The potential role of waterbirds in dispersing invertebrates and plants in arid Australia

1. The role of waterbirds as vectors of plants and invertebrates within and between arid‐zone wetlands is poorly understood. We present the first detailed study of passive dispersal by nomadic birds in Australasia. We investigated the numbers and types of invertebrate and plant propagules within freshly collected faecal samples as well as their viability. We compared dispersal among Grey Teal (Anas gracilis), Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra) and Black Swan (Cygnus atratus) in the Macquarie Marshes, a complex of temporary to semi‐permanent wetlands in New South Wales. 2. When faecal samples (n = 60) were inundated in the laboratory and monitored over 3 weeks, ciliates (75% of samples), nematodes (22%), ostracods (13%) and rotifers (5%) were recorded, with higher taxon richness in coot samples. Faecal samples (n = 71) were also sieved to quantify intact propagules, and ostracod eggs (70% of samples), large branchiopod eggs (31%) and bryozoan statoblasts (31%) were the most abundant invertebrates. Diaspores of 19 plant taxa were recorded, 14 of which were germinated in the laboratory or shown to be viable at the end of germination trials. The abundance and diversity of invertebrate propagules was highest in coot samples, whereas the abundance and diversity of diaspores was highest in teal samples. 3. One Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus) sample was obtained and found to contain more taxa and far more propagules than any sample from other waterbirds, suggesting that piscivorous birds might have an important role in the indirect dispersal of propagules ingested by fish. 4. Our results support a role for birds in explaining the distributions of cosmopolitan plant genera such as Lemna, Typha, Myriophyllum and Nitella. The alien plants Ranunculus sceleratus, Medicago polymorpha and Polygonum arenastrum were recorded, demonstrating the potential role of waterfowl in the spread of exotic species. As the frequency and duration of flooding of arid‐zone wetlands decreases owing to human activities, the importance of waterbirds in facilitating recolonisation of temporary wetlands is likely to increase.     

Frequencies of plasma protease inhibitor alleles in Australian horse breeds and the recognition of two new alleles

Investigation of the plasma protease inhibitor system (Pi) in the Arabian and quarter horse breeds and re-examination of the standardbred breed resulted in the recognition of two new Pi alleles, designated E and L2. PiE is rare and has been found in only three quarter horses. In contrast, PiL2 is relatively common in the standardbred (0.107) and allowed subdivision of PiL into PiL and PiL2. Splitting of PiL resulted in an exclusion probability (PE) of 0.649 for the standardbred Pi system. Frequencies of the Pi genes have now been determined for four breeds (thoroughbred, standardbred, quarter horse and Arabian) of horses in Australia.     

Ultrastructural Aspects of Sporogenesis in a Fern, Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn

The meiotic process of sporogenesis in Pteridium is accompaniedby a regular cycle of ultrastructural events. These includethe dedifferentiation and redifferentiation of organelles, andthe elimination and restoration of ribosomes. Although similarin nature to corresponding stages in other land plants, sporogenesisin Pteridium provides several unique features. During prophase the plastids pass through a stage during whichno envelope can be resolved at the periphery of the stroma.They appear to survive this period and there is no evidencethat plastid lineage is broken from primary archesporium tospore. The plastid cycle is accompanied by the presence of theiron-protein complex phytoferritin. The repopulation of the spore cytoplasm with ribosomes, followingthe prophase elimination, is achieved through the agency ofnucleoloid-like bodies. These bodies, however, are not synthesizedwithin the nucleus, but form within membrane-bound regions ofthe early prophase cytoplasm. Prophase is also characterized by the development of nuclearvacuoles, expansions of the perinuclear space, which progressivelyramify through the karyoplasm prior to the dissolution of thenuclear envelope at metaphase I. The significance of these events, their similarities with, anddifferences from, comparable stages of meiosis in other plantsare discussed. Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn, bracken, meiosis, sporogenesis     

Predicting the potential long‐term influence of climate change on vendace (Coregonus albula) habitat in Bassenthwaite Lake,U.K.

1. The long‐term suitability of Bassenthwaite Lake as a habitat for vendace (Coregonus albula) was assessed using two models. The first was the phytoplankton model (PROTECH) that provided temperature and phytoplankton biomass outputs that were used to drive a second model of lake oxygen (LOX). 2. Both temperature and oxygen concentrations were used to define the available habitat for the adult vendace, using 18 °C as an upper and 2 mg L^?1 as a lower threshold, respectively. The outputs of both models were compared with 4 years of observed data for the purposes of validation and produced good simulations of water temperature, total chlorophyll a and oxygen concentrations in the epilimnion, hypolimnion and at the lake bottom. 3. Using the outputs of a regional climate model (RCM) simulating 20 years of both present and future climate conditions for this part of the United Kingdom, both models were re‐run. These data suggest the future climate will cause a mean increase of >2 °C in water temperature, little change in overall phytoplankton biomass and a 10% decline in oxygen concentration. 4. Using the thresholds defined above, the habitat volume will decline greatly under the future climate scenarios, with all of the 20 years simulated having periods of zero habitat volume for >7 consecutive days, primarily caused by high temperature. These results suggest that the long‐term viability of the lake as a habitat for this rare fish is extremely low.