Effects of cryptic mortality and the hidden costs of using length limits in fishery management

Fishery collapses cause substantial economic and ecological harm, but common management actions often fail to prevent overfishing. Minimum length limits are perhaps the most common fishing regulation used in both commercial and recreational fisheries, but their conservation benefits can be influenced by discard mortality of fish caught and released below the legal length. We constructed a computer model to evaluate how discard mortality could influence the conservation utility of minimum length regulations. We evaluated policy performance across two disparate fish life‐history types: short‐lived high‐productivity (SLHP) and long‐lived low‐productivity (LLLP) species. For the life‐history types, fishing mortality rates and minimum length limits that we examined, length limits alone generally failed to achieve sustainability when discard mortality rate exceeded about 0.2 for SLHP species and 0.05 for LLLP species. At these levels of discard mortality, reductions in overall fishing mortality (e.g. lower fishing effort) were required to prevent recruitment overfishing if fishing mortality was high. Similarly, relatively low discard mortality rates (>0.05) rendered maximum yield unobtainable and caused a substantial shift in the shape of the yield response surfaces. An analysis of fishery efficiency showed that length limits caused the simulated fisheries to be much less efficient, potentially exposing the target species and ecosystem to increased negative effects of the fishing process. Our findings suggest that for overexploited fisheries with moderate‐to‐high discard mortality rates, reductions in fishing mortality will be required to meet management goals. Resource managers should carefully consider impacts of cryptic mortality sources (e.g. discard mortality) on fishery sustainability, especially in recreational fisheries where release rates are high and effort is increasing in many areas of the world.     

The effect of stocking size on the first winter survival of whitefish, Coregonus lavaretus (L.), in the Gulf of Bothnia, Baltic Sea

The anadromous whitefish, Coregonus lavaretus (L.), is the most numerous fish species stocked in the Gulf of Bothnia, Baltic Sea. One-summer-old-whitefish fingerlings are mostly 8–10 cm long when released annually in September–October, whereas the wild whitefish are 10–12 cm at that time. About 6 million, one-summer-old, spray-marked, whitefish were released in the northern and central parts of the Gulf in 1995–1998. To study the effect of the stocking length on the survival of the marked fish, the length of the recaptured whitefish as 1-year-olds was back-calculated. Altogether 1106 whitefish recaptured in the Gulf of Bothnia were analysed. The back-calculated length was slightly greater than the stocking length but not as large as the length of the wild fish. In the central part of the Gulf of Bothnia, where the mean stocking length was more than 10 cm, the back-calculated length was 10.5–11.1 cm. In the northern part of the Gulf the mean stocking length varied between 8.8 and 10.0 cm annually, and the corresponding back-calculated mean lengths were 9.3–9.7 cm. It also seemed that bigger fingerlings started their feeding migration earlier or they migrated faster than the smaller ones to the southern parts of the Gulf of Bothnia.     

A pilot study of sexual dimorphism in the head morphology of domestic dogs

The dog (Canis lupus familiaris) displays more morphological diversity than any other species. It is a direct descendant of the gray wolf (Canis lupus), but shows remarkable behavioral and morphological differences. It has been suggested that differences in skull shape that relate to brain shape and retinal ganglion cell distribution may predict behavioral differences. The aim of this pilot study was to assess head morphology in common breeds for evidence of sexual dimorphism in head length, head width, and the ratio of the 2: cephalic index (CI). When males of 80 breeds studied were compared with females, sexual dimorphism (differences in a t-test at the level of P < 0.01) emerged for head length in 5 breeds, for head width in 10 breeds and in CI for 2 breeds. The 2 breeds that showed sexual dimorphism in CI showed no difference (at the level of P < 0.01) in either length or width. These results suggest that all 3 types of dimorphism in head morphometrics must be considered separately. Although the longer and wider heads in males may be predicted because, within a breed, they are expected to be generally bigger animals, the sexual dimorphism in CI is of interest. It may belie differences in brain shape and even predict differences in health, welfare, and behavior.     

Variability in pattern and hydrogen isotope composition (δ2H) of long-chain n-alkanes of surface soils and its relations to climate and vegetation characteristics: A meta-analysis

The average chain length (ACL), carbon preference index (CPI), and hydrogen isotope composition (δ²H) of long-chain n-alkanes in sediments have been used to retrieve information about the paleoclimate. Despite their importance as in-between media from leaves to sediments, n-alkanes of surface soils have not been systematically analyzed at large scale. Such an investigation of the spatial variation of n-alkane properties in soil and their dependence on climatic and botanic (e.g., vegetation type) factors could provide a rationale for a better estimation of the past environment. We synthesized the patterns and δ²H of long-chain n-alkanes in soil (δ²H^n-alkanes) with regard to vegetation types (cropland, grassland, shrubland, and woodland) and environmental factors using data from peer-reviewed papers. Our results showed that the ACL and CPI of soil C₂₇–C₃₃ n-alkanes were not suitable indicators for differentiating vegetation types at large scale; instead, ACL significantly correlated with water conditions such as mean annual precipitation (MAP) and Palmer drought severity index (PDSI), and CPI significantly correlated with temperature without significant influence of vegetation type. The variation (i.e., standard deviation) of fractionation between the δ²H values in annual precipitation and in soil n-alkanes (ε_rain-soil) was smaller than that reported in leaves; therefore, soils were better suited to quantifying the general growing conditions of plants at a certain site. The fractionation ε_rain-soil correlated with climatic conditions as described by the PDSI and relative humidity (RH). This correlation agreed with the change in leaf water enrichment with changing RH taken from the literature and was independent of the vegetation type at large scale. This meta-analysis may provide useful information for the variations of the patterns and δ²H_n-alkanes values in surface soils.     

3种抗倒剂对小麦生长与产量的影响

在小麦生产中,倒伏对其产量影响较大。为达到控高及稳产的目的,选用3种常用的抗倒剂(25%矮壮丰、3%调环酸钙水乳剂、5%抗倒酯水乳剂)来探究其对小麦生长及产量的影响。结果表明,与常规对照R₂(矮壮丰80 m L/667 m²)相比,在灌浆期(5月12日)前,其他抗倒剂处理下小麦的叶绿素含量大都低于对照,而灌浆期后下降缓慢,光合作用时间延长;抗倒剂处理下小麦的株高都低于对照且在R₆(抗倒酯水乳剂60 m L/667 m²)处理下降至最低,且小麦的不同节间长度在抗倒酯水乳剂处理下都得到控制,在最高浓度(60 m L/667 m²)处理下都降至最低;调环酸钙水乳剂仅对小麦的第3、第5节间有控长作用,而抗倒酯水乳剂对小麦的大部分节间都起到控长作用。从产量方面来看,有效穗数在R₆(抗倒酯水乳剂60 m L/667 m²)处理下达到最高,实粒数在不同处理下相差不大,结实率和千粒质量在抗倒酯水乳剂处理下都处于较高水平,但产量在常规对照R₂(矮壮丰80m L/667 m²)处理下最高;其次是R₆(抗倒酯水乳剂60 m L/667 m²)处理。因此,综合考虑控高效果、有效穗数和千粒质量提高及稳产等多种因素,推荐在小麦的分蘖末期喷施60 m L/667 m²的5%抗倒酯水乳剂,能达到控高且不会明显降低其产量的目的。     

粳稻品种苗期耐盐指标分析及品种耐盐力鉴定

为筛选水稻耐盐品种,以10个粳稻品种为试验对象,采用对比试验的方法,分析评价1.5%NaCl水溶液对粳稻苗期各项耐盐指标的影响。耐盐指标综合分析结果表明:辽盐2号、辽粳9234、沈农9911、丰锦、辽盐糯的总体耐盐力较强;盐丰47、铁粳4号、沈农9816的总体耐盐力中等;一见钟情、松粳7号的总体耐盐力较低。     

仔猪血清运铁蛋白多态性及其与生产性能的相关性分析

[目的]探讨仔猪血清运铁蛋白多态性与生产性能的相关性。[方法]采用垂直平板聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳法对60头仔猪血清运铁蛋白多态性进行了研究,并对血清运铁蛋白多态性与生产性能进行了相关性分析。[结果]被检仔猪血清运铁蛋白有2种基因型（Tf^AB和Tf^88）,以TfBB为优势基因型,基因型频率分别为0．3333和0．6667;TfA和Tf^B等位基因频率分别为0．1667和0．8333,以’畔为优势基因。仔猪血清运铁蛋白多态性与生产性能间无显著相关（P〉0．05）。[结论]仔猪血清运铁蛋白存在多态性,且血清蛋白多态性与生产性能间无显著相关。     

化控剂对玉米生长发育的影响

为了明确化控剂对玉米生长发育的影响,在玉米拔节期喷施不同剂量玉丰保及在玉米11片展开叶时喷施不同化控剂,并调查施药后玉米地上部鲜重、叶面积指数、株高、节间长度、穗长、穗粗、秃尖长、百粒重及产量的变化情况。结果表明:在玉米11片展开叶时施用玉丰保,对增加玉米叶面积指数,控制株高,增加茎秆粗壮具有很好效果。