Microspectrophotometric evidence for cone monochromacy in sharks

Sharks are apex predators, and their evolutionary success is in part due to an impressive array of sensory systems, including vision. The eyes of sharks are well developed and function over a wide range of light levels. However, whilst close relatives of the sharks—the rays and chimaeras—are known to have the potential for colour vision, an evolutionary trait thought to provide distinct survival advantages, evidence for colour vision in sharks remains equivocal. Using single-receptor microspectrophotometry, we measured the absorbance spectra of visual pigments located in the retinal photoreceptors of 17 species of shark. We show that, while the spectral tuning of the rod (wavelength of maximum absorbance, λ_max 484–518 nm) and cone (λ_max 532–561 nm) visual pigments varies between species, each shark has only a single long-wavelength-sensitive cone type. This suggests that sharks may be cone monochromats and, therefore, potentially colour blind. Whilst cone monochromacy on land is rare, it may be a common strategy in the marine environment: many aquatic mammals (whales, dolphins and seals) also possess only a single, green-sensitive cone type. It appears that both sharks and marine mammals may have arrived at the same visual design by convergent evolution. The spectral tuning of the rod and cone pigments of sharks is also discussed in relation to their visual ecology.     

Plant leaf economics and reproductive investment are responsive to gradients of land use intensity

Relationships between functional leaf traits across large sets of plant species emphasized the existence of a major axis describing a trade-off between rapid acquisition and conservation of resources forming the so-called “leaf economics spectrum”. It is uncertain which environmental factors determine the economics spectrum and whether traits associated with reproduction co-vary with the economics spectrum. To determine these trait-environment relationships for agricultural ecosystems, this study was conducted at field, pasture, and heathland sites forming a strong land use gradient in Northwest Germany. The abundance of 49 species was recorded in 85 plots together with their traits (canopy height, specific leaf area, leaf N, leaf N:P, leaf and stem dry matter content, life cycle, reproductive investment (RI) in seed mass and seed number), as well as parameters describing soil resources and land use disturbances. RLQ multivariate analysis of the data set related an environmental table to a species trait table using a species abundance table to extract the joint structure between them. Thereafter, we clustered the species on the RLQ axis to extract functional groups. Traits associated with the leaf economics spectrum were strongly related to soil resources that co-varied with disturbance intensity. A division of the whole land use gradient into agricultural and heathland sites showed that RI was not decoupled from trait-environment relationships although the direction of the RI-environment relationship was opposite in the two subsets. Species were clumped rather than linearly arranged in the trait-environment space and the functional groups broadly corresponded to weed communities, pastures with differing intensities, and heathlands. The trade-off in plant economics responding to soil resources supports predictions of previous theoretical and empirical work. Different RI-environment relationships in agricultural sites and heathlands emphasize the relevance of local scales in trait-environment studies. In general, the results point to some of the biological mechanisms controlling functions and services of agricultural ecosystems.     

Multi-elemental compound-specific isotope analysis of pesticides for source identification and monitoring of degradation in soil: a review

Environmental Chemistry Letters - The transfer of pesticides from agricultural soils to food and drinking water is a major health issue. There are actually few robust methods to identify,...     

Vascular plant extinction in the continental United States and Canada

Extinction rates are expected to increase during the Anthropocene. Current extinction rates of plants and many animals remain unknown. We quantified extinctions among the vascular flora of the continental United States and Canada since European settlement. We compiled data on apparently extinct species by querying plant conservation databases, searching the literature, and vetting the resulting list with botanical experts. Because taxonomic opinion varies widely, we developed an index of taxonomic uncertainty (ITU). The ITU ranges from A to F, with A indicating unanimous taxonomic recognition and F indicating taxonomic recognition by only a single author. The ITU allowed us to rigorously evaluate extinction rates. Our data suggest that 51 species and 14 infraspecific taxa, representing 33 families and 49 genera of vascular plants, have become extinct in our study area since European settlement. Seven of these taxa exist in cultivation but are extinct in the wild. Most extinctions occurred in the west, but this outcome may reflect the timing of botanical exploration relative to settlement. Sixty-four percent of extinct plants were single-site endemics, and many occurred outside recognized biodiversity hotspots. Given the paucity of plant surveys in many areas, particularly prior to European settlement, the actual extinction rate of vascular plants is undoubtedly much higher than indicated here.     

Phenanthrene sorption to structurally modified humic acids

Several studies emphasize the importance of soil organic matter characteristics in hydrophobic contaminant sorption and outline the strong dependence of sorption on organic matter aromaticity. In this study, the role of organic matter aromaticity in phenanthrene sorption was investigated using humic acids (HAs) from compost, peat, and soil that were structurally modified by bleaching, hydrolysis, oximation, and subcritical water extraction. The HAs were characterized with cross polarization magic angle spinning carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (CPMAS 13C NMR) spectroscopy and used in batch equilibrations with phenanthrene. Bleaching substantially reduced the aromaticity of the samples whereas the other treatments increased the relative aromaticity. Phenanthrene sorption increased, even though there was a substantial reduction in sorbent aromaticity with some samples. The HAs that exhibited comparable CPMAS 13C NMR spectra and aromaticity did not behave similarly with respect to phenanthrene sorption. When the sorption data (K(oc) values) were correlated to sample aromaticity, the correlation coefficients (r2) did not exceed 0.39. Comparisons with the atomic H to C ratio provided slightly better r2 values (up to 0.54). This study demonstrates that macroscopic sorbent characteristics could not explain the observed phenanthrene sorption coefficients, aliphatic structural components of HAs can contribute appreciably to phenanthrene sorption, and organic matter physical conformation may regulate access to organic matter structures. Therefore, the use of only macroscopic sorbent properties, such as aromaticity, to predict and rationalize sorption values cannot solely be used to explain the behavior of organic contaminants in soil environments.     

Calcium phosphate stabilization of fly ash with chloride extraction

Municipal solid waste incinerator by products include fly ash and air pollution control residues. In order to transform these incinerator wastes into reusable mineral species, soluble alkali chlorides must be separated and toxic trace elements must be stabilized in insoluble form. We show that alkali chlorides can be extracted efficiently in an aqueous extraction step combining a calcium phosphate gel precipitation. In such a process, sodium and potassium chlorides are obtained free from calcium salts, and the trace metal ions are immobilized in the calcium phosphate matrix. Moderate calcination of the chemically treated fly ash leads to the formation of cristalline hydroxylapatite. Fly ash spiked with copper ions and treated by this process shows improved stability of metal ions. Leaching tests with water or EDTA reveal a significant drop in metal ion dissolution. Hydroxylapatite may trap toxic metals and also prevent their evaporation during thermal treatments. Incinerator fly ash together with air pollution control residues, treated by the combined chloride extraction and hydroxylapatite formation process may be considered safe to use as a mineral filler in value added products such as road base or cement blocks.     

Impact of Lime and Ash Applications on Soil Solution Chemistry of an Acidified Podzolic Soil

Soil solution samples were taken from two sites (Horröd and Hasslöv) in the south part of Sweden to evaluate how soil solution chemistry responded to different treatmentswith dolomite and wood ash. At Horröd, samples were taken four years after application of wood ash, 4.28 ton ha^-1 and dolomite, 3.25 ton ha^-1. At Hasslöv dolomite, 3.45 ton ha^-1 and 8.75 ton ha^-1 was applied and samples were taken 15 yr later. It was found that treatment with dolomite at one site (Hasslöv) resulted in higher pH values (<2 pH units) and higher nitrification. It was also found at this site that the total Al and the inorganic Al concentrations decreased with dolomite treatment. The Ca, Mg, DOC, Fe, SO₄ ^2- and Cl^- concentrations, mainly in the topsoil, were found to be higher at both sites, following dolomite treatment; Ca and Mg concentrations were 2–8 times higher (<820 M) than in controls (<70 M). Wood ash was found to have less impact. The PO₄ concentration in the O2 horizon at Hasslöv decreased due to dolomite-treatment. ANOVA (Analyse of Variance) and PLS (Partial Least Square) were used to evaluate the data from the two sites.