Seasonal diversity in aquatic insect communities in an all-year stream system

Summary The general pattern of the data in this study shows that a riffle zone carries more species and, usually, more organisms/m² than a slower current zone. The slower current zone, however, is still apparently able to support a larger number of organisms and species than a pool of standing water. In the West Fork of the Oak Creek system the dominant insects controlling diversity are the Trichoptera, particularly one species of Helicopsyche. Diversity in the fast current zone is high in the summer, and low during other seasons. Diversity in the slow current zone is highest in spring, but is also fairly high in summer. This reflects to a large extent the seasonal fluctuations in abundance of the dominant Trichopterans in the two habitats.     

Association between the availability of environmental resources and the atomic composition of organismal proteomes: evidence from Prochlorococcus strains living at different depths

The cyanobacteria Prochlorococcus is a cyanbacterial genus, with some strains adapted to sea surface environments, which are poor in nutrients and have high-light intensity, and some strains adapted to deep sea conditions, which have relatively higher concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus and lower light intensity. Here, we report pairwise comparisons between strains isolated from different depths of the same sea, which reveal a close association between atomic composition of the proteome and the availability nitrogen and phosphorus in the environment. The atomic composition of proteomes differs significantly among Prochlorococcus strains with different supplies of nitrogen in vivo; these different supplies result from different capacities for nitrogen assimilation. We repeated our whole-proteome analysis with the core proteomes of Prochlorococcus and obtained similar results. Our findings indicate that the elemental composition of proteomes is shaped by the availability of resources in the environment.     

Body size and activity times mediate mammalian responses to climate change

Model predictions of extinction risks from anthropogenic climate change are dire, but still overly simplistic. To reliably predict at‐risk species we need to know which species are currently responding, which are not, and what traits are mediating the responses. For mammals, we have yet to identify overarching physiological, behavioral, or biogeographic traits determining species' responses to climate change, but they must exist. To date, 73 mammal species in North America and eight additional species worldwide have been assessed for responses to climate change, including local extirpations, range contractions and shifts, decreased abundance, phenological shifts, morphological or genetic changes. Only 52% of those species have responded as expected, 7% responded opposite to expectations, and the remaining 41% have not responded. Which mammals are and are not responding to climate change is mediated predominantly by body size and activity times (phylogenetic multivariate logistic regressions, P < 0.0001). Large mammals respond more, for example, an elk is 27 times more likely to respond to climate change than a shrew. Obligate diurnal and nocturnal mammals are more than twice as likely to respond as mammals with flexible activity times (P < 0.0001). Among the other traits examined, species with higher latitudinal and elevational ranges were more likely to respond to climate change in some analyses, whereas hibernation, heterothermy, burrowing, nesting, and study location did not influence responses. These results indicate that some mammal species can behaviorally escape climate change whereas others cannot, analogous to paleontology's climate sheltering hypothesis. Including body size and activity flexibility traits into future extinction risk forecasts should substantially improve their predictive utility for conservation and management.     

Isolation and characterization of fructophilic lactic acid bacteria from fructose-rich niches

Fourteen strains of fructophilic lactic acid bacteria were isolated from fructose-rich niches, flowers, and fruits. Phylogenetic analysis and BLAST analysis of 16S rDNA sequences identified six strains as Lactobacillus kunkeei, four as Fructobacillus pseudoficulneus, and one as Fructobacillus fructosus. The remaining three strains grouped within the Lactobacillus buchneri phylogenetic subcluster, but shared low sequence similarities to other known Lactobacillus spp. The fructophilic strains fermented only a few carbohydrates and fermented d-fructose faster than d-glucose. Based on the growth characteristics, the 14 isolates were divided into two groups. Strains in the first group containing L. kunkeei, F. fructosus, and F. pseudoficulneus grew well on d-fructose and on d-glucose with pyruvate or oxygen as external electron acceptors, but poorly on d-glucose without the electron acceptors. Strains in this group were classified as “obligately” fructophilic lactic acid bacteria. The second group contained three unidentified strains of Lactobacillus that grew well on d-fructose and on d-glucose with the electron acceptors. These strains grew on d-glucose without the electron acceptors, but at a delayed rate. Strains in this group were classified as facultatively fructophilic lactic acid bacteria. All fructophilic isolates were heterofermentative lactic acid bacteria, but “obligately” fructophilic lactic acid bacteria mainly produced lactic acid and acetic acid and very little ethanol from d-glucose. Facultatively fructophilic strains produced lactic acid, acetic acid and ethanol, but at a ratio different from that recorded for heterofermentative lactic acid bacteria. These unique characteristics may have been obtained through adaptation to the habitat.     

山楂叶螨、苹果全爪螨及其捕食性天敌生态位研究Ⅲ──微气候生态位

两种叶螨及其捕食性天敌的微气候生态位维的组成由苹果树冠内２０个位点的气温、照度和叶片含水一构成。研究表明：（１）温度、照度和叶片含水三者综合作用效应高于各单因子独立效应;三因子中温度与叶片含水量的联合作用效应高于其它因子间两两组合的效应。（２）两种叶螨及其天敌的生态位从６月到８月急剧缩小。叶螨间的生态位在６、７月趋于分离,而在８月份有较多的重叠。山楂叶螨的生态位与各天敌的重叠值较小或分离;苹果全爪螨的生态位在６月与小花蝽的重叠值较高,而在７月与草蛉及捕食螨的重叠值较高。小花蝽的生态位与草蛉、捕食螨的趋于分离;草蛉与捕食螨之间的生态位在７月份有较多的重叠,而在６月是分离的。（３）温度与叶片含水量组合是促成各种群微气候生态位转移的主因．     

间种牧草对枣园捕食性天敌与害虫群落动态的影响

为了有效地管理枣树害虫,2004年在太谷地区对不同处理枣园的捕食性天敌与害虫群落动态进行了系统的调查研究,结果表明：间种牧草枣园捕食性天敌种类明显多于（p＜0.05）未间种牧草的枣园,种草综合防治园捕食性天敌种类明显多于（p＜0.05）种草常规防治园;在枣树不同发育阶段,种草不防治区害虫物种数、多样性和均匀度明显大于（p＜0.05）未间种牧草的枣园;优势度则是未间种牧草的枣园明显（p＜0.05）大于间种牧草枣园;捕食性天敌个体数与害虫个体数的比值是间种牧草枣园明显（p＜0.05）大于未间种牧草的枣园,种草综合防治区明显大于（p＜0.05）种草常规防治区.就捕食性天敌与害虫的时空二维生态位宽度和重叠而言,不同发育阶段的枣园害虫的时空二维生态位平均宽度之间没有明显差异（p＞0.05）,捕食性天敌的时空二维生态位平均宽度是种草枣园明显（p＜0.05）大于未种草枣园;不同发育阶段种草枣园捕食性天敌与害虫的时空二维生态位平均重叠程度明显（p＜0.05）大于未种草枣园;不同处理枣园捕食性天敌群落中主要种类的前二个主分量负荷值,间种牧草枣区明显（p＜0.05）大于未间种牧草的枣区,而枣园害虫群落中主要种类前二个主分量的负荷值是未间种牧草枣区明显（p＜0.05）大于间种牧草的枣区.相关性分析结果表明,枣园捕食性天敌与害虫参数相关性的变化趋势较为一致,可见用捕食性天敌功能团和按枣树生育期划分害虫发生阶段以替代物种进行枣园捕食性天敌与害虫群落学研究是切实可行的.总之,枣园种草不仅提高了捕食性天敌的种群数量,同时也增加了捕食性天敌控制害虫的稳定性和可持续性.     

PDGFRα-induced stromal maturation is required to restrain postnatal intestinal epithelial stemness and promote defense mechanisms

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