Long-term trends in the abundance of Mediterranean wetland vertebrates: From global recovery to localized declines

Biodiversity loss is unevenly distributed in space and time. Species have reached critically low population sizes in some areas, and remain abundant in others. Similarly, some species may benefit from successful conservation plans, while others still experience severe population depletions driven by negative impacts of human activities. Although several indicators have been proposed to measure the fate of biodiversity, they are generally only implemented globally so their relevance for regional assessment is still unclear. Here, we calculated the first regional trend in the Living Planet Index for the Mediterranean wetlands (Med LPI), an indicator that summarizes the fate of global biological diversity based on the temporal trends in abundance of vertebrate populations. The Med LPI was based on 1641 vertebrate populations of 311 species recorded in Mediterranean wetlands from 1970–2008, in 27 different countries. We investigated whether trends in the Med LPI differed between eastern and western Mediterranean countries, which have different socio-economic contexts. Finally, we assessed whether and how the trend in the Med LPI was robust to changes in the number and identity of species considered. We found that, at the Mediterranean scale, the Med LPI increased steeply, which could be taken at first sight, as a general recovery of wetland biodiversity in this biogeographical region. However, we found highly contrasting spatial trends within the Mediterranean region: the average trend was positive for western and negative for eastern countries. Moreover, we showed that depending on the method used to estimate the trend in Med LPI, it can be sensitive to the number and identity of the species considered. We suggest that understanding the regional discrepancies of the trend in biodiversity indicators as well as their robustness to the species represented in the index will enhance progress assessment towards global and regional conservation strategies.     

A dog model to study ovary, ovarian ligament and visceral pain

Objective A dog model was developed to study visceral pain by stimulating the ovarian ligament. Study design Prospective experimental trial. Animals Twelve 1‐year old female hound dogs weighing 25.7 ± 3.6 kg. Methods Dogs were anesthetized with sevoflurane. The right ovary was accessed via laparoscopy. A suture was placed around the ovarian ligament and exteriorized through the abdominal wall for stimulation. The noxious stimulus consisted of pulling the ovary and ovarian ligament with a force transducer. The response to noxious stimulation was determined using the anesthetic minimum alveolar concentration requirement (MAC) for sevoflurane. The ovarian MAC was compared to the standardized somatic noxious stimulation tail clamp MAC. The results are depicted as mean ± SD and corrected to sea‐level. Results The stimulus–response curve during ovarian stimulation in three dogs was hyperbolic and best represented by a three‐parameter logistic growth curve model. The curve plateaued at 7.12 ± 4.19 N. From the stimulus‐response curve, we chose 6.61 N to test the consistency and repeatability of the model in nine dogs. The ovarian stimulation MAC for sevoflurane in these dogs was 2.16 ± 0.46%. The ovarian stimulation confidence interval and limits are comparable to the results from tail stimulation MAC. The tail stimulation MACs before and after laparoscopy surgery were not different (1.86 ± 0.28% and 1.77 ± 0.38% respectively; p > 0.05) but lower when compared to the ovarian MAC (p < 0.01). The dogs recovered from anesthesia without complications. Conclusions and clinical relevance The ovarian stimulation model is an adequate and repeatable means of producing visceral stimulation to determine MAC. The model may provide a humane mechanism to study the effectiveness of analgesics for acute ovarian pain.     

Low pesticide rates may hasten the evolution of resistance by increasing mutation frequencies

At very low pesticide rates, a certain low proportion of pests may receive a sublethal dose, are highly stressed by the pesticide and yet survive. Stress is a general enhancer of mutation rates. Thus, the survivors are likely to have more than normal mutations, which might include mutations leading to pesticide resistance, both for multifactorial (polygenic, gene amplification, sequential allelic mutations) and for major gene resistance. Management strategies should consider how to eliminate the subpopulation of pests with the high mutation rates, but the best strategy is probably to avoid too low application rates of pesticides from the outset.     

Pedo‐ecological consequences of lithological discontinuities in soils—examples from Central Europe

Soil profiles having lithological discontinuities, i.e., stratified or layered profiles, occur worldwide. Their genesis as part of the upper‐regolith formation is comparatively well understood, particularly in Central Europe where extensive research on relic periglacial cover beds has been done. But the pedogenetic and ecological implications of lithologically discontinuous soils (LDS) are less well known. Most textbooks rely on the so‐called A‐B‐C‐model as a climate‐driven approach to soil formation. After reviewing definitions and concepts of lithological discontinuities and how they form, we present a pedogenetic model extending the traditional approach by considering substrate genesis and regolith dynamics. The consequences in the interpretation of vertical distributions of parameters of soil acidification and of heavy metals are investigated for typical soil profiles from the W Ore Mountains and the central‐German lowlands. Results show how lithological discontinuities influence the depth gradients and that properties inherited from substrate should be distinguished, if possible, from those developed by pedogenesis.     

Reptile diversity and rodent community structure across a political border

The peace treaty between Israel and Jordan found the Arava desert ecosystem, shared by the two countries, in a state of developmental dichotomy. On the Israeli side, vast lands have been settled and transformed into agricultural fields, while the Jordanian side has remained relatively intact and inhabited by only a few traditional and pastoral societies. This study examined the effect of different landscape units and proximity to agriculture on reptile diversity and rodent community structure on both sides of the border. It appears that in addition to the effect of proximity to agricultural fields and landscape habitat, the border between the two countries may play a role in determining diversity on the respective sides. While reptile abundance was generally higher on the Israeli side of the border, diversity was found to be significantly higher on the Jordanian side. Rodent community structure also revealed significant differences between the two sides of the border, mainly due to the more favorable conditions for psammophilic gerbils in Jordan. When comparing Western society with pastoral traditional society, it appears that development activities of the former have altered diversity and community structure of the taxa studied in the Arava. We suggest that in addition to the effects of habitats and human disturbances, such as modern agricultural practices, cultural differences between societies should be considered when conservation plans are developed for cross-border ecosystems.     

Allicin and allicin-derived garlic compounds increase breath acetone through allyl methyl sulfide: use in measuring allicin bioavailability

Progress in establishing systemic pharmacological effects for fresh, crushed garlic (Allium sativum L) in humans has been hindered by (1) the inability to measure allicin bioavailability, (2) lack of direct evidence that allicin has significant systemic activity at doses of garlic normally consumed, and (3) lack of a model for an acute effect. We have addressed these problems by quantifying the increases in breath acetone and breath allyl methyl sulfide (AMS). The area under the 48 h curve was measured in humans after consumption of standardized garlic preparations, allicin, and allicin-derived compounds, at the equivalent of 7 g of crushed garlic. It was shown that the allyl thiosulfinates (mainly allicin) are solely responsible for breath AMS and increased breath acetone. Diallyl trisulfide, diallyl disulfide, ajoene, and S-allylmercaptocysteine, at isomolar dithioallyl, showed the same quantitative effects as allicin. Consumption of AMS at isomolar allyl also gave the same effects as allicin, indicating that AMS is the main metabolite of allicin and is an active metabolite. In conclusion, allicin and allicin-derived compounds are rapidly metabolized to AMS, a compound which stimulates the production of acetone and which can be used to measure the bioavailability of allicin and, hence, the ability of garlic supplements to represent fresh garlic.     

Ultralow calcium requirements of fungi facilitate use of calcium regulating agents to suppress host calcium-dependent defenses,synergizing infection by a mycoherbicide

Infection by many fungi activates a variety of calcium dependent defenses in the hosts, slowing or suppressing the attacker and limiting the efficacy of mycoherbicides. The calcium requirement for fungal growth is so low that it could only be implied based on fungi containing calcium-dependent signaling enzymes. Analytical grade media contain <2 microM calcium, and the addition of specific chelators does not affect fungal growth. Hydrophobic derivatives of the calcium-specific chelator BAPTA designed to traverse plant cuticles were synthesized in order to chelate calcium internally during fungal attack. Some chelators as well as calcium precipitating oxalate and channel blocker verapamil were applied with a weakly mycoherbicidal Colletotrichum coccodes to cotyledons of compatible Abutilon threophrasti. They suppressed calcium dependent callose biosynthesis in the weed and increased virulence but may have affected other calcium-dependent processes that facilitate virulence. The low calcium requirement of fungi, and their high affinity for calcium, allows the application of calcium-regulating agents as synergists for mycoherbicides where the weed uses calcium-dependent defenses.     

Metabolic engineering of plant cells for biotransformation of hesperedin into neohesperidin, a substrate for production of the low-calorie sweetener and flavor enhancer NHDC

Neohesperidin dihydrochalcone (NHDC) is a seminatural, safe, low-calorie sweetener, bitterness blocker, and flavor enhancer with unique properties and applications for the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, and animal feed industries. Current production is limited by the availability of the substrate neohesperidin, a flavonoid that accumulates to significant levels only in the inedible bitter citrus species. We propose a process to convert hesperidin, a tasteless flavonoid extracted from orange peels that are abundant byproducts of the vast orange juice industry, into neohesperidin using metabolic engineering and biotransformation via three steps: (i) extraction of hesperidin from orange peels, (ii) hydrolysis of sugar moieties, and (iii) biotransformation of hesperidin hydrolysis products into neohesperidin. We overcame the current technological bottleneck in biotransformation of hesperidin hydrolysis products into neohesperidin using metabolically engineered plant cell cultures expressing a recombinant flavanone-7-O-glucoside-2-O-rhamnosyltransferase. A small-scale production experiment established the feasibility of the proposed process.     

Assessment of C budget for grasslands and drylands of the world

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates indicate that potential changes in seasonal rainfall and temperature patterns in central North America and the African Sahel will have a greater impact on biological response (such as plant production and biogeochemical cycling) and feedback to climate than changes in the overall amount of annual rainfall. Simulation of grassland and dryland ecosystem responses to climate and CO₂ changes demonstrates the sensitivity of plant productivity and soil C storage to projected changes in precipitation, temperature and atmospheric CO₂. Using three different land cover projections, changes in C levels in the grassland and dryland regions from 1800 to 1990 were estimated to be ?13.2, ?25.5 and ?14.7 Pg, i.e., a net source of C due to land cover removal resulting from cropland conversion. Projections into the future based on a double-CO₂ climate including climate-driven shifts in biome areas by the year 2040 resulted in a net sink of +5.6, +27.4 and +26.8 Pg, respectively, based upon sustainable grassland management. The increase in C storage resulted mainly from an increase in area for the warm grassland sub-biome, together with increased soil organic matter. Preliminary modeling estimates of soil C losses due to 50 yr of regressive land management in these grassland and dryland ecoregions result in a 11 Pg loss relative to current conditions, and a potential loss of 37 Pg during a 50 yr period relative to sustainable land-use practices, an average source of 0.7 Pg C yr^?1. Estimates of the cost of a 20 yr rehabilitation program are 5 to 8×10⁹ US$ yr^?1, for a C sequestering cost of approximately 10 US$ per tC.