Photorespiration Rate in Spinach Leaves Under Moderate NaCl Stress

We analyzed the effect of NaCl stress on photorespiration of spinach leaves by calculating the rate of carboxylation/oxygenation of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase, and by measuring the content of amino acids produced through photorespiration. After 20 d of NaCl stress the carboxylation rate was reduced while the oxygenation rate was not affected. The contents of serine, glycine, and alanine increased relevantly. The amount of glutamine also increased after 20 d but the amount of glutamate did not. Hence photorespiration may be stimulated under moderate NaCl stress. A relevant electron transport rate was observed under CO₂-free air, which may indicate refixation of photorespiratory CO₂. When NaCl accumulation proceeded for more than 20 d, photosynthesis was reduced and the content of photo-respiratory amino acids started to decrease, but the oxygenation rate did not change. This revised version was published online in September 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Regulation of human population in northern France and adjacent lands in the Middle Ages

In northern France and Europe the population trebled after 1000 and then ceased to increase about 1300, before the Black Death caused an abrupt decline. The birthrate, as indicated by number of surviving children, increased and then declined. Death rates increased after 1250 and, of course, during the Black Death. Migration (assarting) was high after 1100 but ceased by about 1250. The evidence about resources, disease, and internecine strife is compatible with this scenario which can be predicted based on other animal populations.     

The molecular clock ticks regularly in muroid rodents and hamsters

Summary Extensive DNA sequence data are used to compare the rates of nucleotide substitution in the mouse, rat, and hamster lineages. A relative rate test using hamster sequences as references shows that the rates of synonymous and nonsynonymous substitution in the mouse and rat lineages are nearly equal and a test using human sequences as references shows that the rates in the mouse, rat, and hamster lineages are also nearly equal. Under the assumptions that the guinea pig lineage and the myomorph (mouse, rat, and hamster) lineage diverged 70–100 million years (Myr) ago and that the rate of nucleotide substitution has been constant in all these lineages since their divergence, the date of the mouse-rat split is estimated to be between 20 and 29 Myr ago, which is considerably older than the date ( 12 Myr) suggested by available rodent fossils and considerably younger than the date ( 35 Myr) suggested by Wilson and colleagues. The murid-hamster split is estimated to be 1.6 times older than the mouse-rat split.     

Ingestion Rates of Some Daphnia Species in a Shallow Lake (Lake Balaton,Hungary)

Filtering rates of three species of Daphnia were studied in situ by the ¹⁴C technique during the summer in a lake with a water temperature of 20-25°C (Lake Balaton, Hungary). The renewal time of gut contents proved to be 3-5 min in each of the three species whether fed on natural or artificial food. From May to September, filtering rates of D. cucullata, D. hyalina and D. galeata averaged 7.8, 10.3 and 9.2 ml ind.⁻¹ day⁻¹, respectively. Identically long individuals of all three species had almost the same filtering rates in spring, whereas in summer animals of identical weights had similar filtering rates regardless of species because of the length variability of the helmets. The grazing rate of adult filter-feeding crustaceans is suggested to be approximately 7 % per day.     

In vivo temperature limitations of photosynthesis in Phaseolus vulgaris L

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the temperature response of photosynthesis in two common bean genotypes differing in crop yield when grown under warm conditions. The cultivar Nobre is sensitive to high temperatures, whereas Diplomata shows better crop yield under high temperatures. Plants were grown in a greenhouse prior to transferring to a controlled environment cabinet for the temperature treatments. In a first experiment, 30 days-old plants were subjected to a short exposure (1 day) at temperatures that varied from 9 °C to 39 °C. Diplomata had lower net CO₂ assimilation rate (A) at 15 °C and 21 °C, but higher from 27 °C to 39 °C. Photosynthetic parameters calculated from modeling the response of A to the intercellular CO₂ concentration suggested that the different temperature responses of the two genotypes are caused by different rates of diffusion of CO₂ to the assimilation site, not by differences in biochemical limitations of photosynthesis. While stomatal conductance (g_s) did not differ between the genotypes, mesophyll conductance (g_m) was slightly greater for Nobre at 15 °C, but much higher in Diplomata from 21 °C to 39 °C. In a second experiment, no difference was observed in biomass accumulation between the two genotypes after growth for 24 days under a 35/20 °C (day/night) regime. Hence, the differences in photosynthesis did not cause variation in plant growth at the vegetative stage. The differential genotypic response of g_m to temperature suggests that g_m might be an important limitation to photosynthesis in Nobre, the common bean genotype sensitive to elevated temperature. However, more studies are needed employing other methods for g_m evaluation to validate these results.     

Cardiac rhythms in developing chicks

Instantaneous heart rate (IHR) of chicks was determined by electrocardiogram measured non-invasively from the day of hatch to day 6 for continuity of investigation of HR fluctuations from embryos and for ascertainment of HR diurnal rhythms. In Experiment I, IHR was determined for 1-h periods twice a day, in daytime and at night, to investigate development of heart rate fluctuations (variability and irregularities). Chick IHR was substantially more arrhythmic than embryonic HR and spontaneous acceleration dominated HR fluctuations. Chick HR fluctuations were categorized into three types; [1] Type I as a widespread baseline HR (20-50 bpm) due to respiratory arrhythmia, with a mean oscillatory frequency of 0.74 Hz (range 0.4-1.2 Hz); [2] Type II as low frequency oscillations of baseline HR, at a mean of 0.07 Hz (range 0.04-0.10 Hz), and [3] Type III as non-cyclic irregularities, dominated by frequent transient accelerations. In Experiment II, continuous measurements of HR were made under conditions of a natural photoperiod, thermoneutrality and with feed available throughout the first week after hatching and circadian rhythms of HR were ascertained. HR was very variable in the daytime (250-500 bpm), due in part to feeding and activity, and decreased to a diurnal low (200-350 bpm) at night when mean HR was relatively stable. HR fluctuations persisted throughout the diurnal cycle.     

The role of breeding system in community dynamics: Growth and mortality in forests of different successional stages

Plant sexual systems appear to play an important role in community assembly: Dioecious species are found to tend to have a higher propensity to colonize communities in early successional stages. Here, we test two demographic hypotheses to explain this pattern in temperate forests. First, we test demographic differences between hermaphrodite and dioecious species in stressful younger successional stages: Previous theory predicts that hermaphrodite seed production is more harmed in stressful environments than that of dioecious populations leading to an advantage for females of dioecious species. Second, in primary forest, we hypothesized that dioecious species would show demographic advantage over monomorphic ones. We used data from two temperate forest plots in Northeast China surveyed over 10 years to compare the rates of growth and mortality of tree species with contrasting breeding systems in both secondary and primary forests. We assessed the effect of breeding system on the growth‐mortality trade‐off, while controlling for other traits usually considered as correlates of growth and mortality rates. We show that in the secondary forest, dioecious species showed weak advantage in demographic rates compared with monomorphic species; dioecious species showed considerably both lower relative growth and mortality rates compared to the hermaphrodites in the primary forest over 10 years, consistent with a priori predictions. Hermaphrodites showed strong growth‐mortality trade‐offs across forest stages, even when possibly confounding factors had been accounted for. These results suggest that sexual system influences community succession and assembly by acting on the rates of growth and mortality, and the trade‐off between them. As vegetation develops, the demographic differences between breeding systems are much larger. Our results demonstrate the association between breeding system, succession, and community assembly and that this relationship is succession‐stage dependent. Our findings support the suggestion that the demographic advantage of dioecious species facilitates the coexistence of sexual systems in primary forest.     

Growth, protein-turnover rates and nucleic-acid concentrations in the white muscle of rainbow trout during development

We have studied the growth rate, nucleic-acid concentration, protein-accumulation rate (K_G), and several other parameters relating to protein turnover, such as the protein-synthesis (K_S), and protein-degradation rates (K_D), protein-synthesis capacity (C_S), protein-synthesis efficiency (K_RNA), protein-synthesis rate per DNA unit (K_DNA) and protein-retention efficiency (PRE), in the white muscle of rainbow trout during development. Both growth rate and relative food intake decreased significantly with age and weight, as did the food-efficiency ratio (FER) and protein-efficiency ratio (PER). Although absolute RNA and DNA contents increased with age, their relative concentrations decreased. The RNA/DNA ratio increased sharply from 14 to 28 weeks but afterwards decreased towards initial values. Hypertrophy increased rapidly to the 28-week stage but thenceforth increased much more slowly. Hyperplasia, on the other hand, continued to increase linearly, resulting in a significant four- to fivefold predominance in this type of growth at the end of the 96-week experimental period. K_G decreased significantly with age, as did K_S, and C_S, whereas at the 14-week stage, K_D was significantly lower than at other ages. K_RNA increased until 28 weeks. K_DNA increased significantly in juvenile fish compared to both fingerlings and adults, where it showed similar lower values. PRE remained high at all ages.     

Pregnancy outcome in free-ranging vervet monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops)

A preliminary assessment of individual female differences in conception rate and fetal wastage has been determined for a population of wild vervet monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops). One of three troops of vervet monkeys, the subjects of a long-term behavioral study, was trapped and blood was obtained for electrophoretic analysis. Pregnant females exhibited a distinctive serum aminopeptidase phenotype allowing a conclusive determination of pregnancy. Of the seven females diagnosed as pregnant, three later gave birth. Of the females that aborted, two were nulliparous and one was very old. Studies of captive animals have indicated that age and rank may affect a female's ability to carry a fetus to term. These factors, rather than the trapping procedure, may have been responsible for most of the fetal loss in the trapped troop. A comparison of all three troops for a 3-year period indicated that there were fluctuations in yearly birth success of individual females, as well as a relatively high miscarriage rate. The results of this study indicate the advantages of obtaining joint behavioral and biological data.     

始红蝽呼吸代谢的季节变化及对温度的适应性

为阐明始红蝽呼吸代谢的季节变化规律,探讨其对温度适应的呼吸代谢策略,运用多通道昆虫呼吸仪逐月测定始红蝽自然种群的O_2吸收率、CO_2释放率、代谢率和呼吸商。基于预实验获得始红蝽完成一次完整的呼吸代谢活动的时间为90 s,故每90 s记录1次数据。结果表明,始红蝽的呼吸代谢存在明显的季节变化。冬季种群(12—2月)呼吸代谢水平最弱,O_2吸收率、CO_2释放率和代谢率的平均值依次为(3.16±1.02)×10~(-5)mL/min、(2.09±0.78)×10~(-5)m L/min、(0.11±0.08)×10-3mLg~(-1)min~(-1);春季种群(3—5月)呼吸代谢水平迅速增加,夏季种群(6—8月)呼吸代谢水平最高,O_2吸收率、CO_2释放率和代谢率的平均值分别为(33.68±2.68)×10~(-5)mL/min、(36.00±3.07)×10~(-5)m L/min、(18.16±0.83)×10-3m Lg~(-1)min~(-1);秋季种群的呼吸代谢水平开始减弱并持续到冬季。始红蝽O_2吸收率、CO_2释放率和代谢率的值与栖息地的地表温度成正相关(r_1=0.914,r_2=0.909,r_3=0.836);春、夏、秋3个季节始红蝽以糖类物质作为呼吸代谢消耗的底物,冬季则消耗脂类物质。研究得出,随季节温度变化,始红蝽不仅能够调节呼吸代谢水平的强弱以提高自身对温度的适应能力,还可通过调整呼吸代谢消耗的底物类型以最大程度降低消耗,这对维持始红蝽种群数量和扩大其地理分布具有重要的生态学意义。     

Calculations of results in grazing experiments using the counting method

Different formulae used in the literature for calculation of ingestion rates are reviewed. Their applicability is discussed in relation to two criteria: the occurrence of saturation of the feeding and/or growth of the food particles. It is shown by simulations that the differences in results obtained by calculating ingestion following a linear or an exponential model are restricted to a few percent. Calculation of ingestion rates by subtraction of particle concentrations from control and grazing bottles can result in substantial over- or underestimation depending on the growth constant of the food particles and the grazing time.The formule l=Vk(C_zt–C_zoe^kt)/N(l–e^kt) is proposed for the calculation of ingestion rates under saturated circumstances.It is demonstrated that, with data obtained by multi-size class analysis, calculations on total particle concentrations are only feasible when growth constants and grazing coefficients are equal for all size classes considered.Attention is drawn to calculation problems resulting from non-normally distributed results and from non equal particle concentrations in control and grazing bottles at the beginning of the experiment. For the latter problem, two correction methods are proposed.Communication no. 327 of the Delta Institute for Hydrobiological Research.     

高原鼠兔在不同植被覆盖的立地占据、局部灭绝和建群率研究

青藏高原的草地生态系统被野生动物和家畜广泛地利用。大型有蹄类动物的放牧和小型哺乳类动物的挖掘行为,会改变其栖息地的植物群落。基于拉萨市墨竹工卡县日多镇年村牦牛(Bos grunniens)放牧的实践,我们发现高原鼠兔(Ochotona curzoniae)立地占域率、建群和区域灭绝率与栖息地变量之间存在一定的格局关系。为了了解高原鼠兔立地占域率、建群和区域灭绝率与栖息地之间的关系,我们采用多季节性立地占据模型,利用Presence软件对相关数据进行分析。结果表明,高原鼠兔局部灭绝率与植被覆盖度之间存在正相关性,而与建群率之间则呈负相关性。     

Mortality dynamics of Daphnia in contrasting habitats and their role in ecological divergence

1. The Daphnia pulex‐pulicaria species complex has been proposed as an example of rapid ecological speciation, associated with divergence along the gradient of waterbody size from temporary ponds to deep, stratified lakes. However, this divergence is incomplete, and thus represents an opportunity to study ecological divergence as it is occurring. 2. Dynamics of twelve populations of Daphnia in the pulex‐pulicaria species complex were monitored over 1 year. Six temporary pond populations and six permanent lake populations were compared to evaluate demographic differences that may contribute to ecological divergence in this complex. 3. Pond populations experienced greater changes in density, which were reflected in more extreme growth rates, higher birth rates and higher mortality rates than those of lake populations. 4. Mitochondrial DNA was isolated from up to three clones from each population, the D‐loop of the control region was sequenced, and a phylogenetic tree was constructed. This tree revealed two strongly supported clades. The clades were not congruent with habitat type and nominal status, indicating that interhabitat gene flow occurs easily and that the nominal taxa are incompletely diverged. 5. Published reports of genetic life history differences in the D. pulex‐pulicaria complex are consistent with the demographic differences reported here. This suggests that ecological differences between the habitats are selectively maintaining trait differences despite the possibility for genetic exchange. Thus, these taxa may be at the inception of ecological speciation.     

Comparative Studies on Relationships Between Proline Accumulation and Photosynthesis,Respiration and Chlorophyll Content of Some Plant Species in the Middle Part of the Desert Zone in China

The proline content of mesophytes, less-succulent xerophytes and succulent xerophytes were 0.42, 1.73 and 7.22 mg／g·dw·h respectively. The latter is 17 and 4 times both of the formers. The proline content of xerophytes-both succulent and less-succulent, under non-irrigation condition was higher than that under irrigation condition. The photosynthetic rates of less-succulent and succulent xerophytes were 16.74 and 14.04 CO2 mg／g·dw·h respectively, without clear difference between them. The photosynthetic rate of mesophyte (37.57 CO2 mg／g·dw·h) was more than 2 times that of two types of xerophytes. The respiratory rate of less-succulent xerophytes, succulent xerophytes and mesophytes were 6.27, 4.73 and 7.60 CO2 mg／g·dw·h respectively. The ratios of photosynthetic rate to respiratory rate in less-succulent xerophytes, succulent xerophytes and mesophytes were 2.50, 3.09 and 4.59 CO2 mg／g·dw·h respectively. This fact indicated that the carbon assimilatory process of mesophyte was evidently higher than the respiratory process for all the two types of plants. There was no obvious difference between the total contents of chlorophyll in the three types of plants.     

Clearance Rates of Crustacean Macrofiltrators: The Nature of in situ Rate Depressions in a Fertilized Oligotrophic Lake in the Kuokkel Area,Northern Sweden

Lake seston labelled by ¹⁴CO₂, ¹⁴C-acetate and ³²-PO₄ in parallel was used in zooplankton feeding experiments and checked for size distribution of the labelled particulates. The in situ experiments were made to find out if depressed Eudiaptomus and Holopedium clearance rates, in an artificially fertilized lake where seston was dominated by μ-algae, were due to low retention of such algae. Addition of a labelled reference alga (Chlamydomonas sp.) was used to find out if high food concentrations (above the Incipient Limiting Concentration) or toxins caused the depressions. Clearance rates mostly ranked highest for CO₂-labelled seston followed by ³²P and ¹⁴C-acetate labelled seston, reflecting approximately the size distributions of the labelled food. Clearance rates for the added reference alga were high and similar in the fertilized lake and in an oligotrophic reference lake. It was concluded that the detected “rate depression” could be explained purely by poor retention of small particles (passive size selection) by the crustaceans studied, but that active food selection offers optional explanations to the experimental results.     

根系分区交替灌溉条件下水肥供应对番茄果实硝酸盐含量的影响

为了研究根系分区交替灌溉条件下灌水量和氮、磷、钾肥及有机肥用量对番茄果实硝酸盐含量的影响,采用五元二次正交旋转组合设计,通过盆栽试验,建立了番茄果实中硝酸盐含量与水肥因子的数学模型,并对各单一因素的效应及两两因素的耦合效应进行了分析。结果表明,在其他因子为中间水平时,番茄果实中的硝酸盐含量,随灌水量呈先降低后增加的变化规律;随施氮量和施磷量呈先增加后降低的变化趋势;随有机肥用量呈逐渐增加的趋势;但不受钾肥用量的影响。交互效应表现为,施磷量与有机肥用量、施氮量与施磷量间的相互作用会促使番茄果实硝酸盐含量提高;灌水量与施钾量和有机肥量、施氮量与施钾量间的相互作用有利于降低番茄果实硝酸盐累积。耦合效应表现为,除不施有机肥时随灌水量增加番茄果实硝酸盐含量显著增加外,对于其它任何有机肥及钾肥施用水平,果实硝酸盐含量皆随灌水量增加呈先减小后增加趋势;灌水量高于中水平时,番茄果实硝酸盐含量随着钾肥与有机肥用量的增加而减少。不论施磷量与施钾量如何变化,番茄果实硝酸盐含量皆随施氮量呈现先增加后减小的变化趋势,降低氮肥用量同时提高磷肥用量有利于降低番茄果实硝酸盐累积,而提高施钾量仅在施氮量高于中水平时能显著降低番茄果实硝酸盐含量。适当增加磷肥用量、减小有机肥用量能显著降低番茄果实硝酸盐的累积。     

Effects of varied nitrogen stress on growth and nutrition in three Salix clones

The ability of Salix aquatica Smith, S. fragilis L. and S. viminalis L. to absorb nitrogen at varied growth rates was investigated in nutrient solutions. The effects of five nitrogen addition rates on growth rates, nitrogen contents of the plants, nitrogen concentration of the media, and dry matter distribution between roots, stems and leaves, were studied.
These clones are highly efficient in absorbing nitrogen at low concentrations in the root medium, independent of growth rate. Strong linear regressions were found between any two of the three factors: relative rate of nitrogen supply (R_N), nitrogen content (plant), and relative growth rate (R). Dry matter production per unit nitrogen taken up and unit time (N-productivity) and per unit nitrogen taken up independent of time (N-efficiency) was closely correlated to the nitrogen status of the plant. Root development was favoured in the sub-optimum treatments, and leaf development in the optimum treatments. With regard to their ability to absorb nitrogen, these Salix clones appear satisfactory for efficient short rotation energy forestry.     

Absence of typical diel vertical migration in Daphnia: varying role of water clarity, food, and dissolved oxygen in Lake Eymir, Turkey

Diel vertical migration (DVM) is a complex and dynamic behaviour against predation because the reaction of migrating organisms to light intensity plays a primary role, but is modified by other factors. In the relatively shallow but thermally stratified Lake Eymir, Daphnia pulex de Geers utilized vertical refugia afforded by the hypolimnion during both day and night. Differences in general vulnerability to fish predation determined the differences in their mean residence depths (MRDs) of different population categories such as most conspicuous and vulnerable individuals of adult with eggs inhabited the deepest depth, whereas juveniles stayed close the thermocline. In late spring, profoundly high amplitude of displacement within the hypolimnion, probably due to the hypolimnion being well-lit and relatively well-oxygenated for the fish and rather unsafe for the large-sized daphnids, was recorded. Therefore, the large-sized daphnids daytime refuge was close to the bottom whereas at night they moved upward to benefit from warmer water temperature along with food availability in the presence of fish predation but still remained below the thermocline. In summer, the insignificant amplitude of the hypolimnetic, which later became epilimnetic, displacements were probably due to the near-anoxic condition found below the thermocline. This might have deterred the fish, thus providing a safer refuge for daphnids in the below thermocline, which afterwards became the above thermocline. Low oxygen availability was regarded as the summer proximate factor. The abundant food and warmer water conditions found in the below/above thermocline also accounted for absence of DVM in summer. Consequently, this study suggests that DVM by Daphnia is an adaptation that is plastic to changing environmental conditions.     

Phytoplankton Losses due to Zooplankton Grazing in a Drinking Water Reservoir

Phytoplankton losses due to zooplankton grazing in the Saidenbach drinking water reservoir were calculated on the basis of laboratory experiments and field studies. The dependence of grazing rate and filtering rate on phytoplankton concentration, temperature and other factors is described.     

Comparison of Whole System of Carbon and Nitrogen Accumulation Between Two Maize Hybrids Differing in Leaf Senescence

A field experiment was conducted to investigate the carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) balance in relation to grain formation and leaf senescence in two different senescent types of maize (Zea mays L.), one stay-green (cv. P3845) and one earlier senescent (cv. Hokkou 55). In comparison with Hokkou 55, P3845 had a higher N concentration (N_c) in the leaves and a higher specific N absorption rate by roots (SAR_N), which indicated that a large amount of N was supplied to the leaves from the roots during maturation. This resulted in a higher photosynthetic rate, which supports saccharide distribution to roots. Thus, stay-green plants maintained a more balanced C and N metabolism between shoots and roots. Moreover, the coefficients of the relationship between the relative growth rate (RGR) and N_c, and between the photon-saturated photo-synthetic rate (P _sat) and N_c were lower in P3845. The P _sat per unit N_c in leaves was lower in the stay-green cultivars, which indicated that high yield was attained by longer green area duration and not by a high P _sat per unit N_c in the leaf. Consequently, a high P_sat caused a high leaf senescence rate because C and N compounds will translocate actively from the leaves.