Evidence for diet partitioning among three coexisting native freshwater fishes in South Africa's Cape Fold Ecoregion

The partitioning of limited resources commonly explains how different species can coexist within the same ecological community. In this 2010 study, the diets of three coexisting freshwater fishes (Cape galaxias Galaxias zebratus, n = 27; Cape kurper Sandelia capensis, n = 60; Breede River redfin Pseudobarbus burchelli, n = 77) were characterised and compared in three headwater streams in South Africa's Cape Fold Ecoregion using gut contents and stable isotope analyses. These data were analysed to ascertain whether the three species exploit distinct trophic niches. Both approaches provided evidence that these species occupy different trophic niches, though with some overlap. However, dietary differences among sites were not consistent and were probably influenced by site-specific factors like resource availability. Pseudobarbus burchelli had a broader niche breadth at Tierkloof Stream than the other two species, but not at Waaihoek or Tierstel Streams. Our results also suggest that P. burchelli consumed a more omnivorous diet than do the other two species, whereas S. capensis occupied a higher trophic position than the other two species and consumed vertebrates. Our findings suggest that these species occupy non-equivalent feeding niches in Cape Fold Ecoregion headwater streams, and that diet partitioning might facilitate their coexistence in these systems.     

Altitudinal distribution limits of aquatic macroinvertebrates: an experimental test in a tropical alpine stream

1. Temperature and oxygen are recognised as the main drivers of altitudinal limits of species distributions. However, the two factors are linked, and both decrease with altitude, why their effects are difficult to disentangle. 2. This was experimentally addressed using aquatic macroinvertebrates; larvae of Andesiops (Ephemeroptera), Claudioperla, (Plecoptera), Scirtes (Coleoptera) and Anomalocosmoecus (Trichoptera), and the amphipod Hyalella in an Ecuadorian glacier‐fed stream (4100–4500 m a.s.l.). The following were performed: (i) quantitative benthic sampling at three sites to determine altitudinal patterns in population densities, (ii) transplants of the five taxa upstream of their natural altitudinal limit to test the short‐term (14 days) effect on survival, and (iii) in situ experiments of locomotory activity as a proxy for animal response to relatively small differences in temperature (5 °C vs. 10 °C) and oxygen saturation (55% vs. 62%). 3. The transplant experiment reduced survival to a varying degree among taxa, but Claudioperla survived well at a site where it did not naturally occur. In the in situ experiment, Scirtes and Hyalella decreased their activity at lower oxygen saturation, whereas Andesiops and Anomalocosmoecus did so at a low temperature. The decrease in activity from a high to a low temperature and oxygen for the five taxa was significantly correlated with their mortality in the transplant experiment. 4. Together the present experiments indicate that even relatively small differences in temperature and oxygen may produce effects explaining ecological patterns, and depending on the taxon, either water temperature or oxygen saturation, without clear interacting effects, are important drivers of altitudinal limits.     

Dynamics of dissolved and particulate organic carbon in a saline and semiarid stream of southeast Spain (Chicamo stream)

Annual variations in the concentration of dissolved (DOC) and particulate organic carbon (CPOC = Coarse; FPOC = Fine; UPOC = Ultrafine) were studied in a 100 m-reach of the Chicamo stream, an intermittent saline stream in southeast Spain. DOC represented the most important fraction of organic carbon flowing in the Chicamo stream (>98%), with concentrations of about 1.7 mgC l^–1 during most of the year, reaching 2.5 mgC l^–1 in summer. One high flow episode during a rain storm in winter was characterized by a considerably increased concentration of DOC (9.4 mgC l^–1). CPOC was the dominant POC fraction. Positive and significant correlations were found for DOC and discharge, which support the idea of allochthonous inputs due to floods. There was no significant correlation between POC and discharge. No significant correlations were found for DOC or POC with the physico-chemical parameters measured, while a negative significant correlation was found between DOC and temperature. The export of total organic carbon from the drainage basin of the Chicamo stream was low (6.2 × 10^–4 gC m^–2 yr^–1) and typical of streams in arid and semi-arid regions. The results of a Principal Component Analysis defined three different phases. The first consisted of short periods, during which floods provide pulses of allochthonous organic carbon and nutrients, the second a dry phase (summer), defined by biotic interactions, during which the stream could acts as a `sink' of organic matter, and the third and final phase which is characterised by hydrological stability.     

Immunohistochemical localization of Bis protein in the rat central nervous system

We studied the distribution of Bis (Bcl-2 interacting death suppressor) protein in the adult rat brain and spinal cord using immunohistochemistry. Immunoreactivity was observed in specific neuronal populations in distinct nuclei. The most intensely labeled cells were associated with the motor system, including most cranial nerve motor nuclei, Purkinje cells of the cerebellum, the red nucleus, and the ventral motor neurons of the spinal cord. Bis protein was also expressed in several structures associated with the ventricular system, including the subventricular zone of the lateral ventricle and its rostral extension, in the subcommissural organ, and in tanycytes, radial glial cells in the hypothalamus. Using double-labeling techniques, Bis-immunoreactive cells in the rostral migratory stream, coexpressing Bcl-2, were confirmed as glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive astrocytes comprising the glial tubes. The widespread distribution of Bis suggests that this protein has broader functions in the adult rat central nervous system than previously thought, and that it could be associated with a particular role in the rostral migratory system.J.-H. Lee and M.-Y. Lee contributed equally to this study. This work was supported by the KOSEF through the Cell Death Disease Research Center of MRC at the Catholic University of Korea (R13-2002-005-01001-0) and the Catholic Medical Center Research Foundation grant made in the program year of 2002     

塔里木沙漠公路防护林土壤微生物生物量与土壤环境因子的关系

为探讨极端干旱区风沙土土壤微生物与土壤环境因子的作用规律,采用相关分析法研究了塔里木沙漠公路防护林地土壤微生物生物量与理化因子和酶活性的关系.结果表明：土壤容重和粒径减小（R<-0.84）、含水量和孔隙增大（R>0.85）时,防护林地中土壤微生物数量和生物量有增大趋势,由容重与微生物量的相关性主导;土壤养分含量与土壤微生物数量和生物量呈正相关,主要由速效养分和放线菌、微生物生物量C、P的相关性所致;土壤酶活性与土壤微生物数量和生物量的相关性差异较大,R在0.51～0.91,主要取决于蔗糖酶、磷酸酶与放线菌、微生物量C的相关;土壤盐分增加不利于土壤微生物生物量的积累(R<-0.71);土壤微生物数量与生物量呈较高正相关（R>0.63）.实践中应为干旱区林地土壤微生物营造良好的土体,促进土壤物质循环.     

红火蚁对荔枝园无脊椎动物群落多样性及稳定性的影响

对红火蚁发生区和对照区荔枝园无脊椎动物群落多样性的研究表明:红火蚁发生区的荔枝园树冠、地面植被、地表及土壤中的无脊椎动物群落的物种数和个体数都较对照区出现了明显的下降,群落结构特征也发生了明显的变化,群落及各亚群落的物种多样性﹑物种丰富度减小,优势度﹑优势集中性上升,群落由稳定走向波动,群落可侵入性进一步增强。在荔枝树冠,受红火蚁捕食或其它作用影响而明显减少的害虫种类主要是一些鳞翅目幼虫,天敌主要包括广斧螳Hierodulapatellifera(Serville)、锥盾菱猎蝽Isyndus reticulatesSt、中华草蛉Chrysopa sinica Tieder、平腹小蜂Anastatus japonicus、斜纹猫蛛Oxyopessertatus(L.Koch)及白条锯足蛛Runciniaal bostriata Boes.et Str.等。在地面植被上,受红火蚁影响的害虫种类主要是一些鳞翅目夜蛾科的幼虫,天敌种类主要包括中华大刀螳Tenodera aridifolia sinensis、丽眼斑螳Creobroter gemmata(Stoll)、中华草蛉Chrysopasinica Tieder、线纹猫蛛Oxyope slineatipes(L.Koch)及草皮逍遥蛛Philodromus cespitum(Walckenaer)等。但值得注意的是,在红火蚁轻度发生区,地面植被上的四斑月瓢虫Chilomenes quadriplaglata Swartz和六斑月瓢虫Menochilus sexmaculata Fabricius的种群数量却出现增加。在荔枝园地表及土壤中的无脊椎动物中,以步甲﹑隐翅甲等作为生物指示物反映环境条件变化的物种受影响下降明显。但在红火蚁轻度发生区,一些种类(如独角仙Xylotrupes gideon L幼虫)与红火蚁存在互利共生的关系,其数量非但没有减少,反而有所增加,这在一定程度上增加了对荔枝园有害生物防治的难度。相关分析的研究表明,红火蚁种群数量与荔枝园无脊椎动物群落各特征指数存在一定的相关关系,其中与重度发生区地表及土壤无脊椎动物群落各特征指数高度相关。红火蚁发生区无脊椎动物群落多样性的主成分分析表明,影响荔枝园树冠和地面植被无脊椎动物群落多样性的主要成分都是优势集中性,而影响荔枝园地表及土壤无脊椎动物群落多样性的主成分却是均匀度。     

Invertebrate community and stream substrate responses to woody debris removal from an ice storm-impacted stream system, NY USA

We assessed the influence of ice-storm-derived debris dams on aquatic macroinvertebrates and stream substrates in a high-gradient watershed in the eastern Adirondack Mountains of New York State. Using a modification of electrofishing techniques, invertebrates were collected once before (June 2000) and once after (June 2001) wood removal from the downstream reach in each of six pairs of reaches (second and third-order streams). Stream substrates were also mapped in 2000 and 2001 to evaluate shifts in dominant substrates within a reach following wood removal. The following metrics were used to compare the invertebrate communities before and after wood removal: genera similarity, Shannon–Weiner equitability, taxa richness, dominant taxon, percent dominance and functional feeding group relative abundance. The changes in removal reaches were evaluated relative to changes in upstream reference reaches using a Before-After Control-Impact (BACI) design and analysis. Stream substrates did not change significantly in response to wood removal, although a trend toward coarser substrates was observed following removal. Following wood removal, the relative proportion of grazers increased upstream and downstream from removed dams in all streams; however, comparisons of other metrics indicated no significant response to removal. Invertebrate responses to wood removal were lower than expected, perhaps due to the presence of abundant boulder-formed pools in this high gradient system. Electronic supplementary material Electronic supplementary material is available for this article at and accessible for authorised users.     

The effects of low concentrations of particulates from paper mill effluent on the macroinvertebrate community of a fast-flowing stream

The effects of a paper mill effluent on the macroinvertebrate community were assessed for the riffle areas of a large fast-flowing stream, the lower reaches of the Saranac River of northern New York State, U.S.A. The effluent caused few changes in dissolved oxygen concentration, pH, biochemical oxygen demand, temperature or nutrient content; however, significant differences in transmitted light, concentrations of particulates and accumulated debris on the substrate were observed. A moderate decrease in invertebrate diversity correlated with increased levels of particulates and substrate debris. An analysis of the response of invertebrate functional groups revealed the effluent had little effect on the density of gathering collector organisms. The functional groups most severely reduced in density were the filtering collectors and scrapers. Predators showed a moderate reduction in density in response to the effluent. The alterations in invertebrate densities were attributed largely to the alterations in seston and substrate caused by the introduction of particulates composed mainly of paper fiber and inert dye.     

Relationships between bacterial productivity and organic carbon at a soil—stream interface

Microbial communities at soil-stream interfaces may be particularly important in regulating amounts and forms of nutrients that leave upland soils and enter stream ecosystems. While microbial communities are thought to be responsible for key nutrient transformations within near-stream sediments, there is relatively little mechanistic information on factors that control microbial activities in these areas. In this study, we examine the roles of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) vs. particulate organic carbon (POC) as potential controls on rates of bacterial productivity (measured as incorporation of [3H]thymidine into bacterial DNA) and amounts of bacterial biomass (measured as fatty acid yield) in sediments along a transect perpendicular to a soil–stream interface. We hypothesized that spatial patterns in bacterial productivity would vary in response to strong and persistent patterns in pore-water concentrations of DOC that were observed along a soil-stream transect throughout a 2-year period. Our results did not support the existence of such a link between pore-water DOC and bacterial productivity. In contrast, we found bacterial productivity and biomass were related to small-scale spatial variations in sediment POC on 3 of 4 sample dates. While our results indicate that total bacterial productivity in near-stream sediments is not consistently linked to spatial variations in pore-water DOC, it is likely that DOC and POC are not mutually exclusive and the relative contribution of DOC and POC to sedimentary microbes varies temporally and spatially in different riparian habitats. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.