4种短链全氟化合物替代物在城市污水处理厂的污染特征研究

全氟辛烷羧酸(perfluorooctanoic acid,PFOA)和全氟辛烷磺酸(perfluorooctyl sulfonate,PFOS)等长链全氟化合物(perfluorinated compounds,PFCs)具有持久性、生物累积性和毒性,近年来发现一些短链PFCs具有相对较短的半衰期,可以成为PFOA和PFOS的替代品,这些物质包括C4和C6结构的PFCs,如全氟丁烷羧酸(perfluorobutanoic acid,PFBA)、全氟己烷羧酸(perfluorohexanoic acid,PFHx A)、全氟丁烷磺酸(perfluorobutyl sulfonate,PFBS)和全氟己烷磺酸(perfluorohexyl sulfonate,PFHx S)。为解析我国城市污水厂短链PFCs污染水平和地域分布特征,本研究调查了我国不同地区17座城市污水处理厂的进水、二沉出水和污泥中4种短链PFCs的分布和浓度水平。结果表明4种短链PFCs、PFOA和PFOS在17座污水厂进水中检出率均为100%(6种目标物单体浓度范围:0.19~274.72 ng·L-1);污泥中PFOS和PFOA检出率为100%(PFOS:2.08~72.31 ng·g-1,PFOA:1.03~24.81 ng·g-1),PFBA、PFHx A检出率为100%(0.60~3.33 ng·g-1),PFBS和PFHx S的检出率分别为42.11%和63.16%。在污水厂进水中,将PFOA和PFOS与其同类的短链PFCs浓度进行比较,发现短链PFCs分别相对于PFOA和PFOS的比例最高可达93.47%和94.57%。4种短链PFCs、PFOA和PFOS的地域分布差异明显,总浓度呈现出华东、华南地区高于西北、东北、华北地区的趋势,其中华东地区调查的污水处理厂浓度最高。污水厂4种短链替代物主要通过污水排放,不同污水厂的日排放总量(污泥和出水)为0.25~273.07 g·d-1,万吨水排放量范围为0.04~1.37 g。研究将为我国全氟化合物替代物污染和控制提供数据基础和科学依据。     

云南省会泽县农田土壤中全氟化合物污染特征研究

为探究云南省会泽县农田土壤中全氟化合物(perfluorinated compounds,PFCs)的污染特征及其潜在来源,2015年6月采集云南省会泽县农田土壤42份,利用高效液相色谱-串联质谱仪(HPLC-MS/MS)分析了11种PFCs的含量水平。结果表明,云南省会泽县农田土壤中全氟己酸(perfluorohexanoic acid,PFHx A)、全氟庚酸(perfluoroheptanoic acid,PFHp A)和全氟己烷磺酸(perfluorohexane sulfonate,PFHx S)均未检出,其余8种PFCs(ΣPFCs)的平均含量水平为0.392 ng·g-1,含量范围为0.298~0.998ng·g-1。全氟辛酸(perfluorooctanoic acid,PFOA)和全氟辛烷磺酸(perfluorooctane sulfonate,PFOS)是最主要的PFCs,相对百分含量范围为45.93%~81.86%,其平均含量水平分别为0.116 ng·g-1和0.120 ng·g-1。与国内其他地区土壤中PFCs的含量水平相比,云南省会泽县农田土壤中PFCs含量水平低于上海,与广州、深圳、东莞、安徽、中国东部农村等地区土壤中PFCs的含量相当。主成分分析结果表明,以全氟癸酸(perfluorodecanoic acid,PFDA)、全氟辛烷磺酸(PFOS)和全氟十三酸(perfluorotridecanoic acid,PFTr DA)为主要标志物的2个主成分可以解释云南省会泽县农田土壤中73%的ΣPFCs。工业活动、大气沉降及长距离传输为云南省会泽县农田土壤中PFCs的主要来源。     

武汉市某高校学生血清中全氟烷酸水平及暴露途径初步研究

采用高效液相色谱-电喷雾负离子源串联质谱法(HPLC-ESI-MS/MS)对武汉市某大学学生血清、膳食、自来水及室内生活环境灰尘中13种全氟烷酸(PFAAs)的浓度水平进行了检测.PFOS、PFOA和PFHx S是学生血清中PFAAs的主要检出物,浓度均值分别为5.28、1.89、1.04 ng·m L-1.PFBS是膳食、自来水中PFAAs的主要检出物,浓度均值分别为0.20 ng·g-1、1.93 ng·L-1.不同类型室内灰尘样品中PFAAs的浓度差别较大,实验室灰尘样品中PFHx S、PFOS、PFOA显著高于学生宿舍(P0.05).根据学生血清中PFAAs含量,通过单室代谢模型反推估算学生每日PFOS、PFOA摄入量分别为0.49、0.27 ng·kg-1b.w.·d-1;根据膳食、自来水及室内灰尘中PFAAs含量及平均每日摄入量,计算学生每日PFOS、PFOA摄入量分别为0.66、0.58 ng·kg-1b.w.·d-1;通过比较以上两种方法得出的摄入量数值,分析PFOS、PFOA在学生体内的可利用度分别为74.2%、46.6%.此外,对学生暴露PFOS、PFOA的暴露途径及健康风险进行初步分析:膳食是学生暴露于PFOS、PFOA的首要途径,学生通过膳食、自来水和室内灰尘摄入的PFOS、PFOA总量远低于安全阈值.     

生产企业及周边环境中全氟化合物的污染特征

生产企业作为全氟化合物(perfluorinated compounds,PFCs)的直接来源地,现今被认为是PFCs污染的主要来源之一,同时其对周边环境具有更加直接而重大的影响。我国对生产企业周边环境中PFCs污染特性研究的报道较缺乏,补充丰富各地生产企业周边环境的PFCs污染特征,可为PFCs点源分析和污染溯源提供依据。以湖北省孝昌县某化工有限公司为典型生产企业,采集7个采样点的水体和土壤样品,分析典型地区环境介质中PFCs的污染现状与特征。结果显示,11种目标PFCs污染物在水体中有7种、土壤中有6种不同程度地检出,环境水体中PFCs的总浓度介于4.70~40.22μg·L-1,土壤中PFCs的总浓度介于58.22~2 075.60 ng·g-1之间。全氟辛基磺酸(PFOS)为典型行业周边水体和土壤中最主要的PFCs污染物,其次是水体中的全氟己基磺酸钾(PFHx S)、全氟丁烷磺酸钾(PFBS)和土壤中的全氟辛酸(PFOA)、全氟己基磺酸钾(PFHx S)。PFCs检出浓度的大小与采样点距典型企业的距离极其相关,距离与污染物总量之间呈显著负相关性,但周边环境中PFCs的种类和构成比,不受与点源之间距离的影响。     

全氟烷基化合物在人体肝脏中的富集特征及其与肝损伤的关系

全氟烷基化合物(polyfluoroalkyl substances,PFASs,F(CF_2)_n-R)是广泛用于生产生活中的有机污染物,研究发现PFASs的暴露会对人体造成危害.为分析人体肝脏中PFASs的富集特征,本研究采用高效液相色谱串联质谱(HPLC-MS/MS)的方法,对天津市31例肝癌患者肝脏中10种PFASs(全氟己烷磺酸PFHxS、全氟辛烷磺酸PFOS、全氟十二酸PFDoDA、全氟己酸PFHxA、全氟庚酸PFHpA、全氟十一酸PFUnDA、全氟壬酸PFNA、全氟癸酸PFDA、全氟辛酸PFOA、全氟戊酸PFPeA)进行检测分析.结果表明,PFOS、PFOA、PFNA、PFUnDA和PFHxS具有较高的检出率(80%);∑PFASs浓度范围为8.97—181.87 ng·g~(-1),其中PFOS的平均浓度最高(40.87 ng·g~(-1)),占∑PFASs的77%;∑PFASs的平均浓度在男性肝脏样品中(64.04 ng·g~(-1))与女性样品中(36.82 ng·g~(-1))存在显著性差异,PFHxS、PFOS和PFDA的浓度在性别上也均呈显著差异,PFOA的浓度与年龄呈显著负相关性.此外,PFOA和PFHpA的浓度分别与肝细胞损伤标志物ALT和GGT之间存在显著正相关性.本研究是国内首次对人体肝脏中PFASs的暴露分析,PFOS是肝脏的主要暴露物;PFASs对男性的暴露风险高于女性,且青年人群PFASs的暴露风险相对较高;另外,浓度水平进行分析,PFASs的暴露与人体肝脏损伤存在统计学关联.     

固相萃取-高效液相色谱串联质谱技术测定污水中的全氟化合物

以全氟辛烷羧酸(PFOA)和全氟辛烷磺酸(PFOS)为代表的全氟化合物(PFCs),在日用消费品和工业生产中被广泛使用,并可通过各种途径大量进入环境.在全球各类环境介质以及生物体中已经普遍检测到了PFCs的存在.目前有关水环境中PFCs的分布及归趋研究,主要针对PFOS和PFOA及其长链同系物.随着PFOS和PFOA的禁用,一系列短链同系物作为替代物质进入生产和应用领域,并最终进入环境.目前针对短链全氟化合物的分析方法报道的还较少.     

北京水源地鱼体全氟化合物的暴露水平及其健康风险

全氟化合物(PFASs)作为一类新型的有机污染物,因具有持久性、可长距离传输、生物蓄积性和生物毒性等POPs特性,近年来得到全世界的广泛关注。本文以北京市水源地(密云水库和官厅水库)为研究区域,采用固相萃取(SPE)前处理与高效液相色谱串联质谱联用(HPLC-MS/MS)相结合的方法,分析测定了鱼样品中包括全氟辛烷磺酸(PFOS)、全氟辛酸(PFOA)、全氟丁酸(PFBA)、全氟丁烷磺酸(PFBS)等在内的12种PFASs的含量。利用同位素法确定了不同种类鱼的营养级关系,研究不同营养级中的PFASs浓度及生物放大效应,重点对全氟辛烷磺酸(PFOS)与全氟辛酸(PFOA)的生态风险以及对人体的健康风险进行评价。结果表明:北京市水源地的鱼体中的PFASs存在不同程度的检出,其中,全氟辛烷磺酸(PFOS)、全氟辛酸(PFOA)、全氟壬酸(PFNA)、全氟癸酸(PFDA)、全氟十一酸(PFUdA)和全氟十二酸(PFDoA)的检出率均达到100%,PFASs总量浓度达1.70~14.32 ng·g~(-1) wet weight(w.w.),PFOS和长链全氟羧酸PFCAs是鱼体中的主要污染物。同位素鉴定水库鱼的营养级层次范围在2.11~4.10,且肉食性鱼类营养级大多高于杂食性鱼类,PFOS沿着食物链生物放大的过程与稳定碳氮同位素富集过程基本同步。此外,采用人均日摄入量法(average daily intake,ADI)评估得到PFOS与PFOA的风险值分别为1.16 ng·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)和0.31ng·kg~(-1)·d~(-1),整体低于人均每天可承受摄入量(tolerable daily intake,TDI),结果表明,北京水源地鱼体中PFOS和PFOA含量未达到对生态系统和人体健康具有风险的水平。     

OASIS(R) WAX固相提取吸附剂用于水及组织中PFOS和相关化合物的UPLC(R)/MS定量分析

近年来,全氟化合物(PFCs)如全氟辛烷磺酸(PFOS)和全氟辛酸(PFOA,其分子结构如图1所示)已经被明确为持久性有机污染物(POPs),并在环境中普遍存在[1].由于PFCs可能具有毒性和生物积聚性,因此,对食品、饮用水、组织、血浆和全血中PFCs分析方法的建立受到越来越多的关注.     

全氟化合物对水生植物的生态效应研究Ⅰ——典型城市河道全氟化合物的暴露水平及植物富集特征

全氟化合物(perfluorinated compounds,PFCs)近年来得到国内外广泛关注,针对工业源排放区域的环境暴露、来源解析以及动物层面的生态效应有较多研究,但对于普遍存在于非工业源(生活源)的城市河道PFCs暴露及水生植物富集等研究较为缺乏。本研究选择位于北京北部东西贯通的城市河道——清河水体为对象,分析结果表明,清河水体中12种目标PFCs均有检出(总量最高为65.45 ng·L-1),并以全氟丁烷磺酸盐(perfluorobutane sulfonate,PFBS)为主(最高达45.63 ng·L-1);6种水生植物(篦齿眼子菜、黑藻、金鱼藻、芦苇、菖蒲及水葱)的富集物质均以全氟辛烷磺酸盐(perfluorooctane sulfonate,PFOS)和全氟辛酸(perfluorooctanoic acid,PFOA)为主,沉水植物中金鱼藻对于PFOS的蓄积效果优于黑藻及篦齿眼子菜,挺水植物中根部PFCs含量高于茎叶,根部PFOA及PFOS含量高于茎叶,但全氟丁酸(perfluorobutanoic acid,PFBA)含量茎叶则高于根部。整体来看,尽管芦苇、菖蒲和水葱3种挺水植物尚不能作为PFCs的超富集植物,但其根部对PFCs均有显著的吸收效果,具有一定的生态修复潜质;沉水植物中金鱼藻是北方自然河道的优势物种,且对PFOS具有显著的富集效应,因此有必要进一步探索其PFCs生物指示和生态修复功能。     

OASIS~ WAX固相提取吸附剂用于水及组织中PFOS和相关化合物的UPLC~/MS定量分析

近年来,全氟化合物(PFCs)如全氟辛烷磺酸(PFOS)和全氟辛酸(PFOA,其分子结构如图1所示)已经被明确为持久性有机污染物(POPs),并在环境中普遍存在[1].由于PFCs可能具有毒性和生物积聚性,因此,对食品、饮用水、组织、血浆和全血中PFCs分析方法的建立受到越来越多的关注.本文将讨论     

Rapid,recurring, structured survey versus bioblitz for generating biodiversity data and analysis with a multispecies abundance model

A bioblitz inexpensively and quickly generates biodiversity data, but bioblitzes are often conducted with haphazard, unreplicated sampling. Results tend to be taxonomically, geographically, or temporally biased, lack metadata, and consist of lists of observed taxa that do not enable further analyses or correction for imperfect detection. A rapid, recurring, structured survey (RRSS) uses a structured sampling design and temporal and spatial replication to survey randomly selected sites on a conservation property. We participated in a loosely structured bioblitz and a subsequent RRSS at Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve in Springville (St. Clair County), Alabama (USA) to compare observed richness derived from the 2 survey approaches. The RRSS data structure enabled us to fit models that accounted for imperfect detection to estimate abundances, occupancy probabilities, and habitat associations. The loosely structured bioblitz data could not be used in such models. We present a new integrated multispecies abundance model that we applied to avian RRSS data. Our model extension enables estimation for the community, employs data augmentation to estimate the number of undetected species, and incorporates covariates. The RRSS generated a more comprehensive and less biased list of observed taxonomic richness than the loosely structured bioblitz (e.g., 73 vs. 45 bird species and 104 vs. 63 insect families from the RRSS vs. loosely structured bioblitz, respectively). Models fit to the RRSS data identified seasonal patterns in avian community composition and allowed for estimation of habitat–occupancy relationships for insect taxa. The RRSS protocol has potential for broad transferability as a standardized, quick, and inexpensive way to inventory biodiversity and estimate ecological parameters while providing an outreach opportunity.     

Compliance with and ecosystem function of biodiversity offsets in North American and European freshwaters

Land-use change via human development is a major driver of biodiversity loss. To reduce these impacts, billions of dollars are spent on biodiversity offsets. However, studies evaluating offset project effectiveness that examine components such as the overall compliance and function of projects remain rare. We reviewed 577 offsetting projects in freshwater ecosystems that included the metrics project size, type of aquatic system (e.g., wetland and creek), offsetting measure (e.g., enhancement, restoration, and creation), and an assessment of the projects’ compliance and functional success. Project information was obtained from scientific and government databases and gray literature. Despite considerable investment in offsetting projects, crucial problems persisted. Although compliance and function were related to each other, a high level of compliance did not guarantee a high degree of function. However, large projects relative to area had better function than small projects. Function improved when projects targeted productivity or specific ecosystem features and when multiple complementary management targets were in place. Restorative measures were more likely to achieve targets than creating entirely new ecosystems. Altogether the relationships we found highlight specific ecological processes that may help improve offsetting outcomes.     

A palaeo-hydrogeological model for arsenic contamination in southern and south-east Asia

An argument is presented in which areas of natural arsenic contamination of modern groundwaters throughout Asia have a common origin. Arsenic originally accumulated in oceanic ferro-manganoan sediments of the eastern Palaeo-Tethys. This was further concentrated through oceanic crustal extinction in what later became the south-east Chinese accreted mineralised terrain. Proto-Himalayan uplift of this area created the palaeo-drainage systems of the Ganges – Brahmaputra, Irrawaddy, Mekong, and Red Rivers, with consequent headwater erosion of arsenic-rich sediments. Their downstream deposition as immature and easily redistributed Neogene sandstones, silts, and iron-rich clays has created secondary and tertiary reservoirs of adsorbed and authigenic arsenic, from which the current arsenic-rich groundwaters have evolved. Considering river basins within the above palaeo-hydrogeological framework provides a basis for assessing the risk of arsenic in groundwater basins of south and south-eastern Asia.     

Cost‐effective conservation of an endangered frog under uncertainty

How should managers choose among conservation options when resources are scarce and there is uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of actions? Well‐developed tools exist for prioritizing areas for one‐time and binary actions (e.g., protect vs. not protect), but methods for prioritizing incremental or ongoing actions (such as habitat creation and maintenance) remain uncommon. We devised an approach that combines metapopulation viability and cost‐effectiveness analyses to select among alternative conservation actions while accounting for uncertainty. In our study, cost‐effectiveness is the ratio between the benefit of an action and its economic cost, where benefit is the change in metapopulation viability. We applied the approach to the case of the endangered growling grass frog (Litoria raniformis), which is threatened by urban development. We extended a Bayesian model to predict metapopulation viability under 9 urbanization and management scenarios and incorporated the full probability distribution of possible outcomes for each scenario into the cost‐effectiveness analysis. This allowed us to discern between cost‐effective alternatives that were robust to uncertainty and those with a relatively high risk of failure. We found a relatively high risk of extinction following urbanization if the only action was reservation of core habitat; habitat creation actions performed better than enhancement actions; and cost‐effectiveness ranking changed depending on the consideration of uncertainty. Our results suggest that creation and maintenance of wetlands dedicated to L. raniformis is the only cost‐effective action likely to result in a sufficiently low risk of extinction. To our knowledge we are the first study to use Bayesian metapopulation viability analysis to explicitly incorporate parametric and demographic uncertainty into a cost‐effective evaluation of conservation actions. The approach offers guidance to decision makers aiming to achieve cost‐effective conservation under uncertainty.     

Parasitic wasps orient to green leaf volatiles

Summary Undamaged plants emit low levels of green leaf volatiles (GLVs), while caterpillar-damaged and artificially damaged plants emit relatively higher levels of certain GLVs. Female braconid parasitoids,Microplitis croceipes, oriented to both damaged plants and to individual GLVs in no-choice tests in a wind tunnel, but seldom oriented to undamaged plants. Female ichneumonid parasitoids,Netelia heroica, also oriented to individual GLVs in a wind tunnel. Males of both wasp species failed to orient to the GLVs. These data show that leaf-feeding caterpillars can cause the release of GLVs, and that parasitic wasps can respond to these odors by flying upwind (chemoanemotactic response), which brings the wasps to their caterpillar hosts. This supports the hypothesis that plants communicate with members of the third trophic level,i.e., plants under herbivore attack emit chemical signals that guide natural enemies of herbivores to sites of plant damage. In this interaction, the GLVs serve as tritrophic plant-to-parasitoid synomones. That parasitoids from two different wasp families oriented to GLVs suggests that the response may be widespread among the Hymenoptera.Mention of a commercial or proprietary product does not constitute an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture     

Potential for Electropositive Metal to Reduce the Interactions of Atlantic Sturgeon with Fishing Gear

Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrhynchus) populations have been declared either endangered or threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Effective measures to repel sturgeon from fishing gear would be beneficial to both fish and fishers because they could reduce both fishery‐associated mortality and the need for seasonal and area closures of specific fisheries. Some chondrostean fishes (e.g., sturgeons and paddlefishes) can detect weak electric field gradients (possibly as low as 5 Μv/cm) due to arrays of electroreceptors (ampullae of Lorenzini) on their snout and gill covers. Weak electric fields, such as those produced by electropositive metals (typically mixtures of the lanthanide elements), could therefore potentially be used as a deterrent. To test this idea, we recorded the behavioral responses of juvenile Atlantic sturgeon (31–43 cm fork length) to electropositive metal (primarily a mixture of the lanthanide elements neodymium and praseodymium) both in the presence and absence of food stimuli. Trials were conducted in an approximately 2.5 m diameter × 0.3 m deep tank, and fish behaviors were recorded with an overhead digital video camera. Video records were subsequently digitized (x, y coordinate system), the distance between the fish and the electropositive metal calculated, and data summarized by compiling frequency distributions with 5‐cm bins. Juvenile sturgeon showed clear avoidance of electropositive metal but only when food was present. On the basis of our results, we conclude that the electropositive metals, or other sources of weak electric fields, may eventually be used to reduce the interactions of Atlantic sturgeon with fishing gear, but further investigation is needed. El Potencial del Metal Electropositivo para Reducir las Interacciones del Esturión Atlántico con Instrumentos de Pesca Bouyoucos, Bushnell & Brill 13–003     

The role of time and species identities in spatial patterns of species richness and conservation

Many conservation actions are justified on the basis of managing biodiversity. Biodiversity, in terms of species richness, is largely the product of rare species. This is problematic because the intensity of sampling needed to characterize communities and patterns of rarity or to justify the use of surrogates has biased sampling in favor of space over time. However, environmental fluctuations interacting with community dynamics lead to temporal variations in where and when species occur, potentially affecting conservation planning by generating uncertainty about results of species distribution modeling (including range determinations), selection of surrogates for biodiversity, and the proportion of biodiversity composed of rare species. To have confidence in the evidence base for conservation actions, one must consider whether temporal replication is necessary to produce broad inferences. Using approximately 20 years of macrofaunal data from tidal flats in 2 harbors, we explored variation in the identity of rare, common, restricted range, and widespread species over time and space. Over time, rare taxa were more likely to increase in abundance or occurrence than to remain rare or disappear and to exhibit temporal patterns in their occurrence. Space–time congruency in ranges (i.e., spatially widespread taxa were also temporally widespread) was observed only where samples were collected across an environmental gradient. Fifteen percent of the taxa in both harbors changed over time from having spatially restricted ranges to having widespread ranges. Our findings suggest that rare species can provide stability against environmental change, because the majority of species were not random transients, but that selection of biodiversity surrogates requires temporal validation. Rarity needs to be considered both spatially and temporally, as species that occur randomly over time are likely to play a different role in ecosystem functioning than those exhibiting temporal structure (e.g., seasonality). Moreover, temporal structure offers the opportunity to place management and conservation activities within windows of maximum opportunity.     

Main nutrient compounds in food bodies of Mexican <Emphasis Type="Italic">Acacia</Emphasis> ant-plants

Summary. Myrmecophytic plants use obligate ant mutualists as a constitutive indirect defence mechanism. These plants often produce cellular food bodies (FBs) to nourish their resident ants. Lipids, proteins, and even highly specialised compounds such as glycogen have been reported from FBs, but detailed chemical analyses of FB composition have so far been presented only for Southeast Asian Macaranga and Central American Piper myrmecophytes. Here we report the chemical composition of FBs of five myrmecophytic Acacia (Fabaceae) species from Mexico using HPLC (carbohydrates and proteins) and GC-MS (lipids). Feeding experiments revealed no hints on any use of external food sources by the inhabiting Pseudomyrmex ants. These ants obviously rely completely on FBs and extrafloral nectar provided by their hosts. The total content of nutrients in Acacia FBs was 15-25% of FB dry mass, being much lower than in Macaranga or Piper FBs. Proteins were dominating (8-14 % dm) in Acacia FBs and thus were present in higher amounts than in Macaranga FBs, yet in lower amounts than in Piper. Lipids contributed 1-9 % of dry mass, showing a lower proportion than in FBs of Macaranga or Piper. Carbohydrates made up 3-11 % dm, reaching in most Acacia species the same range as observed in Macaranga and in Piper FBs. Water content was 18-24 % of FB fresh mass, and structural tissue obviously made up a much higher proportion in Acacia FBs than in Macaranga or Piper FBs. Both characters might represent an adaptation to producing FBs unprotected at the leaf tips under dry conditions. Acacia FBs contain all amino acids and all fatty acids that are considered essential for insects, and their contents of lipids and proteins are higher than in the leaves from which they are ontogenetically derived. This indicates a putatively adaptive enrichment of nutritionally valuable compounds in structures functioning as ant-food.     

Examining the uncertain origin and management role of martens on Prince of Wales Island,Alaska

Conservation biologists are generally united in efforts to curtail the spread of non‐native species globally. However, the colonization history of a species is not always certain, and whether a species is considered non‐native or native depends on the conservation benchmark. Such ambiguities have led to inconsistent management. Within the Tongass National Forest of Alaska, the status of American marten (Martes americana) on the largest, most biologically diverse and deforested island, Prince of Wales (POW), is unclear. Ten martens were released to POW in the early 1930s, and it was generally believed to be the founding event, although this has been questioned. The uncertainty surrounding when and how martens colonized POW complicates management, especially because martens were selected as a design species for the Tongass. To explore the history of martens of POW we reviewed other plausible routes of colonization; genetically and isotopically analyzed putative marten fossils deposited in the late Pleistocene and early Holocene to verify marten occupancy of POW; and used contemporary genetic data from martens on POW and the mainland in coalescent simulations to identify the probable source of the present‐day marten population on POW. We found evidence for multiple routes of colonization by forest‐associated mammals beginning in the Holocene, which were likely used by American martens to naturally colonize POW. Although we cannot rule out human‐assisted movement of martens by Alaskan Natives or fur trappers, we suggest that martens be managed for persistence on POW. More generally, our findings illustrate the difficulty of labeling species as non‐native or native, even when genetic and paleo‐ecological data are available, and support the notion that community resilience or species invasiveness should be prioritized when making management decisions rather than more subjective and less certain conservation benchmarks.