Role of competition in phytoplankton population for the occurrence and control of plankton bloom in the presence of environmental fluctuations

Termination of harmful algal blooms (HABs) and coexistence of phytoplankton–zooplankton populations are of great importance to human health, ecosystem, environment, tourism and fisheries. In this paper, we propose a three component model consisting of non-toxic phytoplankton (NTP), toxin producing phytoplankton (TPP) and zooplankton (Z). The growth of zooplankton species is assume to reduce due to toxic chemicals released by TPP population. We have extended the model proposed by Chattopadhyay et al. [Chattopadhyay, J., Sarkar, R.R., Pal, S., 2004. Mathematical modelling of harmful algal blooms supported by experimental findings. Ecol. Comp. 1, 225–235] by including competition terms between TPP and NTP. We observe the effect of competition factors both in the presence and absence of the environmental fluctuation. From our field as well as model analysis we observe that competition helps in the coexistence of the species, but if the effect of competition is very high on the TPP population, it results in planktonic bloom. It is shown that the coexistence equilibrium loses its stability when the competition coefficient crosses a critical value and resulting Hopf-bifurcation around the positive equilibrium depicting oscillations phenomena of the populations.     

Role of predator switching in an eco-epidemiological model with disease in the prey

In the present paper we propose a modification of a basic eco-epidemiological model by incorporating predator switching among susceptible and infected prey population. A local and global study of the basic model is performed around the disease-free boundary equilibrium and the interior equilibrium to estimate important parameter thresholds that control disease eradication and species coexistence. Next we analyze the switching model from the same perspective in order to elucidate the role of switching on disease dynamics. Numerical simulations are carried out to justify analytical results.     

Melanin-based colorations signal strategies to cope with poor and rich environments

One hypothesis for the maintenance of genetic variation states that alternative genotypes are adapted to different environmental conditions (i.e., genotype-by-environment interaction G×E) that vary in space and time. Although G×E has been demonstrated for morphological traits, little evidence has been given whether these G×E are associated with traits used as signal in mate choice. In three wild bird species, we investigated whether the degree of melanin-based coloration, a heritable trait, covaries with nestling growth rate in rich and poor environments. Variation in the degree of reddish-brown phaeomelanism is pronounced in the barn owl (Tyto alba) and tawny owl (Strix aluco), and variation in black eumelanism in the barn owl and Alpine swift (Apus melba). Melanin-based coloration has been shown to be a criterion in mate choice in the barn owl. We cross-fostered hatchlings to test whether nestlings sired by parents displaying melanin-based colorations to different extent exhibit alternative growth trajectories when raised by foster parents in poor (experimentally enlarged broods) and rich (experimentally reduced broods) environments. With respect to phaeomelanism, barn owl and tawny owl offspring sired by redder parents grew more rapidly in body mass only in experimentally reduced broods. With respect to eumelanism, Alpine swift offspring of darker fathers grew their wings more rapidly only in experimentally enlarged broods, a difference that was not detected in reduced broods. These interactions between parental melanism and offspring growth rate indicate that individuals display substantial plasticity in response to the rearing environment which is associated with the degree of melanism: at least with respect to nestling growth, phaeomelanic and eumelanic individuals are best adapted to rich and poor environments, respectively. It now remains to be investigated why eumelanism and phaeomelanism have a different signaling function and what the lifelong consequences of these melanism-dependent allocation strategies are. This is important to fully appraise the role played by environmental heterogeneity in maintaining variation in the degree of melanin-based coloration.     

Cost-Effective Suppression and Eradication of Invasive Predators

Abstract: Introduced predators can have pronounced effects on naïve prey species; thus, predator control is often essential for conservation of threatened native species. Complete eradication of the predator, although desirable, may be elusive in budget‐limited situations, whereas predator suppression is more feasible and may still achieve conservation goals. We used a stochastic predator–prey model based on a Lotka‐Volterra system to investigate the cost‐effectiveness of predator control to achieve prey conservation. We compared five control strategies: immediate eradication, removal of a constant number of predators (fixed‐number control), removal of a constant proportion of predators (fixed‐rate control), removal of predators that exceed a predetermined threshold (upper‐trigger harvest), and removal of predators whenever their population falls below a lower predetermined threshold (lower‐trigger harvest). We looked at the performance of these strategies when managers could always remove the full number of predators targeted by each strategy, subject to budget availability. Under this assumption immediate eradication reduced the threat to the prey population the most. We then examined the effect of reduced management success in meeting removal targets, assuming removal is more difficult at low predator densities. In this case there was a pronounced reduction in performance of the immediate eradication, fixed‐number, and lower‐trigger strategies. Although immediate eradication still yielded the highest expected minimum prey population size, upper‐trigger harvest yielded the lowest probability of prey extinction and the greatest return on investment (as measured by improvement in expected minimum population size per amount spent). Upper‐trigger harvest was relatively successful because it operated when predator density was highest, which is when predator removal targets can be more easily met and the effect of predators on the prey is most damaging. This suggests that controlling predators only when they are most abundant is the “best” strategy when financial resources are limited and eradication is unlikely.     

Enhancement of association of organic molecules on silica gel by surface water: surface photoreaction of stilbene

Here, we show that association of stilbene molecules is facilitated by water on silica gel because of hydrophobic interaction and photodimerization becomes the main photochemical process. Irradiation of trans-stilbene (t-1) on silica gel gives cis-stilbene (c-1), phenanthrene (2), benzaldehyde (3), and dimers r-ctt-4 and r-tct-4. The yields of the dimers increase and those of 2 and 3 decrease with an increase in the amount of t-1 loaded on silica gel. Atmospheric oxygen is responsible for the formation of 2 and 3. The yields of the dimers also increase with an increase in the water on a silica-gel surface and change drastically at the point where the percentage of water to silica gel is around 25 wt%. All active sites on a silica-gel surface would be covered completely with 25 wt% of water.     

Rodent predation on hibernating peacock and small tortoiseshell butterflies

Insects that hibernate as adults have a life span of almost a whole year. Hence, they must have extraordinary adaptations for adult survival. In this paper, we study winter survival in two butterflies that hibernate as adults and have multimodal anti-predator defences—the peacock, Inachis io, which has intimidating eyespots that are effective against bird predation, and the small tortoiseshell, Aglais urticae, which does not have an effective secondary defence against birds. We assessed predation on wild butterflies hibernating in the attic of an unheated house, as well as survival of individually marked butterflies placed by hand on different sites in the attic. Our objectives were to assess (1) the number of butterflies that were killed during hibernation, (2) whether survival differed between butterfly species, and (3) how predation was related to hibernation site and the identity of the predator. There was a strong pulse of predation during the first 2 weeks of hibernation: 58% of A. urticae and 53% of I. io were killed during this period. Thereafter, predation decreased and butterfly survival equalled 98% during the final 16 weeks of hibernation. There was no difference in survival between the two butterfly species, but predation was site-specific and more pronounced under light conditions in locations accessible to a climbing rodent, such as the common yellow-necked mouse, Apodemus flavicollis. We contend that small rodents are likely important predators on overwintering butterflies, both because rodents are active throughout winter when butterflies are torpid and because they occur at similar sites.     

光照与磷的交互作用对两种淡水藻类生长的影响

采用一次性单种培养的方法,研究了磷和光照对铜绿微囊藻和四尾栅藻生长以及叶绿素形成的影响.结果表明,光照水平的提高能够提高藻类最大比增长率,延长藻类指数生长期;但达到一定水平后,光照水平的增加会抑制单细胞藻类体内叶绿素的合成.在试验设定的浓度范围内,磷对藻类最大比增长率的影响不大;而不利于藻类叶绿素的形成.对于铜绿微囊藻的生长,磷与光照表现出明显的交互作用,但对于四尾栅藻,二者的交互作用并不明显.     

Pd/CZ/Al2O3催化剂的制备、表征与三效催化性能

以共浸渍法制得的氧化铝负载铈锆固溶体为载体,并浸渍贵金属Pd得到了Pd/CZ/Al2O3催化剂.实验结果表明,该催化剂在老化前后都表现出良好的三效催化活性,新鲜样品Pd/CZ/Al2O3活性与Pd/CZ相当,老化后样品前者优于后者.结合XRD,BET,TPR等表征手段,讨论了Pd/CZ/Al2O3的催化活性特别是高温老化后活性与其组成结构之间的内在关系,揭示了其老化后仍具有较高活性的主要原因在于保持了Pd与CZ/Al2O3复合载体之间的强相互作用(SMSI).     

上海城市土地利用转变类型及其空间关联分析

基于多时段TM遥感影像资料,通过地图代数和空间关联分析、相邻度分析等空间分析手段的综合应用,论文对上海地区近10年来城市土地利用变化类型、形成过程和相关空间机制进行了研究,结果表明:①近10年来上海城市土地利用扩展经历了“单核扩展”模式为主(1987～1990年)到“单核扩展”、“多核扩展”与“点-轴”扩展模式并存(1990～1995年),直至“多核扩展”及“点-轴”等复杂扩展模式为主(1995～2000年)的变化过程,导致上海中心城区和郊县城镇规模急剧扩张,交通干道沿线区域城市化过程明显增强,并形成整个上海地区城市化网络结构;②面积贡献率较大、转变频率较低的城市土地利用变化类型,与其他类型之间具有较高的关联度和空间亲和性,构成中心城区或卫星城、郊区城镇的扩展核心;③面积贡献率较低的类型,其转变频率较高,分布零散,构成扩展核的外围部分,这些城市周边地区存在一定程度紊乱、不合理的土地利用、开发活动;④城市化过程的内在空间机制与土地利用类型的面积和转变频率有密切关系。在更精细的尺度上依据转变频率划分的类别在一定程度上能更好体现城市土地利用变化类型的空间分异,及其作为宏观驱动机制的社会经济因子所具有的空间差异性。     

Examining the joint toxicity of chlorpyrifos and atrazine in the aquatic species: Lepomis macrochirus, Pimephales promelas and Chironomus tentans

The joint toxicity of chlorpyrifos and atrazine was compared to that of chlorpyrifos alone to discern any greater than additive response using both acute toxicity testing and whole-body residue analysis. In addition, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition and biotransformation were investigated to evaluate the toxic mode of action of chlorpyrifos in the presence of atrazine. The joint toxicity of atrazine and chlorpyrifos exhibited no significant difference in Lepomis macrochirus compared to chlorpyrifos alone; while studies performed with Pimephales promelas and Chironomus tentans, did show significant differences. AChE activity and biotransformation showed no significant differences between the joint toxicity of atrazine and chlorpyrifos and that of chlorpyrifos alone. From the data collected, the combination of atrazine and chlorpyrifos pose little additional risk than that of chlorpyrifos alone to the tested fish species.