Physiological aspects of water balance in the Hawaiian drosophilid, Drosophila mimica

The ability to resist desiccation is an important component of biological fitness for terrestrial organisms. Several water balance characteristics have been studied for a strain of laboratory-reared Drosophila mimica and for four populations of D. mimica collected at sites differing in altitude and wetness. In the absence of drinking water, D. mimica are unable to maintain a water balance, even in nearly saturated environments. However, as a_v ($\text{a}{}_{\mathrm{v}}\text{=}\text{r.h.}\text{100}$) decreases, transpiration does not increase as rapidly as expected and absorption remains nearly constant. The size of the fly is not correlated with its water loss characteristics, but some differences in regulation between the sexes are suggested.     

Larval case and water balance in Tinea pellionella

In a very dry environment (0% r.h.) the case plays an important role in the physiology of the Tinea pellionella larva. Absence of the case leads to a reduction of oxygen consumption and a great loss of body water. At 0% r.h. the rate of water loss from a larva without its case, is twice that from a larva remaining within its case.In a very humid environment (r.h. higher than 95%) the case absorbs a very large quantity of water and becomes very heavy, but it does not interfere with larval physiology. With or without their cases the weight of the larvae stays stable, and their oxygen consumption does not change.When the humidity changes abruptly, the case acts as a buffer and assists in the regulation of the water balance of the larva. If the humidity decreases the case slows the rate of body water loss; if the humidity increases, it very quickly builds up a reserve of atmospheric water around the larva's body.     

Water balance and osmoregulation in Onymacris plana, a tenebrionid beetle from the Namib desert

Onymacris plana, a tenebrionid beetle from the sand dunes of the Namib desert, lost weight very slowly during 12 days of dehydration at 26°C. Measurement of total lipid showed a gradual decline, the metabolic water produced being sufficient to maintain a constant water content. At the same time the haemolymph volume decreased by 66%. When given water the dehydrated beetles drank rapidly and their weight and haemolymph volume were restored to normal. Haemolymph osmolarity was closely regulated despite the changes in volume. Haemolymph potassium was also well regulated, but sodium was lost from the haemolymph during a cycle of dehydration and rehydration, even though sodium losses in the faeces were small. Water balance in Onymacris depends on efficient conservation of water in periods of drought and on water uptake by drinking during the coastal fogs of the Namib.     

Phloroglucinol derivatives in Dryopteris parallelogramma and D. patula

The phloroglucinol composition in two tropical American ferns, Dryoperis parallelogramma and D. patula has been investigated. Dryopteris parallelogramma, a member of the D. filix-mas complex, contains filixic acids, which are a characteristic of the group. Dryopteris patula contains aspidin, as do its relatives in the D. dilatata complex, and albaspidin-AA.     

Water and ion balance in the tissues of the dehydrated cockroach, Periplaneta americana

Cockroaches dehydrated for 8 days lost nearly 50% of their haemolymph volume and approx 25% of their tissue water. Haemolymph osmolality and sodium, potassium, and chloride concentrations in the haemolymph and tissue water were all regulated within narrow limits. It is confirmed that sodium and potassium ions are sequestered within the fat body during periods of dehydration. The increase in sodium and potassium ions in the fat body is shown to arise from ionic regulation of haemolymph and other tissues. During periods of rehydration, sodium and potassium concentrations decrease in the fat body and haemolymph volume and ionic concentrations return to near original levels. A small proportion of the surplus haemolymph chloride ions is shown to be associated with the cuticle during times of water deprivation.     

华北平原玉米田能量平衡、水分利用效率和表面阻力分析

根据华北平玉米田的观测结果,分析了地表／大气能量转化传输特征。结果表明,在作物生育期内,地表能量平衡过程受下垫面特征影响很大。潜热通量是地表／大气热量交换的主要分量;玉米生长的后期有热平流输入,日平均显热通量转为负值。表面阻力在生育期早期和后期较大,而在中期较小,显示了表面阻力对地表覆盖变化和叶片衰老的响应。农田水分利用效率在生长季呈逐渐增长的趋势。     

Metabolic rate,thermoregulation and water balance in Lagidium viscacia inhabiting the arid Andean plateau

Lagidium viscacia inhabits where water and food availability is low. We hypothesize that this rodent should minimize metabolic rate and water loss in order to cope with such extreme environments. We observed that Lagidium viscacia has (1) a comparatively lower basal metabolic rate (67%) and thermal conductance (78%) of predicted; (2) a higher pulmocutaneous evaporation rate which is 36% (mesic) and 63% (xeric); and (3) energetic cost of maintaining the water balance similar to that expected for rodents from xeric environments (2.8 cal/g h). In summary, Lagidium viscacia has physiological traits that favour energy and water economy to cope with such extreme habitats.     

Carbon and water balance in Polylepis sericea,a tropical treeline species

Polylepis sericea trees grow well above the continuous forest line in the Venezuelan Andes. In these environments, extreme daily temperature ranges can occur at any time of the year and trees experience a 4 month dry period. The purpose of this work was to study carbon and water relations of this species in the field during wet and dry seasons in order to understand this species' success at such high altitudes. Leaf gas exchange (portable system in open mode) and leaf water potential (pressure chamber) were measured at 1–2 h intervals during several daily courses at 4000 m elevation in the Páramo de Piedras Blancas. CO₂ assimilation versus leaf temperature curves were also obtained for this species in the laboratory. Clear differences in the measured parameters were observed between seasons. For a wet season day, maximum CO₂ assimilation rate was 7.4 mol m^-2 s^-1 and leaf conductance was relatively constant (approximately 100 mmol m^-2 s^-1)In the dry season day, maximum CO₂ assimilation rate was 5.8 molm^-2 s^-1 and leaf conductance was close to 60 mmolm^-2 s^-1. Minimum leaf water potentials measured were -1.3 MPa for the wet and -2.2 MPa for the dry season. The CO₂ assimilation-leaf temperature relationship showed a 13.4°C leaf temperature optimum for photosynthesis with maximum and minimum compensation points of 29.5 and -2.8°C, respectively. Maximum night-time respiration was relatively high (2.7 (imol) m^-2 s^-1)Our results show thatP. sericea maintains a highly positive carbon balance through all daily courses, even though there is a slight water stress effect during the dry season; this suggests that its carbon assimilation machinery is well adapted to the low temperatures and seasonal water stress found in the high tropical mountains.     

林带和牧草地水量平衡的研究

本文从水量平衡观点对林带、牧草地和裸露地的水量平衡各分量的变化规律进行了探讨。林带、牧草地和裸露地水量平衡各分量的分配比例分别为:降水均为100％;蒸发散96.4％、95.7％和89.5％;坡地径流3.6％、4.3％和10.5％。由于林带有林冠和林地两个作用面组成,分别对它们的水量平衡各分量的组成及其变化规律作了分析。还论述了林带对河川径流的影响。     

Osmoregulation and water balance in the springhare (Pedetes capensis)

Springhares are large rodents that live in arid and semi-arid regions of Africa. We deprived springhares of water for periods of up to 7 days to determine what physiological adaptations, if any, enable them to survive in arid regions without drinking. During water deprivation, springhares lost up to 30% body weight and produced a mean maximum urine concentration of 2548 mosmol kg⁻¹ with a maximum of 3076 mosmol kg⁻¹ in an individual animal. Haematocrit and plasma sodium and potassium concentrations were well regulated throughout water deprivation at 47.5 ± 3.8% and 132.6 ± 7.4 mmol l⁻¹ and 3.5 ± 0.7 mmol l⁻¹, respectively, while plasma osmolality increased slightly from 293 ± 12.5 mosmol kg⁻¹ to 324 ± 7.3 mosmol kg⁻¹. Springhares thus appeared to be good osmoregulators and were able to maintain plasma volume during 7 days of water deprivation. In addition to the production of a relatively concentrated urine, water loss was limited by the lowered solute load and faecal water loss achieved by a reduction in food consumption and by the production of very dry faeces. These abilities, together with a favourable burrow microclimate and nocturnal activity pattern, enable them to survive in arid regions. Accepted: 8 September 1998     

Water and electrolyte balance in protoscoleces of Echinococcus granulosus incubated in vitro: general procedures for the determination of water,sodium, potassium and chloride in protoscoleces

Reisin I.L. and Rotunno C.A. 1981. Water and electrolyte balance in protoscoleces of Echimcoccus granulosus incubated in vitro: General procedures for the determination of water, sodium, potassium and chloride in protoscoleces. International Journal for Parasitology11: 399–404. Protoscoleces of E. granulosus (sheep strain) were incubated in vitro at 37°C in Ringer Krebs solution (RKS) for up to 3 h. When they were briefly washed in sucrose 0.3 M at 4°C, the water and electrolyte contents were: 1.768 ± 0.034 mlg^?1 d.w. for water content and 123 ± 2, 209 ± 2 and 78 ± 2 μmolg^?1 d.w. for Na⁺, K⁺ and Cl^? respectively. When protoscoleces were not washed in sucrose solution but were spun down from RKS, the K⁺ content suffered a very small change but larger values for Na⁺ and Cl⁺ contents were obtained. These higher Na⁺ and Cl^? contents are attributed to the RKS ions retained in the trapping space. The steady state distribution of Na⁺ and K⁺ in the protoscoleces incubated at 37°C indicates the activity of an active transport mechanism.     

Relationships between water balance properties and habitat characteristics in the sibling Hawaiian Drosophilids,D. mimica and D. kambysellisi

Summary Four populations of Drosophila mimica and 1 population of D. kambysellisi collected at sites which differed in wetness were examined for several water balance characteristics. Net water loss per hour increased as a_v (relative humidity/100) decreased in all populations, but the rate of increase was lower in populations from dry sites. When exposed to 0.70 a_v, D. kambysellisi, which were from a rain forest, lost water faster and died sooner than did D. mimica. Two D. mimica collecting sites were divided into smaller units based on substrate type at one site and on litter wettness at the other site. The D. mimica at the first site were homogeneous with respect to the water balance properties studied here, but in the second site, there was evidence of population differentiation associated with litter wettness.Supported by research grant NSF DEB77-23370, training grants NIH 5 TO1 GM 00337-16 and NIH 5 T32 GM 07126-02 and a Grant-in-Aid from the Sigma Xi Society     

Morphological variation in the forelegs of the Hawaiian Drosophilidae. I. The AMC clade

The Hawaiian Drosophilidae possess spectacular diversity in male foreleg modifications, many of which are unknown in other Diptera. The greatest diversity in foreleg morphology is in the antopocerus, modified tarsus, and ciliated tarsus clade (AMC Clade), a group of 95 species. The modified tarsus flies are divided into the bristle, ciliated, split, and spoon tarsus subgroups. The bristle tarsus species feature one or two rows of thickened setae on the basitarsus. The split tarsus species are characterized by only having four tarsal segments, in contrast to five tarsomeres in the remainder of Diptera. Based on comparisons of the apparent ground state of ventral setal rows across the Hawaiian Drosophila, we suggest that it is the second tarsal segment which has been lost. The spoon tarsus species are characterized by having the second tarsomere modified into a setae‐filled, concave‐shaped spoon. The ciliated tarsus species, all of which possess one or more elongate setae on the tarsus of males, are probably not monophyletic with respect to the bristle tarsus subgroup. The antopocerus flies are characterized by a long basitarsus, with extensive setation on the tibia and basitarsus of some species. The use of these foreleg modifications in courtship behavior has been previously described and it is suggested that they represent the results of sexual selection. The current work expands on previous morphological analyses, presenting a level of detail not previously possible without SEM images. The new characters revealed will figure prominently in future cladistic studies. J. Morphol. 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Meeting the challenges of on-host and off-host water balance in blood-feeding arthropods

In this review, we describe water balance requirements of blood-feeding arthropods, particularly contrasting dehydration tolerance during the unfed, off-host state and the challenges of excess water that accompany receipt of the bloodmeal. Most basic water balance characteristics during the off-host stage are applicable to other terrestrial arthropods, as well. A well-coordinated suite of responses enable arthropods to conserve water resources, enhance their desiccation tolerance, and increase their water supplies by employing a diverse array of molecular, structural and behavioral responses. Water loss rates during the off-host phase are particularly useful for generating a scheme to classify vectors according to their habitat requirements for water, thus providing a convenient tool with potential predictive power for defining suitable current and future vector habitats. Blood-feeding elicits an entirely different set of challenges as the vector responds to overhydration by quickly increasing its rate of cuticular water loss and elevating the rate of diuresis to void excess water and condense the bloodmeal. Immature stages that feed on blood normally have a net increase in water content at the end of a blood-feeding cycle, but in adults the water content reverts to the pre-feeding level when the cycle is completed. Common themes are evident in diverse arthropods that feed on blood, particularly the physiological mechanisms used to respond to the sudden influx of water as well as the mechanisms used to counter water shortfalls that are encountered during the non-feeding, off-host state.     

Genetic implications of bottleneck effects of differing severities on genetic diversity in naturally recovering populations: An example from Hawaiian coot and Hawaiian gallinule

The evolutionary trajectory of populations through time is influenced by the interplay of forces (biological, evolutionary, and anthropogenic) acting on the standing genetic variation. We used microsatellite and mitochondrial loci to examine the influence of population declines, of varying severity, on genetic diversity within two Hawaiian endemic waterbirds, the Hawaiian coot and Hawaiian gallinule, by comparing historical (samples collected in the late 1800s and early 1900s) and modern (collected in 2012–2013) populations. Population declines simultaneously experienced by Hawaiian coots and Hawaiian gallinules differentially shaped the evolutionary trajectory of these two populations. Within Hawaiian coot, large reductions (between −38.4% and −51.4%) in mitochondrial diversity were observed, although minimal differences were observed in the distribution of allelic and haplotypic frequencies between sampled time periods. Conversely, for Hawaiian gallinule, allelic frequencies were strongly differentiated between time periods, signatures of a genetic bottleneck were detected, and biases in means of the effective population size were observed at microsatellite loci. The strength of the decline appears to have had a greater influence on genetic diversity within Hawaiian gallinule than Hawaiian coot, coincident with the reduction in census size. These species exhibit similar life history characteristics and generation times; therefore, we hypothesize that differences in behavior and colonization history are likely playing a large role in how allelic and haplotypic frequencies are being shaped through time. Furthermore, differences in patterns of genetic diversity within Hawaiian coot and Hawaiian gallinule highlight the influence of demographic and evolutionary processes in shaping how species respond genetically to ecological stressors.     

Longevity of seven species of cactophilic Drosophila and D. melanogaster on carbohydrates

Adults of 6 species of Drosophila that use decaying prickly pear cactus (Opuntia sp.) as breeding and feeding sites were compared to each other and to D. nigrospiracula, whose host is saguaro cactus, and to the cosmopolitan D. melanogaster, in their utilization of 21 sugars for longevity (time to 50% mortality). In general, the utilization of sugars by these flies for longevity followed the pattern observed with the other insects. None of the species were able to live very long on solutions of pentoses, uronic acids, inositol, rhamnose, sorbose or the β-linked disaccharides, lactose and cellobiose. Althogh all could use glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltose and melezitose well, their life spans on galactose, mannose, trehalose and raffinose were more variable. Two of the Opuntia feeders were also tested on a number of other carbohydrates. Ribitol, mannitol, sorbitol and xylitol significantly prolonged the life of D. arizonensis but not that of D. wheeleri. Neither species lived long on solutions of arabitol, galactitol, starch, inulin or on arabogalactan.     

Prolonged maintenance of water balance by adult females of the American spider beetle, Mezium affine Boieldieu, in the absence of food and water resources

Moisture requirements were evaluated for female adults of spider beetles Mezium affine Boieldieu and Gibbium aequinoctiale Boieldieu to determine how they are differentially adapted for life in a dry environment. Features showing extreme desiccation resistance of M. affine were an impermeable cuticle wherein activation energies (43 kJ/mol) were suppressed, daily water losses as little as 0.3%/day with an associated group effect, a low 64% water content and an impressive ability to survive nearly 3 months with no food and water. Behaviorally, the extended period of water stress and fasting was marked by long intervals of physical inactivity (quiescence), as though dead. These characteristics emphasizing water retention rather than gain are shared by G. aequinoctiale and reflect a typical xerophilic water balance profile. Water uptake was restricted to imbibing liquid, as evidenced by uptake of dye-stained droplets of free water and a critical equilibrium activity of 1.00a_v, where the inability to absorb water vapor from the air fails to equilibrate declining water levels (gain≠loss) except at saturation. Four-fold reduction in survival time within dry air and accelerated water loss rates with high activation energies for female adults of the closely related winged Prostephanus truncatus (Say) suggest that the enhanced water conservation of spider beetles is due, in part, to fusion of their elytra supplemented by entering into quiescence.     

Effect of water restriction on energy and water balance and osmoregulation of the fruit bat Rousettus aegyptiacus

The energy budget, water balance and osmoregulation of the fruit bat, Rousettus aegyptiacus, were studied during normal hydration and during water restriction (oven-dried apple diet). The water input and output were balanced during both normal hydration and water restriction. The kidney of the fruit bat is well adapted to handle the water load from its fruit diet by excreting large volumes (14% of the body mass per day) of dilute urine (113±25 mosmol·kg H₂P^-1) as well as reducing urine volume (-95%) and increasing urine osmotic concentration (555±280 mosmol·kg H₂O^-1) during water restriction. The haematocrit, plasma haemoglobin and total protein concentrations did not increase during water restriction and heat exposure, suggesting the conservation of plasma volume. Gross energy intake was not alfected by water restriction. However, digested energy intake and digestibility were significantly reduced. The effective regulation of energy and water budgets during water restriction suggests that the fruit bat can cope with seasonal climatic changes and with variable fruit supply during various seasons.Abbreviations BM body mass - DEI digested energy intake - EWL evaporative water loss - GEL gross energy intake - NH normal hydration - T _a ambient temperature - WR water restriction