Estimates of minimum viable population sizes for vertebrates and factors influencing those estimates

Population size is a major determinant of extinction risk. However, controversy remains as to how large populations need to be to ensure persistence. It is generally believed that minimum viable population sizes (MVPs) would be highly specific, depending on the environmental and life history characteristics of the species. We used population viability analysis to estimate MVPs for 102 species. We define a minimum viable population size as one with a 99% probability of persistence for 40 generations. The models are comprehensive and include age-structure, catastrophes, demographic stochasticity, environmental stochasticity, and inbreeding depression. The mean and median estimates of MVP were 7316 and 5816 adults, respectively. This is slightly larger than, but in general agreement with, previous estimates of MVP. MVPs did not differ significantly among major taxa, or with latitude or trophic level, but were negatively correlated with population growth rate and positively correlated with the length of the study used to parameterize the model. A doubling of study duration increased the estimated MVP by approximately 67%. The increase in extinction risk is associated with greater temporal variation in population size for models built from longer data sets. Short-term studies consistently underestimate the true variances for demographic parameters in populations. Thus, the lack of long-term studies for endangered species leads to widespread underestimation of extinction risk. The results of our simulations suggest that conservation programs, for wild populations, need to be designed to conserve habitat capable of supporting approximately 7000 adult vertebrates in order to ensure long-term persistence.     

Classification of cassava into ‘bitter’ and ‘cool’ in Malawi: From farmers' perception to characterisation by molecular markers

Cassava roots, a major food in Africa, contain cyanogenic glucosides that may cause toxic effects. Malawian women farmers considered fields of seemingly similar cassava plants to be mixes of both ‘cool’ and ‘bitter’ cultivars. They regard roots from ‘cool’ cultivars as non-toxic. Roots of ‘bitter’ were considered to require extensive traditional processing done by women to be safe for consumption. But curiously, these women farmers preferred ‘bitter’ cultivars since toxicity confers protection against theft, which was a serious threat to the food security of their families. We studied how well these farmers comprehend the effects of genetic variations in cassava when dealing with cyanogenesis in this complex system. Using molecular markers we show that most plants farmers identified as belonging to a particular named cultivar had a genotype typical of that cultivar. Farmers' ethno-classification into ‘cool’ and ‘bitter’ cultivars corresponded to a genetic sub-division of the typical genotypes of the most common cultivars, with four-fold higher cyanogenic glucoside levels in the bitter cultivars. Examining morphology, farmers distinguished genotypes better than did the investigators when using a standard botanical key. Undoubtedly, these women farmers grasp sufficiently the genetic diversity of cassava with regard to cyanogenesis to simultaneously benefit from it and avoid its dangers. Consequently, acyanogenic cassava – the breeding of which is an announced good of some cassava genetic improvement programmes – is not a priority to these farmers. Advances in molecular genetics can help improve food supply in Africa by rapid micropropagation, marker assisted breeding and introduction of transgenic varieties, but can also help to elucidate tropical small-scale farmers' needs and skills. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The selective sequestration of glucosinolates by the cabbage aphid severely impacts a predatory lacewing

The cabbage aphid Brevicoryne brassicae is a notorious agricultural pest that specializes on plants of the Brassicaceae family, which are chemically defended by glucosinolates. By sequestering glucosinolates from its host plants and producing its own activating enzyme (myrosinase), this aphid employs a self-defense system against enemies paralleling that in plants. However, we know little about the metabolic fate of individual glucosinolates during aphid sequestration and activation and about the biochemical effects of this defense on aphid enemies. Here, we probed these questions focusing on B. brassicae and a predatory lacewing, Chrysoperla carnea. We found that distinct glucosinolates were accumulated by B. brassicae at different rates, with aliphatic glucosinolates being taken up more quickly than indolic ones. B. brassicae myrosinase enzymatic activities toward different glucosinolates were strongly correlated to their rates of accumulation in vivo. Surprisingly, after simulated predation, the production of toxic isothiocyanate products (ITCs) was quantitatively outweighed by less toxic products such as nitriles and ITC-conjugates. Nevertheless, the defensive cocktails significantly impaired C. carnea development. Tissue-specific quantification of glucosinolate metabolites revealed that the lacewings employ both conjugation and mobilization to reduce the toxicity of aliphatic ITCs, but these strategies were only partially effective. These results clarify the metabolic fates of glucosinolates after sequestration by an aphid herbivore and further in a higher trophic level, as well as the consequences for predator survival and development, and might be instructive for integrative pest management approaches targeting the cabbage aphid.

     

Root architecture might account for contrasting establishment success of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudotsuga menziesii</Emphasis> var. <Emphasis Type="Italic">menziesii</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinus sylvestris</Emphasis> in Central Europe under dry conditions

Key message

Pinus sylvestris seedlings quickly expand their roots to deeper soil layers while Pseudotsuga menziesii concentrates its root system in the topsoil, thereby running the risk of desiccation during long dry spells, as indicated by lower survival after simulated summer drought.

Context

Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas-fir) is regarded as a promising species to maintain the productivity of Central European lowland forests given the projected increase of long dry spells.

Aims

Will the species be able to regenerate from seed and spread outside plantations in a drier temperate Europe?

Methods

We measured the relative growth rate, biomass allocation, root architecture, and phenotypic plasticity of Pseudotsuga menziesii seedlings sown in a common garden and grown under current precipitation and prolonged drought, respectively. The species’ competitive ability with respect to Pinus sylvestris L., the most drought-tolerant native conifer in Central Europe, was assessed during three growing seasons.

Results

Pinus sylvestris seedlings had higher relative growth rates than did Pseudotsuga menziesii seedlings, first in terms of aboveground biomass and later in terms of shoot height. This resulted in heavier and taller seedlings after three growing seasons under both moist and dry conditions. Shorter vertical roots corresponded with lower survival of Pseudotsuga menziesii seedlings under dry conditions.

Conclusion

Fast root proliferation allows Pinus sylvestris seedlings to reach deeper water pools that are less rapidly depleted during transient drought. By contrast, the shallow root system might put Pseudotsuga menziesii seedlings at the risk of desiccation during prolonged dry spells.

     

A kinetic study of the acetylation of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin components in wood

The rates of acetylation of Deal, Larch, Southern Yellow Pine and Sitka Spruce using acetic anhydride in xylene have been measured and compared with the composition of the woods. Although these woods have similar macroscopic characteristics, the correlation between rate of acetylation and composition remains unclear, although the holocellulose may play a role in converting the hydrophilic hydroxyl groups to hydrophobic acetyl groups. The rate of acetylation of Larch at 373 K was insignificant but the other wood samples showed significant acetylation at this temperature. The activation energies for the acetylation process suggest that several routes may be involved.     

Changes in protein synthesis during drought conditioning in roots of jack pine seedlings (Pinus banksiana Lamb.)

The impact of drought conditioning on the ability of eight-week-old jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) seedlings to withstand drought was assessed. Two progressive cycles of drought conditioning significantly increased the survival of seedlings subjected to a subsequent prolonged drought. The in vivo accumulation of several root membrane proteins during drought conditioning was correlated with an increase in seedling survival. A group of root proteins, ranging in molecular mass from 43 to 47 kDa, increased accumulation during one cycle of drought conditioning and to a lesser extent during two cycles of drought conditioning. The accumulation of several low molecular mass membrane and soluble proteins also increased during drought conditioning, suggesting that these proteins may play an important role in the enhancement of drought tolerance. In vitro translation studies showed a general increase in the abundance of protein products encoded by mRNAs from drought-conditioned seedlings. Although the majority of the in vitro translation products appeared in both control and drought-conditioned seedlings, one mRNA encoding a 15 kDA translated protein was more prominent during the second cycle of drought conditioning.     

Variation in water relations of black spruce stock types planted in Ontario

Upland, intermediate and lowland sites in northeastern Ontario were planted between May 28 and June 8 with three types of black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) nursery stock: (1) spring-lifted, 1.5 + 1.5 bareroot plants (BR); (2) 24-week-old, winter-sown, container stock (CWS); and (3) spring-sown, overwintered, container stock (CO). At the beginning of the growing season, the BR stock had the lowest xylem pressure potentials (Psi(x)), stomatal conductances (g(wv)), and net photosynthetic (P(n)) rates. By the end of the growing season, the BR stock still had lower g(wv)s than the container stock types, but had higher shoot Psi(x) values. In August, the turgor loss points for the BR, CO and CWS stock types were -2.8, -1.93 and -1.6 MPa, respectively, while the minimum observed shoot Psi(x) values were -1.4, -1.7 and -1.9 MPa, respectively. The BR stock produced the greatest dry weight of new shoots and unsuberized roots. No new shoots were produced by the CWS stock, but they produced a greater dry weight of unsuberized roots than the CO stock. As a percent of the dry weight of suberized roots, the greatest production of unsuberized roots was by the CWS stock, the least by the BR trees.