The Distribution of Tardigrades Upwind and Downwindof a Missouri Coal-Burning Power Plant

Significant differences occurred in the density of tardigrades, rotifers, and nematodes and the diversity of tardigrades between collecting sites located upwind and downwind from a coal-burning power plant in Missouri. The oak tree species and lichen genera also varied in the two areas. Tardigrade and rotifer densities were greater in upwind sites, whereas nematode density was higher in downwind samples. One tardigrade species (Ramazzottius sp.) was found only at the upwind sites, and one species (Echiniscus sp.) was only in the downwind samples. In contrast, three species (Macrobiotus sp., Minibiotus sp., and Milnesium tardigradum) were found both upwind and downwind but in different densities in the two areas. The study presents baseline data for long-term monitoring of the effects of environmental factors on nematode and rotifer densities as well as tardigrade density and diversity.     

Anhydrobiotic Survival in Populations of the Tardigrades Richtersius coronifer and Ramazzottius oberhaeuseri from Italy and Sweden

We report a study on anhydrobiotic survival in the eutardigrades Richtersius coronifer and Ramazzottius oberhaeuseri. In each of these species, we investigated the anhydrobiotic survival of two populations, one from Sweden and one from Italy. We found that anhydrobiotic survival was similar in the Swedish and the Italian populations in both species, indicating no divergence with respect to anhydrobiotic capacity. Body size had a strong effect on the probability to recover from anhydrobiosis, but the effect was in opposite direction in the two tardigrade species. Ramazzottius oberhaeuseri had a considerable higher overall survival (66%) than R. coronifer (40%). This result is in line with earlier studies that found R. oberhaeuseri to have a very high water-retentive capacity.     

Graphical Presentation of the African Tardigrade FaunaUsing GIS with the Description of Isohypsibius malawiensis sp. n. (Eutardigrada: Hypsibiidae) from Lake Malawi

The tardigrade fauna of the African continent is reviewed and presented graphically using Worldmap, a Geographical Information System (GIS) developed for exploring geographical diversity patterns in large biological datasets. References to the African tardigrade fauna have been gathered from published literature and supplemented with unpublished species information from the collection of Prof. Reinhardt M. Kristensen (RMK), Zoological Museum, University of Copenhagen. 156 species belonging to 36 genera of tardigrades are present. They consist of 105 eutardigrade species and 51 heterotardigrade species, of which 42 species are semiterrestrial and 9 species are marine. The presence of tardigrades are reported from 20 countries, but of these 9 are represented by a single reference. Marine tardigrades in particular have been neglected, with only a single report from the shores of the African continent. Data from the RMK collection of samples from Egypt is included in the analysis.

The scattered and sparse knowledge of the African tardigrade distribution makes general conclusions difficult, but emphasises the large regions which require further investigation. The current distribution patterns corresponds with easy accessible or ‘tourist’ locations. Regions where GIS could be used to illustrate ecological preferences are also pointed out by the analysis.

Isohypsibius malawiensis sp. n. is described from Lake Malawi. It has a smooth body surface and lacks eyes. The heteronych claws are without lunulae, but below the claws a double arched cuticular bar is present. The dorsal and ventral apophyses of the buccal tube have a large drop-shaped swelling. The first macroplacoid is the largest followed by the second, which is only slightly larger than the third; microplacoid is absent. Males are smaller than females. Females lay only one to two very large eggs in the exuvium. The Malpighian tubules are clover-shaped. The new species is interstitial in coarse sediment and no other tardigrade species were present.     

Distribution of Tardigrades within a Moss Cushion: Do Tardigrades Migrate in Response to Changing Moisture Conditions?

The distribution of tardigrades within the layers of the cushion moss Grimmia alpicola Hedwig, 1801 was investigated. The aim of this study was to determine the tardigrade species present within the moss layers during both wet and dry periods and to determine if migration occurred in response to changing moisture conditions. Samples of the moss were removed from concrete caps on brick fence posts before and after rainfall and separated into two sections (top and bottom). The tardigrades from each layer and moisture condition were identified to species. Data for each species were statistically analyzed with a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) to compare the numbers of individuals present in the top and bottom layers of the moss under both wet and dry conditions.

Five tardigrade species were identified, including two species new to science: Macrobiotus sp. n.; Milnesium tardigradum Doyère, 1840; Echiniscus viridissimus Peterfi, 1956; Echiniscus perviridis Ramazzotti, 1959; and Echiniscus sp. n. The new species will be described in a forthcoming paper. No significant differences were found in the numbers of individuals of four of the five species in each layer within the moss or for each moisture condition. Only one species, E. viridissimus, was significantly more frequent in the top layer of the moss, regardless of moisture condition.

Migration within the moss cushion was not detected in any of these five species as a result of changes in moisture conditions. In xeric moss species, it may not be beneficial for tardigrades to migrate to avoid desiccation. Instead, they apparently undergo anhydrobiosis in both the top and bottom layers of the moss cushion.     

Effects of PMSG and ram contact on the reproductive performance of progestagen-treated ewes during breeding and anestrous seasons

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of combinations of PMSG treatment and ram contact on the reproductive performance of progestagen-treated ewes during three different times of the year, Febraury (early anestrus), July (late anestrus) and October (breeding season). A total of 109 multiparous Dorset ewes was used. Ewes were treated with intravaginal progestagen pessaries for 12 days, injected with 500 IU PMSG at pessary removal and either isolated from rams prior to mating (n = 12, February; n = 12, July; n = 8, October) or exposed to rams during pessary treatment (n = 17, February; n = 12, July; n = 8, October). A third treatment group (n = 18, February; n = 6, July; n = 8, October) received pessaries and ram exposure but no PMSG. An additional treatment of progestagen pessaries alone was included in October (n = 8). There were no differences among treatments in their ability to induce estrus at different times of the year, but incidence of estrus tended (P < 0.10) to be lower for PMSG treatment during the July breeding. During February, the use of pessaries with PMSG treatment increased (P < 0.05) conception and lambing rates, whereas ram contact was without any beneficial effects. The trend was reversed during July breeding, when ram contact increased (P < 0.05) fertility of progestagen-treated ewes compared with other treatment combinations. Pessaries alone were sufficient to attain acceptable levels of fertility and fecundity in October.     

Ecological Distribution and Community Analysis of Tardigrada from Choccolocco Creek, Alabama

A seasonal survey of tardigrade populations in the riparian zone of the Choccolocco Creek, Alabama, was undertaken from August 1994 through December 1995. Six sites within the riparian zone were sampled in different portions of the creek. At each site, 3 trees with cryptogams were sampled six times during survey period. From a total of 108 samples, 1,588 tardigrades were extracted and individually mounted on slides in Hoyer's medium. The community was dominated (86%) by specimens in the genus Macrobiotus. One species of Echiniscus was new to science and will be described in a separate paper. No significant difference was found between tardigrade occurrence (total number of individuals) and season, moss genera, or tree species. However, there was a significant relationship between the number of tardigrades and site, indicating the need for additional replicate samples. Simpson's and Shannon-Wiener's species diversity indices indicated that species richness and evenness were low. Jaccard's and Standard's community similarity indices suggested that the communities within the riparian zone were dissimilar along Choccolocco Creek.     

Rearing Tardigrades: Results and Problems

We report our first results of attempts to rear four species of eutardigrades inhabiting different substrates, feeding on different kinds of food and characterized by different sexual conditions and modes of reproduction. Attempts were carried out to follow individual terrestrial carnivorous (Macrobiotus richtersi, M. joannae) and limnic herbivorous (Diphascon cf. scoticum; Isohypsibius monoicus) species. Carnivorous leaf litter-dwelling species were reared in small dishes containing agar as substrate and bacteriophagous nematodes as food. Five generations were obtained with the triploid thelytokous strain of M. richtersi, whereas three generations were obtained with the hermaphrodite species M. joannae. Diphascon cf. scoticum and I. monoicus were reared in small dishes containing algae as food and substrate. Several generations were obtained for both species. Males were never found in D. cf. scoticum and I. monoicus was hermaphroditic. Specimens isolated from hatchings were maintained and reproduced in both species, demonstrating parthenogenesis in the first one and self-fertilization in the latter. Consideration of the problems and on the future applications of tardigrade rearing are discussed.     

晋西黄土区辽东栎和山杨树干液流对环境因子的响应

2012年4—10月,应用TDP热扩散探针技术,对生长季晋西黄土区次生林主要组成树种辽东栎和山杨树干液流速率进行测定,结合同步测定的空气相对湿度(RH)、太阳光合有效辐射(PAR)、大气温度(T)和土壤含水量(θ)等环境因子,分析液流速率对环境因子的响应.结果表明: 5、6月,影响辽东栎和山杨树干液流速率的主要气象因子是空气饱和水汽压差(VPD)和PAR;7、8月,影响辽东栎和山杨树干液流速率的主要气象因子是VPD和T.除气象因子外,土壤水分条件也是驱动液流变化的重要因素,降雨后θ的增加能够有效影响液流速率,5、6、7、8月,辽东栎降雨后的平均液流速率比降雨前分别增大了28.3％、48.6％、16.9％、11.5％,山杨在6、7、8月降雨后的平均液流速率比降雨前分别增大了0.6％、4.5％、2.3％,辽东栎的增幅明显大于山杨.辽东栎液流速率对降雨后土壤含水量变化更敏感,表现出更高的耗水能力和需水要求,而降雨后山杨的耗水策略仍较保守.液流速率和VPD的关系可以采用指数饱和曲线函数拟合,降雨前后拟合参数的变化说明土壤水分条件的改善能够促进液流速率更快速地到达饱和值.     

The Tardigrades of Emilia (Italy). III. Piane di Mocogno (Northern Apennines)

Samples of leaf litter, mosses and lichens were collected in a beech forest at Piane di Mocogno (Emilia, Italy), 1200 m asl. The tardigrade community of the leaf litter was similar to that found in this substrate in Italy and in the U.S.A. At Piane di Mocogno the species association within the leaf litter was different from that in mosses and lichens (which have similar fauna), confirming that very different communities characterise different substrates such as leaf litter and mosses. During this faunal analysis, six species of tardigrades were found for the first time in this area. The presence of Microhypsibius bertolanii (first record in leaf litter and in Italy) and Eohypsibius nadjae are note worthy. Ornamented eggs in an exuvium of Hypsibius cf.scabropygus were also recorded for the first time.     

A Large-scale, Multihabitat Inventory of the Phylum Tardigrada in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USA: A Preliminary Report

An All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI) is underway in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP), with the goal of attempting to identify all species of life in the 2000 km² park. The GSMNP is a hotbed of biodiversity, a U.N. Biosphere Reserve, and one of the largest protected, deciduous forests in the temperate world. We have completed two field seasons of work on the tardigrades in the park (2001–2002). As of July 2003, we have collected 420 samples from soil/decomposed leaf litter, lichens and mosses on trees, and stream sediment and periphyton. A few samples from caves, bird nests, and lichens/mosses on rocks were also collected. Samples were taken from within permanent plots established for the ATBI, representing the major biological communities of the GSMNP. Tardigrades were extracted from samples using centrifugation with Ludox AM™, individually mounted on microscope slides in Hoyer’s medium, and studied with phase contrast and DIC microscopy. We have examined 1524 slides from 60 samples as of July 2003. Prior to our work, only three species of tardigrades had been previously reported from a few samples in the park. We have now recorded 42 species, 8 of which we believe may be new to science. Species richness estimates were calculated using EstimateS 6 software for each of the major tardigrade habitats. Overall, we predict that there are 47 to 76 species in the GSMNP, with generally similar species richness in soil, lichen, moss, and stream habitats. Species richness estimates were also used to determine that the number of tardigrade species was greater in mosses at breast height on trees than in mosses at the base of trees.     

长白山阔叶红松林3个常见树种径向生长的影响因素

为探究树木径向生长的影响因子,基于对长白山阔叶红松林25 hm²样地中3个常见树种红松、紫椴、蒙古栎连续5年的生长环监测数据,分析各树种的季节生长变化,比较树种间的生长速率差异,并分析初始径级、邻体树木竞争、土壤、地形因素等对不同树种径向生长的作用.结果表明: 3个树种径向生长的季节变化趋势一致,树木于5月末开始生长,7月是生长旺盛期,8月底生长开始减缓,于10月中下旬停止生长.3个树种的径向相对生长率存在显著差异,蒙古栎相对径向生长率显著高于红松和紫椴,该差异在小、中径级个体中表现更为显著.3个树种径向生长的主要影响因子不同,邻体树木的竞争显著抑制了红松和蒙古栎的径向生长,而紫椴的径向生长主要受初始径级、土壤和地形等因子的影响.     

Factors influencing the distribution of aquatic plant communities in Irish canals

Terrestrial tardigrades are often found in the lichens and mosses growing on trees and rocks. The assertion that tardigrades in these habitats are very patchy in their distribution has rarely been backed by quantitative sampling. This study assesses spatial variability in tardigrade populations inhabiting small patches (0.1 cm² to over 5 cm²) of moss and lichen on trees and rocks at three sites in the United States of America. Tardigrades were collected from four replicate rocks in the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas, with 30 lichen patches collected on two adjacent boulders and 20 moss patches on a second pair of boulders. In Fort Myers and in Citrus Springs, Florida, 30 lichen patches per tree were collected from two pairs of trees. The tardigrades in each sample were extracted, mounted, identified, and counted. The variation in tardigrade abundance among lichen or moss patches within rocks or trees was very high; the only consistent pattern was that very small patches usually lacked tardigrades. Tardigrade diversity and abundance also varied greatly within sites when lichens and mosses of the same species from different rocks and trees were compared (in the most extreme case one tree had numerous individuals of two tardigrade species present while the other had almost no tardigrades). The results of this quantitative sampling support the assertion that tardigrades are very patchy in distribution. Given the considerable time investment required for the quantitative processing of tardigrade samples, this high spatial variability in tardigrade diversity and abundance requires that researches testing ecological hypotheses about tardigrade abundance check variability before deciding how many samples to take.     

拓林湾浮游桡足类生态研究

2000年7月至2001年7月的周年调查结果表明,粤东柘林湾浮游桡足类29属57种,其中,强额拟哲水蚤Paracalanus crassirostris和短角长腹剑水蚤Oithona brevicornis为优势种,合计占浮游桡足类总个体数的66.7%.柘林湾是一个浮游桡足类相对丰富的海湾,年均总个体数达5.4×10³ind.·m^-3.浮游桡足类的种类数和总个体数均表现为湾外大于湾内的平面分布格局,周年变化基本上为单峰型,高峰期位于5~10月,最低谷位于冬季1月。     

齐云山国家级自然保护区蝴蝶群落多样性

为研究齐云山国家级自然保护区蝴蝶群落多样性, 2016年4月至2018年10月, 作者在江西齐云山国家级自然保护区不同生境选取5条长2,000 m的固定样线进行了每年6次、累计18次的蝶类多样性调查。共记录到蝴蝶6,946只, 隶属5科106属189种, 其中东洋界种类是优势类群(183种, 占总种数的96.8%)。蛱蝶科的种类最多(81种, 占42.9%), 其物种丰富度指数(R = 8.42)、多样性指数(H′= 3.21)和优势度指数(D = 0.60)较高, 属于优势类群。齐云山国家级自然保护区蝴蝶个体数从4月开始逐渐增加, 到6-7月基本稳定并维持到10月;物种数在4-10月基本稳定, 具有较高的多样性指数。保护区内不同生境观测样线的蝴蝶种类和数目有较大的差异: 针阔混交林的桐江样线蝴蝶种类(126种, 占66.7%)及数目(1,945只, 占28.2%)最多, 其物种丰富度指数(R = 16.51)最高; 常绿阔叶林的上十八垒样线蝴蝶数目相对较少(905只, 占13.0%), 但是蝴蝶种类相对较多(103种, 占54.5%), 所以多样性指数(H′= 3.93)和优势度指数(D = 0.85)较高; 农田和果园生境的三角潭样线由于生境简单且人为干扰强度较大, 蝴蝶物种数相对较少(97种, 占51.3%)。研究表明: 江西省齐云山国家级自然保护区的蝴蝶区系组成以东洋区为绝对主导的分布类型, 蝴蝶群落多样性与生境类型有明显的相关性, 季节性的农耕活动、除草剂农药的大量使用、寄主植物的大量砍伐等人类活动威胁到蝴蝶的多样性及蝶类群落结构的稳定性。     

Diurnal Activity Rhythms and Niche Differentiation in a Carrion Beetle Assemblage (Coleoptera: Silphidae) in Opava, the Czech Republic

Diurnal activity rhythms of carrion beetles (Coleoptera: Silphidae) were investigated in the surroundings of Opava in the Czech Republic. Beetles were collected in automatic pitfall traps at two-hour catch intervals during three one-month periods in spring (May), summer (July) and autumn (October) in forest and meadow habitats. Five Nicrophorinae species: N. vespillo, N. vespilloides, N. humator, N. fossor and N. investigator and three Silphinae species: Thanatophilus sinuatus, T. rugosus and Oiceoptoma thoracica occurred in the study sites. T. sinuatus, T. rugosus and O. Thoracica showed exclusively diurnal activity patterns. N. fossor and N. investigator were active from the late afternoon to the nightfall. The other carrion beetles did not show a restricted pattern of diurnal activity. Patterns of temporal utilisation among species were compared using Levins¹ measure of niche breadth and Horn's index of niche overlap. Lower niche overlap was found between species with different habitat preference. During the autumn period niche release was observed, due to lesser competition for carrion with species that only need feeding before hibernation.     

中街山列岛海洋保护区虾类优势种时空生态位

为了解中街山列岛海洋保护区内虾类种群特征和生存状况,根据2018年1、4、7和10月该海域拖网调查数据,基于相对重要性指数、Shannon指数、Pianka公式以及Pearson相关系数,对该海域虾类优势种的时空生态位进行分析。结果表明: 该海域共采集鉴定虾类16种,隶属于10科13属,其中葛氏长臂虾、中华管鞭虾、鲜明鼓虾、哈氏仿对虾、日本鼓虾为优势种,隶属于4科4属。优势种时间生态位宽度变化幅度较大,而空间生态位宽度变化幅度较小,时间生态位宽度与适温性呈显著相关。小型虾类日本鼓虾的时空生态位宽度值最高。哈氏仿对虾和中华管鞭虾的时间生态位重叠值最大,二者时间同步性高,季节性竞争剧烈。所有优势种均存在显著的空间生态位重叠,说明优势种虾类空间同域性高,区域性竞争整体较强。哈氏仿对虾与葛氏长臂虾的时空生态位重叠值最大,表明二者在该海域对水环境和生物环境的选择以及产卵和洄游习性等相似度高,可能存在激烈的种间竞争。本研究旨在为海洋生物时空生态位的应用研究提供参考。     

中国燕山地区地星属2个新种

地星属Geastrum隶属于担子菌门Basidiomycota、伞菌纲Agaricomycetes、地星目Geastrales、地星科Geastraceae,因奇特的外观、生态和医药用价值吸引了国内外真菌工作者的关注.本研究对燕山地区地星种类进行了详细调查,通过形态学观察结合ITS-LSU-rpb1-atp6四基因系统...