Relation between climate and vegetation along a Mediterranean-Temperate boundary in central Italy

The relationship between climate and vegetation was investigated along a Mediterranean-Temperate boundary in central Italy. The study area is a transition zone between the Temperate (Eurosiberian) and Mediterranean regions and has an altitudinal range of almost 1750 m. Ordination and cluster analysis were used. The results did not show any sharp boundary but a climate-vegetation mosaic ranging from upper mountain thermotype and lower hyperhumid ombrotype with Fagus sylvatica L. woodlands at higher altitudes, to meso-Mediterranean thermotype and lower subhumid ombrotype with Mediterranean maquis and Quercus ilex L. woods on the coast. Six phytoclimatic groups are distinguished and described in terms of climatic parameters, vegetation types and morphological and chorological traits. These parameters indicate a change without sharp discontinuities between groups. The Mediterranean to Temperate transition in this Tyrrhenian sector is broad and includes most of the study area.     

Modelling the NET Primary Productivity of the Natural Potential Vegetation in China

The relationship between net primary productivity (NPP) of natural potential vegetation in China and its climate control has been studied. First, site water balance indices are calculated by means of climate station document interpolation. NPP field document is strongly correlated with actual evapotranspiration in growth period, annual actual evapotranspiration, annual potential evapotranspiration and water deficiency indices. Then according to the mechanism of NPP accumulation, a WBINPP model is developed basing on a collection of NPP field document all over the country and site water balance indices interaction: NPP = 2.55 GAE·e - 4.20922-1. 9665. Al. Comparing with other NPP models, such as Miami, Thomthwaite Memorial and Chikugo, WBINPP model is more rational and strongly fit to field doccment, the correlation coefficient is 0. 845. According to WBINPP model, a spatial pattern analysis for NPP in China is conducted by means of a GIS software, EIS, and the result shows NPP is declined from Southeastern China to Northwestern China. NPP of the greatest value is above 22 t·hm-2. a-1 in the region located in Hainan and Taiwan Province; while with different values of 12 ~ 16, 8 ~ 12, 4 - 8 t·hm-2·a-1 in the region of middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River, the Northern China plain and the Northeastern Region in China, respectively. In the Northern steppe zone NPP is about 2 t·hm- 2·a- 1 and in the dry desert zone is lower than 2 t·hm- 2·a-1.     

USING TREND INDICES FOR ENDANGERED SPECIES

Initial appraisals of the status of endangered large-mammal populations may have to depend on indices of population trend. Such indices may possibly be improved by using auxiliary variables. Various models were studied for populations of the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris), Yellowstone grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis), and Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi). Several criteria for checking validity of the fitted models were considered, and the simple R² criterion appears to provide useful comparisons. Multiple regression models overestimated the rate of change of the East Coast manatee population as determined from three other sources (a covariance model, a non-linear model, and the rate estimated from reproductive and survival data). A multiple regression model for grizzly bears using three auxiliary variables exhibited a fairly high R² (0.84) and appeared to provide a better fit than did a non-linear model. A beach count index for Hawaiian monk seals seemed to be unreliable for year-to-year comparisons in contrast to total population counts and estimates from a capture-recapture method. The use of auxiliary variables for checking and improving trend index data appears feasible and well worthwhile.     

Seasonal variation of behavior and brain size in a freshwater fish

1. Teleost fishes occupy a range of ecosystem, and habitat types subject to large seasonal fluctuations. Temperate fishes, in particular, survive large seasonal shifts in temperature, light availability, and access to certain habitats. Mobile species such as lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) can behaviorally respond to seasonal variation by shifting their habitat deeper and further offshore in response to warmer surface water temperatures during the summer. During cooler seasons, the use of more structurally complex nearshore zones by lake trout could increase cognitive demands and potentially result in a larger relative brain size during those periods. Yet, there is limited understanding of how such behavioral responses to a seasonally shifting environment might shape, or be shaped by, the nervous system.
2. Here, we quantified variation in relative brain size and the size of five externally visible brain regions in lake trout, across six consecutive seasons in two different lakes. Acoustic telemetry data from one of our study lakes were collected during the study period from a different subset of individuals and used to infer relationships between brain size and seasonal behaviors (habitat use and movement rate).
3. Our results indicated that lake trout relative brain size was larger in the fall and winter compared with the spring and summer in both lakes. Larger brains coincided with increased use of nearshore habitats and increased horizontal movement rates in the fall and winter based on acoustic telemetry. The telencephalon followed the same pattern as whole brain size, while the other brain regions (cerebellum, optic tectum, olfactory bulbs, and hypothalamus) were only smaller in the spring.
4. These findings provide evidence that flexibility in brain size could underpin shifts in behavior, which could potentially subserve functions associated with differential habitat use during cold and warm seasons and allow fish to succeed in seasonally variable environments.

     

Seasonal and diel patterns in Pacific white-sided dolphin (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens) pulsed calls near Barkley Canyon

Evaluation of temporal patterns in offshore marine mammal activity through visual data collection can be impaired by light and weather conditions and the cost of ship time. The conditions-independence and cost-efficacy of acoustic data collection make it popular for researching the temporal patterns of wild dolphins. However, Pacific white-sided dolphins (PWSDs) north of Southern California remain under-researched. This study evaluates diel and seasonal patterns in PWSD communication signals detected in 480 days of near-continuous passive acoustic data collected over 20 months from the Barkley Canyon node of Ocean Networks Canada's NEPTUNE observatory, offshore Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. In this study, a random forest classifier is used to identify PWSD pulsed calls and false positives are manually removed. The resulting acoustic presence-absence data set is evaluated for seasonal and diel patterns using generalized additive mixed models, considering masking effects from ambient noise. PWSDs are found to be vocally active during all diel periods year-round, with high summer and low spring activity. Seasonally dependent diel patterns are identified, with PWSD pulsed calls exhibiting no diel pattern in spring, a slight increase in vocal activity during dusk and night in fall and winter, and a notable increase during night and dawn in summer.     

Assessing spatial patterns and density of a dolphin population through signature whistles

Some dolphin species produce signature whistles, which may allow the identification of individual dolphins using passive acoustic monitoring (PAM). Identifying individuals by their sounds may enhance the opportunities for monitoring and addressing biological and ecological questions about these species. Here, we explored the potential of signature whistles to investigate ecological aspects of a resident bottlenose dolphin population. Using a limited data set, with few individuals recognized by signature whistles, combined with spatial capture-recapture (SCR) methods, we investigated how effective such approach is describing spatial use patterns and estimating density for this population. The data were collected using 4–6 stationary bottom-moored recorders. Since only eight signature whistles were identified, our density estimate may represent a subset of the entire population. However, even with only a few signature whistles identified, our results confirmed the center of the core area used by these dolphins as the area with the highest encounter probability. In addition, our results provided evidence that these dolphins have the same spatial use pattern at night as during the day. This study shows that SCR analysis of signature whistle data can improve our ecological knowledge and understanding of dolphin populations.     

Global diversity and adaptations of avian eggshell thickness indices

The amniote eggshell is a fundamental aspect of the embryo life-support system, protecting it from UV light, microbes and mechanical damage, while regulating gas exchange and providing calcium for growth. The thickness of eggshells is highly diverse across modern birds and influences multiple eggshell functions, yet the selective pressures driving eggshell thickness have not been clearly identified. Here, we use a global dataset of avian eggshell thickness indices for 4260 (> 41%) avian species to assess trends in eggshell thickness across the phylogeny, as these indices are strongly correlated with direct measures of eggshell thickness and are non-destructive to the sample. We analysed the dataset within a phylogenetic framework to assess the relative importance of climatic and ecological explanations for variation in eggshell thickness indices. The distribution of avian eggshell thickness indices across species was found to be primarily driven by phylogenetic relatedness, in addition to evolutionary processes that do not match a Brownian model of evolution. Across modern birds, thicker eggshells were more prevalent in species (1) with precocial young, (2) which exhibit a scavenger-based diet, (3) which primarily feed on vertebrates or plants (excluding nectivores, seed and fruit specialists) and (4) which breed in open habitats. Thicker eggshells found in species with precocial young probably enable higher rates of calcium removal for the more advanced embryo development. Excessive light transmission through the shell damages developing embryos, while too little light transmission can impede development. Eggs in shaded habitats experience low light exposure, and thus thinner shells are more prevalent in these environments potentially to increase light transmission through the shell. Overall, variation in eggshell thickness indices appears to be driven largely by phylogeny, with certain life-history traits linked to embryo growth rate, calcium content of their food, and the need to mitigate excessive light transmission through the shell.     

Context and sex differences exist in the acoustic structure of phee calls by newly–paired common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus)

Captive common marmosets of all ages robustly produce a “separation” phee call during brief separations from their group. In contrast, a second structural variant, which may function as an intergroup call, is produced in the home cage primarily by the reproductive adults. A previous study found that postpubertal but nonreproductive offspring rarely produce phee calls when in the home cage with the natal group, yet these marmosets call frequently after pairing with an opposite‐sex partner. The sudden increase in home cage phee calls may indicate the rapid onset of intergroup calling. Alternatively, marmosets may be producing the separation phee variant as a result of separation from the natal group. The present study investigated whether phee calls produced by recently paired individuals in the home cage were structurally distinguishable from their calls recorded in a separation paradigm. We also tested whether sex differences, known to exist in the calls of mature adults, could be found in calls recorded from younger, nonreproductive animals separated from their natal groups. We analyzed 18 acoustic parameters of phee calls produced in the home cage after pairing and of calls produced during separation both from the natal group and from a new mate. Discriminant function analyses found that home cage calls were clearly discriminable from separation calls (average 91.7% correctly classified), indicating that the rapid increase in home cage phee call production shortly after pairing is not a consequence of separation from the family group. Postpubertal marmosets appear to show a rapid behavioral adjustment to separation from their natal groups. Additionally, sex was clearly discriminable in calls recorded both before and after pairing (average 86.8% correctly classified). Like calls recorded from well‐established paired marmosets, phee calls produced by recently paired, postpubertal marmosets are discriminable by context and sex. Am. J. Primatol. 49:165–181, 1999. Published 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

玉米蛋白粉替代鱼粉对大黄鱼生长、血清生化指标及肝脏组织学的影响

为探讨玉米蛋白粉替代鱼粉对大黄鱼(Larimichthys crocea) 幼鱼生长、血清生化指标及肝脏组织形态的影响, 进行了为期56d的养殖试验, 探索玉米蛋白粉替代大黄鱼幼鱼饲料鱼粉的适当比例。以初始体重为(10.49±0.03) g的大黄鱼幼鱼为研究对象, 用玉米蛋白粉替代基础饲料(含40%鱼粉)0、15%、30%、45%、60%和75%的鱼粉来配制6种等氮(粗蛋白含量45%)等脂(粗脂肪含量10%)的实验饲料, 分别标记为C0、C15、C30、C45、C60、C75组。除C0以外的替代组分别添加了适量的晶体氨基酸(赖氨酸和蛋氨酸)。结果表明, 玉米蛋白粉替代水平对大黄鱼幼鱼存活率、试验鱼特定生长率、饲料系数均无显著性差异(P>0.05)。C45和C60组肌肉粗蛋白含量显著高于C0组(P<0.05), 肌肉粗脂肪含量C45组显著高于C0、C15和C75组 (P<0.05), C45、C60和C75组肌肉水分显著低于C0组(P<0.05), 全鱼粗蛋白、粗脂肪、水分含量无显著差异(P>0.05); 灰分含量有上升趋势, C75组显著高于其他组(P<0.05)。各替代组的血清白蛋白、白球比、谷草转氨酶、葡萄糖均无显著性差异(P>0.05); 随着替代比例的升高, 总胆固醇有降低的趋势, 除C15组与C0无显著性差异外(P>0.05), 4组均显著低于CO组(P<0.05); 实验探讨替代后对鱼的影响, C75组血清总蛋白和球蛋白含量显著低于C0组(P<0.05); C75组血清谷草转氨酶含量显著高于C0(P<0.05)。各处理组总抗氧化能力、过氧化氢酶、谷胱甘肽过氧化氢酶均没有显著性影响(P>0.05), 但替代组总抗氧化能力含量均高于C0; 丙二醛在C75组显著高于C0组(P<0.05)。通过肝组织学观察表明, 当替代比例高于45%时, 呈现肝细胞核偏位、胞浆内脂肪滴较多、细胞透明空泡化等症状。综上所述, 在实验条件下, 研究认为玉米蛋白粉替代鱼粉对大黄鱼幼鱼的适宜添加量为45%。