Temperature niche conservatism and strong genetic structure are involved in the trans-Panamanian colonization of Matudaea (Hamamelidaceae) to Andean forests

Matudaea is the only genus of the Hamamelidaceae found in South America. The genus is composed by two extant species, M. trinervia, from Mexico and Costa Rica, and Matudaea colombiana, from the Colombian Andes; additional fossil records are present in Central Europe. Population genetics, molecular phylogenetics and niche modelling approaches were applied to explain processes related with the trans-Panamanian M. trinervia/M. colombiana split and the putative colonization of the latter to the northern Andes. The split between the two Matudaea species was estimated during Middle Miocene. The colonization of Matudaea into South America could have been facilitated by the closure of the Isthmus of Panama and the global decreasing of temperature during Miocene. Five haplotypes of M. colombiana were identified, which show an eastwards decline of genetic diversity and suggest a founder effect in the colonization of Eastern cordillera of the Colombian Andes. We detected a niche conservatism signal between the two Matudaea species related with Temperature of Coldest Month and Mean Temperature of Driest Quarter bioclimatic variables; this signal might be related to the narrow altitudinal range occupied by the two species.     

Water current velocity as an environmental factor regulating the distribution of amphipod species in Gamo lagoon, Japan

The role of current velocity as an environmental factor affecting the distribution of amphipod species was investigated in the brackish Gamo lagoon, Japan. Two gammaridean amphipod species, Eogammarus possjeticus and Melita setiflagella, were found inhabiting stations of different water current with same substrates. E. possjeticus and M. setiflagella selected substrates at low and high water current, respectively. The lifestyles and anatomical features of these two free-living amphipods contributed to their adaptation to habitats with different water currents. The results of field and experimental observations suggest the existence of some type of interspecific competition between the two species. The presence of E. possjeticus caused a displacement of the fundamental niche of M. setiflagella. Received: October 10, 2000 / Accepted: August 17, 2001     

Interspecific competition between two species of the bean weevil

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Contributions from the Entomological Laboratory, Kyoto University, No. 110.     

Simulated responses to hypothetical fundamental niches

Abstract. Two graphical models of plant competition, the ‘ghost of competition past’ and the ‘hierarchical’ model are compared using a greatly simplified individual-based forest dynamics simulation. Assumed fundamental niche shapes are used to determine the basic growth responses of the species, but competition alters the realized niche. Differences in the two models, amount of niche overlap, disturbance, and removal and invasion of species are examined in simulation experiments. Without disturbance, the realized niche responses reveal abrupt boundaries between species in all cases, and thus the responses are generally platykurtic to rectangular with little overlap. In some cases overlap through the extension of abundance of weaker competitors into the area of greater resources — dominated by better competitors but still within their fundamental niche — creates skewed distributions, as have been observed and simulated in the past. When species are removed or invade, the abrupt boundaries and the lack of difference in final response shape indicate that past removals may be difficult to detect. This difficulty may be important because former species may be influencing the responses that are observed in common non-equilibrium distributions. Even when assumptions favor the illustration of a competitive hierarchy, actual distributions and dynamics do not differentiate between it and a model of the ghost of competition past.     

Predictive modeling for allopatric Strix (Strigiformes: Strigidae) owls in South America: determinants of their distributions and ecological niche‐based processes

Strix (Strigidae) is a worldwide genus of 17 owl species typical of forested habitats, including Rusty‐barred Owls (S. hylophila), Chaco Owls (S. chacoensis), and Rufous‐legged Owls (S. rufipes) in South America. These species are distributed allopatrically, but the ecological traits that determine their distributions remain largely unknown and their phylogenetic relationships are unclear. We used species distribution models (SDMs) to identify variables explaining their distribution patterns and test hypotheses about ecological divergence and conservatism based on niche overlap analysis. For Rusty‐barred Owls and Chaco Owls, climatic factors related to temperature played a major role, whereas a rainfall variable was more important for Rufous‐legged Owls. When niche overlaps were compared, accounting for regional similarities in the habitat available to each species, an ecological niche divergence process was supported for Chaco Owl‐Rusty‐barred Owl and Chaco Owl‐Rufous‐legged Owl, whereas a niche conservatism process was supported for Rusty‐barred Owl‐Rufous‐legged Owl. Different ecological requirements support current species delimitation, but they are in disagreement with the two main hypotheses currently envisaged about their phylogenetic relationships (Chaco Owls as the sister taxa of either Rufous‐legged Owls or Rusty‐barred Owls) and support a new phylogenetic hypothesis (Rufous‐legged Owls as sister taxa of Rusty‐barred Owls). Our findings suggest that speciation of Rusty‐barred Owls and Rufous‐legged Owls was a vicariant event resulting from Atlantic marine transgressions in southern South America in the Miocene, but their niche was conserved because habitat changed little in their respective ranges. In contrast, Chaco Owls diverged ecologically from the other two species as a result of their adaptations to the habitat they currently occupy. Ecological and historical approaches in biogeography can be embedded to explain distribution patterns, and results provided by SDMs can be used to infer historical and ecological processes in an integrative way.     

Absolute configuration of an axially chiral sulfonate determined from its optical rotatory dispersion,electronic circular dichroism,and vibrational circular dichroism spectra

The absolute configuration (AC) of an axially chiral sulfonate (aCSO), 3,5‐dimethyl‐2‐(naphthalen‐1‐yl)‐6‐(naphthalen‐1‐yl)benzenesulfonate (labeled as aCSO5), was investigated using optical rotatory dispersion (ORD), electronic circular dichroism (ECD), and vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectroscopies. All three methods led to the same conclusion and the AC of aCSO5 is reliably determined to be (−)‐(aR , aR ), or conversely (+)‐(aS , aS ).     

Microhabitat use and diet of 0+ cyprinid fishes in a lentic, regulated reach of the River Great Ouse, England

In the River Great Ouse, 0+ roach, bream, chub, bleak and gudgeon were each divided into three' ecospecies' on the basis of their morphology: young larvae, old larvae and juveniles. Ecologically similar species were positively associated and dissimilar species were negatively associated. All ecospecies, except juvenile bleak preferred water < 1 m deep, within 6 m of the bank with some plant cover. Habitat use was similar for all species. It is suggested that this habitat offers increased growth rate, reduced predation risk and increased food abundance to all species, and that species overlap is due to complementary habitat use rather than aggregation. During the early larval period all species fed predominantly upon rotifers and diatoms. During the late larval period there was a switch to Cladocera, primarily Chydoridae and Ceriodaphnia sp., and chironomid larvae. Species-specific dietary selection was evident during the juvenile period, with roach feeding primarily upon aufwuchs, bream upon Cladocera, chub upon Diptera, and gudgeon upon Copepoda.     

Description of the digestive tract and feeding habits of the king angelfish and the Cortes angelfish

Morphologically, the digestive tracts of the king angelfish Holacunthus passer and the Cortes angelfish Pomacanthus zonipectus are similar, yet the king angelfish intestine is almost 30% longer than that of the Cortes angelfish. Both pomacanthids have a small mouth with villiform teeth, a short oesophagus, a well-defined stomach, and a terminal sac at the end of the digestive tract. The terminal sac, the acid pH in the stomach, and the long intestine may facilitate efficient use of seaweed nutrients. Stomach contents were analysed to determine diets and interspecific overlap. Seventy-one species were found in the stomachs of the king angelfish and 53 in the stomachs of the Cortes angelfish. Because of the wide range of species in their diets, both angelfish must be regarded as omnivorous. The most frequent foods were seaweed and sponges, but for the king angelfish, crustaceans were also important. A cluster analysis was done to determine whether the diets of these fish were similar by sex, size, or season. No similarities were found. Dietary overlap is high in relation to other pomacanthids.     

基于4种生态位模型的金钱松潜在适生区预测

金钱松（Pseudolarix amabilis）是我国特有孑遗植物，为国家II级保护植物。基于4种生态位模型（GARP、Bioclim、Domain和Maxent）预测金钱松潜在适生区，采用受试者工作特征曲线（Receiver Operating Characteristic，ROC）和Kappa统计量检验模型的预测效果。预测结果表明金钱松在浙江西北部、安徽南部、湖北南部、湖南北部以及江西北部表现为高度适生，并以这些地带为中心向外延伸至北纬24.43°-33.35°和东经106.41°-123.42°之间，4种模型预测结果的受试者工作特征曲线下面积（Area under recriver operating characteristic curve，AUC）平均值均大于0.9，Kappa平均值亦大于0.75，精度较高。通过"刀切法"分析得出年均温是预测金钱松潜在适生区的关键影响因子，可能为当前金钱松分布格局形成的决定因素。模拟金钱松在末次盛冰期和2070年气候条件下的分布，结果表明其分布格局随气候变化由"南扩北缩"变为"南缩北扩"，未来分布面积将大幅减小，气候变化是导致其"南缩北扩"的主要驱动因子。建议在当前金钱松高适分布区域内（江西铜鼓县、湖南张家界和衡阳）建立自然保护区或种子园，并在未来气候条件下高适分布区域内（如安徽北部、河南南部、湖北东南部等地）通过人工引种辅助金钱松的北向迁移。