Formation of Nitrate and Sulfate in the Plume of Berlin (8 pp)

Background, Aims and Scope Secondary inorganic aerosol (SIA), i.e. particulate sulphate (S(VI)), ammonium and nitrate (N(V)) is formed from gaseous precursors i.e., sulfur dioxide (S(IV)), ammonia and nitrogen oxides, in polluted air on the time-scale of hours to days. Besides particulate ammonium and nitrate, the respective gaseous species ammonia and nitric acid can be formed, too. SIA contributes significantly to elevated levels of respirable particulate matter in urban areas and in strongly anthropogenically influenced air in general. Methods The near-ground aerosol chemical composition was studied at two stationary sites in the vicinity of Berlin during a field campaign in summer 1998. By means of analysis of the wind field, two episodes were identified which allow to study changes within individual air masses during transport i.e., a Lagrangian type of experiment, with one station being upwind and the other downwind of the city. By reference to a passive tracer (Na+) and estimates on dry depositional losses, the influences of dispersion and mixing on concentration changes can be eliminated from the data analysis. Results and Discussion Chemical changes in N(-III), N(V) and S(VI) species were observed. SIA i.e., N(V) and S(VI), was formed from emissions in the city within a few hours. The significance of emissions in the city was furthermore confirmed by missing SIA formation in the case of transport around the city. For the two episodes, SIA formation rates could be derived, albeit not more precise than by an order of magnitude. N(V) formation rates were between 1.4 and 20 and between 1.9 and 59 % h-1 on the two days, respectively, and S(VI) formation rates were > 17 and > 10 % h-1. The area south of the city was identified as a source of ammonia. Conclusion The probability of occurrence of situations during which the downwind site (50 km downwind of Berlin) would be hit by an urban plume is > 7.4%. Furthermore, for the general case of rural areas in Germany it is estimated that for more than half of these there is a significant probability to be hit by an urban plume (> 8%). The S(VI) formation rates are higher than explainable by homogeneous gas-phase chemistry and suggest the involvement of heterogeneous reactions of aerosol particles. Recommendation and Outlook The possible contribution of heterogeneous processes to S(VI) formation should be addressed in laboratory studies. Measurements at more than two sites could improve the potential of Lagrangian field experiments for the quantification of atmospheric chemical transformations, if a second downwind site is chosen in such a way that, at least under particular stability conditions, measurements there are representative for the source area.     

Genetic effects of air pollution on forest tree species of the Carpathian Mountains

The effects of air pollution on the genetic structure of Norway spruce, European silver fir and European beech were studied at four polluted sites in Slovakia, Romania and Czech Republic. In order to reduce potential effects of site heterogeneity on the health condition, pair-wise sampling of pollution-tolerant and sensitive trees was applied. Genotypes of sampled trees were determined at 21 isozyme gene loci of spruce, 18 loci of fir and 15 loci of beech. In comparison with Norway spruce, fewer genetic differences were revealed in beech and almost no differentiation between pollution-tolerant and sensitive trees was observed in fir. In adult stands of Norway spruce, sensitive trees exhibited higher genetic multiplicity and diversity. The decline of pollution-sensitive trees may result thus in a gradual genetic depletion of pollution-exposed populations of Norway spruce through the loss of less frequent alleles with potential adaptive significance to altered stressing regimes in the future. Comparison of the subsets of sensitive and tolerant Norway spruce individuals as determined by presence or absence of discolorations ("spruce yellowing") revealed different heterozygosity at 3 out of 11 polymorphic loci.     

Sex pheromone components of male <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tirathaba mundella</Emphasis> (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Summary. During peak calling activity by male oil palm bunch moths, Tirathaba mundella Walker (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), their hairpencils, wings or entire body were extracted in hexane. Gas chromatographic-electroantennographic detection (GC-EAD) analyses of hair pencil extracts revealed four compounds that consistently elicited responses from female antennae. The NMR spectrum of isolated compound 1, and mass spectra and retention indices of compounds 1–4 suggested that they were (3S,6S)-2,2,6-trimethyl-6-vinyl-tetrahydro-pyran-3-ol (1), 4-hydroxy-3-methoxy-benzaldehyde (2, vanillin), 6,10,14-trimethyl-2-pentadecanone (3), and 6,10,14-trimethyl-2-pentadecanol (4). Comparative GC and GC-MS analyses of hair pencils extract and synthetic standards confirmed these structural assignments. Moreover, comparative chromatography of synthetic and hairpencil-isolated 1 on a Cyclodex-B column (which separated the four stereoisomers with baseline resolution) revealed that male T. mundella produce the SS-stereoisomer (SS-1). In field cage bioassay experiments in Palembang, Indonesia, synthetic SS-1 and vanillin in combination, but not singly, attracted female T. mundella. SS-1 plus vanillin were as effective as male T. mundella in attracting females. Compounds 3 and 4 did not enhance the blend's attractiveness. Received October 11 2002; accepted March 14, 2003. R1D=" Correspondence to: Gerhard Gries, email: gries@sfu.ca     

Experiments on the origin of dialects in the short-toed tree creeper (Certhia brachydactyla)

Summary Wild short-toed tree creepers in southern Germany were exposed to tape recordings of seven song types from other dialects or song institutions and sixteen song types from thirteen handreared Middle European birds. One song type from southern Germany was used as a control. The males reacted strongly to two slightly different Spaish dialects and not at all or only feebly to one song institution from Cyprus and four from Morocco. The song types of the hand-reared birds had less effect than controls. The songs of two birds from southern Germany hand-raised together were quite similar to those from Cyprus. We conclude that Cyprus and North Africa on the outskirts of the species distribution were colonized by short-toed tree creepers who had had no opportunity to learn their songs from adult conspecifics.     

Genetic analysis of parentage within experimental populations of a male dimorphic beetle,<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Onthophagus taurus</Emphasis>, using amplified fragment length polymorphism

We used the multilocus DNA fingerprinting technique, amplified fragment length polymorphism, to examine parentage of 902 offspring from eight experimental populations of the dung beetle, Onthophagus taurus. The males of this species exhibit a suit of morphological and behavioural traits that characterise alternative mating tactics. Hornless minor males sneak copulations with females that are guarded by horned major males. Our aims were to provide a prospective assessment of the potential role of frequency dependence in the maintenance of alternative mating tactics, to assess the levels of polyandry, and to determine the patterns of sperm usage by multiply mated females. The average proportion of offspring sired by major and minor males did not co-vary with the relative frequency of each morph present in experimental populations. However, there was some indication that the effective mating frequency (number of females producing offspring sired by a given male) of major and minor males may exhibit frequency dependence. Mating success of both male types declined with increasing numbers of major males. Paternity was positively associated with effective mating frequency. Females produced offspring sired from between one and eight males and, on average, paternity was distributed equally amongst a females mates, regardless of the number of males mated. Differences in fertilisation success among males were not associated with alternative male phenotypes. Neither did a males fertilisation success depend on his genetic dissimilarity with the female. These results are discussed in the context of the evolution of alternative mating strategies, and mechanisms of postcopulatory sexual selection.Communicated by N. Wedell