Dung beetles as secondary seed dispersers in a temperate grassland

The two-phase dispersal event in which dung beetles move seeds after endozoochory is often assumed to be advantageous for plant regeneration. Because seeds are expected to end up in favourable and safe germination sites, it is considered as an example of directed dispersal. However, literature so far is restricted to tropical rain forest ecosystems, while data for temperate regions are lacking. In this study, the effect of dung beetles on seedling establishment of endozoochorically dispersed seeds is evaluated for a temperate grassland ecosystem. We performed a field experiment in which cages excluded dung beetles from horse and cattle dung samples with mixed-in grass seeds. Seed germination from these samples was significantly higher than that from samples which were accessible to dung beetles. This indicates that the effect of dung beetles on short-term seedling establishment was negative, which contrasts with the patterns found for large-seeded species used in tropical studies. This is most likely attributed to the lack of roller species and the larger depth at which tunneling Geotrupes species bury seeds.     

Molecular detection of Leishmania infection in sand flies in border line of Iran–Turkmenistan: Restricted and permissive vectors

A molecular study was carried out to incriminate sand fly vectors of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in rural areas of Sarakhs district, Khorassane-Razavi Province, northeastern Iran, in 2011. Sand flies of Sergentomyia with three species and Phlebotomus with six species respectively comprised 73.3% and 26.7% of the specimens. Phlebotomus papatasi was the most common Phlebotomine species in outdoor and indoor resting places. Leishmania infection was found at least in 17 (22%) specimens including Ph. papatasi (n = 9 pool samples), Phlebotomus caucasicus (n = 6), Phlebotomus alexandri (n = 1), and Sergentomyia sintoni (n = 1). The parasites were found comprised Leishmania major (n = 5), Leishmania turanica (n = 10), and Leishmania gerbilli (n = 4). Infection of Ph. papatasi with both L. major and L. turanica supporting the new suggestion indicating that it is not restricted only with L. major. Circulation of L. major by Ph. alexandri, and both L. gerbilli and L. turanica by Ph. caucasicus, in addition to previous data indicating the ability of Ph. alexandri to circulate Leishmania infantum and Leishmania donovani, and Ph. caucasicus to circulate L. major, suggests that these two species can be permissive vectors. The results suggest that Ph. papatasi and Ph. alexandri are the primary and secondary vectors of CL where circulating L. major between human and reservoirs, whereas Ph. caucasicus is circulating L. turanica and L. gerbilli between the rodents in the region.     

Exploring the relationship between dental wear and status in late medieval subadults from England

Dental wear patterns were recorded on 458 deciduous molar teeth, of 142 subadults from late medieval (AD 1086–1539) England, to explore the relationship between dental wear and burial status of children. A new ordinal method for scoring dental wear stages on the deciduous molar teeth was devised. It was postulated that if a discernible relationship between dental wear stage and burial location could be seen then this could reflect a difference in diet between those receiving higher or lower status burial. The dental wear stages recorded were statistically similar for the dentitions of subadults from different cemeteries, as well as from different burial locations, indicating a comparable diet for the children studied. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Phlebotominae and Trichomyiinae (Diptera: Psychodidae) diversity in a tropical dry forest of central Mexico: a comparison of conserved and anthropized habitats

We recorded and analyzed the diversity of Phlebotominae and Trichomyiinae in two types of landscape (conserved and anthropized) over the course of three seasons (rainy, cold and dry) in southwestern Puebla, Mexico. A total of 578 specimens belonging to five genera and 10 species were obtained. Phlebotominae was represented by eight species, six of them new records for the state of Puebla, and for Trichomyiinae two species were recorded in the state of Puebla for the first time. There were eight species in the anthropized area and 10 species were recorded in the conservation area. The abundance of both subfamilies was high in the conservation area, representing 83.6% of the total sample, whereas in the anthropized area only 16.4% of the total sample was recorded. Eight species were found during the rainy and dry seasons, and seven species during the cold season. Abundance was highest in the dry season (76.30%), and lowest in the rainy season (5.9%). This kind of information is useful for understanding the transmission patterns of visceral leishmaniasis – endemic to central Mexico – by phlebotomine sand flies.     

Seed fate of Marah macrocarpus (Cucurbitaceae) following fire: do seedlings recruit from rodent burrows?

For numerous species in fire-prone ecosystems, the passage of fire triggers the release of large quantities of seeds within 2 years of the fire. This special case of masting has been described for species in an array of floras, but few studies have followed the fates of seeds liberated into the postfire environment. In this study, I followed the fates of 990, magnet-bearing Marah macrocarpus seeds sown at three seed densities in a large, high-intensity burn area. Seeds disappeared over 6.6 months and removal at all three densities became negatively density-dependent in late summer until all seeds disappeared in mid winter. I recovered only 5% of the magnets, mostly from rodent tunnels. Based on the recovery of magnets, I estimate rodents moved ~91% of the seeds belowground. Seed burial trials showed that seedlings established from seeds buried up to 16 cm whereas seeds sown on the surface did not germinate. Seedlings also readily established from burial in soils with 50% rock fragments as well as from artificial tunnels in both pot and field experiments. Excavation of 50 natural seedlings suggested up to 20% established in rodent burrows. Findings of this study suggest that ecologists may have underestimated the role of burrows as locations for recruitment of large-seeded species.     

Roadside verges and cemeteries: Comparative analysis of anthropogenic orchid habitats in the Eastern Mediterranean

Several important habitats have become threatened in the last few centuries in the Mediterranean Basin due to major changes adopted in land‐use practices. The consequent loss of natural and seminatural orchid habitats leads to the appreciation of small anthropogenic habitats, such as cemeteries and roadside verges. Colonization of cemeteries and roadside verges by orchids has long been known, but no study to date compared the suitability of these two anthropogenic habitats for orchids. Therefore, in this paper our aim was to survey cemeteries and roadside verges and to compare these two habitats regarding their role in conserving Mediterranean terrestrial orchids. We conducted field surveys in three Mediterranean islands, Cyprus, Crete, and Lesbos, where both cemeteries and roadside verges were sampled on a geographically representative scale. We found a total of almost 7,000 orchid individuals, belonging to 77 species in the two anthropogenic habitat types. Roadside verges hosted significantly more individuals than cemeteries in Crete and Lesbos, and significantly more species across all three islands. Our results suggest that although cemeteries have a great potential conservation value in other parts of the world, intensive maintenance practices that characterized cemeteries in these three islands renders them unable to sustain valuable plant communities. On the other hand, roadside verges play a prominent role in the conservation of Mediterranean orchids in Cyprus and Greece. The pioneer status of roadside verges facilitates their fast colonization, while roads serve as ecological corridors in fragmented landscapes.     

海岸单叶蔓荆沙埋胁迫下碳水化合物变化与其耐沙埋的关系

选择烟台海岸沙地抗沙埋强的单叶蔓荆(Vitex trifolia var.simplicifolia)为试材,在自然环境条件下根据单叶蔓荆匍匐茎长度进行了轻度(1/3茎长)、中度(2/3茎长)和重度半埋以及全埋处理。在沙埋20d后,测定了不同沙埋处理下匍匐茎各段上匍匐茎长度、枝条高度、不定根长度,以及可溶性糖、淀粉、纤维素含量,以探讨单叶蔓荆碳水化合物变化和转化在其耐沙埋中作用。结果显示,在轻度、中度半埋和全埋下单叶蔓荆匍匐茎长度均显著大于对照,被沙埋匍匐茎处有大量不定根生成;同时,可溶性糖和淀粉含量增高和纤维素含量下降,尤其是生长最快的匍匐茎顶部(如轻度半埋),茎中可溶性糖较低、淀粉增加最多,纤维素最低。但是被重度半埋和全埋的匍匐茎生长较少,茎中纤维素含量较多、淀粉含量较少。研究表明,沙埋是一种胁迫,它损伤叶片、扰乱碳水化合物代谢平衡。但它又是胁迫信号使植物产生适应性反应,它使未遭沙埋的匍匐茎顶端通过加速碳水化合物转化、分解纤维素、提高淀粉和可溶性糖含量,为顶端生长提供能量和营养,以加速匍匐茎快速生长摆脱沙埋。同时沙埋部位枝叶通过分解其纤维素,产生更多的可溶性糖和淀粉为匍匐茎不定根生长提供能量。因此,沙埋后匍匐茎内碳水化合物的转化是其快速生长和摆脱沙埋的能量来源而在其适应沙埋生长中起重要作用。单叶蔓荆对沙埋的适应性反应表现了其具有表型可塑性特性,该特性是其沙埋后维护匍匐茎顶部快速生长、不定根形成、碳水化合物转化以及具有较高抗沙埋能力的关键。     

海滨滨麦叶片和根对不同厚度沙埋的生理响应差异分析

以烟台海岸抗风沙植物滨麦为研究材料,通过对不同厚度沙埋下其叶片和根部抗氧化酶活力(超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、过氧化物酶(POD)、过氧化氢酶(CAT))、丙二醛(MDA)含量和渗透调节物含量变化的分析,探讨了叶片和根部对沙埋生理响应的差异。试验按滨麦成株株高(约40 cm)对其进行了轻度沙埋(在株高1/4处)、中度沙埋(2/4处)和重度沙埋(3/4处)。在沙埋第6天,分别测定了不同厚度沙埋处理下,植株各段叶片和根抗氧化酶活力、MDA和渗透调节物含量。结果表明,轻度和中度沙埋均加速植株生长。与对照相比,经轻度、中度沙埋处理6 d,叶片平均MDA含量增加,在重度沙埋下降低。不同厚度沙埋6 d,叶片平均SOD活力和脯氨酸含量增加,而CAT活力、可溶性糖和可溶性蛋白质含量下降。但不同厚度沙埋均使沙上叶片MDA、脯氨酸、可溶性蛋白质含量和SOD和CAT活力增加,尤其是叶片顶部增加最为明显,使沙下叶片MDA、可溶性糖、可溶性蛋白质含量和CAT活力下降,导致同株沙上和沙下叶片MDA、脯氨酸、可溶性糖、可溶性蛋白质含量和SOD和CAT活力差异显著(P0.05)。与叶片相比,根中MDA、可溶性蛋白质含量和SOD和CAT活力较低,而POD活力和可溶性糖含量较高并与叶片差异显著(P0.05)。不同厚度沙埋6 d,滨麦根中MDA和可溶性蛋白质含量变化较小,可溶性糖含量和CAT、POD、SOD活力略有降低。研究表明,滨麦根和叶片对不同厚度沙埋的生理响应不同。沙埋直接作用于叶片并诱发叶内氧自由基积累,但叶片通过快速激活的抗氧化酶保护系统(CAT、SOD)维持氧自由基代谢平衡,以及渗透调节物(脯氨酸、可溶性糖)的积累维护细胞水分代谢平衡,并满足能量的需求和快速生长。但在不同厚度沙埋下,由于根系不受沙埋直接影响而生理变化较小,并且还维持较低的膜脂过氧化水平,这可能是根能维持正常的吸水输水功能并在沙埋处理过程中和沙埋后地上叶片快速生长摆脱沙埋的重要物质基础。