Occurrence,properties and biological implications of the active uptake of water vapour from the atmosphere in Psocoptera

Water vapour absorption is shown to occur in 22 species of Psocoptera inhabiting diverse environments and representing all major groups of this insect order. Evidently the faculty is a common feature of the whole order and it seems not to be related to specific environmental conditions. For the first time water vapour uptake could be demonstrated in fully winged and flying insects. The critical equilibrium humidities vary considerably among different species ranging from 58 to 85% r.h. Marked interspecific differences are also observed in water loss and uptake rates but no clear correlation with habitat or systematic group is recognizable. The uptake rates of Psocoptera are among the highest of all arthropods investigated so far. From weight recordings with a sensitive microbalance it could be seen that continuous operation of the uptake mechanism is restricted to limited periods of time of less than 1 hr regardless of the water status of the animals. Initiation and termination of the uptake process are abrupt and continuous uptake proceeds at a constant rate at a given relative humidity. Uptake rates are humidity-dependent decreasing with falling relative humidity whereas the adjustment of the equilibrium level of body water is independent of ambient humidity. Equilibrium is maintained by intermittent operation of the uptake mechanism within ca. 3% of body water mass. The uptake mechanism exhibits marked sensitivity to starvation in most members of the Psocomorpha. Some features of the uptake process of Psocoptera are in close agreement with those of Mallophaga reflecting the close relationship between the two groups.     

Light and ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid mediated differential effects of ammonium on nitrate reductase activity in maize seedlings

Abstract Effect of ammonium on in vivo activity of nitrate reductase in roots, shoots and leaves of maize (Zea mays L.) seedlings was studied in relation to light/dark conditions and EDTA supply. Supply of 5 mM (NH₄)₂SO₄ increased the steady state level of enzyme only in leaves and in light, while it had no effect in roots and shoots and in the dark. The substrate induction of enzyme was also little affected by 1 to 10 mM (NH₄)₂SO₄ in roots and shoots. In the leaves the activity in the dark was either inhibited (minus EDTA) or stimulated (plus EDTA) by 5 to 10 mM (NH₄)₂SO₄. The activity was stimulated in the light also in the presence of EDTA at higher concentrations of ammonium. When different concentrations of ammonium were supplied without any exogenous nitrate in the light, the enzyme activity increased at low concentration and was either inhibited or unaffected at higher concentrations depending upon the tissue used. Supply of EDTA with ammonium modified its effect to some extent. It is suggested that the effect of ammonium on nitrate reductase activity depends upon the tissue used and the effective concentration of the ammonium.     

The role of carbon dioxide in the formation of end-products by Hymenolepis diminuta

The hypothesis that ambient CO₂ levels determine the end-products of energy metabolism excreted by Hymenolepis diminuta was tested by incubating the parasite in a range of CO₂ concentrations and measuring internal concentrations of adenine nucleotides and the excretion of organic acids. The strain of H. diminuta used was found to excrete mainly lactic acid and acetic acid. Succinic acid production was generally less than 5–10% of the total. At high CO₂ concentrations, the rate of excretion of lactic acid decreased while that of succinic acid increased, which conforms with the hypothesis. Acetic acid excretion did not vary significantly over the range of CO₂ concentrations used. Other results did not support the hypothesis. High CO₂ levels reduced the total amounts of acids excreted and the rate of succinic acid excretion was so small as to be ineffective in preventing the accumulation of H⁺ ions. When present in the incubation medium, succinic acid was taken up by H. diminuta. Lactic and acetic acid excretion was always sufficient to limit the accumulation of H⁺ ions. The conditions of incubation were shown not to be responsible for the low rates of succinic acid excreted. Incubation conditions and metabolic end-products were found to affect the rates of excretion of organic acids. There is thus a need, in work of this nature, to regulate and specify experimental conditions and to stipulate the strain of parasite used. The hypothesis was rejected and it was suggested that the energy metabolism of parasitic helminths is adapted to fluctuating O₂ and CO₂ tensions.     

Parents exposed to warming produce offspring lower in weight and condition

The parental environment can alter offspring phenotypes via the transfer of non‐genetic information. Parental effects may be viewed as an extension of (within‐generation) phenotypic plasticity. Smaller size, poorer physical condition, and skewed sex ratios are common responses of organisms to global warming, yet whether parental effects alleviate, exacerbate, or have no impact on these responses has not been widely tested. Further, the relative non‐genetic influence of mothers and fathers and ontogenetic timing of parental exposure to warming on offspring phenotypes is poorly understood. Here, we tested how maternal, paternal, and biparental exposure of a coral reef fish (Acanthochromis polyacanthus) to elevated temperature (+1.5°C) at different ontogenetic stages (development vs reproduction) influences offspring length, weight, condition, and sex. Fish were reared across two generations in present‐day and projected ocean warming in a full factorial design. As expected, offspring of parents exposed to present‐day control temperature that were reared in warmer water were shorter than their siblings reared in control temperature; however, within‐generation plasticity allowed maintenance of weight, resulting in a higher body condition. Parental exposure to warming, irrespective of ontogenetic timing and sex, resulted in decreased weight and condition in all offspring rearing temperatures. By contrast, offspring sex ratios were not strongly influenced by their rearing temperature or that of their parents. Together, our results reveal that phenotypic plasticity may help coral reef fishes maintain performance in a warm ocean within a generation, but could exacerbate the negative effects of warming between generations, regardless of when mothers and fathers are exposed to warming. Alternatively, the multigenerational impact on offspring weight and condition may be a necessary cost to adapt metabolism to increasing temperatures. This research highlights the importance of examining phenotypic plasticity within and between generations across a range of traits to accurately predict how organisms will respond to climate change.     

Demographic responses to climate‐driven variation in habitat quality across the annual cycle of a migratory bird species

The demography and dynamics of migratory bird populations depend on patterns of movement and habitat quality across the annual cycle. We leveraged archival GPS‐tagging data, climate data, remote‐sensed vegetation data, and bird‐banding data to better understand the dynamics of black‐headed grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus) populations in two breeding regions, the coast and Central Valley of California (Coastal California) and the Sierra Nevada mountain range (Sierra Nevada), over 28 years (1992–2019). Drought conditions across the annual cycle and rainfall timing on the molting grounds influenced seasonal habitat characteristics, including vegetation greenness and phenology (maturity dates). We developed a novel integrated population model with population state informed by adult capture data, recruitment rates informed by age‐specific capture data and climate covariates, and survival rates informed by adult capture–mark–recapture data and climate covariates. Population size was relatively variable among years for Coastal California, where numbers of recruits and survivors were positively correlated, and years of population increase were largely driven by recruitment. In the Sierra Nevada, population size was more consistent and showed stronger evidence of population regulation (numbers of recruits and survivors negatively correlated). Neither region showed evidence of long‐term population trend. We found only weak support for most climate–demographic rate relationships. However, recruitment rates for the Coastal California region were higher when rainfall was relatively early on the molting grounds and when wintering grounds were relatively cool and wet. We suggest that our approach of integrating movement, climate, and demographic data within a novel modeling framework can provide a useful method for better understanding the dynamics of broadly distributed migratory species.     

纸张生态足迹

自1960年代以来,由于废纸浆在全球造纸浆中比例不断提高,原有的纸张生态足迹计算方法--以原木浆纸的木材消耗量为计算基础--需要改进.通过分析纸浆结构的变化、纸浆与纸的关系、纸浆耗木量、废纸成浆率等,定量地表征了废纸回收对纸张木材消耗的影响,得出1t纸消耗的木材应为3.879 m3而略小于原来的4 m3的结论.在此基础上,重新计算纸张的生态足迹,得出1t纸的生态足迹为2.569 hm2森林.     

Short-term effects of temperature enhancement on growth and reproduction of alpine grassland species

In order to study the effects of temperature enhancement on alpine calcareous grassland species, a warming experiment was carried out in the Berchtesgaden National Park (Southeast Germany, Northern Calcareous Alps) between 2002 and 2004. The study was conducted in stands of the Carex sempervirens and the Carex firma communities; the two most widespread grassland types in the alpine zone of the Northern Calcareous Alps. The temperature of the vegetation stand and the upper soil was passively enhanced using open top chambers (OTCs). The construction of the OTCs was appropriate since temperature was clearly increased while water conditions (humidity, soil water content) were not changed.

By comparing manipulated (temperature enhancement) with non-manipulated plots, the effects of warming on growth and reproduction of selected key species were studied. To test if vegetation response to temperature enhancement is at least partly due to increases in nutrient availability, soil solution concentrations of nitrate and ammonium were analysed.

We found that most of the studied plant species are sensitive to temperature enhancement. Growth and/or reproduction of 12 of the 14 studied species were significantly stimulated by warming. Only two species showed no response; none of the species experienced decreases in growth or reproduction. Dwarf shrubs and graminoids showed a stronger response than herbaceous perennials. A significant effect of warming on nutrient availability could not be detected. The observed response of vegetation is therefore mainly caused by direct and not by indirect temperature effects.     

Ca(NO3)2对NaCl胁迫下木麻黄扦插苗生理特征的调控

用不同浓度 Ca(NO3) 2 · 4 H2 O(0 .7、1.4、2 .1g Ca2 / kg土 )对 1年生的处在两种 Na Cl胁迫 (10和 2 0 g/ kg)处理下的木麻黄扦插苗进行化学调控 ,研究硝酸钙盐加氯化钠处理的木麻黄幼苗的生长量、木麻黄幼苗抗氧化酶系统活性和渗透调节物质的含量的变化 ,研究结果表明 :中度 Na Cl胁迫加硝酸钙处理下的木麻黄扦插苗的可溶性蛋白质含量增加 ,MDA含量降低说明膜脂过氧化作用减轻 ,而且抗氧化酶活性 (SOD、POD)之间协调变化有利于提高清除自由基的速率 ,中度盐胁迫下钙盐可以促进木麻黄体内脯氨酸的积累 ;但重度 Na Cl胁迫下钙盐对木麻黄的调控作用不显著 ,重度盐胁迫下钙盐反而降低木麻黄 SOD、POD活性和脯氨酸的含量 ,减弱了抗氧化酶系统对活性氧的清除作用 ,同时高浓度钙盐还会加重 Na Cl胁迫对木麻黄幼苗的损伤 ,这说明适量的钙盐有利于木麻黄幼苗抵抗盐胁迫能力的提高 ,而高浓度钙盐则可能会加重盐胁迫     

Signs of stabilisation and stable coexistence

Many empirical studies motivated by an interest in stable coexistence have quantified negative density dependence, negative frequency dependence, or negative plant–soil feedback, but the links between these empirical results and ecological theory are not straightforward. Here, we relate these analyses to theoretical conditions for stabilisation and stable coexistence in classical competition models. By stabilisation, we mean an excess of intraspecific competition relative to interspecific competition that inherently slows or even prevents competitive exclusion. We show that most, though not all, tests demonstrating negative density dependence, negative frequency dependence, and negative plant–soil feedback constitute sufficient conditions for stabilisation of two‐species interactions if applied to data for per capita population growth rates of pairs of species, but none are necessary or sufficient conditions for stable coexistence of two species. Potential inferences are even more limited when communities involve more than two species, and when performance is measured at a single life stage or vital rate. We then discuss two approaches that enable stronger tests for stable coexistence‐invasibility experiments and model parameterisation. The model parameterisation approach can be applied to typical density‐dependence, frequency‐dependence, and plant–soil feedback data sets, and generally enables better links with mechanisms and greater insights, as demonstrated by recent studies.     

Recent advances in the study of long-distance dispersal of aquatic invertebrates via birds

Although Darwin pioneered the study of long‐distance dispersal (LDD) of aquatic invertebrates via waterbirds, it remains in its infancy as a modern discipline. A handful of recent studies have quantified internal or external transport in the field, confirming that a variety of long‐distance migrants carry invertebrates both internally and externally. These studies show that variation in the morphology of vectors influences the frequency and size of propagules transported, and suggest that more invertebrate groups disperse via birds than was previously thought. Dispersal limitation has mainly been investigated for zooplankton in small experimental systems from which waterbirds were effectively excluded, and the extent of such limitation for invertebrate populations in wetlands interconnected by waterbird movements remains unclear. We expect that the spatial and temporal scales at which dispersal limitation constrains geographical ranges, species richness and genetic structure of invertebrates depends partly on the density of migratory birds using the area. Birds may have a major role in the expansion of exotic species. We propose several avenues for future research. There is a particular need for more quantitative studies of LDD by birds that will enable modellers to assess its role in maintaining invertebrate biodiversity among increasingly fragmented wetlands and in the face of climate change, as well as in the spread of invasive species.