Combined Effects of Energy Development and Disease on Greater Sage-Grouse

Species of conservation concern are increasingly threatened by multiple, anthropogenic stressors which are outside their evolutionary experience. Greater sage-grouse are highly susceptible to the impacts of two such stressors: oil and gas (energy) development and West Nile virus (WNv). However, the combined effects of these stressors and their potential interactions have not been quantified. We used lek (breeding ground) counts across a landscape encompassing extensive local and regional variation in the intensity of energy development to quantify the effects of energy development on lek counts, in years with widespread WNv outbreaks and in years without widespread outbreaks. We then predicted the effects of well density and WNv outbreak years on sage-grouse in northeast Wyoming. Absent an outbreak year, drilling an undeveloped landscape to a high permitting level (3.1 wells/km²) resulted in a 61% reduction in the total number of males counted in northeast Wyoming (total count). This was similar in magnitude to the 55% total count reduction that resulted from an outbreak year alone. However, energy-associated reductions in the total count resulted from a decrease in the mean count at active leks, whereas outbreak-associated reductions resulted from a near doubling of the lek inactivity rate (proportion of leks with a last count = 0). Lek inactivity quadrupled when 3.1 wells/km² was combined with an outbreak year, compared to no energy development and no outbreak. Conservation measures should maintain sagebrush landscapes large and intact enough so that leks are not chronically reduced in size due to energy development, and therefore vulnerable to becoming inactive due to additional stressors.     

An observation of Clostridium perfringens in Greater Sage-Grouse

Mortality due to infectious diseases is seldom reported in the Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). A case of necrotic enteritis associated with Clostridium perfringens type A is described in a free-ranging adult male sage-grouse in eastern Oregon. Clostridial enteritis is known to cause outbreaks of mortality in various domestic and wild birds, and should be considered as a potential cause of mortality in sage-grouse populations.     

Effects of Environmental Factors on the Survival of Airborne T-3 Coliphage

Experiments were conducted to determine the effects of storage temperatures, relative humidity, and additives on the survival of aerosolized Escherichia coli phage T-3. The aerosol stability of the coliphage, calculated as per cent recovery, was not affected by storage at 10 or -70 C for up to 4 months. However, an increase in aerosol decay rate of coliphage stored at 10 C was observed. The effect of humidities ranging from 20 to 90% relative humidity was studied, and it was observed that humidities lower than 70% relative humidity significantly reduce the survival of airborne coliphage. The effect of various compounds on the aerosol decay rate of T-3 coliphage was studied at 50 and 85% relative humidity. Addition of dextrose in 0.1 M concentrations to the disseminating fluid significantly reduced aerosol decay rate at 50% relative humidity without affecting the decay at 85%. Addition of spermine, spermidine-phosphate, thiourea, galacturonic acid, and glucosaminic acid, individually or in combination, had no effect on aerosol decay rates. The use of deuterium oxide as the suspending fluid for dissemination had no effect on aerosol stability of the coliphage.     

Survival of Burkholderia pseudomallei on Environmental Surfaces

The survival of the biothreat agent Burkholderia pseudomallei on the surfaces of four materials was measured by culture and esterase activity analyses. The culture results demonstrated that this organism persisted for <24 h to <7 days depending on the material, bacterial isolate, and suspension medium. The persistence determined by analysis of esterase activity, as measured with a ScanRDI solid-phase cytometer, was always longer than the persistence determined by culture analysis.     

Survival of Yersinia pestis on Environmental Surfaces

The survival of two strains of Yersinia pestis (avirulent A1122 and virulent Harbin) on the surfaces of four materials was investigated. Viability was evaluated with epifluorescence microscopy by using the metabolic stain cyanoditolyl tetrazolium chloride and plate counts. Small numbers of cells suspended in phosphate buffer survived 2 to 4 h after visible drying on stainless steel, polyethylene, or glass and beyond 48 h on paper. Cells suspended in brain heart infusion broth (BHI) persisted more than 72 h on stainless steel, polyethylene, and glass. Small numbers of cells suspended in BHI were still viable at 120 h on paper. These data suggest that Y. pestis maintains viability for extended periods (last measured at 5 days) under controlled conditions.     

Effects of Environmental Enrichment for Mice: Variation in Experimental Results

This study focused on the effects of different enriched environments for mice in a number of behavioral and physiological parameters in 2 routine laboratory testing procedures: potency testing for tetanus vaccine and stress-induced hyperthermia. The variability in the results was studied by calculating and analyzing mean absolute deviations. Mice from enriched conditions weighed more and consumed more food than mice from standard housing conditions. However, mice from enriched conditions lost more body weight after being housed individually. Other physiological parameters showed no differences. Mice from standard conditions were more active in an open field, suggesting a tendency to overrespond to various stimuli in a testing environment. Mice from enriched environments were more tranquil and easier to handle. The enrichment did not influence the variability in any of the parameters measured, although earlier results and results of other studies suggest that the effects on the variability in results are parameter dependent. When enrichment does not influence variability, there is no reason for not introducing cage enrichment and by doing so contributing to the animals' welfare.     

Effects of Light on Dopamine Metabolism in the Chick Retina

The effect of prolonged exposure to light on the activity of dopaminergic neurons and dopamine (DA) metabolism of chick retinae was investigated. alpha-Fluoromethyldopa, a potent and specific irreversible inactivator of aromatic amino acid decarboxylase, was used to assess DA turnover after inhibition of synthesis, and also to assess in vivo tyrosine hydroxylase activity by dihydroxyphenylalanine accumulation. After 48 h of light exposure, retinal DNA in 12-day-old chicks was about 30% higher (p less than 0.005) whereas dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and homovanillic acid (HVA) were elevated two to three times (p less than 0.005) the level of controls kept in the dark for the same period. DA turnover was about twofold faster in the light (t 1/2 = 31 min) than in the dark (t 1/2 = 65 min). Tyrosine hydroxylase, assayed in vitro with saturating levels of cofactor and substrate, increased by about 50% after light exposure. The apparent tyrosine hydroxylase activity in vivo was approximately sixfold higher in the light than the dark. These results are interpreted and discussed in terms of the regulation of DA synthesis, and the use of DOPAC and HVA as indices of DA function in the retina.     

Landscape-Scale Simulation of Heterogeneous Fire Effects on Pyrogenic Carbon Emissions,Tree Mortality,and Net Ecosystem Production

Fire influences carbon dynamics from local to global scales, but many uncertainties remain regarding the remote detection and simulation of heterogeneous fire effects. This study integrates Landsat-based remote sensing and Biome-BGC process modeling to simulate the effects of high-, moderate-, and low-severity fire on pyrogenic emissions, tree mortality, and net ecosystem production. The simulation area (244,600 ha) encompasses four fires that burned approximately 50,000 ha in 2002–2003 across the Metolius Watershed, Oregon, USA, as well as in situ measurements of postfire carbon pools and fluxes that we use for model evaluation. Simulated total pyrogenic emissions were 0.732 Tg C (2.4% of equivalent statewide anthropogenic carbon emissions over the same 2-year period). The simulated total carbon transfer due to tree mortality was fourfold higher than pyrogenic carbon emissions, but dead wood decomposition will occur over decades. Immediately postfire, burned areas were a simulated carbon source (net C exchange: −0.076 Tg C y⁻¹; mean ± SD: −142 ± 121 g C m⁻² y⁻¹). As expected, high-severity, stand-replacement fire had disproportionate carbon impacts. The per-unit area effects of moderate-severity fire were substantial, however, and the extent of low-severity fire merits its inclusion in landscape-scale analyses. These results demonstrate the potential to reduce uncertainties in landscape to regional carbon budgets by leveraging Landsat-based fire products that account for both stand-replacement and partial disturbance.     

Effects of Resonant Magnetic Fields on Chick Femoral Development In Vitro

To assess the possibility that specific ionic resonances can influence bone development, 8-day chick femoral rudiments were explanted to lens paper rafts in BGJ_b medium and exposed for 1/2 hr/day to combined 16 or 80 Hz, 2 × 10^?5 T (Tesla) peak sinusoidal and various static magnetic fields tuned to calcium, magnesium, potassium (16 Hz), and combined Ca/Mg (80 Hz) ion cyclotron resonances (CR) for I days. Ca/Mg tuned cultures were also exposed to 24, 4, 1, and 1/2 hr/day regimes to test for dose-response. Tuning for Ca, Mg, or Ca/Mg increased rudiment length and mid-shaft diameter, diaphyseal collar length     

Environmental and Ontogenetic Effects on Intraspecific Trait Variation of a Macrophyte Species across Five Ecological Scales

Although functional trait variability is increasingly used in community ecology, the scale- and size-dependent aspects of trait variation are usually disregarded. Here we quantified the spatial structure of shoot height, branch length, root/shoot ratio and leaf number in a macrophyte species Potamogeton maackianus, and then disentangled the environmental and ontogenetic effects on these traits. Using a hierarchical nested design, we measured the four traits from 681 individuals across five ecological scales: lake, transect, depth stratus, quadrat and individual. A notable high trait variation (coefficient variation: 48–112%) was observed within species. These traits differed in the spatial structure, depending on environmental factors of different scales. Shoot height and branch length were most responsive to lake, transect and depth stratus scales, while root/shoot ratio and leaf number to quadrat and individual scales. The trait variations caused by environment are nearly three times higher than that caused by ontogeny, with ontogenetic variance ranging from 21% (leaf number) to 33% (branch length) of total variance. Remarkably, these traits showed non-negligible ontogenetic variation (0–60%) in each ecological scale, and significant shifts in allometric trajectories at lake and depth stratus scales. Our results highlight that environmental filtering processes can sort individuals within species with traits values adaptive to environmental changes and ontogenetic variation of functional traits was non-negligible across the five ecological scales.     

Radicicol Potentiates Neurotrophin-Mediated Neurite Outgrowth and Survival of Cultured Sensory Neurons from Chick Embryo

Radicicol, an antifungal antibiotic with markedly low toxicity, is a potent inhibitor of the Src family of protein tyrosine kinases and causes morphological reversion of v-src-transformed fibroblasts. Recently, this antibiotic was also found to inhibit Raf kinase. In the present study, we found that nanomolar concentrations of radicicol (10 ng/ml) enhanced the survival and neurite outgrowth of neurons from embryonic chick dorsal root ganglia (DRGs) and sympathetic ganglia. It potentiated the trophic effects of nerve growth factor, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and neurotrophin-3 on the cultured DRG neurons. This concentration of radicicol did not alter the tyrosine phosphorylation of Trk receptors or the activity of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases. Wortmannin, an inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-kinase), did not inhibit radicicol, excluding the involvement of PI3-kinase in the radicicol-dependent trophic actions. These results suggest that radicicol mediates neuronal growth presumably via a mechanism not involving the activation of Trk receptors, MAP kinase, or PI3-kinase.     

Survival of Environmental Mycobacteria in Acanthamoeba polyphaga

Free-living amoebae in water are hosts to many bacterial species living in such an environment. Such an association enables bacteria to select virulence factors and survive in adverse conditions. Waterborne mycobacteria (WBM) are important sources of community- and hospital-acquired outbreaks of nontuberculosis mycobacterial infections. However, the interactions between WBM and free-living amoebae in water have been demonstrated for only few Mycobacterium spp. We investigated the ability of a number (n = 26) of Mycobacterium spp. to survive in the trophozoites and cysts of Acanthamoeba polyphaga. All the species tested entered the trophozoites of A. polyphaga and survived at this location over a period of 5 days. Moreover, all Mycobacterium spp. survived inside cysts for a period of 15 days. Intracellular Mycobacterium spp. within amoeba cysts survived when exposed to free chlorine (15 mg/liter) for 24 h. These data document the interactions between free-living amoebae and the majority of waterborne Mycobacterium spp. Further studies are required to examine the effects of various germicidal agents on the survival of WBM in an aquatic environment.     

Variation of DNA Polymerase Activities in Chick Neural Retina as a Function of Age

The activities of DNA polymerases α, β, and γ and of thymidine kinase were determined in the chick neural retina at different stages of embryonic development (starting at seven days) and after hatching (up to five years). Crude extracts of neural retinae were fractionated by centrifugation on sucrose gradients and the enzymatic activities measured using specific assays. The DNA polymerase a activity decreases greatly between 7 and 11 days of incubation. This decrease parallels the decline in mitotic activity. However, a constant residual activity remains after hatching, even in the oldest animals. DNA polymerase β activity increases slightly between 7 and 14 days of incubation; it then decreases slowly until seven days after hatching and remains constant thereafter. DNA polymerase γ activity is maximal between 7 and 14 days of incubation and then decreases until hatching. The activity of thymidine kinase increases slightly during the embryonic life until hatching and remains almost constant thereafter. The implication of these enzymes in DNA replication and repair processes is discussed.     

Net Effects of Ecotourism on Threatened Species Survival

Many threatened species rely on ecotourism for conservation funding, but simultaneously suffer direct ecological impacts from ecotourism. For a range of IUCN-Redlisted terrestrial and marine bird and mammal species worldwide, we use population viability analyses to calculate the net effects of ecotourism on expected time to extinction, in the presence of other anthropogenic threats such as poaching, primary industries and habitat loss. Species for which these calculations are currently possible, for one or more subpopulations, include: orangutan, hoolock gibbon, golden lion tamarin, cheetah, African wild dog, New Zealand sealion, great green macaw, Egyptian vulture, and African penguin. For some but not all of these species, tourism can extend expected survival time, i.e., benefits outweigh impacts. Precise outcomes depend strongly on population parameters and starting sizes, predation, and ecotourism scale and mechanisms. Tourism does not currently overcome other major conservation threats associated with natural resource extractive industries. Similar calculations for other threatened species are currently limited by lack of basic population data.     

Feasibility Study of Ex Ovo Chick Chorioallantoic Artery Model for Investigating Pulsatile Variation of Arterial Geometry

Despite considerable research efforts on the relationship between arterial geometry and cardiovascular pathology, information is lacking on the pulsatile geometrical variation caused by arterial distensibility and cardiomotility because of the lack of suitable in vivo experimental models and the methodological difficulties in examining the arterial dynamics. We aimed to investigate the feasibility of using a chick embryo system as an experimental model for basic research on the pulsatile variation of arterial geometry. Optical microscope video images of various arterial shapes in chick chorioallantoic circulation were recorded from different locations and different embryo samples. The high optical transparency of the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) allowed clear observation of tiny vessels and their movements. Systolic and diastolic changes in arterial geometry were visualized by detecting the wall boundaries from binary images. Several to hundreds of microns of wall displacement variations were recognized during a pulsatile cycle. The spatial maps of the wall motion harmonics and magnitude ratio of harmonic components were obtained by analyzing the temporal brightness variation at each pixel in sequential grayscale images using spectral analysis techniques. The local variations in the spectral characteristics of the arterial wall motion were reflected well in the analysis results. In addition, mapping the phase angle of the fundamental frequency identified the regional variations in the wall motion directivity and phase shift. Regional variations in wall motion phase angle and fundamental-to-second harmonic ratio were remarkable near the bifurcation area. In summary, wall motion in various arterial geometry including straight, curved and bifurcated shapes was well observed in the CAM artery model, and their local and cyclic variations could be characterized by Fourier and wavelet transforms of the acquired video images. The CAM artery model with the spectral analysis method is a useful in vivo experimental model for studying pulsatile variation in arterial geometry.     

Landscape-Scale Variability of Organic Carbon Burial by SW Greenland Lakes

Ecosystems - Lakes are a key feature of arctic landscapes and can be an important component of regional organic carbon (OC) budgets, but C burial rates are not well estimated. 210Pb-dated sediment...     

Distinctive Effects of Cytochalasin B in Chick Primary Myoblasts and Fibroblasts

Actin-based structures play fundamental roles in cellular functions. However it remains controversial how cells cope with the absence of F-actin structures. This report focuses on short- and long-term effects of cytochalasin B (CB) on actin-complexes in fibroblasts and myoblasts. Thirty min of CB treatment dispersed subplasma actin cortices, lamellipodia, ruffled membranes, stress fibers and adhesion plaques into actin patches in fibroblasts and muscle cells. In contrast, 72 hrs CB treatment showed distinct morphological effects. Fibroblasts became giant multinucleated-finger shaped with 5 to 10 protrusions, 3–8 μm in width, and >200 μm in length. They lacked cortical actin, stress fibers, adhesion plaques and ruffled membranes but contained immense lamelliopodia with abnormal adhesion plaque protein complexes. Muscle cells transformed into multinucleated globular-shaped but contained normal I-Z-I and A-bands, indicating that CB did not interfere with the assembly of myofibrils. Within 30 min after CB removal, finger-shaped fibroblasts returned to their original shape and actin-containing structures rapidly reappeared, whereas muscle cells respond slowly to form elongated myotubes following CB washout. The capacity to grow, complete several nuclear cycles, assemble intermediate filaments and microtubules without a morphologically recognizable actin cytoskeleton raises interesting issues related to the role of the actin compartments in eukaryotic cells.     

Garden and Landscape-Scale Correlates of Moths of Differing Conservation Status: Significant Effects of Urbanization and Habitat Diversity

Moths are abundant and ubiquitous in vegetated terrestrial environments and are pollinators, important herbivores of wild plants, and food for birds, bats and rodents. In recent years, many once abundant and widespread species have shown sharp declines that have been cited by some as indicative of a widespread insect biodiversity crisis. Likely causes of these declines include agricultural intensification, light pollution, climate change, and urbanization; however, the real underlying cause(s) is still open to conjecture. We used data collected from the citizen science Garden Moth Scheme (GMS) to explore the spatial association between the abundance of 195 widespread British species of moth, and garden habitat and landscape features, to see if spatial habitat and landscape associations varied for species of differing conservation status. We found that associations with habitat and landscape composition were species-specific, but that there were consistent trends in species richness and total moth abundance. Gardens with more diverse and extensive microhabitats were associated with higher species richness and moth abundance; gardens near to the coast were associated with higher richness and moth abundance; and gardens in more urbanized locations were associated with lower species richness and moth abundance. The same trends were also found for species classified as increasing, declining and vulnerable under IUCN (World Conservation Union) criteria. However, vulnerable species were more strongly negatively affected by urbanization than increasing species. Two hypotheses are proposed to explain this observation: (1) that the underlying factors causing declines in vulnerable species (e.g., possibilities include fragmentation, habitat deterioration, agrochemical pollution) across Britain are the same in urban areas, but that these deleterious effects are more intense in urban areas; and/or (2) that urban areas can act as ecological traps for some vulnerable species of moth, the light drawing them in from the surrounding landscape into sub-optimal urban habitats.