Evaluating habitat effects on population status: influence of habitat restoration on spring-run Chinook salmon

1. A key element of conservation planning is the extremely challenging task of estimating the likely effect of restoration actions on population status. To compare the relative benefits of typical habitat restoration actions on Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.), we modelled the response of an endangered Columbia River Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha) population to changes in habitat characteristics either targeted for restoration or with the potential to be degraded. 2. We applied a spatially explicit, multiple life stage, Beverton‐Holt model to evaluate how a set of habitat variables with an empirical influence on spring‐run Chinook salmon survivorship influenced fish population abundance, productivity, spatial structure and diversity. Using habitat condition scenarios – historical conditions and future conditions with restoration, no restoration, and degradation – we asked the following questions: (i) how is population status affected by alternative scenarios of habitat change, (ii) which individual habitat characteristics have the potential to substantially influence population status and (iii) which life stages have the largest impact on population status? 3. The difference in population abundance and productivities resulting from changes in modelled habitat variables from the ‘historical’ to ‘current’ scenarios suggests that there is substantial potential for improving population status. Planned restoration actions directed toward modelled variables, however, produced only modest improvements. 4. The model predicted that population status could be improved by additional restoration efforts directed toward further reductions in the percentage of fine sediments in the streambed, a factor that has a large influence on egg survival. Actions reducing fines were predicted to be especially effective outside the national forest that covers most of the basin. Scenarios that increased capacity by opening access to habitat in good condition also had a positive but smaller effect on spawner numbers. 5. Degradation in habitat quality, particularly in percent fine sediments, within stream reaches located in the national forest had great potential to further reduce this population’s viability. This finding supports current forest planning efforts to minimise road density and clear‐cut harvests and to return forest stand structure in dry regions to the historical condition that promoted frequent low‐intensity fires rather than catastrophic stand‐replacing fires, as these landscape factors have been shown to influence percent fine sediment in streams. 6. Together, these results suggest that planning focusing on protecting currently good habitat, reducing fine sediments to promote egg survival and increasing spawner capacity will be beneficial to endangered spring‐run Chinook population status.     

Ecotope mapping for landscape ecological assessment of habitat and ecosystem

An ecotope (spatial eco-space) map that considers topography and bio-organism-relevant variables emerges as an important basic framework when landscape-scale characteristics for ecosystem management and wildlife conservation are needed. A spatio-geoecological framework based on geographic information systems (GIS) and a vegetation survey were developed for wildlife habitat evaluation of national parks and applied to a representative rugged valley area of Mt. Sorak National Park in Korea. An ecotope map was classified into hundreds of types and dozens of groups by combining biological and geophysical variables. Variables included: forest vegetation type, topographic solar radiation, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), elevation, and anthropogenic factors, such as, streams and roads. Layers of GIS variables were produced by field surveys, modeling, satellite images, or digitalization. Vegetation surveys were carried out to identify finer-scale distribution of vegetation types in the rugged valley area. Digital forest vegetation maps from the Forestry Administrator were then modified using the field-surveyed vegetation maps. Topographic solar radiation was predicted with a daily topographic radiation model. The NDVI was calculated from the satellite imagery of a Landsat Thematic Mapper. A digital elevation model (DEM) was used and the other layers were digitized using topographical maps with a scale of 1:25000. The aim of this study is to determine the geoecological factors relating to the spatial pattern of plant community. It was cleared by the spatial pattern of environmental variables and vegetation characteristics by detrended correspondence analysis using plant species and the environmental variables of each plot. The ordination component value of the first axis shows significant regression to some environmental variables. A case study of habitat evaluation was carried out using the resultant ecotope map. The spatial distribution of potential goral habitat and vegetation characteristics were predicted and the impact of human trails on the neighboring vegetation was also examined for restoration planning. The GIS-based framework developed for wildlife habitat evaluation is useful for natural resource management and human activity control in national parks in Korea.     

Molecular cloning and expression profiles of calreticulin gene from the diamondback moth,Plutella xylostella

Calreticulin (CRT) plays pivotal roles in Ca²⁺ homeostasis, molecular chaperoning, infection, inflammation and innate immunity. In an attempt to study the involvement of CRT in innate immunity, the full-length cDNA of calreticulin (PxCRT) was cloned from the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella. It consists of 1674 bp (excluding poly-A tail) with a longest open reading frame (ORF) of 1197 bp encoding 398 amino acids. In silico analysis of PxCRT ORF reveals that it has various repeat motifs and endoplasmic reticulum retention signal found in all the calreticulin proteins. As expected, high amino acid sequence identities were found from other CRTs identified from Bombyx mori (87%), Galleria mellonella (87%), Apis mellifera (74%), Anopheles gambiae (74%), Tribolium castaneum (73%), Culex quinquefasciatus (73%), Rhodnius prolixus (72%), Nasonia vitripennis (71%), Drosophila melanogaster (71%) and Haemaphysalis qinghaiensis (68%). During development, P. xylostella expressed PxCRT predominantly in the pupal stage. In addition, spatial expression pattern analysis indicates that PxCRT was highly expressed in the silk gland. PxCRT mRNA, furthermore, was strongly induced 3 to 6 h after laminarin treatment, suggesting that PxCRT appears to be involved in immune responses and also plays an important role in the silk gland.     

Ceramide Inhibits Cell Proliferation through Akt/PKB Inactivation and Decreases Melanin Synthesis in Mel‐Ab Cells

Ceramide is a bioactive sphingolipid that mediates a variety of cell functions. However, the effects of ceramide on cell growth and the melanogenesis of melanocytes are not known. In the present study, we investigated the actions of cell‐permeable ceramide and its possible role in the signaling pathway of a spontaneously immortalized mouse melanocyte cell line, Mel‐Ab. Our results show that C₂‐ceramide inhibits DNA synthesis in Mel‐Ab cells and G361 human melanoma cells in a dose‐dependent manner. Cell cycle analysis confirmed the inhibition of DNA synthesis by a reduction in the S phase. To investigate the ceramide signaling pathway, we studied whether C₂‐ceramide is able to influence extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK) and/or Akt/protein kinase B (PKB) activation. We demonstrated that phosphorylated Akt/PKB is decreased by C₂‐ceramide, whereas phosphorylated ERK was only slightly affected. Therefore, the C₂‐ceramide‐induced inactivation of Akt/PKB may be closely related to the reduced cell proliferation of Mel‐Ab cells. Furthermore, we assessed the effects of C₂‐ceramide on the pigmentation of Mel‐Ab cells. The results obtained showed that the melanin content of cells was significantly reduced by C₂‐ceramide at concentrations in the range of 1–10 μM, and that the pigmentation‐inhibiting effect of C₂‐ceramide is much greater than that of kojic acid at 1–100 μM. In addition, we found that the activity of tyrosinase is reduced by C₂‐ceramide treatment. Our results demonstrate that C₂‐ceramide reduces the pigmentation of Mel‐Ab cells by inhibiting tyrosinase activity.     

日本松干蚧的重要天敌——隐斑瓢虫的初步研究

隐斑瓢虫是近年来在杭州地区发现的日本松干蚧的一种重要捕食性天敌。该虫在杭州一年发生四代,其年发生规律基本上和日本松干蚧的生活周期相吻合,而且能在松林中形成比较稳定的群落。根据测定,隐斑瓢虫对日本松干蚧各虫态的捕食能力较强,一头成虫的日平均捕食量为:显露若虫13.33头,雌成虫4.27头,卵囊3.67个(每个卵囊内平均有卵265.5粒),雄蛹28.27只;一头幼虫全期(或2—4龄和3—4龄)分别能捕食显露若虫39.20—105.56头,雌成虫40.80—47.79头,卵囊39.38—41.79个,雄蛹220.50只。它在引进辽宁省沈阳和旅大地区后,不仅仍能正常的捕食日本松干蚧(显露若虫),其成虫和幼虫喂以各种蚜虫均能正常生殖和发育,并且一年可以繁殖三代:冬季,只要在0℃以上的温度条件下,给予少量的糖水等作补充营养,亦能安全的越冬。据此,作者认为隐斑瓢虫在浙江杭州和辽宁,均具有作为控制日本松干蚧的发生来加以饲养繁殖与利用的价值。     

Copper tolerance in the green alga, Chlorella vulgaris

Abstract. The effect of sub-lethal concentrations of copper upon tolerant and non-tolerant strains of Chlorella vulgaris was investigated. Copper concentrations of 0.2 and 0.4 mg dm⁻³ increased the lag phase of both strains, the effect being greater in the non-tolerant strain. No difference was observed in the toxicity of copper to the photosynthetic rates of the isolated chloroplasts of either strain. However, significant differences were shown at the whole cell level.
Lower copper uptake was shown by the tolerant cells. In both strains initial uptake of copper was followed by a phase of desorption before cell division occurred. In cultures of both strains the concentration of ionic copper was decreased by complexation with extracellular organic material. Over a 14 day growth period more organic material was produced by the tolerant cells. The organic material produced by the tolerant cell formed organo-copper complexes which had a higher conditional stability constant.
It is proposed that the cell wall acts as a barrier to copper in the tolerant cells and prevents copper from affecting cell metabolism. Organo-copper complexation occurs at this barrier and this complex is then released into the medium.