Concentrations and fluxes of organic compounds in the atmosphere of the Swedish west coast

Measurements of organic compounds in air and deposition have been carried out in parallel on the Swedish west coast. In this investigation the importance of long-range transport for the occurrence of organic compounds in deposition has been studied. Air samples were collected using a high volume sampler (HVS) and the deposition was sampled on a 1 m² Teflon-coated horizontal surface with runoff for the precipitation to an adsorbent. The samples were analyzed in order to identify and quantify different semivolatile compounds such as PAH and petrogenic hydrocarbons and chlorinated compounds such as PCB, HCH and HCB. Qualitative differences between the content of organic compounds in air and deposition during periods with varying levels of air pollution and different meteorological conditions have been studied and a comparison with other air pollutants, such as soot, has been carried out. The results of the measurements show that deposition of PAH and other hydrocarbons takes place continuously but the greatest amounts are measured in the deposition in connection with episodes together with heavy precipitation. The highest concentrations of PCB and HCH in the air were obtained during a warm dry period in May and the greatest amounts were deposited in a period in May with heavy precipitation.     

Modulation of hepatic and intestinal glutathione S-transferases and other antioxidant enzymes by dietary lipids in streptozotocin diabetic rats

Antioxidant enzymes in liver and small intestine were investigated using control and streptozotocin diabetic rats fed diets with 5% olive, sunflower or fish oil for five weeks. In liver, Glutathione Peroxidase and Superoxide Dismutase decreased and in intestine Glutathione-S-transferase (GST) increased by diabetes. In isolated jejunum and ileum, this increase in GST activity was due to an increase in GST-alpha and -mu isoenzymes in jejunum and GST-alpha, mu and -pi in ileum. Since GST plays an important role in protecting tissues from oxidative damage, our results highlight the role of the intestine against free radicals in physiological or pathological situations.     

Natural phillipsite as a matrix for a slow-release formulation of oxamyl

The performance of phillipsite as a matrix for slow-release formulation of oxamyl [N,N-dimethyl-2-methylcarbamoyl-oxymino-2-(methylthio)acetamide] was tested. The adsorption kinetics followed a first-order law, and the adsorption isotherm fitted well in a two-surface Langmuir model, suggesting a double mechanism of interaction between oxamyl and the sorbent. The sorption mechanism, studied by FTIR, provided two fractions of oxamyl. The first one is sorbed on the mineral surface, linked by H-bonding, and the second one is constituted by a multilayer of oxamyl molecules linked by a water bridge between them. The release kinetics of oxamyl from a substratum zeolite-oxamyl also follows a first-order law, with two stages that correspond to both fractions of oxamyl previously detected.     

The ecological and economic potential of carbon sequestration in forests: examples from South America

Costs of reforestation projects determine their competitiveness with alternative measures to mitigate rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations. We quantify carbon sequestration in above-ground biomass and soils of plantation forests and secondary forests in two countries in South America-Ecuador and Argentina-and calculate costs of temporary carbon sequestration. Costs per temporary certified emission reduction unit vary between 0.1 and 2.7 USD Mg(-1) CO2 and mainly depend on opportunity costs, site suitability, discount rates, and certification costs. In Ecuador, secondary forests are a feasible and cost-efficient alternative, whereas in Argentina reforestation on highly suitable land is relatively cheap. Our results can be used to design cost-effective sink projects and to negotiate fair carbon prices for landowners.     

Degradation of chlorobenzenes by a strain of Acidovorax avenae isolated from a polluted aquifer

A subsurface microbial community was isolated from a polluted site of Suquía River (Córdoba-Argentina), acclimated during 15 days in aerobic conditions using 1,2-dichlorobenzene (1,2-DCB) as the sole carbon source. From this acclimated community, we isolated and identified by 16S rDNA analysis a strain of Acidovorax avenae, which was able to perform the complete biodegradation of 1,2-DCB in two days affording stoichiometric amounts of chloride. This pure strain was also tested for biodegradation of chlorobenzene (CB); 1,3-DCB and 1,4-DCB, giving similar results to the experiments using 1,2-DCB. The aromatic-ring-hydroxylating dioxygenase (ARHDO) alpha-subunit gene core, encoding the catalytic site of the large subunit of chlorobenzene dioxygenase, was detected by PCR amplification and confirmed by DNA sequencing. These results suggest that the isolated strain of A. avenae could use a catabolic pathway, via ARHDO system, leading to the formation of chlorocatecols during the first steps of biodegradation, with further chloride release and subsequent paths that showed complete substrate consumption.     

Sex-dependent immune response in a semelparous spider

Previous studies on arthropods showed that seasonality and parity in breeding considerably impact the direction of sex differences in immunocompetence, and it has been suggested that life span and the time window available for breeding play key roles in shaping sex-differences in immunity. One proposed mechanism behind this phenomenon is differential investment into life history traits in sexes. Here, we tested whether in a seasonally breeding semelparous arthropod sexes differ in their immunocompetence, predicting that females would show weaker immune response than males. We compared encapsulation efficiency (a well-established and widely used method for assessing immunocompetence) of freshly matured, virgin males and females of the lycosid spider Pardosa agrestis (Westring, 1861). On average, males mounted stronger immune response than females and the extent of encapsulation was positively associated with prosoma length in males, but not in females. Also, time until maturation was positively related to the extent of encapsulation in both sexes, but did not significantly affect adult prosoma length. We propose that sex-difference in encapsulation is likely shaped by combined effects of relatively higher costs of reproduction in females, narrow time window of reproductive activity, and the absence of trade-off between current and future reproduction.     

Meta-networks for the study of biogeographical traits in ecological networks: the Mexican hummingbird-plant assemblage

Recent studies on ecological networks have quantified the contribution of ecological, historical, and evolutionary factors on the structure of local communities of interacting species. However, the influence of species’ biogeographical traits, such as migratory habits or phylogeographical history, on ecological networks is poorly understood. Meta-networks, i.e., networks that cover large spatial extensions and include species not co-occurring locally, enable us to investigate mechanisms that operate at larger spatial scales such as migratory patterns or phylogeographical distributions, as well as indirect relationships among species through shared partners. Using a meta-network of hummingbird-plant interaction across Mexico, we illustrate the usefulness of this approach by investigating (1) how biogeographical and morphological factors associate with observed interactions and (2) how species-specific biogeographical characteristics associate with species’ network roles. Our results show that all studied hummingbird and plant species in the meta-network were interrelated, either directly or through shared partners. The meta-network was structured into modules, resulting from hummingbirds and plants interacting preferentially with subsets of species, which differed in biogeographical, and, to a lesser extent, morphological traits. Furthermore, migrants and hummingbirds from Nearctic, Transition, and widespread regions had a higher topological importance in the meta-network. Our study illustrates how meta-networks may contribute to our current knowledge on species’ biogeographical traits and biotic interactions, providing a perspective complementary to local-scale networks.     

Limited scope for reproductive senescence in wild populations of a short-lived fish

Senescence in wild populations was long considered negligible but current evidence suggests that it is widespread in natural populations of mammals and birds, affecting the survival and reproductive output of older individuals. In contrast, little is known about reproductive senescence in species with asymptotic growth that can keep increasing their reproductive output as they grow older and larger. Using a cross-sectional study, we tested age-related decline in fecundity and relative allocation to reproduction in five wild populations of an annual killifish, Nothobranchius furzeri (Cyprinodontiformes). We did not detect any decline in absolute female egg production over their short lifespan in the wild. Relative fecundity (egg production controlled for female body mass) tended to decrease with age. This effect was driven primarily by a single population that survived 17 weeks, almost twice as long as the median persistence of the other four study populations. There was no decrease in relative ovary mass while in males, relative testes mass actually increased with age. Intra-population variation in relative ovary mass increased in older females suggesting heterogeneity in individual trajectories of female reproductive allocation. Overall, we demonstrate that annual killifish do not experience significant age-related decline in reproductive functions during their very short lifespan in the wild despite the marked deterioration of gonad tissue detected in captivity.     

The fractal dimension of a conspicuous ornament varies with mating status and shows assortative mating in wild red-legged partridges (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Alectoris rufa</Emphasis>)

Complex body designs, such as plumage ornaments in birds, can be described by fractal geometry. These complex patterns could have a role as visual signals during courtship and social interactions, but an empirical validation in the wild is currently lacking. Here, we investigated whether the fractal dimension (FD) of a complex plumage pattern displayed by red-legged partridges Alectoris rufa could function as a potential sexual signal. We captured wild birds early in the breeding season and tested if mated and unmated birds differed in the FD of their conspicuous melanin-based black bib. We also tested if the FD of the black bib was correlated within the pair, looking for evidence of assortative mating based on the expression of this trait. We simultaneously assessed similar effects in other ornamental traits (black bib size, white throat patch and black flank band surface, redness of the eye rings and bill). Mated birds showed higher black bib FD values than unmated ones. Mated males, but not females, also displayed a larger black bib. Moreover, the black bib FD (but not the trait size) and the white throat patch surface showed assortative mating. Finally, females with higher black bib FD showed smaller black flank band surface, suggesting a trade-off in the expression of the two melanin-pigmented plumage traits. This provides unique and novel indication for the shape complexity of a pigmented trait, here described by its fractal dimension, to be potentially under sexual selection in a wild animal.