Safe caves and dangerous forests? Predation risk may contribute to salamander colonization of subterranean habitats

Recent studies suggest that many organisms actively colonize the subterranean environment to avoid climatic stress, exploit new ecological opportunities and reduce competition and predation. Terrestrial salamanders are known to colonize the more stable subterranean habitats mainly to escape external climatic extremes, while the role of predation avoidance remains untested. To better understand the importance of predation, we used clay models of the cave salamander Speleomantes strinatii to compare the predation occurring in woodland and subterranean habitats. Models were positioned in three forests and in three caves in NW Italy. One-hundred eighty-four models were retrieved from the field and 59 (32%) were attacked by predators. Models were attacked on their head more often than expected by chance and, therefore, were perceived by predators as real prey items. In the woodlands, clay models showed a four-time higher probability of being attacked in comparison to caves, suggesting a different level of potential predation risk in these surface habitats. These findings are one of the first experimental evidences that, in terrestrial ecosystems, predation avoidance may contribute to the salamander underground colonization process.     

Temporal variation in size-assortative mating and male mate choice in a spider with amphisexual care

Males should be more selective when they have a high investment in reproduction, especially in species with biparental or paternal care. In this context, male mate choice can promote size-assortative mating (SAM) when (1) large males win intrasexual disputes, (2) large females are more fecund, and (3) males prefer larger females to smaller ones. In the spider Manogea porracea, males exhibit high reproductive investment by building their webs above those of females and exhibiting extended care of offspring in the absence of females. Under these circumstances, we expect the occurrence of SAM and male preference for large females. Herein, we performed observations and experiments in the field to evaluate the hypotheses that (1) M. porracea mates assortatively by size and (2) SAM is influenced by male mate choice. Furthermore, we measured variables that could affect mating patterns, the sex ratios, and densities of both sexes. Pairing in M. porracea was positively size-assortative in 2012, but not in 2013. Large males won most disputes for mates and preferred larger females, which produced more eggs. The inconsistency in detection of SAM was due to population dynamics, namely variations in sex ratio and population density across the breeding season. Furthermore, we found that the significance of male mate choice on sexual selection of body size in M. porracea strongly depends on the competition intensity for mating opportunities. The traditional sexual selection hypothesis of SAM needs to be reviewed and must include measures of competition intensity.     

Testing the influence of gravity on flower symmetry in five <Emphasis Type="Italic">Saxifraga</Emphasis> species

Flower symmetry is considered a species-specific trait and is categorized in asymmetry, actinomorphic symmetry, bisymmetry and zygomorphic symmetry. Here we report on the intra-individual variation of flower symmetry in the genus Saxifraga and the influence of light, gravity and intrinsic factors on the development of flower symmetry. We tested five species—Saxifraga cuneifolia, Saxifraga imparilis, Saxifraga rotundifolia, Saxifraga stolonifera and Saxifraga umbrosa—concerning six flower parameters—angles between petals, petal length, petal pigmentation, angular position of carpels, movement of stamens and (only for S. imparilis and S. stolonifera) the length of the two lower elongated petals in regard to their position towards the stem. Specimens of all species were tested on a vertical clinostat as a gravity compensator, on a horizontal clinostat as a light incidence compensator and on a stationary control. The results show that the angle of incident light has no apparent impact on flower symmetry, whereas gravity affects the angular position of petals in S. cuneifolia and S. umbrosa and the petal colouration in S. rotundifolia. In S. cuneifolia and S. umbrosa, the absence of directional gravity resulted in the development of actinomorphic flowers, whereas the corresponding control flowers were zygomorphic. The development of flowers in S. rotundifolia was not altered by this treatment. The length of the two elongated petals in S. stolonifera and S. imparilis was not affected by gravity, but rather was determined by position of the flower within the inflorescence and resulted in asymmetrical flowers.     

Differential timing and latitudinal variation in sex ratio of Aquatic Warblers during the autumn migration

Differential migration has been extensively reported in spring, but less so in autumn, particularly in relation to sex in monomorphic bird species. Here, we analysed the autumn passage of a monomorphic, globally threatened passerine, the Aquatic Warbler Acrocephalus paludicola throughout Western Europe, with regard to age and sex. We showed that, overall, adults migrated earlier than first-year birds, and males migrated earlier than females during the autumn migration. This may be caused by an overall social dominance of adults over immatures, and differentiated migration strategy of males and females. In addition, we found male-skewed sex proportions, with a tendency to an equalised ratio in more southern stopover sites. This may indicate a male bias in the global population or different migration strategies of the sexes. Differential migration may cause the age and sex classes to be exposed differently to various threats affecting demographic structure of the species.     

Unusually high-pitched neonate distress calls of the open-habitat Mongolian gazelle (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Procapra gutturosa</Emphasis>) and their anatomical and hormonal predictors

In neonate ruminants, the acoustic structure of vocalizations may depend on sex, vocal anatomy, hormonal profiles and body mass and on environmental factors. In neonate wild-living Mongolian gazelles Procapra gutturosa, hand-captured during biomedical monitoring in the Daurian steppes at the Russian-Mongolian border, we spectrographically analysed distress calls and measured body mass of 22 individuals (6 males, 16 females). For 20 (5 male, 15 female) of these individuals, serum testosterone levels were also analysed. In addition, we measured relevant dimensions of the vocal apparatus (larynx, vocal folds, vocal tract) in one stillborn male Mongolian gazelle specimen. Neonate distress calls of either sex were high in maximum fundamental frequency (800–900 Hz), but the beginning and minimum fundamental frequencies were significantly lower in males than in females. Body mass was larger in males than in females. The levels of serum testosterone were marginally higher in males. No correlations were found between either body mass or serum testosterone values and any acoustic variable for males and females analysed together or separately. We discuss that the high-frequency calls of neonate Mongolian gazelles are more typical for closed-habitat neonate ruminants, whereas other open-habitat neonate ruminants (goitred gazelle Gazella subgutturosa, saiga antelope Saiga tatarica and reindeer Rangifer tarandus) produce low-frequency (<200 Hz) distress calls. Proximate cause for the high fundamental frequency of distress calls of neonate Mongolian gazelles is their very short, atypical vocal folds (4 mm) compared to the 7-mm vocal folds of neonate goitred gazelles, producing distress calls as low as 120 Hz.     

Three-year lifecycle,large body,and very high threshold temperature in the cricket <Emphasis Type="Italic">Gryllus argenteus</Emphasis> for special adaptation to desiccation cycle in Malawi

In temperate climates, the initiation and termination of diapause synchronize the stress-tolerant stage with the stressful season and reproduction with the non-stressful season in many insects. Synchronization is often regulated by photoperiodism.Voltinism and the ultimate size of adults are also important determinants for their lifecycle, and different diapause stages and voltinism patterns are known in crickets.Here, we investigated the life history of the African cricket Gryllus argenteus from Malawi, which is a typical arid tropical highland. The climate is characterized by alternating arid and wet seasons, each of which lasts for half a year, and where the available heat mass is much less than lowlands at the same latitude. We first measured the nymphal duration at each rearing temperature and calculated the lower developmental threshold (t ₀) to be 20.19 °C based on Ikemoto and Takai (2000) and 19.38 °C based on a conventional line-fitting method. These values are very high relative to many other insects. The local temperature in winter does not fall below 15 °C, but this is much higher than the lethal limit. This suggested that critical stress in this locality was not coldness but low precipitation in winter. We estimated, based both on local temperature change and the Ikemoto and Takai’s t ₀, that G. argenteus required 3 years to complete its lifecycle unlike wet lowland species, where univoltinism or multi-voltinism are commonplace. Photoperiodism was observed in this species, but due to a lag between annual cycles in photoperiod, temperature, and humidity, photoperiodism alone cannot atune their lifecycle with local conditions.Synchronization in this species was achieved by three different adaptations: photoperiodism, high t ₀, and large body size, which give it a long lifecycle. Although the species cannot achieve a univoltine lifecycle because of its high t₀ value, it can escape from dry season by entering diapause at moderate temperatures, probably thereby achieving adaptive synchrony of lifecycle with both favorable and unfavorable seasons. A comparison between a conventional photothermogram and a newly formulated photohydrogram or photohygrogram demonstrates that even though sufficient heat is available, scarcity of water and thus scarcity of foliage should force the cricket to maintain diapause at intermediate temperature. The results suggested that high t ₀, large body size, and multi-ennial lifecycle mutually affect each other and formulate a unique adaptation under such an extreme environment.     

3种常规消毒方法对磺胺类抗性基因削减效果的比较

近年来,抗生素抗性基因(antibiotic resistance genes,ARGs)对人类和环境的潜在风险引起了广泛关注.本研究从1家城市污水处理厂二级出水中分离出两株磺胺类抗性细菌,控制浓度投加到灭菌后的出水中,分别进行氯消毒、紫外消毒、臭氧消毒处理,采用菌落计数法、q PCR法对消毒后目标细菌及磺胺类抗性基因(sulⅠ、sulⅡ)进行分析比较.同时采用"消毒+DNase I酶"实验研究磺胺类抗性基因在各消毒过程中的行为特征.结果表明,3种消毒均有效削减细菌浓度,但对抗性基因削减程度不高.结合"消毒+DNase I酶"实验分析,氯消毒削减磺胺类抗性基因与微生物量的降低有关;紫外消毒能直接破坏抗性基因;而臭氧消毒在大量削减细菌量的同时,抗性基因进入到胞外环境中,其潜在环境风险不容忽视.     

京津冀地区主要排放源减排对PM2.5污染改善贡献评估

研究选取2012年1月和7月作为冬夏两季代表时段,利用CMAQ/2D-VBS模型分析了冬夏两季京津冀地区主要排放源减排30%对改善区域PM_(2.5)污染的效果.结果表明,工业源对PM_(2.5)污染的贡献最大,其次是民用源,但工业源单位减排量贡献低于民用源,交通源和电厂源的整体贡献和单位减排量贡献均较小.工业部门内贡献最大的为钢铁冶金行业,其次是水泥、工业锅炉、炼焦、石灰砖瓦和化工行业.与各部门各物种排放量的比较反映出各排放源贡献大小与其一次PM_(2.5)排放水平高度相关.因京津冀地区冬季NO_x减排对PM_(2.5)形成的促进作用,以及冬季较弱的大气垂直扩散作用,各排放源夏季减排比冬季普遍更有效,交通源、电厂源以及工业源中的水泥、工业锅炉和石灰砖瓦行业夏季减排效果相比冬季优势明显.民用源由于采暖季排放较高而冬季贡献更明显,农业源因秸秆开放燃烧量大,冬季单位减排量贡献十分显著.从同等幅度减排考虑,应将工业源作为控制重点,优先控制其一次PM_(2.5)排放,在部门内进一步重点控制钢铁冶金行业的NO_x和SO_2排放、水泥行业的夏季NO_x排放以及炼焦行业的SO_2和NMVOC排放.民用源排放应着重在冬季采暖期控制.     

生物吸附/MBR/硫铁自养反硝化组合工艺运行特性及蛋白质源污泥增量研究

为实现污水处理的深度脱氮除磷及蛋白质源污泥增量,进行了生物吸附/MBR/硫铁自养反硝化组合工艺处理城镇污水的试验研究.结果表明,生物吸附池可以快速富集进水中的大部分有机物,COD平均去除率为55.1%,剩余污泥采用厌氧发酵方式处理,用于生产优质碳源.通过组合工艺系统中的硝化、硫自养反硝化及铁屑除磷作用,出水氨氮、总氮和总磷分别达到1、5和0.4 mg·L~(-1)以下.优质碳源投加到MBR工艺段,碳源环境的改善使得污泥增长率从0.17 g VSS/g COD提高至0.49 g VSS/g COD,进水中总氮的同化比例从40%提高至59%.此外,污泥中蛋白质及氨基酸含量也显著增长,增长率分别为18.3%和19.7%.组合工艺在获得高排放标准水质的同时,实现了高蛋白质源污泥的增量,可为污泥资源化利用提供优质原料.     

基于遗传算法的可持续土地利用动态规划

在建立和求解多目标可持续土地利用动态规划模型过程中,采用遗传算法并结合多目标模糊优选理论处理多目标土地利用结构优化问题。其详细步骤为：在分析区域特征基础上构建时间序列;通过现状分析设置土地利用类型决策变量,确定优化目标和约束条件,构建土地利用结构多目标优化模型;用灰色GM(1,1)预测模型对土地利用结构优化多目标模型参数进行预测;用遗传算法多目标优化方法对土地利用结构优化模型求解得pareto解集;最后运用多目标模糊优选动态规划方法对规划期内各时间段的pareto解集进行模糊动态优选,以最大优属度判定原则确定出最优决策序列。自贡市的实例表明,该方法有助于解决多目标协调问题,并通过提供多方案选择性,从而使规划更具灵活性,同时又便于充分吸纳公众参与,减少规划中的不确定性,增加规划的科学性、现实性和可操作性。