Sorption of imidazolium-based ionic liquids to aquatic sediments

Ionic liquids (ILs) have received much attention as "green" alternatives to traditional solvents because they do not evaporate, eliminating concerns over fugitive emissions. However, if ionic liquids are used in industrial applications, they may enter aquatic systems via effluent, and their fate and transport may be influenced by sorption to sediments. In this study, we conducted batch mixing experiments with four alkylmethylimidizolium-based ILs and four types of aquatic sediments to asses the capacity for natural aquatic sediments to remove these chemicals from the water column. The concentration isotherms were non linear with point estimates of the distribution coefficient (K(d)) decreasing with increasing concentration. Apparent distribution coefficients ranged from 7.9 to 95.7l kg(-1) at an initial concentration of 0.5mM and were positively related to sediment organic matter (SOM) content. These K(d) values indicate that the ILs did not sorb strongly to the tested sediments. Increased alkyl chain length did not lead to increased sorption suggesting that hydrophobic interactions were not the most important sorption mechanism. We conclude that aquatic sediments have a limited capacity to sorb alkylmethylimidazolium ILs and that the transport of these contaminants in aquatic systems will not be strongly attenuated by sediments.     

Short- and medium-term effects of experimental nitrogen fertilization on arthropods associated with Calluna vulgaris heathlands in north-west Spain

We studied the short- and medium-term effects of experimental nitrogen fertilization (3 and 15 months after the treatment) on the arthropods of Calluna vulgaris heathlands in NW Spain. Three heathland sites were selected with two permanent plots per site: control and fertilized. Ammonium nitrate fertilizer (56 kg N ha(-1) yr(-1)) was applied monthly and insects were caught using pitfall traps. We found mainly species-level responses to nitrogen addition. Seven species (e.g. Lochmaea suturalis) showed a consistent trend (benefited or harmed) in both periods and were proposed as possible reliable indicators of the effects of nitrogen deposition in these ecosystems. We also found variable arthropod trophic-group responses: (a) herbivores (leaf beetles, true bugs) increased in abundance on a short-term scale; (b) predators (carabid beetles, true bugs) showed opposite and less clear responses in both periods. Further long-term studies are needed to determine the mechanisms underlying the observed arthropod responses.     

Seasonal concentrations and partitioning of PAHs in a suburban site of Bursa, Turkey

Effects of space heating on atmospheric concentrations and gas-particle partitioning of PAHs were investigated in a suburban site of Bursa, Turkey. The average concentrations of ∑₁₅-PAHs in heating season samples were approximately 10 times higher than those of non-heating season samples. The plot of log K_p versus log P_L⁰ for all the data set gave significantly different slopes. The slope for the heating season (−0.75) samples was steeper than the one for the non-heating season (−0.64) samples. It was also observed that partitioning of PAHs for the non-heating season samples showed different characteristics depending on air parcel trajectories. Generally steeper slopes were obtained for the air parcels traveled across the Black sea and arrived to the sampling site from northern sector. On the other hand, the variations in slopes according to air mass origin were insignificant for the heating season samples. Local contributions from space heating are the reason for this observation.     

Reproductive success of monogamous and polygynous pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca)

One of the most interesting aspects of the mating system of pied flycatchers is the regular occurrence of polygyny. Here we present data on the reproductive success of polygynously paired pied flycatcher males compared to monogamous males based on paternity analyses through DNA fingerprinting. Males paired with two females suffered a higher loss in reproductive output per female compared to monogamous males due to (1) a greater proportion of unhatched eggs in their broods, (2) greater nestling mortality and (3) a greater probability of being cuckolded. Nevertheless, the number of fledglings was significantly greater for polygynous males. Based on the number of nestlings that returned for subsequent breeding seasons, however, the reproductive success of monogamous and polygynous males did not differ significantly. These data raise the question as to why males attempt polygyny. Received: 16 August 1999 / Received in revised form: 15 March 2000 / Accepted: 18 March 2000     

Cougar Dispersal Patterns, Metapopulation Dynamics, and Conservation

Abstract: We examined cougar (   Puma concolor ) dispersal, emigration, and immigration in the San Andres Mountains, New Mexico, from 1985 to 1995 to quantify the effects of dispersal on the local population and surrounding subpopulations. We captured, tagged, and radio-collared animals to detect the arrival of new immigrants and dispersal characteristics of progeny. We found that cougars in southern New Mexico exhibited a metapopulation structure in which cougar subpopulations were separated by expanses of noncougar habitat and linked by dispersers. Of 43 progeny (n = 20 males , 23 females ) studied after independence, only 13 females exhibited philopatric behavior. Males dispersed significantly farther than females, were more likely to traverse large expanses of noncougar habitat, and were probably most responsible for nuclear gene flow between habitat patches. We estimated that an average of 8.5 progeny (i.e., cougars born in the study area) successfully emigrated from and 4.3 cougars successfully immigrated to the San Andres Mountains each year. Concurrently, an average of 4.1 progeny were recruited into the San Andres cougar population. Protected cougar subpopulations can contribute to metapopulation persistence by supplying immigrants to surrounding subpopulations that are affected by fragmentation or offtake by humans. Cougar population dynamics and dispersal behavior dictate that cougar management and conservation should be considered on a regional scale.     

Comparative morphology and cytology of siphons and siphonal sensory organs in selected bivalve molluscs

 The form, anatomy and cytology of the water-passages in siphon-possessing and siphon-lacking species of a selected group of bivalve molluscs from the Red Sea (Callista florida, Circe currogata, C. crocea, Lucinia dentifera, Dosinia histrio, Pitar hebraea, Tridacna maxima, Pteria aegyptica), and from the Mediterranean Sea (Spondylus spinosus, Pinctada radiata, Pinna nobilis, Donax trunculus, D. semistriatus, Mactra stultorum, Tapes decussatus, Petricola lithophaga, Brachidontes pharaonis) were studied by means of light and electron microscopy. In the mytiloids, ostreoids and ptrioids studied, the water-passages are covered by a ciliated epithelium and the few tentacles around their openings are identical to those found on the mantle edges. Contrary to this, in the veneroids studied, the siphons are covered by a microvillar epithelium and their tentacles, especially of the inhalant siphon, reveal characteristic branching. The so-called Type I, Type II and Type III ciliated sensory organs on and within the siphons are similar to those observed in other bivalves, differing from each other in the dimension, number and form of cilia. In the studied mytiloid species only Type I and Type II organs were found. The form and structure of the siphons and the distribution of sensors on them can be used as markers for ecological as well as phylogenetic considerations. Received: 28 January 2000 / Accepted: 28 May 2000     

Occurrence of the semi-catadromous European eel Anguilla anguilla in the Baltic Sea

Strontium (Sr) and calcium (Ca) contents in the otoliths of yellow and silver European eels [Anguilla anguilla (L.)] collected from coastal waters of the Baltic Sea and a freshwater lake in Sweden were examined by wavelength dispersive X-ray spectrometry with an electron microprobe. The mean Sr/Ca ratios from elver check to otolith edge were significantly higher for the eels from coastal waters (5.39 ± 1.09‰) than for those from the lake (0.71 ± 0.89‰). The evidence indicates that European eels in the Baltic Sea do not necessarily migrate into freshwater streams during the growth phase. Received: 30 September 1999 / Accepted: 6 April 2000     

Genetic differentiation in a pelagic crustacean (Meganyctiphanes norvegica: Euphausiacea) from the North East Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea

Meganyctiphanes norvegica (M. Sars)is a pelagic crustacean that plays a key role in marine food webs of North Atlantic Ocean and marginal seas. We studied eight population samples collected in the European Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea. By means of single strand conformation polymorphism analysis (SSCP) and direct sequencing, we investigated a segment of 158 base pairs of the mitochondrial gene coding for the subunit 1 of NADH dehydrogenase. We found 12 sequence variants among the 385 individuals studied. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed that 14.75% of the total genetic variability was explained by differences between populations, thus indicating absence of panmixia for these populations. Pairwise comparisons revealed three distinct genetic pools: the first one represented by Cadiz Bay, the second one by the Ligurian Sea, and the third one included all the NE Atlantic samples. We also investigated one population from the Alboran Sea (within the Mediterranean basin, east of the Strait of Gibraltar). This population was found to be genetically intermediate between the NE Atlantic samples and the Ligurian sample, suggesting that the restriction to the gene flow is not associated with the Strait of Gibraltar, but possibly with the Oran–Almeria oceanographic front. The present work indicates that M. norvegica, although endowed with a high dispersal capacity because of its pelagic habit, can develop separate breeding units inside the same oceanic basin (the Atlantic). Furthermore, the Ligurian sample should be considered as a distinct evolutionary entity, separated from the Atlantic population. Received: 2 May 1999 / Accepted: 26 November 1999