Seasonality of feeding and nutritional status during the austral winter in the Antarctic sea urchin Sterechinus neumayeri

The seasonal pattern of food intake and tissue energy status was measured over a 2 year period for two populations of the common Antarctic echinoid Sterechinus neumayeri living on contrasting substrata at Rothera Point, Adelaide Island, Antarctica. Food intake was estimated from faecal egestion, and both tissue mass and energy content assessed. Food availability was intensely seasonal, in that water column chlorophyll content and sediment pigment content varied markedly throughout the year. In response, both urchin populations showed an extremely seasonal cycle of faecal egestion, indicating a strong seasonality of feeding activity. Urchins from North Cove living on soft sediment fed at a considerably higher rate, and had a significantly larger Aristotle's lantern, than those in South Cove, 1 km away, living on hard substrata and taking a more cosmopolitan diet. Faecal egestion in both populations was zero for a 7 month period in the austral winter of 1997, and again for a 4 month period in 1998. During the austral summer of 1997/1998, 84% of the total annual energy intake took place in the period January to March. Significant decrease in gut tissue mass provided energy for maintenance in early winter, although progressive reduction of both gonad energy content (but without a detectable change in gonad mass) and body wall organic mass provided energy during the late winter period. The mass of reproductive tissue showed large differences between the two sites, but there was no marked decrease associated with spawning. Tissue proximate composition was assessed stoichiometrically from elemental composition and also checked by direct assay; gonad tissue was richer in lipid than gut tissue, though both were dominated by protein and contained only small amounts of carbohydrate. These data suggest that the very strong seasonality of food intake does not pose a significant energetic challenge for this species.     

儿童的形态发育和肺功能生长

根据中国 4城市 8所小学儿童的调查研究结果 ,报告了在不同环境条件下 ,儿童体格和肺功能发育的基本情况 ,并试图从营养条件和空气污染两个方面对儿童肺功能发育情况进行解释。研究指出营养条件和空气污染对儿童肺功能的影响作用相反。两种相反的作用互相抵消了一部分影响 ,可能是造成了儿童肺功能波动的原因。空气污染严重、营养条件较差 ,二者均可使肺功能指标下降。有一定的空气污染、营养条件又好 ,肺功能指标可能相对较高 ,因此营养条件可能是研究空气污染对儿童肺功能影响的一个较为重要的混杂因子     

Interdemic variation in mixed-species association patterns: common diurnal primates of Kibale National Park, Uganda

We used interdemic variation in the tendency to form mixed-species groups to examine the costs and benefits of association among the primates of Kibale National Park, Uganda. A year-long survey of six sites revealed that the amount of time that the five common diurnal primates [red colobus (Procolobus tephrosceles), black-and-white colobus (Colobus guereza), redtail monkeys (Cercopithecus ascanius), blue monkeys (Cercopithecus mitis), and grey-cheeked mangabeys (Lophocebus albigena)] spent in mixed-species groups varied dramatically among sites. In many cases, the proportion of time that species associated was positively related to their densities. By using detailed behavioral observations of redtail monkeys and red colobus made over 4 years (2660 h) at four sites, we were able to reject the null hypothesis that associations occur by chance for only one of four sites. However, a correlative approach exploring the costs and benefits of association suggests that ecological variables do influence association patterns. We found that redtail monkeys and red colobus overlapped in diet (19.2% of their foraging effort) and traveled further when in mixed-species groups than when alone. Having demonstrated this, we examined the applicability of the ecological constraints model for predicting the proportion of the time spent in mixed-species groups based on food availability. For this analysis we concentrated on red colobus from the site with 35 months of observation and demonstrated that their tendency to be in mixed- species groups was related to food availability. We used two methods to examine if mixed-species associations function to decrease predation risk. First, chimpanzees are known to prey heavily on red colobus, but rarely kill other primates. The time red colobus spent in mixed-species groups was correlated to chimpanzee density, but it was not for the other monkey species, suggesting that mixed-species groups serve to decrease predation risk. Second, when red colobus groups contain more infants and are presumably at the greatest risk of predation, they form mixed-species groups most often. These results demonstrate that the costs and benefits of mixed-species associations vary dramatically over small spatial and temporal scales. If such variation is generally the case, then studies conducted at different locations or different times could easily highlight the importance of difference selective agents in favoring mixed-species associations. Received: 10 February 1999 / Received in revised form: 16 September 1999 / Accepted: 2 October 1999     

儿童呼吸系统疾病对肺功能影响的探讨

通过 1 995～ 1 996年 3次肺功能测量和家庭健康问卷调查发现 ,患过感冒咳嗽、咳痰、气喘、哮喘和支气管炎的儿童中 FEV1 / FVC、FEV1 /预测值以及 FVC/预测值的异常率比未患过这 5种疾病的儿童都高 ,且前者达到显著性水平。FVC/预测值、FEV1 /预测值有部分疾病异常率达到显著水平。患过呼吸系统疾病 ,且肺功能测量异常的儿童比未患过呼吸系统疾病 ,且肺功能测量正常儿童的 FVC调整预测值下降 3 4 5～ 4 1 8ml,FEV1 调整预测值下降 3 56～ 4 75ml,FEV1 /FVC平均下降 1 4 .2 %～ 1 9.4 %。说明曾患过呼吸系统疾病儿童的肺功能已受到了一定程度的影响     

我国4个大城市空气PM_(2.5)、PM_(10)污染及其化学组成

报告了 1 995～ 1 996年在中国的广州、武汉、兰州、重庆 4大城市 8个采样点 PM2 .5 、PM2 .5～ 1 0 和 PM1 0 的监测结果。结果表明 ,1 995年 PM2 .5 年均值浓度为 57～ 1 60 μg/m3,比美国 1 997年颁布的标准值 (1 5μg/m3)高 2 .8～ 9.7倍。PM1 0 年日均值为 95～ 2 73μg/m3。除武汉市 1个对照点外 ,其余 7个监测点的 PM1 0 均超过我国空气质量二极标准 (1 0 0μg/m3)2 8%～ 1 73 % ,比美国标准 (50μg/m3)超过更多 ,说明污染是相当严重的。用 XRF分析了 PM2 .5 、PM2 .5～ 1 0 中 4 2种化学元素 ,结果表明 ,燃煤、燃油和其它工业污染的元素 As、Pb、Se、Zn、Cu、Cl、Br、S在这些颗粒物中有明显富集 ,特别是在PM2 .5 中的富集倍数达数十倍至数万倍 ,对人体健康有很大危害     

Using fisher-contributed secondary fins to fill critical shark-fisheries data gaps

Developing-world shark fisheries are typically not assessed or actively managed for sustainability; one fundamental obstacle is the lack of species and size-composition catch data. We tested and implemented a new and potentially widely applicable approach for collecting these data: mandatory submission of low-value secondary fins (anal fins) from landed sharks by fishers and use of the fins to reconstruct catch species and size. Visual and low-cost genetic identification were used to determine species composition, and linear regression was applied to total length and anal fin base length for catch-size reconstruction. We tested the feasibility of this approach in Belize, first in a local proof-of-concept study and then scaling it up to the national level for the 2017–2018 shark-fishing season (1,786 fins analyzed). Sixteen species occurred in this fishery. The most common were the Caribbean reef (Carcharhinus perezi), blacktip (C. limbatus), sharpnose (Atlantic [Rhizoprionodon terraenovae] and Caribbean [R. porosus] considered as a group), and bonnethead (Sphyrna cf. tiburo). Sharpnose and bonnethead sharks were landed primarily above size at maturity, whereas Caribbean reef and blacktip sharks were primarily landed below size at maturity. Our approach proved effective in obtaining critical data for managing the shark fishery, and we suggest the tools developed as part of this program could be exported to other nations in this region and applied almost immediately if there were means to communicate with fishers and incentivize them to provide anal fins. Outside the tropical Western Atlantic, we recommend further investigation of the feasibility of sampling of secondary fins, including considerations of time, effort, and cost of species identification from these fins, what secondary fin type to use, and the means with which to communicate with fishers and incentivize participation. This program could be a model for collecting urgently needed data for developing-world shark fisheries globally. Article impact statement: Shark fins collected from fishers yield data critical to shark fisheries management in developing nations.     

Reproductive division of labour coevolves with gall size in Australian thrips with soldiers

An analysis of multiple species of Australian gall-inducing thrips with soldiers reveals a significant negative correlation between the size of gall produced and the reproductive division of labour. This correlation suggests that the evolution of smaller galls limited the available space and feeding sites for the offspring of female soldiers, and was a major factor that led to the evolution of an altruistic caste in the gall-inducers. We argue that high levels of inbreeding by singly mated foundresses and incestuous mating by her soldier offspring are key to this evolutionary relationship because they make the relatedness of a female soldier to her daughters and sisters approximately equal. Evidence that relatedness plays an important role is strengthened by the observation of outbred multiply mated foundresses and unbiased sex ratio of dispersers in Oncothrips waterhousei, and the inference that both gall volume and skew decreased along this lineage.     

Feeding preferences of gammarid amphipods among four species ofFucus

Each of fourFucus species occurring on the Atlantic coast of Canada was presented to two species of gammarid amphipods in no-choice and multiple-choice laboratory experiments. We also measured concentrations of anti-herbivore phlorotannins in each of theFucus species. The study site was Cranberry Cove in Nova Scotia, Canada, and experiments were conducted in 1988. In a multiple-choice experiment,F. vesiculosus was very heavily grazed. Other species were much less affected. In a no-choice experiment,F. evanescens, F. spiralis andF. vesiculosus were eaten at similar rates, whileF. distichus was barely grazed. These results correlate with measurements of phorotannin concentrations in each of the species.F. distichus had much higher concentrations than did the other species (which were not significantly different among themselves). There is no general clear-cut relationship between grazer deterrence and competitive capability within the fucoid guild studied.     

Soil landscape constraint mapping for coastal land use planning using geographic information system

The aim of the study was to delineate soil landscape constraints to various land uses for urban and regional planning in the coastal areas of New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Soil landscape units mapped at 1:100,000 or coarser were sub-divided into component facets using advanced terrain modelling techniques in a geographic information system (GIS). The output facet grids were further overlain and linked with relevant GIS layers and soil databases to derive soil landscape constraint ratings for various land use purposes such as residential development, cropping and grazing. The constraint ratings for a specific land use were calculated based on objective and rule-based assessments of soil and landscape features such as engineering hazards, intrinsic fertility, drainage and other parameters. A series of soil landscape constraint maps which portray specific land use capability have been produced for the NSW coast. The methodology developed in this study has been demonstrated to be efficient in delineating soil landscape constraints and there is over 90% agreement between the model outputs and the assessment by soil surveyors with local knowledge. The output maps show levels of unprecedented detail of soil and landscape constraint for the coast of NSW and can be readily interpreted by land use planners and land managers for sustainable land use decision making practices.