The effect of altered macroclimate on N-fixation by boreal feather mosses

Plant productivity is predicted to increase in boreal forests owing to climate change, but this may depend on whether N inputs from biological N-fixation also increases. We evaluated how alteration of climatic factors affects N input from a widespread boreal N-fixer, i.e. cyanobacteria associated with the feather moss Pleurozium schreberi. In each of 10 forest stands in northern Sweden, we established climate-change plots, including a control (ambient climate) plot and three plots experiencing a +2°C temperature increase, an approximately threefold reduction in precipitation frequency, and either 0.07, 0.29 or 1.16 times normal summer precipitation. We monitored N-fixation in these plots five times between 2007 and 2009, and three times in 2010 after climate treatments ended to assess their recovery. Warmer temperatures combined with less frequent precipitation reduced feather moss moisture content and N-fixation rates regardless of total precipitation. After climate treatments ended, recovery of N-fixation rates occurred on the scale of weeks to months, suggesting resilience of N-fixation to changes in climatic conditions. These results suggest that modelling of biological N-inputs in boreal forests should emphasize precipitation frequency and evaporative water loss in conjunction with elevated temperature rather than absolute changes in mean precipitation.     

Short-term effects of enhanced UV-B and CO2 on lichens at different latitudes

Interaction effects of UV-B and CO₂ on three lichens species, Cladonia arbusculo, Cetraria islandica and Stereocaulon paschale, from two latitudinal sites, 68∘N and 56∘N, were studied in a laboratory experiment. The response of the plants was recorded by measuring their chlorophyll fluorescence. All species had a similar response to enhanced UV-B depending on the latitude from which the population came and the time of the season when they were sampled. Overall, there was a significant increase in photosystem II yield (as measured by a fluorescence technique) due to UV-B and no separate effect due to enhanced CO₂, although there was a significant interaction between CO₂ and UV-B. The increase due to UV-B was at the low CO₂ level. There were also significant differences in response due to latitude. The results contradict our hypotheses that negative effects of UV-B would be larger in the North than in the South and that a negative response should be especially large during the early season.     

Seasonality and the scheduling of life history at different latitudes

For many ectotherms, the annual cycle is partitioned into 'growing' (summer) and 'non-growing' (winter) seasons, and the lengths of these seasons are inversely related across a latitudinal gradient. This pattern of variation has the potential to affect diverse life-history traits profoundly. A key selective agent is size-dependent winter mortality which, with increasing latitude, places an increasing premium on attainment of large body size before the first winter of life. Winter body size is determined primarily by two factors: (1) birth date, which defines the beginning of the first growing season and (2) somatic growth rate within the first season. Using examples drawn from the Atlantic silverside, Menidia menidia (L.), and other fishes, I show how latitudinal variation in the scheduling of the spawning season, countergradient variation in the capacity for growth and reproduction, and mode of sex determination (environmental v. genetic) represent adaptations to seasonality.     

Phenological adaptations in diapause termination by cecropia from different latitudes

Populations of Hyalophora cecropia (L.) that originated at five different latitudes in Illinois all emerged bimodally as adults. These geographical strains differed in the emergence dates of both their early and late emerging groups although they were all exposed to the same environmental conditions outdoors at urbana. The emergence dates became progressively earlier with strains originating either to the north or the south of Urbana. We suggest that this is so because the suitable growing season for cecropia is cut short by cold to the north and by the onset of hot summer weather to the south. Intraspecific hybrids between latitudinal strains do not necessarily have intermediate emergence dates.

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Zusammenfassung Cecropiapopulationen, welche aus fünf verschiedenen Breiten in Illinois stammten, hatten alle eine zweigipflige Falterschlüpfkurve. Die Herkünfte aus verschiedenen Breiten unterschieden sich im Schlüpfzeitpunkt der frühen und der späten Schlüpfgruppen, obwohl sie in Urbana gleichen Umweltbedingungen ausgesetzt waren. Dies zeigt, dass in diesen Herkünften genetisch fixierte quantitative Unterschiede in der zur Beendigung der Diapause notwendigen Menge an Umweltstimulation bestehen. Das Schlüpfdatum war zunehmend früher bei Herkünften, welche entweder nördlich oder südlich von Urbana herstammten. Dies könnte darin begründet sein, dass die günstige Entwicklungszeit für Cecropia im Norden durch kaltes Wetter und im Süden durch den Beginn des heissen Sommerwetters unterbrochen wird. Intraspezifische Hybriden zwischen Herkünften aus verschiedenen Breiten haben nicht notwendigerweise intermediäre Schlüpfzeiten, wie dies in der Literatur vorausgesagt wird.

     

The age dynamic of hormonal levels in children living in different latitudes in European North

An investigation simultaneously of hormonal profile in children of 10-16 years living in different latitudes and climato-ecological conditions in Russian European North (in the border of polar and middle latitudes) was performed. The increased thyrotropin level was revealed in 35% of children in the south (61 degrees North) and in 32% of children in the North (64 degrees 30' North). The thyroid hormones (thyroxin, triiodothyronine) are at low normative bound. Higher Insulin levels were observed in 28% of children living in the southen region especially in 50% of prepubertal boys. In 20% of children, higher cortisol levels were revealed mainly at the final puberty (35% of children).     

Rising temperature and development in dragonfly populations at different latitudes

1. For modelling the future ecological responses to climate change, data on individual species and on variation within and between populations from different latitudes are required. 2. We examined life cycle regulation and growth responses to temperature in Mediterranean and temperate populations of a widespread European odonate, Orthetrum cancellatum. In an experiment, offspring from individual females from different parts of the range were kept separately to elucidate differences between families. 3. The experiment was run outdoors at 52°N at a natural photoperiod for almost a year. We used four temperature regimes, ambient (i.e. following local air temperature) and ambient temperature increased by 2, 4 and 6 °C, to mimic future temperature rise. A mathematical model was used to categorise the type of seasonal regulation and estimate parameters of the temperature response curve. 4. Growth rate varied significantly with temperature sum, survival and geographic origin, as well as with family. Offspring of all females from the temperate part of the range had a life cycle with a 12 h day‐length threshold necessary to induce diapause (i.e. diapause was induced once day length fell below 12 h). By contrast, Mediterranean families had a 10 h threshold or had an unregulated life cycle allowing winter growth. The temperature response did not significantly differ between populations, but varied between families with a greater variation in the optimum temperature for growth in the Mediterranean population. 5. The variation in seasonal regulation leads to a diversity in voltinism patterns within species, ranging from bivoltine to semivoltine along a latitudinal gradient. Given that the type of seasonal regulation is genetically fixed, rising temperatures will not allow faster than univoltine development in temperate populations. We discuss the consequences of our results in the light of rising temperature in central Europe.     

Evaluation of temperature-selection differences among juvenile muskellunge originating from different latitudes

Genetic differences among muskellunge Esox masquinongy populations are related to residence in major river drainages, suggesting the existence of divergent stocks. By use of radio-telemetry we compared different seasonal and diel temperature selection in a southern Illinois reservoir for three geographically and genetically distinct stocks of age-2 muskellunge from throughout the latitudinal range of the species. Muskellunge from the Upper Mississippi River drainage were represented by the Leech Lake, Minnesota, population and the Ohio River drainage was represented by the Cave Run Lake, Kentucky, population. Progeny from North Spring Lake, Illinois, an interstock, or mixed-origin stock, were also evaluated. No differences in temperature selection were observed among stocks of juvenile muskellunge across seasons or diel periods. The seasonal mean temperatures of the water varied significantly—spring 21.7°C, summer 28.4°C, and fall 14.8°C, with an overall average temperature of 24.1°C, in agreement with previously published values obtained in laboratory trials. This lack of different temperature-selection patterns among stocks is in contrast with other life-history characteristics, for example growth, metabolism, and conversion efficiency, which have been shown to differ among populations and stocks.     

Photosynthesis drives anomalies in net carbon-exchange of pine forests at different latitudes

The growth rate of atmospheric CO₂ exhibits large temporal variation that is largely determined by year‐to‐year fluctuations in land–atmosphere CO₂ fluxes. This land–atmosphere CO₂‐flux is driven by large‐scale biomass burning and variation in net ecosystem exchange (NEE). Between‐ and within years, NEE varies due to fluctuations in climate. Studies on climatic influences on inter‐ and intra‐annual variability in gross photosynthesis (GPP) and net carbon uptake in terrestrial ecosystems have shown conflicting results. These conflicts are in part related to differences in methodology and in part to the limited duration of some studies. Here, we introduce an observation‐driven methodology that provides insight into the dependence of anomalies in CO₂ fluxes on climatic conditions. The methodology was applied on fluxes from a boreal and two temperate pine forests. Annual anomalies in NEE were dominated by anomalies in GPP, which in turn were correlated with incident radiation and vapor pressure deficit (VPD). At all three sites positive anomalies in NEE (a reduced uptake or a stronger source than the daily sites specific long‐term average) were observed on summer days characterized by low incident radiation, low VPD and high precipitation. Negative anomalies in NEE occurred mainly on summer days characterized by blue skies and mild temperatures. Our study clearly highlighted the need to use weather patterns rather than single climatic variables to understand anomalous CO₂ fluxes. Temperature generally showed little direct effect on anomalies in NEE but became important when the mean daily air temperature exceeded 23 °C. On such days GPP decreased likely because VPD exceeded 2.0 kPa, inhibiting photosynthetic uptake. However, while GPP decreased, the high temperature stimulated respiration, resulting in positive anomalies in NEE. Climatic extremes in summer were more frequent and severe in the South than in the North, and had larger effects in the South because the criteria to inhibit photosynthesis are more often met.     

中国不同纬度河口春季浮游动物优势种比较

基于2010—2012年春季灌河口、长江口、瓯江口、椒江口、九龙江口和北仑河口等6个典型河口区的海洋调查资料,比较了不同河口区浮游动物优势种的特征以及差异,探究了各河口区优势种构成差异的环境成因。结果表明:中华哲水蚤(Calanus sinicus)是春季各河口最主要的优势种;真刺唇角水蚤(Labidocera euchaeta)是灌河口、长江口和椒江口共有优势种;强壮箭虫(Sagitta crassa)为灌河口特有优势种,河口种虫肢歪水蚤(Tortanus vermiculus)为长江口特有优势种,肥胖箭虫(S.enflata)和鸟喙尖头溞(Penilia avirostris)为北仑河口优势种。从温度适应性上看,各河口春季浮游动物主要以暖温种中华哲水蚤、真刺唇角水蚤等为主,北部灌河口还出现温带种如强壮箭虫,而最南部的北仑河口优势种则出现暖水种——肥胖箭虫和鸟喙尖头溞。就盐度适应而言,各河口区优势种均为广盐种。     

Ambient temperature and reproductive success in rodents living at different latitudes

The concern of this research was with the susceptibility of rodent reproduction to latitudinal acclimatization. More specifically, the relationship between ambient temperature and reproductive success was examined in house mice and deer mice whose ancestors had been trapped in northern versus southern climates (Alberta vs. Texas). Third generation adults of each of these four populations were paired and challenged to breed at -6 degrees, 3 degrees, 23 degrees or 34 degrees C. A 50-day period of gradual temperature adaptation preceded pairing. House mice, regardless of their geographic origin, were found to be relatively insensitive to extreme temperatures. Many pairs of both the Alberta and Texas stocks of this species still produced offspring when maintained at the experimental extremes of -6 degrees and 34 degrees C. In marked contrast, both northern and southern deer mice exhibited relatively narrow temperature ranges within which maximum breeding occurred: -6 degrees to 3 degrees for Texas deer mice and only at 23 degrees C for Alberta deer mice. Thus there is no evidence in either species that reproduction is either less sensitive to cold in northern latitudes or less sensitive to heat in southern latitudes; indeed, somewhat the reverse situation exists in deer mice. Evolutionarily, latitudinal considerations seem to have been of secondary rather than of primary importance in shaping the relationship between ambient temperature and reproduction in these two species.     

Exposure to Asulox inhibits the growth of mosses

Asulox is a herbicide used to control bracken. Its effects on mosses were investigated to ascertain whether exposure proved as detrimental as found in parallel studies on pteridophytes. Mature gametophytes of 18 mosses were exposed to a range of concentrations of Asulox under standard conditions and the effects on growth monitored. Plants were cut to a standard length, exposed to Asulox solution for 24 h, grown for 3 weeks and total elongation (main stem and branches) measured. EC50 values were calculated and species ranked according to sensitivity. The effects of exposure on total elongation were compared with those on main stem elongation alone. Under the conditions tested, the total elongation of all species was inhibited after exposure to Asulox. The amount of elongation observed after exposure was different for different species and inhibition of elongation occurred at different exposure concentrations. A single regression equation was not adequate to describe the dose response curves of all species tested. An ability to produce secondary branches may confer increased tolerance to Asulox exposure. It is concluded that mosses suffer detrimental effects after exposure to Asulox at concentrations similar to those that affect fern gametophytes such as bracken.