Genomic Adaptations to Salinity Resist Gene Flow in the Evolution of Floridian Watersnakes

The migration-selection balance often governs the evolution of lineages, and speciation with gene flow is now considered common across the tree of life. Ecological speciation is a process that can facilitate divergence despite gene flow due to strong selective pressures caused by ecological differences; however, the exact traits under selection are often unknown. The transition from freshwater to saltwater habitats provides strong selection targeting traits with osmoregulatory function. Several lineages of North American watersnakes (Nerodia spp.) are known to occur in saltwater habitat and represent a useful system for studying speciation by providing an opportunity to investigate gene flow and evaluate how species boundaries are maintained or degraded. We use double digest restriction-site associated DNA sequencing to characterize the migration-selection balance and test for evidence of ecological divergence within the Nerodia fasciata-clarkii complex in Florida. We find evidence of high intraspecific gene flow with a pattern of isolation-by-distance underlying subspecific lineages. However, we identify genetic structure indicative of reduced gene flow between inland and coastal lineages suggesting divergence due to isolation-by-environment. This pattern is consistent with observed environmental differences where the amount of admixture decreases with increased salinity. Furthermore, we identify significantly enriched terms related to osmoregulatory function among a set of candidate loci, including several genes that have been previously implicated in adaptation to salinity stress. Collectively, our results demonstrate that ecological differences, likely driven by salinity, cause strong divergent selection which promotes divergence in the N. fasciata-clarkii complex despite significant gene flow.     

Application of plant metabarcoding to identify diverse honeybee pollen forage along an urban–agricultural gradient

Understanding animal foraging ecology requires large sample sizes spanning broad environmental and temporal gradients. For pollinators, this has been hampered by the laborious nature of morphologically identifying pollen. Identifying pollen from urban environments is particularly difficult due to the presence of diverse ornamental species associated with consumer horticulture. Metagenetic pollen analysis represents a potential solution to this issue. Building upon prior laboratory and bioinformatic methods, we applied quantitative multilocus metabarcoding to characterize the foraging ecology of honeybee colonies situated in urban, suburban, mixed suburban–agricultural and rural agricultural sites in central Ohio, USA. In cross‐validating a subset of our metabarcoding results using microscopic palynology, we find strong concordance between the molecular and microscopic methods. Our results suggest that forage from the agricultural site exhibited decreased taxonomic diversity and temporal turnover relative to the urban and suburban sites, though the generalization of this observation will require replication across additional sites and cities. Our work demonstrates the power of honeybees as environmental samplers of floral community composition at large spatial scales, aiding in the distinction of taxa characteristically associated with urban or agricultural land use from those distributed ubiquitously across the sampled landscapes. Observed patterns of high forage diversity and compositional turnover in our more urban sites are likely reflective of the fine‐grain heterogeneity and high beta diversity of urban floral landscapes at the scale of honeybee foraging. This provides guidance for future studies investigating how relationships between urbanization and measures of pollinator health are mediated by variation in floral resource dynamics across landscapes.     

Habitat and host associations of the fish‐burrowing parasite Artystone minima (Cymothoidae: Isopoda) in eastern Amazonia

Cymothoid fish parasites settle on hosts in ways that may impact fish health and energetics. High abundances of Artystone minima observed in Nannostomus beckfordi from the Jeju River in eastern Amazonia were investigated to answer the following questions: (a) What factors are associated with the high prevalence at this locality?; (b) Is high abundance associated with co‐infestation of alternative hosts?; and (c) Is parasite presence associated with host species growth and/or reproduction? Fish assemblages were sampled quarterly (August 2017–May 2018) from five habitats along with environmental data. Parasitic indices were calculated, and parasite presence used to evaluate differences in growth of hosts using analysis of covariance considering host sex and sampling season (wet vs. dry). Parasites were only abundant in one of the habitats, a large, shallow backwater bay with macrophytes. Abiotic environmental factors (flow and depth) likely impact parasite transmission and are, therefore, particularly important in producing these local patterns. Two secondary hosts, Hyphessobrycon cf. rosaceus and Moenkhausia collettii, were found in the wet season. Based on host biology compared to other fish in the habitat, parasite infestation is inferred to be depth associated and long‐term infestation is apparently limited in alternative hosts. Parasite presence was significantly associated with reduced weight (standardized for length) of female Nannostomus beckfordi in the wet season. Furthermore, ovaries of non‐parasitized females from the wet season presented a range of maturation stages, while parasitized females were all immature, indicating a significant association of parasites with host reproductive capacity. Abstract in Portuguese is available with online material     

Distribution of Competition Potential Between Native Ungulates and Free-Roaming Equids on Western Rangelands

Free-roaming equids (i.e., feral horses [Equus caballus] and burros [Equus asinus]) are widely distributed and locally abundant across the rangelands of the western United States. The 1971 Wild Free Roaming Horse and Burro Act (WFRHBA) gave the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and United States Forest Service (USFS) the legal authority to manage these animals on designated public lands. To fulfill this responsibility, federal agencies established an Appropriate Management Level (AML), defined as the number of horses or burros that can be sustained on a given management unit under prevailing environmental conditions and land uses. Although the WFRHBA specifies that feral equids must be managed in ecological balance with other land uses, including conservation of native wildlife, population control measures such as gathers, contraception, and adoptions have failed to keep pace with intrinsic growth rates. Over 80% of federally managed herds currently exceed prescribed population levels, making the potential for competition between native ungulates and feral equids a growing concern among state wildlife agencies. Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), pronghorn (Antilocapra americana), elk (Cervus canadensis), and bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) are of ecological and economic value to the states where they occur, and all exhibit some degree of distributional, habitat, or dietary overlap with horses or burros. Notwithstanding the scale of the problem, to date there have been no range-wide assessments of competition potential among native and feral ungulates for space, forage, or water. To address this need, we compiled demographic, jurisdictional, and species occurrence data collected from 2010–2019 by federal and state agencies. We used these data to map the distributions of 4 native ungulate species across federal equid management units (FEMUS) in 10 western states (n = 174). We then made within-state rankings of the 50 units that were ≥2 times over AML and encompassed ≥3 native ungulates. Collectively, FEMUs covered approximately 225,000 km², representing 18% of all BLM and USFS lands in affected states. Each FEMU supported ≥1 native ungulate and 14% contained all 4. The degree of overlap between native and feral species varied by state, ranging from <1% for mule deer in Montana, to 40% for bighorn sheep in Nevada. Oregon had the largest proportion of units that supported all 4 native ungulates (58%), whereas Montana and New Mexico had the fewest equids, but all populations were over target densities. Despite the perception that the problem of equid abundance is limited to the Great Basin states, high intrinsic growth rates and social constraints on management practices suggest all affected states should monitor range conditions and native ungulate demography in areas where forage and water resources are limited and expanding equid populations are a concern. © 2021 The Wildlife Society.     

Population Dynamics of Intermediate-Host Snails in the White Nile River,Sudan: A Year-Round Observational Descriptive Study

We aimed to explore the population dynamics of snail in 3 sites of the White Nile in Sudan. More specifically, we aimed to investigate the annual patterns of snail populations that act as intermediate hosts of schistosomes and monthly snail infection rates and ecological characteristics presumably related to snail populations. We collected snails for 1 year monthly at 3 different shore sites in the vicinity of El Shajara along the White Nile river in Khartoum State, Sudan. In addition, we measured air and water temperatures, water turbidities, vegetation coverages, and water depths and current speeds. Most of the collected snails were Biomphalaria pfeifferi and Bulinus truncatus. The population densities of snails and their infection rates varied across survey sites. The collected snails liberated S. mansoni and S. haematobium cercariae as well as Amphistome and Echinostome cercariae. Infected snails were found during March–June. The ecological characteristics found to be associated with the absence of snails population were: high turbidity, deep water, low vegetation coverage (near absence of vegetation), high water temperature, and high current speed. To our knowledge, this is the first longitudinal study of the snail population and ecological characteristics in the main basin of the White Nile river.     

粪甲虫对绢蒿荒漠春秋两季牛粪分解的影响

为明确绢蒿荒漠草地牛粪的分解规律,分别在5月(春季)和9月(秋季)设置不同堆置时间点(0、7、29、48、58 h),明确粪便理化性质变化规律,同时设置不同开口的网笼(无网笼、上下开口、上开口、全封口),探讨各生态功能类群粪甲虫对粪便分解的影响。结果表明: 春季的粪甲虫种类数显著高于秋季,秋季的粪甲虫数量显著高于春季。春季粪便的水分、全碳、全氮、全磷下降主要集中在0～29 h,堆置29 h时粪便的水分、全碳、全氮、全磷分别降低39.4%、13.9%、32.1%、26.7%。堆置58 h时粪便的中性洗涤纤维和酸性洗涤纤维分别显著降低8.0%和16.0%。秋季粪便的水分、中性洗涤纤维、酸性洗涤纤维在0～7 h内下降速度最快,堆置7 h时分别降低85.6%、10.2%和20.2%。7～58 h内中性洗涤纤维和酸性洗涤纤维上升,58 h时粪便的中性洗涤纤维和酸性洗涤纤维分别升高20.0%和13.7%。全碳、全氮和全磷的分解主要集中在0～29 h内,堆置29 h时分别降低17.5%、55.0%和64.8%。不同开口的网笼有效阻止了相应生态功能类群粪甲虫的进驻,随着粪甲虫生态功能类群的增加,粪便分解速度加快,无网笼状态下的粪便分解速度显著高于其它处理。粪甲虫种类、数量以及粪便堆置时间均显著影响牛粪的分解过程。     

中老铁路经济廊带生态质量及其与人类活动的关系

区域生态质量很大程度上受人类活动强度影响,制约着区域经济可持续发展。以中老铁路经济廊带为对象,重点研究区内人类活动强度对区域生态环境的影响。选取1999、2009、2019年遥感影像计算遥感生态指数(RSEI),采用空间自相关及局域G统计量探测研究区生态质量的时空演变规律,并结合同期人口密度构建地理加权回归模型,定量分析区内人类活动强度引起的生态效应。研究表明: 1999—2019年,区内生态质量经历了先升后降的变化,RSEI均值由1999年的0.645升为2009年的0.738,随后又降为2019年的0.721,中部地区生态质量波动较大;基于地理加权回归模型(GWR)拟合人口密度与生态质量的效果明显好于最小二乘法,基于GWR的不同时期R²均高于0.7且拟合效果稳定,2019年拟合度最好(R²为0.785),1999、2009年R²分别为0.726、0.754;中老铁路沿线南部万象一带的生态质量对人类活动较敏感,以中度敏感区为主。对高、中、低度敏感区而言,人口密度每增长10、100、1000倍将相应导致RSEI均值降低0.2、0.4、0.6。经济廊带发展会导致人口密度增加,在规划布局过程中应控制人类活动,防止潜在敏感区及现有敏感区生态质量进一步恶化。     

闽东南地区马尾松古树对气候变化和虫灾的生态弹性

马尾松是我国南方地区广泛分布的先锋造林树种。在全球变暖、气候干旱化和虫灾频发的趋势下,研究马尾松对环境干扰的生态弹性对森林管理有重要意义。本文对福建省仙游县百松村的马尾松古树进行树木年轮样品采集,建立区域首个马尾松树轮宽度标准年表(1865—2014年)。结果表明: 当年7—9月低相对湿度和5—9月极端高温是树木生长的主要限制因素。根据树轮极端窄年确定1869、1889、1986、1991和1993是极端事件年。时序叠加分析发现,极端事件发生前两年的持续低值加剧了极端事件的影响。干旱年份更容易引发虫灾。1889年是受虫灾影响最严重的年份,1986和1991年受到虫灾和干旱气候的双重影响,其余极端年主要受干旱气候的影响。树木对虫灾的抵抗力弱于对干旱事件的抵抗力;除1991年外,树木对虫灾的相对弹性力高于对干旱事件的相对弹性力。1889年的相对弹性力最高,1991年受到连续极端事件的影响,相对弹性力最低。2000年以来研究区干旱化趋势加强,马尾松古树遭受干旱和虫灾的干扰加强,部分树木死亡。     

基于遥感信息的黄土高原主要灌溉农业分布区生态安全特征

生态安全是区域经济社会可持续发展的重要保证。本研究基于2000—2018年间的遥感数据,系统分析了黄土高原4个主要灌溉农业分布区(银川平原、河套平原、汾河谷地和渭河平原)植被覆盖度(FVC)和遥感生态指数(RSEI)的变化特征。结果表明: 2000—2018年间,研究区FVC整体呈下降趋势,但4个不同灌溉农业分布区FVC变化趋势各异。研究区RSEI整体呈下降趋势,其中,银川平原和渭河平原的RSEI下降明显,分别下降0.06和0.07,河套平原的RSEI无明显变化,而汾河谷地的RSEI整体呈上升趋势。4个区域中,银川平原、汾河谷地的生态稳定性较差,河套平原的生态环境较稳定,而渭河平原的生态环境持续退化。研究结果对区域生态环境保护和农业可持续发展具有重要意义。     

黄土高原林区生态系统服务价值与景观生态风险时空变化及其关联性——以子午岭区为例

当前,人们对自然景观提供的生态系统服务保护意识正在加强,但将生态系统服务价值纳入生态风险管控的研究和实践相对较少。本研究以子午岭区为例,基于2.5 km×2.5 km的评价小区,开展了1980、1990、2000、2010和2017年黄土高原林区——子午岭区景观格局类型格网化和重采样,定量评价了生态系统服务价值和景观生态风险,揭示了二者时空变化及其关联性。结果表明: 1980—2017年,子午岭区生态系统服务价值从其中心地带向外缘递减,总量由123.45亿元增长为126.33亿元;子午岭区景观生态风险从其中心地带向外缘递增,子午岭区的景观生态风险有所降低,生态状况总体好转。子午岭区生态系统服务价值与景观生态风险之间存在显著的负相关关系及明显的负向空间关联性;高价值-低风险区主要为子午岭林区,未来其生态系统服务价值可能会保持不变。