The taxonomic and ecological status of the environmentally restricted spongillid species of North America. I. Spongilla sponginosa Penney 1957

The taxonomic validity, present distribution, and specific threats to the existence of the freshwater sponge,Spongilla sponginosa Penney were investigated. This species, reported only from the type locality, Week's Pond, Sumter County, South Carolina, has apparently been extirpated due to highly acidic pH levels in the pond water. Examination of holotype materials indicate some question of the validity of S. sponginosa as a distinct species.     

The taxonomic and ecological status of the environmentally restricted spongillid species of North America. IV. Spongilla heterosclerifera Smith 1918

The taxonomic status, present distribution and specific threats to the existence of the environmentally restricted freshwater sponge, Spongilla heterosclerifera Smith 1918 were investigated. This species, collected only from Oneida Lake, New York, has not colonized other habitats and continues to exhibit typical diagnostic characteristics, thus qualifying as a valid environmentally restricted species. Although the sponge presently colonizes two sites in the lake, both near the northwestern shore, the total absence of sponge fauna from other lake regions near more heavily populated areas of this species. Physicochemical data from Oneida Lake greatly extend the known environmental parameters of Spongilla heterosclerifera.     

The taxonomic and ecological status of the environmentally restricted Spongillid species of North America. II. Anheteromeyenia biceps (Lindenschmidt, 1950)

The taxonomic validity, present distribution, and specific threats to the existence of the freshwater sponge, Anheteromeyenia biceps (Lindenschmidt, 1950) were investigated. The species, reported only from the type locality, Bessey Creek and Maple River, two streams flowing into Douglas Lake, Michigan, is relegated to synonomy with Ephydatia mülleri. Habitat data from Bessey Creek and Maple River, particularly physicochemical data, greatly extend the known environmental parameters of Heteromeyenia tubisperma and Ephydatia mülleri.     

pH and Eh on Aldabra atoll 1. comparison of marine and reshwater environments

An account is given of the range of pH and Eh in marine and freshwater aquatic sites on one atoll (Aldabra, Indian Ocean). There is a very wide range in values of pH and Eh for both marine and freshwater environments, the range for pH in general being wider in freshwater ones and Eh in marine ones. Photosynthetic microbial communities on lagoon sediments may be arranged in an approximate order of their association with sediments of particular Eh values. These are, from high to low: Scytonema sp., pennate diatoms, Schizothrix sp., Microcoleus chthonoplastes, Hyella balani, purple phototrophic bacteria.     

The effects of cadmium and mercury on gemmule formation and gemmosclere morphology in Ephydatia fluviatilis (Porifera : Spongillidae)

A laboratory study of the effects of cadmium and mercury on the freshwater sponge, Ephydatia fluviatilis, was conducted. Sponge cuttings were exposed to concentrations of cadmium or mercury which ranged from 1.000 to 0.001 ppm for one month. The responses exhibited by the specimens resulted in four groups characterized as follows: sponge colony survived and produced gemmules with normal gemmoscleres; sponge colony survived and produced gemmules with malformed gemmoscleres; sponge colony survived but did not gemmulate; sponge colony died. A direct discriminant functions analysis of the four sponge groups, metal concentrations and other chemical data established a highly significant correlation between increasing metal concentrations and amount of damage to the sponge.     

Diversity and assembly patterns of activated sludge microbial communities: A review

Understanding diversity and assembly patterns of microbial communities in activated sludge (AS) is pivotal for addressing fundamental ecological questions and wastewater treatment engineering. Recent applications of molecular methods especially high-throughput sequencing (HTS) have led to the explosion of information about AS community diversity, including the identification of uncultured taxa, and characterization of low-abundance but environmentally important populations such as antibiotic resistant bacteria and pathogens. Those progresses have facilitated the leverage of ecological theories in describing AS community assembly. The lognormal species abundance curve has been applied to estimate AS microbial richness. Taxa-area and taxa-time relationships (TAR and TTR) have been observed for AS microbial communities. Core AS microbial communities have been identified. Meanwhile, the roles of both deterministic and stochastic processes in shaping AS community structures have been examined. Nonetheless, it remains challenging to define tempo-spatial scales for reliable identification of community turnover, and find tight links between AS microbial structure and wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) functions. To solve those issues, we expect that future research will focus on identifying active functional populations in AS using omics- methods integrated with stable-isotope probing (SIP) with the development of bioinformatics tools. Developing mathematic models to understand AS community structures and utilize information on AS community to predict the performance of WWTPs will also be vital for advancing knowledge of AS microbial ecology and environmental engineering.     

Sphagnum divinum (sp. nov.) and S. medium Limpr. and their relationship to S. magellanicum Brid.

Sphagnum magellanicum has been viewed as being a predominantly circumpolar species in the northern hemisphere, but it occurs in the southern hemisphere and was originally described from the southern parts of Chile. It is an ecologically important species in mire ecosystems and has been extensively used as a model to study processes of growth, carbon sequestration and peat decomposition. Molecular and experimental studies have, however, revealed genetic structure within S. magellanicum, and morphological differences associated with these genetic groups. Here we describe Sphagnum divinum in Sphagnum subgenus Sphagnum (Sphagnaceae, Bryophyta) as a new species, based on molecular and morphological evidence. Sphagnum medium is reinstated as a distinct species and is epitypified. Consequently, a new species concept of S. magellanicum is presented including an epitypification. Important morphological characters to separate these three species in the field and under the microscope are presented. Ecology and distribution differ among the species; S. divinium has a wide habitat range including mire margin, forested peatlands and moist heaths, and a circumpolar distribution around the northern hemisphere. Sphagnum medium seems to be more restricted to ombrotrophic mire expanse habitats and shows an amphi-Atlantic distribution in the northern hemisphere. Sphagnum magellanicum has a very broad ecological niche in peatlands and is found in most mire habitats in Tierra del Fuego on the southern tip of South America.     

Impact of pH on lactate formation and utilization by human fecal microbial communities

The human intestine harbors both lactate-producing and lactate-utilizing bacteria. Lactate is normally present at <3 mmol liter(-1) in stool samples from healthy adults, but concentrations up to 100 mmol liter(-1) have been reported in gut disorders such as ulcerative colitis. The effect of different initial pH values (5.2, 5.9, and 6.4) upon lactate metabolism was studied with fecal inocula from healthy volunteers, in incubations performed with the addition of dl-lactate, a mixture of polysaccharides (mainly starch), or both. Propionate and butyrate formation occurred at pH 6.4; both were curtailed at pH 5.2, while propionate but not butyrate formation was inhibited at pH 5.9. With the polysaccharide mix, lactate accumulation occurred only at pH 5.2, but lactate production, estimated using l-[U-(13)C]lactate, occurred at all three pH values. Lactate was completely utilized within 24 h at pH 5.9 and 6.4 but not at pH 5.2. At pH 5.9, more butyrate than propionate was formed from l-[U-(13)C]lactate in the presence of polysaccharides, but propionate, formed mostly by the acrylate pathway, was the predominant product with lactate alone. Fluorescent in situ hybridization demonstrated that populations of Bifidobacterium spp., major lactate producers, increased approximately 10-fold in incubations with polysaccharides. Populations of Eubacterium hallii, a lactate-utilizing butyrate-producing bacterium, increased 100-fold at pH 5.9 and 6.4. These experiments suggest that lactate is rapidly converted to acetate, butyrate, and propionate by the human intestinal microbiota at pH values as low as 5.9, but at pH 5.2 reduced utilization occurs while production is maintained, resulting in lactate accumulation.     

Intertidal zonation and latitudinal gradients on macroalgal assemblages: Species,functional groups and thallus morphology approaches

Macroalgae are unavoidable biological elements when monitoring and assessing costal environments. However, these tasks can be difficult to address because macroalgae a) present a high natural variability across a range of spatial and temporal scales, b) they imply a high sampling and laboratory processing effort and good taxonomical expertise (as they are a very diverse group of species), and c) there is insufficient knowledge about their structural and functional characteristics. This work addressed how the vertical (intertidal zonation) and horizontal (latitudinal gradient) variability of macroalgae assemblages are structured across continental Portugal, as well as how some surrogates for species-level biodiversity measures (namely functional groups and thallus morphology approaches) respond to such large-scale variability. Particularly, it was tested if intertidal zonation patterns are higher than fine-scale horizontal variation, and however, if vertical variation decreases along broad-scale horizontal variation. To do so, cover per species was taken (using a photographical and GIS methodological approach) from five sites located along the shoreline and along respective upper- mid- and lower-intertidal zones. The work findings include that both intertidal and latitudinal gradients impose deep structural changes on assemblages patterns. That is, broad-scale processes along Portuguese latitudes act as strongly as vertical stress gradients on assemblages patterns. Functional groups and thallus morphology approaches were useful to generalize the latitudinal assemblages patterns, where some groups emerge at the expense of others, and may improve biodiversity understanding and ecological synthesis. Because these surrogates decrease taxonomical expertise needs and can provide insight into the functional structure of macroalgal communities, their patterns founded may be particularly useful as reference data for further monitoring, so that shifts in such patterns might represent early warning surrogate approaches to detect environmental impact changes. Ultimately, to generate broader databases on rocky shore assemblages diversity (from species-level to functional groups and thallus morphologies approaches) can be useful for large-scale comparisons and for establishing ecological reference conditions, including for monitoring programs and environmental impact studies.     

A taxonomic note on the genus Prevotella: Description of four novel genera and emended description of the genera Hallella and Xylanibacter

The genus Prevotella comprises 55 species with validly published, and correct, names (at June 2021) that are phenotypically, ecologically and functionally diverse. This study used a range of comparative genome approaches (marker gene-based genome phylogeny, core genome phylogeny, average amino acid identity, percentage of conserved proteins and clade-specific marker genes) to identify large differences between the 53 species for which genomes are available, as well as two effectively published yet not validly named species and four novel species. These differences were consistent between the various analysis methods and justify the separation of Prevotella into multiple genera. While the distribution across 19 ecosystem types was unique for each species and inconsistent within clades, the functional repertoire based on the presence/absence of both PFAMs and CAZy families revealed distinct clustering based on the proposed genera. Based on the integration of all results, we propose the reclassification of species previously assigned to the genus Prevotella into seven genera, including four novel genera for which the names Segatella, Hoylesella, Leyella and Palleniella are proposed. In addition to the reclassification of Prevotella, this work describes four novel species, Hallella faecis, Xylanibacter rodentium, Xylanibacter muris, and Palleniella intestinalis.     

Effects of below ground CO2 emissions on plant and microbial communities

Below-ground carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions occur naturally at CO₂ springs, but the risk of occurrence at other sites will increase as geologic CO₂ storage is implemented to help mitigate climate change. This investigation examines the effects of elevated soil CO₂ concentrations from such emissions on vegetation biomass and microbial community biomass, respiration and carbon utilisation in temperate grassland. Soil CO₂ concentrations was increased by release of concentrated CO₂ gas from a point source 0.6 m below the surface of the soil as a low-level leak (1 l min^?1) for 10 weeks. The gassing resulted in reduced vegetation above- and below-ground biomass over time. No significant changes in microbial biomass or carbon utilisation were observed, but a trend towards reduced microbial respiration was apparent. This research provides a first step towards understanding the potential ecological risks of geologic carbon storage, the development of biological leak detection methods, and improved understanding of the effects of elevated soil CO₂ concentrations on biological communities.     

The numbers of land birds, waders, sea birds, land Crustacea, and certain insects on the lagoon islands of Aldabra Atoll

A study was made of the determinants of numbers of species of land birds, waders, breeding sea birds, land Crustacea, and insects on 77 of the lagoon islands of Aldabra Atoll in the Western Indian Ocean. By comparison with other studies, number of plant species and the structural complexity of the vegetation are not significantly related to the number of land bird species; log area accounts for 66.5% of the variance in number. Log area is also the most important factor influencing the number oI wader species. The variables considered account for only 36.2% of the variance in breeding sea bird species; this low figure suggests that other factors are of importance. Isolation of an island is the most important of those considered. Nearly half the variance in the number of insects groups is determined by log number of plant species, while the complexity of the vegetation structure is the only significant variable predicting the number of species of land Crustacea. Differences between the findings of this and other studies are attributed to the particular characteristics or the islands and species considered.
Relatively low z values are found (0.205 for land birds, 0.174 for waders, and 0.136 for land Crustacea), suggesting that inter-island distances do not represent great barriers to the species concerned and immigration and extinction rates are probably in equilibrium.     

Wisconsin desmids. II. Aufwuchs and plankton communities of selected soft water lakes,hard water lakes and calcareous spring ponds

This report summarizes the results of summer studies of five soft water lakes, five hard water lakes and six calcareous spring ponds in Wisconsin with respect to the composition of the plankton and aufwuchs communities and the relative role of desmids in those communities. The results are compared with similar data obtained from selected acid bog lakes, alkaline bog lakes and closed bogs. Soft water lakes harbored a greater aufwuchs and plankton desmid diversity than hard water lakes or spring ponds; however, diversity in acid bog lakes was substantially greater than in any other lake type. Utricularia contained the greatest desmid diversity and population density in every lake where it occurred. Staurastrum was the most prevalent genus in the plankton and it was the only one recorded from hard water lakes and calcareous spring ponds. Desmid aufwuchs population densities were roughly comparable in hard water lakes, soft water lakes and acid bogs and the contribution of desmids to the total aufwuchs population was similar for the latter two lake types. However, the plankton of acid bog lakes generally harbored substantially greater desmid populations and these populations contributed much more to the total population than in any other lake type. Aufwuchs data are presented for several hosts and comparisons of population densities are given among hosts within a given lake and between the same host in different lakes of a given type. Data for other algal groups are also included.     

Intertidal zonation of animals and plants on rocky shores in the Bristol Channel and Severn Estuary–the northern shores

The vertical distribution of common species of macroalgae and fauna on rocky shores extending through the length of the estuary is described. In the west, the shores are fully marine and exposed to Atlantic waves. In an eastward direction, greater shelter and an increasing tidal range occur along a gradient of salinity and turbidity. The flora and fauna change along this gradient. No single biological feature signals a transition from the Bristol Channel to the Severn Estuary but four arbitrary regions are recognized: a 'marine' section eastwards to Swansea, a 'transitional' section between Swansea and Cardiff, an 'estuarine' section up to Newnham, and the tidal river Severn.     

Leaf miners on Ochna ciliata (Ochnaceae) growing on Aldabra Atoll: patterns of herbivory in relation to goat browsing and exposure to the sun

Abstract.

• 1 The patterns of herbivory by leaf miners on the shrub Ochna ciliata growing on Aldabra Atoll were studied in relation to browsing by feral goats and exposure to the tropical sun versus shading.
• 2 Damage due to both tunnelling (Diptera) and ‘blotch-making’ (Lepidoptera) leaf miners was statistically greater on trees that had been browsed and on those that received more extensive exposure to the sun.
• 3 Effects of exposure and browsing were additive, as evidenced by the lack of statistical interaction between these factors.
• 4 There was a significant negative correlation between the numbers of tunnelling and blotch-making miners in trees that had been browsed, but not in unbrowsed trees.
• 5 Three geographical areas were sampled to test whether the effects of browsing on leaf mining were invariant or influenced by as yet unknown environmental factors. A statistically significant interaction between browsing and geographical region indicated that, while browsed trees had significantly more mines whatever the habitat, the extent of this effect differed across the habitats.

     

Diversity of microbial communities in open mixed culture fermentations: impact of the pH and carbon source

Anaerobic fermentation by an open mixed culture was investigated at different pH values (4–8.5) and with three substrates (glucose, glycerol and xylose). The populations established in each condition were assessed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene fragments. The fermentation pattern and the composition of the microbial population were also evaluated when operational variations were imposed (increase of substrate concentration or introduction of a second substrate). The experimental results demonstrated that at low and high pH values, a clearly different fermentation pattern was associated with the dominance of a specialised group of clostridiae. At intermediate pH values, the product spectrum was rather variable and seemed to be sensitive to variations in the microbial community. Different substrates resulted in the establishment of different microbial communities. When fed with a mixture of two substrates, mixotrophic microorganisms (capable of degrading both substrates) were found to overgrow the originally dominant specialists. Overall, the experiments have shown that some operational variables have a clear impact on the fermentation pattern and on the population established. However, a uniform relationship between the process characteristics (associated to a metabolic response) and the microbial population present is not always possible. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Effect of warming and drought on grassland microbial communities

The soil microbiome is responsible for mediating key ecological processes; however, little is known about its sensitivity to climate change. Observed increases in global temperatures and alteration to rainfall patterns, due to anthropogenic release of greenhouse gases, will likely have a strong influence on soil microbial communities and ultimately the ecosystem services they provide. Therefore, it is vital to understand how soil microbial communities will respond to future climate change scenarios. To this end, we surveyed the abundance, diversity and structure of microbial communities over a 2-year period from a long-term in situ warming experiment that experienced a moderate natural drought. We found the warming treatment and soil water budgets strongly influence bacterial population size and diversity. In normal precipitation years, the warming treatment significantly increased microbial population size 40–150% but decreased diversity and significantly changed the composition of the community when compared with the unwarmed controls. However during drought conditions, the warming treatment significantly reduced soil moisture thereby creating unfavorable growth conditions that led to a 50–80% reduction in the microbial population size when compared with the control. Warmed plots also saw an increase in species richness, diversity and evenness; however, community composition was unaffected suggesting that few phylotypes may be active under these stressful conditions. Our results indicate that under warmed conditions, ecosystem water budget regulates the abundance and diversity of microbial populations and that rainfall timing is critical at the onset of drought for sustaining microbial populations.     

A review and synthesis on the systematics and evolution of jellyfish blooms: advantageous aggregations and adaptive assemblages

Pelagic gelatinous invertebrates in many diverse phyla aggregate, bloom, or swarm. Although typically portrayed as annoying to humans, such accumulations probably are evolutionary adaptations to the environments of pelagic gelatinous zooplankton. We explore this proposition by systematic analysis completed in three steps. First, using the current morphological taxonomic framework for Scyphozoa, we summarize relevant information on species that aggregate, bloom, and swarm and on those species that do not. Second, we establish a molecular phylogenetic framework for assessing evolutionary relationships among classes and many orders of Medusozoa and among most families of Scyphozoa (particularly Discomedusae). Third, we interpret the phylogenetic distribution of taxa and of characteristics of jellyfish that aggregate, bloom, or swarm, in terms of species diversity—a proxy for evolutionary success. We found that: (1) Medusae that occur en masse are not randomly distributed within the Phylum Cnidaria but instead they are found primarily within the Scyphozoa which have a metagenic life history. (2) Midwater and deep-sea medusae rarely bloom or swarm. (3) Epibenthic medusae do not swarm. (4) Large carnivores that feed on large prey do not bloom strongly. (5) Large medusae that feed exclusively on small prey both bloom and swarm. (6) Pelagia, the only holoplanktonic, epipelagic scyphomedusan, both blooms and swarms, demonstrating that a metagenic life cycle is not required for blooming or swarming at sea. (7) Environmental change (overfishing, species introductions, and eutrophication) may induce or inhibit blooms. (8) Taxa that bloom or swarm are often more diverse than taxa that do not. (9) Speciation in scyphozoans can occur rapidly. (10) Morphological stasis in holozooplankton masks genetic variability. (11) Selection for convergent evolution in the sea is strong because mass occurrence has evolved multiple times in independent evolutionary lineages under similar circumstances. Thus, attributes possessed by many taxa that occur en masse appear to be evolutionarily advantageous, i.e., adaptations. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. Guest editors: K. A. Pitt & J. E. Purcell Jellyfish Blooms: Causes, Consequences, and Recent Advances     

用微型生物群落评价常德市水系的研究

本文应用PFU法对常德水系四季微型生物群落的结构和功能进行了分析。根据MacArthur-Wilson平衡模型提出了3个功能参数,测定了微型生物的2个结构参数。同步进行了16个站四季的水质分析,提出化学综合污染指数(P)。经统计学处理,P和微型生物群落的HI、S_(eq)、G、T_(90％)等指数均呈显著性相关。物种多样性(d)也在一定程度上反映出城市水体的不同污染程度。再次证明PFU微型生物监测方法的科学性,为生物监测提供了快速、经济、正确的新方法。