Daily and seasonal vertical migration rhythms in Daphnia

1. Clones of Daphnia longispina (O.F.M.), collected from ponds with different levels of predation, were monitored using video techniques in order to test the effects of temperature and visual cues on vertical migration behaviour.
2. Endogenous rhythms were found to have a part in the control of vertical migration in some clones but responses were highly variable.
3. Low temperature caused a marked increase in the amplitude of vertical migration in D. longispina , consistent with field studies.
4. Clones from ponds with fish predators had larger vertical migration amplitudes than clones from ponds with no fish, providing further evidence for the genetic basis of this mechanism.     

The diversity of hemi-epiphytic figs (Ficus ; Moraceae) in a Bornean lowland rain forest

The diversity and niche specificity of hemi-epiphytic figs in a lowland dipterocarp forest in Sarawak were investigated in 1998. Twenty-seven fig species (264 individuals, c. 120 ha) colonized a diversity of host taxa (35 families), but densities were very low and only 1.77% of trees> 30 cm d.b.h. were occupied. There were no significant associations with host taxa or host-bark roughness but among 11 common species (≥9 individuals) the distributions of all other parameters (host-d.b.h., height and position of colonization, crown illumination, soil-texture and slope-angle) were significantly different, and we identified five fig guilds. The guilds corresponded to canopy strata, and appeared to reflect the establishment microsite requirements of different species. A fundamental trade-off within the hemi-epiphytic habit was revealed: Species colonizing larger hosts were rarer, because of lower host densities and more specific microsite requirements, but had better light environments and attained a larger maximum size. The single strangler species appeared to escape many of these constraints, and an important source of mortality caused by host-toppling, indicating the advantages of this strategy. Thus, the hemi-epiphytic figs in this community have come to fill a remarkable diversity of niches, despite low levels of competition, through the exigencies of a complex environment.  © 2003 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2003, 78 , 439–455     

Morphology and somatometric growth of long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis fascicularis) in Singapore

Crab-eating, or long-tailed, macaques [ Macaca fascicularis (Raffles, 1821)] have been studied extensively throughout their distribution in South and South-east Asia. Despite this extensive body of research, the island population of long-tailed macaques from Singapore remains virtually undescribed. In the present study, we compare the morphometric variability and patterns of growth observed in a population sample from Singapore with a composite sample from Thailand, north of the Isthmus of Kra. The results of our analyses indicate that there are statistically significant differences between the two populations in adult size and shape. For both males and females, the Singapore population is smaller than the Thai population. Relative to body length, the Singapore macaques exhibit significantly longer tails, and, relative to cranial length, they exhibit significantly more narrow faces than the Thai macaques. Although levels of sexual dimorphism for most morphometric traits are very similar, indicating similar levels of male–male competition for females, the Singapore males exhibit a significantly larger testicular volume relative to body weight, suggestive of an alternative male reproductive strategy. In addition to adult somatometric size and shape, comparisons of growth patterns relative to age and body size reveal significant differences between the two population samples. Combined, these results suggest either that statistically significant differences in adult morphology and patterns of growth can occur in presumably reproductively cohesive subspecies, or the Singapore macaques may be taxonomically distinct.  © 2007 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2007, 92 , 675–694.     

Mist Net Effort Required to Inventory a Forest Bat Species Assemblage

Abstract: Little quantitative information exists about the survey effort necessary to inventory temperate bat species assemblages. We used a bootstrap resampling algorithm to estimate the number of mist net surveys required to capture individuals from 9 species at both study area and site levels using data collected in a forested watershed in northwestern California, USA, during 1996–2000. The mean number of simulated surveys required to capture individual species varied with species' rarity and ranged from 1.5 to 44.9. We retrospectively evaluated strategies to reduce required survey effort by subsampling data from 1996 to 1998 and tested the strategies in the field during 1999 and 2000. Using data from 1996 to 1998, the mean number of simulated surveys required to capture 8 out of 9 species was 26.3, but a 95% probability of capture required >61 surveys. Inventory efficiency, defined as the cumulative proportion of species detected per survey effort, improved for both the study area and individual sites by conducting surveys later in summer. We realized further improvements in study area inventory efficiency by focusing on productive sites. We found that 3 surveys conducted between 1 July and 10 September at each of 4 productive sites in this 10-km² study area resulted in the capture of 8 species annually. Quantitative estimation of the survey effort required to assess bat species occurrence improves the ability to plan and execute reliable, efficient inventories. Results from our study should be useful for planning inventories in nearby geographical areas and similar habitat types; further, the analytical methods we used to assess effort are broadly applicable to other survey methods and taxa.     

Ranking Alaska Moose Nutrition: Signals to Begin Liberal Antlerless Harvests

Abstract: We focused on describing low nutritional status in an increasing moose (Alces alces gigas) population with reduced predation in Game Management Unit (GMU) 20A near Fairbanks, Alaska, USA. A skeptical public disallowed liberal antlerless harvests of this moose population until we provided convincing data on low nutritional status. We ranked nutritional status in 15 Alaska moose populations (in boreal forests and coastal tundra) based on multiyear twinning rates. Data on age-of-first-reproduction and parturition rates provided a ranking consistent with twinning rates in the 6 areas where comparative data were available. Also, short-yearling mass provided a ranking consistent with twinning rates in 5 of the 6 areas where data were available. Data from 5 areas implied an inverse relationship between twinning rate and browse removal rate. Only in GMU 20A did nutritional indices reach low levels where justification for halting population growth was apparent, which supports prior findings that nutrition is a minor factor limiting most Alaska moose populations compared to predation. With predator reductions, the GMU 20A moose population increased from 1976 until liberal antlerless harvests in 2004. During 1997-2005, GMU 20A moose exhibited the lowest nutritional status reported to date for wild, noninsular, North American populations, including 1) delayed reproduction until moose reached 36 months of age and the lowest parturition rate among 36-month-old moose (29%, n = 147); 2) the lowest average multiyear twinning rates from late-May aerial surveys (x = 7%, SE = 0.9%, n = 9 yr, range = 3-10%) and delayed twinning until moose reached 60 months of age; 3) the lowest average mass of female short-yearlings in Alaska (x̄ = 155 ± 1.6 [SE] kg in the Tanana Flats subpopulation, up to 58 kg below average masses found elsewhere); and 4) high removal (42%) of current annual browse biomass compared to 9-26% elsewhere in boreal forests. When average multiyear twinning rates in GMU 20A (sampled during 1960-2005) declined to <10% in the mid- to late 1990s, we began encouraging liberal antlerless harvests, but only conservative annual harvests of 61-76 antlerless moose were achieved during 1996-2001. Using data in the context of our broader ranking system, we convinced skeptical citizen advisory committees to allow liberal antlerless harvests of 600-690 moose in 2004 and 2005, with the objective of halting population growth of the 16,000-17,000 moose; total harvests were 7-8% of total prehunt numbers. The resulting liberal antlerless harvests served to protect the moose population's health and habitat and to fulfill a mandate for elevated yield. Liberal antlerless harvests appear justified to halt population growth when multiyear twinning rates average ≤10% and ≥1 of the following signals substantiate low nutritional status: <50% of 36-month-old moose are parturient, average multiyear short-yearling mass is <175 kg, or >35% of annual browse biomass is removed by moose.     

菝葜属和肖菝葜属的核型变异和系统演化研究

基于体细胞染色体核型及花序特征对菝葜科Smilacaceae菝葜属Smilax和肖菝葜属Heterosmilax进行了系统演化研究,报道了国产菝葜科17个分类群的核型。根据已研究的部分形态学特征和已有的核型和分子序列资料,对它们的系统进化进行了分析。结果显示：（1）整个类群的核型变异表现在二型化、多倍化、染色体的微变异以及染色体基数递减（从16-15-13）,16为菝葜类群的基本染色体基数。（2）草本菝葜的核型对称性在东亚到北美种类中,表现出从对称到不对称的变化,而木本菝葜的各组间并未表现出这种趋势。（3）先出叶（prophy11）是宿存的芽鳞,因此在菝葜组sect．China和土茯苓组sect．Coilanthus中具花序的分枝（该分枝基部具先出叶）与圆锥菝葜组sect．Macranthae和穗菝葜组sect．Smilax中着生叶腋的花序分枝或者具关节的单伞形花序是同源的;结合ITS资料,推测花序原始类型是具伞形花序无总花梗呈穗状排列的种类。从祖先类型,花序的分化朝两个方向：一为菝葜属的菝葜组和土茯苓组以及肖菝葜属的全部种类为代表的生于叶腋的单伞形花序,另一为菝葜属的圆锥菝葜组sect．Macranthae的全部种类构成的圆锥．伞形花序。（4）肖菝葜属的核型和ITS数据都表明其为非单系类群,与草本菝葜和土茯苓组成员为姐妹群,首次发现花被2／3联合的过渡类型——筐条菝葜S.corbularia,建议将肖菝葜属降为亚属,置于菝葜属。（5）核型特点支持草本菝葜是东亚起源,扩展到北美,与土茯苓组种类有共同祖先．来自于x=16的木本菝葜,赞同恢复草本组sect．Nemexia。（6）在广布种菝葜S.china中首次发现二倍体居群,已知其存在3种倍性（2x、4x和6x）,发现不同倍性居群的分布规律,推测在第三纪至更新世中期日本、台湾岛与大陆分离之前,菝葜的叙居群已广泛分布,而目前广泛分布的缸居群是岛屿与大陆分离后形靠的。（7）我国西南是菝葜科现代分布和分化中心。     

亚甲基蓝/光化学法辅助治疗慢性牙周炎对牙龈卟啉单胞菌的影响

目的研究亚甲基蓝/光化学法辅助治疗慢性牙周炎对牙龈卟啉单胞菌(Porphyromonas gingivalis,Pg)检出率的变化。方法经伦理委员会同意后,本研究拟筛选出45例慢性牙周炎患者(每位患者经过详细牙周检查及X线检查后确认为牙周炎,有4个以上≥5 mm的牙周袋并分布在2个以上口腔区域),随机分3组:其中A组在SRP之后接受1次PERIOWAVE光化学治疗,B组在SRP后接受1次PERIOWAVE治疗以及在6周后再一次接受光化学治疗,而SRP组仅接受SRP治疗,各组患者取治疗前后相同4个位点龈下菌斑,聚合酶链式反应(Poly-merase chain reaction,PCR)检测Pg,观察Pg菌的检出率,采用卡方检验,并计算χ2值。结果 SRP组、A组、B组3组各组治疗后均较治疗前检出率降低(P<0.001),A组与SRP组治疗后比较差异无统计学意义[A组:40%(24/60),SRP组:45%(27/60),χ2=1.4815,P>0.05],B组与SRP治疗后比较检出率降低[SRP组:45%(27/60),B组:20%(12/60)χ2=8.547,P<0.01];B组与A组治疗后比较检出率降低[A组:40%(24/60),B组:20%(12/60),χ2=5.7143,P<0.05]。结论亚甲基蓝/光化学法辅助治疗慢性牙周炎后牙龈卟啉单胞菌的检出率较治疗前降低;结合临床试验结果,尚可认为2次激光疗效较1次激光好。     

Mutable things: colours as material practice in the northwest of South Australia

This article details the material colour practices of An angu (Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara people) living in the east of the Western Desert, to show how coloured things have been instrumental in remaking their lives post contact with the colonizers. I argue here that ‘colour’ is a cultural invention. Brightly coloured things, such as cloth and paints, were eagerly appropriated by Aboriginal people when these were imported during the colonization of Australia. Material colours, including consumer goods, have become integral to An angu's conception of their own humanity in the contemporary world. For An angu, colours manifest the mutability of things and sequences of colour transformations are states of becoming.

Résumé

L'auteure détaille les pratiques matérielles des couleurs des An angu (peuples Pitjantjatjara et Yankunytjatjara) vivant dans l'est du Désert de l'Ouest pour montrer comment les choses colorées ont joué un rôle crucial pour reconstruire leurs existences après le contact colonial. Elle avance que « la couleur » est une invention culturelle. Les Aborigènes se sont appropriés avec enthousiasme les objets de couleur vive, tissus et peintures par exemple, lorsque ceux‐ci ont été importés pendant la colonisation de l'Australie. Les couleurs matérielles, notamment celles de biens de consommation courante, en sont venues à faire partie intégrante de la conception par les An angu de leur propre humanité dans le monde contemporain. Pour eux, les couleurs manifestent la mutabilité des choses et les séquences de transformations des couleurs sont des états de devenir.