Spatial and temporal distribution patterns of flying Diptera

The temporal and spatial distributions of flying Diptera have been studied using suction traps hung at three levels and two distances from an emergent hedgerow tree. Most families were far more abundant in 1987 than in 1986, but patterns of spatial and temporal abundance were basically the same. Most families showed a marked concentration close to the tree. Scatopsidae accumulated away from the tree in large numbers. Most families concentrated at the mid-level, except the Anisopodidae and Mycetophilidae (top and bottom levels, respectively). Vertical distributions showed discontinuities for almost all families. It is suggested that the emergent hedgerow tree plays a very important part in the life of flying insects.     

Spatial and temporal distribution of copepod communities in the Adriatic Sea

The distribution of planktonic copepods in the Adriatic Seahas been analyzed on the basis of 132 samples collected at 35fixed stations during 4 seasonal cruises. A total of 127 specieshave been determined and 3 characteristic copepod communitieshave been identified. The distribution of copepod species hasbeen found to reflect the dual physiognomy of the Adriatic.The shallow northern section is characterized by high densityvalues, low species diversity, and the dominance of speciesbelonging to the estuarine and coastal communities. The relativelydeep waters of the southern section are characterized by lowdensity values, high species diversity, and the presence ofmany species belonging to the upper, middle, and lower zonesof the oceanic community. Temporal variations in the horizontalspread of these 3 communities are discussed in relation to seasonalcycles in abundance, vertical migration patterns, and the currentregime in the Adriatic.     

Spatial and temporal distribution of nanoflagellates in the northern South China Sea

Seasonal variation, horizontal and vertical distribution, and cell size of nanoflagellates, together with physico-chemical and biological factors, were studied in the northern South China Sea (SCS). It was found that nanoflagellate abundance ranged from 0.157 × 10³ to 9.193 × 10³ cells/ml (with a mean of 0.891 × 10³) in winter (February, 2004), while it ranged from 0.107 × 10³ to 5.417 × 10³ cells/ml (with a mean of 0.599 × 10³) in summer (July, 2004). Nanoflagellates were more abundant in winter than summer in offshore regions, showing an unique seasonal pattern in this subtropical marginal sea. The abundance of nanoflagellates decreased from the estuary to the offshore region. Vertical distribution of nanoflagellates coupled well with that of bacteria and Chl a. The small size fraction of less than 5 μm dominated the nanoflagellate populations. Wind-driven mixing, eddies, availability of nutrients as well as Chl a and abundance of picoplankton seemed to be the major controlling factors for the spatial distribution and seasonal variation of nanoflagellates in the study area. Handling editor: P. Tasman     

Light distribution in mesic grasslands: Spatial patterns and temporal dynamics

Abstract. Spatial patterns and temporal dynamics of light distribution were investigated using lacunarity analysis, a multi‐scale measure of spatial heterogeneity, in three mesic grasslands with different disturbance regimes. Frequency distributions of relative light intensity (RLI) were similar for the two non‐disturbed grasslands, despite different composition (forbs vs. caespitose grass) resulting from different historical disturbance regimes prior to 1985, and different from the annually disturbed grassland. Spatial heterogeneity of light distribution was greater at all scales in the native, annually disturbed grassland than in the two non‐disturbed grasslands. The disturbance regime affected temporal dynamics of the spatial patterns of light distribution in each grassland. The annually disturbed grassland exhibited a dramatic decrease in lacunarity (heterogeneity) from early to late April, likely the result of considerable growth of a cool‐season grass. A general decrease in lacunarity occurred in the native, non‐disturbed grassland, although the magnitude was much less than in the annually disturbed grassland. The reverted, non‐disturbed grassland did not exhibit an appreciable change in lacunarity until later in the growing season, and then only at smaller scales. Combining the frequency distribution of RLI and the lacunarity curves provided an effective approach to assess relationships between the dynamics of spatial pattern of light distribution and ecological processes as influenced by different disturbance regimes. Integrating lacunarity analysis with more traditional measurements of grassland ecosystems (plant spatial distribution and arrangement and plant species composition and architecture) may be an effective way to assess functional consequences of structural changes in grassland ecosystems.     

柠条重要害虫四线奇尺蛾天津亚种幼虫的空间分布研究

四线奇尺蛾天津亚种是近几年新发现的危害柠条的重要害虫,研究四线奇尺蛾种群的空间格局和抽样技术,可为该害虫的危害调查与防治提供理论依据。本文应用6个聚集指标和Taylor幂法则及Iwao的m~*-m回归分析法,对四线奇尺蛾天津亚种幼虫的空间分布型和抽样技术进行了研究,并做了影响因素分析。结果表明:四线奇尺蛾天津亚种幼虫在6个样地均呈聚集分布,分布的基本成分是个体群,通过分布型参数,采用Iwao法计算出了在不同精度下幼虫抽样数公式和序贯抽样模型,该模型可为四线奇尺蛾天津亚种的预测预报及防治提供理论依据。     

Spatial distribution patterns of benthic microbial communities along the Pearl Estuary,China

In the present study, benthic microbial communities along the Pearl Estuary, a typical subtropical estuary in China subjected to extensive anthropogenic disturbance, were investigated using 16S rRNA gene-based pyrosequencing. The results showed that microbial communities in freshwater samples were clearly distinct from those in saltwater samples, since the relative sequence abundances of Deltaproteobacteria, Thermoplasmata and Marine Group I (MG-I) were higher in saltwater sediments, whereas Chloroflexi, Spirochaetes, Betaproteobacteria and methanogens were more prevalent in freshwater sediments. In addition, bacterial communities showed vertical stratifications in saltwater sediments, but remained constant with depth in freshwater sediments. The total organic carbon and carbon/nitrogen ratio in sediments correlated significantly with the overall community variations. The predominance of various microorganisms in specific niches led to efforts to identify their functional couplings by exploring their co-occurrence patterns. Using network analysis, strong positive correlations were observed between sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) and sulfur-oxidizing bacteria, and between SRB and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria, indicating the potential interactions of intra-sulfur cycle processes, as well as sulfur and nitrogen cycles, in coastal sediments. Archaeal clades revealed strong and wide correlations between the Miscellaneous Crenarchaeotal Group (MCG) and other groups, suggesting a central role of MCG in the coastal benthic environment. Inversely, MG-I displayed negative correlations with other clades, which might indicate that the lifestyles of heterotrophic and autotrophic clades were mutually exclusive. This study presented a detailed outline of the biogeographic patterns of benthic microbial communities along the Pearl Estuary and provided new information regarding the potential interactions of various biogeochemical cycles in coastal sediments.     

Spatial and temporal distribution patterns of three trophic levels in a saline lake

Horizontal distribution patterns of three trophic levels wereinvestigated at Mono Lake, California, USA during the autumnsof 1980 and 1981. Coefficients of variation for Anemia monicaand grebes peaked in October of both years, whereas coefficientsof variation for phytoplankton declined from August to November.Stable population gradients were observed in the Anemia population.In contrast, grebes were very mobile and their distributionalpatterns changed between sampling dates. Anemia and phytoplanktonwere negatively correlated during 1980, but no significant correlationsoccurred in 1981. Grebes and Artemia were positively correlatedin October 1980 and 1981, suggesting active prey tracking bythe grebes. Interactions between trophic levels may have contributedto the creation and maintenance of patchiness, although theseeffects appeared to be intermittent.     

Spatial and temporal variation of benthic Cladocera (Crustacea) studied with activity traps in Lake Myvatn, Iceland

Benthic Cladocera were studied with a modified type of an activity trap in Lake Myvatn in 1990–1992. After feasibility experiments, the operation time and the distance of the traps from the benthic substrate were adjusted in order to minimize the effects of diurnal variation and the trapping of planktonic organisms. The trap catches of Eurycercus lamellatus were positively correlated with their abundance at the bottom as estimated by grab sampling (r = 0.910, P < 0.001). The usefulness of the activity trap was demonstrated by: (1) a lake-wide survey of the benthic Cladocera; (2) a study of the seasonal variation in the size distribution, abundance and sex ratio of E. lamellatus; and (3) a study of the seasonal succession of Chydorus sphaericus and Alona affinis. The variation of benthic Cladocera among 21 trap sites distributed on a 1–2-km scale across the lake exceeded the within-site variation. The sampling sites could be divided into five main groups based on cluster analysis. Eurycercus lamellatus was the most common species in the mat of filamentous green algae (Cladophorales). Alonella nana dominated the area of spring water inflow in the north basin and Macrothrix hirsuticornis the area of spring water inflow in the southeastern part of the lake. In other parts of the lake either Chydorus sphaericus or Alona quadrangularis tended to dominate. The size distribution and sex ratio of E. lamellatus was followed at two sites through one summer. In early summer most individuals were females less than 1.45 mm long. Around mid-summer they had grown to 0.69–3.1 mm. By the end of August the size distribution had become bimodal, with a large number of small males and a smaller number of much larger females. The seasonal succession in the abundance of E. lamellatus, A. affinis and C. sphaericus was followed at four sites over two seasons. With some exceptions the abundance of a species followed a similar seasonal trajectory on the different stations in any one year. There was, however, a marked difference between the two years (1991 and 1992), probably related to different temperatures.     

Spatial and temporal changes in occupancy frequency distribution patterns of freshwater macrophytes in Finland

A useful method for characterizing biological numerous assemblages at regional scales is the species occupancy frequency distribution (SOFD). An SOFD shows the number or proportion of study sites each species occurred. Species that occur at only a few sites are termed satellite species, while species that occur at many sites are termed core species.This study is the first to document and assess SOFD patterns in aquatic macrophytes. It characterizes SOFD patterns of freshwater macrophyte assemblages in Finland at two spatial and two temporal scales. For this, I analyzed three published datasets on freshwater macrophyte distributions: two from studies conducted at a local scale and the third from large national surveys. One local study and the national study also included data on temporal variation in species occupancy frequencies.In the national study, the number of core and satellite species varied slightly between the older and the newer survey, respectively. Among the 113 waterbodies surveyed as part of the national study, the SOFD followed a unimodal satellite pattern. However, for the older dataset (from the 1930s), a bimodal symmetric pattern also fit the SOFD data well. At the local scale, I observed geographical variation in SOFD patterns. The dataset from southern Finland followed a unimodal satellite SOFD pattern; data from central Finland instead displayed a bimodal symmetric SOFD pattern, although they also fit equally well with a bimodal truncated pattern. Moreover, temporal patterns in central Finland seemed to demonstrate a shift from a bimodal symmetric to a bimodal asymmetric SOFD probably.Geographical variation in the SOFD pattern may be due to variation in the regional species pool. The temporal changes in SOFD pattern may be due to lake eutrophication and anthropogenic disturbance around waterbodies, which may increase number of macrophyte species.     

Spatial and temporal patterns of nest distribution influence sexual selection in a marine fish

In many species, the natural distribution of material resources important for reproduction can profoundly impact reproductive success among individuals and, hence, the opportunity and intensity of sexual selection. Here, we report on a field‐based experiment investigating the effects of nest aggregation on sexual selection in a fish, the sand goby Pomatoschistus minutus. We found that the distribution of potential nests (sparse versus aggregated nest treatments) affected patterns of nest colonization and reproductive success. Specifically, in the treatment with aggregated nesting resources, a greater proportion of nests remained unoccupied by sand goby males. Although the size of nesting males did not differ between treatments, eggs accumulated more rapidly when nests were sparsely distributed. We found that the opportunity for selection decreased over time with the accumulation of eggs in the nests in both the aggregated and sparse treatments. Moreover, the effect of male size on reproductive success was influenced by an interaction between nest distribution and time, with the selection gradient being highest right after nest colonization when nests were aggregated, while the opposite pattern was observed in the sparse nest treatment. Such findings highlight the vital role that environmental and social factors can play in determining the importance of male phenotypic traits (in this case, male size). More broadly, our results also underscore how the natural distribution of resources, both in space and time, can impact the strength of sexual selection acting on wild animal populations.     

Spatial and temporal patterns of morel fruiting

The biotic and abiotic factors conditioning morel fruit body production are incompletely known. We examined spatial and temporal patterns of Morchella esculenta fruiting over five years in a wooded site in Missouri, USA. Fruiting onset was inversely correlated with spring air and soil temperatures, whereas abundance was positively correlated with rain events (>10 mm) during the 30 d preceding fruiting. The two years with the greatest fruiting had the shortest fruiting seasons (6–7 d). Fruiting season length was positively correlated with soil warming, suggesting that a narrow range of optimum soil temperatures favour the explosive production of fruit bodies. All woody stems of at least 1 cm diam were mapped and stem diameter and crown condition were noted. Morel fruit bodies were significantly closer to stems of Carya spp., Tilia americana and Ulmus americana than predicted by the frequencies of these woody species or their contribution to the total basal area on the site. Although intra-annual clustering of fruit bodies was often observed, inter-annual clustering was not. The spatial pattern of M. esculenta fruiting appears to be associated with vegetation pattern, whereas the onset and abundance of fruiting are determined by the interaction of spring temperatures with availability of supporting precipitation.     

Temporal and Spatial Habitats of Anadromous Brook Charr in the Laval River and its Estuary

Anadromy in brook charr occurs across the species’ range, but few studies have examined contiguous seasonal movements and habitat utilization of freshwater and estuarine environments. We used acoustic telemetry to track movements of anadromous brook charr for 1 year in the Laval River, Quebec. Fish entered the marine environment in May and June, inhabited shallow (<1.7 m), near-shore areas (<500 m from shore), and rarely ventured beyond the headlands of the bay. They were found where salinities were 1–34 ppt and temperatures 5–18°C. There was a strong tidal periodicity to observed movements with fish running up into bays as they became inundated at high tide and then returning to deep river channels in the bays at low tide. Between late July and early September, the charr returned to freshwater and spawned in the middle and upper sections of the river in October and November. Winter habitats were dispersed over 22 km of the river including two lakes. These detailed observations are an important contribution to our understanding of the evolutionary significance of anadromy in this species. The salinity and temperature co-tolerance provides insights into the species’ post-glacial dispersal, present-day distribution, and potential habitat maps for conservation, restoration, and enhancement programmes.     

Spatial and temporal patterns in the activity of European moles

 Using ratio-tracking data obtained at three sites, we assessed the effects of season and of neighbour avoidance on the activity and patterns of home range use by European moles (Talpa europaea). The home ranges of non-breeding male and female moles did not differ significantly in size, and averaged 2324 m² (minimum convex polygon). Although overlap between ranges was small (an average of 12.8% of each range being shared with neighbours and an average of only 3.3% of 2×2 m grid cells were shared with an individual neighbour, ranges were not oriented to avoid neighbours. Non-breeding male/female neighbours tended to share more of their grid cells (3.9±5.7%) mean ±SD than did neighbours of the same sex (male:male 1.2±0.95%; female:female 1.1±1.3%), but there was no significant difference in overlap between any combination of sex pairings. On average, each mole spent only 0.9% of its time within 6 m of another mole, and only 3 out of 46 dyads showed evidence of being attracted to each other; there was no evidence from the simultaneous movement patterns of neighbouring moles that they avoided each other. Although moles tended to return to the same part of their range at the same time on successive days, there was also some indication of gradual changes in the spatial pattern of daily home range use. Moles had a triphasic pattern of activity, but this became tetraphasic under drought conditions. There were significant differences between sites, but not between sexes, in sleeping behaviour and activity patterns. These differences could be related to seasonal differences in soil moisture and thus probably to prey renewal rates. We conclude that in our sites, the activity patterns and movements of moles depend on the temporal and spatial dispersion of food, rather than on short-term interactions between the movements of neighbours. Received: 13 January 1996 / Accepted: 26 June 1996     

长江口低氧区异养细菌及氮磷细菌分布

2009年8月15-28日,对长江口低氧高发海域的异养细菌、无机磷细菌、有机磷细菌、反硝化细菌和氨化细菌的空间分布特征进行初步研究.结果表明:氨化细菌数量最高,表层水、底层水和表层沉积物的数量均值分别为307.52×104个·L-1、184.50×104个·L-1和199.97×102个·g-1;其次为异养细菌,数量均值分别为87.35×104 cfu·L-1、86.85×104cfu·L-1和64.26×102cfu·g-1;再次为有机磷细菌,数量均值分别为19.26×104 cfu·L-1、18.82×104cfu·L-1和19.56×102cfu·g-1;无机磷细菌只分布在长江口内和河口南槽至舟山海域,数量均值分别为18.50×104cfu·L-1、31.00×104cfu·L-1和7.17×102cfu·g-1;反硝化细菌分布广,但数量较低,均值分别为3.94×104个·L-1、23.08×104个·L-1和6.22×102个·g-1.相关性分析结果说明:盐度、硝酸盐、磷酸盐、硅酸盐和pH是影响水体和表层沉积物异养细菌、磷细菌和反硝化细菌分布的主要因子;底层水和表层沉积物异养细菌、磷细菌与水温呈显著正相关;底层水异养细菌和有机磷细菌与溶解氧(DO)呈显著正相关;表层沉积物无机磷细菌与DO呈显著正相关,氨化细菌与DO呈显著负相关.聚类分析结果说明:低氧对表层沉积物的细菌群落结构产生影响.     

Multiple imputation and posterior simulation for multivariate missing data in longitudinal studies

This paper outlines a multiple imputation method for handling missing data in designed longitudinal studies. A random coefficients model is developed to accommodate incomplete multivariate continuous longitudinal data. Multivariate repeated measures are jointly modeled; specifically, an i.i.d. normal model is assumed for time-independent variables and a hierarchical random coefficients model is assumed for time-dependent variables in a regression model conditional on the time-independent variables and time, with heterogeneous error variances across variables and time points. Gibbs sampling is used to draw model parameters and for imputations of missing observations. An application to data from a study of startle reactions illustrates the model. A simulation study compares the multiple imputation procedure to the weighting approach of Robins, Rotnitzky, and Zhao (1995, Journal of the American Statistical Association 90, 106-121) that can be used to address similar data structures.     

Spatial and temporal patterns in Arctic mosquito abundance

1. Organisms that undergo a shift in ontogeny and habitat type often change their spatial distribution throughout their life cycle, but how this affects population dynamics remains poorly understood.
2. We examined spatial and temporal patterns in Aedes nigripes abundance, a widespread univoltine Arctic mosquito species (Diptera: Culicidae), hypothesizing that the spatial distribution of adults would be closely tied to aquatic habitat.
3. We tracked adult densities of A. nigripes near Kangerlussuaq, Greenland using emergence traps, CO₂-baited traps, and sweep-nets.
4. In back-to-back years of sampling (2017 and 2018) we found two-fold variation in overall abundance.
5. Adults were spatially patchy when first emerging from aquatic habitats but within a week, mean capture rates for host-seeking adult females were similar across locations, even in places far from larval habitat.
6. Daily variation in mosquito captures was primarily explained by weather, with virtually no mosquito activity when temperatures averaged less than 8°C or wind speeds exceeded 6 m/s. Gravid females (3% of resting adults) were spatially patchy on the landscape, but not always in the same places where most adults emerged.
7. The spatial distribution of adults is quickly uncoupled from the spatial distribution of larvae because A. nigripes females may disperse far from their natal habitats in search of a blood-meal and high-quality oviposition habitat.

8. This research highlights the value of studying ecological processes that act at disparate life stages for understanding the population biology of organisms with complex life cycles.     

珠江口超微型浮游植物时空分布及其与环境因子的关系

对珠江口及近海区域进行了夏季和冬季超微型浮游植物(0.2-3μm)调查,分析了其时空分布及其与环境因子的关系.夏季,珠江口浮游植物密度与磷酸盐成显著正相关,且N/P远远高于30,表明浮游植物受到P限制.夏季超微型藻数量比冬季高一个数量级,其丰度与盐度成显著正相关而和营养盐(溶解性无机氮(DIN),PO4-P,SiO4-Si)显著负相关,表明珠江口超微型藻受到径流的负面影响,表现出其数量在虎门附近海域低,随着咸淡水混合程度的加剧逐渐增大的分布特征;超微型浮游植物叶绿素a在总叶绿素a中的比例也表现为河口上游低,到万山群岛附近海域达到最大,推测近海高光照、低营养盐更适宜超微型藻的生长,同时也说明超微型浮游植物适应贫营养环境的生态特点.     

长江口及其邻近海域春季无脊椎动物群落时空变化

为了研究长江口及其邻近海域无脊椎动物群落结构和多样性的时空变化特征, 我们于1999-2012年春季在长江口及其邻近海域采用定点底层双拖网调查方式进行无脊椎动物调查。结果表明: (1)1999-2012年长江口水域共记录无脊椎动物41种, 隶属6纲10目23科, 其中甲壳动物种类最多(26种), 其次为软体动物(13种)。不同年份种类数量呈先下降后上升的趋势。(2)优势种主要包括日本枪乌贼(Loligo japonica)、三疣梭子蟹(Portunus trituberculatus)、葛氏长臂虾(Palaemon gravieri)和鹰爪虾(Trachypenaeus curvirostris)等, 其在年间存在剧烈变动, 但日本枪乌贼几乎每年都是优势种。(3)长江口无脊椎动物丰度、种类丰富度和多样性在年间均存在显著差异, 1999年和2001年最高, 2004年后呈先下降后恢复上升的趋势。(4)长江口水域的无脊椎动物在每个航次调查中都存在2-3个群聚类型, 并有不同的指示种类。(5)1999-2012年长江口无脊椎动物群落的时间变化可划分为3个阶段: 1999-2001年多样性程度最高, 2004-2007年下降至最低水平, 2009-2012年多样性显著回升, 但尚未恢复到1999-2001年的水平。与20世纪80年代相比, 蟹类减少导致长江口无脊椎动物生物量整体水平下降, 高营养级生物资源衰退带来了无脊椎动物中低营养级生物种群的迅速发展。