Confronting collinearity: comparing methods for disentangling the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation

Estimating the relative importance of habitat loss and fragmentation is necessary to estimate the potential benefits of specific management actions and to ensure that limited conservation resources are used efficiently. However, estimating relative effects is complicated because the two processes are highly correlated. Previous studies have used a wide variety of statistical methods to separate their effects and we speculated that the published results may have been influenced by the methods used. We used simulations to determine whether, under identical conditions, the following 7 methods generate different estimates of relative importance for realistically correlated landscape predictors: residual regression, model or variable selection, averaged coefficients from all supported models, summed Akaike weights, classical variance partitioning, hierarchical variance partitioning, and a multiple regression model with no adjustments for collinearity. We found that different methods generated different rankings of the predictors and that some metrics were strongly biased. Residual regression and variance partitioning were highly biased by correlations among predictors and the bias depended on the direction of a predictor’s effect (positive vs. negative). Our results suggest that many efforts to deal with the correlation between amount and fragmentation may have done more harm than good. If confounding effects are controlled and adequate thought is given to the ecological mechanisms behind modeled predictors, then standardized partial regression coefficients are unbiased estimates of the relative importance of amount and fragmentation, even when predictors are highly correlated.     

Influence of the distillation step on the ratios of stable isotopes of ethanol in cherry brandies

Isotope ratio mass spectrometry and site-specific natural isotope fractionation-nuclear magnetic resonance were applied to determine the overall carbon isotope ratio (delta13C) and the hydrogen isotope ratios [(D/H)I and (D/H)II] of ethanol, respectively. Ethanol was obtained by distillation of fermented cherry mash from a pot still commonly used in fruit brandy production. Analyses of distillate fractions revealed that the distillation proceeds with a fractionation of ethanol isotopologues. The inverse vapor pressure isotope effect (VPIE) observed for the carbon isotopologues is in accordance with the data reported for distillation of ethanol in spinning band columns. In contrast, the inverse VPIE for hydrogen isotopologues of ethanol observed in spinning band columns could not be confirmed. To investigate whether the observed isotope fractionations might influence the applicability of stable isotope analysis for quality and authenticity assessment of fruit brandies, the collected distillate fractions were recombined to cuts, as is common practice in commercial fruit brandy production. Taking into consideration the limits of repeatability of the method, it could be demonstrated that the isotope fractionations observed do not impair the applicability of stable isotope analysis of the carbon and hydrogen isotopes of ethanol for the authenticity assessment of cherry brandies if the cuts are placed in accordance with common distillers' practice.     

Pathway analysis of branched-chain ester biosynthesis in apple using deuterium labeling and enantioselective gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

The biosynthesis of volatile esters by Red Delicious apples was investigated by incubating fruit tissue with deuterated flavor precursors at various times after controlled atmosphere (CA) storage and measuring deuterium incorporation into branched-chain ester volatiles. 2-Methylbutyl acetate was the only volatile not significantly reduced by CA storage. Conversion of 2-methylbutanol to 2-methylbutyl acetate and of 2-methylbutanoic acid to ethyl 2-methylbutanoate and to hexyl 2-methylbutanoate was limited by the availability of 2-methylbutyl substrates but not by acetyl-CoA, ethanol, or hexanol, respectively. The enzymatic activity required for these reactions declined during CA storage. The conversion of 2-methylbutanoic acid to 2-methylbutanol was also substrate limited, but enzymic activity appeared stable in storage. Biosynthesis of both 2-methylbutanoic acid and 2-methylbutanol, from isoleucine, was severely depressed under CA storage. The reduced metabolism of isoleucine to 2-methylbutanoyl-CoA may be the primary reason for reduced branched-chain ester synthesis in CA-stored Red Delicious apples. Enantioselective gas chromatography-mass spectrometry confirmed that the chirality of (S)-2-methylbutyl acetate derives from l-isoleucine with the other enzymes in this pathway not being enantiospecific. Treatment of tissue samples with 2-methylbut-2E-enal gave only (S)-2-methylbutyl acetate, indicating that biosynthesis was not via tiglyl-CoA.     

基于田间摄像的多参数水稻土深松扰动行为与效应研究

耕作机具的土壤扰动行为密切联系土壤失效机理与耕作效应,是优化耕作系统的重要依据。本研究通过土壤耕作原位综合测试平台开展单铲深松试验,从5个方位录制深松视频,同时配合使用微地貌测试、耕作阻力测试、EDEM仿真、深松扰动剖面土壤紧实度测试和深松理论检验,探究深松铲入土角α和耕深D对水稻土深松扰动过程、土壤失效机理及深松效应的影响。结果表明,摄像法提取的纵向碎土距离R、扰动宽度W及抬土高度H与α和D显著相关,可用于水稻土深松扰动行为的定量表述。摄像法显示水稻土难以脆性断裂,铲两侧发生非对称性土壤剪切失效。土壤沿曲柄攀升,抬土高度H随α增大,随D减小,表明深松铲的设计参数和作业参数同时影响抬土能力。R随对应耕深范围内铲的纵向水平长度L线性增加,W随α线性增加。地表平整度S和扰动宽度W均在耕深20 cm时最大。深松土壤扰动行为的EDEM仿真从微观层面再现了摄像法记录的非对称性失效、侧向挤压失效和深松新月形失效现象,表明该离散元模型用于解析水稻土深松力学的科学性。EDEM仿真进一步显示出应力集中区沿铲尖与铲柄破土刃周期性上下移动,同时也对铲下方底层土造成挤压。深松扰动剖面土壤紧实度等值线图验证了仿真过程中铲尖下方形成的土壤压实带,并直观展示出耕深30 cm时,犁底层土壤因侧向挤压流变形成的沟槽状紧实壁面。本文结合田间原位摄像法的多参数测试研究可为深松铲和耕作系统的优化提供依据。     

Variance in leaf spot susceptibility in chestnut trees of different species and hybrids

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection - Prior to the first occurrence of chestnut blight in 1976, leaf spot caused by Cylindrosporium castaneae was one of the most important diseases of European...     

Foliar nematode,Litylenchus crenatae ssp. mccannii,population dynamics in leaves and buds of beech leaf disease‐affected trees in Canada and the US

A foliar nematode, Litylenchus crenatae ssp. mccannii, is associated with beech leaf disease (BLD) symptoms. Information about the types of tissues parasitized and how nematode populations fluctuate in these tissues over time is needed to improve surveys as well as understand the nematodes role in BLD. During this study, the nematode was detected throughout the known range of BLD by researchers at both Canadian and US institutions using a modified pan method to extract nematodes. Monthly collections of symptomatic and asymptomatic leaves during the growing season (May–October), and leaves and buds between growing seasons (November–March), revealed that nematodes were present in all tissue types. Progressively larger numbers of nematodes were detected in symptomatic leaves from Ohio and Ontario, with the greatest detections at the end of the growing season. Smaller numbers of nematodes were detected in asymptomatic leaves from BLD‐infected trees, typically at the end of the growing season. The nematode was detected overwintering in buds and detached leaves. The discovery of small numbers of nematodes in detached leaves at one location before BLD was detected indicates that nematodes may have been present before disease symptoms were expressed. Other nematodes, Plectus and Aphelenchoides spp., were infrequently detected in small numbers. Our findings support the involvement of the nematode in BLD and indicate that symptoms develop only when certain requirements, such as infection of buds, are met. We also found that the nematode can be reliably detected in buds and leaves using the modified pan extraction method.     

一种基于变性高效液相色谱技术筛选单核苷酸多态性并估算基因频率的方法

选取生产性能具有明显差异的4个鸡品种(莱航鸡、隐性白洛克鸡、丝羽乌骨鸡和杏花鸡)为材料,利用变性高效液相色谱(DHPLC)技术检测鸡生长激素基因部分序列(518bp)的多态性,快速筛查到5个可能与生产性能相关的单核苷酸多态性(SNPs)．根据DHPLC杂合谱型与测序基因型一一对应的关系,介绍了当所检测目的DNA片段中含有多个SNPs时基因频率估算的简单方法,比较估算的和PCR-RFLP统计的基因频率,发现差异不显著,证明该估算方法有一定的可行性．