Suction samplers are a valuable tool to sample arthropod assemblages for conservation translocation

An important component of recent nature conservation is the ecological restoration of semi-natural grasslands. The aim of such projects is usually the restoration of typical plant communities; translocation of animals, by contrast, plays only a minor role. This is based on the assumption that a recovery of the flora will lead to recovered fauna; however, this is not always the case. Suction samplers with gauze collection bags are well suited to sample arthropods, and they may also be helpful for transferring animals. However, to date, the suitability of suction samplers as a translocation tool is unclear due to a lack of empirical data on the mortality rate of the sampled arthropod taxa. In this study, we sampled arthropods (leafhoppers, spiders, beetles, and true bugs) with a suction sampler on 21 calcareous grasslands. Immediately after sampling, animals were stored in collection bags and their mortality rate was determined. We compared storage periods (1, 2, and 3 h) and tested the suitability of a cool box to reduce mortality rates. Our study revealed that arthropod mortality was generally low (9% of all sampled individuals); however, the survival rate was affected by (1) storage time, (2) storage conditions, and (3) arthropod group. The mortality of beetles and true bugs was very low and not influenced by storage time or storage conditions. In contrast, leafhoppers and spiders had higher mortality, which increased with storage time and decreased by the use of a cool box. According to our results, suction samplers can be a valuable tool to sample arthropod assemblages for conservation translocation. In order to reduce mortality in sensitive groups such as leafhoppers and spiders, the storage process can be optimised. We thus recommend (1) using a cool box and (2) minimising the period until release of the collected arthropods at the restored site.     

Additive diversity partitioning as a guide to regional montane reserve design in Asia: an example from Yunnan Province,China

Aim Data on spatial and temporal turnover in species composition within a region is essential to design regional protected areas. Montane systems are often recognized as biodiversity hotspots. The primary objective of this study is to identify patterns of montane bird diversity across multiple spatial and temporal scales using an additive diversity partitioning framework. Location The Ailao Mountains, central Yunnan Province, China. Methods We used point counts to sample bird communities in four elevational zones, on eastern and western slopes, during both the breeding and the non‐breeding seasons. Diversity (richness and Shannon) was partitioned across space (points, elevational zones and slopes) and time (seasons). We used permutation tests to compare observed values to values expected by random chance. A complementary cluster analysis was also used to evaluate beta diversity. Results Overall, the gamma diversity was attributed to significantly higher beta diversity (relative to that of randomization tests) among elevational zones and, to a lesser extent, between slopes. For Shannon–Wiener Index, beta diversity between seasons was significantly higher than expected and had a similar contribution to the gamma diversity as with beta diversity between slopes. Hierarchical cluster analysis supported the findings for Shannon–Wiener Index. The contribution of beta diversity among points to gamma diversity within each elevational zone generally lessened with increasing elevation. Main conclusions Our results show significantly high levels of beta diversity among elevational zones and between slopes, as well as between seasons for Shannon diversity, in a small area of the Ailao Mountain range. Thus, a regional montane reserve system should cover the entire elevational gradient and multiple slopes, rather than only the montane crest. Furthermore, higher pattern diversity in lower elevational zones suggests that larger areas should be preserved at lower elevational zones. Finally, the design of regional reserve systems require more studies conducted at multiple seasons at a regional scale.     

Changing land management of lowland wet grasslands of the UK: impacts on snipe abundance and habitat quality

Snipe Gallinago gallinago breeding on lowland wet grasslands in England have undergone widespread and dramatic declines in abundance and distribution since at least the 1970s. There are many potential drivers of the decline but reductions in habitat quality, driven by land management, are often proposed as a contributing factor in the historical declines of breeding waders. Breeding snipe are now restricted to a few key places such as nature reserves and environmentally sensitive areas where management for breeding waders is implemented. On average, populations have continued to decline, even in these key areas, though population trends vary from a decline of 98% to an increase of 61% between the early 1990s and 2006. We examined the relationship between regional variation in snipe population trends and soil conditions, other habitat features and land management. Snipe were more likely to persist in fields where the soil conditions were wet and soft. Fields are wetter and softer now than in the early 1990s and management influenced these conditions. Soil softness increased with decreasing grazing pressure and increasing surface flooding. Soil moisture increased with surface flooding and was higher in organic soils. Changes in field condition were consistent with decreases in grazing pressure and increases in surface flooding. In spite of habitat condition being altered in a way that should have been beneficial to snipe, the numbers have continued to decline. Thus, it is unlikely that the measures of habitat condition examined here have been the driver of the decline and other factors must be involved. Research efforts should now focus on alternative explanations of the decline, for example, changes in other key aspects of habitat quality such as prey abundance, or changes in snipe productivity or mortality.     

Nuclear and cell fusion cause polyploidy in the megagametophyte of common cypress, Cupressus sempervirens L.

In common cypress, Cupressus sempervirens L., the megagametophyte persists in mature seeds as a polyploid endosperm containing cells with even and odd series of DNA contents: 1C, 2C, 3C, 4C, 5C etc., where C is the amount of DNA in the haploid genome. In this study, cytometrical, histological and cytochemical investigations were performed in order to determine the behavior of megagametophyte nuclei during the reproductive cycle. Unexpected nuclear alterations due to a continuous process of nuclear fusion were observed in the megagametophyte, leading to polyploidization and consequently to intense food-reserve synthesis. During the free nuclear stage, the megagametophyte exhibited only sporadic nuclear fusion and limited food-reserve production. When cellularization took place, multinucleated compartments were observed in which nuclei fused, producing odd and even series of DNA contents as proved by flow-cytometric analysis. This polyploidization process considerably increased after fertilization and during embryo development, and was accompanied by increased food-reserve synthesis. During these later stages, fusion mainly involved nuclei of contiguous cells and was preceded by the disintegration of their adjacent walls. Mitoses with incomplete phragmoplast differentiation were also observed to yield polyploid nuclei. Finally, in mature seeds the endosperm still exhibited multinucleate cells and fusion nuclei, and contained high amounts of storage products. The results are interpreted as an alteration of DNA contents in the megagametophyte cells in relation to specific metabolic activity during seed development. Received: 2 September 1998 / Accepted: 31 December 1998     

The non-native vascular flora of Campania (southern Italy)

We discuss several aspects of the alien flora of Campania (southern Italy), on the basis of an updated and annotated checklist. The non-native flora includes at present 346 taxa in 231 genera, representing 82 families. However, other 55 taxa were not found later than 1950. Trends in alien plants invasion throughout the investigated area are discussed. Results are therefore compared with similar data from other Italian regions and other European countries. In the Appendix, taxa are listed with essential synonymy, local and general distribution, status, biological form, habitat, diffusion mechanisms, potential threats, literature data, voucher specimens, and miscellaneous ethnobotanical, chronological and taxonomical notes. In addition, 49 escaped taxa are known only for Botanical and private gardens, while 66 taxa are regarded as doubtful aliens. By including also these two categories, the non-native flora of Campania reaches 516 taxa. In addition, numerous doubtful and erroneous indications were discussed. Finally, a reference list for the exotic regional flora from 1500 C.E. to present is proposed.     

The resonance approach to the formation and structure of atoms and molecules

As shown recently, the set of electronic configurations of all chemical elements in the subshell partitioning has a four-dimensional structure. Hence, all elements can be subdivided into cycles and supercycles rather than into periods of the conventional Periodic Table. Moreover, in the plane of the principal and orbital quantum numbers there is an obvious symmetry between the hydrogen-atom spectrum (one-electron problem) and the electronic configurations of all atoms (multi-electron problem). In order to explain these phenomena, it is hypothesized that between shell electrons and nuclei protons there exists a reversible quantum-field interaction (electron + proton ↔ neutron + neutrino resonance). Even if this interaction were a rare event, it can explain the existence of 4D symmetries mentioned above. However, the model considered here is based on frequent epn interactions, taking place more often than 10¹⁵ times per second. In this case, epn resonance and resonance between such resonances are supposed to underlie the structure of all atoms and molecules. In particular, the functioning of all biological molecules, including electron transfer and enzymatic activity, is determined by resonance, resonance between resonances, hierarchy of resonances, and networks of resonances. The text was submittred by the author in english.     

Separation of Recycling and Reserve Synaptic Vesicles from Cholinergic Nerve Terminals of the Myenteric Plexus of Guinea Pig Ileum

Acetylcholine-rich synaptic vesicles were isolated from myenteric plexus-longitudinal muscle strips derived from the guinea pig ileum by the method of Dowe, Kilbinger, and Whittaker [J. Neurochem. 35, 993-1003 (1980)] using either unstimulated preparations or preparations field-stimulated at 1 Hz for 10 min using pulses of 1 ms duration and 10 V . cm-1 intensity. The organ bath contained either tetradeuterated (d4) choline (50 microM) or [3H]acetate (2 muCi . ml-1); d4 acetylcholine was measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. As with Torpedo electromotor cholinergic vesicle preparations made under similar conditions the distribution of newly synthesized (d4 or [3H]) acetylcholine in the zonal gradient from stimulated preparations was not identical with that of endogenous (d0, [1H]) acetylcholine, but corresponded to a subpopulation of denser vesicles (equivalent to the VP2 fraction from Torpedo) that had preferentially taken up newly synthesized transmitter. The density difference between the reserve (VP1) and recycling (VP2) vesicles was less than that observed in Torpedo but this smaller difference can be accounted for theoretically by the difference in size between the vesicles of the two tissues. At rest, a lesser incorporation of labelled acetylcholine into the vesicle fraction was observed, and the peaks of endogenous and newly synthesized acetylcholine coincided. Stimulation in the absence of label followed by addition of label did not lead to incorporation of labelled acetylcholine, suggesting that the synthesis and storage of acetylcholine in this preparation and its recovery from stimulation is much more rapid than in Torpedo.     

Amphiphilic Detergent-Soluble Acetylcholinesterase from Torpedo marmorata: Characterization and Conversion by Proteolysis to a Hydrophilic Form

The membrane-bound acetylcholinesterase (AChE) from the electric organ of Torpedo marmorata was solubilized by Triton X-100 or by treatment with proteinase K and purified to apparent homogeneity by affinity chromatography. Although the two forms differed only slightly in their subunit molecular weight (66,000 and 65,000 daltons, respectively), considerable differences existed between native and digested detergent-soluble AChE. The native enzyme sedimented at 6.5 S in the presence of Triton X-100 and formed aggregates in the absence of detergent. The digested enzyme sedimented at 7.5 S in the absence and in the presence of detergent. In contrast to the detergent-solubilized AChE, the proteolytically derived form neither bound detergent nor required amphiphilic molecules for the expression of catalytic activity. This led to the conclusion that limited digestion of detergent-soluble AChE results in the removal of a small hydrophobic peptide which in vivo is responsible for anchoring the protein to the lipid bilayer.