Solid-state fermentation of wheat straw was carried out by a native white rot basidiomycete Daedaleopsis flavida strain 5A. Extract prepared from the 12-day decayed wheat straw contained extracellular ligninolytic enzymes like manganese peroxidase (MnP), manganese-independent peroxidase (MIP), lignin peroxidase (LiP) and laccase along with straw-degraded products and pigments. Sephacryl S-200 size exclusion chromatography in 16/100 column was used for the separation of these ligninolytic enzymes and straw-degraded products and pigments. Recovery of pigment-free ligninolytic enzyme activities as protein was 40% of the total proteins loaded and specific LiP activity increased 34 fold after size exclusion chromatography. Thus accurate estimation of LiP by veratryl alcohol oxidation assay was possible only after the removal of interfering pigments. The reproducibility of size exclusion chromatography is adjudged satisfactory from the consistent results obtained after seven repetitive uses of matrices. 相似文献
Sponges constitute an abundant and functionally important component of coral reef systems. Given their demonstrated resistance to environmental stress, it might be expected that the role of sponges in reef systems under modern regimes of frequent and severe disturbance may become even more substantial. Disturbances have recently reshaped the community structure of many Caribbean coral reefs shifting them towards a state of persistent low coral cover and often a dominance of macroalgae. Using competition and growth rates recorded from Glover's Atoll in Belize, we parameterise a mathematical model used to simulate the three-way competition between sponges, macroalgae and coral. We use the model to determine the range of parameters in which each of the three species might be expected to dominate. Emergent properties arise from our simple model of this complex system, and these include a special case in which heightened competitive ability of macroalgae versus coral may counter-intuitively prove to be advantageous to the persistence of corals. Importantly, we show that even under scenarios whereby sponges fail to invade the system, inclusion of this third antagonist can qualitatively affect the likelihood of alternative stable states - generally in favour of macroalgal dominance. The interplay between multi-species competition and predation is complex, but our efforts highlight a key process that has, until now, remained unexplored: the extent to which sponges dissipate algal grazing pressure by providing generalist fish with an alternative food source. We highlight the necessity of identifying the extent by which this process takes place in tropical systems in order to improve projections of alternative stable states for Caribbean coral reefs. 相似文献
Signal attributes should show different degrees of variability depending on the information to be conveyed. Species identity
is usually associated with stereotyped features of a signal, whereas other types of information such as individual quality
and motivation are associated with signal plasticity. Lusitanian toadfish males form aggregations during the breeding season
and emit a tonal advertisement call (the boatwhistle) to attract mates to their nests. We test the hypothesis that the boatwhistle
can convey information both on individual identity and motivation by checking how signal parameters vary with time. We study
how the physical (tide level) and social (calling alone or in a chorus) environments and male calling rate affect this advertisement
signal and how all these external and internal factors (environment, social and male motivation) blend to modulate the Lusitanian
toadfish’s advertisement call. Boatwhistles of each male were very stereotyped in short periods of time (minutes), but intra-male
signal variability greatly increased in a longer time scale (days). Nevertheless, significant differences among males could
still be found even in a long time scale. Pulse period was the acoustic feature that most contributed to discriminate among
males. Tide level and male calling rate modulated boatwhistle characteristics, and there was a differential effect of tide
on call attributes depending on male calling rate. Social acoustic environment only affected calling rate. These results suggest
that inter-individual differences in call characteristics and call plasticity may mediate both male–male assessment and mate
choice. 相似文献
Changes in saprophytic organism's gut microbial communities may present a threat to organic matter breakdown which can ultimately lead to soil function impairment. In this study, Amplified Ribosomal DNA Restriction Analysis (ARDRA) was evaluated as a potential simple molecular tool to assess shifts in bacterial community structure in hindgut populations of Porcellio dilatatus exposed to contaminated food. This prospective tool can also be used for a variety of purposes and samples prior to the use of more specific and sophisticated methods. 相似文献
Artificial Light at Night (ALAN) is expanding worldwide, and the study of its influence remains limited mainly to documenting impacts, overlooking the variation in key characteristics of the artificial light such as its intensity. The potential dose–response of fitness-related traits to different light intensities has not been assessed in sandy beach organisms. Hence, this study explored dose-responses to ALAN by exposing the intertidal sandy beach isopod Tylos spinulosus to a range of light intensities at night: 0 (control), 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 lx. We quantified the response of this species at the molecular (RNA:DNA ratios), physiological (absorption efficiency) and organismal (growth rate) levels. Linear and non-linear regressions were used to explore the relationship between light intensity and the isopod response. The regressions showed that increasing light intensity caused an overall?~?threefold decline in RNA:DNA ratios and a?~?threefold increase in absorption efficiency, with strong dose-dependent effects. For both response variables, non-linear regressions also identified likely thresholds at 80 lx (RNA:DNA) and 40 lx (absorption efficiency). By contrast, isopod growth rates were unrelated (unaltered) by the increase in light intensity at night. We suggest that ALAN is detrimental for the condition of the isopods, likely by reducing the activity and feeding of these nocturnal organisms, and that the isopods compensate this by absorbing nutrients more efficiently in order to maintain growth levels.
There is a concern that artificial reefs (AR) may act purely as fishing aggregation devices. Predators attracted to ARs can
influence the distribution and abundance of prey fish species. Determining the role of predators in AR is important in advancing
the understanding of community interactions. This paper documents the effects of predation on fish assemblages of AR located
near a coastal lagoon fish nursery. The Dicentrarchus labrax is a very opportunistic species preying on juveniles (0+ and 1+ age classes) of several demersal fish species on the ARs. Reef prey and sea bass abundance were negatively correlated. The
mean numbers of prey per sea bass stomach increased with the increase of reef fish prey abundance, suggesting that predation
has a significant influence, resulting in a decrease in prey abundance. Prey mortality (4–48%) of demersal reef fish associated
species depends on bass density. Prey selection was related both with prey abundance and vulnerability. Results showed that
D. labrax predation on AR-fish associated species can increase prey natural mortality. However, the role of bass predation on the ecological
functioning of exploited ARs is not clear. There may be increases in local fishing yields due either to an increase in predator
biomass through aggregation of sea bass attracted to ARs or to greater production. In contrast, predation on juveniles of
economically important reef fish preys, especially the most frequent and abundant (Boops boops), can contribute to a decrease in recruitment to the fishery. Our results indicate that inter-specific interactions (predator–prey)
are important in terms of conservation and management, as well as for the evaluation of the long-term effects of reef deployment.
Thus, it is necessary to consider ecological interactions, such as predation, prior to the development and deployment of artificial
habitats as a tool for rehabilitation. 相似文献
Contemporary shallow lakes theory proposes that these ecosystems may experience abrupt regime shifts due to small changes in controlling variables or triggers. So far, these triggers have been related mostly to nutrients as the immediate driver. During May 2004 the río Cruces wetland, a Ramsar site located in Southern Chile, underwent a major regime shift, from a clear water state, vastly dominated by the invasive macrophyte Egeria densa, to a turbid water state. In this article we show, through the analysis of long-term meteorological data that late fall 2004 was anomalous due to the presence of a high-pressure cell that persisted most of the month of May over Southern Chile. This climatic event caused an almost complete absence of precipitations and lower temperatures during this period, including several freezing nights. Eco-physiological experiments showed that 6 h exposure to desiccation kill the macrophyte. We developed a simple-biology dynamic model, under Stella Research 9.1, to show that the climatic anomaly of May 2004, plus the increased sedimentation of the wetland's floodplains, and the associated response of E. densa, explains its sudden disappearance from río Cruces wetland. 相似文献
ABSTRACT: Using a genetic algorithm (GA), optimal intermittent pumping schedules were established to simulate pump‐and‐treat remediation of a contaminated aquifer with known hydraulic limitations and a water miscible contaminant, located within the Duke Forest in Durham, North Carolina. The objectives of the optimization model were to minimize total costs, minimize health risks, and maximize the amount of contaminant removed from the aquifer. Stochastic ground water and contaminant transport models were required to provide estimates of contaminant concentrations at pumping wells. Optimization model simulations defined a tradeoff curve between the pumping cost and the amount of contaminant extracted from the aquifer. For this specific aquifer/miscible contaminant combination, the model simulations indicated that pump‐and‐treat remediation using intermittent pumping schedules for each pumping well produced significant reductions in predicted contaminant concentrations and associated health risks at a reasonable cost, after a remediation time of two years. 相似文献
A long-term monitoring program has been carried out since the early 1990s in the Mondego estuary, on Portugal's west coast, which is presently under heavy human pressure. In this shallow warm-temperate estuary, a significant macroalgal proliferation has been observed, which is a clear sign of nutrient enrichment. As a result of competition with algae, the extension of the seagrass meadows (mainly Zostera noltii) has been reduced. The present paper examined the applicability of a holistic Stochastic Dynamic Methodology (StDM) in predicting the tendencies of trophic key-components (macrophytes, macroalgae, benthic macroinvertebrate and wading birds) as a response to the changes in estuarine environmental conditions. The StDM is a sequential modelling process developed in order to predict the ecological status of changed ecosystems, from which management strategies can be designed. The data used in the dynamic model construction included true gradients of environmental changes and was sampled from January 1993 to September 1995 and from December 1998 to December 2005. The dynamic model developed was preceded by a conventional multivariate statistical procedure performed to discriminate the significant relationships between the selected ecological components. The model validation was based on independent data collected from January 1996 to January 1997 and from February 1999 to April 2000 for all the state variables considered. Overall, the simulation results are encouraging since they seem to demonstrate the StDM reliability in capturing the trophic dynamics of the studied estuary, by predicting the behavioural pattern for the most part of the components selected, with a focus on the Zostera noltii meadows recovery after the implementation of important management measures. 相似文献
The study of successional gradients may help to understand the relative influence of habitat structure and competition on
territory characteristics. Here, we evaluate the effects of vegetation cover, conspecific and heterospecific densities, and
distance to the nearest neighbor on territory size, shape, and overlap in insectivorous birds. We studied these effects along
a gradient of postfire habitat regeneration in which foliage cover and densities of focal species varied several-fold. We
delineate 197 territories (minimum convex polygons) of the shrub-dwelling Dartford warbler (Sylvia undata) and 255 of the syntopic Sardinian (Sylvia melanocephala), subalpine (Sylvia cantillans) and melodious (Hippolais polyglotta) warblers at three plots in NE Catalonia (Spain and France) in 1987–2005. After accounting for the effect of the number of
locations used to delineate polygons, generalized linear mixed models (GLMM) showed a reduction in territory area of the Dartford
warbler as conspecific density increased and distance to nearest neighbor decreased, in accordance with the contender pressure
hypothesis for territory size regulation. Heterospecific density was not included in the final model of territory size and
the effect of habitat structure was marginal. Territory roundness was positively correlated with its size and with conspecific
density, probably in relation to energetic constraints, and negatively with heterospecific density. Territorial exclusion
was almost complete among Dartford warblers, whereas interspecific territory overlap was extensive and tended to increase
with heterospecific density and with structural diversity along the gradient. Our results support the hypothesis that Mediterranean
warbler coexistence derives from ecological segregation and not from interspecific territoriality. 相似文献