Natal philopatry and breeding area fidelity of long-billed curlews (Numenius americanus): Patterns and evolutionary consequences

Summary Long-billed curlews (Numenius americanus) appear unique among scolopacid shorebirds so far studied in possessing a significant sex bias in natal philopatry. We resighted 9 curlews at least attempting to breed that were color-banded as chicks; 8 of these were males. Male curlews also cooperate extensively with neighbors in mobbing potential chick predators. This mutualistic behavior may have evolved through kin selection among philopatric males. If so, we would expect such an evolutionary consequence to lead to a similar sex bias in breeding area fidelity. Yet our resightings of colorbanded adults over 4 consecutive years indicate that males and females were equally likely to return to previous nesting territories. Excessive disturbance such as capture and nest loss within a single breeding season was correlated with the likelihood of breeding dispersal by females but not males. This suggests potentially stronger breeding area fidelity of males.     

Factors affecting trace element content in periurban market garden subsoil in Yunnan Province, China

Field investigations were conducted to measure subsoil trace element content and factors influencing content in an intensive periurban market garden in Chenggong County,Yunnan Province,South-West China.The area was divided into three different geomorphological units:specifically,mountain (M),transition (T) and lacustrine (L).Mean trace element content in subsoil were determined for Pb (58.2 mg/kg),Cd (0.89 mg/kg),Cu (129.2 mg/kg),and Zn (97.0 mg/kg).Strong significant relationships between trace element con...     

Toxicity monitoring and classification of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) using recombinant bioluminescent bacteria

A recombinant bioluminescent Escherichia coli, DPD2794, containing the recA promoter region fused to luxCDABE originating from Vibrio fischeri was used for detecting genotoxicity caused by endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) to cells. As well, several other recombinant bioluminescent bacteria, including TV1061, which is sensitive to protein damage (grpE::luxCDA BE), DPD2511, sensitive to oxidative damage (katG::luxCDABE), and DPD2540, sensitive to membrane damage (fabA::luxCDABE), were used for evaluating other possible modes of toxicity. It was found that the recombinant bacteria could monitor the toxic effect, not estrogenic effect, due to the presence of various EDCs through the measurement of bioluminescence (BL) and cell growth rate, which depend upon the type of toxicity occurring and which of the four strains was used. In addition, it was found that the damage caused by EDCs can be classified into several groups upon their mechanisms of toxic action.     

镉和铬对多毛类环节动物小头虫两个种群的效应

本文系首次就同一有毒物质(如镉和铬)对一种多毛类(如小头虫Capitellacapitata)两个在地理上隔离很远的种群(如太平洋东岸加利福尼亚长滩种群和太平洋西岸青岛种群)的效应进行的实验性研究.青岛种群和加州长滩种群铬的96小时半致死浓度分别为0.063mg/l和1.7mg/l.镉的96小时半致死浓度分别为1.0mg/l和0.6mg/l.对上述镉和铬两个种群的数值.讨论了敏感的原因。文章还对截至目前已发表的小头虫以及其它多毛类96小时半致死浓度的结果进行了比较.     

Long-term relationships between SO2 and NOx emissions and SO4(2-) and NO3- concentration in bulk deposition at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, NH

A highly significant second-order polynomial relation between SO(2) emissions and SO(4)(2-) concentrations during 1970-2000 (r(2)= 0.80, p= <0.001), and a linear relation between NO(x) and NO(3)(-) concentrations during 1991-2000 (r(2)= 0.67, p= 0.004) in bulk precipitation were found for the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, NH based on emissions from a 24 h, back-trajectory determined source area. Earlier periods (1965-1980) for SO(2)ratio SO(4)(2-) and longer periods (1965-2000) for NO(x)ratio NO(3)(-) had poorer linear relations, r(2)= 0.03, p= 0.51 and r(2)= 0.22, p= 0.004, respectively. Methodology by the US Environmental Protection Agency for calculating emissions data during this period has changed significantly and frequently, making trend analysis difficult. Given the large potential for errors in estimating emissions and to a lesser extent, deposition, the robust relations between SO(2) emissions and SO(4)(2-) concentrations in bulk precipitation at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest show that careful, long-term measurements from a single monitoring site can provide sound and reasonable data on trends in air pollution.     

Exploring the effects of multiple management objectives and exotic species on great lakes food webs and contaminant dynamics

A simulation model was developed to describe linkages among fish food web, nutrient cycling, and contaminant processes in the southern basin of Lake Michigan. The model was used to examine possible effects of management actions and an exotic zooplankter (Bythotrephes) on Lake Michigan food web and contaminant dynamics. The model predicts that contaminant concentrations in salmonines will decrease by nearly 20% ifBythotrephes successfully establishes itself in the lake. The model suggests that this decrease will result from lowered transfer efficiencies within the food web and increased flux of contaminants to the hypolimnion. The model also indicates that phosphorus management will have little effect on contaminant concentrations in salmonines. The modeling exercise helped identify weaknesses in the data base (e.g., incomplete information on contaminant loadings and on the biomass, production, and ecological efficiencies of dominant organisms) that should be corrected in order to make reliable management decisions.