Knowledge about the quantitative pollen requirements of solitary bees is crucial for the preservation of endangered bee species and the understanding of the evolution of bee–flower relationships. We estimate the number of flowers required to rear a single larva for 41 European bee species (i) by comparing the pollen content of brood cells with the pollen quantity contained in the flowers of the bees’ host plants and (ii) by deducing the pollen requirements from a regression model describing the relationship between the average bee dry body mass and the average brood cell pollen content. The flower requirements of the bee species examined vary by three orders of magnitude. Depending on both bee species and host plant, from seven to 1100 flowers or from 0.9 to 4.5 flower heads are needed to rear a single larva. As only about 40% of the pollen contained in a flower was found to be available to a single female bee, these minimal figures have to be multiplied by a factor of approximately 2.5 to obtain a realistic estimate of bee flower requirements. The amount of pollen lost from flowers for bee nutrition is surprisingly high. We hypothesize that the recent decline of many bee species may have its main cause in a food shortage provoked by a decrease in flower diversity and quantity following habitat destruction and modern agricultural practices. The substantial pollen losses to bees as documented in this study support earlier findings on floral adaptations against excessive pollen harvesting by bees. 相似文献
The kinetics of the thermal degradation of the natural cis carotenoid bixin in a water/ethanol (8:2) solution was studied as a function of temperature (70-125 degrees C), using high-performance liquid chromatography. The curves for the decay of bixin and formation of products (e.g., di-cis and all-trans isomers and a C17 degradation compound) did not adjust well to a first-order rate law, but very good fits were obtained using a biexponential model. This mathematical modeling gave the rate constant values for the formation of the primary products from bixin, and the energy barrier for each step was obtained. The di-cis isomers were formed immediately (15 kcal/mol) together with the decay of bixin, followed by a slow consumption, indicating their role as reaction intermediates. In fact, the di-cis isomers could easily revert to bixin (Ea approximately 3 kcal/mol) or yield the primary C17 degradation product, with an energy barrier of 6.5 kcal/mol. In turn, 24 kcal/mol was necessary for the Bix --> all-trans step, explaining its slower formation. 相似文献
The search for new biological sources of commercial value is a major goal for the sustainable management of natural resources. The huge amount of fishery by-catch or processing by-products continuously produced needs to be managed to avoid environmental problems and keep resource sustainability. Fishery by-products can represent an interesting source of high added value bioactive compounds, such as proteins, carbohydrates, collagen, polyunsaturated fatty acids, chitin, polyphenolic constituents, carotenoids, vitamins, alkaloids, tocopherols, tocotrienols, toxins; nevertheless, their biotechnological potential is still largely underutilized. Depending on their structural and functional characteristics, marine-derived biomolecules can find several applications in food industry, agriculture, biotechnological (chemical, industrial or environmental) fields. Fish internal organs are a rich and underexplored source of bioactive compounds; the fish gut microbiota biosynthesizes essential or short-chain fatty acids, vitamins, minerals or enzymes and is also a source of probiotic candidates, in turn producing bioactive compounds with antibiotic and biosurfactant/bioemulsifier activities. Chemical, enzymatic and/or microbial processing of fishery by-catch or processing by-products allows the production of different valuable bioactive compounds; to date, however, the lack of cost-effective extraction strategies so far has prevented their exploitation on a large scale. Standardization and optimization of extraction procedures are urgently required, as processing conditions can affect the qualitative and quantitative properties of these biomolecules. Valorization routes for such raw materials can provide a great additional value for companies involved in the field of bioprospecting. The present review aims at collecting current knowledge on fishery by-catch or by-products, exploring the valorization of their active biomolecules, in application of the circular economy paradigm applied to the fishery field. It will address specific issues from a biorefinery perspective: (i) fish tissues and organs as potential sources of metabolites, antibiotics and probiotics; (ii) screening for bioactive compounds; (iii) extraction processes and innovative technologies for purification and chemical characterization; (iv) energy production technologies for the exhausted biomass. We provide a general perspective on the techno-economic feasibility and the environmental footprint of the production process, as well as on the definition of legal constraints for the new products production and commercial use. 相似文献
Resource movements across ecosystem boundaries are important determinants of the diversity and abundance of organisms in the donor and recipient ecosystem. However the effects of cross-ecosystem movements of materials at broader spatial extents than a typical field study are not well understood.
Objectives
We tested the hypotheses that (1) variation in abundance of 57 forest songbird species within four foraging guilds is explained by modeled emergent aquatic insect biomass inputs from adjacent lakes and streams and (2) the degree of association varies across foraging guilds and species within guilds. We also sought to determine the importance of emergent aquatic insects while accounting for variation in local forest cover and edge.
Methods
We spatially modeled the degree to which distribution and abundance of songbirds in different foraging guilds was explained by modeled emergent aquatic insect biomass. We used multilevel models to simultaneously estimate the responses of species in four different insectivorous guilds. Bird abundance was summarized from point counts conducted over 24 years at 317 points.
Results
Aerial insectivores were more abundant in areas with high estimated emergent insect biomass inputs to land (regression coefficient 0.30, P?<?0.05) but the overall abundance of gleaners, bark-probers, and ground-foragers was not explained by estimated emergent insect abundance. The coursing aerial insectivores had the strongest association with emergent insects followed by willow flycatcher, olive-sided flycatcher, and alder flycatcher.
Conclusions
Modeling cross-ecosystem movements of materials at broad spatial extents can effectively characterize the importance of this ecological process for aerial insectivorous songbirds.
Sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) has stylar gametophytic self‐incompatibility, which is controlled by the multi‐allelic S‐locus and encompasses the highly polymorphic genes for the S‐ribonuclease (S‐RNase) and S‐haplotype‐specific F‐box (SFB), which are female and male determinants, respectively. The self‐compatible mutant SFB4′ corresponds to an allele variant of SFB4 and presents a frameshift mutation. Even though male‐determinant molecular markers can discriminate between SFB4 and SFB4′ alleles, the methods required are laborious, time‐consuming and expensive, and not suitable for massive analysis and integration into breeding programmes. Our aim was to develop molecular markers for the evaluation of self‐compatibility alleles in sweet cherry, that could be used as a high‐throughput screening strategy to identify SFB4 and SFB4′ alleles, based on a marker for male determinacy. Our results were consistent using primers flanking the mutation responsible for the SFB4′ allele. We designed a specific molecular marker and confirmed it in sweet cherry commercial varieties. This new molecular marker is feasible for self‐compatibility alleles in the male determinant in sweet cherry‐assisted breeding programs. 相似文献
The goal of this study was to verify the influence of the population effect in the estimates of genetic and phenotypic components and to identify the best soybean progeny or lines in a commercial soybean breeding programme. We evaluated 292 populations for grain yield and absolute maturity during three agricultural years. To quantify the efficiency of the inclusion of the population's effect in the model, we estimated genetic gain with the selection, the Spearman's correlation, the coincidence index, the realized gain and correlated response of selected genotypes with and without the effect of the population. It was found that the variance components, heritability and coefficient of experimental variation were better estimated when the effect of the population was included, providing greater gain with selection for grain yield and absolute maturity. Coincidence and ranking among the selected progeny with and without the effect of the population are of greater magnitude in more advanced inbreeding generations and at higher percentage of selected progeny. The use of the population effect has greater importance in earlier generations of inbreeding. 相似文献
This paper discusses the variation between generic soil screening values (SSV) from 17 countries for 11 volatile organic contaminants (VOC). The variation between SSV was one to four orders-of-magnitude (OOM) depending on the SSV and landuse type. What would be the variation if parameter values are harmonized between member states?
Main Features
The effect of harmonization was visualized by firstly reviewing the technical derivation procedure for SSV for 7 SSV from five countries and collecting all parameter values that are involved in the deviation. The parameters were subdivided in scientific (e.g. algorithm plus its parameter values), political (e.g. toxicological reference) or geographical (e.g. building and soil properties) elements. Secondly, new SSV were calculated with progressively harmonized sets of scientific and/or political parameter values, while the geographical parameters varied. Thirdly, the variation between SSV was compared before and after harmonization.
Results
Results show that harmonizing algorithms plus other scientific and political parameters are suited for harmonization. The variation decreases to 1 OOM, after scientific and political parameters were harmonized. Geographical parameters seem to have less impact on the differences between SSV.
Discussion
So, should we harmonize the procedures for deriving SSV between EU member states? The need for discussing harmonization is also raised by the upcoming EU Soil Framework Directive.
Conclusions
Clearly common generic SSV across all of Europe are not appropriate, since countries are allowed to include member state specific geographical and cultural elements and also political decision making. By harmonizing scientific and/or political parameters differences between SSV can be made more transparent between member states and it will encourage convergence in procedures among member states to ensure neutral conditions of competition and a coherent soil protection regime throughout Europe.
Recommendations and perspectives
To promote uniformity it is recommended to construct a toolbox for the calculation of human health risk exposure, carried by a European consensus, that includes different model algorithms for which fixed and flexible input parameters are made available. Fixed algorithm parameters are standardized and applied uniformly by all member states, e.g. physico-chemical parameters, while flexible input parameters permits member states to include region or country specific parameter values and policy decisions. 相似文献