Spatiotemporal distribution patterns in relation to feeding behavior of herbivorous gastropods have been studied extensively,
but still knowledge about small-scale patterns is limited in relation to eutrophication. This experimental study aimed to
describe the small-scale distribution of Littorina littorea in nutrient-enriched and nutrient-unenriched mesocosms in a merely atidal region and relate the distribution to food abundance
and possible competing organisms, while checking simultaneously for feeding activities. The latter part was accomplished through
the “gut fluorescence technique” GFT (which, to our knowledge, has not previously been used for benthic grazers) to estimate
per capita grazing rates and the former part through monitoring of spatial heterogeneity of L. littorea and co-variation with sessile organisms (using semivariograms and cross-semivariograms, respectively). After 5 months of
nutrient addition, the abundance and biomass of L. littorea had increased in enriched systems, which also had significantly higher total biomass of green algae. Gut pigment content
was higher in L. littorea from enriched mesocosms, and gut depletion rate was higher in L. littorea from unenriched mesocosms. Spatial analysis showed that L. littorea exhibited generally random patterns (suggesting feeding activities) but sometimes (often in the morning) spatial patchiness
(clumped distribution) in both enriched and unenriched conditions. There was mainly positive co-variation between L. littorea and biofilm, while different nutrient conditions exhibited contrasting co-variation between L. littorea and barnacles (positive co-variation in enriched and negative co-variation in unenriched mesocosms). The study offered insights
into how feeding behavior and spatial distribution of a species may interact with community components differently under different
nutrient regimes. The applied methodology can be useful for purposes of faster examination of grazing effects among different
regions and also to compare grazing intensities and interactions between grazers and the benthic communities in disturbed
(including pollution and nutrient enrichment) and non-disturbed systems, as well as in up-welling versus non-upwelling areas. 相似文献
Spherical TiO2 nanoparticles (npTiO2) were prepared by controlled hydrolysis of tetraethoxy orthotitanate under a nitrogen atmosphere. ZnO nanoparticles (npZnO) were prepared using hydrothermal methods. The crystal structure, chemical, thermal and morphological properties of npZnO and npTiO2 were characterised using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer, enery-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscope techniques. The short- and long-term experiments were started with neonates taken from the same culture and laboratory condition. In the acute experiments, npTiO2, npZnO, and cocktail concentrations were applied. 96h-LC50 values were 1.8, 0.7, and 0.1?mg?L?1, respectively (p?<?.05). For the chronic experiments, different npTiO2 concentrations were performed. 21d-LC50 value was 1.0?mgL?1 (p?<?.05). Morphometry became progressively worse in concentrations of more than 1?mgL?1 npTiO2. Neonate and young individuals were more sensitive to death because of their low tolerance. This result was affected by population progeny and growth rates (p?<?.05). While control and 0.5?mgL?1 npTiO2 groups were determined as growing population, 1.5 and 2?mgL?1 npTiO2 groups had decreased population size as R0 values. Consequently, the relationships between nanoparticle accumulation within Daphnia magna and its population structure and body morphometry for each concentration were important indicators. Its tolerance level to nanoparticles under laboratory conditions reflected its replacement and behaviour in the ecosystem. 相似文献
Information on benthic carbon mineralization rates is often derived from the analysis of oxygen microprofiles in sediments. To enable a direct comparison of different sediment environments, it is often desirable to characterize sediments by a single proxy that expresses their “reactivity” towards oxygen. For this, there are three commonly used proxies: the oxygen penetration depth (OPD), the oxygen flux at the sediment-water interface (DOU), and the maximum volumetric oxygen consumption rate (Rmax). The OPD can be directly determined from the oxygen depth profile, while the DOU is usually obtained by a linear fit to the oxygen gradient either in diffusive boundary layer. The oxygen consumption rate Rmax requires the fitting of a reactive-transport model to the data profile. This article shows that the OPD alone is a suboptimal proxy, because it shows a strong dependence on the half-saturation constant Ks, and secondly, because it is sensitive to the particular re-oxidation conditions right above the oxic-anoxic interface. Similarly, the volumetric oxygen consumption rate Rmax is rather strongly dependent on the kinetic model formulation employed. To show this we fitted three different (Bouldin, Blackman and Monod) kinetics to the same oxygen data profiles. When fitting these models, the Rmax values obtained differed by 20% for exactly the same oxygen profile. Accordingly, if one reports Rmax values, it is crucial to specify the kinetic model alongside. Overall, DOU emerges as sediment reactivity proxy which is the least model dependent. 相似文献
Using tracking radars, we investigated the variability of flight directions of long-distance nocturnal passerine migrants
across seasons (spring versus autumn migration) and sites at the southern (56° N) and northern (68° N) ends of the Scandinavian
Peninsula (Lund versus Abisko). Whilst most migrants at Lund are on passage to and from breeding sites in Fennoscandia, the
majority of the migrants at Abisko are close to their breeding sites, and migration at Abisko thus to a large degree reflects
initial departure from breeding sites (autumn) or final approach to breeding destinations (spring). The radar data were used
to test predictions about differences in orientation and wind drift effects between adult and juvenile birds (a large proportion
of autumn migrants consists of juvenile birds on their first journey), between situations far away from or near the goals
and between different phases of migration (initial departure, en route passage, final approach to goal). The concentrations
(both total and within-night concentrations) of flight directions differed significantly between seasons as well as sites,
with the highest concentration at Lund in spring (mean vector length of track directions, r = 0.79) and lowest at Abisko during spring (r = 0.35). Partial wind drift and partial compensation were recorded at Lund, with a similar effect size in spring and autumn,
whilst possible wind drift effects at Abisko were obscured by the large directional scatter at this site. The results from
Lund support the prediction that the high proportion of juveniles in autumn contributes to increase the directional scatter
during this season, whilst there was no support for predictions of differential wind drift effects between seasons and situations
with different goal distances. The most striking and surprising result was the exceedingly large scatter of flight directions
at Abisko, particularly in spring. We suggest that such an exaggerated scatter may be associated with final approach orientation,
where migrants reach their specific goals from all various directions by final navigation within a more wide-ranging goal
region. The larger scatter of autumn flight directions at Abisko compared to Lund may be due to exploratory flights in variable
directions being more common at initial departure from breeding sites than later during migratory passage. These surprising
results highlight the importance of studying and analysing orientation during final approach to (and initial departure from)
migratory goals for understanding the orientation systems of migratory birds. 相似文献
Many South African populations of the brown mussel Perna perna have been depleted through over-exploitation by subsistence harvesters. This is problematic because recovery after disturbance
is very slow, partly because recruits are largely associated with adult mussels. However, unlike large recruits of 3.5–10 mm
that exhibit spatial structure related to that of adults, a very high proportion of settlers and small recruits (0–3.5 mm)
occur on foliose algae. We tested the hypothesis that recruits on algae move to adult mussel beds after a period of growth,
with the null hypothesis that they die at a certain size. We conducted an indirect field study comparing the ratios of large
to small recruits in 100% cover mussel patches at locations with high and low algal cover. A second laboratory experiment
analysed whether the size of recruits on algae affects their active movement behaviour in response to nearby mussel patches.
Large/small recruit ratios were slightly, but not significantly greater in high than low algal cover locations. Both small
(2–2.5 mm) and medium (4.5–5.5 mm) recruits remained on algae and moved very short distances throughout the laboratory experiment,
while larger recruits (9–10 mm) moved significantly further distances and more often into mussel patches. The results suggest
that very large recruits are able to migrate actively to nearby mussel patches, indicating ontogenetic shifts in this behaviour.
However, the absence of a significant difference in ratios between field locations with high and low algal cover suggests
many large recruits are accidentally dislodged from the algae and presumably die. Thus settlement of P. perna onto algae is likely to be wasted, with consequences for sustainable management of the mussel resource. 相似文献
Ecological assessment of freshwater ecosystems based on diatom metrics is an important issue for attaining environmental sustainability. The present study aimed to evaluate differences in the diatom–stressor relationship in relatively least disturbed streams in the Konya closed river basin using multivariate analyses and to bio-assess streams by the application of different ecoregional diatom indices. Cocconeis euglypta, Cymbella excisa, Cocconeis placentula, and Achnanthidium minutissimum are the most contributing species to the dissimilarity of sampling stations between rainy (spring) and dry (summer and fall) seasons and also between altitude (A2 800- < 1600 m and A3 ≥ 1600 m) groups. The first two axes of canonical correspondence analysis revealed a significant (82.8%) relationship between diatom species and stressors. Diatom species displayed distinct responses to environmental variables (electrical conductivity, Ni, Cu, B, and altitude) playing important roles on the distribution of species. Diatom indices indicate different ecological statuses of stations, from bad to high. European diatom indices except Duero Diatom Index (DDI) and Trophic Diatom Index (TDI) showed good responses to the eco-assessment of streams and indicated high ecological status for the least disturbed sampling stations symbolized as S16, S20, S24, S25, S27-29, S37, and S39. These results were also supported by abiotic evaluation. Although TIT was more competitive in the bio-assessment of streams among diatom indices, it is necessary to increase its species list by determining their trophic weights in future studies. Therefore, the use of ecoregion-specific diatom indices is suggested along with increasing the number of used species to correctly interpret the water quality.
Many kinds of cosmetic products were analyzed to determine gross radioactivity. In this study, gross alpha/beta radioactivity concentrations in 51 cosmetic samples were determined. The examined cosmetic products consist of blusher, eye shadow, lipstick, nail polish, shampoo, hand cream, cellulite cream, baby powder, soap, and toothpaste. The gross alpha–beta activity concentrations were measured with a nuclear spectroscopic system which contains gas-flow proportional counters. The highest gross alpha/beta activity concentrations were found in eye shadow samples of 1.621Bq g?1 for alpha and 6.471Bq g?1 for beta. The total effective doses due to gross radioactivity for skin were calculated. Although the effective dose of eye shadow samples had the highest value, the effective doses due to gross radioactivity concentrations in this study were found to be lower than the radiological limits given by the authorities. 相似文献