Exposure to noise pollution across North American passerines supports the noise filter hypothesis

The noise filter hypothesis predicts that species using higher sound frequencies should be more tolerant of noise pollution, because anthropogenic noise is more intense at low frequencies. Recent work analysed continental‐scale data on anthropogenic noise across the USA and found that passerine species inhabiting more noise‐polluted areas do not have higher peak song frequency but have more complex songs. However, this metric of song complexity is of ambiguous interpretation, because it can indicate either diverse syllables or a larger frequency bandwidth. In the latter case, the finding would support the noise filter hypothesis, because larger frequency bandwidths mean that more sound energy spreads to frequencies that are less masked by anthropogenic noise. We reanalysed how passerine song predicts exposure to noise using a more thorough dataset of acoustic song measurements, and showed that it is large frequency bandwidths, rather than diverse syllables, that predict the exposure of species to noise pollution. Given that larger bandwidths often encompass higher maximum frequencies, which are less masked by anthropogenic noise, our result suggests that tolerance to noise pollution might depend mostly on having the high‐frequency parts of song little masked by noise, thus preventing acoustic communication from going entirely unnoticed at long distances.     

First case of parthenogenesis in ladybirds (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) suggests new mechanisms for the evolution of asexual reproduction

Parthenogenesis, the development of unfertilized eggs resulting in the exclusive production of female offspring, is rare in animals relative to sexual reproduction and is mainly reported in invertebrates. It has been hypothesized that polyploidy, hybridization and endosymbiont infections are its major causal events but the mechanisms triggering asexual reproduction remain unclear. Here, we study the proximate causes at the origin of parthenogenesis in the first reported case of asexuality in the Coccinellidae (Coleoptera). The asexual populations were found in the Azores and the Mascarene archipelagos, and were identified as Nephus voeltzkowi Weise, a bisexual species widespread in sub-Saharan Africa. The specimens from both populations are diploid but present different karyotypes and heterozygosities that evoke hybrid origins, commonly associated with parthenogenesis in Coleoptera. However, the close proximity of their genomes (99.8% homology for the complete mitochondrial genome and 99.9% for the complete nuclear ribosomal cluster) together with the congruence between the mtDNA tree and the nuclear tree, and the low heterozygosity levels, suggests that the two populations are not hybrid. We propose that they belong to a single chromosomally polymorphic species undergoing Robertsonian fusions. Furthermore, specimens from both populations are infected with Wolbachia (supergroup B strain), contrary to sympatric bisexual species of the same genus. Although Wolbachia has been shown to induce parthenogenesis in haplodiploid organisms, it has been recently suggested that it could also induce parthenogenesis in hosts with other sex determination systems. Whether chromosome rearrangements and/or Wolbachia infections are post-parthenogenetic events or are at the origin of parthenogenesis still needs to be determined.     

海南岛木麻黄林林下植物天然更新影响因素的研究

木麻黄海防林是海南岛重要的海岸生态屏障,天然更新对其持续发挥防护功能具有重要意义。调查发现海南岛大多数木麻黄林林下天然更新困难,然而却存在局部更新良好的现象。为了探究天然更新存在巨大差异的原因,并为促进海南海防林由人工林向近自然林转化提供一定的理论基础,通过分析不同林地更新质量的差异,研究影响木麻黄海防林林下天然更新的主要影响因素。该研究在海南岛木麻黄海防林中共设置73块临时样地,采用方差分析和相关分析等统计方法,分别研究林地所属气候区、林分条件、土壤因子和凋落物累积量对天然更新质量和密度的影响。结果表明:(1)湿润气候区的木麻黄林下更新要显著优于半干旱区;(2)木麻黄林分密度与更新密度和草本盖度存在显著负相关,但林分条件其他因子对更新影响不大;(3)不同更新质量样地的土壤pH和养分均无显著性差异,但铵态氮对幼苗、有机质对幼树的更新存在一定的促进作用;(4)凋落物的累计整体不利于天然更新的进行。结果说明气候因子、木麻黄林分密度、木麻黄凋落物积累量是木麻黄海防林林下植物天然更新的主要影响因素。     

木麻黄种子萌发的限制生态因子

成功的天然更新应同时具备三个条件:(1)种源数量充足、质量良好;(2)适宜种子萌发的微生境;(3)幼苗、幼树存活的生态条件。为进一步揭示海南岛木麻黄(Casuarina equisetifolia)海防林自身无法天然更新的障碍因子,该文对影响其天然更新的三个条件之一的种子萌发条件进行了研究,并探讨了不同的生态因子,如木麻黄化感、土壤酸碱度、盐度、温度、基质类型、水分等对木麻黄种子萌发的影响。结果表明:(1)不同浸提物的不同浸提液浓度处理的种子萌发率与CK组无显著性差异。(2)设定范围内的pH、盐度和温度对木麻黄种子萌发率无显著影响。(3)不同浓度梯度PEG溶液处理的木麻黄种子萌发率存在显著性差异,且伴随PEG溶液浓度增加,木麻黄种子萌发率随之锐减。(4)不同基质及浇水频度对种子萌发率也具有显著影响。从综合PEG干旱胁迫、基质及浇水频度的结果可以发现,木麻黄种子抗旱能力较弱,对水分敏感。因此,水分是制约木麻黄种子萌发的主要限制因子,凋落物层及滨海沙土较差的保水性不同程度地制约了种子的萌发。