Nutritional benefits of filial cannibalism in three-spined sticklebacks (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Gasterosteus aculeatus</Emphasis>)

Although filial cannibalism (eating one’s own offspring) occurs in numerous species, including several teleost fishes, its adaptive value is still not well understood. One often-discussed explanation is that individuals enhance their mass and body condition by consuming part of their eggs. However, evidence for this assumption is scarce thus far. In this study, male three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus), a species with paternal care, were allowed to care for a batch of eggs or for an empty nest under food-deprived conditions. All brood-caring males cannibalised at least part of their eggs and thus preserved their initial mass and body condition. Furthermore, mass as well as body condition was significant positively correlated with the number of cannibalised eggs. In contrast, empty-nest males that had no possibility to cannibalise eggs significantly lost mass and body condition. This is, to our knowledge, the first experimentally documented evidence that mass as well as body condition were preserved by filial cannibalism.     

Anoxic phosphorus removal in a pilot scale anaerobic-anoxic oxidation ditch process

The anaerobic-anoxic oxidation ditch (A²/O OD) process is popularly used to eliminate nutrients from domestic wastewater. In order to identify the existence of denitrifying phosphorus removing bacteria (DPB), evaluate the contribution of DPB to biological nutrient removal, and enhance the denitrifying phosphorus removal in the A²/O OD process, a pilot-scale A²/O OD plant (375 L) was conducted. At the same time batch tests using sequence batch reactors (12 L and 4 L) were operated to reveal the significance of anoxic phosphorus removal. The results indicated that: The average removal efficiency of COD, NH₄⁺, PO₄³⁻, and TN were 88.2%, 92.6%, 87.8%, and 73.1%, respectively, when the steady state of the pilotscale A²/O OD plant was reached during 31–73 d, demonstrating a good denitrifying phosphorus removal performance. Phosphorus uptake took place in the anoxic zone by poly-phosphorus accumulating organisms NO₂⁻ could be used as electron receptors in denitrifying phosphorus removal, and the phosphorus uptake rate with NO₂⁻ as the electron receptor was higher than that with NO₃⁻ when the initial concentration of either NO₂⁻ or NO₃⁻ was 40 mg/L.     

污水中黄磷的光度测定法

用一种新的分光光度法测定废水和轻度污染河水中的黄磷.水中的黄磷经有机溶剂萃取后,与硝酸银溶液反应生成亮黄色,可于分光光度计上比色测定.检测下限0.01μg;相对标准偏差0％—8％;回收率88％—100％·与磷钼酸盐光度法比较.本方法简单、快速、灵敏度高、选择性好,无毒安全.     

太原城区PM2.5中多环芳烃、硝基多环芳烃的污染特征、来源解析和健康风险评价

以2013—2014年期间太原城区大气细颗粒物(PM_(2.5))为研究对象,定量分析了其中多环芳烃和硝基多环芳烃的浓度.结果显示,太原城区PM_(2.5)中16种多环芳烃和12种硝基多环芳烃的浓度分别为13.8~547和0.70~4.33 ng·m~(-3),硝基多环芳烃浓度低于多环芳烃浓度1~2个数量级.太原城区PM_(2.5)中多环芳烃最高值出现在冬季,最低值出现在夏季,冬季污染物浓度平均值高于夏季20倍,主要是由于北方采暖期间取暖用煤量的增加使得多环芳烃排放量大幅提高;与之不同的是,硝基多环芳烃浓度季节变化并不显著,冬季浓度均值与夏季差异小于5倍(除9-硝基蒽),反映出硝基多环芳烃生成主要与机动车尾气排放有关,其排放不受季节控制,这与实际情况是吻合的.此外,基于因子分析和化合物比值结果发现,太原城区大气PM_(2.5)中9-硝基蒽有来自周边地区木材燃烧的贡献.健康风险评价结果表明,必须对多环芳烃排放进行有效控制来降低人群在冬季大气中的暴露风险;对于硝基多环芳烃,其健康风险更要引起足够的重视.     

内电解人工湿地冬季低温尾水强化脱氮机制

针对湿地冬季运行效率低、污染物去除能力差,本研究通过对比无植物湿地、普通湿地和内电解湿地冬季低水温下(3~12℃)对污水厂尾水的脱氮效能,深入分析其微生物群落结构组成,揭示内电解湿地的强化脱氮机制.结果表明,内电解湿地可以更好地利用尾水中碳源,脱氮效果优势明显,出水TN浓度维持在(9±0.29)mg·L~(-1),TN平均去除率达42.27%,比无植物湿地和普通湿地分别高出17.91%、17.33%.冬季低温条件下,内电解湿地微生物活性仍很高,荧光显色法测得微生物活性达到0.224 mg·g~(-1),分别是无植物湿地和普通湿地的2.6、3.4倍,反硝化强度分别是无植物湿地和普通湿地的2.8、3.3倍.高通量测序表明,内电解湿地基质微生物群落多样性优于无植物湿地和普通湿地.检测出的脱氮微生物主要有脱氯单胞菌、根瘤菌、生丝微菌、红杆菌,还有自养反硝化细菌产硫酸杆菌.内电解湿地在脱氮微生物总量上有明显优势,脱氮微生物占微生物总量的7.13%,分别是无植物湿地、普通物湿地的3.8、8.7倍,因而脱氮效率更高.     

多环芳烃在珠江口的百年沉积记录

伶仃洋西滩为珠江口的重要沉积区之一.本文分析了采自伶仃洋西滩沉积钻孔(Core 25)中多环芳烃的垂直分布和含量特征,结合²¹⁰Pb定年,重现了该地区近百年来多环芳烃(PAH)的沉积历史.多环芳烃在整个沉积剖面(0～62cm)的含量介于59～330ng·g^-1 (干重) .从19世纪60年代开始,PAH沉积通量逐渐上升,在20世纪50年代达到第一个高峰值.PAH含量在20世纪60～70年代有所降低.20世纪80年代后,PAH含量急剧上升,并在90年代达到最高值.珠江口沉积柱中的多环芳烃主要为热成因来源,其通量变化与周边人类活动(国内生产总值,机动车数量,能源消耗)呈正相关.大气干湿沉降及地表的冲刷作用是PAH进入水体沉积物的主要途径.     

A lake classification concept for a more accurate global estimate of the dissolved inorganic carbon export from terrestrial ecosystems to inland waters

The magnitude of lateral dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) export from terrestrial ecosystems to inland waters strongly influences the estimate of the global terrestrial carbon dioxide (CO₂) sink. At present, no reliable number of this export is available, and the few studies estimating the lateral DIC export assume that all lakes on Earth function similarly. However, lakes can function along a continuum from passive carbon transporters (passive open channels) to highly active carbon transformers with efficient in-lake CO₂ production and loss. We developed and applied a conceptual model to demonstrate how the assumed function of lakes in carbon cycling can affect calculations of the global lateral DIC export from terrestrial ecosystems to inland waters. Using global data on in-lake CO₂ production by mineralization as well as CO₂ loss by emission, primary production, and carbonate precipitation in lakes, we estimated that the global lateral DIC export can lie within the range of \( {0.70}_{-0.31}^{+0.27} \) to \( {1.52}_{-0.90}^{+1.09} \) Pg C yr^?1 depending on the assumed function of lakes. Thus, the considered lake function has a large effect on the calculated lateral DIC export from terrestrial ecosystems to inland waters. We conclude that more robust estimates of CO₂ sinks and sources will require the classification of lakes into their predominant function. This functional lake classification concept becomes particularly important for the estimation of future CO₂ sinks and sources, since in-lake carbon transformation is predicted to be altered with climate change.     

Millennium-old farm breeding of Chinese softshell turtles (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pelodiscus</Emphasis> spp.) results in massive erosion of biodiversity

Chinese softshell turtles (Pelodiscus spp.) are widely distributed, ranging from the Amur and Ussuri Rivers in the Russian Far East through the Korean Peninsula, Japan, and eastern, central, and southern China to southern Vietnam. In East and Southeast Asia, Chinese softshell turtles are traditionally exploited for food and have been farm-bred in China since the Spring and Autumn Period, more than 2400 years ago. Currently, the annual production of Pelodiscus amounts to 340,000 t in China alone. Using mitochondrial DNA (2428 bp) and five nuclear loci (3704 bp), we examined broad sampling of wild and farm-bred Pelodiscus to infer genetic and taxonomic differentiation. We discovered four previously unknown mitochondrial lineages, all from China. One lineage from Jiangxi is deeply divergent and sister to the mitochondrial lineage of Pelodiscus axenaria. The nuclear loci supported species status for P. axenaria and the new lineage from Jiangxi. Pelodiscus maackii and P. parviformis, both harboring distinct mitochondrial lineages, were not differentiated from P. sinensis in the studied nuclear markers. The same is true for two new mitochondrial lineages from Zhejiang, China, represented by only one individual each, and another new lineage from Anhui, Guangdong, Jiangxi and Zhejiang, China. However, Vietnamese turtles yielding a mitochondrial lineage clustering within P. sinensis were distinct in nuclear markers, suggesting that these populations could represent another unknown species with introgressed mitochondria. Its species status is also supported by the syntopic occurrence with P. sinensis in northern Vietnam and by morphology. In addition, we confirmed sympatry of P. axenaria and P. parviformis in Guangxi, China, and found evidence for sympatry of P. sinensis and the new putative species from Jiangxi, China. We also discovered evidence for hybridization in turtle farms and for the occurrence of alien lineages in the wild (Zhejiang, China), highlighting the risk of genetic pollution of native stock. In the face of the large-scale breeding of Pelodiscus, we claim that the long-term survival of distinct genetic lineages and species can only be assured when an upscale market segment for pure-bred softshell turtles is established, making the breeding of pure lineages lucrative for turtle farms. Our findings underline that the diversity of Pelodiscus is currently underestimated and threatened by anthropogenic admixture. We recommend mass screening of genetic and morphological variation of Chinese softshell turtles as a first step to understand and preserve their diversity.     

Meta-networks for the study of biogeographical traits in ecological networks: the Mexican hummingbird-plant assemblage

Recent studies on ecological networks have quantified the contribution of ecological, historical, and evolutionary factors on the structure of local communities of interacting species. However, the influence of species’ biogeographical traits, such as migratory habits or phylogeographical history, on ecological networks is poorly understood. Meta-networks, i.e., networks that cover large spatial extensions and include species not co-occurring locally, enable us to investigate mechanisms that operate at larger spatial scales such as migratory patterns or phylogeographical distributions, as well as indirect relationships among species through shared partners. Using a meta-network of hummingbird-plant interaction across Mexico, we illustrate the usefulness of this approach by investigating (1) how biogeographical and morphological factors associate with observed interactions and (2) how species-specific biogeographical characteristics associate with species’ network roles. Our results show that all studied hummingbird and plant species in the meta-network were interrelated, either directly or through shared partners. The meta-network was structured into modules, resulting from hummingbirds and plants interacting preferentially with subsets of species, which differed in biogeographical, and, to a lesser extent, morphological traits. Furthermore, migrants and hummingbirds from Nearctic, Transition, and widespread regions had a higher topological importance in the meta-network. Our study illustrates how meta-networks may contribute to our current knowledge on species’ biogeographical traits and biotic interactions, providing a perspective complementary to local-scale networks.     

A salamander’s toxic arsenal: review of skin poison diversity and function in true salamanders,genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Salamandra</Emphasis>

Terrestrial salamanders of the genus Salamandra represent one of the most prominent groups of amphibians. They are mainly distributed across Europe but also reach Northern Africa and the Near East. Members of the six currently accepted species have long been known to be poisonous; however, work on their toxins was mostly published in German language, and therefore, many nuances of these studies have remained hidden from the majority of herpetologists and toxinologists. Several Salamandra species are called fire salamanders due to their highly contrasted, black-yellow colouration which probably serves to deter predators, although thorough evidence for aposematism in Salamandra is still lacking. Salamandra skin toxins do not only represent a potent antipredator defence but may also have antimicrobial effects. A better understanding of this dual function of Salamandra skin secretions is of utmost importance in the face of the emergence of a fungal disease causing catastrophic declines of fire salamanders in Central Europe, caused by the fungus Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans. In this review, we summarize the knowledge on Salamandra toxins, providing a list of the compounds so far isolated from their secretion and focusing on the bioactivity of the major compounds in Salamandra secretions, the steroidal alkaloids. We identify priorities for future research, including a screening of co-occurrence of steroidal alkaloids and tetrodotoxins in salamandrids, chemical characterization of already identified novel steroidal compounds, elucidation of the presence and role of peptides and proteins in the secretion, and experimental in vitro and in vivo study of the interactions between bioactive compounds in Salamandra skin secretions and cutaneous fungal and bacterial pathogens.