by wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) has been considered a serious environmental problem, but also a viable alternative to be applied in agriculture, once SS is rich in organic matter and nutrients. However, SS can be a source of contamination of several toxic agents. Therefore, its use in agriculture requires special care to avoid possible damage to the environment and exposed organisms. Detoxification of toxic wastes can be performed using the monitored natural attenuation, which involves biological, physical and chemical processes that frequently occur in the environment. This study aimed to assess the feasibility of decontaminating SS after different periods of monitored natural attenuation. To this end, samples of SS and associations of soil/SS with proportions of 10, 25 and 50% SS were buried for 0, 2, 6 and 12 months in holes prepared in a place free of contamination. Allium cepa was used as an indicator to assess the efficiency of the natural attenuation process. According to chemical analysis, the SS samples presented a high concentration of m- and p-cresol, especially for samples analyzed after 0 or 2 months of natural attenuation. The microorganisms present in the SS belonged to 17 different genera of bacteria, which varied in the microbial composition among samples. Both, raw SS and aqueous SS extracts induced DNA damage in A. cepa, even when associated with soil. However, this effect was observed to decline during the attenuation period, although significant effects were detected for the highest tested concentration (100% SS) even at the end of this process. These results thus indicated the necessity of applying a stabilization process associating SS and soil for a period of at least 12 months and showed that the studied raw SS is not a viable material for use as a soil reconditioner, even after natural attenuation. A. cepa test proved to be a useful tool to assess the efficiency of SS detoxification process. Therefore, we suggest that the application of SS in agriculture should be approached with caution and that the SS must be previously submitted to methodologies that evaluate its toxic potential.     

Methods for rapid screening and isolation of bacteria producing acidic lipase: feasibility studies and novel activity assay protocols

Acidic lipase finds its commercial values in medical applications and bioremediation of food wastes. In this work, approaches for rapid screening of lipase-producing bacteria were developed and the feasibility assessment of the screening methods was performed. From food waste samples, the proposed screening procedures allowed isolation of sixteen pure bacterial strains expressing higher lipase activity at acidic pH (pH 6.0) than at alkaline pH (pH 9.0). To enhance the accuracy of lipase activity determination under acidic conditions, a novel assay procedure was also developed by deactivating lipase activity by microwave treatment prior to back titration. This additional step could minimize interferences arising from residual lipase activity during conventional direct back-titration methods in measuring lipase activity at acidic pH. Using the four strategies proposed in this work, the best acidic-lipase-producing isolate was obtained by strategy C (SSC) and was identified as Aeromonas sp. C14, displaying an optimal lipase activity of 0.7 U/ml at an acidic pH of 6.0.     

Modeling the dynamics of choice

A simple linear-operator model both describes and predicts the dynamics of choice that may underlie the matching relation. We measured inter-food choice within components of a schedule that presented seven different pairs of concurrent variable-interval schedules for 12 food deliveries each with no signals indicating which pair was in force. This measure of local choice was accurately described and predicted as obtained reinforcer sequences shifted it to favor one alternative or the other. The effect of a changeover delay was reflected in one parameter, the asymptote, whereas the effect of a difference in overall rate of food delivery was reflected in the other parameter, rate of approach to the asymptote. The model takes choice as a primary dependent variable, not derived by comparison between alternatives—an approach that agrees with the molar view of behaviour.     

On the value of seasonal mammals for identifying mechanisms underlying the control of food intake and body weight

This article is part of a Special Issue “Energy Balance”.     

Experimental studies of exploitative competition in a grazing stream insect

Summary Field and laboratory experiments were conducted to determine whether intraspecific competition for food occurs during the larval stage of the periphyton-grazing caddisfly Glossosoma nigrior (Trichoptera: Glossosomatidae). Larvae were placed in field enclosures at densities less than, equal to, or greater than their natural densities. Most of these individuals began to pupate after 3 weeks, whereupon the mass of each individual was determined. Final mass declined significantly as larval densities increased, whereas neither developmental rate nor mortality/emigration rate was significantly affected by density manipulations. a supplemental experiment comparing the final mass of individuals grown at reduced densities in a laboratory stream with individuals from a natural stream bottom confirmed the results of the more extensive field experiment: reductions in density resulted in significant increases in final mass. Periphyton availability in field enclosures declined according to a negative exponential function as larval densities increased. Over the 25-fold range of larval densities used in these experiments, the final mass of individuals increased linearly with periphyton standing crops. This result suggests that Glossosoma larvae may compete for food even at densities below those employed in this study. Path analysis was used to explore the importance of indirect (i.e., exploitative) and direct (i.e, interference) mechanisms for the observed competitive effects. The analysis indicates that a model based solely on exploitation explains nearly as much of the variance in mass as a model incorporating both interference and exploitation.     

Invertebrate predator-prey body size relationships: an explanation for upper triangular food webs and patterns in food web structure?

Summary It has been suggested by Cohen and Newman (1985) that many of the patterns in published food webs can be derived from a stochastic model in which the species are arranged in a trophic hierarchy (the cascade model). We suggest that, if predators are larger than their prey, a trophic hierarchy can be generated on the basis of body size Empirical evidence from the literature shows that there is a positive relationship between predator and prey size for a range of invertebrates and that predators are usually larger than their prey. Using experimental data on an aquatic food web we show that body size can lead to the type of trophic hierarchy used in the cascade model, suggesting that many food web patterns may be a product of body size. This conclusion is discussed with respect to the limitations of the food web data and the relationship between static and dynamic models of web structure.     

Effect of differential gastric evacuation and multispecies prey items on estimates of daily energy intake in juvenile chinook salmon

Synopsis The caloric density of stomach contents in juvenile chinook salmon,Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, was not affected by gastric evacuation, suggesting a constant caloric density of stomach contents during evacuation. Differences in the caloric density of prey consumed did affect caloric density of stomach contents over a 24-h period. Consumption of the amphipodCorophium sp. was associated with reduced caloric densities of stomach contents. During periods whenCorophium contributed more than 4% of the stomach contents, average caloric density declined from 5.56 to 5.33 kcal g^–1. Despite this difference, estimates of daily energy intake of juvenile chinook salmon were only 3%, greater when developed from the mean caloric density of stomach contents excludingCorophium.