Decline in skeletal growth of the coral Porites?lutea from the Andaman Sea, South Thailand between 1984 and 2005

Of the few studies that have examined in situ coral growth responses to recent climate change, none have done so in equatorial waters subject to relatively high sea temperatures (annual mean >27°C). This study compared the growth rate of Porites lutea from eight sites at Phuket, South Thailand between two time periods (December 1984–November 1986 and December 2003–November 2005). There was a significant decrease in coral calcification (23.5%) and linear extension rates (19.4–23.4%) between the two sampling periods at a number of sites, while skeletal bulk density remained unchanged. Over the last 46 years, sea temperatures (SST) in the area have risen at a rate of 0.161°C per decade (current seasonal temperature range 28–30°C) and regression analysis of coral growth data is consistent with a link between rising temperature and reduced linear extension in the order of 46–56% for every 1°C rise in SST. The apparent sensitivity of linear extension in P. lutea to increased SST suggests that corals in this part of the Andaman Sea may already be subjected to temperatures beyond their thermal optimum for skeletal growth. Communicated by Environment Editor Prof. Rob van Woesik     

Do Migrants Degrade Coastal Environments? Migration,Natural Resource Extraction and Poverty in North Sulawesi,Indonesia

Recent literature on migration and the environment has identified key mediating variables such as how migrants extract resources from the environment for their livelihoods, the rate and efficiency of extraction, and the social and economic context within which their extraction occurs. This paper investigates these variables in a new ecological setting using data from coastal fishing villages in North Sulawesi, Indonesia. We do not find as many differences between migrant and non-migrant families regarding destructive fishing behavior, technology, and investment as might have been expected from earlier theories. Instead, the context and timing of migrant assimilation seems to be more important in explaining apparent associations of migration and environmental impacts than simply migrants themselves. This finding fits well with recent literature in the field of international migration and immigrant incorporation.     

Unravelling the past 1,000 years of history of human–climate–landscape interactions at the Lindu plain,Sulawesi, Indonesia

The Lindu plain, located in the northern mountainous region of the Lore Lindu National Park in Sulawesi, Indonesia, provides many ecosystem services for the population inhabiting the area and harbours a unique biodiversity. Palynological, charcoal and diatom analyses of a lake sediment core from Lake Lindu (Danau Lindu) reveal that during the last 1,000 years the Lindu plain has been modified by human activities. Evidence of frequent burning and possible shifting cultivation from an earlier phase from ca. ad 1000 to 1200 might be related to the metal age population which erected the megaliths in the province of Central Sulawesi. From ca. ad 1200–1700 there followed 500 years of wetter climate conditions, corresponding to the southward movement of the Intertropical Convergence Zone. At the same time, decreases of macro-charcoal concentrations and pioneer vegetation indicators show that the use of the landscape of Lindu plain had become more permanent. Following a phase of forest recovery from ca. ad 1730 to 1910, the most recent part of the Lake Lindu record shows a trend towards deforestation that started in the late 20th century, lasting until now. The lake level started to fall at the beginning of the 20th century, as shown by the increase of sedimentation rate and supported by low pollen concentration and palaeomagnetic data. Such a change was unprecedented for the last 1,000 years covered by the record, and it has no link to the climate variability as reconstructed for the last hundred years. If deforestation increases and a larger amount of water is channelled away from the lake for irrigation purposes, the lake level will continue to fall. This suggests that there is a need for better management of the forests surrounding the plain and of the irrigation systems in the area open for cultivation.     

Adding coral rubble to substrata enhances settlement of Pocillopora?damicornis larvae

Settlement preferences of Pocillopora damicornis larvae were examined on artificial substrata. Planulation of P. damicornis followed a lunar cycle and the release of larvae occurred after new moon. P. damicornis larvae had the highest rates of settlement within 3 days of being presented settlement substrata. Cumulative settlement gradually increased from 3 to 8 days, and post-settlement mortality was most frequent after 8 days. Settlement experiments showed greatest settlement preference to cement tiles containing 10% coral rubble. This study suggests that physical cues are important in the settlement process, which may be useful for coral reef rehabilitation projects.     

Human�Cenvironment interactions in mountain rainforests: archaeobotanical evidence from central Sulawesi, Indonesia

Palaeoecology may contribute to the debate on nature conservation and the preservation of cultural heritage. Here we present two palaeo-records from the Lore Lindu Biosphere Reserve and National Park in central Sulawesi, Indonesia. The park comprises one of the largest remaining and most biodiverse mountain forests of Sulawesi. Outstanding megalithic sites reveal long-term human impact on the area. Thus, modern vegetation composition within the park has been determined by complex site histories, natural and anthropogenic. Palaeo-records from sites between 1,000 and 1,400 m a.s.l. demonstrate that human activity as well as climate variations have to be considered as the main drivers of vegetation changes in the region for the last 2,000 years. Human impact is reflected by large amounts of charred fragments in the pollen records plus low values of arboreal pollen resulting from forest clearance. The stratigraphy of one of the pollen records shows effects of a general cooling trend during the Little Ice Age (LIA). Biomass loss due to the conversion of lower montane rainforest to grassland has reduced the carbon storage potential in the area of the Lore Lindu Park. Recommendations for conservation policy that may be made from the environmental history within the biosphere reserve thus include the consideration of human influence in easily accessible areas, particularly in face of recent settlement intensification.     

Is there evidence of niche restriction in the spatial distribution of Kroyeria dispar Wilson, 1935, K.?papillipes Wilson, 1932 and Eudactylina pusilla Cressey, 1967 (Copepoda: Siphonostomatoida) on the gill filaments of tiger sharks Galeocerdo cuvier off KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa?

Host and microhabitat or site selection is universal among parasites, although to varying degrees between species and groups. The selection of a specific site by a copepod parasite is determined by a set of mostly unknown factors. The spatial distribution of Kroyeria dispar, Kroyeria papillipes and Eudactylina pusilla on the gill filaments of Galeocerdo cuvier was investigated to determine whether niche restriction occurs in the different planes on the gills. In order to do this, the complete sets of left gills of 14 tiger shark hosts were examined and the species, location (hemibranch, horizontal distribution, longitudinal distribution), orientation and gender of each copepod noted. Kroyeria dispar was dominant on most hosts and exhibited a prevalence of 100% and a mean intensity of 73 individuals per shark. Kroyeria papillipes was dominant on the remaining hosts and displayed a prevalence of 78.6% and a mean intensity of 33 individuals per shark while E. pusilla had a prevalence of 85.7% and a mean intensity of 20 individuals per shark on the examined hosts. No evidence of intra- or interspecific competition or microniche restriction was found even though all three species occupy the same fundamental niche. However, distributional preference was observed, and the compound populations of all three species on tiger sharks were aggregated, most likely as a result of their need to reproduce. Handling editor: S. I. Dodson     

Does uptake of Alexandrium fundyense cysts contribute to the levels of PSP toxin found in the sea scallop, Placopecten magellanicus?

Atlantic sea scallops, Placopecten magellanicus, in most areas of the Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick, Canada, have year-round concentrations of paralytic shellfish posioning (PSP) toxins greater than the regulatory concentration of 80 μg STX eq. 100 g⁻¹ wet weight. Scallops (mean shell height of 10.7 cm, age 3–5 years) were collected by SCUBA and individually tagged near Parker Island, Bay of Fundy. Half were hung 2 m below the low tide water level and the remainder were placed on the bottom (11 m depth at low tide) under the scallops held at 2 m. Scallop, water and sediment samples were collected monthly for determination of concentrations of PSP toxins and Alexandrium fundyense.In October, 1993, mean concentrations of PSP toxins in digestive gland, and mantle were 3205 and 1018 μg STX eq. 100 g⁻¹ wet weight, respectively. Eight months later (June 1994), PSP concentrations in digestive glands from the surface and bottom had declined to 504 and 682 μg STX eq. 100 g⁻¹ wet weight, respectively, whereas those in the mantle had declined to 802 and 681 μg STX eq. 100 g⁻¹ wet weight. During July 1994, A. fundyense concentrations observed at Parker Island and offshore were 320 cells l⁻¹ and 14,200 cells l⁻¹, respectively. Subsequently, toxin concentrations in surface and bottom scallop digestive glands increased to 12,720 and 11,408 μg STX eq. 100 g⁻¹ wet weight, whereas concentrations in mantles increased to 2126 and 1748 μg STX eq. 100 g⁻¹ wet weight, respectively. Concentrations of PSP toxins in these tissues in October 1994 were similar to those measured in October 1993. Concentrations of PSP toxin were less than the regulatory concentration in the gonads and non-detectable in adductor muscles of all scallops sampled.There were no statistically significant differences in profiles for uptake and depuration of PSP toxins in scallops held at the surface compared to those from bottom, suggesting that A. fundyense cysts at the concentrations found in the sediment (45 cysts cm⁻³) did not contribute significantly to the year-round presence of PSP toxins within scallop tissues. The year-round occurrence of PSP toxin is probably due to accumulation during summer blooms followed by a very slow rate of depuration.     

Genetic and morphological variation in the venus clam Cyclina?sinensis along the coast of China

Six geographic samples of Cyclina sinensis were collected from the coast along China and analyzed to reveal morphological and genetic variation by using nine allozyme loci and 11 morphological variables. The discriminant function analysis (DFA) of morphology suggested a clear separation between the southern and northern populations. Polymorphism was detected at nine loci across all six populations. The mean allele number ranged from 2.44 to 2.78, and the mean observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.218 to 0.296. High level of genetic differentiation was found between three northern populations and three southern populations. The marked genetic differentiation can be explained by the upwelling of the Zhejiang province and the freshwater outflow of Yangtze River. The results obtained in this study indicate that the northern and southern populations of C. sinensis should be treated as separate units for conservation management.     

Structural variability in the genome of phage ?H of Halobacterium halobium

Summary The partially circularly permuted, terminally redundant structure of the DNA of phage H has been confirmed by a cleavage map for the restriction enzymes PstI, ClaI, BglII, HindIII, and, partially, BamHI.Six variants of phage H have been isolated from 71 single plaques. Their genomes differ by several insertions, a deletion, and an inversion of a DNA segment with a minimal length of 11 kb. The inversion occurs with high frequency in variants carrying at the flanks of the invertible DNA in verted repeats of a 1.8 kb DNA element which shares sequence homology with the DNA of H. halobium and may be involved in the extreme variability of its genome.     

Morphology, severity, and distribution of growth anomalies in the coral, Montipora capitata, at Wai‘ōpae, Hawai‘i

This study investigated the morphology, severity, and distribution of growth anomalies (GAs) in the coral, Montipora capitata, from Wai‘ōpae tide pools, southeast Hawai‘i Island. A macro-image analysis of skeletal microstructure placed GAs into two definable categories; Type A and Type B. Type A GAs had polyp density reduced by 43.05 ± 0.80% (mean ± SE) compared to healthy M. capitata tissue, with many fused and protrusive tuberculae. Type B GAs had no discernable polyps or calices and fused protuberant coenosteum. The prevalence of Type A and Type B GAs among all M. capitata colonies (n = 1,093) in 8 tide pools at Wai‘ōpae was 22.1% (range 2.8–33.7%) and 8.2% (range 0.0–16.9%), respectively. The proportion of colony surface area occupied by GA (relative GA cover) was quantified to assess the severity of this disease among all surveyed colonies. The relative GA cover was significantly greater on colonies larger than 1 m in diameter than smaller colonies and in the central portion of colonies than in the periphery. Furthermore, relative GA cover was negatively related to water motion (R ² = 0.748, P < 0.01). Developing field diagnostic criteria of M. capitata GA allowed for a detailed epizootiological assessment that determined several cofactors associated with disease severity. Such epizootiological analysis is applicable to future studies of GAs elsewhere.     

Population dynamics of the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis （Diptera： Tephritidae） in the Kunming area,southwestern China

Population dynamics of Bactrocera dorsalis Hendel （Diptera： Tephritidae） were studied through pheromone trapping over 4 years （1997, 1999, 2000, 2003） in the Kunming region, a high plateau area in southwestern China. B. dorsalis immigrates from southern Yunnan to Kunming each year, and occurs during early May through November. Annual trap captures recorded an increase in the B. dorsalis populations from May to July, when they peaked in abundance, and a decline until November. No flies were detected from November to April. The fruit flies had two generations. There was considerable overlapping due to the continuous arrival of immigrating flies during the summer months. Annual capture rates were significantly related to numbers of flies caught in July when peak captures were recorded; whereas the peak captures, in turn, positively depended on numbers of flies recorded in May, the first month of fly appearance in the current year. It suggested that the annual population abundance was mainly dependent on the size of the initial emigrating population. A daily average temperature of 18℃ was probably the threshold temperature required for the flies to undertake long-range dispersal, which partially explained the start of the fly in May each year on this high plateau. Under field conditions, the fruit flies can withstand 13℃ as a daily average temperature. No flies were recorded in any of the study years at a daily temperature colder than 10 ℃.     

Die Selbststerilit?ts-Allele in der GattungAntirrhinum, SektionAntirrhinastrum

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Population monitoring of the endangered New?Zealand spider,

The endangered New?Zealand widow spider, Latrodectus katipo, is believed to have undergone marked population decline over the last 30 years, but as monitoring methods are time- and labour-intensive, and require observers to have a high level of experience, the current status of many populations is unknown. We investigated the use of artificial cover objects (ACOs) as an alternative monitoring tool for L. katipo at three sites at Himatangi Beach, Manawatu, New?Zealand, from late 2004 through to mid-2005. Occupancy rates of the ACOs were compared with population densities obtained from habitat searches, to assess their efficacy as a monitoring tool. Numbers of the introduced spider, Steatoda capensis, which may be a competitor of L.?katipo, were also recorded during habitat searches. ACOs were reliable monitoring tools, with occupancy rates higher at the site with the highest L.?katipo population density. Latrodectus katipo populations were found to have highly female biased sex-ratios, with a longer breeding season at Himatangi than reported previously at other sites. Steatoda capensis exists at much higher population densities than L.?katipo at Himatangi. However, fluctuations in the populations of the two species appear to be unrelated. ACOs could be used as a non-destructive monitoring tool for many other arachnid species.     

Damage and recovery of coral reefs affected by El Niño related seawater warming in the Thousand Islands,Indonesia

Extensive coral bleaching occurred during sea-water warming (as a result of the 1982/3 El Niño Southern Oscillation event) in 1983 on the shallow reefs in the Java Sea. Mean seawater temperatures rose by 2–3° C over a six month period with values greater than 33° C being recorded between 1200–1500 h. As many as 80–90% of corals died on the reef flats at the study sites, with the major casualties being branching species in the genera Acropora and Pocillopora. Five years after the event the community structure of the study sites has recovered significantly, though coral cover is still 50% of its former level. Contrasting patterns of recovery at two selected sites, in close proximity to each other, are discussed.     

Population dynamics of Ceratium spp. in three English lakes, 1945–1985

Changes in the annual population densities of Ceratium spp. in three adjacent English lakes, Windermere, Esthwaite Water and Blelham Tarn, are summarised over the 41 year period 1945–1985. In these lakes the genus is represented by two species, C. hirundinella (O.F. Müll) Bergh. and C. furcoides (Levander) Langhans. Although the species have not been distinguished over the entire study period, they have been shown by examination of preserved samples to undergo marked changes of relative abundance in Esthwaite Water. Both long-term (years) and short-term (within year) changes of populations densities of Ceratium spp. are considered in relation to possible controlling factors including recruitment of the inoculum, nutrient enrichment, physical stability and fungal epidemics. Given an early inoculum, the relative success of Ceratium populations in these lakes decreases along gradients of increasing mixed depths, increasing turbulence and decreasing retention times. The potential for good population growth is regulated by energy inputs, lake bathymetry and hydraulic characteristics. The realisation of such growth is governed by nutrient availability and microbial grazing. The significance of large between-year differences of populations of Ceratium spp. for general lake metabolism is illustrated for summers of contrasting production in Esthwaite Water.     

In?vitro evaluation of the effect of the nematophagous fungi Duddingtonia flagrans , Monacrosporium sinense and Pochonia chlamydosporia on Schistosoma mansoni eggs

The in vitro effect of four isolates of the nematophagous fungi Duddingtonia flagrans (AC 001), Monacrosporium sinense (SF 53) and Pochonia chlamydosporia (VC 1 and VC 4) on eggs of Schistosoma mansoni was examined. One thousand S. mansoni eggs were plated on 2% water–agar with the grown isolates and control without fungus. After 7, 14 and 21 days, the eggs were removed and classified according to the following parameters: type 1, lytic effect without morphological damage to eggshell; type 2, lytic effect with morphological alteration of embryo and eggshell; and type 3, lytic effect with morphological alteration of embryo and eggshell, besides hyphal penetration and internal egg colonization. Significant differences (P < 0.01) were found among the studied fungal isolates for ovicidal activity, confirming type 3 effect for the isolates VC 1 and VC 4, which characterizes the ovicidal activity of a fungus. Type 3 effect was only found for P. chlamydosporia (VC 1 and VC 4) with 26.6 and 17.2%, 25.6 and 22.6%, 27.4 and 23.9% in the 7, 14 and 21 days respectively (P < 0.01). P. chlamydosporia can thus be a potential biological control agent for S. mansoni eggs.     

Is the impact of environmental noise visible in the dynamics of age-structured populations?

Climate change has ignited lively research into its impact on various population-level processes. The research agenda in ecology says that some of the fluctuations in population size are accountable for by the external noise (e.g. weather) modulating the dynamics of populations. We obeyed the agenda by assuming population growth after a resource-limited Leslie matrix model in an age-structured population. The renewal process was disturbed by superimposing noise on the development of numbers in one or several age groups. We constructed models for iteroparous and semelparous breeders so that, for both categories, the population growth rate was matching. We analysed how the modulated population dynamics correlates with the noise signal with different time-lags. No significant correlations were observed for semelparous breeders, whereas for iteroparous breeders high correlations were frequently observed with time-lags of 71 year or longer. However, the latter occurs under red-coloured noise and for low growth rates when the disturbance is on the youngest age group only. It is laborious to find any clear signs of the (red) noise- and age group-specific fluctuations if the disturbance influences older age groups only. These results cast doubts on the possibility of detecting the signature of external disturbance after it has modulated temporal fluctuations in age-structured populations.