Effect of sorbed and desorbed Zn(Ⅱ) on the growth of a green alga (Chlorella pyrenoidosa)

Toxic effect of Zn(Ⅱ)on a green alga(ChloreUa pyrenoidosa)in the presence of sepiolite and kaolinite was investigated.The Zn-free clays were found to have a negative impact on the growth of C.pyrenoidosa in comparison with control samples(without adding any clay or Zn(Ⅱ)).When Zn(Ⅱ)was added,the algae in the presence of clays could be better survived than the control samples,which was actually caused by a decrease in Zn(Ⅱ)concentration in the solution owing to the adsorption of Zn(Ⅱ)on the clays.When the solution system was diluted,the growth of algae could be further inhibited as compared to that in a system which had the same initial Zn(Ⅱ)concentration as in the diluted system.This in fact resulted from desorption of Zn(Ⅱ)from the zinc-contaminated clays,although the effect varied according to the different desorption capabilities of sepiolite and kaolinite.Therefore the adsorption and desorption processes of Zn(Ⅱ)played an important part in its toxicity,and adsorption and desorption of pollutants on soils/sediments should be well considered in natural eco-environmental systems before their risk of toxicity to aquatic organisms was assessed objectively.     

Effect of sorbed and desorbed Zn(Ⅱ) on the growth of a green alga (Chlorella pyrenoidosa)

Toxic effect of Zn(Ⅱ) on a green alga (Chlorella pyrenoidasa) in the presence of sepiolite and kaolinite was investigated.The Zn-free clays were found to have a negative impact on the growth of C.pyrenoidosa in comparison with control samples (without adding any clay or Zn(Ⅱ)).When Zn(Ⅱ) was added,the algae in the presence of clays could be better survived than the control samples,which was actually caused by a decrease in Zn(Ⅱ) concentration in the solution owing to the adsorption of Zn(Ⅱ) on the clays.When the solution system was diluted,the growth of algae could be further inhibited as compared to that in a system which had the same initial Zn(Ⅱ) concentration as in the diluted system.This in fact resulted from desorption of Zn(Ⅱ) from the zinc-contaminated clays,although the effect varied according to the different desorption capabilities of sepiolite and kaolinite.Therefore the adsorption and desorption processes of Zn(Ⅱ) played an important part in its toxicity,and adsorption and desorption of pollutants on soils/sediments should be well considered in natural eco-environmental systems before their risk of toxicity to aquatic organisms was assessed objectively.     

Effects of fluoride on growth and reproduction of the army worm, Mythimna separata (Walker)

This paper deals with effects of airborne fluorine on the army worm, Mythimna separata (Walker), by rearing the larvae on the wheat foliage exposed to HF or fumigating the larvae on the artificial diet with the pollutant. Larval relative growth rate (GR) and index of population trend of the insect reduced by 5% and 11%, respectively, when the larvae were reared on the foliage taken from the wheat plants exposed to 0.87 g·dm-2·day-1 of fluorine compared with those of the control. An extra instar appeared in a majority of the larvae treated. Survival rate and GR of the larvae on the wheat plant being exposure to the same concentration of fluorine in field open-top fumigation device were 40% and 15% lower than that of the control, respectively. Similar experiment with the insect on the artificial diet also showed that direct impact of the pollutant on the army worm was greater than its indirect effect via their host plant.     

Secondary effect of SO_2 pollution: enhanced growth of the army worm, Mythimna separata (Walker)

Effects of SO2 pollution on growth of the army worm, Mythimna separata, were investigated by rearing the larvae for 12 days on the wheat plants being exposed to SO2 levels ranged from 50 to 200 ppb in the field open-top fumigation devices. Larval period shortened while their mean relative growth rate (MRGR) increased as SO2 dose elevated. Similar experiment with the insect on the artificial diet excluded the possibility that SO2 pollution directly stimulated growth of the army worm.The patterns of change in amino acid hydrolysates in the host foliage suggested that contents of methionine, and perhaps, arginine in food material exposed to unpolluted air were at such levels that they could only support sub-optimum growth of the insect, and SO2 pollution increased concentrations of these limiting amino acids, resulting in better performance of the larvae.     

Effects of temperature on population growth and intake of food by the army worm, Mythimna separata (Walker)

Population life tables of the army worm, Mythimna separata, were constructed and nutritional parameters of food for the larvae were examined at 5 temperatures from 16℃ to 32℃. The temperature suitable for growth and reproduction of the insect ranged from 20℃ to 28℃ with the optimum of 24℃. Their survivalship and fecundity were much poorer at 32℃ than at 16℃. Indices of population trend of the insect at these temperatures could well fitted with the parabolic curve which theoretically indicated that the population density would multiply by some 660 after one generation circle at the optimal temperature, 22.6℃, and it would decline at temperatures higher than 32.9℃ or lower than 12.3℃. Larval food intake and their AD tended to go up while their ECI and ECD to go down with a rise in temperature. These alterations in population size and feeding behavior caused by temperature would exert an important effect on their damage to crops.     

Does the Spatial Distribution of the Parasitic Mite Varroa jacobsoni Oud. (Mesostigmata: Varroidae) in Worker Brood of Honey Bee Apis Mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Rely on an Aggregative Process?

  Varroa jacobsoni is an ectoparasite of honey bees which reproduces in capped brood cells. Multi-infestation is frequently observed in worker brood and can be interpreted as an aggregative phenomenon. The aim of this study was to determine whether the distribution of V. jacobsoni in worker brood cells relies on a random or an aggregative process. We studied the distribution of Varroa females in capped worker brood at similar age by comparing, by a Monte Carlo test, the observed frequency distribution of mites per cell to simulated distributions based on a random process. A complementary approach, using the "nearest neighbor distances" (NND) with Monte Carlo tests, was investigated to study the spatial distribution (a) between mites in different cells and (b) between infested cells in brood. The observed distributions did not differ significantly from that expected by a random process, and we conclude that there is no aggregation during invasion of V. jacobsoni in worker brood. Received: 29 April 1999 / Accepted in revised form: 26 August 1999     

To see or not to see: does previewing a future opponent affect the contest behavior of green swordtail males (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Xiphophorus helleri</Emphasis>)?

Animals assess the fighting ability of conspecifics either by engaging in aggressive interactions or observing contests between others. However, whether individuals assess physical prowess outside the context of aggressive interactions remains unknown. We examined whether male green swordtails (Xiphophorus helleri) extract information about the fighting ability of solitary individuals via observation and whether acquiring such information elicits behavioral modifications. Contests preceded by mutual visual assessment were significantly shorter than fights where only one or neither of the two individuals was informed in advance. Focal animals initiated aggressive behavior more often against larger opponents only after previewing their adversary, indicating that swordtails can extract information about relative body size from watching solitary conspecifics. When a fighting disadvantage is perceived, observers adopt tactics that increase their probability of winning the contest.