A multiscale analysis of ecosystem services supply in the NW Iberian Peninsula from a functional perspective

In recent years, the assessment of ecosystem services (ES) supply has been based on the use of Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) data as proxies for spatial representation of ecosystems. Nevertheless, some shortcomings of this method, such as uncertainties derived from generalization of the ecosystem types and assumptions of invariance across spatial scales, indicate the need for new approaches. Such approaches could be aimed at improving knowledge of the relationships between ecosystem services and landscape structure and the spatial characteristics of ES patterns. In this study, we propose an integrative approach that involves the generation and analysis of continuous maps representing the supply of five ES potentially related to the amount of biomass. Five remote sensing images of the Northwestern Iberian Peninsula, obtained with Landsat-5 TM, were used to generate a proxy for net primary production by combining the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) of each image to calculate a ΣNDVI index that could act as a potential indicator of some ecosystem services. This information was combined with three variables – terrain slope, population density and occurrence of protected areas – to produce spatial models for the five ES and eventually a series of five supply maps. Food, materials and energy provision services showed a clustered pattern, with high supply values in flat zones and areas with high population densities. In contrast, mass flow and climate regulation services were more widely distributed throughout the study area. The five ecosystem service patterns were analyzed at different scales by two methods: lacunarity and four term local quadrat variance (4TLQV) analysis. These methods revealed differences in the spatial pattern: lacunarity analysis was useful for detection of scale thresholds at the local level, whereas 4TLQV was more sensitive to scale thresholds at larger spatial levels. Thus, the variance analysis yielded higher values for larger windows sizes, particularly for provisioning services. The results demonstrated the suitability of the proposed approach for the spatially explicit modeling of ecosystem services, avoiding the uncertainty of other assessments such as those based on LULC data, and for the exploratory analysis of ES supply from a spatial point of view.     

Asymmetry of the phospholipid bilayer of rat liver endoplasmic reticulum

The phospholipids of intact microsomal membranes were hydrolysed 50% by phospholipase C of Clostridium welchii, without loss of the secretory protein contents of the vesicle, which are therefore not permeable to the phospholipase. Phospholipids extracted from microsomes and dispersed by sonication were hydrolysed rapidly by phospholipase C-Cl. welchii with the exception of phosphatidylinositol. Assuming that only the phospholipids of the outside of the bilayer of the microsomal membrane are hydrolysed in intact vesicles, the composition of this leaflet was calculated as 84% phosphatidylcholine, 8% phosphatidylethanolamine, 9% sphingomyelin and 4% phosphatidylserine, and that of the inner leaflet 28% phosphatidylcholine, 37% phosphatidylethanolamine, 6% phosphatidylserine and 5% sphingomyelin. Microsomal vesicles were opened and their contents released in part by incubation with deoxycholate (0.098%) lysophosphatidylcholine (0.005%) or treatment with the French pressure cell. Under these conditions, hydrolysis of the phospholipids by phospholipase C-Cl. welchii was increased and this was mainly due to increased hydrolysis of those phospholipids assigned to the inner leaflet of the bilayer, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylserine. Phospholipase A₂ of bee venom and phospholipase C of Bacillus cereus caused rapid loss of vesicle contents and complete hydrolysis of the membrane phospholipids, with the exception of sphingomyelin which is not hydrolysed by the former enzyme.     

乌牛早茶园蜡蝉类与其8种天敌空间关系的聚块样方方差分析

为了分析在不同聚块大小条件下,天敌对蜡蝉类Fulgoroidea空间上跟随关系的密切程度、聚集原因和聚集范围,为评价蜡蝉类的天敌优势种和确定样方大小提供科学依据,运用聚块样方方差分析法、灰色关联度法、空间聚集强度指数法、种群聚集均数法和ρ指数法对安徽省合肥市乌牛早茶园不同大小聚块条件下的蜡蝉类及其8种天敌进行分析。蜡蝉类与其8种天敌均方差峰值时聚块样方数的关联度分析结果表明:与蜡蝉类空间上跟随关系密切的前三位天敌依次是茶色新圆蛛Neoscona theisi(0.8010)、草间小黑蛛Erigonidium graminicolum(0.7617)和三突花蟹蛛Misumenops tricuspidatus(0.7613)。在聚块内基本样方数K为1、2、4、8时,随着聚块内基本样方数的增多,聚集分布格局时的扩散系数C不断增大,均匀和随机格局时扩散系数不断减小。聚块内基本样方数K为1、2、4、8时其相互之间的蜡蝉类及其天敌的空间分布聚集程度差异均不显著。蜡蝉类及其天敌的种群聚集均数λ多数情况均大于2,其聚集是该虫本身原因引起的,并且λ的绝对值随着聚块内基本样方数的增加而不断增大。用蜡蝉类不同大小聚块的ρ指数判断个体群聚集时的最小范围是聚块中有4个基本样方,即本文的16 m~2。为该虫抽样时确定样方大小提供了科学依据。聚块样方方差分析法是分析害虫与天敌空间关系的一种简便而又实用的方法。     

Mutations in glucokinase and other genes detected in neonatal and type 1B diabetes patient using whole exome sequencing may lead to disease-causing changes in protein activity

Monogenic diabetes is caused by mutations that reduce β-cell function. While Sanger sequencing is the standard method used to detect mutated genes. Next-generation sequencing techniques, such as whole exome sequencing (WES), can be used to find multiple gene mutations in one assay. We used WES to detect genetic mutations in both permanent neonatal (PND) and type 1B diabetes (T1BD).A total of five PND and nine T1BD patients were enrolled in this study. WES variants were assessed using VarioWatch, excluding those identified previously. Sanger sequencing was used to confirm the mutations, and their pathogenicity was established via the literature or bioinformatic/functional analysis. The PND and T1BD patients were diagnosed at 0.1–0.5 and 0.8–2.7?years of age, respectively. Diabetic ketoacidosis was present at diagnosis in 60% of PND patients and 44.4% of T1BD patients. We found five novel mutations in five different genes. Notably, patient 602 had a novel homozygous missense mutation c.1295C?>?A (T432?K) in the glucokinase (GCK) gene. Compared to the wild-type recombinant protein, the mutant protein had significantly lower enzymatic activity (2.5%, p?=?0.0002) and V_max (1.23?±?0.019 vs. 0.33?±?0.016, respectively; p?=?0.005). WES is a robust technique that can be used to unravel the etiologies of genetically heterogeneous forms of diabetes. Homozygous inactivating mutations of the GCK gene may have a significant role in PND pathogenesis.     

Quantifying Littoral Vertical Habitat Structure and Fish Community Associations using Underwater Visual Census

Synopsis We developed and tested a new visual census technique to quantify the importance of vertical habitat structure on the associated fish assemblages in the littoral zone of a freshwater lake. We demonstrated that the primary environmental gradient, accounting for the most variation in the species data, represented a temporal gradient of seasonal characteristics. The secondary environmental gradient was related to the vertical structure at the sampling locations, showing the importance of the vertical component of the environment on fish community structure. Characterizing the vertical component at different resolutions provided different interpretations. The primary difference was the strength of influence of woody material on community structure. Woody material had a stronger influence on community structure throughout the water column when a single vertical unit defined the fish data. The appropriateness of defining the data by either multiple vertical strata or by a single vertical one would be dependent on the objectives of the study, as neither approach was found to explain substantially more variation in the species data. The current study demonstrates that fish are closely associated with particular elements of habitat structure in the littoral zone, even in the absence of major piscivorous predators. We provide a novel study quantifying the vertical multiple habitat structures and habitat use by fish in the water column of a freshwater lake. The new vertical visual census technique can be used to more comprehensively sample the three-dimensional environment of lake littoral zones, and quantify the fish–habitat spatial relationships across a range of abiotic and biotic habitat features.     

Ant Diversity in Dominant Vegetation Types of Southern Cameroon

Ants have been shown as particularly affected by land disturbance through deforestation and conversion of forest to agriculture. The effect of land use change on ant diversity in the Congo Basin is not well known. We conducted intensive sampling along a gradient of increasing vegetation disturbance to test the effect of habitat disturbance on ant diversity and Functional Groups composition. Sampling was conducted in 30 plots (5 study sites × 3 habitat × 2 plots/habitat), replicated six times in 1 year. In each plot, ants were monitored with pitfall traps, quadrats and baits. We recorded 237 ant morphospecies grouped in 10 subfamilies and 43 genera. Myrmicaria opaciventris was the most abundant species followed by Anoplolepis tenella. Forest had greater ant diversity compared with fallows and mixed‐crop fields. Functional groups were dominated by Opportunists, followed by Omnivorous Arboreal Dominants and Generalized Mymicinae. Their composition was not affected by the disturbance, but occurrence of Specialist Predators decreased with increasing disturbance. Occurrence of Generalized Myrmicinae, Opportunists and Subordinate Camponotini increased with disturbance. These results indicate that forest conversion into mixed‐crop fields reduce ant diversity. It can also increase abundance of species with generalized diet that predominates where stress and disturbance limits other ants.     

Interpretation of scale in paired quadrat variance methods

Question: Previous interpretations of the variance plot of paired quadrat variance method (PQV) have been incomplete. The objective of this study was to clarify the interpretation of PQV, and to shed additional light on how different quadrat variance methods can be used, in concert, to measure scale in transect data. Methods: We used artificial and real data to examine how the PQVmethod elucidates spatial pattern. Two‐term local quadrat variance (TTLQV) and new local variance (NLV) methods, together with their three‐term counterparts, were also applied to the same data sets, and the results from all methods were compared. Results: When the mean gap size equalled the mean patch size along a transect, the first peak of the variance of PQV, NLV and TTLQV corresponded with the gap size (or patch size). However, if the mean gap size and patch size were unequal, the variance plot of PQV displayed a flat‐topped plateau, in which the first inflection represented the mean size of the smaller phase and the second inflection represented the mean size of the larger phase; TTLQV showed a clear peak and NLV displayed a distinct first peak while the second inflection was dampened. The results also indicated than the three‐term versions of quadrat variance methods did not consistently outperform their two‐term counterparts, and often confused the interpretation of scale. Conclusions: The quadrat variance methods associated with the patch‐gap measurements were able to efficiently detect not only the size of patches, but also the size of gaps.     

植物叶表皮永久制片技术的改进

对植物叶表皮永久装片的制作过程,在实践中通过摸索而进行了一些改进,克服了传统叶表皮制片中易出现的几点不足之处,完善并简化了整个制作过程。新的永久的制片技术可以为从事植物形态分类学基础研究的工作者们提供基础的技术支持。     

Exploring lake ecosystems: hierarchy responses to long‐term change?

Shifts in climate regime have provoked substantial trophic‐ and species‐dependent changes within ecosystems. With growing concerns of present global warming, we examined potential lake ecosystem responses, natural hierarchy responses (i.e. immediate responses at lower system levels as opposed to delayed responses at higher system levels), and possible shifts among abiotic (physics, nutrients) and biotic (phytoplankton, zooplankton) system components. Specifically, we analyzed decadal data collected from Müggelsee, a lake in Berlin, Germany, for climate‐induced abiotic and biotic changes, their timing and type, and classified them as abrupt permanent, gradual permanent, abrupt temporary, or monotonic. We further categorized variable changes as a function of system hierarchy, including lake physics (ice, temperature, stratification), nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen, silicate), plankton, and levels of integration (i.e. species, taxonomic groups, and total plankton). Contrary to current theory, data suggest abrupt responses did not occur in a hierarchy‐dependent manner, nor was a clear pattern observed among functional system‐based categories. Abrupt permanent changes were the most prominent response pattern observed, suggesting they may be driven by large‐scale climatic oscillations and by surpassed thresholds, as noted in previous case studies. Gradual changes coincided with affected abiotic parameters spanning an expansive time range; for example, climatic effects in spring preceded changes in nutrient limitation. Variables displaying no long‐term changes pointed to compensation processes caused by, e.g., simultaneously acting forces of warming trends and climate‐independent changes in trophic state. Nevertheless, the complexity of response patterns at the single system level manifested clear chronological regime shifts in abiotic and biotic parameters in spring and, to a lesser extent, in summer. With regard to projected global warming, the majority of currently unaffected system levels may face impending thermal thresholds, achievement of which would result in an accelerated shift in ecosystem state.