The role of the queen mandibular gland pheromone in honeybees (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Apis mellifera</Emphasis>): honest signal or suppressive agent?

Queen pheromones interfere with worker reproduction in social insects. However, there is still an unresolved question as to whether this pheromone acts as an “honest” signal for workers, giving a reliable indication of the queen’s reproductive value, or as a suppressive agent, inhibiting worker reproduction independent of the queen’s reproductive capacity. In honeybees (Apis mellifera), the queen’s mandibular gland secretion, a mix of fatty acids and some aromatic compounds, is crucial for regulating the reproductive division of labor in the colony inhibiting ovary development in workers. We quantified the mandibular gland secretions of virgin, drone-laying, and naturally mated queens using gas chromatography to test whether the queens’ mating, ovary activation, or the reproductive value for workers correlated with the composition of the secretion. Although the absolute amounts of the “queen substance” 9-oxo-2(E)-decenoic acid (9-ODA) were similar among the three groups, the proportions of 9-ODA decreased with increasing reproductive quality. Furthermore, the ratios of queen to worker compounds were similar in all three treatment groups, irrespective of the reproductive capacity. A multivariate analysis including all six compounds could not separate drone-laying queens from naturally mated ones, both with active ovaries but only the latter ensuring colony survival. We suggest that the mandibular gland pheromones are unlikely to function as reliable indicators of queen reproductive value and rather operate as an agent to suppress worker reproduction. This does not exclude the possibility that other “honest” pheromone signals exist in the honeybee colony, but these would have to arise from other semiochemicals, which could be produced by both the queen and the brood.     

Meta‐Analysis of the Effects of Human Disturbance on Seed Dispersal by Animals

Animal‐mediated seed dispersal is important for sustaining biological diversity in forest ecosystems, particularly in the tropics. Forest fragmentation, hunting, and selective logging modify forests in myriad ways and their effects on animal‐mediated seed dispersal have been examined in many case studies. However, the overall effects of different types of human disturbance on animal‐mediated seed dispersal are still unknown. We identified 35 articles that provided 83 comparisons of animal‐mediated seed dispersal between disturbed and undisturbed forests; all comparisons except one were conducted in tropical or subtropical ecosystems. We assessed the effects of forest fragmentation, hunting, and selective logging on seed dispersal of fleshy‐fruited tree species. We carried out a meta‐analysis to test whether forest fragmentation, hunting, and selective logging affected 3 components of animal‐mediated seed dispersal: frugivore visitation rate, number of seeds removed, and distance of seed dispersal. Forest fragmentation, hunting, and selective logging did not affect visitation rate and were marginally associated with a reduction in seed‐dispersal distance. Hunting and selective logging, but not fragmentation, were associated with a large reduction in the number of seeds removed. Fewer seeds of large‐seeded than of small‐seeded tree species were removed in hunted or selectively logged forests. A plausible explanation for the consistently negative effects of hunting and selective logging on large‐seeded plant species is that large frugivores, as the predominant seed dispersers for large‐seeded plant species, are the first animals to be extirpated from hunted or logged forests. The reduction in forest area after fragmentation appeared to have weaker effects on frugivore communities and animal‐mediated seed dispersal than hunting and selective logging. The differential effects of hunting and selective logging on large‐ and small‐seeded tree species underpinned case studies that showed disrupted plant‐frugivore interactions could trigger a homogenization of seed traits in tree communities in hunted or logged tropical forests. Meta Análisis de los Efectos de la Perturbación Humana sobre la Dispersión de Semillas por Animales     

Functions of Straw for In Situ Remediation of Acidic Mining Lakes

The addition of straw in combination with Carbokalk, a by-product from the sugar-industry, was successfully used to stimulate microbial alkalinity generation in an acidic mining lake. To get detailed information about functions of straw, anenclosure experiment was carried out. Straw bundles were placedat the sediment surface of an acidic mining lake (ML 111) and thephysiochemical conditions and the microbiology of the sediment-water contact zone were studied. Straw was degraded by anaerobic microorganisms and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) leached from straw bundles. Pigmented flagellates responded to the DOC supply in the water column anda considerable amount of algal carbon was transported to the sediment. Straw addition led to microbial reduction of iron andsulfate in the sediment. Sulfate reduction was observed at a pHof 5.5. The pH, however, was not high enough to precipitate H₂S completely. Thus, some H₂S diffused into the watercolumn, where it was reoxidized. Straw did not create orstabilize an anoxic water body above the sediment. Microbial sulfate reduction and pyrite formation only took place in the sediment,whereas iron reduction also took place in the straw. Straw, however, altered the flow conditions above the sediment surfaceand prevented complete mixing of the profundal water. Straw didnot serve as a substratum for a reactive biofilm. We conclude that the most important function of straw for mining lake remediation is to be a long-term nutrient source for microbialalkalinity generation in the sediment.     

Aerosol particle number concentration measurements in five European cities using TSI-3022 condensation particle counter over a three-year period during health effects of air pollution on susceptible subpopulations

In this study, long-term aerosol particle total number concentration measurements in five metropolitan areas across Europe are presented. The measurements have been carried out in Augsburg, Barcelona, Helsinki, Rome, and Stockholm using the same instrument, a condensation particle counter (TSI model 3022). The results show that in all of the studied cities, the winter concentrations are higher than the summer concentrations. In Helsinki and in Stockholm, winter concentrations are higher by a factor of two and in Augsburg almost by a factor of three compared with summer months. The winter maximum of the monthly average concentrations in these cities is between 10,000 cm(-3) and 20,000 cm(-3), whereas the summer min is approximately 5000-6000 cm(-3). In Rome and in Barcelona, the winters are more polluted compared with summers by as much as a factor of 4-10. The winter maximum in both Rome and Barcelona is close to 100,000 cm(-3), whereas the summer minimum is > 10,000 cm(-3). During the weekdays the maximum of the hourly average concentrations in all of the cities is detected during the morning hours between 7 and 10 a.m. The evening maxima were present in Barcelona, Rome, and Augsburg, but these were not as pronounced as the morning ones. The daily maxima in Helsinki and Stockholm are close or even lower than the daily minima in the more polluted cities. The concentrations between these two groups of cities are different with a factor of about five during the whole day. The study pointed out the influence of the selection of the measurement site and the configuration of the sampling line on the observed concentrations.     

Debromination of duroplastic flame-retarded polymers

Epoxy resins containing the flame retardant Tetrabromobisphenol A chemically bound to their structures were successfully dehalogenated with Na/NH₃ in an autoclave at elevated temperatures. Four loaded printed circuit boards of various origins and one unloaded circuit board were investigated. Debromination efficiencies of solvolysis with ethyl acetate (280°C, 15 MPa) and dehalogenation with Na/NH₃ (100°C, 6 MPa) are compared.     

Is colloid-facilitated phosphorus leaching triggered by phosphorus accumulation in sandy soils?

The leaching of colloidal phosphorus (P(coll)) contributes to P losses from agricultural soils. In an irrigation experiment with undisturbed soil columns, we investigated whether the accumulation of P in soils due to excess P additions enhances the leaching of colloids and P(coll) from sandy soils. Furthermore, we hypothesized that large concentrations of P(coll) occur at the onset of leaching events and that P(coll) mobilized from topsoils is retained in subsoils. Soil columns of different P saturation and depth (0-25 and 0-40 cm) were collected at a former disposal site for liquid manure and at the Thyrow fertilization experiment in northeastern Germany. Concentrations of total dissolved P, P(coll), Fe(coll), Al(coll), optical density, zeta potential, pH, and electrical conductivity of the leachates were determined. Colloidal P concentrations ranged from 0.46 to 10 micromol L(-1) and contributed between 1 and 37% to total P leaching. Large P(coll) concentrations leached from the P-rich soil of the manure disposal site were rather related to a large P-content of colloids than to the mobilization of additional colloids. Concentrations of colloids and P(coll) in leachates from P-poor and P-rich columns from Thyrow did not differ significantly. In contrast, accumulation of P in the Werbellin and the Thyrow soil consistently increased dissolved P concentrations to maximum values as high as 300 micromol L(-1). We observed no first-flush of colloids and P(coll) at the beginning of the leaching event. Concentrations of P(coll) leached from 40-cm soil columns were not smaller than those leached from 25-cm columns. Our results illustrate that an accumulation of P in sandy soils does not necessarily lead to an enhanced leaching of colloids and P(coll), because a multitude of factors independent from the P status of soils control the mobility of colloids. In contrast, P accumulation generally increases dissolved P concentrations in noncalcareous soils due to the saturation of the P sorption capacity. This indicates that leaching of dissolved P might be a more widespread environmental problem in areas with P-saturated sandy soils than leaching of P(coll).