Thermoregulation, energy metabolism, and torpor in blossom-bats, Syconycteris australis (Megachiroptera)

Since little information is available on torpor in bats of the suborder Megachiroptera, we investigated whether the small (18 g) blossom-bat Syconycteris australis displays torpor in the laboratory. Bats entered daily torpor when food and water were withheld for one night and the air temperature (T_a) was below about 26°. Torpor began shortly after lights went on in the morning and lasted for a maximum of 12 hours. During torpor at T_a18°, metabolic rates fell to a minimum of about 15% of that in resting individuals at the same T_a, and to about 40% of the basal metabolic rate. The body temperature (T_b) during torpor was metabolically defended at or above about T_b 18°. Individuals that did not enter torpor in the morning reduced their T_b from about 34.5°, observed in resting individuals that had been fed during the previous night, to values between 30.2 and 32.8°, and the resting metabolic rate fell by about 25%. The ability to undergo short periods of torpor may explain why the distribution range of S. australis extends much further south than that of other small Australian megachiropteran bats.     

Prolonged and daily torpor in the feathertail glider, Acrobates pygmaeus (Marsupialia: Acrobatidae)

Deep and prolonged torpor in marsupials is only known from the pygmy possums, family Burramyidae. We investigated the pattern of torpor in the feathertail glider Acrobates pygmaeus (Acrobatidae) to determine whether members of other marsupial families also possess the ability of remaining torpid for several days with body temperatures (T_b) approaching 0°C. At high air temperatures (T_a) of 15 and 20°C, A. pygmaeus usually exhibited daily torpor. Torpor bouts at T_a 12°C usually lasted for about 2˙5 days and at T_a 8°C up to 5˙5 days. The metabolic rate during torpor was reduced to about 1% of that in normothermic, resting individuals. The T_b during torpor was regulated at about 2°C when T_a fell below about 0˙8 °C. Arousal from torpor was rapid and the mean fastest rewarming rate was 0˙88°C/min. While A. pygmaeus exhibited deep and prolonged torpor, its pattern differed somewhat from deep hibernation. Acrobates pygmaeus did not show prehibernation fattening and a subsequent prolonged hibernation period and it appears that prolonged torpor is used only in emergency situations.     

Temperature and the tropical tortoise Kinixys spekii: constraints on activity level and body temperature

Movements of five Kinixys spekii were measured continuously during six weeks of their activity season, by thread-trailing. The mean daily movement distance was negatively correlated with maximum shade air temperature, but not significantly related to minimum temperature, rainfall, or humidity. There was a midday period of inactivity of increasing length as maximum air temperature exceeded 29° C. Temperatures of models suggest that lower activity on hot days was due to the risk of overheating in this small (mean mass 617 g) tortoise. Kinixys spekii had a mean field body temperature (T^b) of 27° C, which is low compared to other tortoises (including sympatric Geochelone pardulis, mean T^b= 32.5° C), but salivated at a similar T^b (38.4° C). This pattern also occurs in other small species; mean and maximum field T^bs of tortoises are positively correlated with body mass, but salivation and critical maximum T_bs do not vary with body mass. Low field T_b provides a wide safety margin before evaporation of water becomes necessary. Kinixys sprkii had a short annual activity period, with about 95% of sightings in four months (December to March). Monthly sightings of K. spekii were correlated with rainfall, but not significantly related to temperature or humidity. Seasonal activity is therefore related to rainfall, but within the rainy season the level and pattern of daily activity is related to temperature.     

The intrinsic mean time to extinction: a unifying approach to analysing persistence and viability of populations

Analysing the persistence and viability of small populations is a key issue in extinction theory and population viability analysis. However, there is still no consensus on how to quantify persistence and viability. We present an approach to evaluate any simulation model concerned with extinction. The approach is devised from general Markov models of stochastic population dynamics. From these models, we distil insights into the general mathematical structure of the risk of extinction by time t, P₀(t). From this mathematical structure, we devise a simple but effective protocol – the ln(1−P₀)-plot – which is applicable for situations including environmental noise or catastrophes. This plot delivers two quantities which are fundamental to the assessment of persistence and viability: the intrinsic mean time to extinction, T_m, and the probability c₁ of the population reaching the established phase. The established phase is characterized by typical fluctuations of the population's state variable which can be described by quasi-stationary probability distributions. The risk of extinction in the established phase is constant and given by 1/T_m. We show that T_m is the basic currency for the assessment of persistence and viability because T_m is independent of initial conditions and allows the risk of extinction to be calculated for any time horizon. For situations where initial conditions are important, additionally c₁ has to be considered.     

Body temperature and foraging behaviour of the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra), in relation to water temperature

The effects of water temperature (T_w) on core body temperature (T_b) and foraging behaviour were studied in four free-ranging and one captive otter Lutra lutra in NE Scotland. The free-ranging animals were observed in and around two freshwater lochs, and measurements were made of T_w (2–16°C), T_b at the beginning and end of swimming bouts, lengths of swimming bouts, and dive times and intervals. T_b ranged from 35.9 to 40.4°C (mean 38.1°C). At the beginning of a period of activity and of a swimming bout. T_b rose significantly; during swimming it fell at a rate of 2.3°C/h, independent of T_w. Dive intervals were longer in colder waters, but this was probably due to other, seasonal environmental changes (perhaps water level). T_w had no significant effect on length of swimming bouts or on T_b. Although otters entered water with increased T_b, they exited when T_b was not significantly different from the mean resting T_b. The data suggest that otters maintain T_b irrespective of T_w, by increasing it before entering water, then either exiting at a given T_b, or at an earlier time determined by other environmental conditions.     

The utilization of patchy thermal microhabitats by the ectothermic insect predator, Cicindela sexguttata

Abstract. 1. Tiger beetles ( Cicindela ) of open habitats have served as model ectotherms in studies of the dependence of activity and habitat utilization on temperature. Potential departures from the cicindelid model were investigated in Cicindela sexguttata , a species inhabiting forests where thermal resources are patchy and ephemeral.
2. Body temperatures (T_b) were determined by inserting thermocouples into beetles immediately after observing specific behaviours in the field. Cicindela sexguttata elevated T_b by basking, foraged at a preferred T_b of 32.8 °C, and stilted, sun-faced, or sought shade when T_b exceeded 35 °C. Although these behaviours were typical of Cicindela , their set points were lower than those of species in more open habitats.
3. Illuminated substrates were utilized for basking and foraging. Beetles were dispersed throughout the forest floor in early spring, but became aggregated in light gaps when the canopy leafed out. Operative temperatures of thermal models indicated that beetles were unable to maintain the preferred T_b in shade and would not be able to maintain a preferred T_b in light gaps during the autumn, when adults are normally in diapause.
4. Beetles were confined to foraging in light gaps once the canopy was closed. Foraging rate and searching speed were independent of T_b, in contrast to other cicindelids. Adults rarely searched for prey, but ambushed small arthropods that alighted in the light gap. Dependence on patches of illumination as thermal resources may increase prey capture, intraspecific encounters, and risk of predation, and preclude foraging in the autumn when Cicindela species of open habitats are also active.     

EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS ON MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF THE CELL WALL IN RICE COLEOPTILES

Cell wall properties determined by the stress-relaxation technique were studied with coleoptiles of rice seedlings grown under different environmental conditions. The cell wall was simulated by a viscoelastic model consisting of either four or an infinite number of Maxwell components. Reciprocal of relaxation time for the first component in the former model (1/τ₁) and minimum and maximum relaxation times (T_o and T_m) in the latter, in addition to the stress/strain ratio, were parameters representing cell wall properties. Parameters changed depending on the ages and regions of the coleoptilles used and 011 the environmental conditions under which rice seedlings were grown. Effects on cell wall properties of aeration during submerged growth, excision of the coleoptile tip, and exposure to small doses of red and/or far-red light were examined. In most cases, high values of 1/τ₁ and of T_m and small values of T_o were consistent with the growth potentiality of cells, while the stress/strain ratio seemed to be a consequence of elongation growth.     

Gas exchange studies in two Portuguese grapevine cultivars

Gas exchange characteristics of leaves of Vitis vinifera L. cvs Tinta Amarela and Periquita, two grapevine cultivars grown in distinct climatic regions of Portugal, were studied under natural and controlled conditions. Daily time courses of gas exchange were measured on both a hot, sunny day and a cooler, partly cloudy day. Responses of net photosynthesis to irradiance and internal partial pressure of CO₂, were also obtained. A strong correlation between net photosynthesis (P_N) and leaf conductance (g_s) was found during the diurnal time courses of gas exchange, as well as a relatively constant internal partial pressure of CO₂ (P_i), even under non-steady-state conditions. On the cloudless day, both P_N and g_s were lower in the afternoon than in the morning, despite similar conditions of leaf temperature, air to leaf water vapor deficit and irradiance. The response curves of net photosynthesis to internal CO₂ showed linearity up to p_i values of 50 Pa, possibly indicating a substantial excess of photosynthetic capacity. When measured at low partial pressures of O₂ (1 kPa), P_N became inhibited at high CO₂ levels. Inhibition of P_N at high CO₂ was absent under normal levels of O₂ (21 kPa). Significant differences in gas exchange characteristics were found between the two cultivars, with T. Amarela having higher rates under similar measurement conditions. In particular, the superior performance of T. Amarela at high temperatures may represent adaptation to the warmer conditions at its place of origin.     

Heritability of energetics in a wild mammal,the leaf-eared mouse (Phyllotis darwini)

Abstract.— As a first examination of the additive genetic variance of thermoregulatory traits in a natural population of endotherms, we studied the quantitative genetics of key physiological ecology traits in the leaf-eared mouse, Phyllotis darwini. We measured basal metabolic rate (BMR), nonshivering thermogenesis (NST), maximum metabolic rate for thermoregulation (MMR), thermal conductance (C_T), body temperature (T_b), and factorial aerobic scope (FAS) in individuals acclimated to cold and warm conditions. For comparability with previous studies, we included the following morphological traits: foot length (F_L), total length (T_L), body mass (mb, at birth, sexual maturity, 6 months, and 8 months). Variance components were obtained from two different procedures: the expected variance component in an ANOVA Type III sum of squares and an animal model approach using restricted maximum likelihood. Results suggest the presence of additive genetic variance in F_L (h²= 0.47, P = 0.045), C_T of cold-acclimated animals (h²= 0.66, P = 0.041), and night body temperature, measured in cold-acclimated animals (h²= 0.68, P = 0.080). Heritabilities of m_b were near zero at all ages, but maternal effects and common environment effects were high and significant. We found no evidence of additive genetic variance in BMR, NST, MMR, or FAS (i.e., estimates were not significantly different from zero for all tests). Our results are in general agreement with previous studies of mammals that reported low heritability for: (1) BMR and MMR; (2) daytime body temperature; and (3) body mass for wild, but not laboratory or domestic, populations.     

Evaporative water loss in two sympatric species of vespertilionid bat, Plecotus auritus and Myotis daubentoni: relation to foraging mode and implications for roost site selection

Simultaneous measures of oxygen consumption and evaporative water loss (EWL) were made in two species of temperate-zone vespertilionid bat ( Plecotus auritus and Myotis daubentoni ; mean body mass 9.12 and 10.12g, respectively) at ambient temperatures (T_a) of 5, 15 and 25°C and variable vapour pressure deficit. EWL was directly dependent on vapour pressure deficit and oxygen consumption and inversely dependent on T_a. EWL was significantly greater in P. auritus than in M. daubentoni. A model for EWL in P. auritus under a variety of environmental conditions (5–25°C and 20–80% relative humidity) suggested that EWL from bats in shallow summer torpor will be lowest at low T_a, and that, except at low (> 50%) relative humidity, EWL from euthermic bats will be lowest at high T_a. At low relative humidity (< 20%), resting bats could lose over 30% of body mass per day (24 h) through evaporation. At high T_a (> 25°C), EWL from euthermic bats could be over 65% lower at high (> 80%) compared to low (< 20%) relative humidity. In bats in shallow summer torpor at low (5°C) T_a the equivalent saving was > 96%. At low relative humidity predicted EWL from bats in shallow summer torpor was 34 to 81% of that from euthermic bats, and at low T_a and high relative humidity was only 2%. In the wild, M. daubentoni has freer access to drinking water than does P. auritus and yet EWL at rest was higher in the latter species. We suggest that post-prandial dumping of urinary water by M. daubentoni leads to a limit in the amount of body water available to this species to cover evaporative losses once within the day roost, which in turn has led to an adaptation of physiology towards the minimization of EWL when at rest.     

C4 photosynthesis at low temperatures

Abstract. C₄ plants grown in optimum conditions are, by comparison to C₃, capable of higher maximum dry-matter yields and greater efficiencies of water and nitrogen use, yet they are rare outside the subtropics. Both latitudinal and altitudinal limits of C₄ distributions correlate most closely with a mean minimum temperature of 8-10°C during the period of active growth. The possibility that the C₄ process is inherently incapable of functioning at low temperatures is examined. The reversible effects of chilling on the quantum efficiency of C₄ photosynthesis and the functioning of the individual steps in the C₄ cycle are examined. Chilling also produces an irreversible loss of capacity to assimilate CO₂ which is directly proportional to the light received during chilling. It is suggested that the reversible reduction in capacity to assimilate CO₂ and the lack of an alternative pathway for the utilization of lightgenerated reducing power may make C₄ species more prone to chilling-dependent photoinhibition. Laboratory studies and limited field observations suggest that this damage would be most likely to occur during photosynthetic induction at the temperatures and light levels encountered on clear, cool mornings during the spring and early summer in cool climates. Even those C₄ species occurring naturally in cool climates do not appear fully capable of tolerating these conditions; indeed their growth patterns suggest that they may be adapted by avoiding 'rather than enduring' such conditions.     

Relationship between photosynthetic radiation-use efficiency of barley canopies and the photochemical reflectance index (PRI)

Some processes of excess radiation dissipation have been associated with changes in leaf reflectance near 531 nm. We aimed to study the relations between the photochemical reflectance index (PRI) derived from this signal, and photosynthetic radiation-use efficiency (defined as net CO₂ assimilation rate/incident photon flux density) in a cereal canopy. Measurements of reflectance, fluorescence, gas exchange and xanthophyll cycle pigments were made in the morning, midday and afternoon in barley canopies with two levels of nitrogen fertilization. The photosynthetic radiation-use efficiency decreased at midday, mainly in the third leaf, in both treatments, with lower values for the nitrogen deficient leaves. The zeaxanthin content showed the inverse pattern, increasing at midday and in the nitrogen deficient treatment. The photosynthetic radiation-use efficiency was well correlated with the epoxidation state, EPS (violaxanthin + 0.5 antheraxanthin)/(violaxanthin + antheraxanthin + zeaxanthin). The PRI [here defined as (R₅₃₉ - R₅₇₀)/(R₅₃₉+ R₅₇₀)] was significantly correlated with epoxidation state and zeaxanthin and with photosynthetic radiation-use efficiency. These results validate the utility of PRI in the assessment of radiation-use efficiency at canopy level.     

Changes in leaf water status associated with salinity in mature, field grown Prunus salicina

Seasonal and diurnal measurements of leaf water potential (ψ₁), relative water content (RWC) and stomatal conductance (g_s) were made in the field on 19-year old Prunus salicina (L.) cv. Santa Rosa, a deciduous fruit tree species, irrigated with 3 different concentrations of saline water over a 3 year period (1985-1987). With the exception of stage III of fruit growth, little or no treatment difference in Φ₁, leaf turgor potential (Φ_p), or RWC was noted during the day. Seasonal averages of morning (0700-0900) and afternoon (1500-1700) Φ_p did not decline with increasing salinity, indicating long-term osmotic adjustment in this species. Maintenance of leaf water status under saline conditions was in part a consequence of increased stomatal closure, with a subsequent reduction in leaf transpiration rate. However, during stage III of fruit growth, an increase in mean afternoon (1200-1700) stomatal conductance of 26-117%, independent of salinity treatment, was observed in 1985 and again in 1987. Higher conductance values during this period may be associated with rapid fruit expansion and greater assimilate demand. The observed increase in conductance resulted in greater leaf water loss and larger measured differences in midday ψ₁ between salinity treatments. This research indicates that for Prunus salicina in the field, salinity stress resulted in leaf water deficits only during the final period of fruit expansion and ripening.     

Diurnal regulation of photosynthesis in understory saplings

Photosynthetic rates of plants grown in natural systems exhibit diurnal patterns often characterized by an afternoon decline, even when measured under constant light and temperature conditions. Since we thought changes in the carbohydrate status could cause this pattern through feedback from starch and sucrose synthesis, we studied the natural fluctuations in photosynthesis rates of plants grown at 36 and 56 Pa CO₂ at a FACE (free-air-CO₂-enrichment) research site. Light-saturated photosynthesis varied by 40% during the day and was independent of the light-limited quantum yield of photosynthesis, which varied little through the day. Photosynthesis did not correspond with xylem water potential or leaf carbohydrate build-up, but rather with diurnal changes in air vapor-pressure deficit and light. The afternoon decline in photosynthesis also corresponded with decreased stomatal conductance and decreased Rubisco carboxylation efficiency which in turn allowed leaf-airspace CO₂ partial pressure to remain constant. Growth at elevated CO₂ did not affect the afternoon decline in photosynthesis, but did stimulate early-morning photosynthesis rates relative to the rest of the day. Plants grown at 56 Pa CO₂ had higher light-limited quantum yields than those at 36 Pa CO₂ but, there was no growth–CO₂ effect on quantum yield when measured at 2 kPa O₂. Therefore, understory plants have a high light-limited quantum yield that does not vary through the day. Thus, the major diurnal changes in photosynthesis occur under light-saturated conditions which may help understory saplings maximize their sunfleck-use-efficiency.     

Effects of solar radiation on the endemic Mediterranean red alga Rissoella verruculosa: photosynthetic performance, pigment content and the activities of enzymes related to nutrient uptake

The effects of full-spectrum solar radiation and of solar radiation deprived of total u.v. radiation (λ<395 nm) on the endemic Mediterranean red alga Rissoella verruculosa (Bertoloni) J. Agardh were studied in situ in early summer, from sunrise to sunset. Photosynthetic performance, pigment content and the activities of enzymes related to nutrient uptake, were monitored under both radiation conditions throughout a daylight period.
The doses of solar radiation, measured on the day during which the experiments were carried out (24 June 1997), were 9228·25, 1109·70 and 13·03 kJ m⁻² for PAR (λ=400–700 nm), u.v.-A (λ=315–400 nm) and u.v.-B (λ=280–315 nm), respectively. Under these conditions, a clear daily variation in photosynthetic performance was found. However, no significant differences were detected between the two radiation conditions. At noon, strong sunlight impaired O₂ evolution by 75%, but complete recovery occurred during the afternoon, reaching similar values to those measured in the early morning. By contrast, photoinhibition of optimal quantum yield ( F _v/ F _m), and the relative electron transport rate was followed by only a slight recovery during the afternoon. The rate of photosynthesis in air (simulating emersion conditions), estimated by CO₂ exchange, showed a negative balance at noon, which was accentuated in plants exposed to the full-solar spectrum.
Significant changes in the activities of nitrate reductase and carbonic anhydrase were found throughout the day under both radiation conditions. In thalli receiving solar radiation deprived of u.v., total CA activity decreased throughout the day. However, in thalli exposed to full-spectrum solar radiation, the activity of the enzyme tended to increase in the afternoon, correlating with an increase in NR activity.     

An external heat pulse method for measurement of sap flow through fruit pedicels, leaf petioles and other small-diameter stems

The external heat ratio method is described for measurement of low rates of sap flow in both directions through stems and other plant organs, including fruit pedicels, with diameters up to 5 mm and flows less than 2 g h⁻¹. Calibration was empirical, with heat pulse velocity ( v _h) compared to gravimetric measurements of sap flow. In the four stem types tested ( Actinidia sp. fruit pedicels, Schefflera arboricola petioles, Pittosporum crassifolium stems and Fagus sylvatica stems), v _h was linearly correlated with sap velocity ( v _s) up to a v _s of approximately 0.007 cm s⁻¹, equivalent to a flow of 1.8 g h⁻¹ through a 3-mm-diameter stem. Minimum detectable v _s was approximately 0.0001 cm s⁻¹, equivalent to 0.025 g h⁻¹ through a 3-mm-diameter stem. Sensitivity increased with bark removal. Girdling had no effect on short-term measurements of in vivo sap flow, suggesting that phloem flows were too low to be separated from xylem flows. Fluctuating ambient temperatures increased variability in outdoor sap flow measurements. However, a consistent diurnal time-course of fruit pedicel sap flow was obtained, with flows towards 75-day-old kiwifruit lagging behind evaporative demand and peaking at 0.3 g h⁻¹ in the late afternoon.     

A desk study of the relationship between temperature and hatching time for the eggs of five species of salmonid fishes

SUMMARY. Information on temperature (T°C) and time from fertilization to 50% hatch ( D days) for five species of salmonid fishes has been used to assess several mathematical models relating D and T . No single equation gave the best fit to all five data sets. The power law with temperature correction (α), log₁₀₁ D = log₁₀ a + b log₁₀ ( T - α) and the quadratic, log₁₀ D = log₁₀ a + bT + b ₁ T ² (where a, b, b ₁, and α are constants), each accounted for over 97 % of the variance of D and were good fits to the observed data points for all five species. There was little difference between the predictions obtained from these two equations within the range of observed temperatures. Therefore, the simpler power-law model is preferred. However, there were substantial within-species differences between values of D predicted from extrapolations of the two models from 2 or 3°C down to 0°C. When more data for low temperatures become available it will be possible to make a more objective choice of model.     

CIRCADIAN RHYTHM OF PHOTOSYNTHETIC OXYGEN EVOLUTION IN KAPPAPHYCUS ALVAREZII (RHODOPHYTA): DEPENDENCE ON LIGHT QUANTITY AND QUALITY

The rate of oxygen evolution of the tropical red alga Kappaphycus alvarezii (Doty) Doty was measured for 6 days in the laboratory using a computer-aided method for long-term recording. In cool white light, Kappaphycus exhibited a robust circadian rhythm of O₂ evolution in the irradiance range of 100 to 1000 μmol photons·m ^{− 2}·s ^{− 1}. With increasing irradiance, the period of the free-running rhythm, τ, decreased in blue and increased in red light but did not change significantly in green light. The accelerating or slowing action of blue or red light, respectively, points to two photoreceptors used in the light transduction pathway of the circadian oscillator controlling oxygen evolution or the light reactions of photosynthesis in Kappaphycus. No significant changes of τ were observed with increasing irradiance in cool white light, possibly due to the additive opposing responses caused by blue and red light.     

Gas exchange parameters, water relations and carbohydrate partitioning in leaves of field-grown Prunus domestica following fruit removal

The effect of fruit removal on gas exchange, water relations, chlorophyll and non-structural carbohydrate content of leaves from mature, field-grown plum trees ( Prunus domestica L. cv. Stanley) was determined over 2 consecutive growing seasons. Removal of fruits during stage II of fruit development decreased CO₂ assimilation rate within 24 h from 12.6 to 8.5 μmol m^-2 s^-1 in 1986, and from 12.1 to 10.2 μmol m^-2 s^-1 in 1987. Depression of net photosynthesis persisted for at least 5 days and was greatest in the early afternoon. Recovery of the CO₂ assimilation rate to pretreatment levels coincided in defruited trees with vegetative growth that was more than 5-fold that of fruiting trees in the first 6 weeks after fruit removal in 1986. Estimated photorespiration was similar in both fruiting and defruited trees. The stomatal contribution to the decrease of CO₂ assimilation rate, calculated from assimilation/intercellular CO₂ curves, ranged from 31 to 46%. Defruiting did not affect leaf water potential, but decreased leaf osmotic potential. Leaf levels of chlorophyll, fructose, glucose, sorbitol and sucrose were not affected by defruiting, whereas starch content increased up to 51% in leaves of defruited trees within 24 h after fruit removal. However, because of the small starch pool present in plum leaves (<1.9% dry weight) it is unlikely that starch accumulation was responsible for the observed decline in CO₂ assimilation rate after fruit removal. The decrease of CO₂ assimilation rate is discussed in relation to the hypothesis of assimilate demand regulating photosynthesis through a feedback mechanism.