Limestone Treatment of Whetstone Brook, Massachusetts. III. Changes in the Invertebrate Fauna

We monitored the invertebrate fauna in Whetstone Brook for 3 years before and after limestone treatment to mitigate low pH conditions caused by acid precipitation. Sampling was conducted during the spring, summer, and fall by both qualitative and quantitative methods. The fauna in Whetstone Brook in the control and treatment sections was dominated by chironomids (Diptera), simuliids (Diptera), Leuctra (Plecop-tera) and Hydropsyche (Trichoptera) in both pretreatment and treatment periods. The acid-sensitive mayfly genera Epeorus increased during liming in the treated section of the stream but also declined during the same period in the control section. Annelida increased during the treatment period in both sections of the stream. The chironomid and black fly populations were not affected by liming. The lack of impact to the black fly population was surprising because larvae are obligate filter-feeders and feed on suspended seston in the same size range as the limestone slurry that was used to treat Whetstone Brook. Treatment did not change species diversity and taxa richness in the treated section of Whetsone Brook, but both indices declined during the treatment period in the control section of Whetstone Brook. This decline was attributed to the poorer water quality of the untreated section of Whetstone Brook during the treatment period, which was due to higher-than-average precipitation. Percent community similarity analysis indicated that the community composition changed more in the treated section of Whetstone Brook than in the control section as a result of treatment. We conclude that the invertebrate fauna in the treated section of Whetstone Brook was not negatively affected by liming, but that population density and diversity did not increase.     

The Fresh-water Invertebrate Fauna: Problems and Solutions for Evolutionary Success

The volume of salt waters of the world is more than 10,000 timesthe highly fragmented volume of inhabitable fresh waters, yetthe latter has come to support a rich and euryokous fauna. Inmaking the salt-brackish-fresh transition, the fresh-water (carbonate)fauna has developed clusters of new adaptations. The vast majorityof marine species are restricted to a narrow and monotonouschemical environment, but most freshwater species thrive inhabitats exhibiting a wide (e.g., 10-fold) range of dissolvedsalts, featuring high carbonates, low sodium chloride, and lowpotassium. In comparison with their ancestral marine forms, the temperatefresh-water fauna is generally characterized by: (1) much moreefficient osmoregulatory systems, (2) smaller body size, (3)lower reproductive potential, (4) loss of specializedlarvalstages, (5) a wide variety of anabiotic devices and strategies,(6) well developed low temperature tolerances, (7) aestivationstages in adults, (8) a remarkable facility for overland geographicalmigration and ecesis by disseminules, (9) facility and adaptationsfor withstanding prolonged habitat silting, (10) adaptationsto swift unidirectional currents by many lotic species, and(11) a more general ability to live anaerobically. Certain characters of the marine biota have usually been lostduring transition and ecesis in the fresh-water environment,such as bioluminescence, bright body coloration, and distinctivebright color patterns. Morphological embellishments in the marinebiota are common, including cirri, palps, setation, protuberances,and respiratory devices, but such structures are uncommon amongfresh-water species. It is suggested that respiratory stratagemshave been developed to an excessive and "unnecessary" degreeamong many marine forms, as well as in a few fresh-water insectsand most Eubranchiopoda.     

The Flora and Invertebrate Fauna of Abandoned Limestone Quarries in Derbyshire, United Kingdom

Abandoned limestone quarries are hostile environments for plant and invertebrate colonization and establishment. The length of time taken for successful establishment by natural processes may be unacceptable for reclamation purposes; several techniques are used to reduce the time scales involved. A new technique, restoration blasting, aims to replicate natural daleside landforms by selective blasting of modern production quarry faces. We compare the flora and invertebrate fauna of restoration-blasted sites, hydro-seeded with daleside species, with naturally regenerating disused quarries and a natural daleside. Restoration-blasted sites were found to have less plant cover, more bare ground, fewer orders of invertebrates, and generally fewer animals within each order than the other two types of site. The disused quarries tended to have intermediate characteristics between the restoration-blasted sites and the natural daleside. The age of the site may be important in determining the plants and invertebrates occurring there. This may be related to the time available for establishment or a greater degree of settlement or stability within the biotic and abiotic components of the site. Although most of the results indicate that time since establishment may be important, some variations occur. In particular, the development of vegetation cover in areas grazed by rabbits is problematic. These results are important in the assessment of successful reclamation because the invertebrate fauna may contribute greatly to the overall system. Both plant and animal communities appear to be establishing well on the sites reclaimed by restoration blasting. Further monitoring will identify the speed at which such environments achieve the desired aim of replicating daleside communities and the communities best able to be sustained following this technique.     

The biology of cartilage. II. Invertebrate cartilages: squid head cartilage

In both light and electron microscopes, head cartilage from the squid Loligo pealii strongly resembles vertebrate hyaline cartilage. The tissue is characterized by the presence of irregularly-shaped cells suspended in an abundant matrix. Cell and matrix contents stain metachromatically with cationic dyes such as toluidin blue. Each cell gives off extensions which ramify via a network of channels throughout the matrix. Thereby, a system of inter-connecting canaliculi is established, with many similarities to the intercanalicular systems seen in vertebrate bone and cartilage tissues. In the electron microscope, the squid cartilage cells are seen to have very abundant endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi complex material. Mitochondrial transformations involving loss of cristae, the appearance of filaments in the mitochondrial matrix, and figures suggesting budding, also occur. Nuclear pores are numerous and easily detected. The matrix is characterized by the presence of a system of decussating fibrils which form polygonal figures, with granules usually evident at the points of intersection of fibrils. By chemical analysis the tissue contains 3- and 4-hydroxyproline and hydroxylysine. Preliminary wide single x-ray diffractions show a pattern characteristic for unoriented collagens, with 12 Å (intermolecular) and 2.86 Å (helix) reflections.     

Diversity and distribution of type specimens deposited in the Invertebrate section of the Museum of Zoology QCAZ,Quito, Ecuador

The Invertebrate section of the Museum of Zoology QCAZ at the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador in Quito maintains nearly two million curated specimens, and comprises Ecuador’s largest collection of native taxa. We review 1902 type specimens from 6 subspecies and 320 species in 121 genera and 42 families, currently kept in the Museum. The list includes 116 holotypes, 10 allotypes, 1774 paratypes and 2 neoparatypes. The collection of type specimens is particularly strong in the Coleoptera (family Carabidae and Staphylinidae) and Hymenoptera. However, other insect orders such as Diptera and Lepidoptera and non-insect arthropods such as Acari, Aranea and Scorpiones, are moderately represented in the collection. This report provides original data from labels of every type specimen record. An analysis of the geographic distribution of type localities showed that collection sites are clustered geographically with most of them found towards the northern region of Ecuador, in Pichincha, Cotopaxi and Napo provinces. Sites are mainly located in highly accessible areas near highways and towns. Localities with a high number of type species include the cloud forest reserve Bosque Integral Otonga and Parque Nacional Yasuní in the Amazon rainforest near PUCE’s Yasuní Scientific Station. Type localities are not well represented in the Ecuadorian National System of Protected Areas. Future fieldwork should include localities in the southern region of Ecuador but also target less accessible areas not located near highways or towns. We discuss the value of the collection as a source of information for conservation and biodiversity policies in Ecuador.     

The Flora and Invertebrate Fauna of a Relocated Grassland at Thrislington Plantation, County Durham, England

In order to extend quarrying near Thrislington Plantation, County Durham, England, 8.5 ha of magnesian limestone grassland was relocated over a period of eight years from October 1982. The effects of this on the flora and invertebrate fauna were examined within the Festuca-Helianthemum community at five plots relocated at different times. Plants were sampled with a point-quadrat, and invertebrates by pitfall trapping. Comparisons were made between age of the relocation, numbers of species and individuals, and diversity of flora and invertebrates. The plots were examined using the percentage similarity measure. The plots showed an initial change in some aspects of community structure for flora and invertebrate fauna, followed by a “recovery” period. This was particularly evident in the numbers of species and species diversity of plants and in the numbers of individuals and species diversity of invertebrates. Bare ground, left by the relocation process, was still evident between relocated turfs in the early plots, but it was successfully colonized by resident species in later plots. These results have implications for the future management of this and similar sites, particularly with respect to the emphasis placed on subsequent monitoring and the need to consider invertebrate faunas when implementing management strategies.     

Contributions to the rotifer Fauna of West Bengal. Part I. Family Lecanidae

In the present study thirty six lecanid rotifers, spreading over thirty species, have been recorded and illustrated. A new combination i.e., Lecane luna f. dorsicalis has been proposed. The validity of the number of toes as character of generic importance has been examined.     

beta-Carbolines, psychoactive compounds in the mammalian body. Part II: Effects

The biochemical and the pharmacological effects of beta-carbolines in animals and man are reviewed. Biochemical studies have revealed beta-carbolines' several actions, including inhibition of MAO-A, competitive inhibition of 5-HT uptake, general inhibition of Na+ dependent transports, binding to benzodiazepine and opiate receptors and probable action on dopamine receptors, which may all participate to a variable degree in the actions of different beta-carbolines. Many early in vivo studies, however, have concentrated on some harmala alkaloids, particularly harmaline or harmine. The effects of beta-carbolines in man are compared in this review with the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. However, no human studies have been reported with those tetrahydro-beta-carbolines shown to occur in human body in normal conditions or after alcohol intake. To prove any connections of beta-carbolines with the withdrawal syndromes or other neurological and psychiatric diseases means that these compounds have to be shown to have abnormal central nervous system concentrations in these diseases. The physiological role of beta-carbolines has yet to be shown. They may act as neuromodulators and some, especially 6-methoxytetrahydro-beta-carboline, may have an endocrinological function. It has been suggested that some beta-carbolines act as the physiological ligands (agonists) of the benzodiazepine receptors, but the physiological beta-carbolines so far known seem to have other effects, such as the inhibition of MAO-A or 5-HT uptake in low concentrations.     

Precision rhinoplasty. Part II: Prediction

This retrospective study was undertaken to investigate the soft-tissue response rate to the skeletal and soft-tissue alterations following a rhinoplasty. Ninety-eight patients, 80 females and 18 males, with a mean follow-up of 13 months, were included in this study. The tracings of the outline of preoperative cephaloxerograms and life-size photographs were superimposed on the postoperative ones, and the differences were measured and confirmed with measurements of intraoperative resected segments. The soft-tissue response to skeletal alterations was measured in seven different zones. Zone 1 (nasion) and zone 7 (nasal spine area) had the lowest mean response rate of approximately 25 percent. Zone 2 (proximal bridge) and zone 3 (midbridge) had a 60 percent response rate. Zone 4 (supratip area) had a 43 percent response, zone 5 had a 41 percent response, and zone 6 had a 40 percent response rate. There were statistically significant differences among the response rates of thick, medium, and thin noses. Age was an important factor in zones 1, 4, 5, 6, and 7. The patient's sex did not influence the soft-tissue response rate to skeletal alterations. The soft-tissue response in relation to the alar base narrowing was about 52 percent. This study reveals a predictable soft-tissue response to skeletal alterations on all zones except zone 7 (nasal spine area).     

Notes on the biology of Trypanosoma ambystomae Lehmann, 1954. II. The Life Cycle in the Invertebrate Host.

SYNOPSIS. The leech, Erpobdella sp., is a suitable invertebrate host for Trypanosoma ambystomae. The developmental cycle involves a mononucleate, rounded body derived from the bloodstream form; this body then transforms into a large plump crithidia. Subsequent divisions yield medium crithidia, small crithidia, and ultimately, metacyclic trypanosomes.