Past and present distribution, densities and movements of blue whales Balaenoptera musculus in the Southern Hemisphere and northern Indian Ocean

• 1 Blue whale locations in the Southern Hemisphere and northern Indian Ocean were obtained from catches (303 239), sightings (4383 records of ≥8058 whales), strandings (103), Discovery marks (2191) and recoveries (95), and acoustic recordings.
• 2 Sighting surveys included 7 480 450 km of effort plus 14 676 days with unmeasured effort. Groups usually consisted of solitary whales (65.2%) or pairs (24.6%); larger feeding aggregations of unassociated individuals were only rarely observed. Sighting rates (groups per 1000 km from many platform types) varied by four orders of magnitude and were lowest in the waters of Brazil, South Africa, the eastern tropical Pacific, Antarctica and South Georgia; higher in the Subantarctic and Peru; and highest around Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Chile, southern Australia and south of Madagascar.
• 3 Blue whales avoid the oligotrophic central gyres of the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, but are more common where phytoplankton densities are high, and where there are dynamic oceanographic processes like upwelling and frontal meandering.
• 4 Compared with historical catches, the Antarctic (‘true’) subspecies is exceedingly rare and usually concentrated closer to the summer pack ice. In summer they are found throughout the Antarctic; in winter they migrate to southern Africa (although recent sightings there are rare) and to other northerly locations (based on acoustics), although some overwinter in the Antarctic.
• 5 Pygmy blue whales are found around the Indian Ocean and from southern Australia to New Zealand. At least four groupings are evident: northern Indian Ocean, from Madagascar to the Subantarctic, Indonesia to western and southern Australia, and from New Zealand northwards to the equator. Sighting rates are typically much higher than for Antarctic blue whales.
• 6 South‐east Pacific blue whales have a discrete distribution and high sighting rates compared with the Antarctic. Further work is needed to clarify their subspecific status given their distinctive genetics, acoustics and length frequencies.
• 7 Antarctic blue whales numbered 1700 (95% Bayesian interval 860–2900) in 1996 (less than 1% of original levels), but are increasing at 7.3% per annum (95% Bayesian interval 1.4–11.6%). The status of other populations in the Southern Hemisphere and northern Indian Ocean is unknown because few abundance estimates are available, but higher recent sighting rates suggest that they are less depleted than Antarctic blue whales.

     

Limitations to the Accumulation of Starch in the Developing Wheat Grain

The postulate that photosynthetic capacity limits the rate ofaccumulation of starch and dry matter in the developing wheatgrain has been tested by defoliating plants growing in the field,and by culturing detached ears on solutions of sucrose. In mostcases complete defoliation did not reduce the amounts of starchor dry matter produced 4 to 10 days later, or affect the amountsof sucrose in the grain. Increasing the potential supply ofsucrose above normal levels by culturing did not lead to increasesin either the deposition of starch or the quantity of sucrosein the grain. Removing leaves caused small depressions in thegain in fresh weight of the grain, and where defoliation didreduce the accumulation of starch there was no comparable effecton the amount of sucrose in the grain. Accordingly, it is concludedthat the postulate stated above is invalid. The case in support of the concept that it is the mechanismregulating the passage of sucrose into the grain which imposesa limitation on the accumulation of starch is presented.     

The Uptake of Growth Substances: XI. VARIATIONS IN THE ACCUMULATION OF SUBSTITUTED PHENOXYACETIC ACIDS OF DIFFERING PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY BY SEGMENTS OF AVENA MESOCOTYL

An examination has been made of the phase of continuous accumulationof phenoxyacetic acid (POA) and the 2-, 4-, 2,4-, 2,6-, and2,4,5-chloro-derivatives, containing carbon-14 in the carboxylgroup, by segments of the Avena mesocotyl. On the basis of previousfindings to eliminate the initial transient components of uptake(Type I processes) the segments were pretreated for 13 to 18h in buffer or buffer containing the respective non-radioactivecompound. For five of the compounds the relationship between the rateof uptake and the external concentration takes the form of arectangular hyperbola, but for the sixth, 2,4,5-T, this relationshipdoes not hold. The data, except those for 2,4,5-T, have beenevaluated as linear regressions of rate of uptake against thequotient of rate over concentration. From each regression equationtwo constants have been derived: the point ‘B’ wherethe line intersects the rate axis (the theoretically maximumrate) and the slope of the regression ‘K’, whichcan alternatively be expressed as the concentration at whichthe observed rate equals half the value of ‘B’. The calculated values of B and K for POA are approximately twiceas great as the corresponding values for 2-CPA, and about 25times greater than for 4-CPA. The values for 2,4-D are closeto those for 4-CPA, and 2,6-D is intermediate between 2-CPAand 4-CPA. Although the constants for 2,4,5-T could not be calculatedprecisely, the rates of accumulation are about one-fourth ofthose measured for 2,4-D at equivalent concentrations. The uptake of radioactive 2,4-D is slightly depressed in thepresence of nonradioactive POA. Greater reductions are causedby 2-CPA or 2,6-D, and 2,4-D or 2,4,5-T are even more inhibitory.The pattern of inhibition caused by 2,4,5-T indicates competitionfor common sites of uptake, while POA appears not to be competitive.In corresponding experiments with POA, the presence of the otherregulators only caused small inhibitions and the order was different. Earlier work showed that in Avena accumulation is accompaniedby the conversion to a varying degree of the individual substitutedphenoxyacetic acids to conjugated derivatives. It is suggestedthat the variation between compounds in their rates of accumulationis in part due to differences in the stability of the conjugatedderivatives, and that the facility of conversion is a factorin determining physiological activity.     

The Uptake of Growth Substances: V. VARIATION IN THE UPTAKE OF A SERIES OF CHLORINATED PHENOXYACETIC ACIDS BY STEM TISSUES4GOSSYPIUM HIRSUTUM AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO DIFFERENCES IN AUXIN ACTIVITY

When segments excised from the etiolated hypocotyls of Gossypiumhirsutum are pretreated in buffer, the subsequent uptake ofradioactive 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D-1-¹⁴C) isdepressed and the net loss of radioactivity which normally followsa phase of positive uptake by freshly excised segments doesnot take place. Uptake by fresh segments, in contrast with uptakeafter pretreatment, has a high Q₁₀ and is markedly depressedby both 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T) and 3-indolylaceticacid. On these grounds it is proposed that net loss resultsfrom the release of material accumulated by a specific mechanismwhich, with time, becomes inoperative. Additional experimentssuggest that part of the 2,4-D taken up by stem segments ofTriticum vulgare and Avena sativa is accumulated by a similarmechanism. For 1-cm segments, entry is most rapid through the cut ends,and the effects of pretreatment exert their maximal effectsin the tissue near the ends. Therefore very short segments havebeen used to compare the courses of uptake of phenoxyaceticacid (POA) and its 2-, 4-, 2,6-, 2,4- and 2,4,5- chloro- derivatives.The patterns observed are similar to those previously reportedfor 1 -cm segments, although the differences between compoundsare greater. The courses of uptake of 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T, bothterminate in a phase when there is a net loss. POA and the 2-chloro-substitutedacid (2-CPA) are both continuously accumulated. No net lossis found with either the 2,6- (2,6-D) or the 4- chloro (4-CPA)compounds but the rates of uptake progressively decrease toa low level. It is proposed that the processes which determine the patternof uptake of chlorinated phenoxyacetic acids include two typesof accumulation. With Type I accumulation the mechanisms involvedrapidly become disorganized after tissues are excised from theplant. Type 2 accumulation, on the other hand, is stable. Theavailable data indicate that Type I accumulation is peculiarto compounds with marked auxin-like properties.     

The Growth and Development of the Wheat Apex: The Effects of Photoperiod on Spikelet Production and Sucrose Concentration in the Apex

Spring wheat (Triticum aestivum cv. Warimba) plants were grownin a controlled environment (20°C) in two photoperiods (8or 16 h). In the first instance, plants were maintained in eachof the photoperiods from germination onwards at the same irradiance(375 µE m^–2 s^–1). In the second case, allplants were grown in a long photoperiod until 4 days after double-ridgeinitiation when half the plants were transferred to a shortphotoperiod with double the irradiance (16 h photoperiod at225 or 8 h at 475 µE ^–2 s^–1). The rates of growth and development of the apices were promotedby the longer photoperiod in both experiments. Shoot dry weightgain was proportional to the total light energy received perday whereas the dry weight of the shoot apex increased withincreasing photoperiod even when the total daily irradiancewas constant. The principal soluble carbohydrate present in the shoot apexwas sucrose, although low concentrations of glucose and fructosewere found in the apices of long photoperiod plants late indevelopment. Sucrose concentration was invariably greater inthe slow-growing apices of short photoperiod plants, but roseto approach this level in the long photoperiod plants when theterminal spikelet had been initiated. Triticum aestivum, wheat, apex, spikelet initiation, photoperiod, flower initiation     

The grand game of metazoan phylogeny: rules and strategies

Many cladistic analyses of animal phylogeny have been published by authors arguing that their results are well supported. Comparison of these analyses indicates that there can be as yet no general consensus about the evolution of the animal phyla. We show that the various cladistic studies published to date differ significantly in methods of character selection, character coding, scoring and weighting, ground-pattern reconstructions, and taxa selection. These methodological differences are seldom made explicit, which hinders comparison of different studies and makes it impossible to assess a particular phylogeny outside its own scope. The effects of these methodological differences must be considered before we can hope to reach a morphological reference framework needed for effective comparison and combination with the evidence obtained from molecular and developmental genetic studies.     

Effects of carbonyl sulfide, methyl iodide, and sulfuryl fluoride on fruit phytotoxicity and insect mortality

Three potential chemical fumigants: carbonyl sulfide (COS), methyl iodide (MI) and sulfuryl fluoride (SF) were tested at selected dosages on lemons against California red scale (Aonidiella aurantii) and MI and COS were tested on nectarines against codling moth (Cydia pomonella). In nectarines, COS was tested at 0, 20, 40, 60 and 80 mg litre^?1, MI at 0, 10, 15, 20 and 25 mg litre^?1. Both fumigants intensified nectarine peel color, delayed fruit softening, but did not alter overall fruit quality. COS at 80 mg litre^?1 resulted in 87% codling moth mortality, but the fumigant dosage was insufficient to reach the desired probits 9 level (99.9968%). MI gave 100% codling moth mortality at 25 mg litre^?1. Lemons were treated with MI at 0,10,20,40,60 mg litre^?1, SF at 0,10,20,40, 80 mg litre^?1 and COS at 0,20,40, 60 and 80 mg litre^?1. MI gave 100% red scale mortality at ≥40 mg litre^?1 but caused significant fruit injury. Conditioning lemons at 15°C for 3 days before MI fumigation lessened lemon phytotoxicity. Forced aeration at 3.5 standard litres per minute of lemons for 24 h following MI fumigation at 20 mg litre^?1 significantly reduced phytotoxicity compared to 2 h postfumigation aeration after MI treatment. SF at ≥40 mg litre^?1 gave 100% red scale mortality but resulted in commodity phytotoxicity. Lemons treated with the highest selected dose of 80 mg litre^?1 COS gave only 87% kill of red scale, but failed to reach the desired probit 9 level.     

Factors Limiting the Supply of Sucrose to the Developing Wheat Grain

The level of sucrose in the flag leaf blade of wheat plantsgrowing in the field fluctuates in a conspicuous diurnal pattern,although in the endosperm the concentration of sucrose remainsunaltered throughout the night and the day. The effects of defoliationon the quantity of sucrose in the grain are relatively small,and appear to depend on the length of the period between treatmentand observation. In ears cultured on solutions of sucrose, the sugar accumulatesto higher concentrations than normal in all parts of the earexcept the grain where it remains at the concentration foundin intact plants. It is concluded that the magnitude of photosynthesis is adequateto maintain at a maximum the flow of sucrose into the grain,and that the flow of sucrose is limited by the capacity of theprocess(es) transporting the sugar on the final stages of itspassage into the grain.