Importance of the River Teviot to Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, rod catches in the River Tweed, Scotland

Abstract  The body mass distributions and variations in abundance of the spring and autumn catches of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., were compared between fisheries above and below the confluence of the rivers Tweed and Teviot, Scotland. Significant differences between the distributions were found over three periods, one in spring and two in autumn, when salmon catches were high. Correlations were found between abundance trends for periods when distributions were similar or dissimilar. Abundance of salmon returning to the River Teviot was proportional to the main river. However, its population structure differed when abundances were high, suggesting different survival strategies. It appears that changes in the numbers returning to the river were resultant of changes in the marine rather than freshwater environment.     

C and N natural abundance of the soil microbial biomass

Stable isotope analysis is a powerful tool in the study of soil organic matter formation. It is often observed that more decomposed soil organic matter is ¹³C, and especially ¹⁵N-enriched relative to fresh litter and recent organic matter. We investigated whether this shift in isotope composition relates to the isotope composition of the microbial biomass, an important source for soil organic matter. We developed a new approach to determine the natural abundance C and N isotope composition of the microbial biomass across a broad range of soil types, vegetation, and climates. We found consistently that the soil microbial biomass was ¹⁵N-enriched relative to the total (3.2 ‰) and extractable N pools (3.7 ‰), and ¹³C-enriched relative to the extractable C pool (2.5 ‰). The microbial biomass was also ¹³C-enriched relative to total C for soils that exhibited a C3-plant signature (1.6 ‰), but ¹³C-depleted for soils with a C4 signature (−1.1 ‰). The latter was probably associated with an increase of annual C3 forbs in C4 grasslands after an extreme drought. These findings are in agreement with the proposed contribution of microbial products to the stabilized soil organic matter and may help explain the shift in isotope composition during soil organic matter formation.     

江苏沿岸海域大型底栖生物群落特征

为了解江苏沿岸海域大型底栖生物现状,分别于2014年春季(5月)、夏季(8月)和秋季(11月),对该海域大型底栖生物种类组成、生物量、丰度和生物多样性进行了调查。结果表明:3个航次共采集到大型底栖生物种类6门(环节动物、棘皮动物、甲壳动物、软体动物、腔肠动物和鱼类)92种,其中,甲壳动物种类最多(31种),其次为鱼类(28种)和软体类(27种),大型底栖生物种类数呈现北部海域(54种)南部海域(32种)中部海域(30种)的特征,优势种类主要有伶鼬榧螺Oliva mustelina、海地瓜Acaudina molpadioides、马氏刺蛇尾Ophrothrix marenzelleri、沙蚕Nereis succinea、毛蚶Scapharca kagoshimensis和缢蛏Sinonovacula constricta;3个航次大型底栖生物平均丰度为6.33 ind./m2,时空分布为春季南部海域中部海域和北部海域,夏季为南部海域北部海域中部海域,秋季为北部海域南部海域中部海域;大型底栖生物平均生物量为13.22 g/m2,时空分布为春季和夏季南部海域北部海域中部海域,秋季为中部海域南部海域北部海域;以季节和海域为双因素对物种数、丰度、生物量、Shannon-Wiener多样性指数、Margalef物种多样性指数和Pielou均匀度指数进行方差分析,结果表明,除丰度不同海域间存在显著性差异(P0.05)外,其他各项均无显著性差异(P0.05)。研究表明,与历史资料相比,江苏沿岸海域大型底栖生物种类数减少,优势种类发生变化。     

乐清湾浮游动物现状调查研究

依据2011年5月和9月对温州乐清湾湾口附近海域浮游动物现状调查结果,分析和研究了浮游动物的种类组成、数量分布、多样性、群落结构及其与环境因子的相关性。5月份和9月份分别采获大型浮游动物13大类47种和16大类70种,调查海域附近浮游动物主要以近岸低盐类群为主,同时还有少量的半咸水河口类群。5月份浮游动物优势种为中华哲水蚤、球形侧腕水母、百陶箭虫等。9月份浮游动物优势种为背针胸刺水蚤、拿卡箭虫、汤氏长足水蚤、磷虾幼体等。5月份平均个体丰度为91个/m3,9月份平均个体丰度为115个/m3。5月份平均生物量为0.209 g/m3,9月份平均生物量为0.222 g/m3。9月份的丰富度指数、均匀度指数、多样性指数和优势度均高于5月份的各项群落结构指数。     

用单路三束质谱法测定生物样品的~(15)N丰度

对 Ｆｉｎ ｎｉｇａｎ Ｍ Ａ Ｔ ２５１ 质谱计的数据采集和处理系统进行了改造,使其能用单路三束法测定生物样品的１５ Ｎ 丰度。就测定方法的精密度、准确度和所用样品氮量及记忆效应问题做了试验,证实该测定方法精确可靠。     

Pyrosequencing Reveals Significant Changes in Microbial Communities Along the Ecological Succession of Biological Soil Crusts in the Tengger Desert of China

Biological soil crusts (BSCs) have important ecological functions in arid and semiarid lands, but they remain poorly understood in terms of the changes in microbial communities during BSC succession under in situ field conditions. Here, 454 pyrosequencing was used to assess the microbial community composition of four BSC types in the Tengger Desert of China: alga, lichen (cyanolichen and green alga-lichen), and moss crusts, representing early, middle, and final successional stages of BSCs, respectively. The results showed the highest diversity of microbial communities inhabiting lichen crusts, whereas the lowest diversity was observed in moss crusts. Five phyla, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Cyanobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Acidobacteria, accounted for about 72% to 87% of total prokaryotic sequences in different BSCs. The most abundant eukaryotic microorganism was Ascomycota, accounting for 47% to 93% of the total eukaryotic sequences. Along the succession of BSCs, the abundance of photoautotrophic Cyanobacteria, Chlorophyta, and Bacillariophyta declined, and that of heterotrophic microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi increased. Statistical analysis showed clear divergency of microbial taxa at the class level among the different successional stages of BSCs. The clustering results at class level showed that the moss crusts were the farthest from the rest in prokaryotic composition; the alga crusts were the most different in terms of eukaryotic microorganisms and the two kinds of lichen crusts were relatively closer in both compositions. Ordination analysis showed that the main variations of community structure among BSCs could be explained best by the abundance of Cyanobacteria and Ascomycota and by physiochemical properties of BSCs, including mechanical composition, moisture, and electrical conductivity. In conclusion, our results indicate that Cyanobacteria and Ascomycota likely play an important role in the evolution of BSC structure and functions and highlight the importance of environmental factors in shaping microbial community structures of BSCs in the Tengger Desert of China.     

长兴岛沿岸春季和夏季的浮游动物群落结构

2005年8月(夏季)的大、小潮期间和2006年3月(春季)的大、小潮期间对长兴岛沿岸进行了4个航次的浮游生物调查,共检出浮游动物47种,其中春季32种,夏季44种。浮游动物的优势类群为桡足类和浮游幼虫。小拟哲水蚤、双毛纺锤水蚤、拟长腹剑水蚤、无节幼虫为春季优势种。小拟哲水蚤、双毛纺锤水蚤、近缘大眼剑水蚤、桡足类幼体、太平洋纺锤水蚤为夏季优势种。春季浮游动物的丰度、生物量及种类数均低于夏季。小潮期间浮游动物的丰度、生物量高于大潮期间。浮游动物的丰度、生物量及优势种受潮周期的影响。北部沿岸和南部沿岸浮游动物丰度、生物量较高。小型桡足类在长兴岛沿岸浮游动物群落结构中扮演重要角色,长兴岛沿岸浮游动物群落结构较为成熟稳定。     

Variability in feeding ecology of a South American cichlid: a reason for successful invasion in mediterranean‐type rivers?

Abstract –  Ecological attributes behind the success of the South American cichlid Australoheros facetus in mediterranean-type rivers remain unclear. This study addresses this issue, by analysing its abundance and feeding patterns in the lower Guadiana drainage (Portugal), during the dry season of 2003. Despite slight spatial variations in abundance and individual size, A. facetus seemed well established in the Guadiana, Vascão and Ardila rivers. No seasonal or size-related changes in feeding intensity were found, but the diet changed across rivers, over time and throughout ontogeny. Feeding seemed highly generalist, with fish apparently reacting to both spatial and temporal changes in food supply and tending to use the most abundant and easily accessible food items. Overall prey breadth was broad relative to that of other native and non-native species. It is suggested that a generalist feeding strategy may play a significant role in the establishment of non-native fish in mediterranean-type rivers.     

Switch of tropical Amazon forest to pasture affects taxonomic composition but not species abundance and diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal community

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) community composition and species richness are affected by several factors including soil attributes and plant host. In this paper we tested the hypothesis that conversion of tropical Amazon forest to pasture changes taxonomic composition of AMF community but not community species abundance and richness. Soil samples were obtained in 300 m × 300 m plots from forest (n = 11) and pasture (n = 13) and fungal spores extracted, counted and identified. A total of 36 species were recovered from both systems, with 83% of them pertaining to Acaulosporaceae and Glomeraceae. Only 12 species were shared between systems and spore abundance of the majority of fungal species did not differ between pasture and forest. Spore abundance was significantly higher in pasture compared to forest but both systems did not differ on mean species richness, Shannon diversity and Pielou equitability. Species abundance distribution depicted by species rank log abundance plots was not statistically different between both systems. We concluded that conversion of pristine tropical forest to pasture influences the taxonomic composition of AMF communities while not affecting species richness and abundance distribution.     

Effect of shoot size and phenological variation of host plants on the spatial patterns of cynipid galls

The effects of shoot size and differences in budburst phenology ofQuercus serrata trees on the spatial patterns of galls were investigated for two cynipid species: the sexual generation ofAndricus moriokae and the agamic generation ofAphelonyx glanduliferae. There were marked differences in budburst phenology, but these did not affect the gall density on the tree. The galls of both cynipids showed a contagious distribution in their respective trees, but different abundance patterns under high gall density. The mean number of galls ofA. glanduliferae over a shoot size range was positively correlated with shoot size. More galls ofA. moriokae appeared on larger shoots on trees on which many buds had started growing before oviposition by the agamic adults. In the case of a tree on which a few buds had burst by the time of oviposition, the mean numbers ofA. moriokae galls on shoots of particular size ranges depended on the frequency of shoots in the size class. These results suggest that, although these cynipids prefer to attack larger shoots within a host tree, they may exhibit plasticity in their preference in response to changes in budburst phenology of the host plant relative to the time of oviposition.