Temperature niche composition change inside and outside protected areas under climate warming

Conservation of biodiversity relies heavily on protected areas but their role and effectiveness under a warming climate is still debated. We estimated the climate-driven changes in the temperature niche compositions of bird communities inside and outside protected areas in southern Canada. We hypothesized that communities inside protected areas include a higher proportion of cold-dwelling species than communities outside protected areas. We also hypothesized that communities shift to warm-dwelling species more slowly inside protected areas than outside. To study community changes, we used large-scale and long-term (1997–2019) data from the Breeding Bird Survey of Canada. To describe the temperature niche compositions of bird communities, we calculated the community temperature index (CTI) annually for each community inside and outside protected areas. Generally, warm-dwelling species dominated communities with high CTI values. We modeled temporal changes in CTI as a function of protection status with linear mixed-effect models. We also determined which species contributed most to the temporal changes in CTI with a jackknife approach. As anticipated, CTI was lower inside protected areas than outside. However, contrary to our expectation, CTI increased faster over time inside than outside protected areas and warm-dwelling species contributed most to CTI change inside protected areas. These results highlight the ubiquitous impacts of climate warming. Currently, protected areas can aid cold-dwelling species by providing habitat, but as the climate warms, the communities’ temperature compositions inside protected areas quickly begin to resemble those outside protected areas, suggesting that protected areas delay the impacts of climate warming on cold-dwelling species.     

长江口近岸地区抗生素抗性基因与微生物群落分布特征

由于抗生素的大量使用,环境中微生物对抗生素的抗性不断增加,抗生素抗性基因(ARGs)问题越来越严重,严重威胁生态安全和人类健康.为研究长江口近岸地区水体和底泥沉积物中的ARGs和微生物群落的分布特征,通过野外调查采集了8个站点的水样和沉积物样本,对2种磺胺类抗性基因(sul1、sul2)、6种四环素类抗性基因(tetM、tetC、tetX、tetA、tetO、tetQ)、1种整合子基因intI1、16S rRNA基因和微生物群落进行检测分析.结果表明,长江口近岸地区10种抗性基因的检出率为100%.其中,整合子基因intI1和水样中多种ARGs呈显著正相关关系.变形菌门(Proteobacteria)和拟杆菌门(Bacteroidota)是长江口近岸地区水环境中的优势菌门;Chloroplast为水体中的主要菌属,Chloroplast和Nitrospira为沉积物中的主要菌属.在水体中,硝化螺旋菌门(Nitrospirota)是4种四环素类抗性基因(tetX、tetA、tetO和tetQ)共同的潜在宿主;在沉积物中,Sva0485是sul1和intI1的共同潜在宿主.微生物群落的分布...     

Molecular approaches to microbiological monitoring: fecal source detection

Molecular methods are useful both to monitor natural communities of bacteria, and to track specific bacterial markers in complex environments. Length-heterogeneity polymerase chain reaction (LH-PCR) and terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) of 16S rDNAs discriminate among 16S rRNA genes based on length polymorphisms of their PCR products. With these methods, we developed an alternative indicator that distinguishes the source of fecal pollution in water. We amplify 16S rRNA gene fragments from the fecal anaerobic genus Bacteroides with specific primers. Because Bacteroides normally resides in gut habitats, its presence in water indicates fecal pollution. Molecular detection circumvents the complexities of growing anaerobic bacteria. We identified Bacteroides LH-PCR and T-RFLP ribosomal DNA markers unique to either ruminant or human feces. The same unique fecal markers were recovered from polluted natural waters. We cloned and sequenced the unique markers; marker sequences were used to design specific PCR primers that reliably distinguish human from ruminant sources of fecal contamination. Primers for more species are under development. This approach is more sensitive than fecal coliform assays, is comparable in complexity to standard food safety and public health diagnostic tests, and lends itself to automation and high-throughput. Thus molecular genetic markers for fecal anaerobic bacteria hold promise for monitoring bacterial pollution and water quality.     

不同催花肥对莲雾根际土壤细菌群落多样性的影响

为了解在反季节催花期间不同催花肥处理下莲雾根际土壤细菌群落结构的影响,采用Illumina MiSeq高通量测序技术对细菌16S rRNA V3-V4区进行检测,并结合土壤理化性质,比较分析不施肥（CK）与两种不同浓度施肥处理组（IF组,即无机肥处理组;GM组,即羊粪有机肥处理组）下的根际土壤细菌群落结构多样性.结果表明:①所有样品中共检测到10 925个OTU（operational taxonomic unit,操作分类单元）,包括239 639条有效序列,可分为28个门411个属.②多样性指数分析显示,细菌群落多样性顺序为IFM（中浓度无机肥处理）> GML（低浓度羊粪有机肥处理）> IFL（低浓度无机肥处理）> GMM（中浓度羊粪有机肥处理）> CK（对照）> IFH（高浓度无机肥处理）> GMH（高浓度羊粪有机肥处理）.其中,酸杆菌门（Acidobacteria）、绿弯菌门（Chloroflexi）、变形菌门（Proteobacteria）、放线菌门（Actinobacteria）为主要菌群,所占比例超过总数的67.33%.③不同施肥条件下莲雾根际土壤细菌群落结构特征分析显示,CK、IF组和GM组所特有的OTU数量分别占总数的0.51%、7.08%和2.60%,表明不同肥料的添加对土壤细菌群落多样性产生一定的影响,在IFH和GMH处理下,酸杆菌门的Subgroup_2_norank属与绿弯菌门的JG37-AG-4_norank属的相对丰度最高,分别为13.13%和15.89%.④环境因子的相关性热图分析表明,装甲菌门（Armatimonadetes）、硝化螺旋菌门（Nitrospirae）、酸杆菌门、放线菌门、厚壁菌门（Firmicutes）这五类菌群与不同环境因子的显著性关系如下:装甲菌门群落结构与pH呈现出极显著正相关,硝化螺旋菌门群落结构分别与w（TN）和w（有机质）呈现出显著负相关,酸杆菌门群落结构与w（速效磷）呈现出显著负相关,放线菌门群落结构与w（速效磷）呈现出显著正相关,厚壁菌门群落结构分别与w（速效磷）和w（速效钾）呈现出极显著正相关.研究显示,适量施加无机肥或羊粪有机肥,可以显著提高土壤细菌的丰度和多样性,有利于土壤生态环境的改良与维系.      

铜尾矿复垦后土壤微生物活性及其群落功能多样性研究

对安徽铜陵五公里尾矿区三叶草复垦后的土壤微生物活性和群落的功能多样性研究表明,复垦后每克土壤微生物细菌数已达2.3×107个,并存在一定量耐Cu2 、Cd2 、Zn2 、Cr6 、Pb2 、Ni2 的菌株,但种类少,主要为芽孢杆菌属、假单胞菌属和短杆菌属。BIOLOG测试结果显示,铜镉重金属离子的复合污染使土壤微生物群落丰富度降低;外源耐铜镉微生物菌剂的添加使尾矿区土壤微生物群落代谢剖面(AWCD)变化明显,提高微生物对单一碳源底物的利用能力,增加利用不同碳底物的微生物数量,减轻了重金属污染引起的土壤微生物群落功能多样性的下降,为尾矿区生境加速恢复提供一条有效途径。     

浑河底泥古菌群落结构季节性变化特征

为探究不同水期河流底泥古菌群落结构特征,选取浑河底泥为研究对象,并于2014年4月(枯水期),9月(丰水期),11月(平水期)对浑河流域进行样品采样,通过PCR-DGGE技术获得3个水期古菌的DGGE指纹图谱,并进行数据分析.结果表明,平水期的古菌多样性和种群丰度都要好于枯水期和丰水期,多样性指数均高于2.10,种群丰度均高于0.94,且上游到下游均匀度波动平缓,数值维持在0.90左右,说明平水期浑河底泥古菌群落结构变化相对稳定.聚类分析结果表明,不同水期浑河底泥古菌群落结构多样性并没有明显的地区特征,但3个水期位于城市段的采样点的古菌亲缘性较为接近.冗余梯度分析(RDA)结果表明,枯水期时水中BOD5、p H和DO是影响古菌群落的主要因素;丰水期时水中的p H和NO-3-N是影响古菌群落的主要因素;平水期时水中的TP和NO-2-N是影响古菌群落的主要因素.     

The importance of seed dispersal in the Alexandria Coastal Dunefield, South Africa

The endozoochorous dispersal of seeds by mammals and birds between distinct vegetation communities was assessed to determine the importance of these processes in coastal dune field management. Isolated pockets of thicket vegetation (bush-pockets) within a large coastal dune field provided the opportunity to study vertebrate seed dispersal and its contribution to their origin and maintenance. Mammalian and avian faeces were collected for the quantification of seeds dispersed via endozoochory. Birds and mammals showed considerable overlap, dispersing intact seeds of 17 and 29 plant species, respectively, but mammals dispersed a greater diversity and size range than birds. Extrapolation of mammalian faecal data indicates an annual input of 23 million intact seeds to the dune field. Significantly more seeds are deposited by mammals and birds in the bush-pockets than on open sand, and birds deposited greater numbers of seeds nearer the seed source. Zoochory appears to be critical for the maintenance of the bush-pocket habitats through the dispersal of climax woody plant species into the dune field. Directional dispersal by birds and mammals to the bush-pockets is considered to be responsible for the maintenance and possible origin of these bush-pockets. The high number of exotic plant propagules dispersed by both avian and mammalian zoochory highlights the importance of management of the Alexandria Coastal Dunefield (ACD) beyond the reserve boundaries. In a dynamic system such as the ACD which is within a declared nature reserve, the continued existence of the bush-pockets may depend on the maintenance, beyond the reserve boundaries, of a reservoir of not only plant material but vertebrate dispersers as well.     

Developmental stress affects song learning but not song complexity and vocal amplitude in zebra finches

Several recent studies have tested the hypothesis that song quality in adult birds may reflect early developmental conditions, specifically nutritional stress during the nestling period. Whilst all of these earlier studies found apparent links between early nutritional stress and song quality, their results disagree as to which aspects of song learning or production were affected. In this study, we attempted to reconcile these apparently inconsistent results. Our study also provides the first assessment of song amplitude in relation to early developmental stress and as a potential cue to male quality. We used an experimental manipulation in which the seeds on which the birds were reared were mixed with husks, making them more difficult for the parents to obtain. Compared with controls, such chicks were lighter at fledging; they were thereafter placed on a normal diet and had caught up by 100 days. We show that nutritional stress during the first 30 days of life reduced the birds’ accuracy of song syntax learning, resulting in poorer copies of tutor songs. Our experimental manipulations did not lead to significant changes in song amplitude, song duration or repertoire size. Thus, individual differences observed in song performance features probably reflect differences in current condition or motivation rather than past condition.     

Responses of benthic insect communities to effluent from the abandoned Ferris-Haggarty copper mine in southeast Wyoming, USA

This study provided information about the benthic insect communities that are present in the impacted reaches of Haggarty Creek.     

A dynamic hydrological Monte Carlo simulation model to inform decision-making at Lake Toolibin,Western Australia

Lake Toolibin, an ephemeral lake in the agricultural zone of Western Australia, is under threat from secondary salinity due to land clearance throughout the catchment. The lake is extensively covered with native vegetation and is a Ramsar listed wetland, being one of the few remaining significant migratory bird habitats in the region. Currently, inflow with salinity greater than 1000 mg/L TDS is diverted from the lake in an effort to protect sensitive lakebed vegetation. However, this conservative threshold compromises the frequency and extent of lake inundation, which is essential for bird breeding. It is speculated that relaxing the threshold to 5000 mg/L may pose negligible additional risk to the condition of lakebed vegetation. To characterise the magnitude of improvement in the provision of bird breeding habitat that might be generated by relaxing the threshold, a dynamic water and salt balance model of the lake was developed and implemented using Monte Carlo simulation. Results from best estimate model inputs indicate that relaxation of the threshold increases the likelihood of satisfying habitat requirements by a factor of 9.7. A second-order Monte Carlo analysis incorporating incertitude generated plausible bounds of [2.6, 37.5] around the best estimate for the relative likelihood of satisfying habitat requirements. Parameter-specific sensitivity analyses suggest the availability of habitat is most sensitive to pan evaporation, lower than expected inflow volume, and higher than expected inflow salt concentration. The characterisation of uncertainty associated with environmental variation and incertitude allows managers to make informed risk-weighted decisions.