Effects of planktivorous fish mass mortality on the plankton community of Lake Mendota,Wisconsin: implications for biomanipulation

Massive mortality of planktivorous fish had a dramatic impact on plankton community dynamics of Lake Mendota, Wisconsin, USA. After fish mortality, the largerDaphnia pulicaria replaced the smallerDaphnia galeata mendotae, resulting in greater grazing pressure on phytoplankton. This was accompanied by a much longer spring clear-water period and lower summer phytoplankton biomass compared to years before the fish mortality. Analysis of historical data (from the mid-1970's) showed that previous fluctuations in planktivorous abundance had similar effects onDaphnia abundance and species composition, and on spring phytoplankton biomass. However, the mid-1970's fish fluctuations had no detectable effect on summer phytoplankton. Concentrations of phosphorus were much higher in the 1970's (spring P 80–135 μg 1⁻¹) than in the 1980's (spring P 19–36 μg 1⁻¹) and it is possible that high P concentrations may reduce trophic cascade effects on summer phytoplankton communities. This suggests that the success of biomanipulation programs may be dependent on lake nutrient status.     

Some allometric and non-allometric relationships between chlorophyll-a and abundance variables of phytoplankton

We analysed data from three Bulgarian reservoirs, with trophic status from meso to eutrophic. Two kinds of relations (non-allometric and allometric) of chlorophyll with phytoplankton density, biovolume and surface area were investigated. The non-allometric relationships compare these phytoplankton variables with chlorophyll-a concentration, while the allometric ones include comparisons of average individual volume (AIV) of phytoplankters with chlorophyll-a content per individual (Chl.N^–1), per unit biovolume (Chl.BV^–1) and per unit surface area (Chl.SA^–1).Maximum values of the rank correlation of the three non-allometric relationships were found in the eutrophic reservoir. The highest allometric correlation coefficients were observed in the mesotrophic reservoir. Two non-allometric relationships, Chl with N and Chl ith BV calculated on unified data from all three reservoirs showed lower significance and a non-linear character. Chl-SA relationship was always statistically significant and varied from linear to slightly non-linear when calculated on weighed values. Two allometric relationships, AIV with Chl.BV^–1 and AIV with Chl.N^–1 seem to be linear. A third AIV and Chl.SA^–1 was described by a polinomial of the second degree, indicating that the smallest and largest phytoplankton individuals have a similar chlorophyll content per unit surface area. At the highest trophy, the Chl.SA^–1 seemed lowest.The frequently investigated relationship between chlorophyll-a and biovolume ranged from statistically not significant in the mesotrophic to highly significant in the eutrophic reservoir. This tendency was generalized by obtaining a statistically significant rank correlation between the levels of significance of chlorophyll-biovolume correlations and the corresponding chlorophyll-a concentrations. The non-linear character of the chlorophyll-biovolume relationship over a wide range of trophy was probably caused by changes in surface area-biovolume ratio.Deceased.     

Effects of organic enrichment on meiofaunal abundance and community structure in sublittoral soft sediments

In experimental mesocosms established at Solbergstrand, Oslofjord, Norway, organic enrichment was effected by the addition of powdered Ascophyllum nodosum (L.) Le Jol., in quantities equivalent to 50gC·m^?2 and 200gC·m^?2, to boxes of sublittoral soft sediment. After 56 days, the structure of the meiofaunal communities in these treatments was compared with that of the control boxes. At this time the meiofaunal communites at each level of organic enrichment were markedly different from each other and from that in the control sediment. The responses of the two major components of the meiofauna, however, were different. Although the abundance of nematodes was slightly reduced in the high dose treatment this was not accompanied by detectable changes in community structure. Harpacticoid copepods, on the other hand, increased significantly in abundance in the treatment boxes and showed a general trend towards increased dominance and decreased diversity with increasing levels of organic enrichment, although in the low dose treatment there was also an increase in the number of species present. It is also shown that the nematode/copepod ratio is unreliable as a biomonitoring tool and it is suggested that the differential responses in community structure between the nematode and copepod components of the meiofauna might be a better indication of stress at the community level.     

Effects of Biomanipulation on Fish and Plankton Communities in Ten Eutrophic Lakes of Southern Finland

The effects of biomanipulation were studied in ten Finnish lakes to determine responses in fish and plankton communities and water quality after mass removal of cyprinids. From 1997 to 2001, the fish communities shifted from the dominance of large cyprinids to an explosion of small cyprinids and a higher proportion of piscivores in effectively biomanipulated lakes (>200 kg ha⁻¹ 3 yr⁻¹). The biomass of cyanobacteria decreased, and the duration of the blooms shortened and shifted towards the autumn. Decreased concentrations and slower cycling of nutrients and increased grazing by cladocerans probably affected the declined biomass of cyanobacteria. Less intensive sediment disturbance and increased phosphorus-retention in fast growing fish biomass may have turned the role of the fish assemblage from ‘nutrient recycler’ to ‘nutrient storage’. Increased potential grazing pressure, higher proportion of edible algae, and lower chlorophyll a:total phosphorus ratio indicated strengthened herbivore control. A high mass removal catch in relation to trophic state, low background turbidity, and bearable external loading favoured the successful biomanipulation, whereas intensive cyprinid reproduction, high nutrient loading and non-algal turbidity hindered the recovery. Three important issues should be noticed before biomanipulation in Finland: (1) careful selection of target lake, (2) well-planned, effective and long-lasting biomanipulation and (3) sustainable management of piscivores. An erratum to this article is available at .     

Viral abundance and genome size distribution in the sediment and water column of marine and freshwater ecosystems

The size distribution of viral DNA in natural samples was investigated in a number of marine, brackish and freshwater environments by means of pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). The method was modified to work with both water and sediment samples, with an estimated detection limit for individual virus genome size groups of 1-2 x 10(4) virus-like particles (VLP) mL(-1) water and 2-4 x 10(5) VLP cm(-3) sediment in the original samples. Variations in the composition and distribution of dominant virus genome sizes were analyzed within and between different habitats that covered a range in viral density from 0.4 x 10(7) VLP mL(-1) (sea water) to 300 x 10(7) VLP cm(-3) (lake sediment). The PFGE community fingerprints showed a number of cross-system similarities in the genome size distribution with a general dominance of genomes in the 30-48, 50-70 and 145-200 kb size fractions, and with many of the specific genome sizes detected in all the investigated habitats. However, large differences in community fingerprints were also observed between the investigated sites, and some virus genome sizes were found only in specific biotopes (e.g. lake water), in specific ecosystems (e.g. a particular lake) or even in specific microhabitats (e.g. a particular sediment stratum).     

Effects of long‐term fox baiting on species composition and abundance in an Australian lizard community

Abstract We report on the effects of almost a decade of 1080‐fox baiting on a lizard community in a mosaic Australian habitat. Replicated comparisons of baited versus non‐baited control areas with near‐identical histories of bush fires, grazing and climate showed a higher density of red fox tracks (Canis vulpes) in the non‐baited areas. Furthermore, the fox‐baited areas showed a more than five times higher density of sand goannas (Varanus gouldii), a species that strongly overlaps the red fox in food niche breadth and is itself a direct target of fox predation, in particular its eggs and young. Exclusion of predators from a natural habitat led to significant increases in the density of small lizards, suggesting that predation can drive lizard population dynamics in this ecosystem. Replicated pitfall‐trapping in three habitats in the control areas (with high fox and low goanna density) versus the baited areas (with low fox and high goanna density) showed that fox baiting had positive effects on the density of diurnal scincid lizards in open grassland, whereas the control areas showed higher density of nocturnal gecko lizards. Our interpretation is that fox removal may result in a shift in the top predator towards the sand goanna. Historically, this indigenous, endemic species was the natural top predator. It has co‐evolved with its prey and that may have moulded it into a more efficient lizard predator per encounter than the introduced fox.     

施肥方式对干旱半干旱地区土壤氨氧化微生物数量和群落的影响

氨氧化是硝化作用的限速步骤,也是评估土壤氮循环和提高氮肥利用效率的重要指标。以内蒙古农牧业科学院旱作实验站长期定位实验为基础,通过实时荧光定量PCR和末端限制性片段长度多态性分析,研究了5种施肥方式（单施氮肥、单施有机肥、氮磷钾配施、有机无机配施和不施肥）对土壤氨氧化古菌（AOA）和氨氧化细菌（AOB）群落丰度、结构和活性的影响。结果表明：单施氮肥、氮磷钾肥配施以及有机无机肥配施均能显著提高AOB的丰度以及土壤硝化潜势。Nitrosospiria cluster 3a.1是不施肥土壤中主要的AOB种群,而施用氮肥后优势种群转变为Nitrosospiria cluster 3a.2。Nitrosospiria cluster 3b的比例在施用有机肥处理土壤中显著升高。在干旱半干旱地区,土壤pH和含水量是解释AOB群落结构变化的关键环境因子。AOA的丰度在单独施用氮肥处理中显著升高,但不同施肥方式对AOA的群落结构没有显著影响。     

Testing relationships between macroalgal cover and Secchi depth in the Baltic Sea

The present study tests whether relationships between macroalgal cover and water quality, recently developed for Danish coastal waters, are more universal and also applies at the other extreme of the Baltic Sea in Finnish coastal waters. We found that algal cover increases as a function of Secchi depth according to the same logarithmic function in Danish and Finnish coastal waters. Algal cover at a given depth (here modelled for 4 m) increases with increasing Secchi depth and approaches a maximum at the high Secchi depths found in the clearest areas of the Danish coastal waters. For a given Secchi depth the combined Danish/Finnish algal model thus predicts a similar cover of the algal community at a given water depth at both extremes of the Baltic Sea which represent quite different algal habitats. These results suggest that light limitation, and thus shading effects of eutrophication may cause similar reductions of macroalgal cover across ecosystems.     

Spatiotemporal variations in an assemblage of closely related planktonic aerobic methanotrophs

1. The assemblage of aerobic methane‐oxidising bacteria (MOB) was investigated in different seasons in the water column of a stratified freshwater lake. Species composition was analysed by performing denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of the 16S rRNA genes and cloning analysis of the pmoA gene, which encodes the α‐subunit of particulate methane monooxygenase. The relative abundance of MOB to total bacteria was deduced from the copy number of the pmoA gene and 16S rRNA gene using real‐time polymerase chain reaction. 2. The profiles of the DGGE banding patterns changed with water depth, and these changes correlated with oxygen concentration and water temperature. The sequences of the DGGE bands obtained were all associated with the genus Methylobacter. During the analysis of pmoA gene, all clones sequenced were that of the Methylobacter/Methylosarcina group. The relative abundances of pmoA gene peaked around the oxycline, and small peaks of pmoA gene were also observed near the surface when peaks of methane were observed at the corresponding depth. 3. Profiles of the DGGE banding patterns suggested that ecophysiological characteristics differ among members of the genus Methylobacter; this indicates the importance of investigating the MOB assemblage at the species level or lower. Planktonic MOB seemed to be abundant around oxycline.     

DNA-based analysis of planktonic methanotrophs in a stratified lake

1. The assemblage of planktonic methanotrophs in a stratified freshwater lake was investigated. Vertical patterns were analysed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, using the primer pair specific for 16S rRNA genes of type I methanotrophs.
2. The resulting banding patterns could be divided into three distinct groups, and sequenced bands were all related to the Methylobacter species. No amplicon was obtained with the primer pair specific for type II methanotrophs.
3. Cloning analysis of the pmoA gene was performed using samples from three water depths (epilimnion, metalimnion and hypolimnion). The compositions of the clone libraries from the three depths were distinct from each other but all three libraries were dominated by clones related to Methylobacter species.     

长期不同施肥制度对水稻土氨氧化微生物数量和群落结构的影响

由氨氧化微生物驱动的氨氧化过程是硝化作用的限速步骤,在土壤氮素循环过程中扮演着重要角色.以湖南省宁乡县长达30 a定位试验水稻土壤为研究对象,采用荧光定量PCR和Illumina MiSeq高通量测序分析方法,以amoA基因为靶标,研究了4种施肥制度[不施肥(CK)、化肥(CF)、70%化肥+30%有机肥(CFM₁)和40%化肥+60%有机肥(CFM₂)]水稻土壤氨氧化微生物的数量和群落结构变化.结果表明: 不同施肥处理氨氧化古菌(AOA)和氨氧化细菌(AOB) amoA基因拷贝数分别为3.09×10⁷～8.37×10⁷和1.04×10⁷～7.03×10⁷ copies·g^-1干土.施肥显著提高了AOA和AOB数量,但处理CFM₂中AOB数量与CK差异不显著.有机肥配施比例对AOB群落α多样性指数的影响强于AOA,处理CFM₁中AOA群落的多样性指数(Shannon)和AOB群落的丰富度指数(ACE和Chao1)均显著高于CK.奇古菌门和泉古菌门是AOA群落的优势门类群,占AOA amoA基因总序列的83.4%;亚硝化螺菌属、environmental_samples_norank、Bacteria_unclassified和Nitrosomonadales_unclassified是AOB群落的优势属类群,占AOB amoA基因总序列的97.8%.维恩分析结果显示,有机肥配施比例对AOB群落操作分类单元(OTU)数量的影响强于AOA,但对各处理共有AOA和AOB amoA基因序列条数的影响均较小.冗余分析结果显示,不同施肥处理AOB群落结构差异强于AOA,且所有土壤理化性质均与AOA和AOB群落结构存在显著相关关系.综上可知:有机肥配施比例显著改变了AOA和AOB数量、多样性和群落结构,配施30%有机肥时,AOA群落的Shannon指数最高,AOB群落数量、ACE和Chao1指数均最高.研究结果可为进一步探讨农业系统中氨氧化微生物对不同施肥制度的响应机制及其在氮素转化中的作用提供科学依据.     

The effect of non-algal turbidity on the relationship of Secchi depth to chlorophyll a

Data from four reservoirs representative of different trophic states and with different apparent optical properties were analyzed to determine the relationship of Secchi depth to algal biomass as measured by chlorophyll a. In the eutrophic reservoir Secchi depth was determined partially by the chlorophyll a content (r² = 0.31) but only when chlorophyll a data from bloom conditions are included. In the two mesotrophic reservoirs, Secchi depth was entirely determined by non-algal turbidity. In the oligotrophic reservoir, Secchi depth was determined neither by chlorophyll a nor non-algal turbidity and was probably determined by dissolved color. When data from the four reservoirs were pooled (N = 205), 53% of the variation in Secchi depth was explained by: SD = 2.55–0.52 ln (Turbidity) + 0.005 (Chlorophyll a). It is apparent that attempts to estimate algal biomass for trophic state classification or other management practices from Secchi depth data are inappropriate even where moderate amounts of non-algal turbidity are present.     

The fish community of the Loosdrecht Lakes and the perspective for biomanipulation

In a two-year-study, the fish community of the Loosdrecht Lakes area was characterized with regard to the professional fishery and the forage base. The lakes are shallow (mean depth 2 m) and eutrophic to hypertrophic. The bream,Abramis brama, dominates the fish biomass. The pikeperch,Stizostedion lucioperca, is the main predator.Bream up to 30 cm have a slow growth rate and are in a bad condition. A faster growth rate and a better condition are shown by bream of 30 cm and more. The small bream feeds on chironomid larvae, benthic cladocerans and zooplankton. The better condition of bream over 30 cm is explained by the more efficient feeding of larger bream onChironomus plumosus larvae. Pikeperch show a fast growth rate and a good condition. Recruitment is limited by the low densities of smelt,Osmerus eperlanus, leaving cannibalism as the most important way for the 0+ pikeperch to become piscivorous and to manifest a fast growth.The impact of the professional gillnet fishery on bream and pikeperch is small because the mesh sizes in use are as large as 75–100 mm bar mesh.The planktivorous 0+ pikeperch consumes mainly the carnivorous zooplanktersLeptodora kindtii and cyclopoids. The zooplankton community lacks large herbivorous species likeDaphnia hyalina, capable of consuming bluegreens. A possible experiment in biomanipulation with a view to find out whether the development ofD.hyalina is depressed by the small planktivorous cyprinids, is predator enhancement with the aid of a stocking programme for indoor-raised 0+ pikeperch in early summer.     

Improved retrieval of Secchi depth for optically-complex waters using remote sensing data

Water transparency is one of the ecological indicators for describing water quality and the underwater light field which determines its productivity. In the European Water Framework Directive (WFD) as well as in the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) water transparency is used for ecological status classification of inland, coastal and open sea waters and it is regarded as an indicator for eutrophication in Baltic Sea management (HELCOM, 2007). We developed and compared different empirical and semi-analytical algorithms for lakes and coastal Nordic waters to retrieve Secchi depth (Z_SD) from remote sensing data (MERIS, 300 m resolution). The algorithms were developed in water bodies with high coloured dissolved organic matter absorption (a_CDOM(442) ranging 1.7–4.0 m⁻¹), Chl a concentration (0.5–73 mg m⁻³) and total suspended matter (0.7–37.5 g m⁻³) and validated against an independent data set over inland and coastal waters (0.6 m < Z_SD < 14.8 m). The results indicate that for empirical algorithms, using longer wavelengths in the visible spectrum as a reference band decreases the RMSE and increases the coefficient of determination (R²). The accuracy increased (R² = 0.75, RMSE = 1.33 m, n = 134) when Z_SD was retrieved via an empirical relationship between Z_SD and K_d(490). The best agreement with in situ data was attained when Z_SD was calculated via both the diffuse and the beam attenuation coefficient (R² = 0.89, RMSE = 0.77 m, n = 89). The results demonstrate that transparency can be retrieved with high accuracy over various optical water types by the means of ocean color remote sensing, improving both the spatial and temporal coverage. The satellite derived Z_SD product could be therefore used as an additional source of information for WFD and MSFD reporting purposes.     

Long-term changes in the rotifer fauna after biomanipulation in Haussee (Feldberg,Germany, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern) and its relationship to the crustacean and phytoplankton communities

In Feldberg Haussee, an anthropogenic eutrophicated lake, biomanipulation was executed for restoration. To increase the biomass of crustaceans, fish grazing on zooplankton was reduced by catching small fishes and introducing pike-perch. After biomanipulation rotifer biomass from a wide range of species decreased to a small spring maximum with three dominant species. The development of food in spring and food competition between crustaceans probably controlled the rotifer development.     

Effects of drought on fish across axes of space, time and ecological complexity

• 1 We evaluate the position of 50 previously published studies of fish and drought with respect to spatial scale of study (individual stream pools to subcontinents), length of the dry period (weeks to centuries), and level of system complexity (individual fish to ecosystems). Most papers address short (months to a year) droughts or dry periods, in local reaches of streams, and impacts on populations or local assemblages. In these 50 papers, the most frequently demonstrated effects of drought were population declines, loss of habitat, changes in the community, negative effects from changes in water quality, movement within catchments, and crowding of fish in reduced microhabitats. Thirteen other less frequent effects also were identified.
• 2 Gaps in knowledge exist on effects of long‐term droughts (decades to centuries), influence of drought on fish effects in ecosystems, and at the spatial scale of river basins to subcontinents. However, some of these gaps have recently been addressed, particularly additive effects of repeated drying episodes and whole‐lake or basin‐wide effects of drought, and in using molecular techniques to seek signals of drought at wide geographic scales because of events in the deep past. Gaps in knowledge remain for effects of very short dry periods, on drought effects on higher levels of complexity, and on the manner in which droughts at the scale of decades affect fish.
• 3 Data from streams in Oklahoma and elsewhere in the south‐western U.S.A. suggest that most droughts may leave little persistent signal in the existing fish fauna, i.e. that recovery from drought by fish populations or assemblages in the region can be rapid. However, species that are vulnerable to drought or water loss in streams may have disappeared from some basins in the region before the mid‐1900s, and recent evidence also suggests that extreme droughts do sometimes alter fish assemblages.
• 4 Little is known about mechanisms by which droughts have direct or indirect effects on fish, the roles of droughts in the evolution of fish species, and the ways droughts alter effects of fish in ecosystems. Global climate changes may have serious consequences for future local or regional fish faunas, but ongoing studies of fish experiencing drought may aid in future conservation of what will become species at risk under climate‐change scenarios.

     

Multiple modes in a coral species abundance distribution

Species abundance distributions are an important measure of biodiversity and community structure. These distributions are affected by sampling, and alternative species-abundance models often make similar predictions for small sample sizes. Very large samples reveal the relative abundances of rare species, and thus provide information about species relative abundances that small samples cannot. Here, we present the species-abundance distribution for a sample of > 40,000 coral colonies at a single site, exceeding existing samples of coral local assemblages by over an order of magnitude. This abundance distribution is multimodal when examined on a logarithmic scale. Four different model selection procedures all indicate that the underlying community abundance distribution has at least three modes. We show that the multiple modes are not caused by mixtures of species with different habitat preferences. However, spatial aggregation partially explains our results. We inspect published work on species abundance distributions, and suggest that multimodality may be a common feature of large samples.     

淹水时间对水稻土中地杆菌科群落结构及丰度的影响

【目的】通过模拟水稻土淹水过程,探讨地杆菌科(Geobacteraceae)群落结构和相对丰度随淹水时间的动态变化特征,揭示其群落结构和相对丰度变化与微生物Fe(Ⅲ)还原的内在联系。【方法】提取水稻土淹水培养1 h、1 d、5 d、10 d、20 d和30 d后的微生物总DNA,构建地杆菌科16S rDNA克隆文库,采用PCR-RFLP方法分析地杆菌科的群落结构和多样性变化特征,通过Real-time PCR技术测定地杆菌科相对丰度的动态变化。采用厌氧泥浆培养方法,测定水稻土中Fe(Ⅱ)产生量变化。【结果】供试水稻土中,微生物Fe(Ⅲ)还原过程在淹水培养初期变化明显,培养20 d后达到稳定期,最大铁还原潜势为10.16 mg/g,最大反应速率为1.064 mg/(g.d),最大反应速率对应的时间为4.84 d。α多样性指数显示,水稻土中地杆菌科的多样性随淹水时间延长呈现波动性变化,淹水5 d和20 d处理出现2个峰值,而淹水10 d和30 d处理的多样性明显减小。β多样性指数表明淹水过程中群落结构存在明显差异。不同淹水时间共产生了10种地杆菌科优势类型,分别属于Clade 1和Clade 2。Real-time PCR结果表明,地杆菌科与总细菌16S rDNA丰度的比值在淹水培养1 d时最小(1.20%),而20 d时达到最大值(4.54%)。【结论】淹水培养的水稻土中,地杆菌科微生物的多样性和相对丰度的动态变化与微生物Fe(Ⅲ)还原过程密切相关。     

设施蔬菜种植年限对氮素循环微生物群落结构和丰度的影响

以甘肃武威设施菜地为研究对象,采用末端限制性片段多态性分析(PCR-T-RFLP)和实时荧光定量PCR(real-time PCR)相结合的方法,研究了设施菜地种植3、9、14、17年等年限下土壤中细菌、氨氧化细菌(AOB)和nirK型反硝化细菌群落结构和丰度的变化.结果表明: 设施菜地中细菌、氨氧化细菌和nirK型反硝化细菌优势种群及丰度与大田明显不同,并随种植年限不同发生变化.随种植年限的增加,细菌和nirK型反硝化细菌的丰度呈现先增后减的趋势,分别在种植14年和9年达到最大,0～20 cm土层为每克干土9.67×10⁹、2.30×10⁷个拷贝数,是种植3年的1.51、1.52倍;而氨氧化细菌的丰度则呈现出先减后增的趋势,在种植14年的0～20 cm土层为每克干土3.28×10⁷个拷贝数,仅是种植3年土壤的45.7%,说明设施菜地中参与氮素循环的功能微生物生态适应机制存在显著差异.研究结果为进一步研究设施栽培条件下土壤微生物的适应机制等奠定了基础.