Soil macrofaunal biodiversity in Amazonian pastures: Matching sampling with patterns

Soil biodiversity varies through space as influenced by habitat features and land-use history. The performance of any sampling strategy highly depends on its relevance with regards to this pattern. We surveyed the soil macrofaunal species richness in the pastures of the Benfica Field Station (Eastern Amazonia, State of Pará, Brazil) and described its variability in 4 independent replicate plots. We designed a within-plot sampling scheme that accounted for the soil spatial variation (stratified sampling). Replicated pasture plots had different species richness (49-65) corresponding to a low proportion (40-53%) of the total number of species (123). Pairs of replicated plots showed an outstandingly low number of shared species (28-41% of the species pool). Likewise, different classes of soil thickness, corresponding to a Ferralsol-Cambisol sequence, had different species richness (12-44) and exhibited a very low proportion of shared species (15-29%). The proportion of rare species, i.e. singletons, ranged from 40-51% of the total species richness depending on the plot considered. We used the abundance-based coverage estimator of species richness (ACE) and the Chao shared species estimator that provides a correction based on the relative abundance of rare species. These indices also showed both a high between plots dissimilarity and a substantial within plot variability of species composition. Because of the high proportion of rare species, the rarefaction curves failed to reach any asymptote in all replicated plots. Bootstrap resampling showed that less than 5 samples per stratum (class of soil thickness) provided inconsistent species richness values. We simulated the efficiency of sampling strategies that included our 4 replicate plots and the 3 classes of soil thickness but with varying sampling effort within each stratum. The results indicated that a fairly large (74%) proportion of species would be recorded if strata were sampled using 5 sampling units (hence 15 samples per plot for a total of 4×15=60 samples). This study showed the need for adequate plot replication in soil macrofaunal biodiversity studies. Also, the main relevant factors of within-replicate plot spatial heterogeneity (e.g. soil, vegetation) should be accounted for through stratified sampling. The results showed that there is no way of reducing the local sampling effort below a certain level (here, 5 sampling units per stratum).     

Effects of different site preparation methods on the root development of planted Quercus petraea and Pinus nigra

New Forests - Mechanical site preparation (MSP) is often performed prior to planting to improve the growth and survival of planted seedlings. In this study, we compared root development of...     

Optimal first feed organism for South African mud crab <Emphasis Type="Italic">Scylla serrata</Emphasis> (Forskål) larvae

It is not known whether rotifers or Artemia nauplii are the best first food for South African mud crab Scylla serrata larvae. In order to test this, larvae were fed with five different test diets. These were rotifers for the first 8 days and newly hatched EG^® type Artemia nauplii (San Francisco Bay) from day 6 onwards (treatment R6A); newly hatched EG^® type Artemia nauplii throughout the rearing period (treatment EG); newly hatched Vinh-Chau strain (Vietnam) Artemia nauplii throughout the rearing period (treatment VC); decapsulated cysts of EG^® type Artemia throughout the rearing period (treatment DECAP); or decapsulated cysts supplemented with low densities of Artemia EG type Artemia nauplii (treatment MIX). Two experiments were conducted approximately 1 month apart using larvae from two different female crabs. Although results showed it is possible to rear S. serrata larvae through metamorphosis on Artemia nauplii exclusively, larval performance (development, survival and successful metamorphosis) was enhanced by the inclusion of rotifers as a first feed.No significant difference in performance was recorded between larvae fed on the two strains of Artemia nauplii. Larvae fed on decapsulated cysts in treatments DECAP and MIX performed poorly, but there were indications that decapsulated cysts and other inert diets may have potential as supplements to live food in the rearing of S. serrata larvae.     

不同饵料对二次抱卵期间中华绒螯蟹生殖性能和HUFA组成的影响

中华绒螯蟹(Eriocheir sinensis)经一次受精便可多次产卵.与其他的虾类一样,在卵巢发育过程中,中华绒螯蟹的肝胰脏需从外界汲取许多能量和营养物质,通过血淋巴转移到卵巢以供胚胎发育和幼体孵化.亲蟹的营养需求可以通过第一次和第二次卵巢发育过程加以研究.第一次抱卵之后亲蟹消耗了大量的营养和能量物质,需要在二次抱卵前的短时间内得到及时补充.通常来说,二次抱卵蟹的产卵力低下,幼体质量差.因此研究饵料对二次抱卵期间中华绒螯蟹生殖性能和幼体质量的影响是很有意义的.本实验分4组,分别以3种天然饵料缢蛏(TC)、沙蚕(TS)、杂鱼(TT)和一种人工饵料(TA)投喂中华绒螯蟹亲蟹,投喂周期为2个月(从初始一次抱卵至二次抱卵结束).天然饵料和人工饵料的日投喂量分别为亲蟹体重的10%和1%～3%,每日下午4点投喂.用PVC板将8m2的玻璃纤维槽隔成4个单元作为试验槽.每个单元底面积为2m2,水深40 Cm.同一槽中的3个单元用做一个试验组的3个重复,每个重复为10只蟹.海水盐度为20 g·L,pH 8.20～8.30,溶解氧为8.40～8.90 mg·L-1,依据水中氨氮和亚硝酸氮的浓度(分别小于1 mg·L-1和0.2 mg·L-1),每2至3天换一次水,水温为15～17℃.实验结束后,对二次抱卵亲蟹的生殖性能(相对饱卵量、卵径和亲蟹成活率)、孵化出的幼体质量(蚤Ⅰ幼体在饥饿状态下的成活率)以及卵、卵巢和肝胰脏的脂肪酸组成进行了测定.结果表明,卵、卵巢和肝胰脏的高级不饱和脂肪酸(HUFA)组成与试验饵料的组成具有很好的相关性,其中卵的DHA与EPA水平、肝胰脏DHA水平与饵料中相应的HUFA水平成正相关(R2＞0.90),说明外界营养物质的吸收和转移对卵巢的二次发育相当重要.统计学分析表明,投喂杂鱼的亲蟹(TT)孵出的蚤Ⅰ幼体对饥饿的耐受力以及投喂缢蛏的亲蟹(TC)的卵径显著高于其他组,各组之间其他指标(相对抱卵量和成活率等)均无显著差异.二次抱卵的中华绒螯蟹的卵、卵巢和肝胰脏中HUFA的水平与试验饵料中HUFA水平具有很好的相关性,说明无论在第一次卵巢发育过程中积聚了多少营养物质,第一次抱卵后消耗殆尽的亲蟹需要从外界食物中汲取大量的能量和营养物质,通过肝胰脏转运到卵巢供二次发育之用.本研究结论与其他作者对其他甲壳类的研究结果是一致的.此外组织器官的HUFA水平不只局限于饵料HUFA水平,还受器官本身对这些脂肪酸特定需求的影响.肝胰脏作为甲壳类动物的脂肪存储器,在饵料中的脂类物质被吸收和利用之前首先将其存储起来.甲壳类动物具有合成更长链的脂肪酸能力,虽然这种能力很有限,但仍能重新合成一定数量的脂肪酸.由于卵巢和卵中的n-3 HUFA,尤其是EPA和DHA含量高于肝胰脏,因此有理由相信它们在中华绒螯蟹繁殖过程中起着非常重要的作用.用人工饵料投喂对中国对虾的研究表明,n-3 HUFA的水平与亲本的生殖性能有很大关系,其中EPA与产卵量有很大的关系,而DHA在胚胎发育早期和幼体孵化起着很大的作用.本实验结果可以推论,EPA和DHA对中华绒螯蟹的卵巢的发育和生殖性能具有相当重要的作用,其中EPA的作用更加明显.遗憾的是本实验没有得出非常明显的相关性结论.应该指出的是本实验所用的不同饵料,不但HUFA含量不同,而且在蛋白质、总脂和微量营养素(维他命、矿物质、胆固醇、磷脂、钙盐等)的组成上差异很大,因此不宜下确定的结论.     

From seedlings to trees: Using ontogenetic models of growth and survivorship to assess long-term (>100 years) dynamics of a neotropical dry forest

Long-term tree and seedling growth and survivorship data from permanent sample plots established in a neotropical dry forest in Jamaica from 1998 to 2008 were used to (1) model growth (periodic annual increment) and survivorship dynamics, (2) cluster structural and functional types, and (3) estimate the age of selected tropical dry forest tree species. A statistical comparison of parameter estimates derived from a generalized linear model (GLM) of each species to a reference species was used to group individuals based on size (DBH and height), and demographic dynamics (periodic annual increment and survivorship). We identified two groups of species based on structural types (canopy and sub-canopy species), three groups of species based on periodic annual increment (fast, intermediate, and slow growing) and four groups of species based on the probability of survivorship of seedlings and trees (very low probability of seedling survivorship but high tree survivorship (two groups); high survivorship throughout the DBH classes; very low survivorship, regardless of stem size). The composition of the groups was mixed, and included individuals of both structural types, and with different periodic annual increment and survival probabilities. The dichotomy of guilds found in tropical rainforests (pioneer and climax species) was not found in this forest. Individual and group GLMs incorporating empirical relationships between periodic annual increment and survivorship, across a spectrum of ontogenies and DBH’s, were also generated. The periodic annual increment models were then used to estimate the time taken by a newly germinated seedling to reach the largest recorded DBH. The fastest growing species was the hemi-cryptophyte Clusia flava which was estimated to take 74 years to reach its maximum recorded size (12.1 cm DBH), whereas the slowest growing species, Ziziphus sarcomphalus, was estimated to take 399 years to reach its maximum size (24.4 cm DBH). These dry forest trees were estimated to reach their maximum size (which was one-half or one-third of the largest DBH recorded for tropical rainforests) in a time similar to tropical rainforest trees. Some of the tree species are ubiquitous to other neotropical dry forests; therefore, our equations for periodic annual increment and survivorship can be applied elsewhere in the region.     

Seed exchanges,a key to analyze crop diversity dynamics in farmer-led on-farm conservation

Sustainable management of genetic resources is a crucial issue in the global context of food security. On-farm conservation is now widely acknowledged as a relevant strategy to reach this goal because it maintains evolutionary forces within and between the different components of the agricultural system. Seed exchanges between farmers play a key role in this process but are complicated to study over different agricultural contexts. This review begins by illustrating how interdisciplinary approaches combining ethnobotany and genetics helps provide a detailed analysis of the role of social and genetic dynamic interactions related to seed exchanges in traditional farming systems with farmer-led on-farm conservation. Secondly, the evolution of crop genetic diversity management is described in the context of industrialized farming systems. We follow the evolution of crop biodiversity perception by involved actors using a socio-historical perspective. After the agricultural shift from a traditional to a productivist model, recent social developments such as citizen science and participatory research movements are emerging and are strongly concerned by the question of biodiversity. These emerging trends which recognize and value seed exchanges between farmers show similarities to farmer-to-farmer seed exchanges in traditional farming systems. To what extent are these systems comparable? To fully benefit from studies in both traditional and industrialized contexts, it will be critical to develop an interdisciplinary framework to rigorously compare seed exchange systems and more generally farmer-led on-farm conservation strategies in diverse agricultural systems.     

Determination of seven glycidyl esters in edible oils by gel permeation chromatography extraction and liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry detection

A method based on a gel permeation chromatography (GPC) extraction procedure combined with an additional cleanup by solid-phase extraction (SPE) on silica gel and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) detection has been validated for the analysis of seven glycidyl esters (GEs) including glycidyl laurate, myristate, palmitate, stearate, oleate, linoleate, and linolenate in various edible oils. This method was conjointly developed and validated by two different laboratories, using two different detection systems, a LC time of flight MS (LC-ToF-MS) and a LC triple-quadrupole MS (LC-MS/MS). The extraction procedure allowed targeting low contamination levels due to a highly efficient matrix removal from the 400 mg oil sample loaded on the GPC column and is suitable for routine analysis as 24 samples can be extracted in an automated and reproducible way every 12 h. GPC extraction combined with SPE cleanup and LC-MS/MS detection leads to a limit of quantification in oil samples between 50 and 100 μg/kg depending on the type of glycidyl ester. Recoveries ranged from 68 to 111% (average = 93%). Quantification was performed by automated standard addition on extracts to compensate matrix effects artifacts. To control recoveries of each sample four isotopically labeled GEs ((13)C(3) or (13)C(4)) were included in the method.     

Assessing the influence of resource covariates at multiple spatial scales: an application to forest-dwelling caribou faced with intensive human activity

Efforts in isolating the relative effects of resources and disturbances on animal-distribution patterns remain hindered by the difficulty of accounting for multiple scales of resource selection by animals with seasonally dynamic drivers. We developed multi-scale, seasonal models to explore how local resource selection by the threatened forest-dwelling woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) was influenced by both broad-scale landscape context and local resource heterogeneity in the intensively managed region of Charlevoix, Québec, Canada, located on the southern border of the North American caribou range. We estimated resource selection functions using 23 GPS-collared caribou monitored from 2004 to 2006 and landscape data on vegetation classes, terrain conditions, and roads. We found evidence of thresholds in road “proximity” effects (up to 1.25 km), which underscores the importance of including landscape context variables in addition to locally measured variables, and of fitting seasonal-specific models given temporal variation in the magnitude of selection and optimal scale of measurement. Open lichen woodlands were an important cover type for caribou during winter and spring, whereas deciduous forests, wetlands, and even young disturbed stands became important during calving and summer. Caribou consistently avoided roads and rugged terrain conditions at both local and landscape levels. Landscape context fundamentally constrains the choices available to animals, and we showed that failing to consider landscape context, or arbitrarily choosing an inappropriate scale for measuring covariates, may provide biased inferences with respect to habitat selection patterns. Effective habitat management for rare or declining species should carefully consider the hierarchical nature of habitat selection.