Near-shore distribution of Heaviside’s (Cephalorhynchus heavisidii) and dusky dolphins (Lagenorhynchus obscurus) at the southern limit of their range in South Africa

Photo-identification surveys over three years along 390 km of coastline north of Cape Town, revealed that Heaviside’s dolphin distribution was consistent between years and higher in areas more exposed to swells and with greater long-term availability of small hake Merluccius capensis (their principal prey). Dusky dolphin sighting rates varied considerably between years, but were generally higher in areas with lower hake availability and sandier shores (mostly straighter coastline). Large groups of 50–200 dusky dolphins were only seen in St Helena Bay, the site of a wind-driven upwelling zone. Heaviside’s dolphins were found in shallower, cooler water than dusky dolphins and were more likely to be seen during brighter phases of the moon (when nocturnal light conditions may influence the vertical migration patterns of prey) and in areas of high hake abundance. Near-shore fishing activity was higher in the northern half of the study area and clustered around harbours. Set netting occurred only at Yzerfontein and St Helena Bay, but due to changes in the industry is currently thought to be a low threat to the population. Interactions between Heaviside’s and dusky dolphins were usually neutral and sympatry appears to be mediated by differences in overall range and the type and size of prey species taken.     

Habitat relationships with fish assemblages in minimally disturbed Great Plains regions

Abstract – Effects of local environmental influences on the structure of fish assemblages were evaluated from 159 sites in two regions of the Great Plains with limited anthropogenic disturbance. These regions offered an opportunity to evaluate the structure and variation of streams and fish assemblages within the Great Plains. We used canonical correspondence analyses to determine the influence of environmental conditions on species abundances, species occurrences and assemblage characteristics. Analysis of regions separately indicated that similar environmental factors structured streams and fish assemblages, despite differences in environmental conditions and species composition between regions. Variance in fish abundance and assemblage characteristics from both regions was best explained by metrics of stream size and associated metrics (width, depth, conductivity and instream cover). Our results provide a framework and reference for conditions and assemblage structure in North American prairie streams.     

Development and ecology of bottomland hardwood sites

A basic knowledge of the origin, development, and ecology of bottomland hardwood sites is important for assessing harvesting impacts on those sites. This paper presents an overview of the geologic origin and development of hardwood sites, species-site relationships and the natural patterns of ecological succession on those sites, and the implications of that information for forest management. Bottomland hardwoods occur on floodplain sites primarily in the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains. Past geologic events led to the formation of broad stream valleys in those areas because of the erodible, sedimentary geologic materials. Natural patterns of ecological succession on floodplain sites are influenced by autogenic and allogenic processes in that the sites may undergo constant change because of deposition. Three natural patterns of succession are recognized for floodplain sites of major river bottoms—those occurring on permanently flooded sites, those on low elevation wet sites, and those on higher elevation, better drained sites. Floristic composition and successional patterns are strongly influenced by the hydrologic events on the sites and particularly by rates and types of deposition.     

Tropical Tree Growth and Longevity: Validation of Growth Simulation,a Bootstrapping Model

ABSTRACT

Growth Simulation, an analytical modeling technique, has been increasingly used in ecological studies and practical forestry applications where dendrochronology is not applicable. The technique uses randomly sampled diameter increments from tagged trees over a known time interval to assemble a statistical sample of lifetime growth trajectories. We carried out a validation of Growth Simulation using a temperate species in order to compare indirect model outputs with direct tree ring analysis. Rings were measured on sample disks cut from 55 pine branches ranging in age from 8–36 years. Assessments included lifetime growth rates, growth rate with respect to diameter and age, periodic annual increment (PAI), cross-referencing of rings by date, and autocorrelation of growth over successive periods. Tree ring analysis and Growth Simulation showed close correspondence for all parameters tested (maximum, median, and minimum growth rates; longevity estimates). Growth Simulation is found to be a robust and informative technique for studies of tropical tree growth, and is especially useful where analysis of tree rings is not feasible or when bootstrapping analysis of ring data is of interest.     

Weight–length relationships of 33 demersal fish species from Azores archipelago

Weight–length relationships are presented for 33 fish species of Azores archipelago. This work is the first reference on weight–length parameters of 16 species. Samples were collected between the years of 1999 and 2003 using longline at depths ranging from a few meters to 1200 m. The parameters of a and b of the equation W = aL^b were estimated. The b values of the species caught ranged from 2.701 for Lepidopus caudatus to 3.677 for Centroscymnus crepidater. Whenever possible, the b values for the species obtained both in this study and some of the previously reported in the Portuguese waters were compared.     

Paralytic shellfish poisoning toxin analysis of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Alexandrium</Emphasis> (Dinophyceae) occurring in Korean coastal waters

ABSTRACT:   Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxins produced by Alexandrium isolates from Korea were analyzed by high-pressure liquid chromography. Species designation of the regional isolates was determined by morphological criteria and ribotyping inferred from sequences of the 28S rDNA D1-D2 region. Toxin analysis performed at the exponential growth phase, revealed that the two strains of A. fraterculus were non-toxic, while the strains of A. tamarense and A. catenella were toxic. Toxic isolates DPC7 and DPC8 of A. catenella produced GTX1, 2, 3, 4, 5, dcGTX2, 3, C1, 2, neoSTX and STX with trace or non-detectable levels of C3 and C4, while isolates UL7, KDW981, SJW97043, SJW97046, KJC97111 and KJC97112 of A. tamarense produced GTX1, 2, 3, 4, dcGTX3, C1, 2, neoSTX with trace or non-detectable levels of C3, 4, dcSTX and STX, and no GTX5 and dcGTX2. The major toxins produced by A. catenella were C1 +2, and those of A. tamarense were C1 +2 and GTX4 in most of the isolates. A. tamarense strains other than SJW97046 produced a relatively high proportion of carbamate toxins, reflecting the high toxicity scores of shellfish intoxication in sampled coastal areas. Two representative toxic isolates, A. tamarense SJW97043 and A. catenella DPC7, were cultured for 30 days in batch mode and subjected to toxin analysis at 5-day intervals. Comparison of toxin productivity in terms of total toxin content, toxin components, and their variations with culture age revealed marked differences between the two strains.     

谷精草属六个种的同工酶聚类分析

本文对谷精草属6个种的POD、EST、MDH和AMY同工酶分别进行了电泳分离,采用STATISTICA/W4.5软件对酶谱的不同相似性系数进行聚类分析,进而绘出树系图。同工酶酶谱及其聚类分析的结果与现有的形态学分类系统基本相符,首先将E.sexangulare Linn.、E.alperstre与E.buergerianum分为一支,将E.kunmingense Z.X.Zhang、E.nepalense Prescottex Bongard与E.cinereum R.Brown并为一支,且它们是平行进化的关系。在第一支中,E.alperstre与E.buergerianum亲缘关系更近。     

The Anatomy and Venom-Emitting Mechanism of the Globiferous Pedicellariae of the Urchin Parechinus Angulosus (Leske) With Notes on Their Behaviour

The freshwater snails belonging to the genus Melanoides Olivier, 1804 are widespread across tropical regions of the world and endemic species have evolved in the African Lakes Malawi, Mweru and Tanganyika. The endemic Melanoides species of Lake Malawi have been investigated several times during the last century, due to their large conchological variation, but no unambiguous answer regarding the number of species has been given. The phylogenetic relationship between morphs or genetic clones of Melanoides in Lake Malawi was inferred by phylogenetic analyses of DNA sequence data from the mitochondrial genes 16S and COI. Additional sequences from GenBank were included to investigate the relationship to other morphs from different parts of the world. For the first time, a putative secondary structure was developed for a partial region of 16S in this genus to identify the variability of the secondary structure in stems and loops. The molecular analyses indicated that several genetic clones exist in Lake Malawi and that M. tuberculata is a paraphyletic taxon. It is not clear from the results whether invasions or dispersals account for the complex situation in Lake Malawi. The basal position of M. admirabilis, endemic to Lake Tanganyika, in the inferred phylogeny indicates that Africa might be the origin of the genus. The results further indicate that three major clades of Melanoides, consisting of several genetic clones, are present in Lake Malawi; one clade consisting of invasive M. tuberculata, another of native M. tuberculata and a third consisting of the M. polymorpha- complex. It appears as if the unique development of morphs within the Melanoides genus in Lake Malawi has evolved primarily by divergence of genetic clones instead of species differentiation.     

The phylogenetic relationship between different Cichorium intybus cultivars and cultivar groups, as revealed by RAPDs

The phylogenetic relationship between different Cichorium intybus cultivars and cultivar groups was studied. A total of 127 random amplified polymorphic DNA markers have been used to distinguish between 51 Cichorium intybus cultivars belonging to three different cultivar groups. A principal component analysis was performed on the complete data set and a clear grouping of chicory cultivar groups was observed. The three chicory groups tested (root chicory, witloof and pain de sucre) were separated from one another in the principal component plots. The first two axes accounted for 43.9% of the total variation. Although the chicory used in traditional forcing in soil and the red chicory cultivars were related more to each other and to the chicory cultivars from the witloof group, they still formed separate groups in the principal component plot.     

Assessment of genetic relatedness of the genera Ananas and Pseudananas confirmed by RAPD markers

Genetic relationships among 18 accessions, including 16 of Ananas and two of Pseudananas, were investigated using RAPD molecular markers. The procedure for DNA extraction was adapted from the method of Dellaporta et al. (1983) where an incubation in proteinase K and a purification step were included. From the total of 148 markers scored,132 (89.2%) were polymorphic. The similarity matrix was used for cluster analysis. The phenogram developed from the RAPD bands showed that for most of the cases, the accessions within a species grouped together. Nevertheless, a moderate infraspecific genetic variation was observed. For example, DNA data grouped all A. comosus accessions with a mean similarity coefficient of 0.85. Comparable results were obtained with all other species investigated. The highest genetic divergence was found withinA. lucidus where the mean similarity coefficient among accessions was0.75. A similar level of genetic polymorphism was observed among species,therefore, a definition about which species were involved in the constitution of A. comosus genotypes was not possible. These results agree with the breeders standpoint suggesting that all Ananas species belong to the primary gene pool of pineapple. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.