Interpreting realized pollen flow in terms of pollinator travel paths and land-use resistance in heterogeneous landscapes

Widespread ecosystem change has led to declines in species world-wide. The loss of pollinators in particular constitutes a problem for ecosystem function and crop production. Understanding how landscape change affects pollinator movement, effective pollen flow, and plant and pollinator survival is therefore a global priority. In this study we investigated patterns of effective pollen flow, using wild cherry tree (Prunus avium) progeny arrays, to address two questions in three case studies: Do land-use types present different resistances to pollinator movement? Which pollinator travel path best explains the pollination data (straight lines, weighted straight lines, least cost paths or pair-wise resistance)? Trees and progeny arrays were genotyped and effective pollen flow and pollinator movement were estimated using the spatially explicit mating model. We found that pollinators did modify their travel paths in response to land-use type and arrangement, but the travel path that best described pollinator movement and the resistance rank of the land uses depended on the type and size of land-use patches and the landscape context. We propose a novel theoretical framework rooted in behavioural ecology, the resource model, for interpreting pollinator behaviour in heterogeneous landscapes. We conclude by discussing the importance and practicality of conservation and management strategies in which native and non-native land-use types together provide functional habitat and support ecosystem services across economic landscapes.     

Enhanced micropropagation of Dendrobium huoshanense C.Z. Tang et S.J. Cheng through protocorm-like bodies: The effects of cytokinins,carbohydrate sources and cold pretreatment

The effects of cytokinins, carbohydrate sources and cold pretreatment on the conversion of protocorm-like bodies (PLBs) to shoots were investigated for the enhancement of micropropagation of Dendrobium huoshanense C.Z. Tang et S.J. Cheng, an endangered medicinal plant in China. The effects of cytokinins and carbohydrate sources on the conversion of PLBs to shoots depended on their types and concentrations. The best results in terms of shoot development from PLBs occurred on 1/2 MS medium supplemented with 20 μM kinetin and 10 g l⁻¹ maltose. Cold pretreatment at 10 °C for 1–2 weeks significantly enhanced the conversion of PLBs to shoots, and over 1300 shoots were obtained from one gram of PLBs after 3 months of culture. The developed shoots were rooted on growth regulator-free MS medium supplemented with 8 g/l banana paste to give complete plantlets, which were successfully acclimatized with a survival rate of approximately 65%. The results indicate that a suitable cold pretreatment (10 °C for 1 week) followed by the use of 20 μM kinetin and 10 g/l maltose in 1/2 MS medium would produce a large number of shoots from PLBs for plantlet regeneration of D. huoshanense.     

Metabolism of the pesticide metabolites 4-nitrophenol and 3,4-dichloroaniline in carrot (Daucus carota) cell suspension cultures

The metabolism of [ 14 C]-4-nitrophenol and [ 14 C]-3,4-dichloroaniline (the xenobiotics are degradation products of parathion and propanil, respectively) was studied in cell suspension cultures of carrot (Daucus carota L.). 4-Nitrophenol was transformed almost quantitatively to water-soluble conjugates with minor amounts of non-extractable residues. The conjugates identified were 1-(O-β-D-glucopyranosyl)-4-nitrobenzene and 1-(6′-O-malonyl-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl)-4-nitrobenzene. In addition, two unidentified metabolites were observed, possibly a disaccharide and another malonylated glycoside of 4-nitrophenol. Time-course studies demonstrated that 4-nitrophenol was rapidly taken up and conjugated; all metabolites remained associated with the cells rather than nutrient medium. 3,4-Dichloroaniline was transformed quantitatively to water-soluble conjugates and bound residues (3.6%). The water-soluble metabolites were identified as 6′-O-malonyl-N-(β-D-glucopyranosyl)-3,4-dichloroaniline, N-(β-D-glucopyranosyl)-3,4-dichloroaniline and N-malonyl-3,4-dichloroaniline. A time-course study showed that the glucosides were formed initially, then decreased, possibly due to hydrolysis. This decrease was paralleled by an increase of the main metabolite, N-malonyl-3,4-dichloroaniline, which was predominantly recovered from the medium.     

Formation and use of microbial residues after adding sugarcane sucrose to a heated soil devoid of soil organic matter

A 67-day incubation experiment was carried out with a soil initially devoid of any organic matter due to heating, which was amended with sugarcane sucrose (C₄-sucrose with a δ¹³C value of ?10.5‰), inorganic N and an inoculum for recolonisation and subsequently at day 33 with C₃-cellulose (δ¹³C value of ?23.4‰). In this soil, all organic matter is in the microbial biomass or in freshly formed residues, which makes it possible to analyse more clearly the role of microbial residues for decomposition of N-poor substrates. The average δ¹³C value over the whole incubation period was ?10.7‰ in soil total C in the treatments without C₃-cellulose addition. In the CO₂ evolved, the δ¹³C values decreased from ?13.4‰ to ?15.4‰ during incubation. In the microbial biomass, the δ¹³C values increased from ?11.5‰ to ?10.1‰ at days 33 and 38. At day 67, 36% of the C₄-sucrose was left in the treatment without a second amendment. The addition of C₃-cellulose resulted in a further 7% decrease, but 4% of the C₃-cellulose was lost during the second incubation period. Total microbial biomass C declined from 200 μg g^?1 soil at day 5 to 70 μg g^?1 soil at day 67. Fungal ergosterol increased to 1.5 μg g^?1 soil at day 12 and declined more or less linearly to 0.4 μg g^?1 soil at day 67. Bacterial muramic acid declined from a maximum of 35 μg g^?1 soil at day 5 to a constant level of around 16 μg g^?1 soil. Glucosamine showed a peak value at day 12. Galactosamine remained constant throughout the incubation. The fungal C/bacterial C ratio increased more or less linearly from 0.38 at day 5 to 1.1 at day 67 indicating a shift in the microbial community from bacteria to fungi during the incubation. The addition of C₃-cellulose led to a small increase in C₃-derived microbial biomass C, but to a strong increase in C₄-derived microbial biomass C. At days 45 and 67, the addition of N-free C₃-cellulose significantly decreased the C/N ratio of the microbial residues, suggesting that this fraction did not serve as an N-source, but as an energy source.     

Wirksamkeit des Kieselgurpräparates Dryacide® gegen vorratsschädliche Insekten

The diatomaceous earth (DE) Dryacide^® was tested under laboratory conditions on surfaces (2 g DE/m²) and in wheat grain (3 kg DE/t wheat) at a relative humidity of 70±5% and a temperature of 22±1°C. The wheat had a moisture content of 14.5%. The effect of surface treatments was tested onEphestia kuehniella, Oryzaephilus surinamensis, Tenebrio molitor andTribolium castaneum. The efficacy of grain treatments was determined usingEphestia elutella, O. surinamensis, Sitophilus granarius andTribolium confusum. In both treatments adult and larval stages were included.100% mortality were reached with the surface treatments in adults and larvae ofO. surinamensis and the adults ofT. molitor andE. kuehniella after an exposition time of 3–9 days. AgainstT. castaneum and the larvae ofT. molitor andE. kuehniella no complete control could be achieved.In the grain treatments the dosage of 3 kg DE/t wheat reached 100% mortality in all tested pests exceptS. granarius. Most sensitive wereO. surinamensis andE. elutella. InT. confusum the adults died within 13 days of treatment, but for complete control of the larvae 13 weeks were necessary. AgainstS. granarius the silica dust showed no satisfactory efficacy, because 49 days after beginning of the examinations beetles of the progeny hatched. Dryacide^® could not prevent the reproduction of the granary weevil, but there was a lower number of progeny compared to the untreated control.     

Growth hormone (GH) and reproduction: a review

Interaction between growth and reproduction occurs in many vertebrates and is particularly obvious at certain stages of the life cycle in fish. Endocrine interactions between the gonadotropic axis and the somatotropic axis are described, the potential role of GH being emphasised. A comparative analysis of these phenomena in mammals, amphibians and fish, suggests a specific role of GH in the physiology of puberty, gametogenesis and fertility. It also shows the original contribution made by studies on the fish model in this field of investigations.     

The interaction among age,thermal acclimation and growth rate in determining muscle metabolic capacities and tissue masses in the threespine stickleback,Gasterosteus aculeatus

Thermal acclimation may directly modify muscle metabolic capacities, or may modify them indirectly via effects upon physiological processes such as growth, reproduction or senescence. To evaluate these interacting effects, we examined the influence of thermal acclimation and acclimatization upon muscle metabolic capacities and tissue masses in 1 + stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus, in which confounding interactions between temperature and senescense should be absent. Furthermore, we examined the influence of thermal acclimation upon individual growth rate, muscle enzyme levels and tissue masses in 2 + stickleback sampled at the beginning of their final reproductive season. For 1 + stickleback, cold acclimation more than doubles mitochondrial enzyme levels in the axial muscle. Thermal acclimation did not change the condition of 1 + stickleback at feeding levels which could not maintain the condition of 2+ stickleback. Compensatory metabolic responses to temperature were not apparent in field acclimatized 1 + stickleback. The growth rate of 2 + stickleback was markedly affected by temperature: warm-acclimated fish generally lost mass even at very high levels of feeding (up to 78 enchytraid worms per day) while cold-acclimated fish gained mass. This suggests that warm temperatures accelerate the senescence of 2 + stickleback. Generally, muscle enzyme activities increased with growth rate. In axial muscle, the relationships between CS activity and growth rate differed with acclimation temperature. Independent of the influence of growth rate, CS activities were consistently higher in cold- than warm-acclimated 2 + stickleback, suggesting compensatory increases of CS activity with cold acclimation. Corresponding author; This paper is dedicated to the memory of Gerry J. FitzGerald who passed away on March 14, 1994.     

Crystal structure of the malaria vaccine candidate apical membrane antigen 1

Apical membrane antigen 1 from Plasmodium is a leading malaria vaccine candidate. The protein is essential for host-cell invasion, but its molecular function is unknown. The crystal structure of the three domains comprising the ectoplasmic region of the antigen from P. vivax, solved at 1.8 angstrom resolution, shows that domains I and II belong to the PAN motif, which defines a superfamily of protein folds implicated in receptor binding. We also mapped the epitope of an invasion-inhibitory monoclonal antibody specific for the P. falciparum ortholog and modeled this to the structure. The location of the epitope and current knowledge on structure-function correlations for PAN domains together suggest a receptor-binding role during invasion in which domain II plays a critical part. These results are likely to aid vaccine and drug design.