Climatic impact on tree-ring widths in Abies borisii-regis forests from South-East Albania

The long-term radial growth responses to drought and climatic variability of less-studied species such as Abies borisii-regis (Mattf.) remain poorly understood.We tested the hypothesis that severe short-term drought conditions during summer months will impact the radial growth of A. borisii-regis (Mattf.) trees and such impact will have a more pronounced effect on latewood (LW) than earlywood (EW) width.Correlation analysis was employed to investigate the impact of climatic drivers (temperature, precipitation) and drought, using the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) calculated at cumulative time scales (1–12 months), on EW, LW and tree-ring width (TRW) in A. borisii-regis (Mattf.) trees from South-Eastern Albania.We found that EW width was positively correlated with precipitation in July and previous September, while the LW width and TRW was enhanced by the current June–July precipitation. Previous autumn and current summer high temperatures constrained the radial growth in A. borisii-regis (Mattf.) trees, particularly the LW and TRW. All the tree-ring widths components showed the highest significant response to drought at short cumulative time scales (<4 months) mainly during July, August and September. The highest impact of drought was observed for the LW width.Under a future reduction of summer precipitation and temperature increase, the A. borisii-regis (Mattf.) may show a decrease in EW formation, causing a decline of radial growth, leading to a reduction in hydraulic conductivity and carbon uptake in these forests.     

Status and prospects of tree-ring research in Central Asia

Central Asia is the world’s largest non-zonal arid area, with rare and uneven precipitation. As a sensitive area of global change and with a vulnerable ecological environment, Central Asia is largely affected by global change. Various long-lived conifer species widely distributed in the mountains of Central Asia have become an important proxy for studying historical climatic, hydrological, and vegetation changes in this region. This paper reviews research progress on tree rings in Central Asia; specifically, the current state of research is addressed, highlights and bottleneck problems associated with the research are analyzed and discussed, and suggestions and prospects for further study of dendrochronology in this area are proposed.     

Climatic signals in tree-ring widths and wood structure of Pinus halepensis in contrasted environmental conditions

Tree-ring widths (RW), earlywood (EW) and latewood (LW) widths, the transition from early to latewood (T) and the occurrence of intra-annual density fluctuations in EW (E-ring) and in LW (L-ring), as well as the presence of resin canals in EW and LW, were analyzed in Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis Mill.) from three sites in Spain and one in Slovenia to find out if the anatomical characteristics can provide additional seasonal climate–growth information from contrasted environmental conditions. Principal component analysis was applied to elucidate the relationship between the measured parameters and climate. Principal component factor PC1 proved to be related to parameters of EW and the climatic variables of winter-spring; PC2 to parameters of LW and climatic variables of summer–autumn; PC3 to conditions during transitions from humid to dry periods. The three PCs vary between sites and are determined by the climatic conditions during their formation. The study demonstrates that wood anatomical features may provide complementary information to that contained in tree-ring widths. Since such results are obtained on contrasting sites, it is likely that it may be generalized over the wide range of P. halepensis distribution representing a useful proxy for studies on a regional scale.     

A millennium-long tree-ring chronology of Sabina przewalskii on northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Long tree-ring records on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) are important for understanding better the Asian monsoon variability and its linkage with other global climate systems such as El Niño/Southern Oscillation activities. Here we report a 1017-year tree-ring chronology of Sabina przewalskii Kom. from the northeastern QTP. Climate–growth response function and correlation analyses show that radial growth of Sabina trees is positively associated with total precipitation in May and June of the growth year. Multidecadal variation in Delingha tree-ring chronology exhibits similar pattern with those of Dulan and Wulan chronologies of the nearby areas, suggesting that spring precipitation is a major factor limiting the growth of Sabina trees over a large spatial scale. Corresponding to the Little Ice Age, the three chronologies indicate spring droughts during 1440s to mid-1510s, mid-1640s to 1720s, late 1780s to late 1820s, and around mid-1870s. Examination of the tree-ring record in two largest historically documented El Niño events of 1789–93 and 1877–79 reveals that these very strong El Niño events were associated with conditions of spring droughts, and weakening of pre-monsoon circulation may precede occurrence of El Niño in some cases. The relationship between reduced monsoonal precipitation and very strong El Niño activity is, however, much complex and worth further study by spatio-temporal expansion of data coverage in the future.     

Reconstruction of pre-monsoon weather conditions in northwestern Thailand from the tree-ring widths of Pinus merkusii and Pinus kesiya

Two pine species, Pinus merkusii and Pinus kesiya, native in Thailand were studied for their potential to reconstruct past weather conditions from their tree rings. Altogether, cores from 209 Merkus pines and from 205 Khasi pines were sampled at 16 sites. Standard methods were applied to assemble tree-ring chronologies for each site and tree species. The longest site chronology of Merkus pine and Khasi pine covered 314 and 183 years, respectively. Principal component analysis (PCA) illustrated a close clustering of all, except two, site chronologies on the PC1 axis, indicating a strong signal common for both pine species throughout NW Thailand. However, along the PC2 axis, there was a distinct separation between the Merkus pine and the Khasi pine site chronologies, which was possibly due to the species-specific differences in site altitudes. Simple correlations between the PC1 time series and a regionalized climate data set showed a highly negative association with temperature during the pre-monsoon period from March to May. Since, pre-monsoon temperature and rainfall were negatively correlated with each other, we used the PC1 as a direct proxy for pre-monsoon weather conditions (warm/dry vs. cool/wet) back to 1834 AD.     

东北亚地区几种生长自槭树属上的核菌（英文）

报道了采自东北亚地区的长自槭树属上几种核菌。文中对几种核菌进行了详细的形态描述,提供了显微结构图及与相近种的讨论。其中Eutypella albomaculata作为新种被描述。     

Serum chemistry of the minke whale from the northeastern Atlantic

Serum samples were collected from 42 harpooned minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) during commercial whaling off the coast of northern Norway (1997 and 1998) and analyzed for serum chemistry parameters in order to find clinical reference values for the northeastern Atlantic stock of this species. Mean and median values, as well as standard deviation and 90% central range, are presented for 28 different serum chemistry parameters. Lipemia is a common finding in marine mammals such as the minke whale, and chemical analysis of lipemic serum samples may produce artifacts. We found statistically significant elevated values of total protein, globulin, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), sodium and chloride in strongly-lipemic compared to non-lipemic samples, all which may be artifacts due to interference of lipids with the methods used for analysis. In addition, we found significantly elevated levels of creatin kinase, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), urea, uric acid and triglycerides, as well as a decrease in creatinine in the strongly lipemic samples. Reanalyzing serum samples after twelve mo storage at -20 C (n = 13) revealed reduction in the serum concentration of the enzymes ALT (42%), alkaline phosphatase (ALP; 10%), LDH (19%), gamma glutamyl transferase (17%) and amylase (11%), as well as for triglycerides (9%) and non-esterified fatty acids (16%). It is crucial that serum chemistry analysis is performed without delay after sampling. Possible changes in the values of some parameters due to the presence of high amounts of lipids or long term storage of samples must be considered when interpreting results from serum chemistry analysis in these animals.     

Spatial and age-dependent tree-ring growth responses of Larix gmelinii to climate in northeastern China

Tree-ring width chronologies from 276 Larix gmelinii cores taken in northeastern China were used to analyze spatial and age-dependent growth–climate response relationships. Tree radial growth from five localities showed similar patterns, while exhibiting different tree-ring growth responses to local climate. The rotated principal component analysis (RPCA) indicated that tree age, growing season moisture conditions, and ambient air temperature variations resulted from location differences (e.g., longitude, latitude, and altitude), which could explain the non-stationary spatial climate–growth relations observed. The study tested the fundamental assumption that the climate–growth of L. gmelinii was age independent after the removal of size trends and disturbance signals. The age-related climate–growth relationship might potentially improve the veracity of past climate reconstructions. Bootstrapped correlation function analyses suggested that the response of L. gmelinii radial growth to climate differed between trees ≥150 years old and <150 years old. Mean sensitivity and standard deviation for trees increased with age in the <150 years old tree class; whereas trees ≥150 years old had no significant relationship with age. These results showed that the assumption of age-independent climate–growth relationship is invalid at these sites. Physiological processes and/or hydraulic constraints dependent on tree age, together with detrending techniques could be the possible causal factors of clear age-dependent responses. These results suggested the importance of incorporating trees of all ages into the chronology to recover a detailed climatic signal in a reconstruction of L. gmelinii for this region.     

The Scyphomedusae of the Rockall Trough, northeastern Atlantic Ocean

An extensive series of samples between the surface and 2700m depth have been taken in the Rockall Trough between 1973 and1978. The coronate medusae, in decreasing order of abundanceoccurring in the Trough are: Periphylla periphylla, Atolla wyvillei,A. parva, A. vanhoeffeni and Nausitho? globifera. The last specieswas rare and no information on its biology was obtained. Theother species breed within the Trough, the three Atolla speciesthroughout the year. Few large mature Periphylla periphyllawere caught and its breeding season remains undefined. Theirmorphology and vertical and geographical distributions are brieflydiscussed. The semaeostomid medusae, Pelagia noctiluca, Aureliaaurita and Cyanea lamarckii also occurred, the latter two speciesconfined to the Rockall Bank.     

Six captures of a dark-rumped, fork-tailed storm-petrel in the northeastern Atlantic

We report here the occurrence of at least six records since 1983 of dark-rumped and fork-tailed Storm-petrels. The first one was attributed to the Swinhoe's Storm-petrel Oceanodroma monorhis , a subspecies or a close relative of Leach's Storm-petrel O. leucorhoa , breeding in Japan. As it seemed unlikely that six birds from Japan would appear in the northeastern Atlantic nearly simultaneously, a closer examination of measurements and calls was performed. However, after a careful study of systematics within the Leach's Storm-petrel complex, it is concluded that the European birds are inseparable from monorhis , and it is suggested that a yet undiscovered colony may exist in the North Atlantic.     

Nyctohemeral variations of marine bioluminescence in the Mediterranean and the northeastern Atlantic]

Bioluminescence measurements have been made using a bathyphotometer allowing the determination of stimulated light intensities down to 2,000 m depth, in the Mediterranean Sea on the Almeria-Oran front, during the winter 1997-1998, and in the northeastern Atlantic, on the Armorican continental shelf, during summers 1999 and 2000. Bioluminescence is weaker in the Mediterranean than in the Atlantic. In the epipelagic waters, day/night variations appear clearly, stimulated bioluminescence is higher at night than during the day. These diel variations can be explained by vertical migration of bioluminescent organisms and by photoinhibition of dinoflagellate bioluminescence. Fluorescence measurements made at the same time give information about potential bioluminescent sources, autotrophic and heterotrophic.     

Fragmentation causes rarity in common marmosets in the Atlantic forest of northeastern Brazil

The purpose of this study was to investigate the population status of the common marmosets, Callithrix jacchus, in one of their main habitats, the northeastern Atlantic forest of Brazil, where only 2% of its original area remains as small and isolated forest fragments, to determine long-term viable populations. The study was carried out in 15 forest fragments, measuring from 3,478.3 ha (the largest) to 6 ha, which were invariably subjected to high human impact. Line transect surveys were carried out between January 2002 and December 2004, along transects measuring from 350 to 4,000 m, between 0500 h and 0900 h. Common marmosets were registered in 73% (n = 11) of the forest fragments, were not recorded in the largest one, the Coimbra Forest, and group sizes varied from 1 to 4 individuals. A negative significant relationship was detected between the size of the fragment and the number of sightings of common marmosets. It is shown that the number of groups of common marmosets dwelling in this highly impacted landscape is nowadays lower than necessary for long-term survival. Additionally, smaller fragments having more groups suggests that they live in total association with humans, which assure their subsistence through the supply of introduced and exotic foods.     

A comparative phytosociological study of the subalpine coniferous forests in northeastern Asia

Previous classification systems of the subalpine coniferous forests, belonging to the class Vaccinio-Piceetea Br.-Bl. 1939, in northeastern Asia were reviewed based on phytosociological data of Korea and Japan. A new order, the Abieti nephrolepidis-Piceetalia jezoensis was proposed for the subalpine coniferous forests in the continental part of northeastern Asia. Its distribution range and subordinate vegetation units are as follows:Order Abieti nephrolepidis-Piceetalia jezoensis ordo nov.In Korea:Alliance Abieti nephrolepidis-Piceion jezoensis Song 1991Association Taxo-Pinetum pumilae Song et Nakanishi 1985Association Thujo-Abietetum nephrolepidis Song 1991Association Abieti koreanae-Piceetum jezoensis Song 1991Alliance Abietion koreanae Song 1991Association Saso-Abietetum koreanae Song et Nakanishi 1985Association Betulo saitoanae-Abietetum koreanae (Song et Nakanishi 1985) em. Song 1991In northeast China and Maritime Province of Siberia, U.S.S.R.: (one separate alliance level or the same alliance as Abieti nephrolepidis-Piceion jezoensis)Formation Abies nephrolepis form. (Wu 1980)Formation Picea jezoensis-Abies nephrolepis form. (Wu 1980)Generally the Abieti nephrolepidis-Piceetalia jezoensis develops under the dry and cool continental climate and on the monophylogenic Dark Brown Conifer Soil Group derived mostly from granite and granitic gneiss. The subalpine or subarctic coniferous forests in Hokkaido, Sakhalin and Southern Kuriles may also belong to the Abieti nephrolepidis-Piceetalia jezoensis because of their floristic composition and the historical relevance of plant geography. The subordinate vegetation units are as follows:Alliance Piceion jezoensis Suz.-Tok. ex Jinno et Suzuki 1973Association Piceo-Abietetum sachalinensis Ohba 1967Association Piceetum glehnii Suz.-Tok. ex Miyawaki 1988The Abieti veitchii-Piceetalia jezoensis hondoensis Miyawaki et al. 1968 seems to fit only to the subalpine coniferous forests of Honshu and Shikoku of the Japanese Archipelago.     

Restoration of Atlantic sturgeon in the northeastern USA with special emphasis on culture and restocking

Stocks of anadromous Atlantic sturgeon ( Acipenser oxyrhynchus ) on the east coast of the United States are severely depleted due to past over-fishing and habitat loss and degradation. All commercial fisheries for this species are now closed and several state and federal agencies are investigating the use of cultured fish for stock replenishment. A breeding and stocking protocol was developed to address genetic concerns and to provide guidance for culture programs.
Several thousand 3-month old cultured fingerling sturgeon were stocked in the Hudson River, New York, in 1994. Based on mark-recapture techniques, juvenile recoveries in 1995 and 1996 indicated that wild production was very weak in that river. In 1996, several thousand cultured and marked yearling sturgeon were stocked in the Nanticoke River in Maryland. Over the next 10 months, these fish grew well and became distributed throughout the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland and Virginia. The amount of useful information gained from these two examples of using cultured Atlantic sturgeon suggests a broader potential role. Without active intervention, such as a long-term commitment to using cultured fish, some sturgeon stocks on the U. S. Atlantic Coast may be lost.     

A 323-year long reconstruction of drought for SW Romania based on black pine (Pinus Nigra) tree-ring widths

Increase in temperature and decrease in precipitation pose a major future challenge for sustainable ecosystem management in Romania. To understand ecosystem response and the wider social consequences of environmental change, we constructed a 396-year long (1615–2010) drought sensitive tree-ring width chronology (TRW) of Pinus nigra var. banatica (Georg. et Ion.) growing on steep slopes and shallow organic soil. We established a statistical relationship between TRW and two meteorological parameters—monthly sum of precipitation (PP) and standardised precipitation index (SPI). PP and SPI correlate significantly with TRW (r?=?0.54 and 0.58) and are stable in time. Rigorous statistical tests, which measure the accuracy and prediction ability of the model, were all significant. SPI was eventually reconstructed back to 1688, with extreme dry and wet years identified using the percentile method. By means of reconstruction, we identified two so far unknown extremely dry years in Romania—1725 and 1782. Those 2 years are almost as dry as 1946, which was known as the “year of great famine.” Since no historical documents for these 2 years were available in local archives, we compared the results with those from neighbouring countries and discovered that both years were extremely dry in the wider region (Slovakia, Hungary, Anatolia, Syria, and Turkey). While the 1800–1900 period was relatively mild, with only two moderately extreme years as far as weather is concerned, the 1900–2009 period was highly salient owing to the very high number of wet and dry extremes—five extremely wet and three extremely dry events (one of them in 1946) were identified.     

The first discovery of apartidae (ammonoidea) in the Carnian of northeastern Asia

A new genus Siberioklipsteinia (with the type species S. dagysi sp. nov.) and a new species Arctoarpadites nelgesensis are described from the Carnian of the Kharaulakh Range and Yana Upland (eastern Yakutia). The new data allow refinement of the taxonomy of Carnian ammonoids of northeastern Asia and emendation of some details of their geographical differentiation. The new ammonoid taxa belong to the family Arpaditidae, which was not previously recorded from the eastern Boreal Realm.     

Pelagic-benthic coupling of nucleic acids in an abyssal location of the northeastern Atlantic Ocean.

Spatial and temporal changes in sedimentary nucleic acid concentrations in an abyssal locality of the northeastern Atlantic Ocean were investigated in relation to fluxes of nucleic acids produced in the photic layer. Sediment trap material, collected between 1996 and 1998 at depths of 1,000, 3,000, and 4,700 m, and sediment samples were analyzed for DNA and RNA content. Nucleic acid concentrations in the sediments were very high and displayed significant temporal changes, whereas mesoscale variability was low. DNA and RNA concentrations generally displayed opposite temporal patterns, which are likely to be dependent on the nature and characteristics of DNA and RNA molecules. Nucleic acid fluxes were high and displayed clear seasonal changes apparently coupled with seasonal pulses of primary production. However, while median values of DNA fluxes were relatively similar in all sediment traps, median values of RNA fluxes almost doubled from the 1,000- to the 4,700-m depth, suggesting differences in the metabolic activity of microbes associated with sinking particles. Significant relationships between DNA concentrations in the sediments and DNA fluxes and between RNA concentrations and RNA fluxes, indicating the presence of a clear pelagic-benthic coupling of particulate nucleic acids, were observed. The benthic system investigated was not steady state since we estimated that, from September 1996 to October 1998, nucleic acid concentration in the sediments decreased by about 165 mg of DNA m(-2). Vertical profiles revealed a significant decrease in DNA concentration with depth in the sediments, reaching an asymptotic value of about 5 microg g(-1). This DNA fraction constitutes a pool of potentially refractory DNA (accounting for 16 to 40% of the total DNA pool) that might be buried in the sediments.     

Zoogeographical classification of the macroparasite faunas of four flatfish species from the northeastern Atlantic

The macroparasite faunas of four righteye flounder species (flounder Platichthys flesus, witch flounder Glyptocephalus cynoglossus, American plaice Hippoglossoides platessoides and Atlantic halibut Hippoglossus hippoglossus) caught off the northern Norwegian coast at 70°N, were classified zoogeographically. The parasite faunas of all four host species were dominated by boreal parasites. This appears to be the situation with the entire area of distribution of these flatfish species. The relationship between the extension of the range of the host species towards the Arctic and the proportion of parasites belonging to the arctic group is indicated.     

The deep-water pycnogonids (Arthropoda: Pycnogonida) of the northeastern Atlantic Ocean

Over 2000 specimens of pycnogonid from deep-sea collections made in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean by IOS and SMBA between 1971 and 1994 have been analysed. Thirty-five species were identified, two being new to science, viz Nymphon akanthochoeros and an unnamed Anoplodactylus species. The deep-sea Pycnogonida of the northeastern Atlantic are reviewed using these data and records from the literature. Keys are presented for the six families represented by more than one species. The pycnogonid fauna of this area is characterized particularly by Paranymphon spinosum and Colossendeis clavata , with other dominant species including Colossendeis species, notably C. macenima , and Nymphon laterospinum, Anoplodactylus typhlops and A. arnaudae. Of the 54 species recorded below 200 m in the northeastern Atlantic, available evidence suggests that nine are 'endemic'. Relative distributions of the other species are discussed. A distinct change in the pycnogonid fauna with depth was found at around 1400 m. There is latitudinal separation of species groupings, shown most conspicuously by the shallower water species.