Disturbance cues in freshwater prey fishes: do juvenile convict cichlids and rainbow trout respond to ammonium as an ‘early warning’ signal?

Summary.  Several freshwater invertebrate and vertebrate prey species rely on chemosensory cues, including non-injury released disturbance cues, to assess and avoid local predation threats. The prevailing hypothesis is that a pulse of ammonia released by disturbed or stressed prey functions as the disturbance cue. Here, we test this hypothesis in two phylogenetically distant freshwater prey fishes, convict cichlids and rainbow trout. In our first experiment, we measured NH₄ ⁺ concentration in tanks containing shoals of cichlid or trout before and after exposure to a realistic model predator (or left undisturbed). We failed to find an increase in ambient NH₄ ⁺ concentration for either cichlids or trout. In our second experiment, we exposed cichlids or trout to NH₄ ⁺ at 0.1 or 0.5 mg L⁻¹ (or a distilled water control) and measured the change in antipredator behaviour (time moving, foraging rate and area use). We found no consistent increase in antipredator behaviour in response to NH₄ ⁺. In our third study, we exposed cichlids and trout to the disturbance cues of cichlids or trout (versus the odour of undisturbed donors). We found significant increases in antipredator behaviour, regardless of donor species, for both cichlids and trout. Thus, the results of our first two experiments do not support the hypothesis that ammonium functions as a disturbance cue in prey fishes. However, the results of our final experiment do confirm the use of disturbance cues in convict cichlids and rainbow trout and support that hypothesis that the disturbance cue is indeed some generalized metabolic byproduct.     

Spatial pattern and persistence of historical fire boundaries in southern interior British Columbia

Recent ecosystem and fire management research aims to quantify, model and understand historical fire disturbances focusing on their frequency, size and distribution. Less attention, however, has been paid to fire boundaries and their location on the landscape. Our study presents a spatial method to quantify the location, pattern and persistence of historical fire boundaries using tree ring fire scar data in the lower Stein watershed (British Columbia). Data from Pinus ponderosa and Pseudotsuga menziesii collected in 35 one-hectare plots over a 412-hectare study area were analyzed for the period between 1879 and 1947 using local spatial statistics and boundary detection techniques. Results of the analysis using local spatial statistic Moran’s I showed significant clustering of boundaries near topographic breaks. To determine and test whether fire boundaries between plots were persistent, we used boundary detection methods and developed a spatially restricted randomization test. The results revealed that out of 86 possible boundary links, 8 were significantly persistent (P < 0.025) while another 8 were significantly rare (P < 0.025). These spatial methods can help determine the historical spatial configuration of persistent boundaries and can be used to maintain natural forest dynamics.

厦门海域春夏季微型浮游动物对浮游植物的摄食压力初探

应用稀释法对厦门海域浮游植物生长率(k)和微型浮游动物的摄食率(g)进行了估算。结果显示：5月,西海域18测站k、g分别为2．41、0．78d^-1;南部海域27测站分别为2．43、1．32d^-1。8月18测站k、g分别为3．00、2．90d^-1;27测站分别为1．94、0．91d^-1。说明厦门海域作为典型的亚热带港湾,具有高的k、g值。分粒级研究结果显示：8月,18测站微型浮游动物对微型浮游植物(Micro)具摄食偏好;而27测站微型浮游动物对Micro和Nano级的摄食率相近。应用流式细胞技术研究18测站微微型真核浮游植物的k、g,结果表明：春季,生长率和摄食率分别为2．00、1．02d^-1;夏季分别为1．52、0．96d^-1。     

Correlation and persistence of hunting and logging impacts on tropical rainforest mammals

Humans influence tropical rainforest animals directly via exploitation and indirectly via habitat disturbance. Bushmeat hunting and logging occur extensively in tropical forests and have large effects on particular species. But how they alter animal diversity across landscape scales and whether their impacts are correlated across species remain less known. We used spatially widespread measurements of mammal occurrence across Malaysian Borneo and recently developed multispecies hierarchical models to assess the species richness of medium‐ to large‐bodied terrestrial mammals while accounting for imperfect detection of all species. Hunting was associated with 31% lower species richness. Moreover, hunting remained high even where richness was very low, highlighting that hunting pressure persisted even in chronically overhunted areas. Newly logged sites had 11% lower species richness than unlogged sites, but sites logged >10 years previously had richness levels similar to those in old‐growth forest. Hunting was a more serious long‐term threat than logging for 91% of primate and ungulate species. Hunting and logging impacts across species were not correlated across taxa. Negative impacts of hunting were the greatest for common mammalian species, but commonness versus rarity was not related to species‐specific impacts of logging. Direct human impacts appeared highly persistent and lead to defaunation of certain areas. These impacts were particularly severe for species of ecological importance as seed dispersers and herbivores. Indirect impacts were also strong but appeared to attenuate more rapidly than previously thought. The lack of correlation between direct and indirect impacts across species highlights that multifaceted conservation strategies may be needed for mammal conservation in tropical rainforests, Earth's most biodiverse ecosystems. Correlación y Persistencia de los Impactos de la Caza y la Tala sobre los Mamíferos de los Bosques Tropicales     

Coupling urban 3-D information and circuit theory to advance the development of urban ecological networks

Ongoing, rapid urban growth accompanied by habitat fragmentation and loss challenges biodiversity conservation and leads to decreases in ecosystem services. Application of the concept of ecological networks in the preservation and restoration of connections among isolated patches of natural areas is a powerful conservation strategy. However, previous approaches often failed to objectively consider the impacts of complex 3-D city environments on ecological niches. We used airborne lidar-derived information on the 3-D structure of the built environment and vegetation and detailed land use and cover data to characterize habitat quality, niche diversity, and human disturbance and to predict habitat connectivity among 38 identified habitat core areas (HCAs) in Nanjing, China. We used circuit theory and Linkage Mapper to create a landscape resistance layer, simulate habitat connectivity, and identify and prioritize important corridors. We mapped 64 links by using current flow centrality to evaluate each HCA's contribution and the links that facilitate intact connectivity. Values were highest for HCA links located in the west, south, and northeast of the study area, where natural forests with complex 3-D structures predominate. Two smaller HCA areas had high centrality scores relative to their extents, which means they could act as important stepping stones in connectivity planning. The mapped pinch-point regions had narrow and fragile links among the HCAs, suggesting they require special protection. The barriers with the highest impact scores were mainly located at the HCA connections to Purple Mountain and, based on these high scores, are more likely to indicate important locations that can be restored to improve potential connections. Our novel framework allowed us to sufficiently convey spatially explicit information to identify targets for habitat restoration and potential pathways for species movement and dispersal. Such information is critical for assessing existing or potential habitats and corridors and developing strategic plans to balance habitat conservation and other land uses based on scientifically informed connectivity planning and implementation.     

Depletion of coastal predatory fish sub-stocks coincided with the largest sea urchin grazing event observed in the NE Atlantic

In this contribution, we propose fishery driven predator release as the cause for the largest grazing event ever observed in the NE Atlantic. Based on the evolving appreciation of limits to population connectivity, published and previously unpublished data, we discuss whether overfishing caused a grazer bloom of the sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis) resulting in overgrazing of more than 2000 km² kelp (Laminaria hyperborea) forest along Norwegian and Russian coasts during the 1970 s. We show that coastal fisheries likely depleted predatory coastal fish stocks through modernization of fishing methods and fleet. These fish were important predators on urchins and the reduction coincided with the urchin bloom. From this circumstantial evidence, we hypothesize that coastal predatory fish were important in regulating sea urchins, and that a local population dynamics perspective is necessary in management of coastal ecosystems.     

巢湖水域四溴双酚A的多介质迁移与归趋模拟

运用Ⅲ级逸度模型,模拟并研究了不同水动力条件下四溴双酚A（TBBPA）在巢湖水-沉积物系统中各环境相的浓度、储量以及相间的迁移通量.结果表明：TBBPA在水相、再悬浮颗粒相和沉积物相中的模拟计算浓度与实测平均浓度吻合度较高,验证了模型的有效性,并通过灵敏度分析探讨了模拟关键参数.当系统达到平衡时,沉积物是TBBPA最大的储库（占系统总储量86%以上）.同时,由于较强的水动力条件会改变系统再悬浮特征以及降解半衰期等关键参数,进而降低了各环境相中TBBPA的浓度值,增加了水相和再悬浮颗粒相中的储量比例,并增加了水体-再悬浮颗粒、沉积物-再悬浮颗粒的相间交换通量.此外,TBBPA在巢湖水-沉积物系统中损失的主要途径为沉积物相的降解（占入湖总量87%以上）.     

电离层对短波测向系统的影响分析

目的研究电离层对短波测向系统的影响。方法从电离层传播介质入手,分析路径偏离效应和波干涉效应的形成机理及其对短波测向的影响。结果电离层系统倾斜引起的测向误差可借助电离层长期预测模型、短期预测算法或电离层实时探测数据对测向方位偏差进行补偿。行波扰动不可预测,只能依据行波扰动观测结果进行测向误差校正。波干涉误差可通过时间平滑进行抑制。结论提升现有短波测向系统测向性能的根本途径是为短波测向系统配备电离层探测设备,准确获取系统覆盖区内电离层状态信息,并进行传播效应补偿。     

模拟升温和放牧对高寒草甸土壤微生物群落的影响

通过开顶式温室(Open top chambers,OTCs)升温以及刈割+施加牛粪处理,应用磷脂脂肪酸(Phospholipid fatty acids,PLFAs)方法,研究了青藏高原东部高寒草甸土壤微生物群落结构对气候变暖和放牧的响应.结果表明,高寒草甸在生长季节,微生物群落以细菌为主.平均1.17℃的土壤升温使土壤微生物PLFAs总量增加34.58%,而春季割草结合牛粪施加使微生物PLFAs总量增加65.77%.模拟变暖和放牧均引起土壤微生物群落结构的显著变化.升温使细菌相对含量增加8.80%,而使真菌相对含量降低17.48%,细菌与真菌之比由7.3变为9.6.放牧使细菌相对含量增加8.40%,真菌相对含量降低14.04%,细菌与真菌之比由7.3变为9.2.OTCs升温+放牧处理比单独的升温或放牧处理对土壤微生物总量和细菌与真菌比值的影响更加明显.本研究表明,气候变暖和人类活动能够在短期内显著地改变青藏高原高寒草甸土壤微生物群落结构,进而可能影响这一地区的生态系统碳收支和养分循环.     

一座南亚热带中富营养水库夏季浮游植物群落的稳态平衡分析

于2009年7月23日~9月12日(共8周)研究了广东省大沙河水库湖泊区表层5 m水柱浮游植物群落结构和演替过程及其环境影响因子.降雨明显分为二个阶段,前4周降雨丰富,后4周降雨稀少;水体的透明度与水温也相应地分为二个阶段,但营养盐水平没有明显的变化.平均N/P为33,而可溶解磷浓度很低,说明浮游植物的生长受磷的限制较为强烈.浮游植物种类分析中共检到藻类64种,生物量变化为0.95~2.03 mg L-1,主要由绿藻、甲藻和蓝藻组成.1~5周浮游植物的总生物量变化较大,后3周总生物量变化相对较小.在整个采样期间,光角角星鼓藻(Staurastrum muticum)为第一优势种,弯曲角星鼓藻藻(Staurastrum inflexum)为第二优势种(二者约占总生物量的70%);在1~5周第三个优势种的种类和生物量有较大的变化,6~8周第三优势种为飞燕角甲藻(Ceratium hirundinella)且前3个优势种的组成和生物量较稳定(共占到总生物量的80%以上),群落结构处于稳态平衡状态.降雨带来的干扰是影响浮游植物群落稳态平衡的主要因子.当降雨的干扰结束后,浮游植物之间通过1周左右的竞争,浮游植物群落达到稳态平衡.