Animal and vegetation patterns in natural and man-made bog pools: implications for restoration

1. Peatlands have suffered great losses following drainage for agriculture, forestry, urbanisation, or peat mining, near inhabited areas. We evaluated the faunal and vegetation patterns after restoration of a peatland formerly mined for peat. We assessed whether bog pools created during restoration are similar to natural bog pools in terms of water chemistry, vegetation structure and composition, as well as amphibian and arthropod occurrence patterns. 2. Both avian species richness and peatland vegetation cover at the site increased following restoration. Within bog pools, however, the vegetation composition differed between natural and man‐made pools. The cover of low shrubs, Sphagnum moss, submerged, emergent and floating vegetation in man‐made pools was lower than in natural pools, whereas pH was higher than in typical bog pools. Dominant plant species also differed between man‐made and natural pools. 3. Amphibian tadpoles, juveniles and adults occurred more often in man‐made pools than natural bog pools. Although some arthropods, including Coleoptera bog specialists, readily colonised the pools, their abundance was two to 26 times lower than in natural bog pools. Plant introduction in bog pools, at the stocking densities we applied, had no effect on the occurrence of most groups. 4. We conclude that our restoration efforts were partially successful. Peatland‐wide vegetation patterns following restoration mimicked those of natural peatlands, but 4 years were not sufficient for man‐made pools to fully emulate the characteristics of natural bog pools.     

Nicotiana plumbaginifolia plants silenced for the ATP-binding cassette transporter gene NpPDR1 show increased susceptibility to a group of fungal and oomycete pathogens

The behaviour of Nicotiana plumbaginifolia plants silenced for the ATP-binding cassette transporter gene NpPDR1 was investigated in response to fungal and oomycete infections. The importance of NpPDR1 in plant defence was demonstrated for two organs in which NpPDR1 is constitutively expressed: the roots and the petal epidermis. The roots of the plantlets of two lines silenced for NpPDR1 expression were clearly more sensitive than those of controls to the fungal pathogens Botrytis cinerea , Fusarium oxysporum sp., F. oxysporum f. sp. nicotianae , F. oxysporum f. sp. melonis and Rhizoctonia solani , as well as to the oomycete pathogen Phytophthora nicotianae race 0. The Ph gene-linked resistance of N. plumbaginifolia to P. nicotianae race 0 was totally ineffective in NpPDR1 -silenced lines. In addition, the petals of the NpPDR1 -silenced lines were spotted 15%–20% more rapidly by B. cinerea than were the controls. The rapid induction (after 2–4 days) of NpPDR1 expression in N. plumbaginifolia and N. tabacum mature leaves in response to pathogen presence was demonstrated for the first time with fungi and one oomycete: R. solani , F. oxysporum and P. nicotianae . With B. cinerea , such rapid expression was not observed in healthy mature leaves. NpPDR1 expression was not observed during latent infections of B. cinerea in N. plumbaginifolia and N. tabacum , but was induced when conditions facilitated B. cinerea development in leaves, such as leaf ageing or an initial root infection. This work demonstrates the increased sensitivity of NpPDR1 -silenced N. plumbaginifolia plants to all of the fungal and oomycete pathogens investigated.     

Rapid changes in fish community structure and habitat distribution following the precipitation of lake phosphorus with aluminium

1. Fish community structure and habitat distribution of the abundant species roach, perch and ruffe were studied in Lake Nordborg (Denmark) before (August 2006) and after (August 2007) aluminium treatment to reduce internal phosphorus loading. 2. Rapid changes in fish community structure, abundance and habitat distribution occurred following a decline in in‐lake phosphorus concentrations from 280 to 37 μg P L^?1 and an increase in Secchi depth transparency from 1.1 to 1.9 m (August). The proportion of perch in overnight gill net catches increased, whilst roach decreased, and the average weight of all key species increased. 3. The habitat distribution of perch and roach changed from a high proportion in the upper pelagic and littoral zones in 2006, towards enhanced proportions in the deeper pelagic and profundal zone in 2007. The abundance of large‐bodied zooplankton increased and the abundance of benthic invertebrates decreased in the same period, suggesting that the habitat shift was not induced by food limitation. 4. Ruffe shifted from the littoral and upper profundal zones towards the deep profundal zone, likely reflecting an increased predation risk in the littoral zone and better oxygen conditions in the deep profundal. 5. Our results indicate that enhanced risk of predation in the upper pelagic and the littoral zones and perhaps improved oxygen concentrations in the deeper profundal zone at decreasing turbidity are responsible for the observed habitat shift. The results indicate that fish respond rapidly to changes in nutrient state, both in terms of community structure and habitat use.     

New species of the genus Plesiolacerta (Squamata: Lacertidae) from the upper Oligocene (MP28) of Southern Germany and a revision of the type species Plesiolacerta lydekkeri

Abstract: The lacertid material from the locality of Herrlingen 8 (upper Oligocene, MP28) is described as a new species of the genus Plesiolacerta. The material is disarticulated and comprises isolated elements including parietal, frontal, maxilla and dentary. It can be assigned to a single species on the basis of the external surface ornamentation. This morphology is typical for the genus Plesiolacerta, but the material differs in detail from the type species P. lydekkeri. The most significant feature of the new species is that the occipital scute of the parietal bone is narrow, rectangular in shape and anteroposteriorly short. Hitherto, the last occurrence of this genus was in the lower Oligocene. This material represents the first evidence of the existence of this genus in the upper Oligocene. Therefore, our knowledge of its evolution is expanded by providing new data on its spatial and temporal ranges and morphology. This taxon has a much longer history than we thought. In addition, the Eocene species, P. lydekkeri, is reviewed here. P. lydekkeri shares the most lacertid synapomorphies and, given our present knowledge, Plesiolacerta is a taxon very close to or possibly within crown Lacertidae. The frontal and postorbitofrontal of Plesiolacerta are described for the first time. In view of the primitive morphology and early occurrence of Plesiolacerta, it seems that the feature of a longer anterior region of the frontal could be considered as a plesiomorphic feature within lacertid lizards, and the condition in Timon (approximately the same length) as derived.     

An assemblage of early Oligocene lizards (Squamata) from the locality of Boutersem (Belgium), with comments on the Eocene–Oligocene transition

A diverse, new lizard assemblage from the early Oligocene of Belgium is described. The Boutersem railway local fauna is the most species‐rich lizard assemblage yet reported from the European early Oligocene. Four lizard taxa are present: Lacertidae, Anguidae, Scincoidea and Platynota. One new species is described, Folisaurus boutersemensis sp. nov . This fauna provides new insight into the profound turnover that took place during the Eocene/Oligocene boundary in Europe. The new fauna confirms a marked decrease in diversity across the Eocene/Oligocene boundary. Two groups encountered in the European late Eocene became extinct (Iguanidae*, Glyptosaurinae). Estimates of species‐level extinctions range up to 80%. These estimates include members of virtually all the families present in the late Eocene. The relative importance of climate change and biotic interactions in controlling this pattern is discussed, and negative interactions between lizards and new carnivorous mammals are favoured. © 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2009, 155 , 148–170.     

Proceedings of the signature series symposium “cellular therapies for orthopaedics and musculoskeletal disease proven and unproven therapies—promise,facts and fantasy,” international society for cellular therapies,montreal, canada,may 2, 2018

The Signature Series Symposium “Cellular Therapies for Orthopaedics and Musculoskeletal Disease Proven and Unproven Therapies—Promise, Facts and Fantasy” was held as a pre-meeting of the 26^th International Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT) annual congress in Montreal, Canada, May 2, 2018. This was the first ISCT program that was entirely dedicated to the advancement of cell-based therapies for musculoskeletal diseases. Cellular therapies in musculoskeletal medicine are a source of great promise and opportunity. They are also the source of public controversy, confusion and misinformation. Patients, clinicians, scientists, industry and government share a commitment to clear communication and responsible development of the field. Therefore, this symposium convened thought leaders from around the world in a forum designed to catalyze communication and collaboration to bring the greatest possible innovation and value to patients with musculoskeletal conditions.     

Functional Anatomy of the Association Between Motor Units and Muscle Receptors

Muscle spindles and tendon organs occur in most somatic musclesof the mammal and are particularly concentrated in muscles subservingfine movements, including postural muscles and small musclesof the distal extremities. In those mixed muscles in which thedifferent fiber and motor unit types are "compartmentalized,"the spindles, and perhaps tendon organs also, are virtuallylimited to those compartments predominated by "oxidative" musclefibers. These morphological observations based on a broad arrayof muscles in many species, complement electrophysiologicalstudies which have emphasized that (1) the "oxidative" motorunits have low reflex thresholds and (2) segmental proprioceptivereflexes may be primarily concerned with the control of finelygraded contractions. Consideration of the functional anatomyof the association between motor units and muscle receptorssuggests the need for detailed structural-functional analysesof those muscles with specializations in architecture, fiber-typecomposition and distribution, and in the number and distributionof their muscle spindles and tendon organs. An electrophysiologicalanalysis of the relationship between the spinal cord and suchmuscles might also reveal certain strategies and mechanismsunderlying segmental motor control which are either absent orobscured in the analysis of that select number of "homogenously-mixed"muscles conventionally used in the study of the mammalian segmentalmotor control system.     

Cold snaps,heatwaves, and arthropod growth

1. Arthropod performance is a non‐linear function of temperature, and thus global climate change may impact arthropods in a variety of non‐obvious ways. 2. In this paper, the well‐known thermal performance curve is reviewed briefly and attention is drawn to the importance of variance in temperature, particularly major weather events such as cold snaps and heatwaves. 3. A model is developed that considers the asymmetry between cold and heat stress and, particularly, the different timescales of recovery from these stressors: near‐instantaneous for cold and lagged effects from heat. 4. Growth rate is evaluated as a function of weather‐event intensity and length. Including the timescale asymmetry exacerbates both heat stress and, to a much lesser degree, cold stress.     

Thermogenesis of three species of Arum from Crete

Inflorescences of arum lilies have a three-part spadix with a scent-producing, sterile appendix above two bands of fertile male and female florets. The appendix and male florets are thermogenic, but with different temporal patterns. Heat-production was measured in Arum concinnatum , A. creticum and A. idaeum . The male florets of A. concinnatum showed a 3 d continuous episode of thermogenesis with three waves, and the appendix warmed in a single, 6 h episode. Maximum fresh-mass-specific CO₂ production rate was 0.17  µ mol s⁻¹ g⁻¹ to achieve a 10.9 °C temperature elevation by the appendix, and 0.92  µ mol s⁻¹ g⁻¹ to achieve a 4.8 °C elevation by male florets. Reversible, physiological temperature regulation was not evident in either tissue. Respiration increased with tissue temperatures with Q₁₀ values of 1.8–3.9, rather than less than 1.0 as occurs in thermoregulatory flowers. Experimental step changes in temperature of appendix and male floret tissues also failed to show thermoregulatory responses. The patterns of thermogenesis therefore appear to be fixed by the temporal sequence of blooming. Thermogenesis in the alpine species, A. creticum and A. idaeum , was significantly lower than in the lowland A. concinnatum , possibly related to difficulty in raising floral temperature in their cold and windy habitat.     

Systematic revision of Nearctic species of Achalcus Loew (Diptera: Dolichopodidae) with comments on their phylogeny, ecology and zoogeography

The species of the genus Achalcus Loew from the Nearctic Region are revised and a key to males and females is provided. Achalcus utahensis (Harmston & Miller) and A. oregonensis (Harmston & Miller) are redescribed, and A. californicus sp.n., A. dytei sp.n. and A. similis sp.n. are described. Together with eight of the nine known Palaearctic species of the genus, they represent a monophyletic species group, which is characterized by the presence of five pairs of dorsocentral bristles and the incorporation of the epandrial setae onto the shaft of the epandrial lobe. Like their Palaearctic congeners, most Nearctic species occur in damp habitats, such as coastal forests and riparian vegetation. Most specimens were collected in the Pacific coastal states from British Columbia to California, but one species occurs in Utah, and one of six species which were not described because males are lacking, was discovered in Ontario.