Protected wading bird species threaten relict centenarian cork oaks in a Mediterranean Biosphere Reserve: A conservation management conflict

Conservation management conflicts frequently arise when an overpopulation of a protected organism has negative effects on other valuable elements in the same ecosystem. We studied the interactions between a colony of protected tree-nesting wading birds and a remnant population of centenarian cork oaks that was part of the formerly dominant forests in the Doñana Biological Reserve (SW Spain). A significant increase in the tree mortality rates has been recorded in areas that are yearly influenced by the bird colony.We analysed a cohort of surviving trees using a gradient of nesting bird influence. Tree-nesting history, bird isotopic signature (δ¹⁵N), tree health-related parameters (defoliation, δ¹³C and leaf surface coverage by faeces) and several soil variables were evaluated. Bird influence was related to increased soil salinity. This increase correlated to increased water-use efficiency for the leaves and to crown defoliation, suggesting that the heavily occupied trees are under higher stress and in poorer health condition than the unoccupied ones. We tested structural equations models (SEM) that were based on hypothesised bird effects on the health of the trees. Soil-mediated effects of the nesting birds best explained the symptoms of the declining health of the trees, whereas the percent of leaves’ surface that was covered by faeces did not improve the fitted SEM model.For the reserve’s managers, a challenging trade-off exists between preserving the relict trees, which have a high genetic diversity and a key ecological role in these savannah-like ecosystems, and maintaining the current nesting area for these protected, but expanding, wading birds.     

Tracing sources of soil nitrate using the dual isotopic composition of nitrate in 2 M KCl-extracts

Soils comprise a critical interface between the atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere, and play a major role in the cycling of nitrogen (N), an element crucial to plant growth. Isotope techniques constitute a powerful tool to study the origin and fate of N compounds (e.g. NO₃⁻) within the environment including soils. The objective of our study was to test the usefulness of the isotope composition of soil NO₃⁻ extracted with 2 M KCl (soil NO₃) as a tool to investigate the origin and fate of NO₃⁻ in the environment. Specifically issues related to repeat extractions, crop type, length of fertilization, and soil depth were addressed. Soils from four contrasting agricultural management regimes were sampled. Within the relatively confined study area (4 ha), the isotopic compositions of soil NO₃ differed markedly due to management treatments (up to 6 and 17‰ for δ¹⁵N and δ¹⁸O, respectively), but were repeatable among replicate plots (±1‰). Differences in both δ¹⁵N and δ¹⁸O values were observed between legume and non-legume treatments, as well as fertilized versus non-fertilized treatments, which were larger than the variability observed between replicate plots. Differences in the isotopic composition of extractable soil nitrate were not limited to the surface layer, but also occurred within deeper soil layers. This study indicates that the analysis of the natural abundance stable isotope composition of soil NO₃ may provide a promising additional tool for tracing the origin and fate of NO₃⁻ in the soil zone.     

Nano-scale secondary ion mass spectrometry — A new analytical tool in biogeochemistry and soil ecology: A review article

Soils are structurally heterogeneous across a wide range of spatio-temporal scales. Consequently, external environmental conditions do not have a uniform effect throughout the soil, resulting in a large diversity of micro-habitats. It has been suggested that soil function can be studied without explicit consideration of such fine detail, but recent research has indicated that the micro-scale distribution of organisms may be of importance for a mechanistic understanding of many soil functions. Current techniques still lack the adequate sensitivity and resolution for data collection at the micro-scale, and the question ‘How important are various soil processes acting at different scales for ecological function?’ is therefore challenging to answer. The nano-scale secondary ion mass spectrometer (NanoSIMS) represents the latest generation of ion microprobes, which link high-resolution microscopy with isotopic analysis. The main advantage of NanoSIMS over other secondary ion mass spectrometers is its ability to operate at high mass resolution, whilst maintaining both excellent signal transmission and spatial resolution (down to 50 nm). NanoSIMS has been used previously in studies focussing on presolar materials from meteorites, in material science, biology, geology and mineralogy. Recently, the potential of NanoSIMS as a new tool in the study of biophysical interfaces in soils has been demonstrated. This paper describes the principles of NanoSIMS and discusses the potential of this tool to contribute to the field of biogeochemistry and soil ecology. Practical considerations (sample size and preparation, simultaneous collection of isotopes, mass resolution, isobaric interference and quantification of the isotopes of interest) are discussed. Adequate sample preparation, avoiding bias due to artefacts, and identification of regions-of-interest will be critical concerns if NanoSIMS is used as a new tool in biogeochemistry and soil ecology. Finally, we review the areas of research most likely to benefit from the high spatial and high mass resolution attainable with this new approach.     

Spatial variation of soil organic carbon concentrations and stable isotopic composition in 1-ha plots of forest and pasture in Costa Rica: implications for the natural abundance technique

The goal of this study was to examine spatial variation of soil organic C and its stable isotopic composition (δ¹³C) in 1-ha plots of mature rain forest and a cattle pasture dominated by C4 grasses in Costa Rica. Soil samples were taken from 80 mapped locations per plot and analyzed for organic C and δ¹³C. The range of values for soil C concentrations was similar between forest and pasture, although the mean values were higher in the forest. δ¹³C was narrowly constrained in the forest (from −27.96 to −26.09‰) but varied from −15.09 to −28.59‰ in the pasture. Variograms revealed spatial autocorrelation of soil C and δ¹³C in the pasture and organic C concentration in the forest soil. The large range and spatial variability of δ¹³C in the pasture site may be due to varying contributions of C3 and C4 vegetation to the soil C pool, which may limit the usefulness of the natural abundance technique as a precise tracer of soil C dynamics in this pasture.     

Carbon stocks, soil respiration and microbial biomass in fire-prone tropical grassland, woodland and forest ecosystems

A thorough understanding of the role of microbes in C cycling in relation to fire is important for estimation of C emissions and for development of guidelines for sustainable management of dry ecosystems. We investigated the seasonal changes and spatial distribution of soil total, dissolved organic C (DOC) and microbial biomass C during 18 months, quantified the soil CO₂ emission in the beginning of the rainy season, and related these variables to the fire frequency in important dry vegetation types grassland, woodland and dry forest in Ethiopia. The soil C isotope ratios (δ¹³C) reflected the 15-fold decrease in the grass biomass along the vegetation gradient and the 12-fold increase in woody biomass in the opposite direction. Changes in δ¹³C down the soil profiles also suggested that in two of the grass-dominated sites woody plants were more frequent in the past. The soil C stock ranged from being 2.5 (dry forest) to 48 times (grassland) higher than the C stock in the aboveground plant biomass. The influence of fire in frequently burnt wooded grassland was evident as an unchanged or increasing total C content down the soil profile. DOC and microbial biomass measured with the fumigation-extraction method (C_mic) reflected the vertical distribution of soil organic matter (SOM). However, although SOM was stable throughout the year, seasonal fluctuations in C_mic and substrate-induced respiration (SIR) were large. In woodland and woodland-wooded grassland C_mic and SIR increased in the dry season, and gradually decreased during the following rainy season, confirming previous suggestions that microbes may play an important role in nutrient retention in the dry season. However, in dry forest and two wooded grasslands C_mic and SIR was stable throughout the rainy season, or even increased in this period, which could lead to enhanced competition with plants for nutrients. Both the range and the seasonal changes in soil microbial biomass C in dry tropical ecosystems may be wider than previously assumed. Neither SIR nor C_mic were good predictors of in situ soil respiration. The soil respiration was relatively high in infrequently burnt forest and woodland, while frequently burnt grasslands had lower rates, presumably because most C is released through dry season burning and not through decomposition in fire-prone systems. Shifts in the relative importance of the two pathways for C release from organic matter may have strong implications for C and nutrient cycling in seasonally dry tropical ecosystems.     

Use of marine yeasts as an available diet for mass cultures of Moina macrocopa

A 4‐week feeding trial was conducted to test the use of marine yeasts purified from seawater and sediments as a dietary source in cultivating a cladoceran, Moina macrocopa, a potential alternative live food for fish larvae. Optimal growth conditions of two yeast strains were obtained for NaCl concentration, pH and temperature. Moina macrocopa was cultivated using different diets: marine yeasts (Debaryomyces hansenii Yeast‐14 and Candida austromarina Yeast‐16) and a commercial diet (Erythrobacter sp. Sπ‐I). The essential amino acids of both the yeast strains were nearly as great as those in M. microcopa. Further, the yeast‐fed M. macrocopa had essential amino acid profiles similar to the documented values for rotifers and Artemia enriched in microalgae and commercial diets. Erythrobacter sp. Sπ‐I lacked n‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, 20:5n‐3 and 22:6n‐3, which were also low but detected in both yeasts. An increase in the 20:5n‐3 [eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)] and 22:6n‐3 [docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)] levels, compared with the levels in yeast strains themselves, was more pronounced in the 22:6n‐3 level of Moina fed the C. austromarina, resulting in a high DHA:EPA ratio. When the Moina diets were switched, their δ¹³C values shifted gradually towards the values of the switched diets. Diet switch from Erythrobacter sp. Sπ‐I to C. austromarina Yeast‐16 resulted in a more rapid turnover of Moina tissue carbon than that in the inverse case. When fed a mixed diet, the δ¹³C values of Moina tissue approached the value of marine yeasts immediately. These temporal changes in the δ¹³C values of Moina tissue indicate the preferential ingestion of marine yeasts and a selective assimilation of the carbon originated from marine yeasts. These findings suggest that marine yeasts, particularly C. austromarina Yeast‐16, are highly available to mass cultures of M. macrocopa, providing better nutritional and dietary values than the commercial diet (Erythrobacter sp. Sπ‐I).     

The dietary regime of detritivorous fish from the River Jacaré Pepira, Brazil

The diet of detritivorous fish was analysed at four distinct habitats in a tropical river during the wet and dry seasons. Two methodologies were used to determine the diet of the fish: (1) the direct analysis of the stomach contents; and (2) the use of stable carbon isotopes. Both methods indicated food partitioning among the fish. The stomach contents showed what the fish had ingested when captured and the ¹³C isotope indicated what it had assimilated over a long period of time. The ¹³C isotope suggested the existence of sectional differences in the feeding of the detritivorous fish along the river. Plants employing the C₄ photosynthesis pathways seem to have little influence on the diet of these fish. This method proved to be more appropriate for the detection of the main food sources of the captured fish.     

Effect of dietary stable isotopic ratios of carbon and nitrogen on the extent of their incorporation into tissues of rats

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of different dietary ratios of 13C to 12C or 15N to 14N on their relative incorporation into tissues. Eighty male rats were used in two 21-day feeding trials in which they were fed diets with either high δ13C levels (δ13C = 13.89% and δ15N = 2.37% in experiment 1 and δ13C = 19.34% and δ15N = 4.73% in experiment 2) or low δ13C levels (δ13C = 17.90% and δ15N = 3.08% in experiment 1 and δ13C = 21.76% and δ15N = 0.53% in experiment 2), meanwhile, the dietary δ15N levels were designed to two ranks. Blood, liver, adipose and muscle tissues were collected on day 0, 3, 7, 14, and 21 for determination of 13C, 12C, 15N and 14N isotopes. Rat growth rate, antioxidant capacity and metabolic parameters were also assessed. The results indicate that adipose tissue tend to deplete 13C before the stable isotopic ratios achieved final equilibrium. Therefore, feeds with different isotopic signatures had different incorporation rates into tissues. Low dietary 13C levels decreased tissue δ13C values whereas high dietary 13C levels did not alter tissue δ13C values during the 21-d experiment. Blood δ15 N values were a reliable parameter in assessing the relative contribution of dietary nitrogen to tissues. This study revealed a relationship between dietary isotopic signatures and their incorporation rates into rat tissues. However, more studies are needed to illustrate the mechanism through which dietary isotopic ratios influence the extent of isotopic incorporation into the tissues.     

青藏高原东缘某隧道建设区典型植物水分利用策略

[目的] 揭示青藏高原东缘隧道建设区植物的水分利用特征及其对环境变化的响应,为自然和人为影响下的生态脆弱区水土保持工作提供科学参考。[方法] 通过测定海拔3 230 m的某隧道建设区2020—2021年不同月份典型植物木质部水和各潜在水源的δ²H和δ¹⁸O值,利用MixSIAR模型计算植物吸收各潜在水源的比例,并计算每两种植物间的相似性比例指数(PS指数)以比较不同物种的水分竞争关系。[结果] 紫羊茅(Festuca rubra)、川西云杉(Picea likiangensis var. balfouriana)和刺叶高山栎(Quercus spinosa)以浅层土壤水(0—40 cm)作为主要水源;川杨(Populus szechuanica)主要吸收中深层(40—200 cm)土壤水;2021年8月和10月植物对浅层土壤水的利用比例较2020年同时期明显降低;川西云杉对0—40 cm和40—80 cm层土壤水的利用比例与相应层土壤含水量分别存在显著正相关和显著负相关关系(p＜0.05);在时间尺度上,川杨在2020年10月与其他3种植物的水分竞争关系较弱,PS指数范围为0.19～0.54。[结论] 土壤含水量及外界温度的改变是青藏高原东缘植被水分利用策略变化的主要因素,且这两个因子的重要性因物种而异;隧道建设会引起土壤和土壤水的流失,从而导致隧道建设后土壤含水量的降低;隧道建设后植物对浅层土壤水的依赖比隧道建设前低,因此需关注生态脆弱区隧道建设对土壤水分及植被适应机制的影响。