Experimental manipulation of maternal effort produces differential effects in sons and daughters: implications for adaptive sex ratios in the blue-footed booby

Sex allocation theory predicts that mothers in good conditionshould bias their brood sex ratio in response to the differentialbenefits obtained from increased maternal expenditure in sonsand daughters. Although there is well-documented variationof offspring sex ratios in several bird species according tomaternal condition, the assumption that maternal condition has different fitness consequences for male and for female offspringremains unclear. The blue-footed booby (Sula nebouxii) is asexually size-dimorphic seabird, with females approximately31% heavier than males. It has been reported that the sex ratiois male biased in years with poor feeding conditions, whichsuggests that either females adjust their sex ratio in accordancewith their condition or that they suffer differential brood mortality before their sex can be determined. In this studyI tested whether the condition of mothers affected their daughters'fitness more than their sons' fitness. I manipulated maternalinvestment by trimming the flight feathers and thereby handicappingfemales during the chick-rearing period. Adult females in thehandicapped group had a poorer physical condition at end ofchick growth, as measured by mass and by the residuals of masson wing length compared to control birds. Female chicks wereaffected by the handicapping experiment, showing a lower massand shorter wing length (reduced approximately 8% in both measures)than controls. However, this effect was not found in male chicks.Hatching sex ratios were also related to female body conditionat hatching. The brood sex ratio of females in poor conditionwas male biased but was female biased for females in good condition.Overall, these results suggest that the variation in the sexratio in blue-footed boobies is an adaptive response to thedisadvantage daughters face from being reared under poor conditions.     

Crystal structure of the Bacillus anthracis nucleoside diphosphate kinase and its characterization reveals an enzyme adapted to perform under stress conditions

Nucleoside diphosphate kinases (Ndks) play an important role in a plethora of regulatory and metabolic functions. Inhibition of the B. anthracis Ndk mRNA results in the formation of nonviable aberrant spores. We report the characterization and crystal structure of the enzyme from B. anthracis nucleoside diphosphate kinase (BaNdk), the first from sporulating bacteria. The enzyme, although from a mesophilic source, is active at extremes of pH (3.5–10.5), temperature (10–95°C) and ionic strength (0.25–4.0M NaCl). It exists as a hexamer that is composed of two SDS‐stable trimers interacting in a back‐to‐back association; mutational analysis confirms that the enzyme is a histidine kinase. The high‐resolution crystal structure reported here reveals an unanticipated change in the conformation of residues between 43 and 63 that also regulates substrate entry in other Ndks. A comparative structural analysis involving Ndks from seven mesophiles and three thermophiles has resulted in the delineation of the structure into relatively rigid and flexible regions. The analysis suggests that the larger number of intramolecular hydrogen bonds and to a lesser extent ionic interactions in BaNdk contributes to its high thermostability. Mutational analysis and Molecular Dynamics simulations were used to probe the role of a highly conserved Gly19 (present at the oligomeric interface in most of the Ndks). The results suggest that the mutation leads to a rigidification of those residues that facilitate substrate entry and consequently leads to a large reduction in the kinase activity. Overall, the enzyme characterization helps to understand its apparent adaptation to perform under stress conditions. Proteins 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

The chemical composition of plant litter of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) and its ecological role in sandy ecosystems

Robinia pseudoacacia is a North American species and in Poland it is currently invasive in character. It is used to recultivate sand excavations and others, most often in order to make the process of plant and soil succession more advanced. It has been observed that in places were R. pseudoacacia dominated in plantations, the herbaceous vegetation under the trees is poor and sometimes other vascular plants are not appearing at all. Plants usually overgrow the space out of the canopy shade. The positive influence of R. pseudoacacia on a habitat is primarily connected with the chemical composition of plant litter, as well as with the biology of the species. Chemical composition of R. pseudoacacia litter has been researched. The greatest accumulation of elements has been observed in the following parts: green leaves (Ca > K > Mg > P > Si > Na > Fe > Zn > Al > Mn) and leaf litter (Ca > K > Mg > Si > Fe > P > Na > Al > Zn > Mn). Similar regularities are observed in the remaining litter of R. pseudoacacia. It must be emphasized that nitrogen occurs in similar quantities in particular samples and it varies from 1.01 to 2.65%. The plant litter reaction (pH) vary from acid to weakly acid. In a short period of time under the canopy of R. pseudoacacia a 10 cm organic and humus horizont (O/A) has developed.     

The chemical composition of plant litter of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) and its ecological role in sandy ecosystems

Robinia pseudoacacia is a North American species and in Poland it is currently invasive in character. It is used to recultivate sand excavations and others, most often in order to make the process of plant and soil succession more advanced. It has been observed that in places were R. pseudoacacia dominated in plantations, the herbaceous vegetation under the trees is poor and sometimes other vascular plants are not appearing at all. Plants usually overgrow the space out of the canopy shade. The positive influence of R. pseudoacacia on a habitat is primarily connected with the chemical composition of plant litter, as well as with the biology of the species. Chemical composition of R. pseudoacacia litter has been researched. The greatest accumulation of elements has been observed in the following parts: green leaves (Ca > K > Mg > P > Si > Na > Fe > Zn > Al > Mn) and leaf litter (Ca > K > Mg > Si > Fe > P > Na > Al > Zn > Mn). Similar regularities are observed in the remaining litter of R. pseudoacacia. It must be emphasized that nitrogen occurs in similar quantities in particular samples and it varies from 1.01 to 2.65%. The plant litter reaction (pH) vary from acid to weakly acid. In a short period of time under the canopy of R. pseudoacacia a 10 cm organic and humus horizont (O/A) has developed.     

马铃薯晚疫病菌卵孢子萌发的初步研究

描述了马铃薯晚疫病菌卵孢子萌发的方式并研究了菌株组合、卵孢子形成时间、在琼脂培养基上培养时间及光照对卵孢子萌发的影响,结果表明不同菌株组合卵孢子萌发率为0—7.2%,对峙培养20天后形成的卵孢子的萌发率最高达8.7%,在琼脂培养基上培养25-30d 萌发率最高达11.4%,卵孢子形成时黑暗及在琼脂培养基上萌发时光照萌发率最高达11.8%。     

香樟叶出油最佳提取条件的实验研究

本文研究了以香樟叶为原料,采用索氏提取器提取粗香樟油的最佳条件。选用6种有机溶剂分别作提取剂,每10g樟叶加溶剂90mL,提取60min,提取两次,由粗樟油得率,确定最佳溶剂为无水乙醇;用无水乙醇进行正交实验,确定出最佳提取条件为无水乙醇110mL,提取100min,粒度1cm左右,连续提取两次。在这个条件下进行验证实验,其粗樟油得率为25．04％。     

Selection on body size in a raptor with pronounced reversed sexual size dimorphism: are bigger females better?

An overabundance of hypotheses have been proposed to accountfor reversed sexual size dimorphism (RSD; females the largersex) in raptors. Previous research principally focused on examininginterspecific patterns of RSD, rarely testing predictions ofvarious hypotheses within populations. To redress this, we useddata from both sexes of a large brown falcon, Falco berigora,population to evaluate the importance of size and body conditionindices on the hunting prowess of males and the reproductivesuccess, recruitment, and survival probabilities of both sexes.Female-female competition for territorial vacancies was likelyto be intense as the floating population was female-biased andintrasexual agonistic interactions were frequently observed.In this competitive population, larger adult females were morelikely to be recruited, indicating directional selection favoringincreased female body size. Furthermore, after recruitment largerfemales were more likely to successfully fledge offspring, providinga mechanism by which RSD is maintained in the population. Incontrast, male recruitment was unrelated to either body sizeor condition indices. Smaller immature males more often heldtheir territories (survived) over two breeding seasons thandid their larger counterparts; however, they also took smallprey more frequently, a diet related to poor reproductive success.We argue that, together, these results are indicative of selectionfavoring an increase in female body size and a reduction ormaintenance in male body size. Of all the hypotheses proposedto account for the maintenance and evolution of RSD in raptors,this scenario is consistent only with the predictions of theintrasexual competition hypothesis.     

Stability in prey abundance may buffer Black Sparrowhawks Accipiter melanoleucus from health impacts of urbanization

As the global trend towards urbanization continues, the need to understand its impact on wildlife grows. Species may have different levels of tolerance to urban disturbance; some even appear to thrive in urban areas and use human‐subsidized resources. However, the physiological costs and trade‐offs faced by urban‐dwelling species are still poorly understood. We assess the evidence for a negative impact of urbanization on the Black Sparrowhawk Accipiter melanoleucus, a raptor that recently colonized Cape Town, South Africa, and explore the potential mechanisms behind any such effect. We predicted that birds in more urbanized areas may be in poorer health and that this may be partially driven by differences in prey quantity and quality along an urban habitat gradient. The health of Black Sparrowhawk nestlings was evaluated through measures of their physiological stress (heterophil/lymphocyte ratio), body condition and blood parasite infection (infection risk and intensity of Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon). Diet composition was determined through an analysis of prey remains collected around nests, and prey abundance was determined through point counts in different habitat types. We could find no negative effects of urbanization on nestling health, with no significant relationships with heterophil/lymphocyte ratio, body condition, risk and intensity of infection by Haemoproteus or intensity of infection by Leucocytozoon. Risk of infection by Leucocytozoon did, however, decline with increasing urban cover, perhaps because urbanized areas contain less habitat for blackflies, the vectors of this parasite, which require moving fresh water. We found no change in diet breadth or composition with increasing urban cover. Although some prey species were abundant or less abundant in certain habitat types, all habitat types contained ample prey for Black Sparrowhawks. The widespread abundance of food resources and resulting lack of nutritional stress may explain why Black Sparrowhawks are seemingly free of the negative health impacts expected to arise from urbanization. These findings may explain the success of the species in Cape Town and suggest that for urban‐dwelling, bird‐eating raptors the abundance of prey in cities may override any potential negative impacts of urbanization on health due to disturbance or other sources of stress.     

光照、水深交互作用对松嫩湿地芦苇种子萌发的影响

莫莫格国家级自然保护区位于松嫩平原西部, 以保护白鹤(Grus leucogeranus)等珍稀水禽及其栖息地为主要目的。扁秆藨草(Scirpus planiculmis)是莫莫格湿地的重要植物, 也是白鹤在该区停栖的主要食源植物。莫莫格湿地水文恢复后, 芦苇(Phragmites australis)等高大挺水植物大量出现, 阻碍了扁秆藨草的恢复。种子萌发是植物生活史的重要阶段, 对于认识野外植物群落动态和植被管理十分重要。该研究在人工气候箱模拟野外环境条件, 分析了光照(全光、遮阴、黑暗)、水深(0、5、15和30 cm)及其交互作用对芦苇种子萌发的影响。结果表明: 光照和水深变化明显影响芦苇种子的萌发; 最终萌发比例在遮阴和黑暗条件下明显比在全光下高, 在3种光照处理下较深水位(5-30 cm)均抑制了芦苇种子的萌发。芦苇种子萌发也明显受光照和水深交互作用的影响; 在全光条件下, 萌发比例在0 cm水深(86.67% ± 2.36%)显著高于其他较深水位; 在遮阴和黑暗环境下, 0 cm水深与其他水深处理间的差异明显缩小, 这应是在遮阴和黑暗条件下(不考虑水深)萌发比例较高的重要原因。因此, 在芦苇建群初期, 及时进行清除处理并保持一定地表水位可以限制芦苇通过有性繁殖更新, 同时改善地表光辐射等生境条件, 促进扁秆藨草恢复。