More for less: a study of environmental flows during drought in two Australian rivers

1. In rivers affected by drought, flow regulation can further reduce flow and intensify its effects. We measured ecological responses to environmental flows, during a prolonged drought in a regulated river (Cotter River), compared with a drought affected, unregulated river (Goodradigbee River) in south‐eastern Australia. 2. Environmental flows in the regulated Cotter River were reduced from a monthly average base flow of 15 MLd^?1 to only 5 MLd^?1, which was implemented as two test flow regimes. Initially, flows were delivered in cycles of 14 days at 3 MLd^?1 followed by 3 days at 14 MLd^?1 and then another 14 days at 3 MLd^?1 to make up the monthly average of 5 MLd^?1. This flow regime continued for 6 months, after which a preliminary ecological assessment indicated deterioration in river condition. Consequently, the flow regime was altered to a cycle of 2 MLd^?1 for 28 days followed by 20 MLd^?1 for either 3 or 4 days. This new flow regime continued for another 5 months. 3. The ecological outcomes of the test flow regimes were assessed in terms of (i) the provision of available habitat (wetted channel) for aquatic biota; (ii) the accumulation of periphyton; and (iii) the structure and richness of macroinvertebrate assemblages. 4. Flow of 20 MLd^?1 covered most of the streambed in the Cotter River, thus providing more wetted area and connectivity between habitats than flows of 2, 3 or 14 MLd^?1. Depth and velocity were always less in the Cotter River than in the unregulated Goodradigbee River. Periphyton decreased in the Cotter River during the 2/20 MLd^?1 flow regime, which combined the lowest and greatest test flow volumes, while periphyton did not change significantly in the unregulated river. 5. The reduced flow in the Cotter River resulted in fewer macroinvertebrates than expected (13) compared with unregulated Goodradigbee sites (19), although the magnitude of the differences did not depend on the test flow releases. Macroinvertebrates in the Cotter River became numerically dominated by Diptera and Oligochaeta, while Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera decreased in abundance. 6. In the Cotter River, the monthly average flow of 5 MLd^?1 (exceeded 97% of the time pre‐regulation) was insufficient to maintain the macroinvertebrate assemblages in reference condition, regardless of release patterns. However, short‐term ecological objectives were achieved, such as reduced periphyton accumulation and increased habitat availability, and the environmental flows maintained the river’s ability to recover (resilience) when higher flows returned.     

Investigating the effects of predator removal and habitat management on nest success and breeding population size of a farmland passerine: a case study

Passerines are especially vulnerable to predation at the pre-independence stage. Although the role of nest success in British farmland passerine declines is contentious, improvement in nest success through sympathetic management could play a role in their reversal. Because habitat is known to interact with predation, management options for mitigation will need to consider effects of nest predation. We present results from an observational study of a population of Common Blackbird Turdus merula on a farm which has experienced a range of agri-environment and game-management options, including a period with nest predator control, as a case study to address some of these issues. We used an information theoretic model comparison procedure to look for evidence of interactions between habitat and nest predation, and then asked whether habitat management and nest predator abundances could explain population trends at the site through their effects on nest success. Interactions were detected between measures of predator abundance and habitat variables, and these varied with nest stage – habitat within the vicinity of the nest appeared to be important at the egg stage, and nest-placement characteristics were important at the nestling stage. Although predator control appeared to have a positive influence on Blackbird breeding population size, the non-experimental set-up meant we could not eliminate other potential explanations. Variation in breeding population size did not appear to be influenced by variation in nest success alone. Our study demonstrates that observational data can only go so far in detection of such effects, and we discuss how it might be taken further. Agri-environment and game-management techniques are likely to influence nest predation pressure on farmland passerines, but the patterns, mechanisms and importance to population processes remain not wholly understood.     

The effects of gibberellin A3 on white clover during floral development

Hokkanen & Pimentel (1984) proposed a novel approach for the selection of biocontrol agents. They advocated the selection of agents from a relative of the weed plant rather than from the target weed species itself. The new relationship that such agents would have with the weed would be characterised by a relative lack of homeostasis compared with the old herbivore-plant associations traditionally used in weed biocontrol, and would consequently be more effective. There are few examples to support these contentions because of the traditional use of old herbivore-plant associations in weed biocontrol. In the present study, herbivore-plant associations in agricultural situations, which are analogous to agent-weed associations, are examined to assess the potential of new associations for weed biocontrol. The herbivores on 14 introduced crop plants which have salient similarities to the major weeds in the south-western Cape were surveyed: (a) 68% of the 188 insect and mite herbivores are indigenous species in new associations with these host plants, and (b) of the five most damaging pests on each of 13 of the crop plants, 53% are in new associations with the plants. Of the 40 most important agricultural pests in South Africa, 58% are in new associations, confirming these results. About 50% of the insect and mite herbivores in new associations with their host plants are oligophagous, indicating that new associations are not necessarily characterised by polyphagy and hence unsafe for use in weed biocontrol. We conclude that new associations between herbivore species and host plants have strong potential in weed biocontrol because (a) their frequency in agriculture indicates that they can easily be established in weed biocontrol situations, (b) they are as damaging as old associations and (c) they are not necessarily unsafe as regards host specificity. We therefore advocate the use of both the classical approach and that of Hokkanen & Pimentel (1984). Our support for Hokkanen & Pimentel (1984) is, however, based on evidence and rationale clearly different to theirs, and we provide novel guidelines, which can be routinely and practically applied in the selection of agents for weed biocontrol.     

Post-genomic Pseudomonas

A report on the 19th Whitehead Institute Symposium, Cambridge, USA, 14-16 October 2001.

     

Post-genomic Pseudomonas

A report on the Pseudomonas 2001 Meeting, Brussels, Belgium, 17-21 September 2001.     

Specific localization of scallop gill epithelial calmodulin in cilia

Calmodulin has been isolated and characterized from the gill of the bay scallop aequipecten irradians. Quantitative electrophoretic analysis of epithelial cell fractions show most of the calmodulin to be localized in the cilia, specifically in the detergent- solubilized membrane-matrix fraction. Calmodulin represents 2.2 +/- 0.3 percent of the membrane-matrix protein or 0.41 +/- 0.5 percent of the total ciliary protein. Its concentration is at least 10(-4) M if distributed uniformly within the matrix. Extraction in the presence of calcium suggests that the calmodulin is not bound to the axoneme proper. The ciliary protein is identified as a calmodulin on the basis of its calcium- dependent binding to a fluphenazine-sepharose affinity column and its comigration with bovine brain calmodulin on alkaline-urea and SDS polyacrylamide gels in both the presence and absence of calcium. Scallop ciliary calmodulin activates bovine brain phosphodiesterase to the same extent as bovine brain and chicken gizzard calmodulins. Containing trimethyllysine and lacking cysteine and tryptophan, the amino acid composition of gill calmodulin is typical of known calmodulins, except that it is relatively high in serine and low in methionine. Its composition is less acidic than other calmodulins, in agreement with an observed isoelectric point approximately 0.2 units higher than that of bovine brain. Comparative tryptic peptide mapping of scallop gill ciliary and bovine brain calmodulins indicates coincidence of over 75 percent of the major peptides, but at least two major peptides in each show no near-equivalency. Preliminary results using ATP-reactivated gill cell models show no effect of calcium at micromolar levels on ciliary beat or directionality of the lateral cilia, the cilia which constitute the vast majority of those isolated. However, ciliary arrest will occur at calcium levels more than 150 muM. Because calmodulin usually functions in the micromolar range, its role in this system is unclear. Scallop gill ciliary calmodulin may be involved in the direct regulation of dyneintubule sliding, or it may serve some coupled calcium transport function. At the concentration in which it is found, it must also at least act as a calcium buffer.     

A Survey of the Rates and Products of Short-term Photosynthesis in Plants of Nine Phyla

1. Short-term photosynthetic experiments using C¹⁴O₂ and paperchromatography were performed with 27 different plants representingnine phyla: Schizophyta (Schizophyceae), Euglenophyta, Chlorophyta,Charophyta, Chrysophyta, Rhodophyta, Bryophyta, Pteridophyta,and Spermatophyts.
2. There is a remarkable uniformity in thetypes of ethanol-solublecompounds which became radioactivein the entire group of plantsused. The amounts of the differentcompounds varied considerablypercentagewise among the variousplants as would be expectedbecause of their inherent metabolicdifferences and the variationsin their physiological statesinduced by experimental conditions.
3. Sucrose became radioactivein very different amounts in twomajor groupings of plants:(a) those containing only photosynthetictissue, and (b) thosecontaining non-photosynthetic tissue aswell. The amount ofradioactive sucrose in the former groupwas much lower thanthat in the latter.
4. An unidentified compound became radioactivein appreciable amountsin two of the blue-green algae, but wasradioactive in verysmall amounts or not visible at all on thechromatograms ofall other plants.

     

A Pyrolysis Gas-liquid Chromatography Study of Clostridium botulinum and Related Organisms

Low resolution pyrolysis gas-liquid chromatography could differentiate the following groups of Clostridium botulinum and related organisms: (1) Cl. botulinum type A. proteolytic types B and F and Cl. sporogenes ; (2) Cl. botulinum types C and D. and (3) Cl. botulinum type E and non-proteolytic types B and F. Toxin types A and B could be distinguished from type E and from type F.