Effects of Weed-Management Burning on Reptile Assemblages in Australian Tropical Savannas

Abstract: Fire is frequently used for land management purposes and may be crucial for effective control of invasive non‐native plants. Nevertheless, fire modifies environments and may affect nontarget native biodiversity, which can cause conflicts for conservation managers. Native Australian reptiles avoid habitat invaded by the alien plant rubber vine (Cryptostegia grandiflora) and may be susceptible to the impacts of burning, a situation that provides a model system in which to examine possible conservation trade‐offs between managing invasive plants and maintaining native biodiversity. We used replicated, experimental fire treatments (unburned, dry‐season burned, and wet‐season burned) in 2 habitats (riparian and adjacent open woodland) to examine the short‐ (within 12 months of fire) and longer‐term (within 3 years of fire) changes of reptile assemblages in response to wet‐ and dry‐season burning for weed management in tropical savannas of northern Australia. Within 12 months of fire, abundances of the skink Carlia munda (Scincidae) were higher in the burned sites, but overall reptile composition was structured by habitat type rather than by effects of burning. Within 3 years of a fire, the effects of fire were evident. Reptiles, especially the gecko Heteronotia binoei (Gekkonidae), were least abundant in dry‐season burned sites; litter‐associated species, including Carlia pectoralis (Scincidae), were rarely observed in burned habitat; and there were fewer species in the wet‐season burned sites. Reptile abundance was associated with vegetation structure, which suggests that fire‐induced changes detrimentally altered the availability of resources for some reptiles, particularly leaf‐litter species. Invasive alien plants, such as rubber vine, have severe effects on native biodiversity, and control of such species is a fundamental land management objective. Nevertheless, fire management of invasive alien plants may adversely affect native biodiversity, creating a conservation conundrum. In such scenarios, land managers will need to identify the most desired conservation goal and consider the consequences for native biota.     

金沙江干热河谷几种引进树种人工植被的生态学研究

采用标准木法和收获法,对金沙江元谋干热河谷几种引进树种的人工植被（即赤桉×新银合欢混交林、赤桉纯林、新银合欢纯林和印楝纯林）各层植被生物量与天然次生植被（坡柳-扭黄茅灌草丛）进行了比较研究,同时对各类植被的物种组成和物种多样性进行了比较分析。结果表明：（1）采用引进树种人工恢复的植被积累了大量生物质,总生物量大小依次为：赤桉×新银合欢混交林（4491 t/hm2）>新银合欢纯林（3991 t/hm2）>赤桉纯林（3857 t/ hm2）>印楝纯林（1306 t/hm2）>天然次生林（935 t/ hm2）。人工恢复植被生物量主要集中在乔木层,天然次生植被生物量主要集中在灌木、草本和凋落物层。（2）人工恢复植被的物种数均少于天然次生植被,而且不同植被的物种数和物种组成也存在差异。（3）各植被的Shannon wiener多样性指数和Margalef丰富度指数均表现为：印楝纯林>坡柳-扭黄茅灌草丛>赤桉纯林>赤桉×新银合欢混交林。在Alatato均匀度指数方面,各人工植被之间的差异不大,但人工植被与天然次生植被之间有显著差异。〖     

Variation with Land Use of Immune Function and Prevalence of Avian Pox in Galapagos Finches

Introduced disease has been implicated in recent wildlife extinctions and population declines worldwide. Both anthropogenic‐induced change and natural environmental features can affect pathogen spread. Furthermore, environmental disturbance can result in changes in stress physiology, nutrition, and social structure, which in turn can suppress immune system function. However, it remains unknown whether landscape variation results in heterogeneity in host resistance to pathogens. Avian pox virus, a pathogen implicated in avian declines and extinctions in Hawaii, was introduced to the Galapagos in the 1890s, and prevalence (total number of current infections) has increased recently in finches. We tested whether prevalence and recovery trends in 7 species of Galapagos finches varied by elevation or human land use. To do so, we used infection data obtained from 545 wild‐caught birds. In addition, we determined whether annual changes in 4 aspects of innate immune function (complement protein activity, natural antibody activity, concentration of PIT54 protein, and heterophil:lymphocyte ratio) varied by elevation or land use. Prevalence and recovery rates did not vary by elevation from 2008 to 2009. Avian pox prevalence and proportion of recovered individuals in undeveloped and urban areas did not change from 2008 to 2009. In agricultural areas, avian pox prevalence increased 8‐fold (from 2% to 17% of 234 individuals sampled) and proportion of recovered individuals increased (11% to 19%) from 2008 to 2009. These results suggest high disease‐related mortality. Variation in immune function across human land‐use types correlated with variation in both increased prevalence and susceptibility, which indicates changes in innate immune function may underlie changes in disease susceptibility. Our results suggest anthropogenic disturbance, in particular agricultural practices, may underlie immunological changes in host species that themselves contribute to pathogen emergence. Variación con el Uso de Suelo de la Función Inmune y la Prevalencia de la Varicela Aviar en Pinzones de las Galápagos     

Species Extinction in the Marine Environment: Tasmania as a Regional Example of Overlooked Losses in Biodiversity

Abstract:  We used Tasmania as a case example to question the consensus that few marine species have recently become extinct or are approaching extinction. Threats to marine and estuarine species—primarily in the form of climate change, invasive species, fishing, and catchment discharges—are accelerating, fully encompass species ranges, and are of sufficient magnitude to cause extinction. Our ignorance of declining biodiversity in the marine environment largely results from an almost complete lack of systematic broad-scale sampling and an overreliance on physicochemical data to monitor environmental trends. Population declines for marine species approaching extinction will generally go unnoticed because of the hidden nature of their environment and lack of quantitative data.     

Effects of Introduced Salmonids on a Montane Population of Iberian Frogs

Abstract:  Amphibians are declining worldwide because of multiple factors, including human-mediated introduction of fishes into naturally fishless areas. Although several studies have focused on the effect of exotic fishes on native amphibians breeding in ponds or lakes, little is known about their effects on stream-breeding species. We studied the effects of introductions of native brown trout ( Salmo trutta ) and exotic brook trout ( Salvelinus fontinalis ) on the stream-breeding, endemic Iberian frog (  Rana iberica ) in a protected area in central Spain. We assessed occurrence patterns of tadpoles and salmonids and compared habitat use of the three species. We also determined experimentally whether chemical cues from salmonids elicited antipredator behavior in tadpoles. Finally, we assessed the relative influence of tadpole habitat preferences, differences in salmonid species, and invasion geography on tadpole occurrence. Despite widely overlapping habitat preferences, tadpoles and trout did not coexist, with the former restricted to fishless habitats. Tadpoles detected chemical cues from both trout species and reacted by decreasing their activity, although the response toward the native brown trout was stronger. The residual distribution of Iberian frogs in Peñalara is better explained by the geography of fish invasions than by the fish species involved. Measures such as fish extirpation from certain areas, aimed at recovering lost habitat and improving connectivity among remaining populations of Iberian frogs, seem critical for the species' long-term survival in central Spain.     

Genesis of epizootics involving introduced species of helminths,mammals, and mollusks

The functioning of two foci of helminth diseases caused by trematodes Apophallus muehlingi and Rossicotrema donicum has been studied in the Volga Delta. The origin of these foci is related to the expansion of species ranges of Lithoglyphus snails, intermediate hosts of trematodes. Introduced mammal species, the raccoon dog Nyctereutes procyonoides and American mink Mustela vision, are involved in the circulation of the invasion.     

Ranking Lepidopteran Use of Native Versus Introduced Plants

Abstract:  In light of the wide-scale replacement of native plants in North America with introduced, invasive species and noninvasive ornamental plants that evolved elsewhere, we compared the value of native and introduced plants in terms of their ability to serve as host plants for Lepidoptera. Insect herbivores such as Lepidoptera larvae are critically important components of terrestrial food webs and any reduction in their biomass or diversity due to the loss of acceptable host plants is predicted to reduce the production of the many insectivores in higher trophic levels. We conducted an exhaustive search of host records in the literature. We used the data we gathered to rank all 1385 plant genera that occur in the mid-Atlantic states of the United States by their ability to support Lepidoptera richness. Statistical comparisons were made with Welch's test for equality of means. Woody plants supported more species of moths and butterflies than herbaceous plants, native plants supported more species than introduced plants, and native woody plants with ornamental value supported more Lepidoptera species than introduced woody ornamentals. All these differences were highly significant. Our rankings provide a relative measure that will be useful for restoration ecologists, landscape architects and designers, land managers, and landowners who wish to raise the carrying capacity of particular areas by selecting plants with the greatest capacity for supporting biodiversity.     

石油污染土壤生物修复中外源微生物的影响

在室外条件下采用正交盆栽试验设计,以污染水平、细菌接种量、真菌接种量和有机肥添加量为调控因子,研究了石油污染土壤生物修复过程中外源专性微生物(细菌和真菌)接种对土壤中矿物油和美国EPA 16种多环芳烃(PAHs)降解的作用.结果表明,经过一个生长季(150d)各处理土壤中的细菌总量、真菌总量、PAH-降解细菌和PAH-降解真菌数量不受外源专性细菌和真菌初始接种量的影响(p＞0.05);有机肥促进土壤微生物数量的增长,其添加量与土壤细菌总量、真菌总量和PAH-降解细菌数量显著正相关(p＜0.05);实验结束时矿物油的去除率为58.8%～88.3%,PAHs的去除率为91.7%～97.8%,外源专性细菌和真菌的接种对矿物油和PAHs的降解无明显促进作用.     

Adsorption of phenolic compounds from aqueous solutions by aminated hypercrosslinked polymers

Two novel polymers （NJ-1 and N J-2） were synthesized by chemically modified a hypercrosslinked polymer NJ-0 with dimethylamine and trimethylamine, respectively. The comparison of the adsorption properties of the three polymers toward phenol, resorcin and phloroglucin was made. The study focused on the static equilibrium adsorption behaviors and the adsorption thermodynamics. Freundlich equation was found to fit the adsorption results well. The effect of amino groups introduced onto the surface of the resin and the structure of phenolic compounds on the adsorption were also studied. The hydrogen-bonding interaction and electrostatic interaction could happen between the amino groups and the adsorbates. The adsorption impetus increased as quantity of hydroxyl groups increased, but the adsorption capacity decreased due to the drop of the matching degree of the aperture of resins and the diameter of adsorbate molecules.