Genetic variation in a subterranean arthropod (Folsomia candida) as a method to identify low-permeability barriers in an aquifer

Folsomia candida (order Collembola), a common soil arthropod, has recently been described living in a shallow (2.5–5.7 m below surface), unconsolidated aquifer in southwestern Michigan. F. candida was haplotyped from 14 wells using inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSRs) markers, and genetic variation in F. candida was used as a bioindicator to identify pore scale to mesoscale migration barriers in the aquifer. With one exception, individual haplotypes were only found in single wells. A significant relationship was identified between interpopulation genetic differentiation and geographic distance, and F. candida exhibits genetic population structuring over a very fine geographic scale (0.65 km²). Monmonier's algorithm was used to identify two most likely subsurface barriers to migration. Hypothesized barriers divided the F. candida populations into three genetically distinct groups, with two groups separated by only 15 m. These groupings are not dependent on groundwater flow direction, and are supported by a minimum spanning network and AMOVA analysis. Because F. candida movement is limited by pore size, these barriers identify local areas of low permeability in the aquifer material. The study suggests that F. candida may serve an important role in identifying geological characteristics and patterns in aquifers that may be difficult to evaluate by other means.     

Sorption of tannin and related phenolic compounds and effects on soluble-N in soil

Some tannins, plant-derived polyphenolic compounds, can rapidly affix to soil and affect the solubility of labile soil-N but a more complete understanding of the nature and persistence of tannin-soil interactions is needed. Forest and pasture soils from two depths were treated for 1 h with cool (23 ^°C) water (Control) or solutions that added 10 mg g⁻¹ soil tannic acid (TA), an imprecisely defined mixture of galloyl esters, gallic acid (GA), a phenol, or β-1,2,3,4,6-penta-O-galloyl-d-glucose (PGG), a hydrolyzable tannin. Soluble-C and N, in treatment supernatants, was measured to uncover evidence for sorption of treatments or effects on extraction of soil-N. Significant amounts of soluble-C, added with treatments, were not recovered in supernatants indicating sorption of nearly 90% of the PGG-C, about 75% of the TA-C but less than 25% of the GA-C in surface soil. Disappearance of soluble-C from treatment supernatants was accompanied by a corresponding reduction of total phenolic content. Treatments added a negligible amount of N to soil; but while PGG and TA reduced soluble-N, in extracts from surface soil, GA had little effect. Soluble-N in extracts was composed mainly of organic-N. Effects of tannins persisted in surface soil through 12 washings with hot water (80 ^°C), suggesting the formation of stable complexes with soil. The proportion of initial soil-C and N remaining after all extractions was higher in samples treated with PGG or TA than either the Control or GA treatment. We conclude PGG readily sorbs to soil and reduces the solubility of soil organic-N unlike GA, its simple monomeric constituent. These differences could be especially important near the surface where quantities of soil organic matter and biological activity are comparatively large and most easily affected by management.     

Variation of soil respiration at three spatial scales: Components within measurements, intra-site variation and patterns on the landscape

Soil respiration is an important component of terrestrial carbon cycling and can be influenced by many factors that vary spatially. This research aims to determine the extent and causes of spatial variation of soil respiration, and to quantify the importance of scale on measuring and modeling soil respiration within and among common forests of Northern Wisconsin. The potential sources of variation were examined at three scales: [1] variation among the litter, root, and bulk soil respiration components within individual 0.1 m measurement collars, [2] variation between individual soil respiration measurements within a site (<1 m to 10 m), and [3] variation on the landscape caused by topographic influence (100 m to 1000 m). Soil respiration was measured over a two-year period at 12 plots that included four forest types. Root exclusion collars were installed at a subset of the sites, and periodic removal of the litter layer allowed litter and bulk soil contributions to be estimated by subtraction. Soil respiration was also measured at fixed locations in six northern hardwood sites and two aspen sites to examine the stability of variation between individual measurements. These study sites were added to an existing data set where soil respiration was measured in a random, rotating, systematic clustering which allowed the examination of spatial variability from scales of <1 m to 100+ m. The combined data set for this area was also used to examine the influence of topography on soil respiration at scales of over 1000 m by using a temperature and moisture driven soil respiration model and a 4 km² digital elevation model (DEM) to model soil moisture. Results indicate that, although variation of soil respiration and soil moisture is greatest at scales of 100 m or more, variation from locations 1 m or less can be large (standard deviation during summer period of 1.58 and 1.28 μmol CO₂ m⁻² s⁻¹, respectively). At the smallest of scales, the individual contributions of the bulk soil, the roots, and the litter mat changed greatly throughout the season and between forest types, although the data were highly variable within any given site. For scales of 1-10 m, variation between individual measurements could be explained by positive relationships between forest floor mass, root mass, carbon and nitrogen pools, or root nitrogen concentration. Lastly, topography strongly influenced soil moisture and soil properties, and created spatial patterns of soil respiration which changed greatly during a drought event. Integrating soil fluxes over a 4 km² region using an elevation dependent soil respiration model resulted in a drought induced reduction of peak summer flux rates by 37.5%, versus a 31.3% when only plot level data was used. The trends at these important scales may help explain some inter-annual and spatial variability of the net ecosystem exchange of carbon.     

A Modeling Approach to Water Quality Management of an Agriculturally Dominated Watershed, Kansas, USA

Impairment of water quality is a major concern for streams and rivers in the central USA. Total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) establish a watershed framework and set management targets to alleviate pollution from both point and nonpoint sources. For this study, we have used a hydrologic modeling approach to holistically examine the effect of land use management, urban development, and agricultural practices on sediment and nutrient loadings in an agricultural watershed. Annualized Agricultural Nonpoint Source (AnnAGNPS) simulation indicates that while point source dischargers contribute 8% of total nitrogen (TN) and 24% of total phosphorus (TP) loadings to the Marmaton River, agricultural nonpoint sources are the leading pollution source contributing 55% of TN and 49% of TP loading. Based on TMDL analysis and model simulation, 3% of the watershed area (3,244 ha) needs to be targeted to control TN loading whereas 1% of the total area (1,319 ha) is required for TP reduction management. Managing the TN areas alone can achieve a 57% reduction in the TP load required for the TMDL, whereas managing the targeted TP areas can only provide 30% of the required TN reduction. Areas required both TN and TP management comprise 469 ha. Targeting these areas can achieve approximately 22% of the required TN reduction and 29% of the required TP reduction. Overall, 4,094 ha will require management to achieve water quality goals. This study demonstrates that a modeling approach is needed to effectively address TMDL issues and help identify targeted areas for management.     

Creosote Contamination in Sediments of the Grey Owl Marina in Prince Albert National Park, Saskatchewan, Canada

The rate at which creosote-treated pilings release polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) into the environment should diminish with structure age and weathering, and so, it may be assumed that PAH concentrations in the vicinity of old structures (>30 years) may approach background levels. However, this may not be true in cold environments where PAH release and degradation rates are slow and where pilings continue to experience significant physical damage. Moreover, PAHs will remain high in the vicinity of pilings if current and wave action is insufficient to disperse and dilute PAHs over a wider area and/or where PAHs do not become diluted and buried by uncontaminated sediments. This is demonstrated in our investigation of the sediments of the Grey Owl Marina, located in Prince Albert National Park, in central Saskatchewan, Canada. The marina, constructed in the early 1960s, consists of six piers and is protected from strong wave action by a breakwater. PAH concentrations were high in sediments collected under the piers and inside the boat slips, exceeding probable effect levels for several compounds. Various lines of physical and chemical evidence pointed to creosote as being the primary PAH source with a mixture of relatively undegraded and weathered PAHs being present. PAH concentrations decreased rapidly 2 m and further away from the pilings as a result of dilution with increasing dispersal over a broadening area. There was evidence of benthic community impairment, with total abundances negatively correlated with PAH concentrations. According to the Methods for Ranking Contaminated Aquatic Sites on Canadian Federal Properties, areas with the highest hazard scores were under the piers and inside the boat slips, while areas with the lowest hazard scores were >10 m from the pilings. Therefore, remedial actions based on piling and contaminated sediment removal may need to be conducted over only a small area, i.e., within 2 m of the pilings.     

Comparative impact of an anthranilic diamide and other insecticidal chemistries on beneficial invertebrates and ecosystem services in turfgrass

BACKGROUND: Chlorantraniliprole, the first anthranilic diamide insecticide labeled for turf, combines strong selective activity against key pests with low vertebrate toxicity. The hypothesis that it is less disruptive to beneficial invertebrates and their ecosystem services than are other prevailing insecticide classes was tested. Plots in golf course settings were treated with chlorantraniliprole, or with a representative nicotinoid (clothianidin), pyethroid (bifenthrin) or a combination (clothianidin–bifenthrin) formulation. Non‐target effects were assessed via pitfall traps (epigeal predators), Tullgren funnel extraction (soil microarthropods), hand sorting (earthworms), counting ant mounds and earthworm casts on tees and putting greens, assessing predation on sentinel pest eggs and comparing grass clipping decomposition in treated versus untreated turf. RESULTS: Chlorantraniliprole had little or, in most cases, no impact on predatory or soil invertebrates, predation or decomposition. Each of the other insecticides temporarily reduced abundance and activity of one or more predator groups. Clothianidin and the clothianidin–bifenthrin combination retarded grass clipping decomposition, and the combination suppressed earthworms and casts more than did carbaryl, a toxic standard. CONCLUSION: Chlorantraniliprole is compatible with conservation biocontrol and a good fit for industry initiatives to use relatively less toxic pesticides. One caveat is that its use on golf courses may require targeted management of ant mounds and earthworm casts that are suppressed as a side effect by some less selective insecticides. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Microbial exposure during early life has persistent effects on natural killer T cell function

Exposure to microbes during early childhood is associated with protection from immune-mediated diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and asthma. Here, we show that in germ-free (GF) mice, invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells accumulate in the colonic lamina propria and lung, resulting in increased morbidity in models of IBD and allergic asthma as compared with that of specific pathogen-free mice. This was associated with increased intestinal and pulmonary expression of the chemokine ligand CXCL16, which was associated with increased mucosal iNKT cells. Colonization of neonatal-but not adult-GF mice with a conventional microbiota protected the animals from mucosal iNKT accumulation and related pathology. These results indicate that age-sensitive contact with commensal microbes is critical for establishing mucosal iNKT cell tolerance to later environmental exposures.