Very-broad-scale assessment of human impacts on river condition

1. Management of whole rivers and river catchments requires a comprehensive set of information about river condition and use, both existing and historical, and the links between them at regional, state or national scales. This paper outlines a new approach to the assessment of river condition, using a small team was able to assess 210 000 km of rivers across more than 3 million km² of Australia in little more than a year. 2. The approach was driven by a hierarchical model of river function, which assumed that broad‐scale catchment characteristics affect local hydrology, habitat features, water quality and, ultimately, aquatic biota. The model provided the basis for selecting important ecologically relevant features that indices should represent. For each reach of each river we derived a biological index and an environmental index based on measures quantifying catchment and hydrological condition, and habitat and water quality condition. Data came from existing state and national databases, satellite images, site measurements and process models. 3. All indices were calculated as deviation from a reference condition, were range‐standardised and were divided into equivalent bands of condition. Amalgamation of index components and of sub‐indices was determined by consideration of their ecological effects; for example, general degradation might be additive, but toxic effects of one component would override all others. 4. Several internal and external validation methods were employed, with the all‐important validation of the final assessments undertaken by comparison with a similar index based on locally measured data. 5. The environmental assessment classified 14% of reaches as largely unmodified, 67% as moderately modified and 19% as substantially modified by human impacts. The biological assessment based on site assessments and modelled data using invertebrates indicated that 70% of reaches were equivalent to reference condition and that 30% were significantly impaired. Catchment disturbance, elevated sediment and nutrient loads, and habitat degradation all contributed to these results. These impacts have all occurred during the last 200 years (post‐European settlement). 6. Partly as a result of the assessments of this study the Australian Government has begun to adopt a more environmentally sustainable approach to broad‐scale water management.     

Timing and Regulation of Nuclear and Cortical Events in the Cell Cycle of Tetrahymena pyriformis*

SYNOPSIS. Using continuous flow cultures based on the chemostat principle, we varied the cell generation times of the ciliate Tetrahymena pyriformis strain GL, from 4.9 to 22.2 hr and studied various parameters of the cell cycle at 28 C. These included: the duration of the periods required for oral morphogenesis, macronuclear division, cell division, G₁ S, and G₂. The size of individual cells was also measured. Independent of the growth rate, the period of oral morphogenesis occurred during the last 90 min of the cell cycle. In all cases macronuclear and cell divisions took place during the last part of these 90 min, and the final macronuclear separation occurred just before final cell separation. The S-period increased slightly, while the G₁ and G₂ both increased in roughly the same relative proportion to the increasing generation times. Slowly growing cells (generation time 20.5 hr) were shorter but broader and somewhat larger in volume than quickly growing cells (generation time 4.9 hr).     

A revision of the Oriental stonefly genus Phanoperla (Plecoptera: Perlidae)

The genus Phanoperla (=Dyaperla Banks, 1939) (Plecoptera: Perlidae: Perlini) is revised and generic diagnoses are provided for adults and larvae. Diagnostic and constitutive characters of the tribe Neoperlini are discussed, and Chinoperla Zwick, 1980, is shown to be the closest relative of Phanoperla. Many past misidentifications of Phanoperla species have been corrected by the use of characters recently recognized as important, namely the structure of the internal genitalia of male and female specimens and particularly the complex pattern of spines on the male penial sac made visible by eversion of this structure, and details of sculpturing of the egg chorion.
The following species of Phanoperla are recognized: amorpha sp.n.; anomala (Banks, 1939); bakeri (Banks, 1924); ceylonica Kawai, 1975; comuta sp.n.; flaveola (Klapálek, 1921), comb.n. ( =clarissa (Banks, 1913), syn.n.), (=Neoperla hageni Banks, 1920, syn.n.), (= N.consimilis Banks, 1924, syn.n.); guttata sp.n.; himalayana Zwick, 1977 (= siwalika Harper, 1977); limosa (Hagen, 1858); maculata sp.n.; maindroni (Navas, 1926), comb.n.; malayana sp.n.; minutissima (Enderlein, 1909); nana sp.n.; nervosa Banks, 1939; nuwara Kawai, 1975; omega sp.n.; pallipennis (Banks, 1938); parva sp.n.; pumilio (Klapálek, 1921), comb.n.; peniculus Kawai, 1969a; schmidi sp.n.; sertispina Jewett, 1975; srilanka sp.n.; sumatrae sp.n.; testacea (Hagen, 1858); wedda sp.n. P.claggi (Banks, 1938) is a nomen nudum.
All species are (re-)described and figured; all primary types have been examined. A key to species is provided. Most species can be assigned to one of seven species groups which are defined.
Phanoperla is endemic to the Oriental Region. Species groups are generally widespread, but individual species are in most cases known only from restricted areas.     

Polyamine Depletion Following Exposure to DL-α-Difluoromethylornithine Both In Vivo and In Vitro Initiates Morphological Alterations and Mitochondrial Activation in a Monomorphic Strain of Trypanosoma brucei brucei

ABSTRACT. DL-α-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), a specific irreversible inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), rapidly depletes cells of intracellular putrescine. When administered to animals and humans, DFMO cures acute infections of trypanosomiasis. In order to determine if the mechanism of drug action is related to initiation of transformation and biochemical alterations subsequent to polyamine depletion, trypanosome morphology and mitochondrial activation were studied in a monomorphic strain of Trypanosoma brucei brucei. Exposure of trypanosomes to DFMO in vivo in infected rodents or in vitro in culture resulted in a depletion of intracellular putrescine and a cessation of cell division without specific cytotoxicity. These events were followed by a transformation of the long slender bloodstream form to a short stumpy form via an intermediate morphology. Putrescine, the product of the ODC reaction, abrogates this effect. When introduced into SDM-79 medium, the intermediate form is capable of further transformation to an "insect" procyclic trypomastigote whereas the long slender form and short stumpy form are not. Short stumpy forms are incapable of binary fission and have lost their infectivity for the vertebrate host. In addition, the mitochondrial marker enzyme, NAD diaphorase, was found only in the short stumpy and intermediate forms. We hypothesize that the short stumpy phenotype may not be a viable stage in the natural transformation of the trypanosome from its mammalian host to the insect vector.     

Cladistic analysis of the Cirripedia Thoracica

We present a cladistic analysis of the Cirripedia Thoracica using morphological characters and the Acrothoracica and Ascothoracida as outgroups. The list of characters comprised 32 shell and soft body features. The operational taxonomic units (OTUs) comprised 26 well-studied fossil and extant taxa, principally genera, since uncertainty about monophyly exists for most higher ranking taxonomic units. Parsimony analyses using PAUP 3.1.1 and Hennig86 produced 189 trees of assured minimal length. We also examined character evolution in the consensus trees using MacClade and Clados. The monophyly of the Balanomorpha and the Verrucomorpha sensu stricto is confirmed, and all trees featured a sister group relationship between the ‘living fossil Neoverruca and me Brachylepadomorpha. In the consensus trees the sequential progression of ‘pedunculate‘sister groups up to a node containing Neolepas also conforms to current views, but certain well-established taxa based solely on plesiomorphies stand out as paraphyletic, such as Pedunculata (= Lepadomorpha); Eolepadinae, Scalpellomorpha and Chthamaloidea. The 189 trees differed principally in the position of shell-less pedunculates, Neoverruca, the scalpelloid Capitulum, and the interrelationships within the Balanomorpha, although the 50% majority rule consensus tree almost fully resolved the latter. A monophyletic Sessilia comprising both Verrucomorpha and Balanomorpha appeared among the shortest trees, but not in the consensus. A tree with a monophyletic Verrucomorpha including Neoverruca had a tree length two steps longer than the consensus trees. Deletion of all extinct OTUs produced a radically different tree, which highlights the importance of fossils in estimating cirripede phylogeny. Mapping of our character set onto a manually constructed cladogram reflecting die most recent scenario of cirripede evolution resulted in a tree length five steps longer than any of our shortest trees. Our analysis reveals that several key questions in cirripede phylogeny remain unsolved, notably the position of shell-less forms and the transition from ‘pedunculate‘to ‘sessile‘barnacles. The inclusion of more fossil species at this point in our understanding of cirripede phylogeny will only result in even greater levels of uncertainty. When constructing the character list we also identified numerous uncertainties in the homology of traits commonly used in discussing cirripede evolution. Our study highlights larval ultrastructure, detailed studies of early ontogeny, and molecular data as the most promising areas for future research.     

Kinetics of Expression of Two Major Plasmodium berghei Antigens in the Mosquito Vector, Anopheles stephensi

ABSTRACT. Expression of a 21 kDa determinant (Pbs21), first detected on the surface of ookinetes, and of the circumsporozoite protein (CSP) was studied by immunofluorescence and Western blots during the developmental cycle of Plasmodium berghei in the mosquito A nopheles stephensi . The expression of Pbs21 was predominantly localised on the ookinete surface one day after the infectious blood meal, and thereafter reactivity declined to a minimum on days 2 and 3, the time of onset of oocyst development. A gradual increase in fluorescence was observed on the oocysts from day 6 that was retained until day 17 post-infection. In contrast, sporozoites released from oocysts or salivary glands showed little or no antibody labelling with anti-Pbs21. Circumsporozoite protein was not detectable in any rnidgut preparations until 5–6 days after feeding, when reactivity was observed against immature oocysts. Expression then continued and increased throughout oocyst and sporozoite development. Western blots confirmed that Pbs21 was expressed minimally during the oocyst development but was not detectable in sporozoites. Co-localisation of anti-Pbs21 and anti-CSP monoclonal antibodies to the 50 kDa and 60 kDa bands in Western blots of sporozoite suggests immunological cross-reactivity between the CSP and the anti-21 kDa antibodies.     

Hesperotestudo (Testudines: Testudinidae) from the Pleistocene of Bermuda, with comments on the phylogenetic position of the genus

A recently discovered fossil land tortoise (Testudines: Testudinidae) is described from the Pleistocene of Bermuda. Its morphology is sufficiently well preserved to allow assignment to the extinct North American genus Hesperotestudo. However, several features of this tortoise are unique and it is named Hesperotestudo bermudae sp. nov. A review of the phylogenetic relationships of the better known genera of the Testudinidae suggests that the affinities of Hesperotestudo lie with other North American tortoises (Gopherus) and not with Geochelone or other testudinines; thus, Hesperotestudo is reassigned to the Xerobatinae. This is at least the fifth documentation of a testudinid dispersing over open ocean to an oceanic island (the first for Hesperotestudo) and it corroborates the hypothesis that members of this family are well suited to over-water dispersal.     

Restoring lakes by using artificial plant beds: habitat selection of zooplankton in a clear and a turbid shallow lake

1. Return of large‐bodied zooplankton populations is of key importance for creating a shift from a turbid to a clear‐water state in shallow lakes after a nutrient loading reduction. In temperate lakes, recovery is promoted by submerged macrophytes which function as a daytime refuge for large zooplankton. However, recovery of macrophytes is often delayed and use of artificial plant beds (APB) has been suggested as a tool to enhance zooplankton refuges, thereby reinforcing the shift to a clear‐water state and, eventually, colonisation of natural plants. 2. To further evaluate the potential of APB in lake restoration, we followed the day–night habitat choices of zooplankton throughout summer in a clear and a turbid lake. Observations were made in the pelagic and littoral zones and in APB in the littoral representing three different plant densities (coverage 0%, 40% and 80%). 3. In the clear lake, the zooplankton (primarily Daphnia) were mainly found in the pelagic area in spring, but from mid‐May they were particularly abundant in the APB and almost exclusively so in mid‐June and July, where they appeared in extremely high densities during day (up to 2600 ind. L⁻¹). During night Daphnia densities were overall more equally distributed between the five habitats. Ceriodaphnia was proportionally more abundant in the APB during most of the season. Cyclopoids were more abundant in the high APB during day but were equally distributed between the five habitats during night. 4. In the turbid lake, however, no clear aggregation was observed in the APB for either of the pelagic genera (Daphnia and Bosmina). This may reflect a higher refuge effect in the open water due to the higher turbidity, reduced ability to orient to plant beds and a significantly higher fish density (mainly of roach, Rutilus rutilus, and perch, Perca fluviatilis) in the plant beds than in the clear lake. Chydorus was found in much higher proportions among the plants, while cyclopoids, particularly the pelagic Cyclops vicinus, dominated in the pelagic during day and in the pelagic and high density plants during night. 5. Our results suggest that water clarity is decisive for the habitat choice of large‐bodied zooplankton and that introduction of APB as a restoration measure to enhance zooplankton survival is only a useful tool when water clarity increases following loading reduction. Our results indicate that dense APB will be the most efficient.