One century of eel growth: changes and implications

Abstract – A cooperative effort gathered a large European length‐at‐age data set (N = 45,759, Lat. 36S–61N Long. 10W–27E) for Anguilla anguilla, covering one century. To assess the effect of global warming during the last century and habitat effects on growth, a model was fitted on the data representing the conditions met at the distribution area scale. Two GLMs were designed to predict eel log(GR): one model was fitted to the whole data and the other was fitted to the female data subset. A model selection procedure was applied to select the best predictors among sex, age class, five temperature parameters and six habitat parameters (depth, salinity and four variables related to the position in the catchment). The yearly sum of temperatures above 13 °C (TempSUP13), the relative distance within the catchment, sex, age class, salinity class and depth class were finally selected. The best model predicted eel log(GR) with a 64.46% accuracy for the whole data and 66.91% for the female eel data. Growth rate (GR) was greater in habitats close to the sea and in deep habitats. TempSUP13 variable had one of the greatest predictive powers in the model, showing that global warming had affected eel growth during the last century.     

Distribution of PAH residues in humic and mineral fractions of sediments from stormwater infiltration basins

Purpose

The management of sediments from stormwater infiltration basins is nowadays a key issue for local authorities to ensure long-term performance. Speciation of pollutants is particularly required in view of reuse of these materials. If fractionation of trace metals in sediments is relatively well described, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) speciation was only studied using particle size distribution. Therefore, this study aims at the characterization of the PAHs-bearing fractions in sediments.

Materials and methods

Three sediments with various physicochemical properties were sampled in the west and north of France to characterize the distribution of PAHs among organic and inorganic components. Respective organic and inorganic matrixes were obtained by alkaline extraction and methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) fractionation procedure. The nature of the solid fractions was assessed through microanalyses: infrared spectroscopy (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy with X-ray spectroscopy. Bulk sediments and extracted fractions were analyzed for organic matter parameters: elemental analysis (C, N, and H), total organic matter, total organic carbon, hydrocarbons (C10–C40), and PAHs.

Results and discussion

The characterization of bulk sediments highlighted that they were mainly composed of single particles, originating from the geological background, and aggregates (10 to 300 μm) composed of minerals and large organic matter content. The C/N ratio and PAH ratios were shown to be helpful for the determination of the natural or anthropogenic origin of organic matter or to evaluate additional contribution of industrial activities. The fractionation results underlined the role of the aggregates on the distribution of PAHs. Humin fraction and bound-humic acids were mainly composed of aggregates (10 to 150 μm) and accounted for 60 to 70 % of sample mass. The PAHs are mainly sequestrated in these fractions. Only up to 1 % of PAHs are adsorbed on the mineral fraction.

Conclusions

Both alkaline extraction and MIBK procedure demonstrated that PAH residues were readily sequestrated in humin and bound-humic acids fractions and that fulvic acids, humic acids, and mineral fractions contained poor concentrations of PAHs. Microanalyses underlined the high level of aggregation of particles in sediments and their mixed inorganic and organic nature. In case of stormwater sediments, the location of PAHs in highly organic aggregates is consistent with their sources, being both oil products and debris from vehicles and road.     

Effect of high temperature on the production of 2n pollen grains in diploid roses and obtaining tetraploids via unilateral polyploidization

To integrate the gene pool of a wild species (primarily diploid) into a cultivated pool (primarily tetraploid), a crossing between a dihaploid cultivated rose and a hybrid of Rosa wichurana allowed to obtain interspecific diploid hybrids that produced 2n pollen grains. A return to a tetraploid level sought by breeders can then be considered using sexual polyploidization, obtained by crossing a tetraploid cultivated rose with these hybrids. Application of a high‐temperature regime led to a small but significant increase in the percentage of 2n pollen grains in these hybrids of up to 4.6%. This result was obtained by applying high temperatures close to 32°C during the day to plants cultivated in a glasshouse during recurrent cycles of bloom. Crosses were made between an unreleased tetraploid hybrid tea rose, as a female, and the diploid hybrid that produces the most 2n pollen grains. Tetraploid (42.1%) and triploid (57.9%) offspring were obtained. The use of these 2n pollen grains of the first division restitution type should facilitate the introgression of complex traits of interest.     

Within-stand and seasonal variations of specific leaf area in a clonal Eucalyptus plantation in the Republic of Congo

Specific leaf area (SLA; m²_leaf kg^?1_leaf) is a key ecophysiological parameter influencing leaf physiology, photosynthesis, and whole plant carbon gain. Both individual tree-based models and other forest process-based models are generally highly sensitive to this parameter, but information on its temporal or within-stand variability is still scarce. In a 2–4-year-old Eucalyptus plantation in Congo, prone to seasonal drought, the within-stand and seasonal variability in SLA were investigated by means of destructive sampling carried out at 2-month intervals, over a 2-year period. Within-crown vertical gradients of SLA were small. Highly significant relationships were found between tree-average SLA (SLA_t) and tree size (tree height, H_t, or diameter at breast height, DBH): SLA_t ranged from about 9 m² kg^?1 for dominant trees to about 14–15 m² kg^?1 for the smallest trees. The decrease in SLA_t with increasing tree size was accurately predicted from DBH using power functions. Stand-average SLA varied by about 20% during the year, with lowest values at the end of the 5-month dry season, and highest values about 2–3 months after the onset of the wet season. Variability in leaf water status according to tree size and season is discussed as a possible determinant of both the within-stand and seasonal variations in SLA.