THE INFLUENCE AND COMPARISON OF INDIVIDUAL FOREST TREES ON SOIL PROPERTIES AND POSSIBLE INHIBITION OF NITRIFICATION DUE TO INTACT VEGETATION

Soil properties were found to vary with increasing distance from tree trunks of individuals of the same species, and different species were found to vary in their effects on soil properties. The differences in pH and mineral concentration at different distances from the trunk were often statistically significant even under the same tree. When all species are considered, iron had the least variability at different distances from the trunks of all minerals investigated, followed by potassium. Nitrate nitrogen had the greatest overall variability at different distances from the trunks. Ammonium nitrogen in the soil was always considerably higher than nitrate nitrogen when compared at each distance from the trunk under each species. Low amounts of nitrate nitrogen could not have been due to its uptake by the intact vegetation, because the soil samples were taken before the active growth period. It seems possible that the variable tree litter under different species plays an important role in controlling the soil pH, nitrification, and mineralization. Thus, it appears that in a climax community different dominating species, by developing variable physio-ecological niches, can determine the variable undergrowth vegetation under them.     

Testing indicators of epiphytic lichen diversity: a case study in N Italy

The predictability of a standardized and widely used biomonitoring method for estimating total lichen diversity on trunks (LDV-index) was tested. The study was carried out in Veneto (NE Italy), on 34 randomly selected trees in five sites in different landscape contexts. Two sets of biodiversity data were obtained from each tree: (1) the LDV index based on species frequency within a standard sampling grid positioned on a limited part of the trunks only (2) the total number of species found on the trunks. Total species richness on trunks is significantly related with the LDV index, which suggests that the LDV standard methodology can be used also for estimates of lichen diversity. Even a LDV index based on macrolichens, or on large-lobed foliose lichens only, still permits reliable estimates of total diversity on the trunks.     

Functional traits reveal environmental constraints on amphibian community assembly in a subtropical dry forest

The relationships between functional traits and environmental gradients are useful to identify different community assembly processes. In this work, we used an approach based on functional traits to analyse if changes in hydroperiod and tree covers of ponds are relevant for local amphibian community assembly processes. Ephemeral ponds with low vegetation cover are expected to impose constraints on different species with particular trait combinations and, therefore, to exhibit communities with lower functional diversity than more stable ponds with greater tree cover. Sampling was conducted in 39 temporary ponds located along vegetation and hydroperiod gradients in the most arid portion of the Chaco ecoregion. Seven functional traits were measured in each species present in the regional pool. Associations between these traits and environmental gradients were detected using multivariate ordination techniques and permutation test (RLQ and fourth‐corner analyses respectively). Functional diversity indices were then calculated and related to variations in the environmental gradients. The results obtained allowed us to identify different sets of traits associated with hydroperiod and tree cover, suggesting that these environmental variables are relevant for structuring amphibian communities according to interspecific variations in functional traits from both, larval and adult stages. Contrary to our expectations, communities associated with more stable ponds and with greater tree cover exhibited lower functional diversity than expected by chance (and were the ponds with highest species richness). This result indicates that the reduction in relative importance of environmental restrictions imposed by a very short hydroperiod and the lack of tree cover, favours different species of the regional pool that are similar in several functional traits. Accordingly, communities associated with stable ponds with high tree cover exhibited high functional redundancy.     

Characterization of functional bacterial groups in a hypersaline microbial mat community (Salins-de-Giraud, Camargue, France)

A photosynthetic microbial mat was investigated in a large pond of a Mediterranean saltern (Salins-de-Giraud, Camargue, France) having water salinity from 70 per thousand to 150 per thousand (w/v). Analysis of characteristic biomarkers (e.g., major microbial fatty acids, hydrocarbons, alcohols and alkenones) revealed that cyanobacteria were the major component of the pond, in addition to diatoms and other algae. Functional bacterial groups involved in the sulfur cycle could be correlated to these biomarkers, i.e. sulfate-reducing, sulfur-oxidizing and anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria. In the first 0.5 mm of the mat, a high rate of photosynthesis showed the activity of oxygenic phototrophs in the surface layer. Ten different cyanobacterial populations were detected with confocal laser scanning microscopy: six filamentous species, with Microcoleus chthonoplastes and Halomicronema excentricum as dominant (73% of total counts); and four unicellular types affiliated to Microcystis, Chroococcus, Gloeocapsa, and Synechocystis (27% of total counts). Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA gene fragments confirmed the presence of Microcoleus, Oscillatoria, and Leptolyngbya strains (Halomicronema was not detected here) and revealed additional presence of Phormidium, Pleurocapsa and Calotrix types. Spectral scalar irradiance measurements did not reveal a particular zonation of cyanobacteria, purple or green bacteria in the first millimeter of the mat. Terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA gene fragments of bacteria depicted the community composition and a fine-scale depth-distribution of at least five different populations of anoxygenic phototrophs and at least three types of sulfate-reducing bacteria along the microgradients of oxygen and light inside the microbial mat.     

Ecosystems on ice: the microbial ecology of Markham Ice Shelf in the high Arctic

Microbial communities occur throughout the cryosphere in a diverse range of ice-dominated habitats including snow, sea ice, glaciers, permafrost, and ice clouds. In each of these environments, organisms must be capable of surviving freeze-thaw cycles, persistent low temperatures for growth, extremes of solar radiation, and prolonged dormancy. These constraints may have been especially important during global cooling events in the past, including the Precambrian glaciations. One analogue of these early Earth conditions is the thick, landfast sea ice that occurs today at certain locations in the Arctic and Antarctic. These ice shelves contain liquid water for a brief period each summer, and support luxuriant microbial mat communities. Our recent studies of these mats on the Markham Ice Shelf (Canadian high Arctic) by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) showed that they contain high concentrations of chlorophylls a and b, and several carotenoids notably lutein, echinenone and beta-carotene. The largest peaks in the HPLC chromatograms were two UV-screening compounds known to be produced by cyanobacteria, scytonemin, and its decomposition product scytonemin-red. Microscopic analyses of the mats showed that they were dominated by the chlorophyte genera cf. Chlorosarcinopsis, Pleurastrum, Palmellopsis, and Bracteococcus, and cyanobacteria of the genera Nostoc, Phormidium, Leptolyngbya, and Gloeocapsa. From point transects and localized sampling we estimated a total standing stock on this ice shelf of up to 11,200 tonnes of organic matter. These observations underscore the ability of microbial communities to flourish despite the severe constraints imposed by the cryo-ecosystem environment.     

A quantitative study of the epiphytic vegetation on pollarded trunks of Fraxinus excelsior at Havrå, Osterøy,western Norway

The epiphytic vegetation on 19 pollarded trees of Fraxinus excelsior at the farm Havrå, Osterøy, western Norway was investigated. Each trunk was divided into a basal zone, a middle zone and a top zone. In each zone the four different aspects were analysed by squares (12 sampling units from each trunk). Within a total of 225 sampling units, 173 taxa were recorded (84 lichens, 72 bryophytes, 17 vascular plants). The epiphytic vegetation was classified into seven TWINSPAN groups, and it is shown by detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) that these groups are mainly separated by the first two DCA axes. In an attempt to explain the floristic composition, several environmental variables were measured, and the floristic and environmental data were analysed by canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). A pollarded tree, depending on its age, represents a continuum of perhaps several hundred years. Some of the recorded epiphytic lichens are very rare in Norway, and the pollarded trees thus contribute greatly to the biodiversity of the old cultural landscape. Several epiphytic species take advantage of favourable light conditions on trunks in the open fields. At Havrå, woodland has developed by tree colonization of old meadows and open fields during the last 40 years after the cessation of earlier managements. Some floristic differences between the epiphytic vegetation on trunks in the open fields and in the woodland are found. This suggests a change in the epiphytic vegetation because of the creation of a more shady habitat in parts of the area during a few decades.     

Molecular characterization of marine Cyanobacteria from the Indian subcontinent deduced from sequence analysis of the phycocyanin operon (cpcb-IGS-cpcA) and 16S-23S ITS region

Molecular characterization of ten marine cyanobacterial isolates belonging to the order Oscillatoriales was carried out using the phycocyanin locus (cpcBA-IGS) and the 16S-23S internally transcribed spacer region. DNA sequences from the phycocyanin operon discriminated ten genotypes, which corresponded to seven morphotypes identified by traditional microscopic analysis. The cpcB coding region revealed 17 % nucleotide variation, while cpcA exhibited 29 % variation across the studied species. Phylogenetic analyses support the conclusion that the Phormidium and Leptolyngbya genera are not monophyletic. The nucleotide variations were heterogeneously distributed with no or minimal informative nucleotides. Our results suggest that the discriminatory power of the phycocyanin region varies across the cyanobacterial species and strains. The DNA sequence analysis of the 16S-23S internally transcribed spacer region also supports the polyphyletic nature of the studied oscillatorian cyanobacteria. This study demonstrated that morphologically very similar strains might differ genotypically. Thus, molecular approaches comprising different gene regions in combination with morphological criteria may provide better taxonomical resolution of the order Oscillatoriales.     

Diversity,taxonomy and autecology of autochtonous epipelic cyanobacteria of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Komvophoron</Emphasis> (Borziaceae,Oscillatoriales): a study on populations from the Czech Republic and British Isles

Epipelic cyanobacteria were studied in bottom sediments from ponds and lakes in the United Kingdom and the Czech Republic, covering a trophic gradient from deep, oligotrophic, glacial lakes to shallow, eutrophic, urban manmade ponds. Although many planktic species were observed, the most frequently occurring cyanobacteria were the motile filamentous genera Oscillatoria, Phormidium, Pseudanabaena and Komvophoron. These genera represent autochtonous epipelic assemblages, occurring in upper surface layers of the sediments throughout the year and exhibiting seasonal variation in their abundancy. The occurrence of individual Komvophoron species was influenced by sediment quality, particularly the proportions of fine mud and organic detritus. A new species Komvophoron hindakii sp. nov. is described. Morphological features, autecology and occurrence of all the Komvophoron-like morphospecies found are discussed.     

Development of a universal microarray based on the ligation detection reaction and 16S rrna gene polymorphism to target diversity of cyanobacteria

The cyanobacteria are photosynthetic prokaryotes of significant ecological and biotechnological interest, since they strongly contribute to primary production and are a rich source of bioactive compounds. In eutrophic fresh and brackish waters, their mass occurrences (water blooms) are often toxic and constitute a high potential risk for human health. Therefore, rapid and reliable identification of cyanobacterial species in complex environmental samples is important. Here we describe the development and validation of a microarray for the identification of cyanobacteria in aquatic environments. Our approach is based on the use of a ligation detection reaction coupled to a universal array. Probes were designed for detecting 19 cyanobacterial groups including Anabaena/Aphanizomenon, Calothrix, Cylindrospermopsis, Cylindrospermum, Gloeothece, halotolerants, Leptolyngbya, Palau Lyngbya, Microcystis, Nodularia, Nostoc, Planktothrix, Antarctic Phormidium, Prochlorococcus, Spirulina, Synechococcus, Synechocystis, Trichodesmium, and Woronichinia. These groups were identified based on an alignment of over 300 cyanobacterial 16S rRNA sequences. For validation of the microarrays, 95 samples (24 axenic strains from culture collections, 27 isolated strains, and 44 cloned fragments recovered from environmental samples) were tested. The results demonstrated a high discriminative power and sensitivity to 1 fmol of the PCR-amplified 16S rRNA gene. Accurate identification of target strains was also achieved with unbalanced mixes of PCR amplicons from different cyanobacteria and an environmental sample. Our universal array method shows great potential for rapid and reliable identification of cyanobacteria. It can be easily adapted to future development and could thus be applied both in research and environmental monitoring.     

Epiphytic vegetation on pollarded trunks of Fraxinus excelsior in four different habitats at Grinde,Leikanger, western Norway

The epiphytic vegetation on 24 pollarded trees of Fraxinus excelsior at the farm Grinde, Leikanger, western Norway was investigated. Each trunk was divided into a basal zone, a middle zone and a top zone. In each zone the four different aspects were analysed (12 sampling units from each trunk). Within a total of 276 sampling units, 162 taxa were recorded (99 lichens, 56 bryophytes, 7 vascular plants). The trunks were covered mainly by an old, thick and occasionally swollen bark, but decaying wood did not occur. Their habitats were different, and each trunk was classified into one of four categories: open meadow, wooded hay meadow, deciduous wood, and spruce plantation. A climate station was established in each habitat to measure important parameters. The floristic and environmental data were analysed by canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). The floristic data were classified into eight TWINSPAN groups that have been taken into account in the CCA diagrams. At Grinde all the pollarded trunks grew under fairly homogeneous conditions during a more extensive agricultural period until about 1962. The deciduous wood developed by tree colonization on old meadows and wooded hay meadows, whilst spruce has been planted in a small part of the area. Floristic differences in the epiphytic vegetation between the four different habitats were found, which suggests that changes in the vegetation have developed during the last two or three decades. The spruce plantation was the most shady habitat having a very sparse epiphytic vegetation, mainly remnants from vegetation established during more open area conditions.     

Cyanobacteria in Antarctica: ecology, physiology and cold adaptation.

Cyanobacterial species composition of fresh water and terrestrial ecosystems and chemical environment of water in Schirmacher Oasis in Continental Antarctica was investigated. Over 35 species of cyanobacteria were recorded. Diazotrophic species both heterocystous and unicellular contributed more than half to the count except in lake ecosystem. The species composition varied among the fresh water as well as terrestrial ecosystems. The physico-chemical analyses of water revealed its poor nurient content which might have supported the growth of diazotrophic cyanobacteria in an Antarctic environment. Among the cyanobacteria Oscillatoria, Phormidium and Nostoc commune were the dominant flora in most of the habitats. The physiological characteristics of isolated cyanobacteria strains indicated that N2-fixation, nitrate uptake, nitrate-reduction, ammonium-uptake, GS-transferase activity and photosynthesis was unaffected at low temperature (5 degrees C) which indicated low temperature adaptation for Antarctic cyanobacteria. This phenomenon was not evident in different strains of tropical origin. The temperature optima for N2-fixation for the different Antarctic cyanobacterial strains was in the range of 15-25 degrees C, nearly 10 degrees C lower than their respective reference strains of tropical origin. Similar results were obtained for cyanobacteria-moss association. The low endergonic activation energy exhibited by the above metabolic activities supported the view that cyanobacteria were adapted to Antarctic ecosystem.     

Nonheterocytous cyanobacteria from Brazilian saline‐alkaline lakes

Saline‐alkaline lakes are extreme environments that limit the establishment and development of life. The Nhecolândia, a subregion of the Pantanal wetland in Brazil, is characterized by the existence of ~500 saline‐alkaline lakes, which support an underexplored and rich diversity of microorganisms. In this study, unicellular and homocytous cyanobacteria from five saline‐alkaline lakes were accessed by culture‐dependent approaches. Morphological evaluation and analyses of near complete sequences (~1400 nt) of the 16S rRNA genes were applied for phylogenetic and taxonomic placement. This polyphasic approach allowed for the determination of the taxonomic position of the isolated strains into the following genera: Cyanobacterium, Geminocystis, Phormidium, Leptolyngbya, Limnothrix, and Nodosilinea. In addition, fourteen Pseudanabaenales and Oscillatoriales representatives of putative novel taxa were found. These sequences fell into five new clades that could correspond to new generic units of the Pseudanabaenaceae and Phormidiaceae families.     

北京市各种水体蓝细菌物种多样性研究

2016至2018年的5月和9月研究了北京市五大水系53个水体蓝细菌的物种多样性。结果表明,共发现蓝细菌4目4科22属63种,优势种(IRI)为小型色球藻(Chroococcus minor(Kütz.) N?g.)、湖泊鞘丝藻(Lyngbya limentica Lemm.)、水华束丝藻(Aphanizomenon flos-aquae(L.) Rafls.)、小席藻(Phormidium tende(Menegh.) Gom.)、钝顶节旋藻(Arthrospira platensis)、小颤藻(Oscillatoria tenuis Ag.)、铜绿微囊藻(Microcystis aeruginosa)、水华微囊藻(Microcystis flos-aquae)。通过对北京各种水体的蓝藻优势种进行CCA分析,得出大部分优势种与活性磷、叶绿素a、温度、溶解氧、总碱度、总硬度、pH呈正相关,与TN、TP呈负相关,与蓝藻的特性较符合,其中活性磷是限制蓝细菌生长的重要因素。各水体蓝藻平均密度为1.32×10~6 ind/L,平均生物量为0.003 2 mg/L,多样性指数平均为0.45,2018年较2017年多数水体的密度和生物量下降,多样性指数上升,说明北京市水环境治理有所改善,但仍需继续加强治理。     

黄土高原不同侵蚀类型区生物结皮中蓝藻的多样性

蓝藻是生物土壤结皮的重要组成部分,具有许多重要的生态功能.迄今为止,黄土高原地区生物结皮中藻类的种类组成及分布鲜有报道.通过野外调查、采样和室内观察、培养、鉴定,对黄土高原水蚀区、水蚀风蚀交错区、风蚀区的生物结皮中蓝藻的多样性及优势种进行了研究.结果表明,黄土高原3个侵蚀类型区生物结皮中蓝藻门植物共发现4科10属54种,其中丝状种类约占87％,占绝对优势;Shannon-Weiner多样性指数水蚀风蚀交错区最高,水蚀区次之,风蚀区最低,依次为2.22,2.20和2.14.水蚀风蚀交错区和水蚀区蓝藻多样性指数差异不显著,但均与风蚀区差异显著.3个侵蚀类型区的生物结皮中蓝藻的种类组成及优势种均有所差异,但均以颤藻科(Oscillatoriaceae)为优势科.水蚀风蚀交错区蓝藻种类最多(39种),以阿氏鞘丝藻(Lyngbya allorgei)为第一优势种;水蚀区次之(26种),以含钙席藻(Phormidum calciola)为第一优势种;风蚀区最少(20种),以颗粒颤藻(Oscillatoria granulata)为第一优势种.黄土高原不同侵蚀类型区生物结皮中蓝藻的多样性差异可能与土壤质地、土壤pH值、气候环境等有关.     

Cyanobacteria associated with coral black band disease in Caribbean and Indo-Pacific Reefs

For 30 years it has been assumed that a single species of cyanobacteria, Phormidium corallyticum, is the volumetrically dominant component of all cases of black band disease (BBD) in coral. Cyanobacterium-specific 16S rRNA gene primers and terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analyses were used to determine the phylogenetic diversity of these BBD cyanobacteria on coral reefs in the Caribbean and Indo-Pacific Seas. These analyses indicate that the cyanobacteria that inhabit BBD bacterial mats collected from the Caribbean and Indo-Pacific Seas belong to at least three different taxa, despite the fact that the corals in each case exhibit similar signs and patterns of BBD mat development.     

南水北调中线干渠两个水工构筑物对着生藻类群落的影响

在南水北调中线干渠两个水工构筑物沙河渡槽与穿黄工程渠段分别设置沙河渡槽上游明渠、沙河渡槽入口、沙河渡槽出口、穿黄工程入口、穿黄工程出口、穿黄工程下游明渠和穿黄工程下游沁河倒虹吸7个监测位点,对着生藻类群落与水质指标进行了原位同步监测。结果表明:监测位点的蓝藻优势种有鞘丝藻(Leptolyngbya sp.)、聚球藻(Synechococcus sp.)、眉藻(Calothrix sp.)、席藻(Phormidium sp.)、集胞藻(Synechocystis sp.)和拟色球藻(Chroococcidiopsis sp.)等;真核藻类优势种有链带藻(Desmodesmus sp.)、土佐牧野藻(Makinoella sp.)、芒球藻(Radiococcus sp.)、盘星藻(Monactinus sp.)、卵囊藻(Oocystella sp.)、菱形藻(Nitzschia sp.)、针杆藻(Synedra sp.)和肘形藻(Ulnaria sp.)等。经过渡槽后藻类生物量下降50%,藻类种类数下降16%;经过穿黄工程后藻类生物量下降80%,藻类种类数下降18%。经过沙河渡槽后,真核藻...     

Are semi-aquatic bugs (Heteroptera: Nepomorpha) indicators of hydrological stability of permanent ponds?

The composition of semi-aquatic bug communities from eight permanent ponds from southern Transylvania was investigated between 2001 and 2004. Three of the ponds were sampled repeatedly throughout the active period of the year, while the other five were sampled only once. Microvelia reticulata (Burmeister, 1835) and Gerris argentatus Schummel, 1832 were the dominant species from the thoroughly investigated habitats. Statistical analysis proved that each of the sampled species has specific habitat preferences in relation to the modifications of the hydrological regime of the ponds (reflected by the modifications of open water areas, station sizes, and percentages of vegetation coverage). The results, obtained from the three habitats investigated throughout the active period, were confirmed by the samples taken from the other five habitats opening the discussion about the use of semi-aquatic bug communities as bioindicators of the hydrological regime for permanent ponds.