This study tests the basic hypothesis that the removal of charr, Salvelinus alpinus (L.), would cause an increase in both the growth and density of a sympatric trout population, Salmo trutta L. The charr population was characterised by slow‐growing individuals, with a high proportion of mature fish, that is typical for so‐called overpopulated populations. A total of 31,000 charr was removed from the lake in the period 1990–1992, and the density of younger trout (1+, 2+), but not older trout (3+, 4+), increased. The growth of older trout (3+, 4+) increased, but the evidence for similar growth increases of younger trout (1+, 2+) was limited. From 1989 to 1990, the proportion of trout increased from 30 to only 40% of the total catch, but from 1991 to 1994, it was significantly higher (60–80%) than that of charr. Total trout biomass increased to a maximum in 1992 and then decreased so that the biomass of 1994 was nearly similar to that of 1989, that is before the start of the charr removal. Back‐calculated lengths of trout from otoliths showed that 2+ and 3+ trout caught in the pelagic were growing consistently faster over previous years than those caught in the littoral, while this was not the case for the 4+ fish. Therefore, the hypothesis was partially supported; the growth rate of trout increased (age groups 1+ to 4+), while the density of juvenile trout (1+, 2+), but not the older trout (3+, 4+), increased after the removal of charr. 相似文献
Zinc (Zn) is a plant nutrient; however, at elevated levels it rapidly becomes phytotoxic. In order to obtain insight into the physiological background of its toxicity, the impact of elevated Zn2+ concentrations (1 to 10 μM) in the root environment on physiological functioning of Chinese cabbage was studied. Exposure of Chinese cabbage (Brassica pekinensis) to elevated Zn2+ concentrations (≥ 5 μM) in the root environment resulted in leaf chlorosis and decreased biomass production. The Zn concentrations of the root and shoot increased with the Zn2+ concentration up to 68‐fold and 14‐fold, respectively, at 10 μM compared to the control. The concentrations of the other mineral nutrients of the shoot were hardly affected by elevated Zn2+ exposure, although in the root both the Cu and Fe concentrations were increased at ≥ 5 µM, whereas the Mn concentration was decreased and the Ca concentration strongly decreased at 10 µM Zn2+. The uptake and metabolism of sulfur and nitrogen were differentially affected at ≥ 5 µM Zn2+. Zn2+ exposure resulted in an increase of sulfate uptake and the activity of the sulfate transporters in the root, and in enhanced total sulfur concentration of the shoot, which could be ascribed partially to an accumulation of sulfate. Moreover, Zn2+ exposure resulted in an up to 6.5‐fold increase in water‐soluble non‐protein thiol (and cysteine) concentration of the root. However, nitrate uptake by the root and the nitrate and total nitrogen concentrations of the shoot were decreased upon Zn2+ exposure, demonstrating the absence of a mutual regulation of the uptake and metabolism of sulfur and nitrogen at toxic Zn levels. Evidently, elevated Zn2+ concentrations in the root environment did not only disturb the uptake, distribution and assimilation of sulfate, it also affected the uptake and metabolism of nitrate in Chinese cabbage. 相似文献
Organisations acting to conserve and protect species across large spatial scales prioritise to optimise use of resources. Spatial conservation prioritization tools typically focus on identifying areas containing species groups of interest, with few tools used to identify the best areas for single-species conservation, in particular, to conserve currently widespread but declining species.
Objective
A single-species prioritization framework, based on temporal and spatial patterns of occupancy and abundance, was developed to spatially prioritize conservation action for widespread species by identifying smaller areas to work within to achieve predefined conservation objectives.
Methods
We demonstrate our approach for 29 widespread bird species in the UK, using breeding bird atlas data from two periods to define distribution, relative abundance and change in relative abundance. We selected occupied 10-km squares with abundance trends that matched species conservation objectives relating to maintaining or increasing population size or range, and then identified spatial clusters of squares for each objective using a Getis-Ord-Gi* or near neighbour analysis.
Results
For each species, the framework identified clusters of 20-km squares that enabled us to identify small areas in which species recovery action could be prioritized.
Conclusions
Our approach identified a proportion of species’ ranges to prioritize for species recovery. This approach is a relatively quick process that can be used to inform single-species conservation for any taxa if sufficiently fine-scale occupancy and abundance information is available for two or more time periods. This is a relatively simple first step for planning single-species focussed conservation to help optimise resource use.
The study of habitat fragmentation is complex because multiple, potentially synergistic, ecological processes may be acting simultaneously. Further, edge effects themselves may be complex in that additivity from multiple edges can give rise to heterogeneous nearest–edge gradients.
Objectives
We used heat diffusion as a proxy for additive edge effects in two study landscapes in order to test whether two key observations recently attributed to synergy between edge and area effects could be more simply explained by additivity; namely, steeper edge gradients in larger fragments and variation in slopes of species–area relationships as a function of distances to fragment edges.
Methods
We sampled forest structure in northwestern Madagascar at various distances from the edge in fragments and continuous forest and used an inverse modelling approach to parameterize the model. In addition, we applied the model to data from a published study of beetle communities in fragmented forests in New Zealand.
Results
With increasing proximity to edges, woody stem densities decreased and, as predicted, smaller fragments had lower stem densities and less steep edge gradients than larger ones. The model successfully predicted shifts in species–area relationships as a function of nearest–edge distances for beetle species, although observed richness for forest specialists in the smallest fragments was lower than predicted.
Conclusions
Two key observations attributed to synergy between edge and area effects were explained by edge additivity. The model is particularly useful in that it can help to disentangle the complex sets of processes acting in fragmented landscapes.