A test for within‐lake niche differentiation in the nine‐spined sticklebacks (Pungitius pungitius)

Specialization for the use of different resources can lead to ecological speciation. Accordingly, there are numerous examples of ecologically specialized pairs of fish “species” in postglacial lakes. Using a polymorphic panel of single nucleotide variants, we tested for genetic footprints of within‐lake population stratification in nine‐spined sticklebacks (Pungitius pungitius) collected from three habitats (viz. littoral, benthic, and pelagic) within a northern Swedish lake. Analyses of admixture, population structure, and relatedness all supported the conclusion that the fish from this lake form a single interbreeding unit.     

FinnPRIO: a model for ranking invasive plant pests based on risk

The number of plant pests that may be transported to new areas with international trade is too great for subjecting all of them to a full scale pest risk assessment. There is therefore a need for a quick risk assessment procedure that also ranks the pests according to their risk. The FinnPRIO model can be used to assess the risk of alien plant pests for Finland. It follows the basic structure of a full scale pest risk assessment, i.e. it can be used to separately estimate the probabilities of entry, establishment (including spread), and the likely impacts. The model also includes a section for assessing preventability and controllability of a pest invasion. The model consists of multiple-choice questions with answer options yielding a different number of points. For each question the most likely answer option and the plausible minimum and maximum options are chosen. The total risk score is simulated using a PERT distribution, providing a scale of potential risk for each pest and indicating the level of uncertainty associated with the assessment. The model is accompanied by a guide for the interpretation of the questions and answer options. The model’s functionality has been tested through simulations, and it has been validated by comparing pest rankings produced using the model to those obtained in expert workshops. To date, 95 pests have been assessed with the model. The results indicate that the model is well capable of differentiating pests based on their estimated risk.     

Sediment resuspension: rescue or downfall of a thermally stratified eutrophic lake?

The aim of this study was to estimate the effect of sediment resuspension, a common phenomenon in many lakes, on the phosphorus budget of a eutrophicated lake. We used two different approaches, mass balance calculations and spatially comprehensive resuspension measurements, to determine the level of phosphorus loading from which rehabilitation action is started in a dimictic north temperate lake. The effect of resuspension was assumed to be significant, since it often is a governing process for cycling of material in lakes. Internal loading was multifold to that of external loading as determined by the budget calculation. Spatially comprehensive sedimentation and resuspension measurements were necessary, since deep site versus spatially comprehensive measurements had a marked difference in their results. Resuspension of P slightly exceeded the internal loading assessed by budget calculations and thereby proved its significance as a governing in-lake process that influences P cycling strongly. The shallow areas were of importance, since most of the total P load originated from there. The fate of P after resuspension depends on the retention capacity of resuspended particles in addition to prevailing biological and physico-chemical conditions. Therefore, sediment resuspension can either strengthen or diminish internal nutrient load and the processes of the shallow zones are of importance.     

Influence of seasonal time constraints on growth and development of common frog tadpoles: a photoperiod experiment

Organisms living in seasonal environments are often limited by the time available to complete their development. Especially individuals in northern populations may face severe time constraints in their need of completing development before the end of the growth season. Larval amphibians have been widely used in studies of phenotypic plasticity. However, their responses to changes in photoperiod, the main seasonal cue in many organisms, are unknown. In a laboratory experiment, we studied whether common frog (Rana temporaria) tadpoles originating from two populations (separated latitudinally by 1600 km) adjust their growth and development according to the progress of the season by using photoperiodic cues, and whether these responses are temperature dependent. We hypothesised that if frogs use photoperiod as a cue, they should increase growth and development rates as a response to photoperiodic treatments mimicking progressing season. Although our predictions were not verified in either of the populations, photoperiod manipulations had effects on larval life history in both populations. When exposed to progressing season treatments and high temperature, tadpoles from the southern population ceased feeding, which led to delayed metamorphosis and increased mortality. In the northern population, age at metamorphosis was unaffected by the photoperiod treatments, but growth rate until metamorphosis and metamorphic size were slightly larger in the treatments with shorter (increasing or decreasing) day length. Irrespective of photoperiod treatments, growth and development rates, size at metamorphosis and food consumption were higher in the northern as compared to the southern population. These results indicate that in contrast to several insect species, the critical life history decisions in amphibian larvae may not be strongly influenced by photoperiodic cues, but different populations seem to differ in this respect. However, the strong temperature×photoperiod interactions in several traits in the southern population suggest that the role of photoperiodic cues may be affected by other environmental factors, although the ecological significance of these differences remains unclear.     

Inequality of size and size increment in Pinus banksiana in relation to stand dynamics and annual growth rate

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Changes in size inequality in tree populations are often attributed to changes in the mode of competition over time. The mode of competition may also fluctuate annually in response to variation in growing conditions. Factors causing growth rate to vary can also influence competition processes, and thus influence how size hierarchies develop. METHODS: Detailed data obtained by tree-ring reconstruction were used to study annual changes in size and size increment inequality in several even-aged, fire-origin jack pine (Pinus banksiana) stands in the boreal shield and boreal plains ecozones in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, Canada, by using the Gini and Lorenz asymmetry coefficients. KEY RESULTS: The inequality of size was related to variables reflecting long-term stand dynamics (e.g. stand density, mean tree size and average competition, as quantified using a distance-weighted absolute size index). The inequality of size increment was greater and more variable than the inequality of size. Inequality of size increment was significantly related to annual growth rate at the stand level, and was higher when growth rate was low. Inequality of size increment was usually due primarily to large numbers of trees with low growth rates, except during years with low growth rate when it was often due to small numbers of trees with high growth rates. The amount of competition to which individual trees were subject was not strongly related to the inequality of size increment. CONCLUSIONS: Differences in growth rate among trees during years of poor growth may form the basis for development of size hierarchies on which asymmetric competition can act. A complete understanding of the dynamics of these forests requires further evaluation of the way in which factors that influence variation in annual growth rate also affect the mode of competition and the development of size hierarchies.     

Functional traits and climate drive interspecific differences in disturbance-induced tree mortality

With climate change, natural disturbances such as storm or fire are reshuffled, inducing pervasive shifts in forest dynamics. To predict how it will impact forest structure and composition, it is crucial to understand how tree species differ in their sensitivity to disturbances. In this study, we investigated how functional traits and species mean climate affect their sensitivity to disturbances while controlling for tree size and stand structure. With data on 130,594 trees located on 7617 plots that were disturbed by storm, fire, snow, biotic or other disturbances from the French, Spanish, and Finnish National Forest Inventory, we modeled annual mortality probability for 40 European tree species as a function of tree size, dominance status, disturbance type, and intensity. We tested the correlation of our estimated species probability of disturbance mortality with their traits and their mean climate niches. We found that different trait combinations controlled species sensitivity to disturbances. Storm-sensitive species had a high height-dbh ratio, low wood density and high maximum growth, while fire-sensitive species had low bark thickness and high P50. Species from warmer and drier climates, where fires are more frequent, were more resistant to fire. The ranking in disturbance sensitivity between species was overall consistent across disturbance types. Productive conifer species were the most disturbance sensitive, while Mediterranean oaks were the least disturbance sensitive. Our study identified key relations between species functional traits and disturbance sensitivity, that allows more reliable predictions of how changing climate and disturbance regimes will impact future forest structure and species composition at large spatial scales.     

Crystal Structure of Venezuelan Hemorrhagic Fever Virus Fusion Glycoprotein Reveals a Class 1 Postfusion Architecture with Extensive Glycosylation

Guanarito virus (GTOV) is an emergent and deadly pathogen. We present the crystal structure of the glycosylated GTOV fusion glycoprotein to 4.1-Å resolution in the postfusion conformation. Our structure reveals a classical six-helix bundle and presents direct verification that New World arenaviruses exhibit class I viral membrane fusion machinery. The structure provides visualization of an N-linked glycocalyx coat, and consideration of glycan dynamics reveals extensive coverage of the underlying protein surface, following virus-host membrane fusion.     

Rapid Molecular Characterization of Acinetobacter baumannii Clones with rep-PCR and Evaluation of Carbapenemase Genes by New Multiplex PCR in Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa

Multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (MDRAB) is an increasing problem worldwide. Prevalence of carbapenem resistance in Acinetobacter spp. due to acquired carbapenemase genes is not known in Finland. The purpose of this study was to examine prevalence and clonal spread of multiresistant A. baumannii group species, and their carbapenemase genes. A total of 55 Acinetobacter isolates were evaluated with repetitive PCR (DiversiLab) to analyse clonality of isolates, in conjunction with antimicrobial susceptibility profile for ampicillin/sulbactam, colistin, imipenem, meropenem, rifampicin and tigecycline. In addition, a new real-time PCR assay, detecting most clinically important carbapenemase genes just in two multiplex reactions, was developed. The assay detects genes for KPC, VIM, IMP, GES-1/-10, OXA-48, NDM, GIM-1, SPM-1, IMI/NMC-A, SME, CMY-10, SFC-1, SIM-1, OXA-23-like, OXA-24/40-like, OXA-58 and ISAbaI-OXA-51-like junction, and allows confident detection of isolates harbouring acquired carbapenemase genes. There was a time-dependent, clonal spread of multiresistant A. baumannii strongly correlating with carbapenamase gene profile, at least in this geographically restricted study material. The new carbapenemase screening assay was able to detect all the genes correctly suggesting it might be suitable for epidemiologic screening purposes in clinical laboratories.