Limited trophodynamics effects of trawling on three Mediterranean fishes

Trawling has a significant effect on the structure of marine communities, yet the ubiquity of trawling impacts makes testing such effects difficult. This study examines trawling impacts on trophodynamics of three fishes among the Gulfs of Castellammare and Termini Imerese (northern Sicily), the first of which has been subject to a trawling ban since 1990 that initially resulted in an eightfold increase in total fish biomass. The Gulf of Termini Imerese remains heavily fished and was treated as a control site. Nitrogen and carbon stable isotope data were used to assess fishing induced changes in trophic levels or source of production supporting three demersal fish species; Mullus barbatus, Merluccius merluccius and Lophius budegassa following a control-impact approach. The exclusion of trawling resulted in only small alteration of δ¹⁵N in two of the three-three species. There were no systematic changes in the δ¹³C of any species sampled. Thus, a large influence of trawling on the trophodynamics of the studied species at sampled size was discounted. Although stable isotopes do not have spatial or temporal resolution to identify detailed shifts in diet composition, their integrative nature highlights that the trophic role these species play is robust to fishing impacts at scales over which the fishery operates. This is despite a significant increase in the abundance of these species and of total fish biomass within the protected area.

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Molecular dating and biogeography of the neritic krill Nyctiphanes

The genus Nyctiphanes (Malacostraca, Euphausiacea) comprises four neritic species that display antitropical geographic distribution in the Pacific (N. simplex and N. australis) and Atlantic (N. couchii and N. capensis) Oceans. We studied the origin of this distribution applying methods for phylogenetic reconstruction and molecular dating of nodes using a Bayesian MCMC analysis and the DNA sequence information contained in mtDNA 16S rDNA and cytochrome oxidase (COI). We tested hypotheses of vicariance by contrasting the time estimates of cladogenesis with the onset of the major barriers to ocean circulation. It was estimated that Nyctiphanes originated in the Pacific Ocean during the Miocene, with a lower limit of 18 miilion years ago (Mya). An Atlantic–Pacific cladogenic event (95% HPD 3.2–9.6) took place after the closure of the Tethyan Sea, suggesting that dispersal occurred from the Indo-Pacific, most likely via southern Africa. Similarly, the antitropical distribution pattern observed in the eastern Atlantic Ocean likely resulted from recent Pliocene–Pleistocene (95% HPD 1.0–4.97) northward dispersal from the southern hemisphere. Our results imply that dispersal appears to have had a significant role to play in the evolution of this group. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

五区电除尘技术试验研究及应用

五区电除尘技术是一种新型的电除尘器提效改造技术,由于其性能优良、工作可靠、稳定运行,工程投资少、施工周期短等优点而得到广泛应用。在模拟计算分析其阻力和对气流分布影响的基础上,试验研究其对不同粉尘的收尘性能,结果表明:五区电除尘技术可高效捕集微细、高比电阻粉尘,且设备阻力小,气流分布理想。     

Thermal dependency of burrowing in three species within the bivalve genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Laternula</Emphasis>: a latitudinal comparison

The upper thermal limits for burrowing and survival were compared with micro-habitat temperature for anomalodesmatan clams: Laternula elliptica (Antarctica, 67°S); Laternula recta, (temperate Australia, 38°S) and Laternula truncata (tropical Singapore, 1°N). Lethal limits (LT₅₀) were higher than burrowing limits (BT₅₀) in L. elliptica (7.5–9.0 and 2.2°C) and L. recta (winter, 32.8–36.8 and 31.1–32.8°C) but the same range for L. truncata (33.0–35.0 and 33.4–34.9°C). L. elliptica and L. truncata had a BT₅₀ 0.4 and 2.4–3.9°C, respectively, above their maximum experienced temperature. L. recta, which experience solar heating during midday low tides, had a BT₅₀ 0.7–2.4°C below and a range for LT₅₀ that spanned their predicted environmental maximum (33.5°C). L. recta showed no seasonal difference in LT₅₀ or BT₅₀. Our single genus comparisons contrast with macrophysiological studies showing that temperate species cope better with elevated temperatures. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

退耕土壤的碳、氮固存及其对CO2、N2O通量的影响

采样分析陇中黄土高原地区农田退耕种植苜蓿3 a、5 a、8 a后0～5、5～10、10～20 cm土层土壤有机碳(SOC)、全氮(TN)、活性有机碳(SAOC)及矿质氮(NO3-N、NH4-N)含/储量的变化,并用静态箱-气质联用法对样地的COO2、NO2O排放通量进行了测定,研究碳氮变化对土壤CO2、N2O排放通量的影响.结果表明:(1)SOC、TN基础含量很低的贫瘠土壤退耕后表现出明显的碳、氮固存效应,有很强碳、氮固存潜力.与未退耕休闲农田相比,退耕3 a、5 a、8 a后0～20 cm SOC储量分别提高了9.12%、20.18%、34.39%,SOC平均固存率分别为0.17、0.23、0.25mg/(hm2·a).TN储量在5～10、10～20 cm增加不明显,在0～5 cm退耕3 a、5 a、8 a后储量分别提高14.29%,35.71%和64.29%,各退耕年限0～20 cm TN平均固存率均为0.2 mg/(hm2.a);(2)退耕后各年限草地土壤活性有机碳(SAOC)含量有所增加,但各层含量变化不明显,其增加量远小于SOC的增加,说明退耕初期阶段积累了较多的土壤惰性碳;NO3-N含量增加明显,0～5、5～10 cm土壤各退耕年限含量达5%的显著性差异,但退耕前后NH4-N含量无明显变化.(3)土壤CO2通量与SOC含量、SAOC含量、TN含量及N2O通量显著正相关;N2O通量与SOC含量、矿质氮含量及CO2通量显著正相关.说明在环境因素稳定的条件下,退耕后土壤碳、氮含量的增加会导致CO2、N2O排放的加剧,表现出大气CO2、N2O的"源"效应.     

Climate and maternal effects modify sex ratios in a weakly dimorphic marsupial

There is growing evidence that the sex ratios of wild vertebrate populations are determined by mechanisms that are directly influenced by environmental characteristics. The Trivers–Willard (TWH) and extrinsic modification (EMH) hypotheses postulate differing determinants of mammalian offspring sex ratios. TWH states that mothers allocate resources according to their current condition and sex-specific offspring costs. EMH states that environmental forces that affect maternal condition determine offspring sex ratios, independently of maternal tactics of sex-biased allocation. We statistically assessed support for each of these hypotheses using long-term life histories of the allied rock-wallaby, Petrogale assimilis; a continuously breeding, polygynous, weakly dimorphic marsupial. We showed that birth sex ratios were equal and independent of maternal and environmental conditions. However, secondary sex ratios were male-biased under good environmental conditions and for high quality mothers or mothers in good condition. Sex differences in offspring survival contributed to these biases: (1) environmental conditions strongly influenced survival to pouch emergence (in support of EMH) and (2) maternal quality affected survival to the end of maternal care (in support of TWH). Environmental effects on survival were more important than maternal factors over the entire period of maternal care and contributed most to male-biased sex ratios at pouch emergence. In contrast, maternal mass was the best predictor of sex ratios at the end of maternal care—the life history stage where offspring body mass differed between the sexes.     

Re-orientation in clock-shifted homing pigeons subjected to a magnetic disturbance: a study with GPS data loggers

Some authors have proposed that homing pigeons are able to correct the error in orientation following a phase-shift treatment by using the magnetic compass reference. They reported that clock-shifted pigeons bearing magnets display a greater deflection compared to magnetically unmanipulated clock-shifted birds. However, this hypothesis tested by recording pigeons’ vanishing bearings has led to contradictory results. The present study reports pigeons’ tracks recorded with a GPS and shows that clock-shifted pigeons bearing magnets displayed a greater deviation through the whole route compared to the magnetically unmanipulated shifted pigeons. Moreover, the analysis of the tracks shows that the birds belonging to both experimental groups stop in coincidence with their subjective night. When re-starting their journey, the birds corrected the clock-shift induced error in orientation, but the magnetically manipulated pigeons were less efficient in doing so. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that homing pigeons released from unfamiliar location re-orient after clock shift by using the magnetic compass.     

Predicted impact of ocean acidification on a marine invertebrate: elevated CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> alters response to thermal stress in sea urchin larvae

Ocean acidification (OA) and the biological consequences of altered seawater chemistry have emerged as a significant environmental threat to healthy marine ecosystems. Because a more acidic ocean interferes with fixation of calcium carbonate to form shells or calcified skeletons, future ocean chemistry may significantly alter the physiology of calcifying marine organisms. These alterations may manifest themselves directly in the calcification process, or have synergistic effects with other environmental factors such as elevated temperatures. New tools permit us to explore subtle changes in gene expression patterns in response to environmental conditions. We raised sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus franciscanus) under conditions simulating future atmospheric CO₂ levels of 540 and 970 ppm. When larvae raised under elevated CO₂ conditions were subjected to 1-h acute temperature stress, their ability to mount a physiological response (as measured by expression of the molecular chaperone hsp70) was reduced relative to those raised under ambient CO₂ conditions. These results represent the first use of gene expression assays to study the effects of OA on sea urchin development. They highlight the importance of looking at multiple environmental factors simultaneously as this approach may reveal previously unsuspected biological impacts of atmospheric changes.     

Isotopic evidences for microbiologically mediated and direct C input to soil compounds from three different leaf litters during their decomposition

We show the potentiality of coupling together different compound-specific isotopic analyses in a laboratory experiment, where ¹³C-depleted leaf litter was incubated on a ¹³C-enriched soil. The aim of our study was to identify the soil compounds where the C derived from three different litter species is retained. Three ¹³C-depleted leaf litter (Liquidambar styraciflua L., Cercis canadensis L. and Pinus taeda L., δ¹³C_vsPDB ≈ ?43‰), differing in their degradability, were incubated on a C4 soil (δ¹³C_vsPDB ≈ ?18‰) under laboratory-controlled conditions for 8 months. At harvest, compound-specific isotope analyses were performed on different classes of soil compounds [i.e. phospholipids fatty acids (PLFAs), n-alkanes and soil pyrolysis products]. Linoleic acid (PLFA 18:2ω6,9) was found to be very depleted in ¹³C (δ¹³C_vsPDB ≈ from ?38 to ?42‰) compared to all other PLFAs (δ¹³C_vsPDB ≈ from ?14 to ?35‰). Because of this, fungi were identified as the first among microbes to use the litter as source of C. Among n-alkanes, long-chain (C27–C31) n-alkanes were the only to have a depleted δ¹³C. This is an indication that not all of the C derived from litter in the soil was transformed by microbes. The depletion in ¹³C was also found in different classes of pyrolysis products, suggesting that the litter-derived C is incorporated in less or more chemically stable compounds, even only after 8 months decomposition.     

纺织印染厂废水的深度处理中试及工程应用

采用曝气生物滤池(BAF)-臭氧-曝气生物滤池工艺对广东某大型纺织印染厂的常规水解酸化-接触生物氧化处理出水进行深度处理回用中试,在中试研究成功的基础上,设计了每小时处理5 t的工业化试验装置。试验运行结果表明:进水COD为100~150 mg/L,色度约80倍,浊度约10 NTU,在前BAF水力停留时间3 h,中间化学氧化池中臭氧投加量40 mg/L,后BAF水力停留时间2 h的情况下,经组合工艺处理后出水COD约30 mg/L,色度2倍,浊度<1 NTU,该工艺处理后的出水,可直接回用于对电解质浓度要求不高的生产工艺中,也可作为反渗透或纳滤膜的预处理工序。