Group versus population level demographics: An analysis of comparability using long term data on wild white‐faced capuchin monkeys (Cebus capucinus imitator)

Primates have long been used as indicator species for assessing overall ecosystem health. However, area‐wide census methods are time consuming, costly, and not always feasible under many field conditions. Therefore, it is important to establish whether monitoring a subset of a population accurately reflects demographic changes occurring in the population at large. Over the past 35 years, we have conducted 15 area‐wide censuses in Sector Santa Rosa, Costa Rica. These efforts have revealed important trends in population growth patterns of capuchin monkeys following the protection and subsequent regeneration of native forests. During this same period, we have also intensively studied a subset of the capuchin groups. Comparing these two datasets, we investigate whether the population structures of the closely monitored groups are reliable indicators of area‐wide demographic patterns. We compare the overall group size and the individual age/sex class compositions of study groups and nonstudy groups (i.e., those contacted during area‐wide censuses only). Our study groups contained more individuals overall with a larger proportion of infants, and there were indications that the proportion of adult and subadult males was lower. These differences can be ascribed either to sampling errors or real differences attributable to human presence and/or better habitat quality for the study groups. No other sex/age classes differed, and major demographic changes were simultaneously evident in both study and nonstudy groups. This study suggests that the Santa Rosa capuchin population is similarly impacted by large‐scale ecological patterns observable within our study groups.     

Environmental thermal levels affect the phenological relationships between the chestnut gall wasp and its parasitoids

Studies of thermal level‐related asynchrony in a host–parasitoid relationship are necessary to understand the effects of climate change on new host–parasitoid interactions. In the Asian chestnut gall wasp Dryocosmus kuriphilus (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) and its Chalcidoidea parasitoids, phenological synchrony is assumed to be weather‐dependent in a new area of expansion. To evaluate the effects of environmental thermal regimes on the host, a phenology model for different cynipid stages (larvae, pupae, adults, and adult emergence) and a host–parasitoid phenological estimator are developed in three chestnut fields during two successive growth seasons and subsequently validated in areas with chestnut fields at two different altitudes. Comparisons of the timings of the juvenile and adult stages with those of the parasitoid complex demonstrate that the shortest period of occurrence for cynipids within galls has negative effects on the host–parasitoid relationships at higher temperature levels, thereby increasing phenological asynchrony for some parasitoids species. Reducing the development time of pupae and adults decreases the likelihood of success for some parasitoid species at higher temperature levels. We also record the extension of the gall wasp development time (approximately 15 days) at higher altitudes (linked to a lower mean temperature of approximately 1.5 °C). These results highlight how parasitization on the new hosts is dependent on the host phenology and, in the present study, is limited by the short duration of the presence of the host in galls, which could explain the considerable differences in cynipid gall wasp parasitization recorded at different altimeters.     

利用数值模拟重构物种多样性格局的形成过程

生命形成的过程极其漫长, 经历了地球系统复杂的沧海桑田变化。当前人类所观察到的物种分布格局的形成除了由物种本身特征决定外, 还受到环境变化、人类活动以及各种随机事件的影响。受限于实验条件、时间、经费、人力等诸多因素, 我们尚无法完整地观察并记录到物种多样性形成的全过程, 只能通过片段化数据来推测该过程。信息科学中包括数值模拟在内的仿真技术以其高效、可控及全过程记录等优势, 能从某种程度上解决物种多样性格局形成过程中的部分数据黑箱问题。本文介绍了数值模拟的概念和工作原理及在物种多样性研究中应用的特点, 列举了物种生态位、扩散模式、种间互作及物种分布应对气候变化等方面的数值模拟研究, 基于已有研究系统地介绍了如何综合上述数值模拟研究构建虚拟物种、气候和场景来解释物种多样性的形成与维持机制, 并阐述了数值模拟在物种多样性研究中的优缺点及应用前景。     

荒漠藓类植物齿肋赤藓对4年积雪深度变化的生理生化响应

冬季降雪作为古尔班通古特沙漠最主要的降水形式,在荒漠生物土壤结皮的稳定和发育发挥重要作用。全球的持续变暖和极端气候事件的频繁发生导致荒漠冬季的积雪格局发生重大变化。荒漠藓类植物作为荒漠重要地被类型生物土壤结皮的重要组成成分,在生理生化层面将如何响应长期的积雪深度变化还不清楚。因此,通过野外设置去除积雪(-S)、自然积雪(S)、2倍积雪(2S)和3倍积雪(3S) 4个积雪梯度,探讨经历4年积雪深度变化下齿肋赤藓(Syntrichia caninervis)的生理生化特征。结果表明,积雪深度变化显著影响了齿肋赤藓的植株含水量、最大光化学量子产量(F_v/F_m)、实际光化学效率(Y(II))、渗透调节物质含量和抗氧化酶活性。与去除积雪处理相比,随着积雪深度的增加,齿肋赤藓的植株含水量、F_v/F_m和Y(II)呈现增加趋势,而植株内的游离脯氨酸、可溶性蛋白、可溶性糖、丙二醛(MDA)含量和超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、过氧化物酶(POD)及过氧化氢酶(CAT)活性呈现降低趋势。相关性分析显示,齿肋赤藓的F_...     

末次冰盛期以来香果树潜在地理分布格局变迁

香果树是中国特有的单种属孑遗树种,探讨末次冰盛期以来香果树在中国的潜在地理分布格局及其变化,对研究茜草科乃至中国亚热带植物区系的系统发育、古生态和古气候变迁等具有重要作用。研究基于最大熵MaxEnt模型与ArcGIS空间分析技术,利用香果树分布点位信息与气候数据,构建其在末次冰盛期(LGM)、全新世中期(MID)、当前(1960—1990年)以及未来(2061—2080年)的潜在地理分布格局,探明其分布格局的变化趋势,揭示引起其潜在地理分布格局改变的关键因子。结果表明,香果树当前适生区总面积约197.575×10⁴ km²,主要位于中国亚热带地区,其中高适生区集中分布于四川盆周山地、武陵山与武夷山地区,最干季度平均温、最湿月降水量、最冷季度降水量是限制其分布的主要气候因子。末次冰盛期时香果树广泛分布于中国亚热带地区,随后适生区开始缩减且向内陆退缩,全新世中期后适生区面积继续缩减并向高纬度地区迁移。随着全球气候变暖,在不同排放情景下香果树适宜生境面积均进一步缩减并向西与高纬度地区迁移。总体而言,从末次冰盛期至未来,香果树适生区呈现持续缩减并向西...     

基于MaxEnt模型预测中国兰属植物的分布格局及主导气候因子(附表)

兰属(Cymbidium)中，除了兔耳兰C.lancifolium以外的所有种均被列为国家重点保护野生植物。为探究其在未来气候条件下的潜在分布格局，该研究基于兰属植物已知的分布点和19个气候因子，利用最大熵(MaxEnt)模型和地理信息系统(ArcGIS)模拟兰属以及其中20种兰属植物在9种不同气候情景(当代以及未来2030s、2050s、2070s和2090s 4个时间段各两种温室气体排放情景)下的潜在分布格局。结果表明：(1)最干旱季降水量(Bio17)、年降水量(Bio12)和温度季节性变化(Bio4)是影响兰属植物地理分布格局的主导气候因子。(2)不同兰属植物在未来情景下的适生区表现出不同的变化趋势，并且影响其分布的主导气候因子也有所不同。其中，冬凤兰(C.dayanum)等8个物种的适生区面积整体呈扩张趋势，而西藏虎头兰(C.tracyanum)等12个物种的适生区面积整体则呈缩减趋势。该研究结果为兰属植物就地保护与迁地保护提供了重要参考，对兰属等濒危野生植物的保护具有积极意义。     

A surplus no more? Variation in krill availability impacts reproductive rates of Antarctic baleen whales

The krill surplus hypothesis of unlimited prey resources available for Antarctic predators due to commercial whaling in the 20th century has remained largely untested since the 1970s. Rapid warming of the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) over the past 50 years has resulted in decreased seasonal ice cover and a reduction of krill. The latter is being exacerbated by a commercial krill fishery in the region. Despite this, humpback whale populations have increased but may be at a threshold for growth based on these human-induced changes. Understanding how climate-mediated variation in prey availability influences humpback whale population dynamics is critical for focused management and conservation actions. Using an 8-year dataset (2013–2020), we show that inter-annual humpback whale pregnancy rates, as determined from skin-blubber biopsy samples (n = 616), are positively correlated with krill availability and fluctuations in ice cover in the previous year. Pregnancy rates showed significant inter-annual variability, between 29% and 86%. Our results indicate that krill availability is in fact limiting and affecting reproductive rates, in contrast to the krill surplus hypothesis. This suggests that this population of humpback whales may be at a threshold for population growth due to prey limitations. As a result, continued warming and increased fishing along the WAP, which continue to reduce krill stocks, will likely impact this humpback whale population and other krill predators in the region. Humpback whales are sentinel species of ecosystem health, and changes in pregnancy rates can provide quantifiable signals of the impact of environmental change at the population level. Our findings must be considered paramount in developing new and more restrictive conservation and management plans for the Antarctic marine ecosystem and minimizing the negative impacts of human activities in the region.     

A stage-structured predator–prey model with distributed maturation delay and harvesting

ABSTRACT

A stage-structured predator–prey system with distributed maturation delay and harvesting is investigated. General birth and death functions are used. The local stability of each feasible equilibria is discussed. By using the persistence theory, it is proven that the system is permanent if the coexistence equilibrium exists. By using Lyapunov functional and LaSalle invariant principle, it is shown that the trivial equilibrium is globally stable when the other equilibria are not feasible, and that the boundary equilibrium is globally stable if the coexistence equilibrium does not exist. Finally, sufficient conditions are derived for the global stability of the coexistence equilibrium.     

A quantitative analysis on latent heat of an aqueous binary mixture

The latent heat during phase change of water-NaCl binary mixture was measured using a differential scanning calorimeter, and the magnitude for two distinct phase change events, water/ice and eutectic phase change, were analyzed considering the phase change characteristics of a binary mixture. During the analysis, the latent heat associated with each event was calculated by normalizing the amount of each endothermic peak with only the amount of sample participating in each event estimated from the lever rule for the phase diagram. The resulting latent heat of each phase change measured is 303.7 +/- 2.5 J/g for water/ice phase change, and 233.0 +/- 1.6 J/g for eutectic phase change, respectively regardless of the initial concentration of mixture. Although the latent heats of water/ice phase change in water-NaCl mixtures are closely correlated, further study is warranted to investigate the reason for smaller latent heat of water/ice phase change than that in pure water (335 J/g). The analysis using the lever rule was extended to estimate the latent heat of dihydrate as 115 J/g with the measured eutectic and water/ice latent heat values. This new analysis based on the lever rule will be useful to estimate the latent heat of water-NaCl mixtures at various concentrations, and may become a framework for more general analysis of latent heat of various biological solutions.     

Tolerance to multiple climate stressors: a case study of Douglas‐fir drought and cold hardiness

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