Modeling seed dispersal distances: implications for transgenic Pinus taeda.

Predicting forest-tree seed dispersal across a landscape is useful for estimating gene flow from genetically engineered (GE) or transgenic trees. The question of biocontainment has yet to be resolved, although field-trial permits for transgenic forest trees are on the rise. Most current field trials in the United States occur in the Southeast where Pinus taeda L., an indigenous species, is the major timber commodity. Seed dispersal distances were simulated using a model where the major determinants were: (1) forest canopy height at seed release, (2) terminal velocity of the seeds, (3) absolute seed release, and (4) turbulent-flow statistics, all of which were measured or determined within a P. taeda plantation established from seeds collected from wild forest-tree stands at the Duke Forest near Durham, North Carolina, USA. In plantations aged 16 and 25 years our model results showed that most of the seeds fell within local-neighborhood dispersal distances, with estimates ranging from 0.05 to 0.14 km from the source. A fraction of seeds was uplifted above the forest canopy and moved via the long-distance dispersal (LDD) process as far as 11.9-33.7 km. Out of 10(5) seeds produced per hectare per year, roughly 440 seeds were predicted to be uplifted by vertical eddies above the forest canopy and transported via LDD. Of these, 70 seeds/ha traveled distances in excess of 1 km from the source, a distance too great to serve as a biocontainment zone. The probability of LDD occurrence of transgenic conifer seeds at distances exceeding 1 km approached 100%.     

Spatial and temporal patterns in the feeding behavior of a fiddler crab

Fiddler crabs consume the surficial microphytobenthos around their burrows during low tide. We studied the spatial and temporal feeding patterns in the species Uca uruguayensis by using sequences of digital pictures of feeding pellets accumulation. Data from 61 crabs, feeding without the interference of neighbors, were fitted to different models using Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian approaches. Initial feeding location was independent from the emergence location, and then, crabs continued holding a main feeding direction (clockwise or counterclockwise), suggesting a systematic mechanism that may avoid feeding over already processed sediment. Crabs used at least half of their potential feeding area, but these areas were heterogeneous. Both sexes developed similar feeding areas; however, females were faster and needed less time to feed than males, suggesting that males are time restricted. Our work also highlights the importance of incorporating other underlying mechanisms of the behavior of species into the study of feeding strategies.     

Spatial and temporal patterns of predation on seeds of the surfgrass Phyllospadix torreyi

Spatial and temporal patterns of predation on seeds of the seagrass Phyllospadix torreyi S. Watson were quantified at four sites near Santa Barbara, California, USA. Over a period of four flowering seasons during 1995 to 1998, monthly patterns of seed fall and intensity of seed predation were similar among sites, but were temporally quite variable. Abundance of dispersed seeds varied greatly both among seasons and years. Within any one year, seeds were present in the environment every month, but they peaked in abundance during the fall months following the annual flowering period. Seeds were more abundant during the earlier years of the study. The intensity of predation steadily increased throughout the study period, from a low of ≤10% seeds consumed during 1995 to ∼50% consumption by 1997, and it was not correlated with abundance of seeds in the environment. Pre-dispersal seed loss also was estimated in two flowering seasons by counting the numbers of seeds consumed prior to release from the plant, and was relatively low (<15%). No differences were detected among the four study sites in patterns of pre-dispersal loss. Field surveys were done at two sites to identify potential seed predators. Three of the most abundant species identified in these surveys were tested in the laboratory to determine size-specific patterns of feeding activity and to assess which early life stages of P. torreyi (fruits within spadices, dehisced fruits, seedlings) were most vulnerable to predation. All three of the early life stages were consumed. The crabs Pugettiaproducta (Randall) and Pachygrapsus crassipes Randall were much more voracious predators than the isopod Idotea resecata Stimpson. Received: 8 June 1999 / Accepted: 2 February 2000     

Spatial and temporal feeding patterns of copepods from the North Pacific centra gyre

Spatial and temporal feeding patterns (determined from an index of gut fullness) are described for 10 typical species of calanoid copepods collected from the North Pacific central gyre (September 1968 to June 1977), an area where the zooplankton is food limited and there were a-priori reasons to suspect that feeding and competition for food were important in regulating zooplankton community structure. Over 100 samples from 11 cruises to the eastern part of the gyre were examined, and patterns of gut fullness were related to environmental variables and the copepod species structure. The copepods studied all tended to be omnivores and food generalists. Males had lower indices of gut fullness than females but both males and females of a species had similar spatial and temporal feeding patterns. Guts were usually fuller at night than during the day, even in nonmigrating species; however, within nighttime depth distributions, no depths were preferred for feeding. There were also differences between species in mean gut fullness, but different species tended to have similar spatial and temporal feeding patterns. There was considerable spatial variability, and locales could be identified in which most species had higher indices of gut fullness. The copepods were not necessarily more abundant in these locales, nor did these tend to be areas of above average chlorophyll concentration. These patterns were consistent with relatively nonselective feeding, and there was no evidence that these species separate their niches by feeding at differing places or times.     

云南地区种子植物区系属的多度及区系过渡性的空间分布格局

植物区系地理分布格局的研究有助于更好地理解植物区系的起源、迁移和分化。研究利用覆盖云南地区全境的植物区系分布信息,探讨了云南地区植物区系属的多度及区系过渡性的地理分布格局。结果表明,所有热带区系属的多度均随着纬度升高呈递减趋势;大多数温带区系属的多度随着纬度的升高呈递增趋势。中亚分布（T13）属的多度的高值主要出现在滇西北地区,尤其是在金沙江、澜沧江和怒江的上游地区,但在其它地区十分少见。地中海、西亚至中亚分布（T12）属的多度的高值也出现在滇西北地区,但在其它地区无明显空间分布规律;中国特有分布（T15）属在滇西北地区最为丰富,其次是滇东南地区,大致以“田中线”为界,界线以西地区的中国植物特有属的多度明显低于界线以东地区。从南到北,植物区系过渡性基本上呈单调递增格局,这一格局的形成可能与区系成分的迁移和地形格局有关。大理州以南的低海拔地区,热带区系成分占据主导地位,并占据了云南大部分的土地面积,这在一定程度上证实了云南地区总体上是一个“热带山原”的假说。本研究与其它研究的不同可能源于与源数据和取样尺度的差异。     

云南地区种子植物区系属的多度及区系过渡性的空间分布格局

植物区系地理分布格局的研究有助于更好地理解植物区系的起源、迁移和分化。研究利用覆盖云南地区全境的植物区系分布信息,探讨了云南地区植物区系属的多度及区系过渡性的地理分布格局。结果表明,所有热带区系属的多度均随着纬度升高呈递减趋势;大多数温带区系属的多度随着纬度的升高呈递增趋势。中亚分布(T13)属的多度的高值主要出现在滇西北地区,尤其是在金沙江、澜沧江和怒江的上游地区,但在其它地区十分少见。地中海、西亚至中亚分布(T12)属的多度的高值也出现在滇西北地区,但在其它地区无明显空间分布规律;中国特有分布(T15)属在滇西北地区最为丰富,其次是滇东南地区,大致以"田中线"为界,界线以西地区的中国植物特有属的多度明显低于界线以东地区。从南到北,植物区系过渡性基本上呈单调递增格局,这一格局的形成可能与区系成分的迁移和地形格局有关。大理州以南的低海拔地区,热带区系成分占据主导地位,并占据了云南大部分的土地面积,这在一定程度上证实了云南地区总体上是一个"热带山原"的假说。本研究与其它研究的不同可能源于与源数据和取样尺度的差异。     

Spatial patterns and temporal succession in soft-bottom macroinvertebrate assemblages surrounding an ocean outfall on the southern San Diego shelf: relation to anthropogenic and natural events

Spatial patterns and temporal succession in soft-bottom macroinvertebrate assemblages are described for an area of the southern San Diego shelf which is influenced by both anthropogenic and natural events. The study transect covered 19 km along the 60 m-depth contour and spanned the terminus of the Point Loma wastewater outfall (32°40N; 117°17W). Ordination and classification analyses revealed that eight major benthic assemblages occurred in the study area from 1986–1990. These analyses further indicated that: (1) the impact of wastewater discharge on the benthos was asymmetric about the outfall, and (2) primary and secondary impact zones existed within the outfall footprint. The primary impact extended only 0.5 km south, but usually up to 1 km north, of the point of discharge, reflecting the prevailing northerly flow of currents along the San Diego coast. Stations within the primary impact zone usually supported similar faunal assemblages at any point in time. A lessened, or secondary, impact was apparent at stations 1 to 2 km south and 2 km north of the outfall. The two stations 9 km to the north appeared to be outside the outfall footprint. Assemblages in the three zones did not differ greatly in species composition, but did differ with respect to organismal density, relative abundances (dominance hierarchy) of component species, and temporal persistence. Biostimulation of the benthos, manifest as increased species richness and organismal abundance, was apparent in the primary impact zone from 1986–1988, although dominance was relatively low. Dominance increased at these sites during 1989 and 1990 due to large increases in populations of a few small species, such as the polychaete Myriochele sp. M and the ostracod Euphilomedes carcharodonta. Biomass was slightly elevated in the primary impact zone during 1986–1987; however, this trend was not sustained. Communities within the outfall footprint were much less persistent over time than those beyond it. The observed shifts in benthic assemblages within the outfall footprint corresponded to natural oceanographic cycles (i.e., the transition from El Niño to La Niña conditions) and anthropogenic changes (i.e., changes in wastewater output). These observations suggest that the Point Loma outfall has a localized effect on the stability of infaunal communities. Possible destabilization mechanisms are explored. Finally, comparisons with pre-discharge data taken during 1956–1957 revealed that about half of the species present prior to construction of the outfall were still common in 1990, after 27 yr of wastewater discharge, although large increases in species diversity and abundance seem to have occurred at all stations.     

Changes in seed dispersal processes and the potential for between-patch connectivity for an arid land daisy

Dispersal is a major and critical process in population biology that has been particularly challenging to study. Animals can have major roles in seed dispersal even in species that do not appear specifically adapted to animal-aided dispersal. This can occur by two processes: direct movement of diaspores by animals and modification of landscape characteristics by animals in ways that greatly influence dispersal. We exploited the production of large, persistent dispersal structures (seed heads, henceforth) by Erodiophyllum elderi (Asteraceae), a daisy from arid Australia, to further understand secondary dispersal. Seed head dispersal on and off animal tracks in eight E. elderi patches was monitored for 9.5 months by periodically recording the location of marked seed heads. Sites were located inside a reserve that excludes sheep but not kangaroos, and in a nearby area with both kangaroos and sheep. The distance moved and likelihood of seed head movement was higher in areas with sheep, and especially along animal tracks. There was clear evidence that seed heads were channeled down animal tracks during large rainfall events. Seed head dispersal away from patches occurred to a limited extent via their physical contact with sheep and potentially via wind dispersal. Thus, the advantages of this study system allowed us to demonstrate the two postulated effects of herbivores on dispersal via direct movement of seed heads, and two distinct indirect effects through landscape modification by herbivores from the creation of animal tracks and the denudation of vegetation.     

Spatial and temporal patterns of reproduction,larval settlement,and recruitment of the compound ascidian Aplidium stellatum

Spatial and temporal variation in recruitment of the compound ascidian Aplidium stellatum was examined on a shallow-water limestone outcropping in the Northeastern Gulf of Mexico from 1983 to 1985. Fifty-two percent of the recruits appeared on vertical surfaces, which were rare at this site. In the laboratory, tadpole larvae of A. stellatum consistently settled on vertical vs horizontal surfaces in a 2 to 1 ratio, regardless of the area of vertical surface offered. This settlement response was insufficient to account entirely for the field recruitment pattern, suggesting greater mortality of newly-settled individuals or larvae on horizontal vs vertical surfaces. Fifty-six percent of the variation in recruitment over 21 months could be explained by variation in the percentage of zooids brooding larvae in adult colonies. Over 28 consecutive months, the percentage of zooids brooding larvae was positively correlated with egg counts of the previous month (r ²=0.75), which in turn were weakly correlated with monthly average water temperature (r ²=0.36). These results suggest that larval production contributed substantially to temporal variation in recruitment of A. stellatum. The short larval life of tadpoles of A. stellatum and the relative isolation of the population were probably responsible for the correlation between recruitment and larval production.     

A comparative survey of neuston: geographical and temporal distribution patterns

Neuston samples were collected from 149 stations during a voyage west from Fiji to the Bay of Biscay from August 1979 through November 1980. The neustonic fauna was counted and assigned to 50 species groups, chosen to represent the most numerous animals in the hauls. Analyses of neustonic concentration and population structure showed regional and temporal differences in the fauna. Permanent inhabitants of the surface waters, the euneuston, were most numerous in the open tropical waters of the Central Indian Ocean. In contrast, the temporary neuston, which was composed of juveniles, vertical migrants and the uppermost individuals from deeper populations, attained its greatest concentration in the upwelling region of the Somali Current and at inshore stations around the Indonesian archipelago and in the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea. Heavy rains adversely affected the neuston, possibly by diluting the surface waters. Both neustonic groups were sparsely represented in the cooler waters of the Mediterranean Sea and the eastern Atlantic Ocean. At night considerable immigration occurred into the neustonic zone, and the mean faunal density at dusk was 21 times greater than was found at mid-day. Surface waters were inhabited by the developmental stages of many species, and eggs and juveniles of both vertebrates and invertebrates were consistently present in the hauls.     

Local extinction of grassland plants: the landscape matrix is more important than patch attributes

Past studies of local extinctions in fragmented habitats most often tested the influence of fragment size and isolation while ignoring how differences in the surrounding landscape matrix may govern extinction. We assessed how both the spatial attributes of remnant patches (area and isolation) and landscape factors (extent of urbanization and maximum inter-fire interval) influence the persistence of native plant species in grasslands in western Victoria, Australia. Persistence was determined in 2001 by resurveying 30 remnants first surveyed in the 1980s, and correlates of extinction were assessed using Bayesian logistic regression models. On average, 26% of populations of native species became locally extinct over two decades. Area and isolation had little effect on the probability of local extinction, but urbanization and longer maximum inter-fire intervals increased extinction risk. These findings suggest that the native grasslands studied are relatively insensitive to area- and isolation-based fragmentation effects and that short-term persistence of plant populations requires the maintenance of habitat quality. The latter is strongly influenced by the landscape matrix surrounding remnant patches through changes in fire regimes and increased exogenous disturbance.     

Worm burrows and oxic microniches in marine sediments. 1. Spatial and temporal scales

The upper 2 to 10 cm of shallow-water sediments may represent a mosaic of oxic and anoxic microhabitats. In the studied sediments the volume fraction of patches of oxic sediments decreased with depth from around 0.2 in the upper centimetres to zero at 5 to 10 cm depth. The mean volume fraction of oxic microhabitats beneath a unit surface and down to 5–8 cm depth ranged between 0.06 and 0.16. The mean distance between such neighbouring oxic microniches was several millimetres in the upper centimetres of the sediment. The oxic microniches are caused by sinall (diameter: 0.5 to 2 mm), inhabited worm burrows which have not previously drawn attention in bioturbation studies. An implication is that anaerobic and aerobic microbial processes take place at identical depths. In such sediments the apparent vertical zonation of microbial processes and of microbial biota over a scale of several centimetres reflects the diminishing fraction of oxic habitats with depth rather than an idealised vertical redox sequence (such as found over a few millimetres in microbial mats which develop in the absence of bioturbation).     

Genetic evidence for contrasting patterns of dispersal in solitary and colonial ascidians

In situ and in vitro observations indicate that brooding colonial ascidians commonly display limited larval dispersal, whilst the larvae of most solitary species are assumed to be widely dispersed. We used allozyme data to determine the population genetic consequences of reproduction and dispersal in a broadcast-spawning solitary ascidian and two brooding colonial species along the central and southern coast of New South Wales, Australia. We surveyed genetic variation at 2 to 9 variable loci for samples collected from 6 to 8 local populations of each of the stalked solitary species Pyura gibbosa gibbosa Heller, 1878; the social Stolonica australis Michaelsen, 1927 and the compound Botrylloides magnicoecum Hartmeyer, 1912. Samples from each local population displayed levels and patterns of genotypic diversity that were consistent with expectations for sexually-derived recruitment of both solitary zooids and separate colonies. However, we found clear differences in the structure of the populations of solitary and colonial species. Genotype frequencies within all nine samples of P. gibbosa gibbosa conformed to expectations for random mating (i.e. Hardy–Weinberg equilibria). Moreover, allele frequencies showed little variation among samples [mean standardised genetic variance (F _{S T} ) =0.002], which implies that local populations are strongly connected by larval dispersal. We estimate (via Wright's “island model”) that gene flow (N _e m) within this set of local populations is 125 effective migrants per generation, which is very similar to estimates obtained for other broadcast-spawning taxa in this region. In contrast, genotype frequencies within samples of both colonial species were characterised by large and statistically significant deficits of heterozygotes, consistent with expectations for highly limited dispersal of larvae or sperm. Moreover, local populations were highly differentiated (F _{S T} =0.201 and 0.202 for S. australis and B. magnicoecum, respectively) and N _e m was estimated to be ∼1.0 in each case. These values of F _{S T} and subsequent estimates of N _e m lie within the range of values reported for other New South Wales taxa with direct larval development, and imply that local populations are effectively closed to immigration. Received: 13 February 1997 / Accepted 18 July 1997     

On the relative contributions of wind vs. animals to seed dispersal of four Sierra Nevada pines

Selective pressures that influence the form of seed dispersal syndromes are poorly understood. Morphology of plant propagules is often used to infer the means of dispersal, but morphology can be misleading. Several species of pines, for example, have winged seeds adapted for wind dispersal but owe much of their establishment to scatter-hoarding animals. Here the relative importance of wind vs. animal dispersal is assessed for four species of pines of the eastern Sierra Nevada that have winged seeds but differed in seed size: lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta murrayana, 8 mg); ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa ponderosa, 56 mg); Jeffrey pine (Pinus jeffreyi, 160 mg); and sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana, 231 mg). Pre-dispersal seed mortality eliminated much of the ponderosa pine seed crop (66%), but had much less effect on Jeffrey pine (32% of seeds destroyed), lodgepole pine (29%), and sugar pine (7%). When cones opened most filled seeds were dispersed by wind. Animals removed > 99% of wind-dispersed Jeffrey and sugar pine seeds from the ground within 60 days, but animals gathered only 93% of lodgepole pine seeds and 38% of ponderosa pine seeds during the same period. Animals gathered and scatter hoarded radioactively labeled ponderosa, Jeffrey, and sugar pine seeds, making a total of 2103 caches over three years of study. Only three lodgepole pine caches were found. Caches typically contained 1-4 seeds buried 5-20 mm deep, depths suitable for seedling emergence. Although Jeffrey and sugar pine seeds are initially wind dispersed, nearly all seedlings arise from animal caches. Lodgepole pine is almost exclusively wind dispersed, with animals acting as seed predators. Animals treated ponderosa pine in an intermediate fashion. Two-phased dispersal of large, winged pine seeds appears adaptive; initial wind dispersal helps to minimize pre-dispersal seed mortality whereas scatter hoarding by animals places seeds in sites with a higher probability of seedling establishment.     

Spatial and temporal variation of resource limitation in Chesapeake Bay

We report nutrient addition bioassays at 18 stations in Chesapeake Bay (USA) to assess resources limiting phytoplankton growth. Data were pooled from several sampling programs conducted from 1989 to 1994. Spatially, light and P limitation declined from low salinity regions to high salinity regions, as N limitation increased. This spatial pattern was driven primarily by freshwater inflows with high N/P and seawater inflows with low N/P. Seasonally, there was a marked progression of winter light limitation, spring P limitation, and summer N limitation at mesohaline and polyhaline stations. The seasonal pattern appeared to be caused by temperature, mixing, river discharge, and sediment P fluxes. At high salinity stations, we also observed winter N limitation (caused by DIN depletion prior to spring nitrate delivery), and at lower salinity stations there was fall P limitation (caused by reaeration of bottom sediments). At tidal fresh stations, turbidity and nutrient concentrations resulted in continuous light limitation, except at some stations in summer. Interannual decreases in light limitation and increases in N and P limitation appear to represent improvements in water quality. Received: 31 October 1997 / Accepted: 18 December 1998     

Spatial and temporal variability of fish assemblage in Kuwait Bay

Spatial and temporal variability of fish assemblages in Kuwait Bay was studied using the catch data acquired through monthly otter trawl sampling from June 2002 through July 2004. We compared species composition using relative species density and cluster analysis among different seasons (summer’02, summer’03, winter’03, and spring’04) and areas (center, south 1, south 2, west, north and east). Significant differences in total species, species richness (SR), diversity (H′), and fish abundance were tested among (between) different seasons and areas using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Duncan’s test. The results showed that the catches consisted of 80 species representing 41 families with Leiognathus bindus and Plicofollis tenuispinis dominating numerically. Spatially, species composition fell into three main areas: (1) east; (2) south 1 and south 2; and (3) north, center, and west. Temporally, winter’03 and spring’04 were closely related, but we found low similarity between the two summers and even lower similarity between the summers and other seasons, indicating high intra-annual variation. L. bindus was abundant in most of the areas except south 1, south 2 and the east area. Spatial changes of abundance of the two dominant species showed a complementary trend. Where L. bindus was numerically high, P. tenuispinis was low, and vice versa. Significant lower total species number and SR were observed in south 2 than all the other areas except the east, and significant higher fish abundance occurred in the summers than during the other seasons. Overall, it was concluded that variation in fish assemblages was area dependent, while fish abundance was mainly influenced by seasonal changes.     

Spatial and temporal variations in sediment accumulation in an algal turf and their impact on associated fauna

Marine Biology - The relationships between the fauna inhabiting an intertidal algal turf, Osmundea pinnatifida, and the accumulated sediment were studied in the autumn and summer. The investigation...     

Spatial and temporal heterogeneities in the contact behaviour of rabbits

It is becoming increasingly evident that the social behaviour of many group-living species is more complex than previously assumed and that free mixing of individuals, even within social groups, is rare. This has important implications for ecological processes, such as disease transmission, which are dependent on interactions between individuals. European wild rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) have been considered traditionally as highly sociable animals that mix freely within groups but interact less frequently between groups. We deployed proximity logging devices to quantify the intra- and inter-group contact behaviour of free-living wild rabbits in two populations in a temperate region of Australia. Altogether, 126 rabbits were fitted with proximity loggers at least once during the study. Radio-tracking was carried out alongside proximity data collection to determine the space use of rabbit social groups within the study sites. On average, a rabbit made only 1.54 ± 0.23 (SE) (median = 0.54) contacts per day with each other rabbit carrying a proximity logger in its social group, and the mean daily contact duration was 202 ± 38 s/day (SE) (median = 29 s). Despite the high degree of home range overlap between the neighbouring social groups, inter-group contacts were highly infrequent and brief. Our results demonstrated considerable spatial and temporal heterogeneities in the contact behaviour between individual rabbits, both between populations and between and within social groups in the same population. Such variations in the social organisation of rabbits are likely to create complex patterns of disease transmission through direct contact and may contribute towards observed heterogeneities in the effects of disease on wild rabbit populations.     

Spatial assessment of fin whale hotspots and their association with krill within an important Antarctic feeding and fishing ground

Fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus quoyi) habitat use and its relationship to environmental conditions are generally unknown in the Southern Ocean, presenting challenges for predicting their seasonal occurrence and potential effects of fishing pressure and climate change on this endangered species. Using biological data collected during 14 shipboard surveys off the northern Antarctic Peninsula and oceanographic data from satellite remote sensing, we mapped the distribution of fin whale hotspots, Antarctic krill abundance (biomass from acoustics, concentrations from nets) and ocean conditions during mid- and late-summer to investigate the environmental determinants of whale hotspots. Generalized additive models (GAM) were used to test the hypothesis that intra-seasonal changes in fin whale hotspot distribution relate to sea surface temperature (SST), krill abundance and eddy kinetic energy (EKE). More whale hotspots (sightings and individuals) are observed during late- than mid-summer surveys. During mid-summer, hotspots occurred near Elephant Island while in late-summer they were distributed throughout the slope region in proximity to the mean location of the southern Antarctic Circumpolar Current Front. The spatial mean of EKE did not differ between mid- and late-summer surveys, but the spatial mean of SST was significantly warmer during late-summer. The GAM for mid-summer indicates that fin whale hotspots were positively related to SST, EKE and acoustically determined krill biomass. The GAM for late-summer indicates the hotspots were negatively related to net-based krill abundance and positively related to acoustic krill biomass and EKE. This study is important because environmental determinants of fin whale hotspots may be used as reference points for implementing future conservation plans for their recovering populations.