The macronutrient composition of wild and cultivated plant foods of West African chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) inhabiting an anthropogenic landscape

Agricultural expansion encroaches on tropical forests and primates in such landscapes frequently incorporate crops into their diet. Understanding the nutritional drivers behind crop-foraging can help inform conservation efforts to improve human-primate coexistence. This study builds on existing knowledge of primate diets in anthropogenic landscapes by estimating the macronutrient content of 24 wild and 11 cultivated foods (90.5% of food intake) consumed by chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) at Bossou, Guinea, West Africa. We also compared the macronutrient composition of Bossou crops to published macronutrient measures of crops from Bulindi, Uganda, East Africa. The composition of wild fruits, leaves, and pith were consistent with previous reports for primate diets. Cultivated fruits were higher in carbohydrates and lower in insoluble fiber than wild fruits, while wild fruits were higher in protein. Macronutrient content of cultivated pith fell within the ranges of consumed wild pith. Oil palm food parts were relatively rich in carbohydrates, protein, lipids, and/or fermentable fiber, adding support for the nutritional importance of the oil palm for West African chimpanzees. We found no differences in the composition of cultivated fruits between Bossou and Bulindi, suggesting that macronutrient content alone does not explain differences in crop selection. Our results build on the current understanding of chimpanzee feeding ecology within forest-agricultural mosaics and provide additional support for the assumption that crops offer primates energetic benefits over wild foods.     

Post-Fire Resource Redistribution in Desert Grasslands: A Possible Negative Feedback on Land Degradation

Desert grasslands, which are very sensitive to external drivers like climate change, are areas affected by rapid land degradation processes. In many regions of the world the common form of land degradation involves the rapid encroachment of woody plants into desert grasslands. This process, thought to be irreversible and sustained by biophysical feedbacks of global desertification, results in the heterogeneous distribution of vegetation and soil resources. Most of these shrub-grass transition systems at the desert margins are prone to disturbances such as fires, which affect the interactions between ecological, hydrological, and land surface processes. Here we investigate the effect of prescribed fires on the landscape heterogeneity associated with shrub encroachment. Replicated field manipulation experiments were conducted at a shrub-grass transition zone in the northern Chihuahuan desert (New Mexico, USA) using a combination of erosion monitoring techniques, microtopography measurements, infiltration experiments, and isotopic studies. The results indicate that soil erosion is more intense in burned shrub patches compared to burned grass patches and bare interspaces. This enhancement of erosion processes, mainly aeolian, is attributed to the soil–water repellency induced by the burning shrubs, which alters the physical and chemical properties of the soil surface. Further, we show that by enhancing soil erodibility fires allow erosion processes to redistribute resources accumulated by the shrub clumps, thereby leading to a more homogeneous distribution of soil resources. Thus fires counteract or diminish the heterogeneity-forming dynamics of land degradation associated with shrub encroachment by enhancing local-scale soil erodibility. Author Contributions  SR—Conceived of or designed study, performed research, analyzed data, wrote the paper; PD—Conceived of or designed study, performed research, wrote the paper; LW—Performed research, analyzed data; GO—Contributed new methods, analyzed data; SC—Conceived of or designed study; CW—Performed research, contributed new methods or models; and SM—Contributed new methods or models.     

乌兰布和沙漠灌木种群空间格局研究

应用地统计学中半方差函数,研究了内蒙古乌兰布和沙漠主要4种灌木种群的空间格局。在巴彦高勒镇西南设置一个1 000 m×1 000 m的样方,将样方划分为1 600个25 m×25 m的格子,记录各格子内出现的物种及其平均冠幅。运用地统计软件GS+for Windows计算样地各灌木种群的各向同性半方差函数的参数,并绘制其克立格(Kriging)图。从各向同性的半方差模型的参数来看,柽柳（Tamarix chinensis）属于聚集性分布的球型模型,其空间结构比率高,这表明在这一地区柽柳的冠幅分布变化较小,25 m的抽样步长合适;而白刺（Nitraria tangtorum）属于聚集性分布的指数模型,其空间结构比率比较低。本研究成果为沙漠地区植被的抽样调查提供了基础。     

阿拉善荒漠灌木根际中、微量元素含量特征

探讨了阿拉善干旱荒漠区霸王、白刺、红砂、沙冬青、沙木蓼、梭梭和驼绒藜7种旱生灌木根际与非根际土壤Ca、Mg、Fe、Mn、Zn、Cu的含量特征.结果表明:(1)除梭梭根际pH值高于非根际之外,其余6种灌木根际土壤均表现出不同程度的酸化作用.(2)7种灌木根际全钙和交换性钙的含量均低于非根际.除沙木蓼和驼绒藜外,其余5种灌木根际全镁含量均高于非根际,白刺的富集率最高,为43.04%;除沙木蓼外,其余灌木根际交换性镁的含量均有所富集,梭梭的富集率最高,为26.52%.(3)7种灌木根际全铁、全锰、全锌含量总体上小于非根际,但是根际有效铁、有效锰、有效锌含量均大于非根际,表现出明显的富集效应,沙木蓼根际有效铁、有效锰、有效锌的富集率最高,分别为:29.76%、20.92%、86.99%.(4)沙木蓼根际全铜和有效铜含量略高于非根际.梭梭根际全铜含量低于非根际,但梭梭根际有效铜含量却有富集的趋势.其余五种灌木根际全铜和有效铜含量均低于非根际.(5)根际及非根际土壤各养分性状之间,存在复杂的相关性.     

Background Values,Distribution and Contamination of Metals in the Sediments of the Pontevedra Ria (NW Spain)

Thirty-seven surface sediment samples were taken in the Pontevedra Ria (NW Iberian Peninsula), and metal concentrations (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, and Zn) and organic/inorganic parameters were determined in order to obtain a mapping of their distribution, background values and the status of contamination. Background values were obtained from Metal/Fe ratios obtained by regression lines using “clean” stations. Contamination was assessed by the use of normalized enrichment factors (NEF). The middle and outer parts of the ria, mostly influenced by oceanic water and scarce anthropogenic activities, showed a low/null contamination (NEF ～ 1) for all the metals studied. However, the inner part of the ria, where most of the anthropogenic (urban and industrial) activities are located, showed a significant enrichment for Zn, Cu, and Pb, with NEF up to 5.2, 18, and 3.4, respectively. The rest of the metals were not significantly affected. Due to the hydrographic characteristics of the rias coastal systems, contamination sources are generally located well inland but in the high salinity region. Therefore rapid flocculation and accumulation of metal contaminants in sediments is favored close to their emission sources. Cadmium also showed a significant enrichment, strongly influenced by the presence of organic-rich sediments rather than contamination from point-sources. In the estuarine part of the ria, a significant enrichment was found for Cd, Cu, and Zn. However, it is unclear whether this is due to contamination by these two metals in the area or simply due to a difference in the lithogenic composition of the riverine sediments compared to the ria sediments.     

Nitrogen budgets for the Republic of Korea and the Yellow Sea region

Growing populations in northeast Asia have greatly altered the nitrogencycle, with increases in agricultural production to feed the population, andwith increases in N emissions and transboundary air pollution. For example,during the 1900's over 50% of the N deposition over Republic of Korea wasimported from abroad. In this paper, we present biogeochemical budgets ofN for the South Korean peninsula (the Republic of Korea) and for the YellowSea region. We quantify N inputs from atmospheric deposition, fertilizers,biological fixation, and imports of food, feed, and products. We quantifyoutputs in riverine export, crop uptake, denitrification, volatilization,runoff, sedimentation and sea water exchange. Calculations were conductedusing mean values from 1994–1997. All of the nitrogen budgets werepositive, with N inputs exceeding outputs. The excess N inputs gave rise toincreases in N storage in landfills and in groundwater. Annual accumulationof N in the Yellow sea, including inputs from South Korea and otherdrainage areas, was 1229 kt yr^–1 with a residence time for N ofapproximately 1.5 years, thus doubling N content in marine waters every 3years during 1994–1997. The human derived N inputs leads to excessiveeutrophication and pollution of the Yellow Sea.     

Phosphorus accumulates faster than nitrogen globally in freshwater ecosystems under anthropogenic impacts

Combined effects of cumulative nutrient inputs and biogeochemical processes that occur in freshwater under anthropogenic eutrophication could lead to myriad shifts in nitrogen (N):phosphorus (P) stoichiometry in global freshwater ecosystems, but this is not yet well‐assessed. Here we evaluated the characteristics of N and P stoichiometries in bodies of freshwater and their herbaceous macrophytes across human‐impact levels, regions and periods. Freshwater and its macrophytes had higher N and P concentrations and lower N : P ratios in heavily than lightly human‐impacted environments, further evidenced by spatiotemporal comparisons across eutrophication gradients. N and P concentrations in freshwater ecosystems were positively correlated and N : P was negatively correlated with population density in China. These results indicate a faster accumulation of P than N in human‐impacted freshwater ecosystems, which could have large effects on the trophic webs and biogeochemical cycles of estuaries and coastal areas by freshwater loadings, and reinforce the importance of rehabilitating these ecosystems.     

Spatial and temporal impacts of a diesel fuel spill on stream invertebrates

1. We assessed the effects of a 26 500 L diesel fuel spill on the macroinvertebrate fauna of a small trout stream in central New York, U.S.A. To determine the spatial extent of the spill we sampled three locations (0.7, 5.0 and 11.8 km downstream of the spill), each containing a reference site (unaffected tributary) and an impact site (downstream of spill). Sampling was repeated four times over a 15‐month period to assess temporal recovery. 2. Immediately after the spill, invertebrate density at all three locations below the spill was significantly lower than reference density. Three months after the spill, density up to 5 km below the spill was still far lower (<100 individuals per sample) than reference density (800–1200 individuals per sample). A year after the spill, density was similar between reference and impact sites, suggesting that invertebrates had recovered numerically. 3. Taxonomic richness up to 5.0 km below the spill was less than half the reference taxonomic richness and this difference persisted for at least 3 months. Some significant differences between reference and impact sites were observed after 15 months, but these differences could not be attributed to the oil spill. 4. For at least 3 months following the spill, the site immediately downstream of the spill was dominated by Optioservus, a petrochemical‐tolerant riffle beetle. Twelve to 15 months after the spill, both the reference and impact sites near the spill were dominated numerically by the mayfly Ephemerella, but the degree of dominance was twice as large at the impact site. 5. We concluded that the diesel fuel spill significantly reduced the density of invertebrates (by 90%) and taxonomic richness (by 50%) at least 5.0 km downstream, but density recovered within a year. Throughout the study, however, the fauna immediately below the spill was species poor and significantly over‐represented by a single dominant taxon, suggesting that 15 months was not sufficient for full community recovery from the oil spill.     

Warming increases soil carbon input in a Sibiraea angustata-dominated alpine shrub ecosystem

Plant-derived carbon (C) inputs via foliar litter, root litter and root exudates are key drivers of soil organic C stocks. However, the responses of these three input pathways to climate warming have rarely been studied in alpine shrublands. By employing a 3-year warming experiment (increased by 1.3 °C), we investigated the effects of warming on the relative C contributions from foliar litter, root litter and root exudates from Sibiraea angustata, a dominant shrub species in an alpine shrubland on the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. The soil organic C inputs from foliar litter, root litter and root exudates were 77.45, 90.58 and 26.94 g C m⁻², respectively. Warming only slightly increased the soil organic C inputs from foliar litter and root litter by 8.04 and 11.13 g C m⁻², but significantly increased the root exudate C input by 15.40 g C m⁻². Warming significantly increased the relative C contributions of root exudates to total C inputs by 4.6% but slightly decreased those of foliar litter and root litter by 2.5% and 2.1%, respectively. Our results highlight that climate warming may stimulate plant-derived C inputs into soils mainly through root exudates rather than litter in alpine shrublands on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.     

Agricultural Intensification and the Secondary Products Revolution Along the Jordan Rift

The ecological impacts of early agriculture in the Near East remained localized prior to the intensified production of derivative plant and animal products, beginning in the fourth millennium B.C. One aspect of this secondary products revolution (Sherratt, 1980a, 1983) involved the adoption of animal traction and increased production of rendered animal commodities (e.g., wool and dairy). However, most of the pervasive regional effects of this revolution followed from the domestication and increasingly intensive cultivation of orchard crops that generated marketable secondary products (e.g., olive oil, wine, and dried fruits) and encouraged widespread deforestation. In the southern Levant this revolution encouraged, and was encouraged by, the rise and fall of Bronze Age towns and their mercantile influences. Botanical and palynological data from the Jordan Rift reveal a complex discontinuous legacy of changes wrought by the secondary products revolution that have molded the agrarian ecology and anthropogenic landscapes characteristic of the region today.