Plant response to disturbance in a Mediterranean grassland: How many functional groups?

Abstract. Data referring to changes in vegetation composition resulting from cattle exclosure and ploughing in a Portuguese pasture dominated by annuals were used to test hypotheses regarding the biology of species favoured or eliminated by disturbance in semi-natural herbaceous communities. These hypotheses were tested in two ways. First we compared the distribution of six a priori groups – grasses, small rosettes, large rosettes, small species with leafy stems, large species with leafy stems, legumes – across grazed, ploughed and undisturbed plots. In a second set of analyses we examined changes in the frequencies of individual biological attributes in response to grazing and ploughing. These analyses were carried out separately for grasses and dicot forbs. Overall, the species composition showed little response to either grazing or ploughing, though species dominance changed. This lack of responsiveness of species composition was attributed to the long history of intensive land use which has resulted in the loss of disturbance-intolerant species over entire landscapes. When considering a priori groups, small rosettes were indifferent to disturbance. grazing and ploughing showed that dominated. Large rosettes, large species with leafy stems and legumes were generally intolerant to both grazing and ploughing, though individual species may increase in response to disturbance. Small species with leafy stems were the only group favoured by grazing whereas ploughing favoured grasses. As to individual traits, grazing excluded large grass species with heavy seeds and promoted a flat rosette canopy structure and a small size, along with a moderate dormancy and protected inflorescences. In forbs, grazing favoured small species, as expected, while it excluded tall species, and, in contrast to earlier results, a rosette canopy. These attributes were consistent with responses of the a priori groups, though it would not have been possible to reconstruct groups directly from the attribute list. Ploughing had no effect on any of the forb traits. As to grass traits, flat- and short-statured species increased and heavy-seeded species decreased. Our analysis revealed two advantages of establishing plant functional classifications within life forms. Subgroups within forbs had contrasting types of behaviour. For the same trait patterns could differ within the grass group from within the forb group. Finally, this analysis emphasizes the need for plant functional classifications aiming at the identification of syndromes of co-occurring attributes rather than of lists of isolated traits of which actual combinations are not specified.     

Taxonomic sufficiency in ecological studies of terrestrial invertebrates

The concept of taxonomic sufficiency (identifying organisms only to a level of taxonomic resolution sufficient to satisfy the objectives of a study) has received little attention in ecological studies of terrestrial invertebrate assemblages. Here we critically evaluate three approaches to taxonomic sufficiency: the use of morphospecies, genera and functional groups. The objective was to compare estimates of richness (α diversity) and turnover (β diversity) of ant assemblages generated by these data with estimates produced using data for ant species. Ground-active ants were sampled using pitfall trapping within three habitat types: a eucalypt plantation, woodland regrowth patches and the surrounding grassland at a study site in the upper Hunter Valley, New South Wales. Comparisons of assemblage richness and turnover among taxonomic data sets and habitats and after different data transformations used univariate (simple correlation and ANOVA ) and multivariate (Mantel tests, ANOSIM and SSHMDS ) techniques. Our study found: (i) morphospecies and genus richness was highly correlated with species richness over the study area; (ii) ordination scatterplots using species, morphospecies and genus data revealed similar patterns of site separation for the three habitats; (iii) the results were very similar using untransformed, log transformed and binary data; (iv) functional group ordinations separated all three habitat types for untransformed abundance data; and (v) estimates of species turnover were highly correlated with estimates of morphospecies and genus turnover. These results are discussed in relation to future monitoring of ant community structure.     

Rapid adaptive responses of rosette‐type macrophyte Vallisneria natans juveniles to varying water depths: The role of leaf trait plasticity

Rosette‐type submerged macrophytes are widely distributed across a range of water depths in shallow lakes and play a key role in maintaining ecosystem structures and functions. However, little is known about the rapid adaptive responses of such macrophytes to variations in water depth, especially at the juvenile stage. Here, we conducted a short‐term in situ mesocosm experiment, in which the juveniles of Vallisneria natans were exposed to a water depth gradient ranging from 20 to 360 cm. Twenty‐two leaf‐related traits were examined after 4 weeks of growth in a shallow lake. Most (18) traits of V. natans generally showed high plasticity in relation to water depth. Specifically, juveniles allocated more biomass to leaves and had higher specific leaf area, leaf length‐to‐width ratio, chlorophyll content, and carotenoids content in deep waters, displaying trait syndrome associated with high resource acquisition. In contrast, V. natans juveniles in shallow waters had higher leaf dry matter content, leaf soluble carbohydrate content, carotenoids per unit chlorophyll, and peroxidase activity, pertaining to resource conservation. Notably, underwater light intensity was found to be the key factor explaining the trait plasticity along the water depth gradient, and 1.30 mol photons m⁻² d⁻¹ (at 270 cm) could be the optimal irradiance level based on the total biomass of V. natans juveniles. The present study highlights the significance of leaf trait plasticity for rosette‐type macrophytes in response to variations in water depth and sheds new light on the differences between trade‐offs in deep‐ and shallow‐water areas.     

Invertebrate communities in a tropical rain forest canopy in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Hugo

1. Canopy invertebrate responses to Hurricane Hugo, tree species, and recovery time were examined at the Luquillo Experimental Forest in Puerto Rico during 1991–92 and 1994–95. Six tree species representing early and late successional stages were examined in paired plots representing severe hurricane disturbance (most trees toppled) and light hurricane disturbance (all trees standing and most branches intact). 2. Hurricane disturbance affected invertebrate abundances significantly. Sap-suckers and molluscs were more abundant, and defoliators, detritivores, and emergent aquatic insects were less abundant in recovering tree-fall gaps than in intact forest during this 5-year period. These changes in functional organisation are consistent with comparable studies of arthropod responses to canopy removal during harvest in temperate forests. 3. Tree species also affected invertebrate abundances significantly, but invertebrate communities did not differ significantly between the three early successional and three later successional tree species. 4. Most taxa showed significant annual variation in abundances, but only two Homoptera species showed a significant linear decline in abundance through time, perhaps reflecting long-term trends during recovery. 5. Leaf area missing, an indicator of herbivore effect on canopy processes, showed significant seasonal and annual trends, as well as differences among tree species and hurricane treatments. Generally, leaf area missing peaked during the wet season each year, but reached its highest levels during an extended drought in 1994. Leaf area missing also tended to be higher on the more abundant tree species in each disturbance treatment. 6. Herbivore abundances and leaf area missing were not related to concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, or calcium in the foliage. 7. This study demonstrated that invertebrate community structure and herbivory are dynamic processes that reflect the influences of host species and variable environmental conditions.     

大脑活动光子学检测中内源信号分析

现代的神经功能成像方法,比如ＰＥＴ、ｆＭＲＩ都是利用与活动相关的血液上的动力变化来间接取得脑部诱发电活动的。然而,在神经科学与生理学中,无损伤的大脑功能光子学检测技术正展现出它的优势而逐渐成为重要的神经成像方法［１］,其中内源信号在大脑活动光学成像中得到广泛应用。本文就近年来内源信号各成分及其光学特性的研究做一概述,探讨内源信号所揭示的生理过程,并提出其在脑研究领域中还有待深入探索的问题。     

Genetic and morphological variation between two forms of lacustrine brook charr

Genetic data suggest that the littoral and pelagic forms of brook charr Salvelinus fontinalis in Lake Bondi are two populations with partial reproductive isolation and non-random mating. Genetic differentiation between the two groups was supported by differences in allele frequencies and by deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium when the two groups were pooled; no such deviation was observed when fish were divided into littoral and pelagic groups. In contrast to Lake Bondi, no clear evidence of genetic differentiation was observed in Lake Ledoux. Discriminant function analyses of morphological characters support the existence of littoral and pelagic groups in Bondi and Ledoux Lakes. In Lake Bondi, the two groups differed significantly in two shape variables (pelagic fish had shorter dorsal fins, and longer body length posterior to the dorsal fin than littoral ones) whereas in Lake Ledoux, the groups differed in four shape variables (pelagic fish had shorter pectoral fins, shorter dorsal fins, and a shorter and higher caudal peduncle than littoral ones). Discriminant analyses of these characters were effective in reclassifying fish into their appropriate groups in both populations, with an efficiency of 78% for juveniles in Lake Bondi and 69% for adults in Lake Ledoux. Differences in morphology between the two forms are consistent with adaptations required to forage in each zone, i.e. benthic form in the littoral zone and planktivorous form in the pelagic zone.     

Quantifying production rates and size fractions of parrotfish‐derived sediment: A key functional role on Maldivian coral reefs

Coral reef fish perform numerous important functional roles on coral reefs. Of these, carbonate sediment production, as a by‐product of parrotfish feeding, is especially important for contributing to reef framework construction and reef‐associated landform development. However, only limited data exist on: (i) how production rates vary among reef habitats as a function of parrotfish assemblages, (ii) the relative importance of sediment produced from eroded, reworked, and endogenous sources, or (iii) the size fractions of sediment generated by different parrotfish species and size classes. These parameters influence not only overall reef‐derived sediment supply, but also influence the transport potential and depositional fate of this sedimentary material. Here, we show that parrotfish sediment production varies significantly between reef‐platform habitats on an atoll‐margin Maldivian reef. Highest rates of production (over 0.8 kg m⁻² year⁻¹) were calculated in three of the eight platform habitats; a rubble‐dominated zone, an Acropora spp. dominated zone, and a patch reef zone. Habitat spatial extent and differences in associated parrotfish assemblages strongly influenced the total quantities of sediment generated within each habitat. Nearly half of total parrotfish sediment production occurred in the rubble habitat, which comprised only 8% of the total platform area. Over 90% of this sedimentary material originated from eroded reef framework as opposed to being reworked existing or endogenously produced sediment, and comprised predominantly coral sands (predominantly 125–1000 µm in diameter). This is comparable to the dominant sand types and size fractions found on Maldivian reef islands. By contrast, nearly half of the sediment egested by parrotfish in the Acropora spp. dominated and patch reef habitats resulted from reworked existing sediments. These differences between habitats are a result of the different parrotfish assemblages supported. Endogenous carbonate production was found to be insignificant compared to the quantity of eroded and reworked material. Our findings have important implications for identifying key habitats and species which act as major sources of sediment for reef‐island systems.     

Integrating disparate datasets to model the functional response of a marine predator: A case study of harbour porpoises in the southern North Sea

1. Quantifying consumption and prey choice for marine predator species is key to understanding their interaction with prey species, fisheries, and the ecosystem as a whole. However, parameterizing a functional response for large predators can be challenging because of the difficulty in obtaining the required data on predator diet and on the availability of multiple prey species.
2. This study modeled a multi‐species functional response (MSFR) to describe the relationship between consumption by harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) and the availability of multiple prey species in the southern North Sea. Bayesian methodology was employed to estimate MSFR parameters and to incorporate uncertainties in diet and prey availability estimates. Prey consumption was estimated from stomach content data from stranded harbour porpoises. Prey availability to harbour porpoises was estimated based on the spatial overlap between prey distributions, estimated from fish survey data, and porpoise foraging range in the days prior to stranding predicted from telemetry data.
3. Results indicated a preference for sandeels in the study area. Prey switching behavior (change in preference dependent on prey abundance) was confirmed by the favored type III functional response model. Variation in the size of the foraging range (estimated area where harbour porpoises could have foraged prior to stranding) did not alter the overall pattern of the results or conclusions.
4. Integrating datasets on prey consumption from strandings, predator foraging distribution using telemetry, and prey availability from fish surveys into the modeling approach provides a methodological framework that may be appropriate for fitting MSFRs for other predators.

     

Density functional studies on herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase–substrate interactions: The role of Tyr-172 and Met-128 in thymine fixation

The enzyme herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase (HSV1 TK) salvages thymidine into the DNA metabolism of the virus. In the active site, the thymine ring of the nucleoside binds in a pocket, formed by two residues, Tyr-172 and Met-128, in a sandwich-type orientation. To investigate the nature of the thymine–enzyme pocket interactions, we have carried out density functional theory calculations with gradient-corrected exchange-correlation functionals of models of the thymine–HSV1 TK adduct. Our calculations indicate that the role of Met-128 in the substrate fixation is purely steric and hydrophobic, while the substrate–Tyr-172 interaction is essentially electrostatic in nature. These findings are completely consistent with the available catalytic properties of mutants on the 128 position. Proteins 31:453–459, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

The instantaneous center of rotation during human jaw opening and its significance in interpreting the functional meaning of condylar translation

Mandibular condyles translate back and forth during mouth closing and opening in primates and most other mammals. To account for the functional significance of this phenomenon, several hypotheses have been proposed. The sarcomere-length hypothesis holds that condylar translation provides a mechanical advantage by minimizing sarcomere-length changes in the masseter-medial pterygoid complex throughout a wide range of jaw openings. As the hypothesis is inherently associated with the locations of the instantaneous centers of rotation (ICRs) of the mandible, a more accurate determination of this variable would help test this hypothesis. This study investigated ICRs in the sagittal plane during human symmetrical mandibular opening based on a recently developed analytical method. The results confirmed that, with inter- and intraindividual variation, the natural opening was a simultaneous rotational and translational motion. In addition, the ICR was found to lie closer to the condyle during the first 10° than during the rest of the rotation. This suggests that for the condyles the rotational component is somewhat more significant at the early phase than at the late phase of the opening stroke. For the whole range of the natural opening, the grossly approximated centers of rotation (CRs) scattered below the palpable lateral condylar poles in the superior half of the ramus. This study supports neither the ICR path determined by Grant ([1973], J. Biomech. 6:109–113) nor the conclusions reached by recording manually operated jaw movements in human cadavers (Rees [1954] Br. Dent. J. 6:125–133). Moss's suggestion ([1960] Disorders of the Temporomandibular Joint (Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders), pp. 73–88) that the center of rotation lies at the lingula is also not confirmed. Although the new data cannot reject the sarcomere-length hypothesis, they do not strongly support it either. Another hypothesis is proposed in this study as plausible. With this hypothesis, translation is regarded as an adaptation to the use of the inferior head of the lateral pterygoid as a jaw depressor in noncarnivorous mammals. Potential functional advantages of this portion of the muscle are also discussed. Am J Phys Anthropol 106:35–46, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.