C4植物甜高梁和玉米幼苗对Zn胁迫的响应差异

实验采用营养液培养法,设置2,50,100,500和1000μmol-L-1浓度ZnSO4处理,比较C4植物甜高粱(Sorghum bicolor(L.)Moench.)和玉米(Zeamays.L)幼苗对zn胁迫的响应差异.结果表明,甜高粱对重金属zn胁迫的敏感性强于玉米,随着zn处理浓度加大,前者幼苗苗高、根长、单株干物质量、叶绿素含量和根系活力的下降幅度及丙二醛含量的上升幅度皆大于后者,玉米对Zn胁迫的耐受性强于甜高粱.在处理浓度达到500 μmol-L-1之前,甜高粱和玉米体内吸收的Zn随处理浓度加大显著递增,达500μmol-L-1之后,玉米根系积累的Zn不再明显增加.在处理浓度达到和高于100μmol·L-1时,甜高粱由根系向地上部转运的Zn显著高于玉米.甜高粱和玉米对Zn胁迫的敏感性差异可能缘于它们的吸收和转运差异.     

多金属富集植物李氏禾根系对铜吸收机理的研究

李氏禾（Leersia hexandra Swartz）是一种多金属富集植物,通过研究其根系吸收铜的途径和方式,有助于解释李氏禾对铜的富集现象,为开发李氏禾修复铜污染土壤的植物修复技术提供科学依据。本文在温室水培条件下,利用钙离子通道抑制剂（LaCl3）和钾离子通道抑制剂（TEA）,研究了李氏禾根系铜吸收与钙、钾离子通道的关系;同时,在研究 ATP 酶抑制剂、解偶联剂和低温作用对铜吸收影响的基础上,探讨了李氏禾根系铜吸收与能量代谢的关系。结果表明,在1 mmol＆#183;L-1钙离子通道抑制剂的作用下,李氏禾根对铜的吸收明显被抑制了（p＜0.05）。处理48 h后,李氏禾根中铜的浓度较对照下降了39.2%。这说明李氏禾根吸收铜与钙离子通道密切相关。在5 mmol＆#183;L-1钾离子通道抑制剂的作用下,李氏禾根对铜的吸收与对照没用显著差异。这表明,李氏禾根系对铜的吸收可能不是通过钾离子通道进行的。ATP酶抑制剂钒酸钠（Na3VO4）显著地抑制李氏禾根对铜的吸收（p＜0.05）。25μmol·L^-1和50μmol·L^-1 Na3VO4处理48 h后,李氏禾根中铜的浓度较对照分别下降了26.2%和31.0%。由此,推测李氏禾根系对铜的吸收是一个消耗能量的过程。该结果与解偶联剂抑制实验结果相一致。在25μmo·L^-1和50μmol·L^-1解偶联剂2,4-二硝基苯酚（DNP）作用下,李氏禾根系中的铜浓度较对照分别下降了25.8%和42.7%。低温处理对李氏禾根吸收铜的抑制作用较解偶联剂和ATP酶抑制剂更为明显。2℃下暴露48 h,李氏禾根中铜的浓度较对照（25℃）下降了60.1%。这进一步证明了,李氏禾根系对铜的吸收存在消耗能量的主动过程。     

硅对镉胁迫下菜心微量元素吸收与转运的影响

为探讨镉(Cd)胁迫下,施硅(Si)处理对植物体对微量元素吸收与转运的影响,采用营养液培养方式,研究了在低(1μmol·L~(-1))、高(5μmol·L~(-1))Cd胁迫下施Si处理对菜心(Brassica campestris L.ssp.chinensis var.utilis)地上部、根部微量元素铁(Fe)、锰(Mn)、铜(Cu)、锌(Zn)含量,根系质外体、共质体及细胞壁中微量元素含量分配和木质部中各微量元素浓度变化的影响。结果显示,(1)Cd胁迫下菜心地上部对微量元素的吸收均表现出"低促高抑"的趋势,根部吸收紊乱,施Si后,地上部Fe、Cu、Zn含量呈不同程度的增加趋势,但Mn含量降低;根部Fe、Cu、Zn含量在施Si后也普遍增加,但差异不显著,对Mn则表现出拮抗作用。(2)Cd胁迫破坏了根系质外体、共质体、细胞壁中微量元素分布平衡,施Si处理普遍提高根系共质体和细胞壁中Fe、Cu、Zn含量,同时降低了Mn含量,增大了共质体中各微量元素的分配比例。(3)施Si普提高了木质部中Fe、Cu、Zn的浓度,降低了Mn的浓度,缓解了Cd对木质液中微量元素运输的影响。结论:Cd胁迫下,施Si通过提升微量元素在根系共质体及共质体的再分配,增强木质部微量元素的转运能力及其在地上部的富集能力,维持了菜心在Cd胁迫下的微量元素平衡。     

养分(磷)吸收机理模型的应用研究──Ⅱ.模型参数的敏感性分析

采用Claassen的养分吸收机理模型探讨了玉米与大豆幼苗磷吸收过程中的参数敏感性,结果表明：在一般土壤与施肥条件下,玉米与大豆幼苗吸收磷的高度敏感性参数或重要限制因素为根系伸长速率与根半径;在相同土壤供磷条件下,供试大豆幼苗根系的磷摄取能力远低于玉米幼苗根系的磷摄取能力,其原因归结于两者在根系最大养分流Imax与根系伸长速率K两个敏感性参数上的差异;玉米与大豆幼苗磷吸收过程中三种根毛参数的敏感性均较低,这主要与土壤供磷水平较高有关;土壤含水量在玉米幼苗磷吸收过程中表现了极高的敏感性,当土壤含水量降低时,土壤养分供应参数对玉米幼苗磷吸收的敏感性与限制作用均增大。     

镨对镉胁迫下水稻幼苗根系生长和根系形态的影响

为了解稀土镨对镉胁迫下水稻（OryzasativaL．）根系毒害的缓解效应,以水稻幼苗为实验材料,采用溶液培养方法,研究了50μmol·L-1镉胁迫下不同浓度镨对水稻幼苗根系鲜质量、形态和根系活力的影响。结果表明,50μmol·L-1镉胁迫下,水稻根系生长受到明显的抑制,根系鲜质量、根长、根表面积、根体积和根系活力明显降低,且随镉处理时间的延长,抑制程度加重。但镉对根系平均直径无明显影响。23—184μmol·L-1的镨对水稻镉毒害有一定的缓解效果,可不同程度的减轻镉对幼苗的伤害,促进了镉胁迫下根系鲜质量、根系长度、根系表面积和根系体积的增加,提高了根系活力,且随着处理时间的延长,缓解效应愈加明显,与单镉毒害相比,镨处理5天后根系鲜质量、根长、根表面积、根体积和根系活力分别提高了0．92％～14．8％、1．61％～16．3％、2．57％～20．3％、1．52％-17．2％和3．71％～32．8％,处理10d后根系鲜质量、根长、根表面积、根体积和根系活力分别提高了2．55％-31．2％、1．44％～21．4％、1．78％～27．2％、2．16％～23．4％和8．14％～52．9％;此外,23．184μmol·L-1的镨处理对直径≤1．0mm的根长和根表面积、直径0．5mm〈D≤1．0mm的根体积影响较大,其分别提高了0．9％～24．3％、1．9％。32．6％、0．4％～33．2％,其中以92μmol·L-1镨缓解效果最好。但随着镨浓度的进一步加大,当镨浓度达到230μmol·L-1时,反而会使水稻根系受到更严重的毒害。     

小麦根系菲与磷吸收及转运的相互作用

作物根系对多环芳烃(PAHs)与磷吸收及转运之间的相互作用研究对农产品的安全生产和PAHs污染环境植物修复的强化具有重要意义。为此,本文以菲为PAHs的代表,采用水培试验研究了不同磷、菲水平下小麦根系菲、磷吸收及其转运的效果,旨在揭示植物根系吸收PAHs与磷素的相互作用。结果表明,在0~1 200μmol·L~(-1)磷浓度范围内,小麦根系、茎叶菲含量在低磷浓度(10μmol·L~(-1))时最高,分别为36.87 mg·kg~(-1)和2.07 mg·kg~(-1);磷含量总体呈现随磷处理浓度的升高而增大的趋势;成对数据t-检验显示无论加菲与否,根系、茎叶磷含量无显著性差异(P0.05)。磷可促进菲从根部向地上部转运,而菲对磷转运没有显著性影响。在低磷浓度下(10μmol·L~(-1)),随着菲浓度的升高,小麦根系、茎叶菲含量呈现显著升高趋势(P0.05)。磷、菲共存处理介质pH升高幅度大于单一处理。     

镉胁迫对龙葵幼苗光合特性和营养元素吸收的影响

采用模拟镉污染土壤培养法研究了镉对龙葵(Solarium nigrum L)幼苗光合特性及营养元素吸收的影响.结果表明:镉处理显著降低龙葵幼苗叶片色素含量.T1-T4镉处理下,龙葵叶绿素a、叶绿素b和类胡萝卜素含量的降幅分别为4.53%～32.39%、5.12%～29.89%和4.54%～19.82%0随镉处理浓度的增加,龙葵幼苗叶片净光合速率(Pn)、气孔导度(Gs)和蒸腾速率(Tr)均呈下降趋势,T1-T4镉处理下,分别较对照(CK)下降6.01%～61.71%、17.94%～55.32%和17.68%～68.10%,而胞间CO2浓度(Ci)则增加8.19%～30.04%.同时,可变荧光和最大荧光之比(Fv/Fm)显著降低.镉处理还导致龙葵植株营养元素吸收紊乱.镉促进龙葵叶片和根系K吸收,对Na吸收影响不显著.同时,镉促进根系Mg吸收,但抑制其向地上部转运.低浓度镉处理促进叶片Ca吸收.龙葵根、茎、叶Zn含量随镉处理浓度的提高均表现为低促高抑.根系Cu吸收随镉浓度提高而增加,叶片先增后降,各器官Fe含量随镉浓度提高逐渐降低,而根系Mn含量受镉抑制.     

锌对汞胁迫下小麦幼苗生理特性的影响

通过沙基培养方法研究不同浓度锌(Zn)对汞(Hg)胁迫下小麦幼苗叶绿素相对含量(SPAD)、丙二醛(MDA)与脯氨酸的积累及抗氧化酶活性等的影响.结果表明:单独Hg(10 mg L-1)胁迫下,小麦幼苗叶绿素含量降低,超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)与过氧化氢酶(CAT)活性受到抑制,MDA与脯氨酸含量升高.加入10 mg L-1Zn后,叶绿素含量比Hg单独胁迫升高了5.6%,MDA含量降低了32.4%,表明该浓度Zn在一定程度上缓解了Hg对小麦幼苗的毒害;Zn浓度高于10 mg L-1的处理中,叶绿素含量逐渐降低,MDA则呈升高趋势,表明随Zn浓度升高,Zn对Hg毒害的缓解作用逐渐降低.低浓度Zn(10~20 mg L-1)提高了Hg胁迫下小麦幼苗SOD与CAT活性,其活性随Zn浓度升高逐渐增加,20mg L-1Zn处理下,两种酶活性比Hg单独胁迫分别升高了103.3%与71.0%,高浓度Zn(50~100 mg L-1)处理下,两种酶活性则呈下降趋势,表明Zn对Hg胁迫下两种酶活性的促进作用逐渐减弱.在试验设置的Zn浓度范围内,脯氨酸含量均低于Hg单独胁迫,并且低于对照,说明外加Zn抑制了脯氨酸的生成.综上所述,10~20 mg L-1的Zn可以在一定程度上缓解10 mg L-1Hg对小麦幼苗造成的毒害.     

铜胁迫对3种草本植物生长和重金属积累的影响

采用盆栽试验,研究了不同浓度Cu胁迫对3种草本植物弯叶画眉草、象草和苏丹草生物量、根系耐性指数、Cu积累量、富集系数、转运系数的影响。结果表明,弯叶画眉草和象草生长随着Cu胁迫浓度的升高呈现"上升-下降"趋势,胁迫浓度低于100 mg·kg~(-1)时促进生长;苏丹草生长随着Cu胁迫浓度的增加而下降;弯叶画眉草、象草和苏丹草的Cu耐性指数分别是130.63、149.15和75.81。3种植物对重金属Cu均以根系积累为主,积累量随着Cu处理浓度的增加显著升高;对Cu的吸收和富集能力为象草苏丹草弯叶画眉草,Cu从根系转运到地上部的能力为弯叶画眉草象草苏丹草,转运系数均小于1。可见,象草耐性较强,可用于Cu污染土壤植物修复;弯叶画眉草转运能力较强,可用于Cu污染土壤生物净化。     

砷-铅交互作用对水稻根表铁膜富集及根系吸收砷铅的影响

采用土-砂联合培养方法诱导水稻根表自然形成铁氧化物膜,研究了As-Pb交互作用对水稻根表铁膜吸附砷铅及根系吸收As和Pb的影响.结果表明,As和Pb的添加显著地影响水稻根表铁膜对As和Pb的吸附,并且As-Pb交互作用显著地影响水稻根系对两元素的吸收及根表铁膜对As的吸附.添加Pb可促进水稻根系对As的吸收.当As浓度为25μmol.L-1时,浓度为25μmol.L-1Pb处理与对照相比导致水稻根系吸收As提高了53.3%.同样,施用As也可以促进水稻根系对Pb的吸收,当Pb的浓度为25μmol.L-1和50μmol.L-1时,50μmol.L-1As处理与对照相比,水稻根系吸收Pb分别提高20.2%和28.6%.添加As显著地促进Pb由铁膜向根系中转运,而添加Pb对As由铁膜向根系中的转运影响不大.因此,在重金属复合污染情况下,水稻根表铁膜对重金属的吸附及根系对重金属的吸收均存在着复杂的交互作用.     

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.