Linking trophic positions and flow structure constraints in ecological networks: Energy transfer efficiency or topology effect?

In the present work we investigate whether the distribution of energy flows in ecosystems responds to criteria of trophic organization. We analyzed weighted and unweighted food webs estimating, for each node, trophic position (TP), Shannon's index of inflow diversity (H) and individual contribution to the whole average mutual information (AMI). Finally, we performed the same analysis on simulated webs that were constructed using the following criteria: (a) preserving topology and varying link strength; (b) modifying position of links and their intensities.     

Invasive species impacts on ecosystem structure and function: A comparison of Oneida Lake, New York, USA, before and after zebra mussel invasion

Exotic species invasion is widely considered to affect ecosystem structure and function. Yet, few contemporary approaches can assess the effects of exotic species invasion at such an inclusive level. Our research presents one of the first attempts to examine the effects of an exotic species at the ecosystem level in a quantifiable manner. We used ecological network analysis (ENA) and a social network analysis (SNA) method called cohesion analysis to examine the effect of zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) invasion on the Oneida Lake, New York, USA, food web. We used ENA to quantify ecosystem function through an analysis of food web carbon transfer that explicitly incorporated flow over all food web paths (direct and indirect). The cohesion analysis assessed ecosystem structure through an organization of food web members into subgroups of strongly interacting predators and prey. Our analysis detected effects of zebra mussel invasion throughout the entire Oneida Lake food web, including changes in trophic flow efficiency (i.e., carbon flow among trophic levels) and alterations of food web organization (i.e., paths of carbon flow) and ecosystem activity (i.e., total carbon flow). ENA indicated that zebra mussels altered food web function by shunting carbon from pelagic to benthic pathways, increasing dissipative flow loss, and decreasing ecosystem activity. SNA revealed the strength of zebra mussel perturbation as evidenced by a reorganization of food web subgroup structure, with a decrease in importance of pelagic pathways, a concomitant rise of benthic pathways, and a reorganization of interactions between top predator fish. Together, these analyses allowed for a holistic understanding of the effects of zebra mussel invasion on the Oneida Lake food web.     

新疆罗布泊外围地区极端环境嗜碱放线菌生物学特性及活性物质筛选

2006～2007年从新疆罗布泊外嗣地区的泥土样品中分离了117株放线菌,初步筛选后对其中47株嗜碱放线菌进行了形态学鉴定,不同生长条件(pH值,盐NaCl、KCl、MgCl_2,碱性物质Na_2 CO_3、K_2CO_3、Mg_2CO_3、NaOH、KOH,温度)对菌株生长的影响,拮抗性、产酶活性检测及菌株LA4的分子进化鉴定等研究.结果发现,47株放线菌的15%属于诺卡氏菌属,70%属于链霉菌属,10%属于游动放线菌属,其中嗜碱链霉菌属占优势.在pH 7～11范围内,47株嗜碱放线菌均能生长.生长率为92%～95%.NaCl、KCl、MgCl,对嗜碱放线菌均具有抑制作用,NaCl、KCl的抑制作用高于MgCl_2,NaCl、KCl浓度超过10%时而MgCl_2 浓度超过15%时嗜碱放线菌完全停止生长.47株嗜碱放线菌对Na_2CO_3、K_2CO_3、MgCO_3、KOH、NaOH等碱性物质没有选择性,生长良好.47株嗜碱放线菌的最适生长温度为28～30℃.超过55℃后均不能生长.从47株嗜碱放线菌中筛选出了30株具有抗菌活性的菌株,其中对大肠杆菌有抑制作用的有11株,占36.7%,对金黄色葡萄球菌有抑制作用的有20株,占66.7%,对枯草杆菌有抑制作用的有16株,占53.3%;其中4株嗜碱放线菌LA4、LA24、LA33和LA19对3种指示菌均表现出抑制作用.在47株嗜碱放线菌中,74%具有淀粉酶活性,81%具有纤维素酶活性,43%具有蛋白酶活性,49%具有脂肪酶活性.通过分子鉴定,发现LA4为链霉菌中尚未报道的一个新亚种,其16S序列GenBank登录号为FJ182229.本研究结果表明新疆罗布泊外围地区存在大量的产纤维素酶、淀粉酶的嗜碱放线菌,并且潜藏着新的放线菌资源,为该地区嗜碱放线菌的种质资源开发和新药筛选有效菌源提供了参考.图5表4参20     

Confidence limits on one-stage model parameters in benchmark risk assessment

In modern environmental risk analysis, inferences are often desired on those low dose levels at which a fixed benchmark risk is achieved. In this paper, we study the use of confidence limits on parameters from a simple one-stage model of risk historically popular in benchmark analysis with quantal data. Based on these confidence bounds, we present methods for deriving upper confidence limits on extra risk and lower bounds on the benchmark dose. The methods are seen to extend automatically to the case where simultaneous inferences are desired at multiple doses. Monte Carlo evaluations explore characteristics of the parameter estimates and the confidence limits under this setting.

Bootstrap methods for simultaneous benchmark analysis with quantal response data

A primary objective in quantitative risk assessment is the characterization of risk which is defined to be the likelihood of an adverse effect caused by an environmental toxin or chemcial agent. In modern risk-benchmark analysis, attention centers on the “benchmark dose” at which a fixed benchmark level of risk is achieved, with a lower confidence limits on this dose being of primary interest. In practice, a range of benchmark risks may be under study, so that the individual lower confidence limits on benchmark dose must be corrected for simultaneity in order to maintain a specified overall level of confidence. For the case of quantal data, simultaneous methods have been constructed that appeal to the large sample normality of parameter estimates. The suitability of these methods for use with small sample sizes will be considered. A new bootstrap technique is proposed as an alternative to the large sample methodology. This technique is evaluated via a simulation study and examples from environmental toxicology.

Factors affecting the floristic diversity and nestedness in the islets of Lake Bardawil, North Sinai, Egypt: implications for conservation

Island biogeography theory and nestedness are two relevant and important concepts in biogeography and conservation. However, their integration and application has not been examined for maintaining or maximizing species diversity, especially in arid regions. The aim of this study is to investigate the ecological mechanisms related to the observed pattern of floristic diversity and nestedness in the Lake Bardawil islets on the Mediterranean coast of Sinai Peninsula before the execution of the North Sinai Agricultural Development Project (NSADP) that will threaten the ecosystem of the lake. Plant species on 15 islets were identified and categorized into ecological groups related to their life-form, salt tolerance and succulence. Richness of total plant species and their ecological groups were positively correlated with islet area, number of habitats and elevation, and negatively with disturbance index. The temperature calculator detected highly significant nestedness for the entire flora and all ecological groups. Distance from the mainland had no effect on either species richness or nested pattern of total plant species and their ecological groups. Both the analyses of species richness and nested distribution yielded evidence for a positive species-area relationship. Although nestedness was detected for the entire plant species and their ecological groups, many species and islets exhibited idiosyncratic distribution. Idiosyncrasies could be mainly attributed to demographic stochasticity which is an important character for species interaction and diversity maintenance in arid regions. Therefore, in developing conservation strategies for the Lake Bardawil islets, it is important to incorporate spatial and temporal stability of populations.     

Influence of Landscape Elements in Riparian Buffers on the Conservation of Semiaquatic Amphibians

Abstract:  Studies on riparian buffers have usually focused on the amount of land needed as habitat for the terrestrial life stages of semiaquatic species. Nevertheless, the landscape surrounding wetlands is also important for other key processes, such as dispersal and the dynamics of metapopulations. Multiple elements that influence these processes should therefore be considered in the delineation of buffers. We analyzed landscape elements (forest cover, density of roads, and hydrographic network) in concentric buffers to evaluate the scale at which they influence stream amphibians in 77 distinct landscapes. To evaluate whether our results could be generalized to other contexts, we determined whether they were consistent across the study areas. Amphibians required buffers of 100–400 m of suitable terrestrial habitat, but interspecific differences in the amount of habitat were large. The presence of amphibians was related to roads and the hydrographic network at larger spatial scales (300–1500 m), which suggests that wider buffers are needed with these elements. This pattern probably arose because these elements influence dispersal and metapopulation persistence, processes that occur at large spatial scales. Furthermore, in some cases, analyses performed on different sets of landscapes provided different results, which suggests caution should be used when conservation recommendations are applied to disparate areas. Establishment of riparian buffers should not be focused only on riparian habitat, but should take a landscape perspective because semiaquatic species use multiple elements for different functions. This approach can be complex because different landscape elements require different spatial extents. Nevertheless, a shift of attention toward the management of different elements at multiple spatial scales is necessary for the long-term persistence of populations.     

波尔多液对土壤过氧化氢酶活性与构象的影响

为初步探讨波尔多液对土壤过氧化氢酶的作用机理及变化规律,采用人工模拟和荧光光谱法研究了波尔多液对土壤过氧化氢酶活性特征及构象的影响.结果表明:1)不同浓度波尔多液对土壤过氧化氢酶活性总体呈现低浓度激活、高浓度抑制作用.不同配制方式波尔多液对土壤过氧化氢酶活性抑制效应顺序为多倍量式>倍量式>半量式>等量式.浓度为200mg·kg-1左右的等量式波尔多液处理对土壤过氧化氢酶活性的影响最小.2)24h培养时间下,随波尔多液浓度的增加,酶促反应米氏常数Km和最大反应速率Vmax均呈先减小后增大趋势.统计分析表明,Km和Vmax均与波尔多液浓度呈显著正相关(p<0.01),土壤过氧化氢酶Km值可表征波尔多液对土壤过氧化氢酶活性的影响程度,其作用机理为反竞争性抑制类型.3)波尔多液对离体过氧化氢酶的内源荧光有较强的猝灭作用,Cu(Ⅱ)和离体过氧化氢酶的结合常数K及结合位点数n分别为69.1831mol·L-1和0.6878.     

Spatially explicit modeling of overstory manipulations in young forests: Effects on stand structure and light

Young forests can be manipulated in diverse ways to enhance their ecological values. We used stem maps from two dense, second-growth stands in western Washington and a spatially explicit light model (tRAYci) to simulate effects of five silvicultural manipulations on diameter distribution, species composition, spatial patterning, and light availability. Each treatment removed 30% of the basal area, but differed in how trees were selected for removal. Three primary treatments were thin from below (removing the smallest trees), random thin (removing trees randomly), and gap creation (removing all trees in circles ∼1 tree height in diameter). Two additional treatments combined elements of these approaches: random ecological thin (a mixture of thin from below and random thin) and structured ecological thin (a mixture of thin from below and gap creation).     

Decadal changes in a NW Mediterranean Sea food web in relation to fishing exploitation

We analysed changes in the ecological roles of species, trophic structure and ecosystem functioning using four standardized mass-balance models of the South Catalan Sea (North-western Mediterranean). Models represented the ecosystem during the late 1970s, mid 1990s, early 2000s, and a simulated no-fishing scenario. The underlying hypothesis was that ecosystem models should quantitatively capture the increasing exploitation in the ecosystem from the 1970s to 2000s, as well as differences between the exploited and non-exploited scenarios. Biomass showed a general decrease, while there was an increase in biomass at lower trophic levels (TL) from the 1970s to 2000s. The efficiency of energy transfer (TE) from lower to higher TLs significantly increased with time. The ecosystem during the 1990s showed higher biomass and flows than during the 1970s and 2000s due to an increase in small pelagic fish biomass (especially sardines). Exploited food webs also showed similarities in terms of general structure and functioning due to high intensity of fishing already in the 1970s. This intensity was highlighted with low trophic levels in the catch, high consumption of production by fisheries, medium to high primary production required to sustain the catches and high losses in secondary production due to fishing. Significant differences on ecosystem structure and functioning were highlighted between the exploited and no-fishing scenarios. Biomass of higher TLs increased under the no-fishing scenario and the mean trophic level of the community and the fish/invertebrate biomass ratios were substantially lower in exploited food webs. The efficiency of energy transfer (TE) from lower to higher TLs was lower under the no-fishing scenario, and it showed a continuous decrease with increasing TL. Marine mammals, large hake, anglerfish and large pelagic fish were identified as keystone species of the ecosystem when there was no fishing, while their ecological importance notably decreased under the exploited periods. On the contrary, the importance of small-sized organisms such as benthic invertebrates and small pelagic fish was higher in exploited food webs.