Polymorphism in the giant cocoa termite,Neotermes papua (Desneux)

Summary The direct development ofNeotermes papua (Isoptera: Kalotermitidae) comprises four larval and three nymphal instars before the alate. The first five instars can be easily characterized. The second stage nymphs come morphologically close to the pseudergates, characterized by reduced wing buds. These nymphs can moult stationarily, i.e. with little morphological change, or to presoldiers, or proceed to the alate via the third nymphal stage. Pseudergates originate through a late and reversible deviation from the straight development to the alate. Presoldiers may derive from several stages, up to the last nymphal one; their production is subject to an inhibition by extant soldiers. This developmental schema is congruent with those described in other Kalotermitidae and the Termopsidae. By pinpointing the existence of a large pool of pluripotent individuals, in which the penultimate nymphal stage mingles with pseudergates, the present study also reveals a great similarity betweenNeotermes andProrhinotermes, and suggests that this developmental schema might be generally applicable to termites devoid of a permanent worker caste.King Léopold III Biological Station, Laing Island, Papua New Guinea, contribution No. 235     

PERIPHYTIC DIATOM ASSEMBLAGES FROM HIGH ARCTIC PONDS1

Epiphytic, epilithic, and surface sediment diatom assemblages were identified and enumerated from 35 study ponds on CapeHerschel (78°37″N, 74°42″W), east-central Ellesmere Island, Canada. All the sites are shallow (maximum depth <2 m), clear, oligotrophic, and freshwater. The ponds freeze completely for 10 months of the year. Major ion concentrations are relatively similar among the 35 sites, although environmental gradients exist. Over 130 diatom taxa from 28 genera were identified in the periphyton samples. Marked differences in species composition were evident among the ponds. Moreover, many of the diatoms exhibited varying degrees of microhabitat specificity. Variance partitioning by canonical correspondence analysis showed that 26% of the total variance exhibited by diatom species composition could be accounted for by the measured environmental variables (i.e. 10.2% by habitat and 15.8% by water chemistry). Pondwater alkalinity best explained the distribution of taxa, and weighted averaging regression and calibration were used to develop a transfer function to infer pondwater alkalinity from the diatom assemblages. Other important environmental variables included [Na⁺] for the epilithic and [SiO₂] for the epiphytic assemblages.     

Morphology,development and evolutionary significance of the working stages in the caste system of Prorhinotermes (Insecta,Isoptera)

Summary The existence of a worker caste in Prorhinotermes inopinatus was determined with the help of biometrical analyses and morphological observations. No dichotomy between alate and worker lines was detected among the young larval instars. Mandible sclerotization and wear show that the larvae become active by the fourth instar in mature colonies, and by the third in incipient ones. Prothoracic finger-shaped expansions characterize the most dependent larval instars. The antennal structure is the best feature for distinguishing late instars. The developmental schema is very flexible: the late larvae of stages 5 to 8 (at least) can give rise to wing-padded nymphs, to the next larval instar, to presoldiers, or most likely to neotenic reproductives as well; the wing-padded individuals (nymphs) normally moult direct to alates, but they can also undergo a regression of their wing pads and revert to worker-like individuals or differentiate into soldiers or neotenics. Slight variations in alate size and antennal morphology result from their origin in different larval instars. Whole-colony censuses revealed that the major part of the colony's work force is composed of pseudergates, i.e. late larvae that do not follow the most direct pathway to the alate. The pseudergates of Prohinotermes do not constitute a distinct worker caste irreversibly diverted from the alate developmental pathway. For this reason the caste system of Prorhinotermes is analogous to that of the Kalotermitidae and Termopsidae and much more primitive than those of the other Rhinotermitidae so far studied, Reticulitermes, Schedorhinotermes and Coptotermes.Contribution No. 139 from King Léopold III Biological Station, Laing Island, Papua New GuineaSenior research assistant of the National Fund for Scientific Research, Belgium     

Diatom communities from the sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands: diversity and distribution patterns

During an extensive survey of the freshwater and moss-inhabiting diatoms of the Prince Edward Islands, a total of 214 taxa belonging to 60 genera were found. Three main communities can be found on the two islands. A large part of the samples was grouped into an aquatic group, bringing together all samples from lentic and lotic waterbodies. A second, contrasting, group was formed by all dry samples whereas in a third group all habitats with higher mineral contents were found. The habitats differed clearly in taxa composition reflecting that way possible environmental differences. Although the diatom composition between the two islands of this island group (Marion and Prince Edward Island) showed some minor qualitative differences, no marked quantitative differences have been observed. The diatom flora shows a distinct similarity with the other islands in the southern Indian Ocean, such as the Crozet archipelago and the Kerguelen Islands forming a biogeographical entity in this part of the ocean, distinctly separated from the non-marine diatom flora in other parts of the (sub-)Antarctic Region.     

Determining diatom ecotones and their relationship to terrestrial ecoregion designations in the central Canadian Arctic Islands

Ecotones are key areas for the detection of global change because many are predicted to move with shifts in climate. Prince of Wales Island, in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, spans the transition between mid‐ to high‐Arctic ecoregions. We analyzed limnological variables and recent diatom assemblages from its lakes and ponds to determine if assemblages reflected this ecotone. Limnological gradients were short, and water chemistry explained 20.0% of diatom variance in a redundancy analysis (RDA), driven primarily by dissolved organic carbon, Ca and SO₄. Most taxa were small, benthic forms; key taxa such as planktonic Cyclotella species were restricted to the warmer, southern portion of the study area, while benthic Staurosirella were associated with larger, ice‐dominated lakes. Nonetheless, there were no significant changes in diatom assemblages across the mid‐ to high‐Arctic ecoregion boundary. We combined our data set with one from nearby Cornwallis Island to expand the study area and lengthen its environmental gradients. Within this expanded data set, 40.6% of the diatom variance was explained by a combination of water chemistry and geographic variables, and significant relationships were revealed between diatom distributions and key limnological variables, including pH, specific conductivity, and chl‐a. Using principal coordinates analysis, we estimated community turnover with latitude and applied piecewise linear regression to determine diatom ecotone positions. A pronounced transition was present between Prince of Wales Island and the colder, more northerly Cornwallis Island. These data will be important in detecting any future northward ecotone movement in response to predicted Arctic climate warming in this highly sensitive region.     

Measurements of microbial protection from ultraviolet radiation in polar terrestrial microhabitats

Biological dosimeters made from a monolayer of Bacillus subtilis spores were used to investigate the penetration of ultraviolet radiation into some widespread terrestrial microbial microhabitats at polar latitudes: at Mars Oasis (72°S) and Rothera Station (67°S) (UK) in the Antarctic (November 2000) and on Devon Island, Canadian High Arctic (75°N) (July 2000 and 2001). Layers of soil or dust of 𔘬 µm thickness, particularly in ice-free regions of the Arctic, could reduce UV exposure such that no inactivation of spores could be measured after 3 days. Control spores were killed in 24 h. Spores in artificial cryptoendolithic habitats with ~1 mm rock covering obtained a reduction of UV radiation-induced inactivation of at least 2 orders of magnitude. Hypolithic spores were protected against any inactivation for at least 4 days. Snow covers of between 5 and 15 cm thickness, depending on age and heterogeneity, attenuated UV radiation by an order of magnitude, although snow cover is seasonal and subject to climatic factors. These dosimetric data demonstrate that, except for microbes on the surface of soil grains, many terrestrial microbial communities are well protected from incident UV radiation by a variety of physical and biological coverings. This is in contrast to data reported for many polar aquatic microbial taxa, and might imply a greater robustness of terrestrial microbial communities against the effects of ozone depletion.     

OBSERVATIONS ON NAVICULA THALLODES (BACILLARIOPHYCEAE), A BLADE-FORMING DIATOM FROM THE BERING SEA1

A thallus-forming diatom, Navicula thallodes Proschkina-Lavrenko, previously known only from the original collection at Bering Island (U.S.S.R.), has been found at Amchitka Island in the Aleutians, Alaska. The most remarkable observation of the present report is that N. thallodes may form blades up to 50 cm long, which to our knowledge is the greatest length reported for a colonial diatom. SEM observations of this diatom are presented for the first time.     

闽南第四纪晚期沉积硅藻组合与古环境研究

对闽南泉州湾外台湾海峡西部756柱状剖面和厦门岛GT剖面岩心进行系统的硅藻分析研究,获得硅藻161种和变种。根据剖面硅藻组合特征变化,结合聚类分析和最优分割的计算机运算结果,756柱状剖面自下而上可以划分为5个硅藻带,GT剖面自下而上可以划分为6个硅藻带。根据硅藻组合序列,探讨其第四纪晚期古环境的演变。     

History of American Marine Biology and Marine Biology Institutions Introduction: Origins of American Marine Biology

SYNOPSIS.In the 1840s and 1850s professional naturalists dredgedshallow sea-water on the eastern coast of the United Statesto obtain marine specimens for teaching and research. In 1871Spencer F. Baird, first U.S. Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries,organized amarine biological laboratory at Woods Hole, Massachusetts,for basic biological research as well as for practical fisherybiology. In 1873 Louis Agassiz established his summer marinestation for teachers on Penikese Island, which stimulated others,especially some of his former students, to do likewise alongthe eastern coast in subsequent years, culminating in the renownedMarine Biological Laboratory at Woods Hole (1888). On the Pacificcoast the pioneer marine laboratories were the Hopkins MarineLaboratory (1892) and the prestigious Scripps Institute of Oceanographyin California (1903), and the Puget Sound Biological Station,later known as the Friday Harbor Laboratories, in Washington(1903). Today, over 50 marine laboratories are in operationin the 21 contiguous coastal states for education and researchin marine biology     

Evaluating diatom community composition in the absence of marked limnological gradients in the high Arctic: a surface sediment calibration set from Cornwallis Island (Nunavut,Canada)

Fossil diatom assemblages preserved within the sedimentary record in Arctic lakes provide the potential to reconstruct past changes in important limnological variables. During the summers of 1992 and 1993, we examined previously unstudied freshwater ecosystems on Cornwallis Island, Arctic Canada, with the specific objectives of (1) documenting the limnology and modern diatom assemblages from this region, and (2) determining which environmental variables most influence diatom species distributions. The Cornwallis Island study sites displayed the least amount of variance in measured water chemistry variables in comparison to nearly all of our labs’ previous freshwater surveys in the Arctic. The small limnological gradients precluded the development of a statistically robust diatom inference model, but perhaps more importantly, allowed us to explore variations in diatom composition in the absence of marked variations in water chemistry. Diatom species turnover was minimal, with the most common diatom taxa being Achnanthidium minutissima, Nitzschia perminuta, N. frustulum, with lesser percent abundances of Chaemaepinnularia soehrensis, Navicula chiarae, Psammothidium marginulata, and A. kryophila. A small number of study sites differed from the majority with respect to water chemistry (e.g., coastal sites with high specific conductivities) and habitat availability (e.g., ephemeral ponds with extensive moss habitats), and these sites had markedly different diatom assemblages. These data reinforce previous observations that water chemistry and other climate-related factors are the primary environmental controls influencing diatom distributions at high latitudes. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Pleistocene Plant Fossils in and near La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica1

Radiocarbon dating and ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar analysis of overlying tephra indicate that plant fossil assemblages exposed by stream erosion and well construction in and near La Selva Biological Station in eastern lowland Costa Rica are Pleistocene in age. We identified plant taxa based on wood, leaves, fruits, seeds, pollen, and spores examined from three sites at ca 30 m elevation. Extrapolating from modern ranges and surface temperature lapse rates suggests paleotemperatures 2.5–3.1°C cooler than at present     

Territoriality,philopatry, and nest-site fidelity in robins trapped in Moscow oblast

From 1999 to 2005 at Zvenigorod Biological Station (Moscow oblast, Russia, 55°44′N, 36°51′E) field studies were performed. Birds were trapped using mist-nets. The Russian Ringing Center provided data collected from 1948 on robins captured outside the Moscow oblast. A total of 5751 robins were trapped and banded in the Moscow oblast. Only two birds (0.03%) were retrapped the following years. Three birds banded in the Moscow oblast were found in other regions. In addition, two robins banded in other countries were caught at Zvenigorod Biological Station. The rate of long-distance recoveries was 0.09%. The Russian Ringing Center reports on three robins banded in other countries and found in the Moscow oblast, and one robin banded in the Moscow oblast and then found in a different country. It was shown that robins born or breed in the Moscow oblast exhibited neither nest-site fidelity nor natal homing, which is the case for other areas. Wintering grounds of robins born or breed in the Moscow oblast are located within a single zone (north-east of Spain, south of France and Italy). This area is also wintering ground for robins from other regions. There exists one route connecting the wintering grounds for robins with the Moscow oblast which birds follow during autumn and spring migrations. It is possible that the Moscow oblast is a nesting area for robins born or breed in the north of Russia (including Finland and the Leningrad oblast). Natal sites and nest sites of robins could be separated by a distance of 1000 km or more.     

Diatom assemblages and their relationships to lakewater nitrogen levels and other limnological variables from 36 lakes and ponds on Banks Island,N.W.T., Canadian Arctic

Banks Island, in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, has been identified as an important reference site for studies of environmental change, especially as it relates to climatic warming. The island is logistically manageable (i.e. researchers can survey the entire island in one field season) and, most importantly, spans three major ecoclimatic regions supporting a diverse and large bird and mammal population. Developing upon earlier work by the authors describing the limnology of Banks Island, this current study: (1) examines which physical and chemical limnological variables influence diatom assemblages in this relatively lush island; and (2) explores variations in the diatom assemblages by ecoclimatic zones. The relationship between diatom taxa from a 36 lake/pond surface sediment calibration set and a suite of limnological variables was explored using multivariate statistics. Dominant diatom species varied based on changing limnological characteristics, particularly between the colder, ultra-oligotrophic lakes in the more northern High Arctic regions compared to the warmer, more nitrogen-rich sites in the Low Arctic regions of Banks Island. Exploration of diatom ecoclimatic and environmental preferences revealed interesting relationships, including the development of a diatom-based transfer function that could be used to track overall trends on lakewater nitrogen concentrations, which may enable future paleolimnological studies to track shifts in nutrient levels and climatic, and other environmental changes. Handling editor: J. Padisak     

Nitrogen cycling in an Antarctic ecosystem 2. Estimation of the amount of nitrogen fixation in a moss community on East Ongul Island

Nitrogen fixation by cyanobacteria in a moss community on East Ongul Island (69°00'S 39°35'E), Antarctica was investigated using the acetylene reduction method. The mean acetylene reduction rate at 10°C and 200 μE·m⁻²·s⁻¹ photosynthetically active radiation was 7.12 nmol C₂H₄ per square centimeter of moss community per hour. The effects of temperature, radiation, desiccation and rehydration on the acetylene reduction rates were examined. A simple predictive model was constructed in order to estimate the amount of nitrogen fixed in the field. Using this model, the daily amount of nitrogen fixation was calculated from microclimatic data (temperature and radiation) measured in the experimental field at Syowa Station on East Ongul Island between 1983 and 1984. The cumulative amount of nitrogen fixation in the growing season during this period was estimated to be 329 mg N per square meter of moss community. It is suggested that nitrogen fixation by cyanobacteria in the moss community is important as a nitrogen source for the community growth on East Ongul Island.     

Diatom (Bacillariophyceae) assemblages in tidal environments of Vancouver Island,British Columbia,Canada

To understand distributions of coastal diatoms along Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, this paper describes diatom assemblages observed in 47 surface sediment samples from intertidal environments. One hundred and eighty-four diatom taxa were identified from five transects crossing tidal flats, salt marshes, and freshwater forests in Tofino, Ucluelet, and Port Alberni. Distributions of the diatom assemblages were consistent with those reported elsewhere in the Pacific Northwest, but a few diatom taxa show different trends in their distributions. For example, one benthic species Denticula subtilis shows widespread distributions along the transect in Tofino. An ordination shown by Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA) using a combined dataset indicated overlapped scatter plots of diatom assemblages, suggesting that assemblages with similar species compositions are observed in more than one location. Hierarchical and k-means clustering analyses using Euclidean distance recognized unique small groups along each transect. Rank abundance curves show different trends for richness and evenness of diatom assemblages among the five transects.     

Absence of metabolic cold adaptation and compensatory acclimation in the Antarctic fly, Belgica antarctica

The respiratory metabolism in larvae of the Antarctic fly, Belgica antarctica Jacobs (Diptera: Chironomidae) was investigated at Palmer Station, Anvers Island (64°46′S, 64°03′W). Oxygen consumption was linearly related to temperature from 0 to 20°C, respectively, 49 and 338 nl/mg live wt/hr. Maintenance at 0 and 10°C for 8 days had no differential effect on the metabolic rate, suggesting that larvae lack the ability for compensatory acclimation. A comparison of standard metabolism for polar and temperate chironomids revealed no elevation of metabolic rate in polar forms. However, polar species exhibited lower activation energies than temperate forms indicating that the respiratory metabolism of polar chironomids is relatively temperature independent.     

Modern and fossil diatom assemblages from Bol’shoy Lyakhovsky Island (New Siberian Archipelago,Arctic Siberia)

This article discusses the results of a taxonomic and ecological investigation of diatoms from polygonal ponds and Quaternary permafrost deposits of Bol’shoy Lyakhovsky Island (New Siberian Archipelago) and the reconstruction of climatic changes on the Island during late Pleistocene/Holocene transition using fossil diatom assemblages from the permafrost deposits. The taxonomic list of diatoms includes 159 diatom species. The main ecological factors that determine the distribution of diatoms in the investigated data set are mean July air temperature, рН, electrical conductivity, water depth, and concentrations of Si⁴⁺ and Al³⁺. An increase in water depth and stable lacustrine conditions in the Lateglacial–Holocene in the ancient thermokarst lake relate to Lateglacial warming before 11860 ± 160 years BP and during the early Holocene between 11210 ± 160 and 7095 ± 60 years BP.     

Diversity, ecology and biogeography of the freshwater diatom communities from Ulu Peninsula (James Ross Island, NE Antarctic Peninsula)

The diversity, ecology and biogeography of diatoms in lakes, seepage areas and streams on the Ulu Peninsula, a large ice-free area in the northern part of James Ross Island (Weddell Sea), were studied. A diverse diatom flora of 123 taxa was observed, dominated by several Nitzschia taxa, Psammothidium papilio, Eolimna jamesrossensis, Fragilaria capucina and Fistulifera saprophila. The results from the similarity and diversity analysis suggest James Ross Island to be biogeographically positioned within the Maritime Antarctic region, yet with some affinities with the flora of Continental Antarctica, as shown by the presence of Luticola gaussii and Achnanthes taylorensis. Based on our data, James Ross Island can thus be located close to the boundary of the two main Antarctic biogeographical regions. Diatom communities present in streams and seepage areas could be clearly distinguished from those in lakes, the latter being much more species rich. Based on the multivariate analysis, conductivity and nutrients were selected as the two main environmental factors determining the diatom composition in the Ulu Peninsula lakes. The revised taxonomy of the Antarctic diatom flora induced the construction of a transfer function for water conductivity in the studied lakes that can be applied in further palaeoecological studies.     

Stem cells by the shore: Meeting summary of the 2008 MDI Stem Cell Symposium

A diverse group of stem cell biologists converged on the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory (MDIBL) on August 8th and 9th, 2008 for the seventh annual Mount Desert Island Stem Cell Symposium co-hosted by the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory and the Jackson Laboratory. The focus of this year’s meeting was epigenetics, a timely topic given the remarkable progress in the area of nuclear reprogramming.     

Fine structure and 18S rDNA phylogeny of a marine araphid pennate diatom Plagiostriata goreensis gen. et sp. nov. (Bacillariophyta)

A marine araphid pennate diatom Plagiostriata goreensis is described from the sand grains of Goree Island, Dakar, Republic of Senegal, based on observations of fine structure of its frustule. The most striking feature of the species is its striation, which is angled at approximately 60° across the robust sternum. The other defining features of the species are its one highly reduced rimoportula and apical pores located at both ends of the valve margin. In the 18S rDNA phylogeny, the species appears as a member of a ‘small‐celled clade’ of araphid pennate diatoms that consist of Nanofrustulum, Opephora and Staurosira. The results of the phylogenetic analyses suggest that the distinct characters of the diatom; namely, oblique striae and apical pores, may have been acquired independently. However, it remains unclear whether the rimoportula of P. goreensis is a reduced state or P. goreensis acquired its morphologically curious rimoportula independently after the loss of an ancient rimoportula at the root of the small‐celled clade.