Sample records for abundance seasonal dynamics

  1. Seasonal temperature and precipitation regulate brook trout young-of-the-year abundance and population dynamics

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kanno, Yoichiro; Pregler, Kasey C.; Hitt, Nathaniel P.; Letcher, Benjamin H.; Hocking, Daniel; Wofford, John E.B.

    2015-01-01

    Our results indicate that YOY abundance is a key driver of brook trout population dynamics that is mediated by seasonal weather patterns. A reliable assessment of climate change impacts on brook trout needs to account for how alternations in seasonal weather patterns impact YOY abundance and how such relationships may differ across the range of brook trout distribution.

  2. Species composition, abundance, and seasonal dynamics of stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in Minnesota soybean fields.

    PubMed

    Koch, Robert L; Pahs, Tiffany

    2014-08-01

    Stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) have historically not been pests of soybean in Minnesota. In response to the invasion of Halyomorpha halys (Stål) and reports of increasing abundance of species native to North America, a state-wide survey of soybean was conducted over 3 yr in Minnesota to determine species composition, abundance, and seasonal dynamics of Pentatomidae associated with soybean. Fourteen species of Pentatomidae (12 herbivorous and two predatory) were collected from soybean. H. halys was not detected in this survey. Among the herbivorous species found, adults of Euschistus variolarius (Palisot de Beauvois) had the greatest relative abundance (60.51%) and frequency of detection (18.44%), followed by Euschistus servus euschistoides (Say) (19.37 and 3.04%, respectively) and Chinavia hilaris (Say) (5.50 and 1.69%, respectively). Abundance of herbivorous nymphs and adults exceeded an economic threshold (20 nymphs and adults per 100 sweeps) in 0.82% of fields in 2012 but not in 2011 or 2013. The frequency of detection of herbivorous species and ratio of nymphs to adults increased with increasing reproductive growth stage of soybean. In two of three years, herbivorous adults were more abundant in the edge compared with interior of fields. Two predatory Pentatomidae, Podisus maculiventris (Say) and Podisus placidus Uhler, comprised 5.95 and 1.62% of the pentatomid adults. Though the species composition of Pentatomidae in Minnesota soybean differs from that in eastern and southern states, the spatial (i.e., greater abundance near field edge) and seasonal dynamics (i.e., increasing abundance and reproduction with increasing reproductive maturity of soybean) in soybean appear similar.

  3. Seasonal dynamics in community structure, abundance, body size and sex ratio in two species of Neotropical annual fishes.

    PubMed

    Lanés, L E K; Godoy, R S; Maltchik, L; Polačik, M; Blažek, R; Vrtílek, M; Reichard, M

    2016-11-01

    Seven ephemeral pools on the coastal plain of southern Brazil were found to be inhabited by three annual and 22 non-annual fish species. Two common annual species (Austrolebias minuano and Cynopoecilus fulgens) exhibited clear seasonal dynamics, with the appearance of young fishes in the austral autumn (May to June) and a decline in abundance over the seasonal cycle. The third annual species, Austrolebias wolterstorffii, was rare. No seasonal dynamics were observed in non-annual fishes. The relative abundance of non-annual fishes compared with annual fishes increased over the seasonal cycle, but they coexisted widely. The size structure of annual fishes suggested the presence of a single age cohort in most pools though a second age cohort was registered in one pool in August, coinciding with a large flooding. Strong sexual dimorphism in body size was found in C. fulgens throughout the seasonal cycle, while no sexual dimorphism in body size was found in A. minuano. Female-biased sex ratios were recorded in both common annual fish species in the last three sampling dates (in spring), but not during the first two sampling dates (in winter). The natural lifespan of annual fishes was <8 months. Annual fishes disappeared before habitat desiccation in half of the pools, while non-annual fishes were still present. © 2016 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

  4. Spatial and seasonal dynamic of abundance and distribution of guanaco and livestock: insights from using density surface and null models.

    PubMed

    Schroeder, Natalia M; Matteucci, Silvia D; Moreno, Pablo G; Gregorio, Pablo; Ovejero, Ramiro; Taraborelli, Paula; Carmanchahi, Pablo D

    2014-01-01

    Monitoring species abundance and distribution is a prerequisite when assessing species status and population viability, a difficult task to achieve for large herbivores at ecologically meaningful scales. Co-occurrence patterns can be used to infer mechanisms of community organization (such as biotic interactions), although it has been traditionally applied to binary presence/absence data. Here, we combine density surface and null models of abundance data as a novel approach to analyze the spatial and seasonal dynamics of abundance and distribution of guanacos (Lama guanicoe) and domestic herbivores in northern Patagonia, in order to visually and analytically compare the dispersion and co-occurrence pattern of ungulates. We found a marked seasonal pattern in abundance and spatial distribution of L. guanicoe. The guanaco population reached its maximum annual size and spatial dispersion in spring-summer, decreasing up to 6.5 times in size and occupying few sites of the study area in fall-winter. These results are evidence of the seasonal migration process of guanaco populations, an increasingly rare event for terrestrial mammals worldwide. The maximum number of guanacos estimated for spring (25,951) is higher than the total population size (10,000) 20 years ago, probably due to both counting methodology and population growth. Livestock were mostly distributed near human settlements, as expected by the sedentary management practiced by local people. Herbivore distribution was non-random; i.e., guanaco and livestock abundances co-varied negatively in all seasons, more than expected by chance. Segregation degree of guanaco and small-livestock (goats and sheep) was comparatively stronger than that of guanaco and large-livestock, suggesting a competition mechanism between ecologically similar herbivores, although various environmental factors could also contribute to habitat segregation. The new and compelling combination of methods used here is highly useful for

  5. Seasonal Abundance of Aphids and Aphidophagous Insects in Pecan

    PubMed Central

    Dutcher, James D.; Karar, Haider; Abbas, Ghulam

    2012-01-01

    Seasonal occurrence of aphids and aphidophagous insects was monitored for six years (2006–2011) from full leaf expansion in May to leaf fall in October in “Desirable” variety pecan trees that were not treated with insecticides. Aphid outbreaks occurred two times per season, once in the spring and again in the late summer. Yellow pecan and blackmargined aphids exceeded the recommended treatment thresholds one time and black pecan aphids exceeded the recommended treatment levels three times over the six seasons. Increases in aphidophagous insect abundance coincided with aphid outbreaks in five of the six seasons. Among aphidophagous insects Harmonia axyridis and Olla v-nigrum were frequently collected in both the tree canopy and at the ground level, whereas, Coccinella septempunctata, Hippodamia convergens were rarely found in the tree canopy and commonly found at the ground level. Green lacewing abundance was higher in the ground level than in the tree canopy. Brown lacewings were more abundant in the tree canopy than at the ground level. Dolichopodid and syrphid fly abundance, at the ground level increased during peak aphid abundance in the tree canopy. Application of an aqueous solution of fermenting molasses to the pecan foliage during an aphid outbreak significantly increased the abundance of ladybeetles and lacewings and significantly reduced the abundance of yellow pecan, blackmargined and black pecan aphids. PMID:26466738

  6. Size-Based Hydroacoustic Measures of Within-Season Fish Abundance in a Boreal Freshwater Ecosystem

    PubMed Central

    Pollom, Riley A.; Rose, George A.

    2015-01-01

    Eleven sequential size-based hydroacoustic surveys conducted with a 200 kHz split-beam transducer during the summers of 2011 and 2012 were used to quantify seasonal declines in fish abundance in a boreal reservoir in Manitoba, Canada. Fish densities were sufficiently low to enable single target resolution and tracking. Target strengths converted to log2-based size-classes indicated that smaller fish were consistently more abundant than larger fish by a factor of approximately 3 for each halving of length. For all size classes, in both years, abundance (natural log) declined linearly over the summer at rates that varied from -0.067.day-1 for the smallest fish to -0.016.day-1 for the largest (R2 = 0.24–0.97). Inter-annual comparisons of size-based abundance suggested that for larger fish (>16 cm), mean winter decline rates were an order of magnitude lower (-0.001.day-1) and overall survival higher (71%) than in the main summer fishing season (mean loss rate -0.038.day-1; survival 33%). We conclude that size-based acoustic survey methods have the potential to assess within-season fish abundance dynamics, and may prove useful in long-term monitoring of productivity and hence management of boreal aquatic ecosystems. PMID:25875467

  7. Diversity is maintained by seasonal variation in species abundance

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Some of the most marked temporal fluctuations in species abundances are linked to seasons. In theory, multispecies assemblages can persist if species use shared resources at different times, thereby minimizing interspecific competition. However, there is scant empirical evidence supporting these predictions and, to the best of our knowledge, seasonal variation has never been explored in the context of fluctuation-mediated coexistence. Results Using an exceptionally well-documented estuarine fish assemblage, sampled monthly for over 30 years, we show that temporal shifts in species abundances underpin species coexistence. Species fall into distinct seasonal groups, within which spatial resource use is more heterogeneous than would be expected by chance at those times when competition for food is most intense. We also detect seasonal variation in the richness and evenness of the community, again linked to shifts in resource availability. Conclusions These results reveal that spatiotemporal shifts in community composition minimize competitive interactions and help stabilize total abundance. PMID:24007204

  8. Evidence for seasonal patterns in the relative abundance of avian influenza virus subtypes in blue-winged teal (Anas discors)

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ramey, Andrew M.; Poulson, Rebecca L.; González-Reiche, Ana S.; Wilcox, Benjamin R.; Walther, Patrick; Link, Paul; Carter, Deborah L.; Newsome, George M.; Müller, Maria L.; Berghaus, Roy D.; Perez, Daniel R.; Hall, Jeffrey S.; Stallknecht, David E.

    2014-01-01

    Seasonal dynamics of influenza A viruses (IAVs) are driven by host density and population immunity. Through an analysis of subtypic data for IAVs isolated from Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors), we present evidence for seasonal patterns in the relative abundance of viral subtypes in spring and summer/autumn.

  9. Seasonal dynamics of bacterioplankton community in a large, shallow, highly dynamic freshwater lake.

    PubMed

    Kong, Zhaoyu; Kou, Wenbo; Ma, Yantian; Yu, Haotian; Ge, Gang; Wu, Lan

    2018-05-23

    The spatio-temporal shifts of bacterioplankton community can mirror their transition of functional traits in aquatic ecosystem. However, our understanding of spatio-temporal variation of bacterioplankton community composition structure (BCCs) within large, shallow and highly dynamic freshwater lake is still elusive. Here we examined the seasonal and spatial variability of BCCs in the Poyang Lake by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to explore how hydrological changes affect the BCCs. Principal coordinate analysis showed that the BCCs varied significantly among four sampling seasons, but not spatially. The seasonal changes of BCCs were mainly attributed to the differences between autumn and spring/winter. Higher alpha diversity indices were observed in autumn. Redundancy analysis indicated that the BCCs co-variated with water level, pH, temperature, total phosphorus, ammoniacal nitrogen, electrical conductivity, total nitrogen, and turbidity. Among them, water level was the key determinant separating autumn BCCs from the BCCs in other seasons. A significant lower relative abundance of Burkholderiales (betI and betVII) and a higher relative abundance of Actinomycetales (acI, acTH1 and acTH2) were found in autumn than in other seasons. Overall, our results suggest that water level changes associated with pH, temperature and nutrient status shaped the seasonal patterns of BCCs in the Poyang Lake.

  10. Occupancy and abundance of wintering birds in a dynamic agricultural landscape

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Miller, Mark W.; Pearlstine, Elise V.; Dorazio, Robert M.; Mazzotti, Frank J.

    2011-01-01

    Assessing wildlife management action requires monitoring populations, and abundance often is the parameter monitored. Recent methodological advances have enabled estimation of mean abundance within a habitat using presence–absence or count data obtained via repeated visits to a sample of sites. These methods assume populations are closed and intuitively assume habitats within sites change little during a field season. However, many habitats are highly variable over short periods. We developed a variation of existing occupancy and abundance models that allows for extreme spatio-temporal differences in habitat, and resulting changes in wildlife abundance, among sites and among visits to a site within a field season. We conducted our study in sugarcane habitat within the Everglades Agricultural Area southeast of Lake Okeechobee in south Florida. We counted wintering birds, primarily passerines, within 245 sites usually 5 times at each site during December 2006–March 2007. We estimated occupancy and mean abundance of birds in 6 vegetation states during the sugarcane harvest and allowed these parameters to vary temporally or spatially within a vegetation state. Occupancy and mean abundance of the common yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) was affected by structure of sugarcane and uncultivated edge vegetation (occupancy=1.00 [95%CĪ=0.96–1.00] and mean abundance=7.9 [95%CĪ=3.2–19.5] in tall sugarcane with tall edge vegetation versus 0.20 [95%CĪ=0.04–0.71] and 0.22 [95%CĪ=0.04–1.2], respectively, in short sugarcane with short edge vegetation in one half of the study area). Occupancy and mean abundance of palm warblers (Dendroica palmarum) were constant (occupancy=1.00, 95%CĪ=0.69–1.00; mean abundance=18, 95%CĪ=1–270). Our model may enable wildlife managers to assess rigorously effects of future edge habitat management on avian distribution and abundance within agricultural landscapes during winter or the breeding season. The model may also help

  11. Occupancy and abundance of wintering birds in a dynamic agricultural landscape

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Miller, M.W.; Pearlstine, E.V.; Dorazio, R.M.; Mazzotti, F.J.

    2011-01-01

    Assessing wildlife management action requires monitoring populations, and abundance often is the parameter monitored. Recent methodological advances have enabled estimation of mean abundance within a habitat using presence-absence or count data obtained via repeated visits to a sample of sites. These methods assume populations are closed and intuitively assume habitats within sites change little during a field season. However, many habitats are highly variable over short periods. We developed a variation of existing occupancy and abundance models that allows for extreme spatio-temporal differences in habitat, and resulting changes in wildlife abundance, among sites and among visits to a site within a field season. We conducted our study in sugarcane habitat within the Everglades Agricultural Area southeast of Lake Okeechobee in south Florida. We counted wintering birds, primarily passerines, within 245 sites usually 5 times at each site during December 2006-March 2007. We estimated occupancy and mean abundance of birds in 6 vegetation states during the sugarcane harvest and allowed these parameters to vary temporally or spatially within a vegetation state. Occupancy and mean abundance of the common yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) was affected by structure of sugarcane and uncultivated edge vegetation (occupancy = 1.00 [95%C?? = 0.96-1.00] and mean abundance = 7.9 [95%C?? = 3.2-19.5] in tall sugarcane with tall edge vegetation versus 0.20 [95%C?? = 0.04-0.71] and 0.22 [95%C?? = 0.04-1.2], respectively, in short sugarcane with short edge vegetation in one half of the study area). Occupancy and mean abundance of palm warblers (Dendroica palmarum) were constant (occupancy = 1.00, 95%C?? = 0.69-1.00; mean abundance = 18, 95%C?? = 1-270). Our model may enable wildlife managers to assess rigorously effects of future edge habitat management on avian distribution and abundance within agricultural landscapes during winter or the breeding season. The model may also help

  12. Local and cross-seasonal associations of climate and land use with abundance of monarch butterflies Danaus plexippus

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Saunders, Sarah P.; Ries, Leslie; Oberhasuer, Karen S.; Thogmartin, Wayne E.; Zipkin, Elise F.

    2017-01-01

    Quantifying how climate and land use factors drive population dynamics at regional scales is complex because it depends on the extent of spatial and temporal synchrony among local populations, and the integration of population processes throughout a species’ annual cycle. We modeled weekly, site-specific summer abundance (1994–2013) of monarch butterflies Danaus plexippus at sites across Illinois, USA to assess relative associations of monarch abundance with climate and land use variables during the winter, spring, and summer stages of their annual cycle. We developed negative binomial regression models to estimate monarch abundance during recruitment in Illinois as a function of local climate, site-specific crop cover, and county-level herbicide (glyphosate) application. We also incorporated cross-seasonal covariates, including annual abundance of wintering monarchs in Mexico and climate conditions during spring migration and breeding in Texas, USA. We provide the first empirical evidence of a negative association between county-level glyphosate application and local abundance of adult monarchs, particularly in areas of concentrated agriculture. However, this association was only evident during the initial years of the adoption of herbicide-resistant crops (1994–2003). We also found that wetter and, to a lesser degree, cooler springs in Texas were associated with higher summer abundances in Illinois, as were relatively cool local summer temperatures in Illinois. Site-specific abundance of monarchs averaged approximately one fewer per site from 2004–2013 than during the previous decade, suggesting a recent decline in local abundance of monarch butterflies on their summer breeding grounds in Illinois. Our results demonstrate that seasonal climate and land use are associated with trends in adult monarch abundance, and our approach highlights the value of considering fine-resolution temporal fluctuations in population-level responses to environmental

  13. [Seasonality and contribution to acid rain of the carbon abundance in rainwater].

    PubMed

    Xu, Tao; Song, Zhi-guang; Liu, Jun-feng; Wang, Cui-ping

    2008-02-01

    This paper reports the results from a study of the carbon abundance in rainwater of Guangzhou city, China. The determination of TOC, DOC, POC and PEC helps to study the seasonality of carbon abundance and its contribution to the acid rain. The results display the fact that the average contents of TOC, DOC, POC and PEC are 7.10 mg/L, 3.58 mg/L, 3.60 mg/L and 0.72 mg/L, respectively. These results confirm the deep effect of the organic pollutant to the rain. The seasonality exists in the carbon abundance of rainwater. The contents of TOC and DOC are up to the maximum in spring and the minimum in summer; the contribution of POC to TOC in summer is obviously higher than that in other seasons; and the relative content of POC is clearly higher in dry season than that in wet season. The seasonality reflects the more emission of the total pollutant in spring and the solid particle pollutant in summer than those in other seasons. Moreover, the emission of the organic pollutant from the mobile vehicles is more obvious in dry season than that in wet season. The contents of TOC and DOC have the negative correlation to the pH values, which confirms the contribution effect of the organic pollutant, such as vehicle emission, to the acid rain.

  14. Spatial abundance models and seasonal distribution for guanaco (Lama guanicoe) in central Tierra del Fuego, Argentina.

    PubMed

    Flores, Celina E; Deferrari, Guillermo; Collado, Leonardo; Escobar, Julio; Schiavini, Adrián

    2018-01-01

    Spatially explicit modelling allows to estimate population abundance and predict species' distribution in relation to environmental factors. Abiotic factors are the main determinants of a herbivore´s response to environmental heterogeneity on large spatiotemporal scales. We assessed the influence of elevation, geographic location and distance to the coast on the seasonal abundance and distribution of guanaco (Lama guanicoe) in central Tierra del Fuego, by means of spatially explicit modelling. The estimated abundance was 23,690 individuals for the non-breeding season and 33,928 individuals for the breeding season. The factors influencing distribution and abundance revealed to be the elevation for the non-breeding season, and the distance to the coast and geographic location for the breeding season. The southwest of the study area presented seasonal abundance variation and the southeast and northeast presented high abundance during both seasons. The elevation would be the driving factor of guanaco distribution, as individuals move to lower areas during the non-breeding season and ascend to high areas during the breeding season. Our results confirm that part of the guanaco population performs seasonal migratory movements and that the main valleys present important wintering habitats for guanacos as well as up-hill zones during summer. This type of study would help to avoid problems of scale mismatch and achieve better results in management actions and is an example of how to assess important seasonal habitats from evaluations of abundance and distribution patterns.

  15. Spatial abundance models and seasonal distribution for guanaco (Lama guanicoe) in central Tierra del Fuego, Argentina

    PubMed Central

    Deferrari, Guillermo; Collado, Leonardo; Escobar, Julio; Schiavini, Adrián

    2018-01-01

    Spatially explicit modelling allows to estimate population abundance and predict species’ distribution in relation to environmental factors. Abiotic factors are the main determinants of a herbivore´s response to environmental heterogeneity on large spatiotemporal scales. We assessed the influence of elevation, geographic location and distance to the coast on the seasonal abundance and distribution of guanaco (Lama guanicoe) in central Tierra del Fuego, by means of spatially explicit modelling. The estimated abundance was 23,690 individuals for the non-breeding season and 33,928 individuals for the breeding season. The factors influencing distribution and abundance revealed to be the elevation for the non-breeding season, and the distance to the coast and geographic location for the breeding season. The southwest of the study area presented seasonal abundance variation and the southeast and northeast presented high abundance during both seasons. The elevation would be the driving factor of guanaco distribution, as individuals move to lower areas during the non-breeding season and ascend to high areas during the breeding season. Our results confirm that part of the guanaco population performs seasonal migratory movements and that the main valleys present important wintering habitats for guanacos as well as up-hill zones during summer. This type of study would help to avoid problems of scale mismatch and achieve better results in management actions and is an example of how to assess important seasonal habitats from evaluations of abundance and distribution patterns. PMID:29782523

  16. Seasonal dynamics of meroplankton in a high-latitude fjord

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Michelsen, Helena Kling; Svensen, Camilla; Reigstad, Marit; Nilssen, Einar Magnus; Pedersen, Torstein

    2017-04-01

    Knowledge on the seasonal timing and composition of pelagic larvae of many benthic invertebrates, referred to as meroplankton, is limited for high-latitude fjords and coastal areas. We investigated the seasonal dynamics of meroplankton in the sub-Arctic Porsangerfjord (70°N), Norway, by examining their seasonal changes in relation to temperature, chlorophyll a and salinity. Samples were collected at two stations between February 2013 and August 2014. We identified 41 meroplanktonic taxa belonging to eight phyla. Multivariate analysis indicated different meroplankton compositions in winter, spring, early summer and late summer. More larvae appeared during spring and summer, forming two peaks in meroplankton abundance. The spring peak was dominated by cirripede nauplii, and late summer peak was dominated by bivalve veligers. Moreover, spring meroplankton were the dominant component in the zooplankton community this season. In winter, low abundances and few meroplanktonic taxa were observed. Timing for a majority of meroplankton correlated with primary production and temperature. The presence of meroplankton in the water column through the whole year and at times dominant in the zooplankton community, suggests that they, in addition to being important for benthic recruitment, may play a role in the pelagic ecosystem as grazers on phytoplankton and as prey for other organisms.

  17. Dynamics of Viral Abundance and Diversity in a Sphagnum-Dominated Peatland: Temporal Fluctuations Prevail Over Habitat.

    PubMed

    Ballaud, Flore; Dufresne, Alexis; Francez, André-Jean; Colombet, Jonathan; Sime-Ngando, Télesphore; Quaiser, Achim

    2015-01-01

    Viruses impact microbial activity and carbon cycling in various environments, but their diversity and ecological importance in Sphagnum-peatlands are unknown. Abundances of viral particles and prokaryotes were monitored bi-monthly at a fen and a bog at two different layers of the peat surface. Viral particle abundance ranged from 1.7 x 10(6) to 5.6 x 10(8) particles mL(-1), and did not differ between fen and bog but showed seasonal fluctuations. These fluctuations were positively correlated with prokaryote abundance and dissolved organic carbon, and negatively correlated with water-table height and dissolved oxygen. Using shotgun metagenomics we observed a shift in viral diversity between winter/spring and summer/autumn, indicating a seasonal succession of viral communities, mainly driven by weather-related environmental changes. Based on the seasonal asynchrony between viral and microbial diversity, we hypothesize a seasonal shift in the active microbial communities associated with a shift from lysogenic to lytic lifestyles. Our results suggest that temporal variations of environmental conditions rather than current habitat differences control the dynamics of virus-host interactions in Sphagnum-dominated peatlands.

  18. Seasonal abundance of horse flies (Diptera: Tabanidae) from two locations in eastern Croatia.

    PubMed

    Krcmar, Stjepan

    2005-12-01

    A total of 10,539 tabanid horse flies from 22 species and five genera was collected in the Tikves forest within the Kopacki rit Nature Park in eastern Croatia. Seasonal abundance was analyzed for the six most abundant species. Tabanus maculicornis, Tabanus tergestinus, and Haematopota pluvialis reached their highest peak abundance in the fourth week of June. Atylotus loewianus and Tabanus bromius reached their highest peak of abundance in the first week of August, whereas Tabanus sudeticus reached its maximum abundance in the third week of July. Horse flies also were collected once a week on the pasture at Petrijevci from mid-May to mid-September during 1993. Paired collections were made from a Malaise trap and from a horse by using a sweep net. A total of 2,867 tabanids belonging to 26 species was collected. The number of tabanids collected on horses was much higher than the total captured with Malaise traps. On their natural host (horse), 2.6 times more tabanids were collected than in the traps. Seasonal abundance was analyzed only for the eight most abundant species. Chrysops paralellogrammus, Tabanus autumnalis, Tabanus bromius, Tabanus tergestinus, Haematopota pluvialis, and Haematopota subcylindrica all reached their highest peak of abundance in the second week of July, whereas Tabanus maculicornis reached the maximal peak of abundance in the third week of June. Seasonal meteorological variability that occurs periodically from one year to another has a significant influence on the maximal peaks of tabanid abundance.

  19. Seasonal abundance of Agrilus planipennis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) and its natural enemies Oobius agrili (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) and Tetrastichus planipennisi (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) in China

    Treesearch

    Houping Liu; Leah S. Bauer; Tonghai Zhao; Ruitong Gao; Liwen Song; Qingshu Luan; Ruozhong Jin; Changqi Gao

    2007-01-01

    The seasonal abundance and population dynamics of Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) and its natural enemies Oobius agrili Zhang and Huang (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) and Tetrastichus planipennisi Yang (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) were studied on ash (Fraxinus spp.) in...

  20. The seasonal role of field characteristics on seed-eating bird abundances in agricultural landscapes

    PubMed Central

    Codesido, Mariano; Abba, Agustín M.; Bilenca, David

    2017-01-01

    Abstract In temperate agroecosystems, avian responses in abundance and distribution to landscape attributes may be exacerbated by the coupling of natural seasons and farming practices. We assessed the seasonal roles of field type, field use in the surroundings, and distance from a field to the nearest woodlot on the abundance of seed-eating birds in a 225,000 km2 study area in the Pampas of central Argentina. During spring-summer and autumn of 2011–2013, we randomly selected 392 fields and used transect samples to collect data on abundance and presence of seed-eating bird species. We recorded a total of 11,579 individuals belonging to 15 seed-eating bird species. We used generalized lineal mixed models to relate bird abundance to field type, field use in the surroundings, and distance to the nearest woodlot. In spring-summer (breeding season) most bird responses were associated with their nesting requirements. Species that build their nests in trees, such as eared doves Zenaida auriculata, picazuro pigeons Patagioenas picazuro, and monk parakeets Myiopsitta monachus, were more abundant in fields closer to woodlots, whereas grassland yellow-finches Sicalis luteola, which nest at areas with tall grasses, were more abundant in fields with livestock use patches in the field surroundings. In autumn (non-breeding season), most bird responses were associated with foraging and refuge needs. The high abundance of eared doves in crop stubbles and the association of pigeons at field surroundings dominated by croplands or at crop stubbles surrounded by livestock use fields revealed the intimate association of these species to sites with high availability of food resources. In addition, both picazuro pigeons and spot-winged pigeons Patagioenas maculosa were associated with woodlots, which provide suitable roosting sites. Our results show that in temperate agroecosystems, the relationships between field characteristics and seed-eating bird abundances vary with season. PMID

  1. Diversity and Seasonal Dynamics of Actinobacteria Populations in Four Lakes in Northeastern Germany

    PubMed Central

    Allgaier, Martin; Grossart, Hans-Peter

    2006-01-01

    The phylogenetic diversity and seasonal dynamics of freshwater Actinobacteria populations in four limnologically different lakes of the Mecklenburg-Brandenburg Lake District (northeastern Germany) were investigated. Fluorescence in situ hybridization was used to determine the seasonal abundances and dynamics of total Actinobacteria (probe HGC69a) and the three actinobacterial subclusters acI, acI-A, and acI-B (probes AcI-852, AcI-840-1, and AcI-840-2). Seasonal means of total Actinobacteria abundances in the epilimnia of the lakes varied from 13 to 36%, with maximum values of 30 to 58%, of all DAPI (4′,6′-diamidino-2-phenylindole)-stained cells. Around 80% of total Actinobacteria belonged to the acI cluster. The two subclusters acI-A and acI-B accounted for 60 to 91% of the acI cluster and showed seasonal means of 49% (acI-B) and 23% (acI-A) in relation to the acI cluster. Total Actinobacteria and members of the clusters acI and acI-B showed distinct seasonal changes in their absolute abundances, with maxima in late spring and fall/winter. In eight clone libraries constructed from the lakes, a total of 76 actinobacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences were identified from a total of 177 clones. The majority of the Actinobacteria sequences belonged to the acI and acIV cluster. Several new clusters and subclusters were found (acSTL, scB1-4, and acIVA-D). The majority of all obtained 16S rRNA gene sequences are distinct from those of already-cultured freshwater Actinobacteria. PMID:16672495

  2. Seasonal dynamics of ant community structure in the Moroccan Argan Forest.

    PubMed

    El Keroumi, Abderrahim; Naamani, Khalid; Soummane, Hassna; Dahbi, Abdallah

    2012-01-01

    In this study we describe the structure and composition of ant communities in the endemic Moroccan Argan forest, using pitfall traps sampling technique throughout the four seasons between May 2006 and February 2007. The study focused on two distinct climatic habitats within the Essaouira Argan forest, a semi-continental site at Lahssinate, and a coastal site at Boutazarte. Thirteen different ant species were identified, belonging to seven genera. Monomorium subopacum Smith and Tapinoma simrothi Krausse-Heldrungen (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) were the most abundant and behaviorally dominant ant species in the arganeraie. In addition, more specimens were captured in the semi-continental site than in the coastal area. However, no significant difference was observed in species richness, evenness, or diversity between both sites. Composition and community structure showed clear seasonal dynamics. The number of species, their abundance, their diversity, and their evenness per Argan tree were significantly dissimilar among seasons. The richness (except between summer and autumn), and the abundance and the evenness of ant species among communities, showed a significant difference between the dry period (summer and spring) and the rainy period (winter and autumn). Higher abundance and richness values occurred in the dry period of the year. Ant species dominance and seasonal climatic variations in the arganeraie might be among the main factors affecting the composition, structure, and foraging activity of ant communities. This study, together with recent findings on ant predation behavior below Argan trees, highlights the promising use of dominant ant species as potential agents of Mediterranean fruit fly bio-control in the Argan forest and surrounding ecosystems.

  3. [Population dynamics of thrushes and seasonal resource partition].

    PubMed

    Burskiĭ, O V; Demidova, E Iu; Morkovin, A A

    2014-01-01

    We studied seasonal population dynamics in birds using four thrush species from the Yenisei middle taiga region as an example. Long-term data on bird route censuses, capture-mark-recapture, and nest observa- tions were incorporated in the analysis. Particularly, methodological problems that complicate a direct comparison between assessed numbers at different phases of the annual cycle are considered. The integrated analysis of the results allowed comparing changes in numbers, energy expenditure, age structure, migrating status, and density distribution of selected populations during the snowless period and relating them to seasonal changes in food resource abundance. Thrush population numbers within the breeding range, and their energy consumption in the Yenisei middle taiga proportionately reflect the seasonal change in abundance of food resources. The compliance between resource intake and carrying capacity of the environment is attained by: timing of arrival and departure regarding to the species' range of tolerance; change in numbers as a result of reproduction and mortality; change in numbers due to habitat changes and long-distance movements; increasing energetic expenditures during reproduction and molt; timing, intensity and replication of nesting attempts; timing of molt and proportion of molting individuals in a population; individual variations of the annual cycle. Reproductive growth of local bird populations is not fast enough to catch up with seasonal growth of ecosystems productivity. Superabundance of invertebrates at the peak of the season offers a temporal niche which, on the one hand, is suitable for species capable of diet switching, while, on the other hand, may be used by specialized consumers, namely tropical migrants for whom, at high resource level, a shortened breeding period suffices.

  4. Ocean time-series reveals recurring seasonal patterns of virioplankton dynamics in the northwestern Sargasso Sea.

    PubMed

    Parsons, Rachel J; Breitbart, Mya; Lomas, Michael W; Carlson, Craig A

    2012-02-01

    There are an estimated 10(30) virioplankton in the world oceans, the majority of which are phages (viruses that infect bacteria). Marine phages encompass enormous genetic diversity, affect biogeochemical cycling of elements, and partially control aspects of prokaryotic production and diversity. Despite their importance, there is a paucity of data describing virioplankton distributions over time and depth in oceanic systems. A decade of high-resolution time-series data collected from the upper 300 m in the northwestern Sargasso Sea revealed recurring temporal and vertical patterns of virioplankton abundance in unprecedented detail. An annual virioplankton maximum developed between 60 and 100 m during periods of summer stratification and eroded during winter convective mixing. The timing and vertical positioning of this seasonal pattern was related to variability in water column stability and the dynamics of specific picophytoplankton and heterotrophic bacterioplankton lineages. Between 60 and 100 m, virioplankton abundance was negatively correlated to the dominant heterotrophic bacterioplankton lineage SAR11, as well as the less abundant picophytoplankton, Synechococcus. In contrast, virioplankton abundance was positively correlated to the dominant picophytoplankton lineage Prochlorococcus, and the less abundant alpha-proteobacteria, Rhodobacteraceae. Seasonally, virioplankton abundances were highly synchronous with Prochlorococcus distributions and the virioplankton to Prochlorococcus ratio remained remarkably constant during periods of water column stratification. The data suggest that a significant fraction of viruses in the mid-euphotic zone of the subtropical gyres may be cyanophages and patterns in their abundance are largely determined by Prochlorococcus dynamics in response to water column stability. This high-resolution, decadal survey of virioplankton abundance provides insight into the possible controls of virioplankton dynamics in the open ocean.

  5. Ocean time-series reveals recurring seasonal patterns of virioplankton dynamics in the northwestern Sargasso Sea

    PubMed Central

    Parsons, Rachel J; Breitbart, Mya; Lomas, Michael W; Carlson, Craig A

    2012-01-01

    There are an estimated 1030 virioplankton in the world oceans, the majority of which are phages (viruses that infect bacteria). Marine phages encompass enormous genetic diversity, affect biogeochemical cycling of elements, and partially control aspects of prokaryotic production and diversity. Despite their importance, there is a paucity of data describing virioplankton distributions over time and depth in oceanic systems. A decade of high-resolution time-series data collected from the upper 300 m in the northwestern Sargasso Sea revealed recurring temporal and vertical patterns of virioplankton abundance in unprecedented detail. An annual virioplankton maximum developed between 60 and 100 m during periods of summer stratification and eroded during winter convective mixing. The timing and vertical positioning of this seasonal pattern was related to variability in water column stability and the dynamics of specific picophytoplankton and heterotrophic bacterioplankton lineages. Between 60 and 100 m, virioplankton abundance was negatively correlated to the dominant heterotrophic bacterioplankton lineage SAR11, as well as the less abundant picophytoplankton, Synechococcus. In contrast, virioplankton abundance was positively correlated to the dominant picophytoplankton lineage Prochlorococcus, and the less abundant alpha-proteobacteria, Rhodobacteraceae. Seasonally, virioplankton abundances were highly synchronous with Prochlorococcus distributions and the virioplankton to Prochlorococcus ratio remained remarkably constant during periods of water column stratification. The data suggest that a significant fraction of viruses in the mid-euphotic zone of the subtropical gyres may be cyanophages and patterns in their abundance are largely determined by Prochlorococcus dynamics in response to water column stability. This high-resolution, decadal survey of virioplankton abundance provides insight into the possible controls of virioplankton dynamics in the open ocean

  6. Variations in abundance, diversity and community composition of airborne fungi in swine houses across seasons

    PubMed Central

    Kumari, Priyanka; Woo, Cheolwoon; Yamamoto, Naomichi; Choi, Hong-Lim

    2016-01-01

    We examined the abundance, diversity and community composition of airborne fungi in swine houses during winter and summer seasons by using quantitative PCR and Illumina HiSeq sequencing of ITS1 region. The abundance of airborne fungi varied significantly only between seasons, while fungal diversity varied significantly both within and between seasons, with both abundance and diversity peaked in winter. The fungal OTU composition was largely structured by the swine house unit and season as well as by their interactions. Of the measured microclimate variables, relative humidity, particulate matters (PMs), ammonia, and stocking density were significantly correlated with fungal OTU composition. The variation in beta diversity was higher within swine houses during summer, which indicates that the airborne fungal community composition was more heterogeneous in summer compared to winter. We also identified several potential allergen/pathogen related fungal genera in swine houses. The total relative abundance of potential allergen/pathogen related fungal genera varied between swine houses in both seasons, and showed positive correlation with PM2.5. Overall, our findings show that the abundance, diversity and composition of airborne fungi are highly variable in swine houses and to a large extent structured by indoor microclimate variables of swine houses. PMID:27892507

  7. Variations in abundance, diversity and community composition of airborne fungi in swine houses across seasons

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kumari, Priyanka; Woo, Cheolwoon; Yamamoto, Naomichi; Choi, Hong-Lim

    2016-11-01

    We examined the abundance, diversity and community composition of airborne fungi in swine houses during winter and summer seasons by using quantitative PCR and Illumina HiSeq sequencing of ITS1 region. The abundance of airborne fungi varied significantly only between seasons, while fungal diversity varied significantly both within and between seasons, with both abundance and diversity peaked in winter. The fungal OTU composition was largely structured by the swine house unit and season as well as by their interactions. Of the measured microclimate variables, relative humidity, particulate matters (PMs), ammonia, and stocking density were significantly correlated with fungal OTU composition. The variation in beta diversity was higher within swine houses during summer, which indicates that the airborne fungal community composition was more heterogeneous in summer compared to winter. We also identified several potential allergen/pathogen related fungal genera in swine houses. The total relative abundance of potential allergen/pathogen related fungal genera varied between swine houses in both seasons, and showed positive correlation with PM2.5. Overall, our findings show that the abundance, diversity and composition of airborne fungi are highly variable in swine houses and to a large extent structured by indoor microclimate variables of swine houses.

  8. Dynamic regulation of partner abundance mediates response of reef coral symbioses to environmental change.

    PubMed

    Cunning, R; Vaughan, N; Gillette, P; Capo, T R; Matté, J L; Baker, A C

    2015-05-01

    Regulating partner abunclance may allow symmotic organisms to mediate interaction outcomes, facilitating adaptive responses to environmental change. To explore the capacity for-adaptive regulation in an ecologically important endosymbiosis, we studied the population dynamics of symbiotic algae in reef-building corals under different abiotic contexts. We found high natural variability in symbiont abundance in corals across reefs, but this variability converged to different symbiont-specific abundances when colonies were maintained under constant conditions. When conditions changed seasonally, symbiont abundance readjusted to new equilibria. We explain these patterns using an a priori model of symbiotic costs and benefits to the coral host, which shows that the observed changes in symbiont abundance are consistent with the maximization of interaction benefit under different environmental conditions. These results indicate that, while regulating symbiont abundance helps hosts sustain maximum benefit in a dynamic environment, spatiotemporal variation in abiotic factors creates a broad range of symbiont abundances (and interaction outcomes) among corals that may account for observed natural variability in performance (e.g., growth rate) and stress tolerance (e.g., bleaching susceptibility). This cost or benefit framework provides a new perspective on the dynamic regulation of reef coral symbioses and illustrates that the dependence of interaction outcomes on biotic and abiotic contexts may be important in understanding how diverse mutualisms respond to environmental change.

  9. Seasonal variations in the diversity and abundance of diazotrophic communities across soils.

    PubMed

    Pereira e Silva, Michele C; Semenov, Alexander V; van Elsas, Jan Dirk; Salles, Joana Falcão

    2011-07-01

    The nitrogen (N)-fixing community is a key functional community in soil, as it replenishes the pool of biologically available N that is lost to the atmosphere via anaerobic ammonium oxidation and denitrification. We characterized the structure and dynamic changes in diazotrophic communities, based on the nifH gene, across eight different representative Dutch soils during one complete growing season, to evaluate the amplitude of the natural variation in abundance and diversity, and identify possible relationships with abiotic factors. Overall, our results indicate that soil type is the main factor influencing the N-fixing communities, which were more abundant and diverse in the clay soils (n=4) than in the sandy soils (n=4). On average, the amplitude of variation in community size as well as the range-weighted richness were also found to be higher in the clay soils. These results indicate that N-fixing communities associated with sandy and clay soil show a distinct amplitude of variation under field conditions, and suggest that the diazotrophic communities associated with clay soil might be more sensitive to fluctuations associated with the season and agricultural practices. Moreover, soil characteristics such as ammonium content, pH and texture most strongly correlated with the variations observed in the diversity, size and structure of N-fixing communities, whose relative importance was determined across a temporal and spatial scale. © 2011 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Monitoring Aethina tumida (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) with baited bottom board traps: occurrence and seasonal abundance in honey bee colonies in Kenya.

    PubMed

    Torto, Baldwyn; Fombong, Ayuka T; Arbogast, Richard T; Teal, Peter E A

    2010-12-01

    The population dynamics of the honey bee pest Aethina tumida Murray (small hive beetle) have been studied in the United States with flight and Langstroth hive bottom board traps baited with pollen dough inoculated with a yeast Kodamaea ohmeri associated with the beetle. However, little is known about the population dynamics of the beetle in its native host range. Similarly baited Langstroth hive bottom board traps were used to monitor the occurrence and seasonal abundance of the beetle in honey bee colonies at two beekeeping locations in Kenya. Trap captures indicated that the beetle was present in honey bee colonies in low numbers all year round, but it was most abundant during the rainy season, with over 80% trapped during this period. The survival of larvae was tested in field releases under dry and wet soil conditions, and predators of larvae were identified. The actvity and survival of the beetle were strongly influenced by a combination of abiotic and biotic factors. Larval survival was higher during wet (28%) than dry (1.1%) conditions, with pupation occurring mostly at 0-15 cm and 11-20 cm, respectively, beneath the surface soil during these periods. The ant Pheidole megacephala was identified as a key predator of larvae at this site, and more active during the dry than wet seasons. These observations imply that intensive trapping during the rainy season could reduce the population of beetles infesting hives in subsequent seasons especially in places where the beetle is a serious pest. © 2010 Entomological Society of America

  11. Comparison of the seasonal variability in abundance of the copepod Pseudocalanus newmani in Lagoon Notoro-ko and a coastal area of the southwestern Okhotsk Sea

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kitamura, Mitsuaki; Nakagawa, Yoshizumi; Nishino, Yasuto; Segawa, Susumu; Shiomoto, Akihiro

    2018-03-01

    Replacement of the warm water of the Soya Warm Current (SWC) and the cold water of the East Sakhalin Current (ESC) occurs seasonally along the coast of the southwestern Okhotsk Sea, and sea ice covers the surface during winter. Pseudocalanus newmani is one of the dominant copepods in coastal waters of the northern hemisphere. To better understand the population dynamics of the copepod P. newmani in coastal areas of the southwestern Okhotsk Sea, this study compared the seasonal variation in P. newmani abundance in Lagoon Notoro-ko and a coastal area of the Okhotsk Sea with regard to developmental stage. We sampled P. newmani in the lagoon, including during the ice cover season, and the coastal waters. Pseudocalanus newmani was abundant at both sites in spring. During summer-fall, adults disappeared from the populations at both sites, whereas the early developmental stages were abundant and dominated the population. Total length of adult females decreased toward summer at both sites. Pseudocalanus newmani abundance in the lagoon increased in early winter, and larger females were found in the populations at both sites. These phenomena at both sites corresponded with seasonal variation in water temperature caused by seasonal water-mass replacement and sea ice.

  12. Seasonality and abundance of truffles from oak woodlands to red fir forests

    Treesearch

    Malcolm P. North

    2002-01-01

    Truffles are an important food source for many small mammals in forest ecosystems; however, we know little about the seasonality, abundance, or diversity of the truffle community in the Sierra Nevada. This study examined how truffle abundance and diversity varied between oak woodland, ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), mixed-conifer, and red fir (

  13. Seasonal patterns of horse fly richness and abundance in the Pampa biome of southern Brazil.

    PubMed

    Krüger, Rodrigo Ferreira; Krolow, Tiago Kütter

    2015-12-01

    Fluctuations in seasonal patterns of horse fly populations were examined in rainforests of tropical South America, where the climate is seasonal. These patterns were evaluated with robust analytical models rather than identifying the main factors that influenced the fluctuations. We examined the seasonality of populations of horse flies in fields and lowland areas of the Pampa biome of southern Brazil with generalized linear models. We also investigated the diversity of these flies and the sampling effort of Malaise traps in this biome over two years. All of the 29 species had clear seasonality with regard to occurrence and abundance, but only seven species were identified as being influenced by temperature and humidity. The sampling was sufficient and the estimated diversity was 10% more than observed. Seasonal trends were synchronized across species and the populations were most abundant between September and March and nearly zero in other months. While previous studies demonstrated that seasonal patterns in population fluctuations are correlated with climatic conditions in horse fly assemblages in South America rainforests, we show a clear effect of each factor on richness and abundance and the seasonality in the prevalence of horse fly assemblages in localities of the Pampa biome. © 2015 The Society for Vector Ecology.

  14. Seasonal dynamics of snail populations in coastal Kenya: Model calibration and snail control

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gurarie, D.; King, C. H.; Yoon, N.; Wang, X.; Alsallaq, R.

    2017-10-01

    A proper snail population model is important for accurately predicting Schistosoma transmission. Field data shows that the overall snail population and that of shedding snails have a strong pattern of seasonal variation. Because human hosts are infected by the cercariae released from shedding snails, the abundance of the snail population sets ultimate limits on human infection. For developing a predictive dynamic model of schistosome infection and control strategies we need realistic snail population dynamics. Here we propose two such models based on underlying environmental factors and snail population biology. The models consist of two-stage (young-adult) populations with resource-dependent reproduction, survival, maturation. The key input in the system is seasonal rainfall which creates snail habitats and resources (small vegetation). The models were tested, calibrated and validated using dataset collected in Msambweni (coastal Kenya). Seasonal rainfall in Msambweni is highly variable with intermittent wet - dry seasons. Typical snail patterns follow precipitation peaks with 2-4-month time-lag. Our models are able to reproduce such seasonal variability over extended period of time (3-year study). We applied them to explore the optimal seasonal timing for implementing snail control.

  15. Nonlinearity and seasonal bias in an index of brushtail possum abundance

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Forsyth, D.M.; Link, W.A.; Webster, R.; Nugent, G.; Warburton, B.

    2005-01-01

    Introduced brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) are a widespread pest of conservation and agriculture in New Zealand, and considerable effort has been expended controlling populations to low densities. A national protocol for monitoring the abundance of possums, termed trap catch index (TCI), was adopted in 1996. The TCI requires that lines of leghold traps set at 20-m spacing are randomly located in a management area. The traps are set for 3 fine nights and checked daily, and possums are killed and traps reset. The TCI is the mean percentage of trap nights that possums were caught, corrected for sprung traps and nontarget captures, with trap line as the sampling unit. We studied I forest and I farmland area in the North Island, New Zealand, to address concerns that TCI estimates may not be readily comparable because of seasonal changes in the capture probability of possums. We located blocks of 6 trap lines at each area and randomly trapped I line in each block in 3 seasons (summer, winter, and spring) in 2000 and 2001. We developed a model to allow for variation in local population size and nightly capture probability, and fitted the model using the Bayesian analysis software BUGS. Capture probability declined with increasing abundance of possums, generating a nonlinear TCI. Capture probability in farmland was lower during spring relative to winter and summer, and to forest during summer. In the absence of a proven and cost-effective alternative, our results support the continued use of the TCI for monitoring the abundance of possums in New Zealand. Seasonal biases in the TCI should be minimized by conducting repeat sampling in the same season.

  16. Dengue and yellow fever virus vectors: seasonal abundance, diversity and resting preferences in three Kenyan cities.

    PubMed

    Agha, Sheila B; Tchouassi, David P; Bastos, Armanda D S; Sang, Rosemary

    2017-12-29

    The transmission patterns of dengue (DENV) and yellow fever (YFV) viruses, especially in urban settings, are influenced by Aedes (Stegomyia) mosquito abundance and behavior. Despite recurrent dengue outbreaks on the Kenyan coast, these parameters remain poorly defined in this and other areas of contrasting dengue endemicity in Kenya. In assessing the transmission risk of DENV/YFV in three Kenyan cities, we determined adult abundance and resting habits of potential Aedes (Stegomyia) vectors in Kilifi (dengue-outbreak prone), and Nairobi and Kisumu (no dengue outbreaks reported). In addition, mosquito diversity, an important consideration for changing mosquito-borne disease dynamics, was compared. Between October 2014 and June 2016, host-seeking adult mosquitoes were sampled using CO 2 -baited BG-Sentinel traps (12 traps daily) placed in vegetation around homesteads, across study sites in the three major cities. Also, indoor and outdoor resting mosquitoes were sampled using Prokopack aspirators. Three samplings, each of five consecutive days, were conducted during the long-rains, short-rains and dry season for each city. Inter-city and seasonal variation in mosquito abundance and diversity was evaluated using general linear models while mosquito-resting preference (indoors vs outdoors) was compared using Chi-square test. Aedes aegypti, which comprised 60% (n = 7772) of the total 12,937 host-seeking mosquitoes collected, had comparable numbers in Kisumu (45.2%, n = 3513) and Kilifi (37.7%, n = 2932), both being significantly higher than Nairobi (17.1%, n = 1327). Aedes aegypti abundance was significantly lower in the short-rains and dry season relative to the long-rains (P < 0.0001). Aedes bromeliae, which occurred in low numbers, did not differ significantly between seasons or cities. Mosquito diversity was highest during the long-rains and in Nairobi. Only 10% (n = 43) of the 450 houses aspirated were found positive for resting Ae. aegypti

  17. Seasonal patterns of aster leafhopper (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) abundance and aster yellows phytoplasma infectivity in Wisconsin carrot fields.

    PubMed

    Frost, K E; Esker, P D; Van Haren, R; Kotolski, L; Groves, R L

    2013-06-01

    In Wisconsin, vegetable crops are threatened annually by the aster yellows phytoplasma (AYp), which is obligately transmitted by the aster leafhopper. Using a multiyear, multilocation data set, seasonal patterns of leafhopper abundance and infectivity were modeled. A seasonal aster yellows index (AYI) was deduced from the model abundance and infectivity predictions to represent the expected seasonal risk of pathogen transmission by infectious aster leafhoppers. The primary goal of this study was to identify periods of time during the growing season when crop protection practices could be targeted to reduce the risk of AYp spread. Based on abundance and infectivity, the annual exposure of the carrot crop to infectious leafhoppers varied by 16- and 70-fold, respectively. Together, this corresponded to an estimated 1,000-fold difference in exposure to infectious leafhoppers. Within a season, exposure of the crop to infectious aster leafhoppers (Macrosteles quadrilineatus Forbes), varied threefold because of abundance and ninefold because of infectivity. Periods of above average aster leafhopper abundance occurred between 11 June and 2 August and above average infectivity occurred between 27 May and 13 July. A more comprehensive description of the temporal trends of aster leafhopper abundance and infectivity provides new information defining when the aster leafhopper moves into susceptible crop fields and when they transmit the pathogen to susceptible crops.

  18. Seasonal Dynamics of Haptophytes and dsDNA Algal Viruses Suggest Complex Virus-Host Relationship.

    PubMed

    Johannessen, Torill Vik; Larsen, Aud; Bratbak, Gunnar; Pagarete, António; Edvardsen, Bente; Egge, Elianne D; Sandaa, Ruth-Anne

    2017-04-20

    Viruses influence the ecology and diversity of phytoplankton in the ocean. Most studies of phytoplankton host-virus interactions have focused on bloom-forming species like Emiliania huxleyi or Phaeocystis spp. The role of viruses infecting phytoplankton that do not form conspicuous blooms have received less attention. Here we explore the dynamics of phytoplankton and algal viruses over several sequential seasons, with a focus on the ubiquitous and diverse phytoplankton division Haptophyta, and their double-stranded DNA viruses, potentially with the capacity to infect the haptophytes. Viral and phytoplankton abundance and diversity showed recurrent seasonal changes, mainly explained by hydrographic conditions. By 454 tag-sequencing we revealed 93 unique haptophyte operational taxonomic units (OTUs), with seasonal changes in abundance. Sixty-one unique viral OTUs, representing Megaviridae and Phycodnaviridae , showed only distant relationship with currently isolated algal viruses. Haptophyte and virus community composition and diversity varied substantially throughout the year, but in an uncoordinated manner. A minority of the viral OTUs were highly abundant at specific time-points, indicating a boom-bust relationship with their host. Most of the viral OTUs were very persistent, which may represent viruses that coexist with their hosts, or able to exploit several host species.

  19. Greater deciduous shrub abundance extends tundra peak season and increases modeled net CO2 uptake.

    PubMed

    Sweet, Shannan K; Griffin, Kevin L; Steltzer, Heidi; Gough, Laura; Boelman, Natalie T

    2015-06-01

    Satellite studies of the terrestrial Arctic report increased summer greening and longer overall growing and peak seasons since the 1980s, which increases productivity and the period of carbon uptake. These trends are attributed to increasing air temperatures and reduced snow cover duration in spring and fall. Concurrently, deciduous shrubs are becoming increasingly abundant in tundra landscapes, which may also impact canopy phenology and productivity. Our aim was to determine the influence of greater deciduous shrub abundance on tundra canopy phenology and subsequent impacts on net ecosystem carbon exchange (NEE) during the growing and peak seasons in the arctic foothills region of Alaska. We compared deciduous shrub-dominated and evergreen/graminoid-dominated community-level canopy phenology throughout the growing season using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). We used a tundra plant-community-specific leaf area index (LAI) model to estimate LAI throughout the green season and a tundra-specific NEE model to estimate the impact of greater deciduous shrub abundance and associated shifts in both leaf area and canopy phenology on tundra carbon flux. We found that deciduous shrub canopies reached the onset of peak greenness 13 days earlier and the onset of senescence 3 days earlier compared to evergreen/graminoid canopies, resulting in a 10-day extension of the peak season. The combined effect of the longer peak season and greater leaf area of deciduous shrub canopies almost tripled the modeled net carbon uptake of deciduous shrub communities compared to evergreen/graminoid communities, while the longer peak season alone resulted in 84% greater carbon uptake in deciduous shrub communities. These results suggest that greater deciduous shrub abundance increases carbon uptake not only due to greater leaf area, but also due to an extension of the period of peak greenness, which extends the period of maximum carbon uptake. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  20. Nanoplankton and picoplankton in the Western English Channel: abundance and seasonality from 2007-2013

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tarran, Glen A.; Bruun, John T.

    2015-09-01

    The nano- and picoplankton community at Station L4 in the Western English Channel was studied between 2007 and 2013 by flow cytometry to quantify abundance and investigate seasonal cycles within these communities. Nanoplankton included both photosynthetic and heterotrophic eukaryotic single-celled organisms while the picoplankton included picoeukaryote phytoplankton, Synechococcus sp. cyanobacteria and heterotrophic bacteria. A Box-Jenkins Transfer Function climatology analysis of surface data revealed that Synechococcus sp., cryptophytes, and heterotrophic flagellates had bimodal annual cycles. Nanoeukaryotes and both high and low nucleic acid-containing bacteria (HNA and LNA, respectively) groups exhibited unimodal annual cycles. Phaeocystis sp., whilst having clearly defined abundance maxima in spring was not detectable the rest of the year. Coccolithophores exhibited a weak seasonal cycle, with abundance peaks in spring and autumn. Picoeukaryotes did not exhibit a discernable seasonal cycle at the surface. Timings of maximum group abundance varied through the year. Phaeocystis sp. and heterotrophic flagellates peaked in April/May. Nanoeukaryotes and HNA bacteria peaked in June/July and had relatively high abundance throughout the summer. Synechococcus sp., cryptophytes and LNA bacteria all peaked from mid to late September. The transfer function model techniques used represent a useful means of identifying repeating annual cycles in time series data with the added ability to detect trends and harmonic terms at different time scales from months to decades.

  1. Seasonal abundance and habitat use of bird species in and around Wondo Genet Forest, south-central Ethiopia.

    PubMed

    Girma, Zerihun; Mamo, Yosef; Mengesha, Girma; Verma, Ashok; Asfaw, Tsyon

    2017-05-01

    The habitat use and seasonal migratory pattern of birds in Ethiopia is less explored as compared to diversity studies. To this end, this study aimed at investigating the patterns of distribution related to seasonality and the effect of habitat characteristics (elevation, slope, and average vegetation height) on habitat use of birds of Wondo Genet Forest Patch. A stratified random sampling design was used to assess the avian fauna across the four dominant habitat types found in the study area: natural forest, wooded grassland, grassland, and agroforestry land. A point transect count was employed to investigate avian species richness and abundance per habitat type per season. Ancillary data, such as elevation above sea level, latitude and longitude, average vegetation height, and percent slope inclination, were recorded with a GPS and clinometers per plot. A total of 33 migratory bird species were recorded from the area, of which 20 species were northern (Palearctic) migrants while 13 were inter-African migrants. There was a significant difference in the mean abundance of migratory bird species between dry and wet seasons ( t  = 2.13, p  = .038, df  = 44). The variation in mean abundance per plot between the dry and wet seasons in the grassland habitat was significant ( t  = 2.35, p  = .051, df  = 7). In most habitat types during both dry and wet seasons, omnivore birds were the most abundant. While slope was a good predictor for bird species abundance in the dry season, altitude and average vegetation height accounted more in the wet season. The patch of forest and its surrounding is an important bird area for migratory, endemic, and global threatened species. Hence, it is conservation priority area, and the study suggests that conservation coupled with ecotourism development is needed for its sustainability.

  2. Seasonal Dynamics of Particle-Associated Ammonia-Oxidizing Archaea in Monterey Bay, CA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Powell, D. R.; Tolar, B. B.; Francis, C.

    2016-12-01

    Within the past decade, significant research has shed light on key players within the nitrogen cycle. Ammonia-oxidizing Archaea (AOA) were discovered and found to be more abundant than ammonia-oxidizing Bacteria in marine systems, and therefore play a vital role in ammonia oxidation, the rate-limiting step in nitrification that converts NH3 to NO2-. Here we investigated seasonal dynamics of particle-associated (> 10 µm) AOA within Monterey Bay at Station M1 over a year-long sampling period from May 2015 to February 2016. We used quantitative PCR to amplify the archaeal amoA gene and collect data on the abundance of this gene at various depths (5-500 m). Our results indicate that particle-associated AOA are found throughout the upper water column in Monterey Bay, with archaeal amoA gene abundances ranging from 3.9 x 101 to 1.0 x 104 copies/L, with an average of 1.7 x 103 copies/L. Seasonal trends indicate that gene abundance is higher during the winter than in summer. We also quantified `shallow' versus `deep' ecotypes of water column AOA (WCA and WCB, respectively. These data will be compared to environmental data (temperature, salinity, chlorophyll a, etc.) collected during sampling. In comparison to the 0.2µm samples analyzed (mean = 2.2 x 107 copies/L; range = 2.4 x 104 to 1.1 x 108 copies/L), particle-associated archaeal amoA genes were on average 0.01% of the 0.2-10 µm size fraction. Although relatively small, the combined total abundance between the two size fractions may lead to additional correlations. Overall, particle-associated AOA may be important indicators of changing environmental conditions and provide seasonal context into abundance and distribution of these AOA. We also suggest that it may be a useful practice to analyze prefilters for AOA, as particle-associated AOA may contribute significantly to gene abundance estimates and possibly correlations with nitrification rates.

  3. Abundance, Fishing Season and Management Strategy for Blue Swimming Crab (Portunus pelagicus) in Pangkajene Kepulauan, South Sulawesi, Indonesia

    PubMed Central

    Wiyono, Eko Sri; Ihsan

    2018-01-01

    In order to manage blue swimming crabs in Pangkajene Kepulauan, management measures are required. Since the environment which affects the abundance of the blue swimming crab varies seasonally, it is necessary to take into account the seasonal nature with the aim of developing a management strategy. The objectives of this study are to define the abundance of and fishing season of blue swimming crabs in the Pangkajene Kepulauan waters, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. The fishing season was analysed using seasonal index analysis, while fish abundance was analysed by means of Equilibrium-Schaefer. The result of this study demonstrated that fishermen allocate their fishing gear all year, although the fish catch is seasonal. Based on analysis of the result, the fishing season for the blue swimming crabs is short. The peak fishing season starts in May and finishes in June. However, in order to enable their families to earn a living, fishermen operated their fishing gear throughout the year. As a result, both catch landing and effort were close to maximum sustainable yield (MSY). In order to reduce fishing pressure, it is necessary to reduce fishing gear and have a seasonal arrangement regarding fishing gear allocation. PMID:29644012

  4. Abundance, Fishing Season and Management Strategy for Blue Swimming Crab (Portunus pelagicus) in Pangkajene Kepulauan, South Sulawesi, Indonesia.

    PubMed

    Wiyono, Eko Sri; Ihsan

    2018-03-01

    In order to manage blue swimming crabs in Pangkajene Kepulauan, management measures are required. Since the environment which affects the abundance of the blue swimming crab varies seasonally, it is necessary to take into account the seasonal nature with the aim of developing a management strategy. The objectives of this study are to define the abundance of and fishing season of blue swimming crabs in the Pangkajene Kepulauan waters, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. The fishing season was analysed using seasonal index analysis, while fish abundance was analysed by means of Equilibrium-Schaefer. The result of this study demonstrated that fishermen allocate their fishing gear all year, although the fish catch is seasonal. Based on analysis of the result, the fishing season for the blue swimming crabs is short. The peak fishing season starts in May and finishes in June. However, in order to enable their families to earn a living, fishermen operated their fishing gear throughout the year. As a result, both catch landing and effort were close to maximum sustainable yield (MSY). In order to reduce fishing pressure, it is necessary to reduce fishing gear and have a seasonal arrangement regarding fishing gear allocation.

  5. The effect of season and terrestrial biome on the abundance of bacteria with plant growth-promoting traits in the lower atmosphere

    DOE PAGES

    Striluk, Miranda L.; Aho, Ken; Weber, Carolyn F.

    2016-10-06

    Recent studies indicate that airborne bacteria follow biogeographical distributions that are influenced by the underlying terrestrial biomes. Nonetheless, dynamics of bacterial fluxes between different terrestrial biomes and the atmosphere and their implications for terrestrial ecology are not well understood. This study examined how season and three different terrestrial biomes affect the abundance of culturable bacteria with three types of plant growth-promoting traits (PGPTs; phosphate-solubilization, siderophore-production, indoleacetic acid production) in the lower atmosphere. Air samples (180 L) were collected onto Petri dishes containing one of three different agar media for cultivating bacteria with the above-named PGPT in replicates of five abovemore » three distinct terrestrial biomes (aspen-forest, sagebrush-steppe, and suburban; Pocatello, ID, USA). Air was sampled once per week for three consecutive weeks during each of four seasons (autumn 2014 to summer 2015). Sequence libraries (16S rRNA gene) were also generated from air collected at each site during each sampling event. All three types of bacteria were present in the lower atmosphere above all terrestrial biomes during all seasons, but their abundance (P < 0.05) fluctuated with season, and the abundance of phosphate-solubilizers and siderophore-producers fluctuated with the interaction of biome and season (P < 0.05). Cultured bacteria with PGPTs represented 13 families; these families were also represented by 28.3–61.3 % of sequences in each of the 36-sequence libraries derived from air samples. Lastly, results of this first survey of airborne bacteria with PGPTs provide evidence that they may be ubiquitous in the lower atmosphere through which their transport to new habitats, particularly those in early successional stages, may impact ecosystem development.« less

  6. The effect of season and terrestrial biome on the abundance of bacteria with plant growth-promoting traits in the lower atmosphere

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Striluk, Miranda L.; Aho, Ken; Weber, Carolyn F.

    Recent studies indicate that airborne bacteria follow biogeographical distributions that are influenced by the underlying terrestrial biomes. Nonetheless, dynamics of bacterial fluxes between different terrestrial biomes and the atmosphere and their implications for terrestrial ecology are not well understood. This study examined how season and three different terrestrial biomes affect the abundance of culturable bacteria with three types of plant growth-promoting traits (PGPTs; phosphate-solubilization, siderophore-production, indoleacetic acid production) in the lower atmosphere. Air samples (180 L) were collected onto Petri dishes containing one of three different agar media for cultivating bacteria with the above-named PGPT in replicates of five abovemore » three distinct terrestrial biomes (aspen-forest, sagebrush-steppe, and suburban; Pocatello, ID, USA). Air was sampled once per week for three consecutive weeks during each of four seasons (autumn 2014 to summer 2015). Sequence libraries (16S rRNA gene) were also generated from air collected at each site during each sampling event. All three types of bacteria were present in the lower atmosphere above all terrestrial biomes during all seasons, but their abundance (P < 0.05) fluctuated with season, and the abundance of phosphate-solubilizers and siderophore-producers fluctuated with the interaction of biome and season (P < 0.05). Cultured bacteria with PGPTs represented 13 families; these families were also represented by 28.3–61.3 % of sequences in each of the 36-sequence libraries derived from air samples. Lastly, results of this first survey of airborne bacteria with PGPTs provide evidence that they may be ubiquitous in the lower atmosphere through which their transport to new habitats, particularly those in early successional stages, may impact ecosystem development.« less

  7. Seasonal dynamics of extraradical mycelium and mycorrhizas in a black truffle (Tuber melanosporum) plantation.

    PubMed

    Queralt, Mikel; Parladé, Javier; Pera, Joan; DE Miguel, Ana María

    2017-08-01

    Seasonal dynamics of black truffle (Tuber melanosporum) extraradical mycelium as well as the associated mycorrhizal community have been evaluated in a 16-year-old plantation with productive and non-productive trees. Mycelium biomass was seasonally quantified by real-time PCR over two consecutive years and the correlation with environmental variables explored. Extraradical mycelium biomass varied seasonally and between the two consecutive years, being correlated with the precipitation that occurred 1 month before sampling. In addition, productive trees had more mycelium in the brûlé area than non-productive trees did. The ectomycorrhizal community composition inside the burnt areas was seasonally evaluated during a year. Ten mycorrhizal morphotypes were detected; T. melanosporum was the most abundant in productive and non-productive trees. Black truffle mycorrhizas were more abundant (mycorrhizal tips per unit of soil volume) in productive trees, and no seasonal variation was observed. The occurrence of black truffle mycorrhizas was significantly and positively correlated with the biomass of extraradical mycelium. The mycorrhizal community within the brûlé areas was significantly different between productive and non-productive trees, and no variation was detected between seasons. The assessment of the fungal vegetative structures in a mature plantation is of paramount importance to develop trufficulture methods based on the knowledge of the biological cycle of the fungus and its relationships with the associated ectomycorrhizal communities.

  8. Seasonal Dynamics of Haptophytes and dsDNA Algal Viruses Suggest Complex Virus-Host Relationship

    PubMed Central

    Johannessen, Torill Vik; Larsen, Aud; Bratbak, Gunnar; Pagarete, António; Edvardsen, Bente; Egge, Elianne D.; Sandaa, Ruth-Anne

    2017-01-01

    Viruses influence the ecology and diversity of phytoplankton in the ocean. Most studies of phytoplankton host–virus interactions have focused on bloom-forming species like Emiliania huxleyi or Phaeocystis spp. The role of viruses infecting phytoplankton that do not form conspicuous blooms have received less attention. Here we explore the dynamics of phytoplankton and algal viruses over several sequential seasons, with a focus on the ubiquitous and diverse phytoplankton division Haptophyta, and their double-stranded DNA viruses, potentially with the capacity to infect the haptophytes. Viral and phytoplankton abundance and diversity showed recurrent seasonal changes, mainly explained by hydrographic conditions. By 454 tag-sequencing we revealed 93 unique haptophyte operational taxonomic units (OTUs), with seasonal changes in abundance. Sixty-one unique viral OTUs, representing Megaviridae and Phycodnaviridae, showed only distant relationship with currently isolated algal viruses. Haptophyte and virus community composition and diversity varied substantially throughout the year, but in an uncoordinated manner. A minority of the viral OTUs were highly abundant at specific time-points, indicating a boom-bust relationship with their host. Most of the viral OTUs were very persistent, which may represent viruses that coexist with their hosts, or able to exploit several host species. PMID:28425942

  9. Thaumarchaeal amoA and nirK Gene Abundance Patterns Reveal Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Ammonia-oxidizing Archaeal Populations in Monterey Bay, CA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tolar, B. B.; Reji, L.; Smith, J. M.; Chavez, F.; Francis, C.

    2016-12-01

    Thaumarchaeaota are among the most abundant microorganisms on the planet, and are significant players in the global nitrogen cycle. All cultivated members of the phylum are capable of performing the first and rate-limiting step of nitrification - the aerobic oxidation of ammonia to nitrite. In marine environments, ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) have been found to greatly outnumber their bacterial counterparts. However, much about their ecology remains largely unknown. Monterey Bay, a non-estuarine embayment on the central California coast, is an ideal site for studying the dynamics of natural thaumarchaeal assemblages, given the highly dynamic nature of the Bay waters with seasonal upwelling episodes and the associated steep gradients in environmental variables. In the present study, we examined thaumarchaeal population dynamics in the upper Monterey Bay water column (0-500 m) using multiple molecular markers. Following high-resolution spatiotemporal sampling (i.e., up to 10 depths sampled monthly over a period of 2 years) at two stations in the Bay, we quantified thaumarchaeal functional genes - the ammonia monooxygenase (amoA) gene and its `shallow' and `deep' marine ecotypes, and variants of the marine nitrite reductase (nirK) gene. The abundances of both genes were regressed against environmental variables to gain insights into factors shaping their spatiotemporal dynamics in the Bay. Gene abundances at both stations varied with depth and season, with winter months generally having several orders of magnitude greater abundances. Statistical analyses point to differential controls on the gene abundances, with depth and temperature potentially being the major environmental determinants of thaumarchaeal population size. Our results also highlight the importance of employing multiple marker genes to gain a more highly resolved picture of thaumarchaeal population dynamics in complex environmental systems such as the coastal ocean.

  10. Controls of picophytoplankton abundance and composition in a highly dynamic marine system, the Northern Alboran Sea (Western Mediterranean)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Amorim, Ana L.; León, Pablo; Mercado, Jesús M.; Cortés, Dolores; Gómez, Francisco; Putzeys, Sebastien; Salles, Soluna; Yebra, Lidia

    2016-06-01

    The Alboran Sea is a highly dynamic basin which exhibits a high spatio-temporal variability of hydrographic structures (e.g. fronts, gyres, coastal upwellings). This work compares the abundance and composition of picophytoplankton observed across the northern Alboran Sea among eleven cruises between 2008 and 2012 using flow cytometry. We evaluate the seasonal and longitudinal variability of picophytoplankton on the basis of the circulation regimes at a regional scale and explore the presence of cyanobacteria ecotypes in the basin. The maximal abundances obtained for Prochlorococcus, Synechococcus and picoeukaryotes (12.7 × 104, 13.9 × 104 and 8.6 × 104 cells mL- 1 respectively) were consistent with those reported for other adjacent marine areas. Seasonal changes in the abundance of the three picophytoplankton groups were highly significant although they did not match the patterns described for other coastal waters. Higher abundances of Prochlorococcus were obtained in autumn-winter while Synechococcus and picoeukaryotes exhibited a different seasonal abundance pattern depending on the sector (e.g. Synechococcus showed higher abundance in summer in the west sector and during winter in the eastern study area). Additionally, conspicuous longitudinal gradients were observed for Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus, with Prochlorococcus decreasing from west to east and Synechococcus following the opposite pattern. The analysis of environmental variables (i.e. temperature, salinity and inorganic nutrients) and cell abundances indicates that Prochlorococcus preferred high salinity and nitrate to phosphate ratio. On the contrary, temperature did not seem to play a role in Prochlorococcus distribution as it was numerically important during the whole seasonal cycle. Variability in Synechococcus abundance could not be explained by changes in any environmental variable suggesting that different ecotypes were sampled during the surveys. In particular, our data would indicate

  11. Seasonal occurrence and abundance of caridean shrimp larvae at Helgoland, German Bight

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wehrtmann, Ingo S.

    1989-03-01

    Plankton samples were collected from January 1985 to January 1986 three times per week at Helgoland to study seasonal occurrence and abundance of caridean shrimp larvae. A total of eleven species were obtained. Ninety-one % of all larvae collected during the sample period belonged to Crangon crangon L. and Crangon allmanni Kinahan, 6% to Philocheras trispinosus Hailstone and 3% to the remaining eight species. Collections were generally dominated by C. crangon larvae. However, C. allmanni larvae were most abundant in June coinciding with hatching activities of the population near Helgoland. C. allmanni was observed to have the highest density of all species with approximately 8 larvae per m3. Larvae of Eualus occultus (Lebour), Eualus pusiolus (Kroyer), Hippolyte varians Leach and Athanas nitescens Leach were most likely released by populations inhabiting the rocky intertidal zone around Helgoland. The presence of Processa modica Williamson & Rochanaburanon and Processa nouveli holthuisi Al-Adhub & Williamson in the German Bight was verified by observations of a series of different developmental stages. Larvae of the rare species Caridion steveni Lebour were also recorded. The observed shrimp species were placed into three different groups with respect to their seasonal occurrence. Possible advantages of the timing of larval dispersal relative to predation and food availability are given. The results on seasonal occurrence and relative abundance are discussed in relation to environmental factors (temperature, salinity) as well as to the geographical distribution of the species.

  12. Soil nitrogen transformation responses to seasonal precipitation changes are regulated by changes in functional microbial abundance in a subtropical forest

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Jie; Xiao, Guoliang; Kuzyakov, Yakov; Jenerette, G. Darrel; Ma, Ying; Liu, Wei; Wang, Zhengfeng; Shen, Weijun

    2017-05-01

    The frequency of dry-season droughts and wet-season storms has been predicted to increase in subtropical areas in the coming decades. Since subtropical forest soils are significant sources of N2O and NO3-, it is important to understand the features and determinants of N transformation responses to the predicted precipitation changes. A precipitation manipulation field experiment was conducted in a subtropical forest to reduce dry-season precipitation and increase wet-season precipitation, with annual precipitation unchanged. Net N mineralization, net nitrification, N2O emission, nitrifying (bacterial and archaeal amoA) and denitrifying (nirK, nirS and nosZ) gene abundance, microbial biomass carbon (MBC), extractable organic carbon (EOC), NO3-, NH4+ and soil water content (SWC) were monitored to characterize and explain soil N transformation responses. Dry-season precipitation reduction decreased net nitrification and N mineralization rates by 13-20 %, while wet-season precipitation addition increased both rates by 50 %. More than 20 % of the total variation of net nitrification and N mineralization could be explained by microbial abundance and SWC. Notably, archaeal amoA abundance showed the strongest correlation with net N transformation rates (r ≥ 0.35), suggesting the critical role of archaeal amoA abundance in determining N transformations. Increased net nitrification in the wet season, together with large precipitation events, caused substantial NO3- losses via leaching. However, N2O emission decreased moderately in both dry and wet seasons due to changes in nosZ gene abundance, MBC, net nitrification and SWC (decreased by 10-21 %). We conclude that reducing dry-season precipitation and increasing wet-season precipitation affect soil N transformations through altering functional microbial abundance and MBC, which are further affected by changes in EOC and NH4+ availabilities.

  13. Temporal Dynamics of Abundance and Composition of Nitrogen-Fixing Communities across Agricultural Soils

    PubMed Central

    Pereira e Silva, Michele C.; Schloter-Hai, Brigitte; Schloter, Michael; van Elsas, Jan Dirk; Salles, Joana Falcão

    2013-01-01

    Background Despite the fact that the fixation of nitrogen is one of the most significant nutrient processes in the terrestrial ecosystem, a thorough study of the spatial and temporal patterns in the abundance and distribution of N-fixing communities has been missing so far. Methodology/Principal Findings In order to understand the dynamics of diazotrophic communities and their resilience to external changes, we quantified the abundance and characterized the bacterial community structures based on the nifH gene, using real-time PCR, PCR-DGGE and 454-pyrosequencing, across four representative Dutch soils during one growing season. In general, higher nifH gene copy numbers were observed in soils with higher pH than in those with lower pH, but lower numbers were related to increased nitrate and ammonium levels. Results from nifH gene pyrosequencing confirmed the observed PCR-DGGE patterns, which indicated that the N fixers are highly dynamic across time, shifting around 60%. Forward selection on CCA analysis identified N availability as the main driver of these variations, as well as of the evenness of the communities, leading to very unequal communities. Moreover, deep sequencing of the nifH gene revealed that sandy soils (B and D) had the lowest percentage of shared OTUs across time, compared with clayey soils (G and K), indicating the presence of a community under constant change. Cosmopolitan nifH species (present throughout the season) were affiliated with Bradyrhizobium , Azospirillum and Methylocistis, whereas other species increased their abundances progressively over time, when appropriate conditions were met, as was notably the case for Paenibacilus and Burkholderia. Conclusions Our study provides the first in-depth pyrosequencing analysis of the N-fixing community at both spatial and temporal scales, providing insights into the cosmopolitan and specific portions of the nitrogen fixing bacterial communities in soil. PMID:24058578

  14. Spatial-Temporal Survey and Occupancy-Abundance Modeling To Predict Bacterial Community Dynamics in the Drinking Water Microbiome

    PubMed Central

    Pinto, Ameet J.; Schroeder, Joanna; Lunn, Mary; Sloan, William

    2014-01-01

    ABSTRACT Bacterial communities migrate continuously from the drinking water treatment plant through the drinking water distribution system and into our built environment. Understanding bacterial dynamics in the distribution system is critical to ensuring that safe drinking water is being supplied to customers. We present a 15-month survey of bacterial community dynamics in the drinking water system of Ann Arbor, MI. By sampling the water leaving the treatment plant and at nine points in the distribution system, we show that the bacterial community spatial dynamics of distance decay and dispersivity conform to the layout of the drinking water distribution system. However, the patterns in spatial dynamics were weaker than those for the temporal trends, which exhibited seasonal cycling correlating with temperature and source water use patterns and also demonstrated reproducibility on an annual time scale. The temporal trends were driven by two seasonal bacterial clusters consisting of multiple taxa with different networks of association within the larger drinking water bacterial community. Finally, we show that the Ann Arbor data set robustly conforms to previously described interspecific occupancy abundance models that link the relative abundance of a taxon to the frequency of its detection. Relying on these insights, we propose a predictive framework for microbial management in drinking water systems. Further, we recommend that long-term microbial observatories that collect high-resolution, spatially distributed, multiyear time series of community composition and environmental variables be established to enable the development and testing of the predictive framework. PMID:24865557

  15. Seasonal variation in natural abundance of 2H and 18O in urine samples from rural Nigeria

    PubMed Central

    Dugas, Lara R.; Brieger, William; Tayo, Bamidele O.; Alabi, Tunrayo; Schoeller, Dale A.; Luke, Amy

    2015-01-01

    The doubly labeled water (DLW) method is used to measure free-living energy expenditure in humans. Inherent to this technique is the assumption that natural abundances of stable isotopes 2H and 18O in body water remain constant over the course of the measurement period and after elimination of the loading dose of DLW will return to the same predose level. To determine variability in the natural abundances of 2H and 18O in humans living in a region with seasonal shifts in rain patterns and sources of drinking water, over the course of 12 mo we collected weekly urine samples from four individuals living in southwest Nigeria as well as samples of their drinking water. From ongoing regional studies of hypertension, obesity, and energy expenditure, we estimated average water turnover rate, urine volumes, and sodium and potassium excretion. Results suggest that 2H and 18O in urine, mean concentrations of urinary sodium and potassium, urine volume, and total body turnover differed significantly from dry to rainy season. Additionally, seasonal weather variables (mean monthly maximum temperatures, total monthly rainfall, and minimum relative humidity) were all significantly associated with natural abundances in urine. No seasonal difference was observed in drinking water samples. Findings suggest that natural abundances in urine may not remain constant as assumed, and studies incorporating DLW measurements across the transition of seasons should interpret results with caution unless appropriate doses of the tracers are used. PMID:25977450

  16. Seasonal variation in natural abundance of 2H and 18O in urine samples from rural Nigeria.

    PubMed

    Harbison, Justin E; Dugas, Lara R; Brieger, William; Tayo, Bamidele O; Alabi, Tunrayo; Schoeller, Dale A; Luke, Amy

    2015-07-01

    The doubly labeled water (DLW) method is used to measure free-living energy expenditure in humans. Inherent to this technique is the assumption that natural abundances of stable isotopes (2)H and (18)O in body water remain constant over the course of the measurement period and after elimination of the loading dose of DLW will return to the same predose level. To determine variability in the natural abundances of (2)H and (18)O in humans living in a region with seasonal shifts in rain patterns and sources of drinking water, over the course of 12 mo we collected weekly urine samples from four individuals living in southwest Nigeria as well as samples of their drinking water. From ongoing regional studies of hypertension, obesity, and energy expenditure, we estimated average water turnover rate, urine volumes, and sodium and potassium excretion. Results suggest that (2)H and (18)O in urine, mean concentrations of urinary sodium and potassium, urine volume, and total body turnover differed significantly from dry to rainy season. Additionally, seasonal weather variables (mean monthly maximum temperatures, total monthly rainfall, and minimum relative humidity) were all significantly associated with natural abundances in urine. No seasonal difference was observed in drinking water samples. Findings suggest that natural abundances in urine may not remain constant as assumed, and studies incorporating DLW measurements across the transition of seasons should interpret results with caution unless appropriate doses of the tracers are used. Copyright © 2015 the American Physiological Society.

  17. Seasonality and relative abundance of Tabanidae (Diptera) captured on horses in the Pantanal, Brazil.

    PubMed

    Barros, A T

    2001-10-01

    Once a month, from June 1992 to May 1993, collections of tabanids on horse were conducted in the Nhecolândia, Pantanal State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Tabanid catches using hand nets were conducted from sunrise to sunset at grassland and cerradão (dense savanna) habitats. A total of 3,442 tabanids from 21 species,12 genera, and 3 subfamilies were collected. Although species abundance varied seasonally depending on habitat, no habitat specificity was observed for the most abundant species. In the grassland, 1,625 (47.2%) tabanids belonging to 19 species were collected, while 1,817 (52.8%) tabanids from 17 species were caught in the cerradão. The number of tabanid species varied from 7 during winter (July/August) to 15 in the spring (October). Tabanus importunus (56%) was the most abundant species, followed by T. occidentalis (8.2%), and T. claripennis (8.1%). The tabanid peak, in October, coincided with the beginning of the rainy season. The population peak of most species, including those with higher vector potential, suggests that the rainy season can be considered as the period of potentially higher risk of mechanical transmission of pathogens by tabanids to horses in the region.

  18. Influence of Seasonal Food Availability on the Dynamics of Seabird Feeding Flocks at a Coastal Upwelling Area

    PubMed Central

    Anguita, Cristóbal; Simeone, Alejandro

    2015-01-01

    The formation of multi-species feeding flocks (MSFFs) through visual recruitment is considered an important strategy for obtaining food in seabirds and its functionality has been ascribed to enhanced foraging efficiency. Its use has been demonstrated in much of the world's oceans and includes numerous species. However, there is scant information on the temporal stability of the composition and abundance of MSFFs as well as the effect of seasonal food availability on their dynamics. Between July 2006 and September 2014, we conducted monthly at-sea seabird counts at Valparaiso Bay (32°56′ to 33°01′S, 71°36′ to 71°46′W) within the area of influence of the Humboldt Current in central Chile. This area is characterized by a marked seasonality in primary and secondary production associated with upwelling, mainly during austral spring-summer. Based on studies that provide evidence that flocking is most frequent when food is both scarce and patchy, we hypothesized that seabird MSFF attributes (i.e. frequency of occurrence, abundance and composition) will be modified according to the seasonal availability of food. Using generalized linear models (GLMs), our results show that the contrasting seasonality in food availability of the study area (using chlorophyll-a concentration as a proxy) had no significant influence on MSFF attributes, sparsely explaining their variations (P>0.05). Rather than seasonal food availability, the observed pattern for MSFF attributes at Valparaiso Bay suggests a substantial influence of reproductive and migratory (boreal and austral migrants) habits of birds that modulates MSFF dynamics consistently throughout the whole year in this highly variable and patchy environment. We highlight the importance of visual recruitment as a mechanism by which migratory and resident birds interact. This would allow them to reduce resource unpredictability, which in turn has a major impact on structuring seabird’s MSFF dynamics. PMID:26125630

  19. Predicting the Dynamics of Protein Abundance

    PubMed Central

    Mehdi, Ahmed M.; Patrick, Ralph; Bailey, Timothy L.; Bodén, Mikael

    2014-01-01

    Protein synthesis is finely regulated across all organisms, from bacteria to humans, and its integrity underpins many important processes. Emerging evidence suggests that the dynamic range of protein abundance is greater than that observed at the transcript level. Technological breakthroughs now mean that sequencing-based measurement of mRNA levels is routine, but protocols for measuring protein abundance remain both complex and expensive. This paper introduces a Bayesian network that integrates transcriptomic and proteomic data to predict protein abundance and to model the effects of its determinants. We aim to use this model to follow a molecular response over time, from condition-specific data, in order to understand adaptation during processes such as the cell cycle. With microarray data now available for many conditions, the general utility of a protein abundance predictor is broad. Whereas most quantitative proteomics studies have focused on higher organisms, we developed a predictive model of protein abundance for both Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe to explore the latitude at the protein level. Our predictor primarily relies on mRNA level, mRNA–protein interaction, mRNA folding energy and half-life, and tRNA adaptation. The combination of key features, allowing for the low certainty and uneven coverage of experimental observations, gives comparatively minor but robust prediction accuracy. The model substantially improved the analysis of protein regulation during the cell cycle: predicted protein abundance identified twice as many cell-cycle-associated proteins as experimental mRNA levels. Predicted protein abundance was more dynamic than observed mRNA expression, agreeing with experimental protein abundance from a human cell line. We illustrate how the same model can be used to predict the folding energy of mRNA when protein abundance is available, lending credence to the emerging view that mRNA folding affects translation

  20. Predicting the dynamics of protein abundance.

    PubMed

    Mehdi, Ahmed M; Patrick, Ralph; Bailey, Timothy L; Bodén, Mikael

    2014-05-01

    Protein synthesis is finely regulated across all organisms, from bacteria to humans, and its integrity underpins many important processes. Emerging evidence suggests that the dynamic range of protein abundance is greater than that observed at the transcript level. Technological breakthroughs now mean that sequencing-based measurement of mRNA levels is routine, but protocols for measuring protein abundance remain both complex and expensive. This paper introduces a Bayesian network that integrates transcriptomic and proteomic data to predict protein abundance and to model the effects of its determinants. We aim to use this model to follow a molecular response over time, from condition-specific data, in order to understand adaptation during processes such as the cell cycle. With microarray data now available for many conditions, the general utility of a protein abundance predictor is broad. Whereas most quantitative proteomics studies have focused on higher organisms, we developed a predictive model of protein abundance for both Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe to explore the latitude at the protein level. Our predictor primarily relies on mRNA level, mRNA-protein interaction, mRNA folding energy and half-life, and tRNA adaptation. The combination of key features, allowing for the low certainty and uneven coverage of experimental observations, gives comparatively minor but robust prediction accuracy. The model substantially improved the analysis of protein regulation during the cell cycle: predicted protein abundance identified twice as many cell-cycle-associated proteins as experimental mRNA levels. Predicted protein abundance was more dynamic than observed mRNA expression, agreeing with experimental protein abundance from a human cell line. We illustrate how the same model can be used to predict the folding energy of mRNA when protein abundance is available, lending credence to the emerging view that mRNA folding affects translation efficiency

  1. Factors affecting the abundance of leaf-litter arthropods in unburned and thrice-burned seasonally-dry Amazonian forests.

    PubMed

    Silveira, Juliana M; Barlow, Jos; Louzada, Julio; Moutinho, Paulo

    2010-09-21

    Fire is frequently used as a land management tool for cattle ranching and annual crops in the Amazon. However, these maintenance fires often escape into surrounding forests, with potentially severe impacts for forest biodiversity. We examined the effect of experimental fires on leaf-litter arthropod abundance in a seasonally-dry forest in the Brazilian Amazon. The study plots (50 ha each) included a thrice-burned forest and an unburned control forest. Pitfall-trap samples were collected at 160 randomly selected points in both plots, with sampling stratified across four intra-annual replicates across the dry and wet seasons, corresponding to 6, 8, 10 and 12 months after the most recent fire. Arthropods were identified to the level of order (separating Formicidae). In order to better understand the processes that determine arthropod abundance in thrice-burned forests, we measured canopy openness, understory density and litter depth. All arthropod taxa were significantly affected by fire and season. In addition, the interactions between burn treatment and season were highly significant for all taxa but Isoptera. The burned plot was characterized by a more open canopy, lower understory density and shallower litter depth. Hierarchical partitioning revealed that canopy openness was the most important factor explaining arthropod order abundances in the thrice-burned plot, whereas all three environmental variables were significant in the unburned control plot. These results reveal the marked impact of recurrent wildfires and seasonality on litter arthropods in this transitional forest, and demonstrate the overwhelming importance of canopy-openness in driving post-fire arthropod abundance.

  2. Factors Affecting the Abundance of Leaf-Litter Arthropods in Unburned and Thrice-Burned Seasonally-Dry Amazonian Forests

    PubMed Central

    Silveira, Juliana M.; Barlow, Jos; Louzada, Julio; Moutinho, Paulo

    2010-01-01

    Fire is frequently used as a land management tool for cattle ranching and annual crops in the Amazon. However, these maintenance fires often escape into surrounding forests, with potentially severe impacts for forest biodiversity. We examined the effect of experimental fires on leaf-litter arthropod abundance in a seasonally-dry forest in the Brazilian Amazon. The study plots (50 ha each) included a thrice-burned forest and an unburned control forest. Pitfall-trap samples were collected at 160 randomly selected points in both plots, with sampling stratified across four intra-annual replicates across the dry and wet seasons, corresponding to 6, 8, 10 and 12 months after the most recent fire. Arthropods were identified to the level of order (separating Formicidae). In order to better understand the processes that determine arthropod abundance in thrice-burned forests, we measured canopy openness, understory density and litter depth. All arthropod taxa were significantly affected by fire and season. In addition, the interactions between burn treatment and season were highly significant for all taxa but Isoptera. The burned plot was characterized by a more open canopy, lower understory density and shallower litter depth. Hierarchical partitioning revealed that canopy openness was the most important factor explaining arthropod order abundances in the thrice-burned plot, whereas all three environmental variables were significant in the unburned control plot. These results reveal the marked impact of recurrent wildfires and seasonality on litter arthropods in this transitional forest, and demonstrate the overwhelming importance of canopy-openness in driving post-fire arthropod abundance. PMID:20877720

  3. Seasonal variation in composition and abundance of harmful dinoflagellates in Yemeni waters, southern Red Sea.

    PubMed

    Alkawri, Abdulsalam

    2016-11-15

    General abundance and species composition of a dinoflagellate community in Yemeni coastal waters of Al Salif (southern Red Sea) were studied with a view to understand the annual variations in particular the toxic species. Dinoflagellates were more abundant among phytoplankton. Thirty five dinoflagellate taxa were identified, among which 12 were reported as potentially toxic species. A significant change in seasonal abundance was recorded with the maximum (2.27∗10 6 cellsl -1 ) in May, and the minimum (2.50∗10 2 cellsl -1 ) recorded in January. Kryptoperidinium foliaceum, which was reported for the first time from the Red Sea, was the most abundant species with a maximum in May 2013 (2.26∗10 6 cellsl -1 ). Spearman's rank correlation analysis indicates that, total harmful dinoflagellate cells, K. foliaceum, Prorocentrum gracile and Prorocentrum micans were significantly correlated with temperature. This study suggests that Yemeni waters should be monitored to investigate harmful species and to identify areas and seasons at higher risk. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Seasonal variation in the abundance of marine plastic debris in the estuary of a subtropical macro-scale drainage basin in South China.

    PubMed

    Cheung, Pui Kwan; Cheung, Lewis Ting On; Fok, Lincoln

    2016-08-15

    Marine plastic debris, including microplastic debris (0.315-5mm) and large plastic debris (>5mm), was collected from 25 beaches in Hong Kong during a wet summer season (June-August 2014) and the following dry winter season (January-March 2015). Wilcoxon signed rank tests were used to compare the abundances and weights of seven categories of plastic debris between the two seasons. The results showed that the abundances and weights were significantly higher (p<0.05) in the wet season than in the dry season. Additionally, seasonal differences were detected only at the sites that were located on the west coast of Hong Kong and not at the sites on the east coast. These results suggest that the Pearl River Estuary on the west of Hong Kong plays a prominent role in the abundance and distribution of plastic debris in Hong Kong. In addition, the study indicates that estimates of microplastic abundance may be biased if samples are collected only during the wet or dry season if the sample locations are strongly influenced by a seasonal variation of riverine inputs, such as from the Pearl River. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. SEASONAL ABUNDANCE OF ORGANIC MOLECULAR MARKERS IN URBAN PARTICULATE MATTER FROM PHILADELPHIA, PA

    EPA Science Inventory

    Organic molecular markers were measured in airborne particulate matter (PM10) from the City of Philadelphia North Broad Street air quality monitoring site to identify the seasonal abundances of key tracer compounds together with their dominant sources. Daily PM10...

  6. Linking activity, composition and seasonal dynamics of atmospheric methane oxidizers in a meadow soil

    PubMed Central

    Shrestha, Pravin Malla; Kammann, Claudia; Lenhart, Katharina; Dam, Bomba; Liesack, Werner

    2012-01-01

    Microbial oxidation is the only biological sink for atmospheric methane. We assessed seasonal changes in atmospheric methane oxidation and the underlying methanotrophic communities in grassland near Giessen (Germany), along a soil moisture gradient. Soil samples were taken from the surface layer (0–10 cm) of three sites in August 2007, November 2007, February 2008 and May 2008. The sites showed seasonal differences in hydrological parameters. Net uptake rates varied seasonally between 0 and 70 μg CH4 m−2 h−1. Greatest uptake rates coincided with lowest soil moisture in spring and summer. Over all sites and seasons, the methanotrophic communities were dominated by uncultivated methanotrophs. These formed a monophyletic cluster defined by the RA14, MHP and JR1 clades, referred to as upland soil cluster alphaproteobacteria (USCα)-like group. The copy numbers of pmoA genes ranged between 3.8 × 105–1.9 × 106 copies g−1 of soil. Temperature was positively correlated with CH4 uptake rates (P<0.001), but had no effect on methanotrophic population dynamics. The soil moisture was negatively correlated with CH4 uptake rates (P<0.001), but showed a positive correlation with changes in USCα-like diversity (P<0.001) and pmoA gene abundance (P<0.05). These were greatest at low net CH4 uptake rates during winter times and coincided with an overall increase in bacterial 16S rRNA gene abundances (P<0.05). Taken together, soil moisture had a significant but opposed effect on CH4 uptake rates and methanotrophic population dynamics, the latter being increasingly stimulated by soil moisture contents >50 vol% and primarily related to members of the MHP clade. PMID:22189499

  7. Linking activity, composition and seasonal dynamics of atmospheric methane oxidizers in a meadow soil.

    PubMed

    Shrestha, Pravin Malla; Kammann, Claudia; Lenhart, Katharina; Dam, Bomba; Liesack, Werner

    2012-06-01

    Microbial oxidation is the only biological sink for atmospheric methane. We assessed seasonal changes in atmospheric methane oxidation and the underlying methanotrophic communities in grassland near Giessen (Germany), along a soil moisture gradient. Soil samples were taken from the surface layer (0-10 cm) of three sites in August 2007, November 2007, February 2008 and May 2008. The sites showed seasonal differences in hydrological parameters. Net uptake rates varied seasonally between 0 and 70 μg CH(4) m(-2) h(-1). Greatest uptake rates coincided with lowest soil moisture in spring and summer. Over all sites and seasons, the methanotrophic communities were dominated by uncultivated methanotrophs. These formed a monophyletic cluster defined by the RA14, MHP and JR1 clades, referred to as upland soil cluster alphaproteobacteria (USCα)-like group. The copy numbers of pmoA genes ranged between 3.8 × 10(5)-1.9 × 10(6) copies g(-1) of soil. Temperature was positively correlated with CH(4) uptake rates (P<0.001), but had no effect on methanotrophic population dynamics. The soil moisture was negatively correlated with CH(4) uptake rates (P<0.001), but showed a positive correlation with changes in USCα-like diversity (P<0.001) and pmoA gene abundance (P<0.05). These were greatest at low net CH(4) uptake rates during winter times and coincided with an overall increase in bacterial 16S rRNA gene abundances (P<0.05). Taken together, soil moisture had a significant but opposed effect on CH(4) uptake rates and methanotrophic population dynamics, the latter being increasingly stimulated by soil moisture contents >50 vol% and primarily related to members of the MHP clade.

  8. The rainy season increases the abundance and richness of the aquatic insect community in a Neotropical reservoir.

    PubMed

    Santana, H S; Silva, L C F; Pereira, C L; Simião-Ferreira, J; Angelini, R

    2015-01-01

    Alterations in aquatic systems and changes in water levels, whether due to rains or dam-mediated control can cause changes in community structure, forcing the community to readjust to the new environment. This study tested the hypothesis that there is an increase in the richness and abundance of aquatic insects during the rainy season in the Serra da Mesa Reservoir, with the premise that increasing the reservoir level provides greater external material input and habitat diversity, and, therefore, conditions that promote colonization by more species. We used the paired t test to test the differences in richness, beta diversity, and abundance, and a Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMDS) was performed to identify patterns in the community under study. Additionally, Pearson correlations were analyzed between the richness, abundance, and beta diversity and the level of the reservoir. We collected 35,028 aquatic insect larvae (9,513 in dry period and 25,515 in the rainy season), predominantly of the Chironomidae family, followed by orders Ephemeroptera, Trichoptera, and Odonata. Among the 33 families collected, only 12 occurred in the dry season, while all occurred in the rainy season. These families are common in lentic environments, and the dominance of Chironomidae was associated with its fast colonization, their behavior of living at high densities and the great tolerance to low levels of oxygen in the environment. The hypothesis was confirmed, as the richness, beta diversity, and abundance were positively affected by the increase in water levels due to the rainy season, which most likely led to greater external material input, greater heterogeneity of habitat, and better conditions for colonization by several families.

  9. Seasonal diversity and dynamics of haptophytes in the Skagerrak, Norway, explored by high-throughput sequencing

    PubMed Central

    Egge, Elianne Sirnæs; Johannessen, Torill Vik; Andersen, Tom; Eikrem, Wenche; Bittner, Lucie; Larsen, Aud; Sandaa, Ruth-Anne; Edvardsen, Bente

    2015-01-01

    Microalgae in the division Haptophyta play key roles in the marine ecosystem and in global biogeochemical processes. Despite their ecological importance, knowledge on seasonal dynamics, community composition and abundance at the species level is limited due to their small cell size and few morphological features visible under the light microscope. Here, we present unique data on haptophyte seasonal diversity and dynamics from two annual cycles, with the taxonomic resolution and sampling depth obtained with high-throughput sequencing. From outer Oslofjorden, S Norway, nano- and picoplanktonic samples were collected monthly for 2 years, and the haptophytes targeted by amplification of RNA/cDNA with Haptophyta-specific 18S rDNA V4 primers. We obtained 156 operational taxonomic units (OTUs), from c. 400.000 454 pyrosequencing reads, after rigorous bioinformatic filtering and clustering at 99.5%. Most OTUs represented uncultured and/or not yet 18S rDNA-sequenced species. Haptophyte OTU richness and community composition exhibited high temporal variation and significant yearly periodicity. Richness was highest in September–October (autumn) and lowest in April–May (spring). Some taxa were detected all year, such as Chrysochromulina simplex, Emiliania huxleyi and Phaeocystis cordata, whereas most calcifying coccolithophores only appeared from summer to early winter. We also revealed the seasonal dynamics of OTUs representing putative novel classes (clades HAP-3–5) or orders (clades D, E, F). Season, light and temperature accounted for 29% of the variation in OTU composition. Residual variation may be related to biotic factors, such as competition and viral infection. This study provides new, in-depth knowledge on seasonal diversity and dynamics of haptophytes in North Atlantic coastal waters. PMID:25893259

  10. Seasonal and Spatial Environmental Influence on Opisthorchis viverrini Intermediate Hosts, Abundance, and Distribution: Insights on Transmission Dynamics and Sustainable Control.

    PubMed

    Kim, Christina Sunyoung; Echaubard, Pierre; Suwannatrai, Apiporn; Kaewkes, Sasithorn; Wilcox, Bruce A; Sripa, Banchob

    2016-11-01

    Opisthorchis viverrini (Ov) is a complex-life-cycle trematode affecting 10 million people in SEA (Southeast Asia). Human infection occurs when infected cyprinid fish are consumed raw or undercooked. Ov requires three hosts and presents two free-living parasitic stages. As a consequence Ov transmission and infection in intermediate and human hosts are strongly mediated by environmental factors and understanding how environmental variability influences intermediate host abundance is critical. The objectives of this study were 1) to document water parameters, intermediate hosts abundance and infection spatio-temporal variation, 2) to assess their causal relationships and identify windows of transmission risk. Fish and snails were collected monthly for one year at 12 sites in Lawa Lake, an Ov-endemic region of Khon Kaen Province in Northeast Thailand. Physicochemical water parameters [pH, temperature (Tp), dissolved oxygen (DO), Salinity, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solid (TDS), nitrite nitrogen (NO2-N), lead (Pb), total coliform bacteria (TCB) and fecal coliform bacteria (FCB)] were measured. Multivariate analyses, linear models and kriging were used to characterize water parameter variation and its influence on host abundance and infection prevalence. We found that sampling sites could be grouped in three clusters and discriminated along a nitrogen-salinity gradient where higher levels in the lake's southern region predicted higher Bithynia relative abundance (P<0.05) and lower snail and fish species diversity (P<0.05). Highest Bithynia abundance occurred during rainy season (P<0.001), independently of site influence. Cyprinids were the most abundant fish family and higher cyprinid relative abundance was found in areas with higher Bithynia relative abundance (P<0.05). Ov infection in snails was anecdotal while Ov infection in fish was higher in the southern region (P<0.001) at sites showing high FCB. Our results indicate that water contamination and

  11. Adverse moisture events predict seasonal abundance of Lyme disease vector ticks (Ixodes scapularis)

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Berger, Kathryn A.; Ginsberg, Howard S.; Dugas, Katherine D.; Hamel, Lutz H.; Mather, Thomas N.

    2014-01-01

    Background: Lyme borreliosis (LB) is the most commonly reported vector-borne disease in north temperate regions worldwide, affecting an estimated 300,000 people annually in the United States alone. The incidence of LB is correlated with human exposure to its vector, the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis). To date, attempts to model tick encounter risk based on environmental parameters have been equivocal. Previous studies have not considered (1) the differences between relative humidity (RH) in leaf litter and at weather stations, (2) the RH threshold that affects nymphal blacklegged tick survival, and (3) the time required below the threshold to induce mortality. We clarify the association between environmental moisture and tick survival by presenting a significant relationship between the total number of tick adverse moisture events (TAMEs - calculated as microclimatic periods below a RH threshold) and tick abundance each year.Methods: We used a 14-year continuous statewide tick surveillance database and corresponding weather data from Rhode Island (RI), USA, to assess the effects of TAMEs on nymphal populations of I. scapularis. These TAMEs were defined as extended periods of time (>8 h below 82% RH in leaf litter). We fit a sigmoid curve comparing weather station data to those collected by loggers placed in tick habitats to estimate RH experienced by nymphal ticks, and compiled the number of historical TAMEs during the 14-year record.Results: The total number of TAMEs in June of each year was negatively related to total seasonal nymphal tick densities, suggesting that sub-threshold humidity episodes >8 h in duration naturally lowered nymphal blacklegged tick abundance. Furthermore, TAMEs were positively related to the ratio of tick abundance early in the season when compared to late season, suggesting that lower than average tick abundance for a given year resulted from tick mortality and not from other factors.Conclusions: Our results clarify the mechanism

  12. Seasonal cycle and secular trend of the total and tropospheric column abundance of ethane above the Jungfraujoch

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ehhalt, D. H.; Schmidt, U.; Zander, R.; Demoulin, P.; Rinsland, C. P.

    1991-01-01

    The secular trend and the seasonal cycle of the total and the tropospheric column abundances of C2H6 over the Jungfraujoch Station (Switzerland) were deduced from infrared solar spectra recorded in 1951 and from 1984 to 1988. Results show a definite seasonal variation in the total vertical column abundance of C2H6, with a maximum of (1.43 + or - 0.03) x 10 to the 16th molecules/sq cm during March and April and a minimum in the fall; the ratio between the maximum and the minimum column abundances was found to be 1.62 + or - 0.11. The secular trend in the tropospheric burden above the Jungfraujoch was found to be (0.85 + or - 0.3) percent/yr.

  13. The effect of dams and seasons on malaria incidence and anopheles abundance in Ethiopia

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Reservoirs created by damming rivers are often believed to increase malaria incidence risk and/or stretch the period of malaria transmission. In this paper, we report the effects of a mega hydropower dam on P. falciparum malaria incidence in Ethiopia. Methods A longitudinal cohort study was conducted over a period of 2 years to determine Plasmodium falciparum malaria incidence among children less than 10 years of age living near a mega hydropower dam in Ethiopia. A total of 2080 children from 16 villages located at different distances from a hydropower dam were followed up from 2008 to 2010 using active detection of cases based on weekly house to house visits. Of this cohort of children, 951 (48.09%) were females and 1059 (51.91%) were males, with a median age of 5 years. Malaria vectors were simultaneously surveyed in all the 16 study villages. Frailty models were used to explore associations between time-to-malaria and potential risk factors, whereas, mixed-effects Poisson regression models were used to assess the effect of different covariates on anopheline abundance. Results Overall, 548 (26.86%) children experienced at least one clinical malaria episode during the follow up period with mean incidence rate of 14.26 cases/1000 child-months at risk (95% CI: 12.16 - 16.36). P. falciparum malaria incidence showed no statistically significant association with distance from the dam reservoir (p = 0.32). However, P. falciparum incidence varied significantly between seasons (p < 0.01). The malaria vector, Anopheles arabiensis, was however more abundant in villages nearer to the dam reservoir. Conclusions P. falciparum malaria incidence dynamics were more influenced by seasonal drivers than by the dam reservoir itself. The findings could have implications in timing optimal malaria control interventions and in developing an early warning system in Ethiopia. PMID:23566411

  14. Seasonal distribution and abundance of cetaceans within French waters- Part I: The North-Western Mediterranean, including the Pelagos sanctuary

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Laran, Sophie; Pettex, Emeline; Authier, Matthieu; Blanck, Aurélie; David, Léa; Dorémus, Ghislain; Falchetto, Hélène; Monestiez, Pascal; Van Canneyt, Olivier; Ridoux, Vincent

    2017-07-01

    The biodiversity of the Mediterranean Sea is undergoing important changes. Cetaceans, as top predators, are an important component of marine ecosystems. The seasonal distribution and abundance of several cetacean species were studied with a large aerial survey over the North-Western Mediterranean Sea, including the international Pelagos sanctuary, the largest Marine Protected Area (MPA) designed for marine mammals in the Mediterranean. A total of 8 distinct species of cetaceans were identified, and their occurrence within the sanctuary was investigated. Abundance estimates were obtained for three groups of species: the small delphinids (striped dolphins mainly), the bottlenose dolphin and the fin whale. There was a seasonal variation in striped dolphin abundance between winter (57,300 individuals, 95% CI: 34,500-102,000) and summer (130,000, 95% CI: 76,800-222,100). In contrast, bottlenose dolphin winter abundance was thrice that of summer. It was also the only species to exhibit any preference for the Pelagos sanctuary. Fin whale abundance had the reverse pattern with winter abundance (1000 individuals, 95% CI: 500-2500) and summer (2500 individuals, 95% CI: 1500-4300), without any preference for the sanctuary. Risso's dolphins, pilot whales and sperm whales did not exhibit strong seasonal pattern in their abundance. These results provide baseline estimates which can be used to inform conservation policies and instruments such as the Habitats Directive or the recent European Marine Strategy Framework Directive.

  15. [Distribution and seasonal dynamics of meiofauna in intertidal zone of Qingdao sandy beaches, Shandong Province of East China].

    PubMed

    Li, Ha; Hua, Er; Zhang, Zhi-Nan

    2012-12-01

    An investigation was conducted on the abundance, group composition, and distribution of meiofauna at the Second Beach of Taiping Bay and the Shilaoren Beach in Qingdao in January, April, July, and October 2008, aimed to analyze the distribution and seasonal dynamics of meiofauna in the intertidal zone of Qingdao sandy beaches. The measurements of environmental factors, including sediment grain size, interstitial water salinity, interstitial water temperature, organic matter content (TOC), and chlorophyll a (Chl a) content, were made simultaneously. There existed obvious seasonal differences in the environment factors, which could be clustered into two groups, i. e. , spring-winter group (January and April) and summer-autumn group (July and October). At the Second Beach of Taiping Bay, the mean annual abundance of meiofauna was (1167.3 +/- 768.3) ind x 10 cm(-2), and the most dominant group was Nematoda, accounting for 91% of the total. The meiofaunal group composition and abundance at the Second Beach differed horizontally, with the abundance ranked as high tide zone < middle tide zone < low tide zone. The meiofaunal group composition and abundance also varied seasonally, with high values in spring/winter and low values in summer/autumn (spring > winter > autumn > summer). The vertical distribution of the meiofauna in the high and middle tide zones of the Second Beach varied seasonally too. The meiofauna migrated downward with increasing temperature, concentrated in surface layer in winter and migrated downward in summer. At the Shilaoren Beach, the mean annual abundance of meiofauna was (1130.2 +/- 1419.1) ind x 10 cm(-2), and Nematoda accounted for 85% of the total. There was a great similarity of the environmental factors in the middle tide zone of the Second Beach and Shilaoren Beach, which led to no differences in the meiofaunal group composition and abundance. However, the vertical distribution of the meiofauna differed between the two beaches. When the

  16. Abiotic and biotic factors influencing nanoflagellate abundance and distribution in three different seasons in PRE, South China Sea

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Xia; Shi, Zhen; Huang, Xiaoping; Li, Xiangfu

    2017-07-01

    Spatial distribution characteristics of two nanoflagellate groups, together with physico-chemical and biological factors, were studied in three seasons in the Pearl River Estuary (PRE), South China Sea. Nanoflagellates were more abundant in warm periods than that in winter. The average abundance in the three observations (spring, summer and winter) was as follow: 1.28 ± 1.17, 0.88 ± 1.02 and 0.28 ± 0.23 × 103 cells ml-1 of heterotrophic nanoflagellate (HNF), and 1.26 ± 0.85, 0.89 ± 0.77 and 0.65 ± 0.52 × 103 cells ml-1 of pigmented nanoflagellate (PNF). In our three studied seasons, NF density was generally higher in the inner estuary and decreasing to the lowest in the outer estuary. Our results suggested that PNF classes were more sensitive than HNF groups to freshwater discharge. The proportion of PNF gradually increased from spring (49.7%) to winter (67.7%), with the river flow was accordingly decreasing. Moreover, spatial distribution pattern in three seasons showed the response of PNF populations to freshwater input was similar to phytoplankton assemblages in the PRE. Total bacterial and live bacterial abundance (measured by LIVE/DEAD kit) were associated with both two NF components, which implied that NF was a potential predator controlling the bulk abundance of bacteria and proportion of active cells. These results revealed the seasonal and spatial variations of NF abundance in diverse conditions in the PRE and how their response to different ecological processes.

  17. Seasonal diversity and dynamics of haptophytes in the Skagerrak, Norway, explored by high-throughput sequencing.

    PubMed

    Egge, Elianne Sirnaes; Johannessen, Torill Vik; Andersen, Tom; Eikrem, Wenche; Bittner, Lucie; Larsen, Aud; Sandaa, Ruth-Anne; Edvardsen, Bente

    2015-06-01

    Microalgae in the division Haptophyta play key roles in the marine ecosystem and in global biogeochemical processes. Despite their ecological importance, knowledge on seasonal dynamics, community composition and abundance at the species level is limited due to their small cell size and few morphological features visible under the light microscope. Here, we present unique data on haptophyte seasonal diversity and dynamics from two annual cycles, with the taxonomic resolution and sampling depth obtained with high-throughput sequencing. From outer Oslofjorden, S Norway, nano- and picoplanktonic samples were collected monthly for 2 years, and the haptophytes targeted by amplification of RNA/cDNA with Haptophyta-specific 18S rDNA V4 primers. We obtained 156 operational taxonomic units (OTUs), from c. 400.000 454 pyrosequencing reads, after rigorous bioinformatic filtering and clustering at 99.5%. Most OTUs represented uncultured and/or not yet 18S rDNA-sequenced species. Haptophyte OTU richness and community composition exhibited high temporal variation and significant yearly periodicity. Richness was highest in September-October (autumn) and lowest in April-May (spring). Some taxa were detected all year, such as Chrysochromulina simplex, Emiliania huxleyi and Phaeocystis cordata, whereas most calcifying coccolithophores only appeared from summer to early winter. We also revealed the seasonal dynamics of OTUs representing putative novel classes (clades HAP-3-5) or orders (clades D, E, F). Season, light and temperature accounted for 29% of the variation in OTU composition. Residual variation may be related to biotic factors, such as competition and viral infection. This study provides new, in-depth knowledge on seasonal diversity and dynamics of haptophytes in North Atlantic coastal waters. © 2015 The Authors. Molecular Ecology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  18. Seasonal and Spatial Environmental Influence on Opisthorchis viverrini Intermediate Hosts, Abundance, and Distribution: Insights on Transmission Dynamics and Sustainable Control

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Christina Sunyoung; Echaubard, Pierre; Suwannatrai, Apiporn; Kaewkes, Sasithorn; Wilcox, Bruce A.; Sripa, Banchob

    2016-01-01

    Background Opisthorchis viverrini (Ov) is a complex-life-cycle trematode affecting 10 million people in SEA (Southeast Asia). Human infection occurs when infected cyprinid fish are consumed raw or undercooked. Ov requires three hosts and presents two free-living parasitic stages. As a consequence Ov transmission and infection in intermediate and human hosts are strongly mediated by environmental factors and understanding how environmental variability influences intermediate host abundance is critical. The objectives of this study were 1) to document water parameters, intermediate hosts abundance and infection spatio-temporal variation, 2) to assess their causal relationships and identify windows of transmission risk. Methodology/Principal Findings Fish and snails were collected monthly for one year at 12 sites in Lawa Lake, an Ov-endemic region of Khon Kaen Province in Northeast Thailand. Physicochemical water parameters [pH, temperature (Tp), dissolved oxygen (DO), Salinity, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solid (TDS), nitrite nitrogen (NO2-N), lead (Pb), total coliform bacteria (TCB) and fecal coliform bacteria (FCB)] were measured. Multivariate analyses, linear models and kriging were used to characterize water parameter variation and its influence on host abundance and infection prevalence. We found that sampling sites could be grouped in three clusters and discriminated along a nitrogen-salinity gradient where higher levels in the lake’s southern region predicted higher Bithynia relative abundance (P<0.05) and lower snail and fish species diversity (P<0.05). Highest Bithynia abundance occurred during rainy season (P<0.001), independently of site influence. Cyprinids were the most abundant fish family and higher cyprinid relative abundance was found in areas with higher Bithynia relative abundance (P<0.05). Ov infection in snails was anecdotal while Ov infection in fish was higher in the southern region (P<0.001) at sites showing high FCB

  19. Seasonal distribution and abundance of cetaceans within French waters- Part II: The Bay of Biscay and the English Channel

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Laran, Sophie; Authier, Matthieu; Blanck, Aurélie; Doremus, Ghislain; Falchetto, Hélène; Monestiez, Pascal; Pettex, Emeline; Stephan, Eric; Van Canneyt, Olivier; Ridoux, Vincent

    2017-07-01

    From the Habitat Directive to the recent Marine Strategy Framework Directive, the conservation status of cetaceans in European water has been of concern for over two decades. In this study, a seasonal comparison of the abundance and distribution of cetaceans was carried out in two contrasted regions of the Eastern North Atlantic, the Bay of Biscay and the English Channel. Estimates were obtained in the two sub-regions (375,000 km²) from large aerial surveys conducted in the winter (November 2011 to February 2012) and in the summer (May to August 2012). The most abundant species encountered in the Channel, the harbour porpoise, displayed strong seasonal variations in its distribution but a stable abundance (18,000 individuals, CV=30%). In the Bay of Biscay, abundance and distribution patterns of common / striped dolphins varied from 285,000 individuals (95% CI: 174,000-481,000) in the winter, preferentially distributed close to the shelf break, to 494,000 individuals (95% CI: 342,000-719,000) distributed beyond the shelf break in summer. Baleen whales also exhibited an increase of their density in summer. Seasonal abundances of bottlenose dolphins were quite stable, with a large number of 'pelagic' encounters offshore in winter. No significant seasonal difference was estimated for pilot whales and sperm whale. These surveys provided baseline estimates to inform policies to be developed, or for existing conservation instruments such as the Habitats Directive. In addition, our results supported the hypothesis of a shift in the summer distributions of some species such as harbour porpoise and minke whale in European waters.

  20. Strong seasonality and interannual recurrence in marine myovirus communities.

    PubMed

    Pagarete, A; Chow, C-E T; Johannessen, T; Fuhrman, J A; Thingstad, T F; Sandaa, R A

    2013-10-01

    The temporal community dynamics and persistence of different viral types in the marine environment are still mostly obscure. Polymorphism of the major capsid protein gene, g23, was used to investigate the community composition dynamics of T4-like myoviruses in a North Atlantic fjord for a period of 2 years. A total of 160 unique operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were identified by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (TRFLP) of the gene g23. Three major community profiles were identified (winter-spring, summer, and autumn), which resulted in a clear seasonal succession pattern. These seasonal transitions were recurrent over the 2 years and significantly correlated with progression of seawater temperature, Synechococcus abundance, and turbidity. The appearance of the autumn viral communities was concomitant with the occurrence of prominent Synechococcus blooms. As a whole, we found a highly dynamic T4-like viral community with strong seasonality and recurrence patterns. These communities were unexpectedly dominated by a group of persistently abundant viruses.

  1. Seasonal Abundance and Host-Feeding Patterns of Anopheline Vectors in Malaria Endemic Area of Iran

    PubMed Central

    Basseri, Hamidreza; Raeisi, Ahmad; Ranjbar Khakha, Mansoor; Pakarai, Abaas; Abdolghafar, Hassanzehi

    2010-01-01

    Seasonal abundance and tendency to feed on humans are important parameters to measure for effective control of malaria vectors. The objective of this study was to describe relation between feeding pattern, abundance, and resting behavior of four malaria vectors in southern Iran. This study was conducted in ten indicator villages (based on malaria incidence and entomological indices) in mountainous/hilly and plain regions situated south and southeastern Iran. Mosquito vectors were collected from indoor as well as outdoor shelters and the blood meals were examined by ELISA test. Over all 7654 female Anopheles spp. were captured, the most common species were Anopheles stephensi, An. culicifacies, An. fluviatilis, and An. d'thali. The overall human blood index was 37.50%, 19.83%, 16.4%, and 30.1% for An. fluviatilis, An. stephensi, An. culicifacies, and An. d'thali, respectively. In addition, An. fluviatilis fed on human blood during the entire year but the feeding behavior of An. stephensi and An. culicifacies varied according to seasons. Overall, the abundance of the female mosquito positive to human blood was 4.25% per human shelter versus 17.5% per animal shelter. This result indicates that the vectors had tendency to rest in animal shelters after feeding on human. Therefore, vector control measure should be planned based on such as feeding pattern, abundance, and resting behavior of these vectors in the area. PMID:21559055

  2. Arthropod abundance and seasonal bird use of bottomland forest harvest gaps.

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Moorman, Christopher, E.; Bowen, Liessa T.; Kilgo, John, C.

    2012-03-01

    We investigated the influence of arthropod abundance and vegetation structure on shifts in avian use of canopy gap, gap edge, and surrounding forest understory in a bottomland hardwood forest in the Upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina. We compared captures of foliage-gleaning birds among locations during four periods (spring migration, breeding, post-breeding, and fall migration). Foliage arthropod densities were greatest in the forest understory in all four seasons, but understory vegetation density was greatest in gaps. Foliage-gleaning bird abundance was positively associated with foliage-dwelling arthropods during the breeding (F = 18.5, P < 0.001) and post-breeding periods (F = 9.4,more » P = 0.004), and negatively associated with foliage-dwelling arthropods during fall migration (F = 5.4, P = 0.03). Relationships between birds and arthropods were inconsistent, but the arthropod prey base seemed to be least important during migratory periods. Conversely, bird captures were positively correlated with understory vegetation density during all four periods (P < 0.001). Our study suggests high bird abundance associated with canopy gaps during the non-breeding period resulted less from high arthropod food resource availability than from complex understory and midstory vegetation structure.« less

  3. Co-existence of Anaerobic Ammonium Oxidation Bacteria and Denitrifying Anaerobic Methane Oxidation Bacteria in Sewage Sludge: Community Diversity and Seasonal Dynamics.

    PubMed

    Xu, Sai; Lu, Wenjing; Mustafa, Muhammad Farooq; Caicedo, Luis Miguel; Guo, Hanwen; Fu, Xindi; Wang, Hongtao

    2017-11-01

    Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (ANAMMOX) and denitrifying anaerobic methane oxidation (DAMO) have been recently discovered as relevant processes in the carbon and nitrogen cycles of wastewater treatment plants. In this study, the seasonal dynamics of ANAMMOX and DAMO bacterial community structures and their abundance in sewage sludge collected from wastewater treatment plants were analysed. Results indicated that ANAMMOX and DAMO bacteria co-existed in sewage sludge in different seasons and their abundance was positively correlated (P < 0.05). The high abundance of ANAMMOX and DAMO bacteria in autumn and winter indicated that these seasons were the preferred time to favour the growth of ANAMMOX and DAMO bacteria. The community structure of ANNAMOX and DAMO bacteria could also shift with seasonal changes. The "Candidatus Brocadia" genus of ANAMMOX bacteria was mainly recovered in spring and summer, and an unknown cluster was primarily detected in autumn and winter. Similar patterns of seasonal variation in the community structure of DAMO bacteria were also observed. Group B was the dominant in spring and summer, whereas in autumn and winter, group A and group B presented almost the same proportion. The redundancy analysis revealed that pH and nitrate were the most significant factors affecting community structures of these two groups (P < 0.01). This study reported the diversity of ANAMMOX and DAMO in wastewater treatment plants that may be the basis for new nitrogen removal technologies.

  4. Seasonal and species-specific patterns in abundance of freshwater mussel glochidia in stream drift

    Treesearch

    Jacob J. Culp; Wendell R. Haag; D. Albrey Arrington; Thomas B. Kennedy

    2011-01-01

    Abstract. We examined seasonal patterns of abundance of mussel larvae (glochidia) in stream drift in a diverse, large-stream mussel assemblage in the Sipsey River, Alabama, across 1 y. We used recently developed techniques for glochidial identification combined with information about mussel fecundity and benthic assemblages to evaluate how well observed glochidial...

  5. Using large scale surveys to investigate seasonal variations in seabird distribution and abundance. Part I: The North Western Mediterranean Sea

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pettex, Emeline; David, Léa; Authier, Matthieu; Blanck, Aurélie; Dorémus, Ghislain; Falchetto, Hélène; Laran, Sophie; Monestiez, Pascal; Van Canneyt, Olivier; Virgili, Auriane; Ridoux, Vincent

    2017-07-01

    Scientific investigation in offshore areas are logistically challenging and expensive, therefore the available knowledge on seabird at sea distribution and abundance, as well as their seasonal variations, remains limited. To investigate the seasonal variability in seabird distribution and abundance in the North-Western Mediterranean Sea (NWMS), we conducted two large-scale aerial surveys in winter 2011-12 and summer 2012, covering a 181,400 km2 area. Following a strip-transect method, observers recorded a total of 4141 seabird sightings in winter and 2334 in summer, along 32,213 km. Using geostatistical methods, we generated sightings density maps for both seasons, as well as estimates of density and abundance. Most taxa showed seasonal variations in their density and distribution patterns, as they used the area either for wintering or for breeding. Highest densities of seabirds were recorded during winter, although large-sized shearwaters, storm petrels and terns were more abundant during summer. Consequently, with nearly 170,000 seabirds estimated in winter, the total abundance was twice higher in winter. Coastal waters of the continental shelf were generally more exploited by seabirds, even though some species, such as Mediterranean gulls, black-headed gulls, little gulls and storm petrels were found at high densities in highly offshore waters. Our results revealed areas highly exploited by the seabird community in the NWMS, such as the Gulf of Lion, the Tuscan region, and the area between Corsica and Sardinia. In addition, these large-scale surveys provide a baseline for the monitoring of seabird at sea distribution, and could inform the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive.

  6. Seasonal abundance of soil arthropods in relation to meteorological and edaphic factors in the agroecosystems of Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shakir, Muhammad Mussadiq; Ahmed, Sohail

    2015-05-01

    Soil arthropods are an important component of agroecosystems, contributing significantly to their biodiversity and functioning. However, seasonal patterns, population dynamics, and significant roles of these soil arthropods in improvement of soil structures and functions are influenced by many factors. The objective of the current study was to investigate soil arthropod abundance in relation to a blend of meteorological and edaphic factors and to find out the difference in abundance among various crops (sugarcane, cotton, wheat, alfalfa fodder, and citrus orchards). The arthropod sampling was done by pitfall traps and Tullgren extractions on fortnightly intervals. Soil temperature and relative humidity were noted on the field sites while analysis for soil pH, organic matter, and soil moisture contents were done in the laboratory. The rainfall data was obtained from an observatory. Results showed that significant differences were found in soil arthropod abundance across different sampling months and crops. Out of total 13,673 soil arthropods sampled, 38 % belonged to Collembola, followed by 15 % Hymenoptera, 15 % Acarina, 11 % Myriapods, 6 % Coleoptera, 5 % Orthoptera, and 5 % Araneae. Mean abundance per sample was highest in summer months as compared to winter. Overall abundance per sample was significantly different between all crops ( p < 0.05). Cluster analysis revealed four categories of soil arthropods according to abundance, i.e., highly abundant (Collembola, Acarina, Myripoda, Hymenoptera), moderately abundant (Orthoptera, Aranae, Coleoptera), least abundant (Dermaptera, Hemiptera, Diptera), and rare (Blattaria, Isoptera, Diplura, Lepidoptera). Soil temperature and soil organic matter showed significant positive correlation with abundance, while relative humidity was significantly negatively correlated. Soil moisture and soil pH showed no significant correlations while no correlation was found with total rainfall. PCA analysis revealed that soil surface

  7. Seasonal zooplankton dynamics in Lake Michigan: disentangling impacts of resource limitation, ecosystem engineering, and predation during a critical ecosystem transition

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Vanderploeg, Henry A.; Pothoven, Steven A.; Fahnenstiel, Gary L.; Cavaletto, Joann F.; Liebig, James R.; Stow, Craig Stow; Nalepa, Thomas F.; Madenjian, Charles P.; Bunnell, David B.

    2012-01-01

    We examined seasonal dynamics of zooplankton at an offshore station in Lake Michigan from 1994 to 2003 and 2007 to 2008. This period saw variable weather, declines in planktivorous fish abundance, the introduction and expansion of dreissenid mussels, and a slow decline in total phosphorus concentrations. After the major expansion of mussels into deep water (2007–2008), chlorophyll in spring declined sharply, Secchi depth increased markedly in all seasons, and planktivorous fish biomass declined to record-low levels. Overlaying these dramatic ecosystem-level changes, the zooplankton community exhibited complex seasonal dynamics between 1994–2003 and 2007–2008. Phenology of the zooplankton maximum was affected by onset of thermal stratification, but there was no other discernable effect due to temperature. Interannual variability in zooplankton biomass during 1994 and 2003 was strongly driven by planktivorous fish abundance, particularly age-0 and age-1 alewives. In 2007–2008, there were large decreases in Diacyclops thomasi and Daphnia mendotae possibly caused by food limitation as well as increased predation and indirect negative effects from increases in Bythotrephes longimanus abundance and in foraging efficiency associated with increased light penetration. The Bythotrephes increase was likely driven in part by decreased predation from yearling and older alewife. While there was a major decrease in epilimnetic–metalimnetic herbivorous cladocerans in 2007–2008, there was an increase in large omnivorous and predacious calanoid copepods, especially those in the hypolimnion. Thus, changes to the zooplankton community are the result of cascading, synergistic interactions, including a shift from vertebrate to invertebrate planktivory and mussel ecosystem impacts on light climate and chlorophyll.

  8. Seasonal abundance and potential of Japanese encephalitis virus infection in mosquitoes at the nesting colony of ardeid birds, Thailand.

    PubMed

    Changbunjong, Tanasak; Weluwanarak, Thekhawet; Taowan, Namaoy; Suksai, Parut; Chamsai, Tatiyanuch; Sedwisai, Poonyapat

    2013-03-01

    To investigate the abundance and seasonal dynamics of mosquitoes, and to detect Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) in these mosquitoes at the nesting colony of ardeid birds. Mosquitoes were collected bimonthly from July 2009 to May 2010 by Centers for Disease Control. Light traps and dry ice, as a source of CO2, were employed to attract mosquitoes. Mosquitoes were first identified, pooled into groups of upto 50 mosquitoes by species, and tested for JEV infection by viral isolation and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. A total of 20 370 mosquitoes comprising 14 species in five genera were collected. The five most abundant mosquito species collected were Culex tritaeniorhynchus (95.46%), Culex vishnui (2.68%), Culex gelidus (0.72%), Anopheles peditaeniatus (0.58%) and Culex quinquefasciatus (0.22%). Mosquito peak densities were observed in July. All of 416 mosquito pools were negative for JEV. This study provides new information about mosquito species and status of JEV infection in mosquitoes in Thailand. Further study should be done to continue a close survey for the presence of this virus in the ardeid birds.

  9. `Akohekohe response to flower availability: seasonal abundance, foraging, breeding, and molt

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Berlin, Kim E.; Simon, John C.; Pratt, T.K.; Kowalsky, James R.; Hatfield, J.S.; Scott, J.M.; Conant, S.; van Riper, Charles

    2001-01-01

    We studied the relationship of flower availability to the seasonality of life history events of the `Akohekohe (Palmeria dolei), a primarily nectarivorous and endangered Hawaiian honeycreeper from montane rain forests on Maui, Hawai`i. For comparison, we also investigated temporal bird density and foraging behavior of three other competing Hawaiian honeycreepers: `Apapane (Himatione sanguinea), `I`iwi (Vestiaria coccinea), and Hawai`i `Amakihi (Hemignathus virens). All species except `Amakihi fed primarily on nectar of `Ohi?a-lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha), which produced flowers year-round but had an annual flowering peak in January. Flowers of several subcanopy shrubs and trees were important components of the diet for all nectarivores, and these were available seasonally depending upon the species. `Akohekohe densities did not change temporally, suggesting a relatively stable population residing above 1,700 m. Monthly densities of `Apapane, `I`iwi, and Hawai`i `Amakihi were positively correlated with monthly `Ohi?a-lehua flower abundance, and 50-80% of these populations departed temporarily from our high-elevation site in July. There was a positive correlation with the timing of Akohekohe breeding and high abundance of `Ohi?a-lehua bloom. Molt followed breeding. From a conservation perspective, these results show that `Akohekohe maintain a relatively stable population above the mid-elevation zone of disease transmission, particularly during the fall when `Ohi?a-lehua bloom decreases and mosquitoes increase. `Akohekohe remain on their territories partly by switching their foraging to subcanopy trees and shrubs, most of which require protection from feral pigs (Sus scrofa).

  10. Seasonal abundance of total and pathogenic Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolated from American oysters harvested in the Mandinga Lagoon System, Veracruz, Mexico: implications for food safety.

    PubMed

    Flores-Primo, Argel; Pardío-Sedas, Violeta; Lizárraga-Partida, Leonardo; López-Hernández, Karla; Uscanga-Serrano, Roxana; Flores-Hernández, Reyna

    2014-07-01

    The abundance of total and pathogenic Vibrio parahaemolyticus (Vp) strains in American oysters (Crassostrea virginica) harvested in two different harvest sites from the Mandinga lagoon System was evaluated monthly for 1 year (January through December 2012). Frequencies of species-specific genes and pathogenic genes exhibited a seasonal distribution. The annual occurrence of Vp with the species-specific tlh gene (tlh(+)) was significantly higher during the winter windy season (32.50%) and spring dry season (15.0%), with the highest densities observed during spring dry season at 283.50 most probable number (MPN)/g (lagoon bank A, near human settlements), indicating the highest risk of infection during warmer months. Pathogenic Vp tlh(+)/tdh(+) frequency was significantly higher during the winter windy and the spring dry seasons at 22.50 and 10.00%, respectively, with highest densities of 16.22 and 41.05 MPN/g (bank A), respectively. The tlh/trh and tdh/trh gene combinations were also found in Vp isolates during the spring dry season at 1.25 and 1.3%, respectively, with densities of 1.79 and 0.4 MPN/g (bank A), respectively. The orf8 genes were detected during the winter windy season (1.25%) with highest densities of 5.96 MPN/g (bank A) and 3.21 MPN/g (bank B, near mangrove islands and a heron nesting area). Densities of Vp tdh(+) were correlated (R(2) = 0.245, P < 0.015) with those of Vp orf8(+). The seasonal dynamics of Vp harboring pathogenic genes varied with seasonal changes, with very high proportions of Vp tdh(+) and Vp orf8(+) isolates in the winter windy season at 46.2 and 17.0%, respectively, which suggests that environmental factors may differentially affect the abundance of pathogenic subpopulations. Although all densities of total Vp (Vp tlh(+)) were lower than 10(4) MPN/g, thus complying with Mexican regulations, the presence of pathogenic strains is a public health concern. Our results suggest that total Vp densities may not be appropriate for assessing

  11. Seasonal and among-site variation in the occurrence and abundance of fleas on California ground squirrels (Otospermophilus beecheyi).

    PubMed

    Hubbart, Jason A; Jachowski, David S; Eads, David A

    2011-06-01

    An improved understanding of the ecology of fleas on California ground squirrels, Otospermophilus beecheyi, is warranted given the role of fleas in the transmission, and perhaps persistence, of the plague-causing bacterium Yersinia pestis. We sampled O. beecheyi on a seasonal basis from three study sites, each representing a different land use type (preserve, pasture, and agriculture) in the San Joaquin Valley, CA. Overall, the abundance of fleas on squirrels was greatest in spring at the preserve site, in summer at the agriculture and pasture sites, and in winter at the pasture site. Hoplopsyllus anomalus, the species most frequently found on squirrels, was most abundant in spring at the preserve site and in summer at the agriculture and pasture sites. Oropsylla montana was most abundant in winter at the pasture site and on adult squirrels. Echidnophaga gallinacea was most abundant in fall on juvenile squirrels at the preserve site. All three flea species we encountered are known to be potential vectors of Y. pestis. Future efforts to predict flea species occurrence and abundance (and plague risk) at sites of concern should consider seasonal microclimatic conditions and the potential influence of human land use practices. © 2011 The Society for Vector Ecology.

  12. Seasonal regulation of herbivory and nutrient effects on macroalgal recruitment and succession in a Florida coral reef

    PubMed Central

    Collado-Vides, Ligia; Burkepile, Deron E.

    2016-01-01

    Herbivory and nutrient enrichment are drivers of benthic dynamics of coral reef macroalgae; however, their impact may vary seasonally. In this study we evaluated the effects of herbivore pressure, nutrient availability and potential propagule supply on seasonal recruitment and succession of macroalgal communities on a Florida coral reef. Recruitment tiles, replaced every three months, and succession tiles, kept in the field for nine months, were established in an ongoing factorial nutrient enrichment-herbivore exclusion experiment. The ongoing experiment had already created very different algal communities across the different herbivory and nutrient treatments. We tracked algal recruitment, species richness, and species abundance through time. Our results show seasonal variation in the effect of herbivory and nutrient availability on recruitment of coral reef macroalgae. In the spring, when there was higher macroalgal species richness and abundance of recruits, herbivory appeared to have more control on macroalgal community structure than did nutrients. In contrast, there was no effect of either herbivory or nutrient enrichment on macroalgal communities on recruitment tiles in cooler seasons. The abundance of recruits on tiles was positively correlated with the abundance of algal in the ongoing, established experiment, suggesting that propagule abundance is likely a strong influence on algal recruitment and early succession. Results of the present study suggest that abundant herbivorous fishes control recruitment and succession of macroalgae, particularly in the warm season when macroalgal growth is higher. However, herbivory appears less impactful on algal recruitment and community dynamics in cooler seasons. Ultimately, our data suggest that the timing of coral mortality (e.g., summer vs. winter mortality) and freeing of benthic space may strongly influence the dynamics of algae that colonize open space. PMID:27833810

  13. Seasonal regulation of herbivory and nutrient effects on macroalgal recruitment and succession in a Florida coral reef.

    PubMed

    Duran, Alain; Collado-Vides, Ligia; Burkepile, Deron E

    2016-01-01

    Herbivory and nutrient enrichment are drivers of benthic dynamics of coral reef macroalgae; however, their impact may vary seasonally. In this study we evaluated the effects of herbivore pressure, nutrient availability and potential propagule supply on seasonal recruitment and succession of macroalgal communities on a Florida coral reef. Recruitment tiles, replaced every three months, and succession tiles, kept in the field for nine months, were established in an ongoing factorial nutrient enrichment-herbivore exclusion experiment. The ongoing experiment had already created very different algal communities across the different herbivory and nutrient treatments. We tracked algal recruitment, species richness, and species abundance through time. Our results show seasonal variation in the effect of herbivory and nutrient availability on recruitment of coral reef macroalgae. In the spring, when there was higher macroalgal species richness and abundance of recruits, herbivory appeared to have more control on macroalgal community structure than did nutrients. In contrast, there was no effect of either herbivory or nutrient enrichment on macroalgal communities on recruitment tiles in cooler seasons. The abundance of recruits on tiles was positively correlated with the abundance of algal in the ongoing, established experiment, suggesting that propagule abundance is likely a strong influence on algal recruitment and early succession. Results of the present study suggest that abundant herbivorous fishes control recruitment and succession of macroalgae, particularly in the warm season when macroalgal growth is higher. However, herbivory appears less impactful on algal recruitment and community dynamics in cooler seasons. Ultimately, our data suggest that the timing of coral mortality (e.g., summer vs. winter mortality) and freeing of benthic space may strongly influence the dynamics of algae that colonize open space.

  14. Effects of seasonality on drosophilids (Insecta, Diptera) in the northern part of the Atlantic Forest, Brazil.

    PubMed

    Coutinho-Silva, R D; Montes, M A; Oliveira, G F; de Carvalho-Neto, F G; Rohde, C; Garcia, A C L

    2017-10-01

    Seasonality is an important aspect associated with population dynamic and structure of tropical insect assemblages. This study evaluated the effects of seasonality on abundance, richness, diversity and composition of an insect group, drosophilids, including species native to the Neotropical region and exotic ones. Three preserved fragments of the northern Atlantic Forest were surveyed, where temperatures are above 20 °C throughout the year and rainfall regimes define two seasons (dry and rainy). As opposed to other studies about arthropods in tropical regions, we observed that abundance of drosophilids was significantly higher in the dry season, possibly due to biological aspects and the colonization strategy adopted by the exotic species in these environments. Contrarily to abundance, we did not observe a seasonal pattern for richness. As for other parts of the Atlantic Forest, the most representative Neotropical species (Drosophila willistoni, D. sturtevanti, D. paulistorum and D. prosaltans) were significantly more abundant in the rainy season. Among the most abundant exotic species, D. malerkotliana, Zaprionus indianus and Scaptodrosophila latifasciaeformis were more importantly represented the dry season, while D. simulans was more abundant in the rainy period. The seasonality patterns exhibited by the most abundant species were compared to findings published in other studies. Our results indicate that exotic species were significantly more abundant in the dry season, while native ones exhibited an opposite pattern.

  15. Inter-annual and seasonal trends in cetacean distribution, density and abundance off southern California

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Campbell, Gregory S.; Thomas, Len; Whitaker, Katherine; Douglas, Annie B.; Calambokidis, John; Hildebrand, John A.

    2015-02-01

    Trends in cetacean density and distribution off southern California were assessed through visual line-transect surveys during thirty-seven California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations (CalCOFI) cruises from July 2004-November 2013. From sightings of the six most commonly encountered cetacean species, seasonal, annual and overall density estimates were calculated. Blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus), fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) and humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) were the most frequently sighted baleen whales with overall densities of 0.91/1000 km2 (CV=0.27), 2.73/1000 km2 (CV=0.19), and 1.17/1000 km2 (CV=0.21) respectively. Species specific density estimates, stratified by cruise, were analyzed using a generalized additive model to estimate long-term trends and correct for seasonal imbalances. Variances were estimated using a non-parametric bootstrap with one day of effort as the sampling unit. Blue whales were primarily observed during summer and fall while fin and humpback whales were observed year-round with peaks in density during summer and spring respectively. Short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis), Pacific white-sided dolphins (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens) and Dall's porpoise (Phocoenoidesdalli) were the most frequently encountered small cetaceans with overall densities of 705.83/1000 km2 (CV=0.22), 51.98/1000 km2 (CV=0.27), and 21.37/1000 km2 (CV=0.19) respectively. Seasonally, short-beaked common dolphins were most abundant in winter whereas Pacific white-sided dolphins and Dall's porpoise were most abundant during spring. There were no significant long-term changes in blue whale, fin whale, humpback whale, short-beaked common dolphin or Dall's porpoise densities while Pacific white-sided dolphins exhibited a significant decrease in density across the ten-year study. The results from this study were fundamentally consistent with earlier studies, but provide greater temporal and seasonal resolution.

  16. SEASONAL DOMINANCE OF CYANOBACTERIA IN PENSACOLA BAY, FLORIDA

    EPA Science Inventory

    A study was conducted during 1999-2000 in Pensacola Bay, Florida, USA to characterize the seasonal dynamics of nutrients, phytoplankton, and bacterioplankton. Monthly samples were collected from 5 sites spanning the salinity gradient. Abundances of non-heterocystous chroococcoid...

  17. Seasonal Variation in Sea Turtle Density and Abundance in the Southeast Florida Current and Surrounding Waters.

    PubMed

    Bovery, Caitlin M; Wyneken, Jeanette

    2015-01-01

    Assessment and management of sea turtle populations is often limited by a lack of available data pertaining to at-sea distributions at appropriate spatial and temporal resolutions. Assessing the spatial and temporal distributions of marine turtles in an open system poses both observational and analytical challenges due to the turtles' highly migratory nature. Surface counts of marine turtles in waters along the southern part of Florida's east coast were made in and adjacent to the southeast portion of the Florida Current using standard aerial surveys during 2011 and 2012 to assess their seasonal presence. This area is of particular concern for sea turtles as interest increases in offshore energy developments, specifically harnessing the power of the Florida Current. While it is understood that marine turtles use these waters, here we evaluate seasonal variation in sea turtle abundance and density over two years. Density of sea turtles observed within the study area ranged from 0.003 turtles km-2 in the winter of 2011 to 0.064 turtles km-2 in the spring of 2012. This assessment of marine turtles in the waters off southeast Florida quantifies their in-water abundance across seasons in this area to establish baselines and inform future management strategies of these protected species.

  18. Seasonal cycles of zooplankton from San Francisco Bay

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ambler, Julie W.; Cloern, James E.; Hutchinson, Anne

    1985-01-01

    Seasonal cycles of zooplankton abundance appear to be constant among years (1978–1981) and are similar in the deep (>10 m) channels and lateral shoals (<3 m). The seasonal zooplankton community dynamics are discussed in relation to: (1) river discharge which alters salinity distribution and residence time of plankton; (2) temperature which induces production and hatching of dormant copepod eggs; (3) coastal hydrography which brings neritic copepods of different zoogeographic affinities into the bay; and (4) seasonal cycles of phytoplankton.

  19. Seasonal dynamics of the plant community and soil seed bank along a successional gradient in a subalpine meadow on the Tibetan Plateau.

    PubMed

    Ma, Miaojun; Zhou, Xianhui; Qi, Wei; Liu, Kun; Jia, Peng; Du, Guozhen

    2013-01-01

    Knowledge about how change the importance of soil seed bank and relationship between seed mass and abundance during vegetation succession is crucial for understanding vegetation dynamics. Many studies have been conducted, but their ecological mechanisms of community assembly are not fully understood. We examined the seasonal dynamics of the vegetation and soil seed bank as well as seed size distribution along a successional gradient. We also explored the potential role of the soil seed bank in plant community regeneration, the relationship between seed mass and species abundance, and the relative importance of deterministic and stochastic processes along a successional gradient. Species richness of seed bank increased (shallow layer and the total) and seed density decreased (each layer and the total) significantly with succession. Species richness and seed density differed significantly between different seasons and among soil depths. Seed mass showed a significant negative relationship with relative abundance in the earliest successional stage, but the relationships were not significant in later stages. Seed mass showed no relationship with relative abundance in the whole successional series in seed bank. Results were similar for both July 2005 and April 2006. The seed mass and abundance relationship was determined by a complex interaction between small and larger seeded species and environmental factors. Both stochastic processes and deterministic processes were important determinants of the structure of the earliest stage. The importance of seed bank decreased with succession. The restoration of abandoned farmed and grazed meadows to the species-rich subalpine meadow in Tibetan Plateau can be successfully achieved from the soil seed bank. However, at least 20 years are required to fully restore an abandoned agricultural meadow to a natural mature subalpine meadow.

  20. Range-wide effects of breeding- and nonbreeding-season climate on the abundance of a Neotropical migrant songbird.

    PubMed

    Wilson, Scott; LaDeau, Shannon L; Tøttrup, Anders P; Marra, Peter P

    2011-09-01

    Geographic variation in the population dynamics of a species can result from regional variability in climate and how it affects reproduction and survival. Identifying such effects for migratory birds requires the integration of population models with knowledge of migratory connectivity between breeding and nonbreeding areas. We used Bayesian hierarchical models with 26 years of Breeding Bird Survey data (1982-2007) to investigate the impacts of breeding- and nonbreeding-season climate on abundance of American Redstarts (Setophaga ruticilla) across the species range. We focused on 15 populations defined by Bird Conservation Regions, and we included variation across routes and observers as well as temporal trends and climate effects. American Redstart populations that breed in eastern North America showed increased abundance following winters with higher plant productivity in the Caribbean where they are expected to overwinter. In contrast, western breeding populations showed little response to conditions in their expected wintering areas in west Mexico, perhaps reflecting lower migratory connectivity or differential effects of winter rainfall on individuals across the species range. Unlike the case with winter climate, we found few effects of temperature prior to arrival in spring (March-April) or during the nesting period (May-June) on abundance the following year. Eight populations showed significant changes in abundance, with the steepest declines in the Atlantic Northern Forest (-3.4%/yr) and the greatest increases in the Prairie Hardwood Transition (4%/yr). This study emphasizes how the effects of climate on populations of migratory birds are context dependent and can vary depending on geographic location and the period of the annual cycle. Such knowledge is essential for predicting regional variation in how populations of a species might vary in their response to climate change.

  1. Seasonal differences in extinction and colonization drive occupancy dynamics of an imperilled amphibian.

    PubMed

    Randall, Lea A; Smith, Des H V; Jones, Breana L; Prescott, David R C; Moehrenschlager, Axel

    2015-01-01

    A detailed understanding of the population dynamics of many amphibian species is lacking despite concerns about declining amphibian biodiversity and abundance. This paper explores temporal patterns of occupancy and underlying extinction and colonization dynamics in a regionally imperiled amphibian species, the Northern leopard frog (Lithobates pipiens) in Alberta. Our study contributes to elucidating regional occupancy dynamics at northern latitudes, where climate extremes likely have a profound effect on seasonal occupancy. The primary advantage of our study is its wide geographic scale (60,000 km2) and the use of repeat visual surveys each spring and summer from 2009-2013. We find that occupancy varied more dramatically between seasons than years, with low spring and higher summer occupancy. Between spring and summer, colonization was high and extinction low; inversely, colonization was low and extinction high over the winter. The dynamics of extinction and colonization are complex, making conservation management challenging. Our results reveal that Northern leopard frog occupancy was constant over the last five years and thus there is no evidence of decline or recovery within our study area. Changes to equilibrium occupancy are most sensitive to increasing colonization in the spring or declining extinction in the summer. Therefore, conservation and management efforts should target actions that are likely to increase spring colonization; this could be achieved through translocations or improving the quality or access to breeding habitat. Because summer occupancy is already high, it may be difficult to improve further. Nevertheless, summer extinction could be reduced by predator control, increasing water quality or hydroperiod of wetlands, or increasing the quality or quantity of summer habitat.

  2. Seasonal variation in sea turtle density and abundance in the southeast Florida current and surrounding waters

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bovery, Caitlin M.; Wyneken, Jeanette

    Assessment and management of sea turtle populations is often limited by a lack of available data pertaining to at-sea distributions at appropriate spatial and temporal resolutions. Assessing the spatial and temporal distributions of marine turtles in an open system poses both observational and analytical challenges due to the turtles’ highly migratory nature. Surface counts of marine turtles in waters along the southern part of Florida’s east coast were made in and adjacent to the southeast portion of the Florida Current using standard aerial surveys during 2011 and 2012 to assess their seasonal presence. This area is of particular concern formore » sea turtles as interest increases in offshore energy developments, specifically harnessing the power of the Florida Current. While it is understood that marine turtles use these waters, here we evaluate seasonal variation in sea turtle abundance and density over two years. Density of sea turtles observed within the study area ranged from 0.003 turtles km-2 in the winter of 2011 to 0.064 turtles km-2 in the spring of 2012. As a result, this assessment of marine turtles in the waters off southeast Florida quantifies their in-water abundance across seasons in this area to establish baselines and inform future management strategies of these protected species.« less

  3. Seasonal variation in sea turtle density and abundance in the southeast Florida current and surrounding waters

    DOE PAGES

    Bovery, Caitlin M.; Wyneken, Jeanette

    2015-12-30

    Assessment and management of sea turtle populations is often limited by a lack of available data pertaining to at-sea distributions at appropriate spatial and temporal resolutions. Assessing the spatial and temporal distributions of marine turtles in an open system poses both observational and analytical challenges due to the turtles’ highly migratory nature. Surface counts of marine turtles in waters along the southern part of Florida’s east coast were made in and adjacent to the southeast portion of the Florida Current using standard aerial surveys during 2011 and 2012 to assess their seasonal presence. This area is of particular concern formore » sea turtles as interest increases in offshore energy developments, specifically harnessing the power of the Florida Current. While it is understood that marine turtles use these waters, here we evaluate seasonal variation in sea turtle abundance and density over two years. Density of sea turtles observed within the study area ranged from 0.003 turtles km-2 in the winter of 2011 to 0.064 turtles km-2 in the spring of 2012. As a result, this assessment of marine turtles in the waters off southeast Florida quantifies their in-water abundance across seasons in this area to establish baselines and inform future management strategies of these protected species.« less

  4. Distinct Seasonal Patterns of Bacterioplankton Abundance and Dominance of Phyla α-Proteobacteria and Cyanobacteria in Qinhuangdao Coastal Waters Off the Bohai Sea

    PubMed Central

    He, Yaodong; Sen, Biswarup; Zhou, Shuangyan; Xie, Ningdong; Zhang, Yongfeng; Zhang, Jianle; Wang, Guangyi

    2017-01-01

    Qinhuangdao coastal waters in northern China are heavily impacted by anthropogenic and natural activities, and we anticipate a direct influence of the impact on the bacterioplankton abundance and diversity inhabiting the adjacent coastal areas. To ascertain the anthropogenic influences, we first evaluated the seasonal abundance patterns and diversity of bacterioplankton in the coastal areas with varied levels of natural and anthropogenic activities and then analyzed the environmental factors which influenced the abundance patterns. Results indicated distinct patterns in bacterioplankton abundance across the warm and cold seasons in all stations. Total bacterial abundance in the stations ranged from 8.67 × 104 to 2.08 × 106 cells/mL and had significant (p < 0.01) positive correlation with total phosphorus (TP), which indicated TP as the key monitoring parameter for anthropogenic impact on nutrients cycling. Proteobacteria and Cyanobacteria were the most abundant phyla in the Qinhuangdao coastal waters. Redundancy analysis revealed significant (p < 0.01) influence of temperature, dissolved oxygen and chlorophyll a on the spatiotemporal abundance pattern of α-Proteobacteria and Cyanobacteria groups. Among the 19 identified bacterioplankton subgroups, α-Proteobacteria (phylum Proteobacteria) was the dominant one followed by Family II (phylum Cyanobacteria), representing 19.1–55.2% and 2.3–54.2% of total sequences, respectively. An inverse relationship (r = -0.82) was observed between the two dominant subgroups, α-Proteobacteria and Family II. A wide range of inverse Simpson index (10.2 to 105) revealed spatial heterogeneity of bacterioplankton diversity likely resulting from the varied anthropogenic and natural influences. Overall, our results suggested that seasonal variations impose substantial influence on shaping bacterioplankton abundance patterns. In addition, the predominance of only a few cosmopolitan species in the Qinhuangdao coastal wasters was

  5. INTERACTIONS BETWEEN BYTHOTREPHES CEDERSTROEMI AND LEPTODORA KINDTII INFERRED FROM SEASONAL POPULATION ABUNDANCE PATTERNS IN LAKE MICHIGAMME, MICHIGAN, USA

    EPA Science Inventory


    Bythotrephes cederstroemi is a non-indigenous predaceous zooplankter invading North American freshwater lakes in the Great Lakes region. We present seasonal population abundance values for both Bythotrephes and Leptodora kindtii from Lake Michigamme, Michigan for the years ...

  6. Implementing seasonal carbon allocation into a dynamic vegetation model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vermeulen, Marleen; Kruijt, Bart; Hickler, Thomas; Forrest, Matthew; Kabat, Pavel

    2014-05-01

    Long-term measurements of terrestrial fluxes through the FLUXNET Eddy Covariance network have revealed that carbon and water fluxes can be highly variable from year-to-year. This so-called interannual variability (IAV) of ecosystems is not fully understood because a direct relation with environmental drivers cannot always be found. Many dynamic vegetation models allocate NPP to leaves, stems, and root compartments on an annual basis, and thus do not account for seasonal changes in productivity in response to changes in environmental stressors. We introduce this vegetation seasonality into dynamic vegetation model LPJ-GUESS by implementing a new carbon allocation scheme on a daily basis. We focus in particular on modelling the observed flux seasonality of the Amazon basin, and validate our new model against fluxdata and MODIS GPP products. We expect that introducing seasonal variability into the model improves estimates of annual productivity and IAV, and therefore the model's representation of ecosystem carbon budgets as a whole.

  7. Local Hotspots In The Gulf Of Maine: Spatial Overlap Between Dynamic Aggregations Of Primary Productivity And Fish Abundance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ribera, M.

    2016-02-01

    Identification of biological hotspots may be a necessary step toward ecosystem-based management goals, as these often signal underlying processes that aggregate or stimulate resources in a particular location. However, previously used metrics to locate these hotspots are not easily adapted to local marine datasets, in part due to the high spatial and temporal variability of phytoplankton populations. While most fish species in temperate regions are well adapted to the seasonal variability of phytoplankton abundance, it is the variability beyond this predictable pattern (i.e. anomalies) that may heavily impact the abundance and spatial distribution of organisms higher up the food chain. The objective of this study was to identify local-scale biological hotspots in a region in the western side of the Gulf of Maine using remote sensing chlorophyll-a data (from MERIS sensor), and to study the spatial overlap between these hotspots and high concentrations of fish abundance (derived from VTR dataset). For this reason, we defined a new hotspot metric that identified as a hotspot any area that consistently exhibited high-magnitude anomalies through time, a sign of highly dynamic communities. We improved on previous indices by minimizing the effect that different means and variances across space may have on the results, a situation that often occurs when comparing coastal and offshore systems. Results show a significant spatial correlation between pelagic fish abundance and aggregations of primary productivity. Spatial correlations were also significant between benthic fish abundance and primary productivity hotspots, but only during spring months. We argue that this new hotspot index compliments existing global measures as it helps managers understand the dynamic characteristics of a complex marine system. It also provides a unique metric that is easily compared across space and between different trophic levels, which may facilitate future ecosystem-wide studies.

  8. Local Hotspots In The Gulf Of Maine: Spatial Overlap Between Dynamic Aggregations Of Primary Productivity And Fish Abundance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ribera, M.

    2016-12-01

    Identification of biological hotspots may be a necessary step toward ecosystem-based management goals, as these often signal underlying processes that aggregate or stimulate resources in a particular location. However, previously used metrics to locate these hotspots are not easily adapted to local marine datasets, in part due to the high spatial and temporal variability of phytoplankton populations. While most fish species in temperate regions are well adapted to the seasonal variability of phytoplankton abundance, it is the variability beyond this predictable pattern (i.e. anomalies) that may heavily impact the abundance and spatial distribution of organisms higher up the food chain. The objective of this study was to identify local-scale biological hotspots in a region in the western side of the Gulf of Maine using remote sensing chlorophyll-a data (from MERIS sensor), and to study the spatial overlap between these hotspots and high concentrations of fish abundance (derived from VTR dataset). For this reason, we defined a new hotspot metric that identified as a hotspot any area that consistently exhibited high-magnitude anomalies through time, a sign of highly dynamic communities. We improved on previous indices by minimizing the effect that different means and variances across space may have on the results, a situation that often occurs when comparing coastal and offshore systems. Results show a significant spatial correlation between pelagic fish abundance and aggregations of primary productivity. Spatial correlations were also significant between benthic fish abundance and primary productivity hotspots, but only during spring months. We argue that this new hotspot index compliments existing global measures as it helps managers understand the dynamic characteristics of a complex marine system. It also provides a unique metric that is easily compared across space and between different trophic levels, which may facilitate future ecosystem-wide studies.

  9. Abundance and composition dynamics of soil ammonia-oxidizing archaea in an alpine fir forest on the eastern Tibetan Plateau of China.

    PubMed

    Wang, Ao; Wu, Fu-Zhong; Yang, Wan-Qin; Wu, Zhi-Chao; Wang, Xu-Xi; Tan, Bo

    2012-05-01

    Real-time qPCR and clone library sequencing targeting amoA genes were used to investigate the seasonal dynamics of an ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) community in an alpine fir forest in western China. AOA were detected at all sampling dates, and there were significant variations in archaeal amoA gene copy numbers (7.63 × 10(5) to 8.35 × 10(8) per gram of dry soil) throughout the nongrowing season. Compared with ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB), the AOA displayed a higher abundance on the majority of sampling dates during the freeze-thaw period. All of the AOA sequences fell within soil and sediment lineages and were affiliated with 7 clusters. Compared with the other clusters, cluster 1 was more sensitive to low temperature and was the dominant group in August. In contrast, cluster 3 dominated the AOA community in winter and probably represents a group of cold-adapted archaea. Redundancy analysis (RDA) revealed that the seasonality of the AOA community was mainly attributed to changes in soil temperature and nutrient availability (e.g., dissolved organic nitrogen and carbon). Our results indicate that AOA exist in frozen soils in the alpine coniferous forest ecosystem of the eastern Tibetan Plateau. Moreover, soil temperature may directly and (or) indirectly affect AOA abundance and composition and may further influence the soil N cycle during the winter.

  10. Fruit traits and temporal abundance shape plant-frugivore interaction networks in a seasonal tropical forest.

    PubMed

    Ramos-Robles, Michelle; Dáttilo, Wesley; Díaz-Castelazo, Cecilia; Andresen, Ellen

    2018-04-02

    Interactions between fleshy fruited plants and frugivores are crucial for the structuring and functioning of biotic communities, particularly in tropical forests where both groups are diverse and play different roles in network organization. However, it remains poorly understood how different groups of frugivore species and fruit traits contribute to network structure. We recorded interactions among 28 plant species and three groups of frugivores (birds, bats, and non-flying mammals) in a seasonal forest in Mexico to determine which species contribute more to network structure and evaluate the importance of each species. We also determined whether fruit abundance, water content, morphology traits, and fruiting phenology are related to network parameters: the number of interactions, species contribution to nestedness, and species strength. We found that plants did not depend on a single group of frugivores, but rather on one species of each group: the bird Pitangus sulphuratus, the bat Sturnira parvidens, and the non-flying mammal Procyon lotor. The abundance, size, and water content of the fruits were significantly related to the contribution to nestedness, number of interactions, and species strength index of plant species. Tree species and birds contributed mainly to the nested structure of the network. We show that the structure of plant-frugivore networks in this seasonal forest is non-random and that fruit traits (i.e., abundance, phenology, size, and water content) are important factors shaping plant-frugivore networks. Identification of the key species and their traits that maintain the complex structure of species interactions is therefore fundamental for the integral conservation of tropical forests.

  11. Climate change impact on the establishment and seasonal abundance of Invasive Mosquito Species: current state and future risk maps over southeast Europe

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tagaris, Efthimios; -Eleni Sotiropoulou, Rafaella; Sotiropoulos, Andreas; Spanos, Ioannis; Milonas, Panayiotis; Michaelakis, Antonios

    2017-04-01

    Establishment and seasonal abundance of a region for Invasive Mosquito Species (IMS) are related to climatic parameters such as temperature and precipitation. In this work the current state is assessed using data from the European Climate Assessment and Dataset (ECA&D) project over Greece and Italy for the development of current spatial risk databases of IMS. Results are validated from the installation of a prototype IMS monitoring device that has been designed and developed in the framework of the LIFE CONOPS project at key points across the two countries. Since climate models suggest changes in future temperature and precipitation rates, the future potentiality of IMS establishment and spread over Greece and Italy is assessed using the climatic parameters in 2050's provided by the NASA GISS GCM ModelE under the IPCC-A1B emissions scenarios. The need for regional climate projections in a finer grid size is assessed using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model to dynamically downscale GCM simulations. The estimated changes in the future meteorological parameters are combined with the observation data in order to estimate the future levels of the climatic parameters of interest. The final product includes spatial distribution maps presenting the future suitability of a region for the establishment and seasonal abundance of the IMS over Greece and Italy. Acknowledgement: LIFE CONOPS project "Development & demonstration of management plans against - the climate change enhanced - invasive mosquitoes in S. Europe" (LIFE12 ENV/GR/000466).

  12. Seasonal Distribution and Historic Trends in Abundance of White Sharks, Carcharodon carcharias, in the Western North Atlantic Ocean

    PubMed Central

    Curtis, Tobey H.; McCandless, Camilla T.; Carlson, John K.; Skomal, Gregory B.; Kohler, Nancy E.; Natanson, Lisa J.; Burgess, George H.; Hoey, John J.; Pratt, Harold L.

    2014-01-01

    Despite recent advances in field research on white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) in several regions around the world, opportunistic capture and sighting records remain the primary source of information on this species in the northwest Atlantic Ocean (NWA). Previous studies using limited datasets have suggested a precipitous decline in the abundance of white sharks from this region, but considerable uncertainty in these studies warrants additional investigation. This study builds upon previously published data combined with recent unpublished records and presents a synthesis of 649 confirmed white shark records from the NWA compiled over a 210-year period (1800-2010), resulting in the largest white shark dataset yet compiled from this region. These comprehensive records were used to update our understanding of their seasonal distribution, relative abundance trends, habitat use, and fisheries interactions. All life stages were present in continental shelf waters year-round, but median latitude of white shark occurrence varied seasonally. White sharks primarily occurred between Massachusetts and New Jersey during summer and off Florida during winter, with broad distribution along the coast during spring and fall. The majority of fishing gear interactions occurred with rod and reel, longline, and gillnet gears. Historic abundance trends from multiple sources support a significant decline in white shark abundance in the 1970s and 1980s, but there have been apparent increases in abundance since the 1990s when a variety of conservation measures were implemented. Though the white shark's inherent vulnerability to exploitation warrants continued protections, our results suggest a more optimistic outlook for the recovery of this iconic predator in the Atlantic. PMID:24918579

  13. Seasonally forced disease dynamics explored as switching between attractors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Keeling, Matt J.; Rohani, Pejman; Grenfell, Bryan T.

    2001-01-01

    Biological phenomena offer a rich diversity of problems that can be understood using mathematical techniques. Three key features common to many biological systems are temporal forcing, stochasticity and nonlinearity. Here, using simple disease models compared to data, we examine how these three factors interact to produce a range of complicated dynamics. The study of disease dynamics has been amongst the most theoretically developed areas of mathematical biology; simple models have been highly successful in explaining the dynamics of a wide variety of diseases. Models of childhood diseases incorporate seasonal variation in contact rates due to the increased mixing during school terms compared to school holidays. This ‘binary’ nature of the seasonal forcing results in dynamics that can be explained as switching between two nonlinear spiral sinks. Finally, we consider the stability of the attractors to understand the interaction between the deterministic dynamics and demographic and environmental stochasticity. Throughout attention is focused on the behaviour of measles, whooping cough and rubella.

  14. An integrated data model to estimate spatiotemporal occupancy, abundance, and colonization dynamics

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Williams, Perry J.; Hooten, Mevin B.; Womble, Jamie N.; Esslinger, George G.; Bower, Michael R.; Hefley, Trevor J.

    2017-01-01

    Ecological invasions and colonizations occur dynamically through space and time. Estimating the distribution and abundance of colonizing species is critical for efficient management or conservation. We describe a statistical framework for simultaneously estimating spatiotemporal occupancy and abundance dynamics of a colonizing species. Our method accounts for several issues that are common when modeling spatiotemporal ecological data including multiple levels of detection probability, multiple data sources, and computational limitations that occur when making fine-scale inference over a large spatiotemporal domain. We apply the model to estimate the colonization dynamics of sea otters (Enhydra lutris) in Glacier Bay, in southeastern Alaska.

  15. The effects of experimental irrigation on plant productivity, insect abundance and the non-breeding season performance of a migratory songbird.

    PubMed

    Wilson, Scott; Marra, Peter P; Sillett, T Scott

    2013-01-01

    Migratory bird populations are often limited by food during the non-breeding season. Correlative evidence suggests that food abundance on territories varies among years in relation to rainfall, which affects plant productivity and arthropod biomass. At the Font Hill Nature Preserve in Jamaica, we used an irrigation experiment to test the hypothesis that rainfall affects the condition of wintering American redstarts (Setophaga ruticilla) via intermediate effects on plant productivity and arthropod abundance. Experimental plots were irrigated in late February and early March to simulate a mid-season pulse of 200 mm of rain. Irrigation maintained soil moisture levels near saturation and had immediate effects on plant productivity. Cumulative leaf abscission over the dry season was 50% lower on experimental plots resulting in greater canopy cover, and we observed significantly higher ground level shoot growth and the flushing of new leaves on about 58% of logwood (Haematoxylon campechianum) individuals. Arthropod biomass was 1.5 times higher on irrigated plots, but there was considerable inter-plot variability within a treatment and a strong seasonal decline in biomass. Consequently, we found no significant effect of irrigation on arthropod abundance or redstart condition. We suspect that the lack of an irrigation effect for taxa higher on the trophic chain was due to the small spatial scale of the treatment relative to the scale at which these taxa operate. Although redstart condition was not affected, we did observe turnover from subordinate to dominant territorial individuals on experimental plots suggesting a perceived difference in habitat quality that influenced individual behavior.

  16. Seasonal frost effects on the dynamic behavior of a twenty-story office building

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Yang, Z.; Dutta, U.; Xiong, F.; Biswas, N.; Benz, H.

    2008-01-01

    Studies have shown that seasonal frost can significantly affect the seismic behavior of a bridge foundation system in cold regions. However, little information could be found regarding seasonal frost effects on the dynamic behavior of buildings. Based on the analysis of building vibration data recorded by a permanent strong-motion instrumentation system, the objective of this paper is to show that seasonal frost can impact the building dynamic behavior and the magnitude of impact may be different for different structures. Ambient noise and seismic data recorded on a twenty-story steel-frame building have been analyzed to examine the building dynamic characteristics in relationship to the seasonal frost and other variables including ground shaking intensity. Subsequently, Finite Element modeling of the foundation-soil system and the building superstructure was conducted to verify the seasonal frost effects. The Finite Element modeling was later extended to a reinforced-concrete (RC) type building assumed to exist at a similar site as the steel-frame building. Results show that the seasonal frost has great impact on the foundation stiffness in the horizontal direction and a clear influence on the building dynamic behavior. If other conditions remain the same, the effects of seasonal frost on structural dynamic behavior may be much more prominent for RC-type buildings than for steel-frame buildings. ?? 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. A Theoretical Approach to Understanding Population Dynamics with Seasonal Developmental Durations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lou, Yijun; Zhao, Xiao-Qiang

    2017-04-01

    There is a growing body of biological investigations to understand impacts of seasonally changing environmental conditions on population dynamics in various research fields such as single population growth and disease transmission. On the other side, understanding the population dynamics subject to seasonally changing weather conditions plays a fundamental role in predicting the trends of population patterns and disease transmission risks under the scenarios of climate change. With the host-macroparasite interaction as a motivating example, we propose a synthesized approach for investigating the population dynamics subject to seasonal environmental variations from theoretical point of view, where the model development, basic reproduction ratio formulation and computation, and rigorous mathematical analysis are involved. The resultant model with periodic delay presents a novel term related to the rate of change of the developmental duration, bringing new challenges to dynamics analysis. By investigating a periodic semiflow on a suitably chosen phase space, the global dynamics of a threshold type is established: all solutions either go to zero when basic reproduction ratio is less than one, or stabilize at a positive periodic state when the reproduction ratio is greater than one. The synthesized approach developed here is applicable to broader contexts of investigating biological systems with seasonal developmental durations.

  18. Seasonal Population Dynamics of Three Potato Pests in Washington State.

    PubMed

    D'Auria, Elizabeth M; Wohleb, Carrie H; Waters, Timothy D; Crowder, David W

    2016-08-01

    Pest phenology models allow producers to anticipate pest outbreaks and deploy integrated pest management (IPM) strategies. Phenology models are particularly useful for cropping systems with multiple economically damaging pests throughout a season. Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) crops of Washington State, USA, are attacked by many insect pests including the potato tuberworm (Phthorimaea operculella Zeller), the beet leafhopper (Circulifer tenellus Baker), and the green peach aphid (Myzus persicae Sulzer). Each of these pests directly damages potato foliage or tubers; C. tenellus and M. persicae also transmit pathogens that can drastically reduce potato yields. We monitored the seasonal population dynamics of these pests by conducting weekly sampling on a network of commercial farms from 2007 to 2014. Using these data, we developed phenology models to characterize the seasonal population dynamics of each pest based on accumulated degree-days (DD). All three pests exhibited consistent population dynamics across seasons that were mediated by temperature. Of the three pests, C. tenellus was generally the first detected in potato crops, with 90% of adults captured by 936 DD. In contrast, populations of P. operculella and M. persicae built up more slowly over the course of the season, with 90% cumulative catch by 1,590 and 2,634 DD, respectively. Understanding these seasonal patterns could help potato producers plan their IPM strategies while allowing them to move away from calendar-based applications of insecticides. More broadly, our results show how long-term monitoring studies that explore dynamics of multiple pest species can aid in developing IPM strategies in crop systems. © The Authors 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  19. Fire decreases arthropod abundance but increases diversity: Early and late season prescribed fire effects in a Sierra Nevada mixed-conifer forest

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ferrenberg, Scott; Schwilk, Dylan W.; Knapp, Eric E.; Groth, Eric; Keeley, Jon E.

    2006-01-01

    Prior to fire suppression in the 20th century, the mixed-conifer forests of the Sierra Nevada, California, U.S.A., historically burned in frequent fires that typically occurred during the late summer and early fall. Fire managers have been attempting to restore natural ecosystem processes through prescription burning, and have often favored burning during the fall in order to mimic historical fire regimes. Increasingly, however, prescription burning is also being done during the late spring and early summer in order to expand the window of opportunity for needed fuel reduction burning. The effect of prescribed fires outside of the historical fire season on forest arthropods is not known. The objective of this study was to compare the short-term effects of prescribed fires ignited in the early and late fire season on forest floor arthropods. Arthropod abundance and diversity were assessed using pitfall trapping in replicated burn units in Sequoia National Park, California. Overall, abundance of arthropods was lower in the burn treatments than in the unburned control. However, diversity tended to be greater in the burn treatments. Fire also altered the relative abundances of arthropod feeding guilds. No significant differences in arthropod community structure were found between early and late season burn treatments. Instead, changes in the arthropod community appeared to be driven largely by changes in fuel loading, vegetation, and habitat heterogeneity, all of which differed more between the burned and unburned treatments than between early and late season burn treatments.

  20. Impact of seasonality upon the dynamics of a novel pathogen in a seabird colony

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    O'Regan, S. M.

    2008-11-01

    A seasonally perturbed variant of the basic Susceptible-Infected-Recovered (SIR) model in epidemiology is considered in this paper. The effect of seasonality on an IR system of ordinary differential equations describing the dynamics of a novel pathogen, e.g., highly pathogenic avian influenza, in a seabird colony is investigated. The method of Lyapunov functions is used to determine the long-term behaviour of this system. Numerical simulations of the seasonally perturbed IR system indicate that the system exhibits complex dynamics as the amplitude of the seasonal perturbation term is increased. These findings suggest that seasonality may exert a considerable effect on the dynamics of epidemics in a seabird colony.

  1. Seasonal variation of zooplankton abundance and community structure in Prince William Sound, Alaska, 2009-2016

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McKinstry, Caitlin A. E.; Campbell, Robert W.

    2018-01-01

    Large calanoid copepods and other zooplankters comprise the prey field for ecologically and economically important predators such as juvenile pink salmon, herring, and seabirds in Prince William Sound (PWS).​ From 2009-2016, the Gulf Watch Alaska program collected zooplankton 5-10 times each year at 12 stations in PWS to establish annual patterns. Surveys collected 188 species of zooplankton with Oithona similis, Limacina helicina, Pseudocalanus spp., and Acartia longiremis as the most common species present in 519 samples. Generalized additive models assessed seasonal abundance and showed peak abundance in July (mean: 9826 no. m-3 [95% CI: 7990-12,084]) and lowest abundance in January (503 no. m-3 [373 to 678]). Significantly higher zooplankton abundance occurred in 2010 (542 no. m-3 ± 55 SE) and lowest in 2013 (149 no. m-3 ± 13). The species composition of communities, determined via hierarchical cluster analysis and indicator species analysis, produced six distinct communities based on season and location. The winter community, characterized by warm-water indicator species including Mesocalanus tenuicornis, Calanus pacificus, and Corycaeus anglicus, diverged into four communities throughout the spring and summer. The first spring community, characterized by copepods with affinities for lower salinities, occurred sound-wide. The second spring community, comprised of planktonic larvae, appeared sporadically in PWS bays in 2011-2013. Spring and summer open water stations were defined by the presence of large calanoid copepods. A summer community including the most abundant taxa was common in 2010 and 2011, absent in 2013, then sporadically appeared in 2014 and 2015 suggesting interannual variability of zooplankton assemblages. The zooplankton community shifted to a uniform assemblage characterized by cnidarians in the early autumn. Community assemblages showed significant correlations to a set of environmental variables including SST, mixed layer depth

  2. Seasonal dynamics of bacterial meningitis: a time-series analysis.

    PubMed

    Paireau, Juliette; Chen, Angelica; Broutin, Helene; Grenfell, Bryan; Basta, Nicole E

    2016-06-01

    Bacterial meningitis, which is caused mainly by Neisseria meningitidis, Haemophilus influenzae, and Streptococcus pneumoniae, inflicts a substantial burden of disease worldwide. Yet, the temporal dynamics of this disease are poorly characterised and many questions remain about the ecology of the disease. We aimed to comprehensively assess seasonal trends in bacterial meningitis on a global scale. We developed the first bacterial meningitis global database by compiling monthly incidence data as reported by country-level surveillance systems. Using country-level wavelet analysis, we identified whether a 12 month periodic component (annual seasonality) was detected in time-series that had at least 5 years of data with at least 40 cases reported per year. We estimated the mean timing of disease activity by computing the centre of gravity of the distribution of cases and investigated whether synchrony exists between the three pathogens responsible for most cases of bacterial meningitis. We used country-level data from 66 countries, including from 47 countries outside the meningitis belt in sub-Saharan Africa. A persistent seasonality was detected in 49 (96%) of the 51 time-series from 38 countries eligible for inclusion in the wavelet analyses. The mean timing of disease activity had a latitudinal trend, with bacterial meningitis seasons peaking during the winter months in countries in both the northern and southern hemispheres. The three pathogens shared similar seasonality, but time-shifts differed slightly by country. Our findings provide key insight into the seasonal dynamics of bacterial meningitis and add to knowledge about the global epidemiology of meningitis and the host, environment, and pathogen characteristics driving these patterns. Comprehensive understanding of global seasonal trends in meningitis could be used to design more effective prevention and control strategies. Princeton University Health Grand Challenge, US National Institutes of Health (NIH

  3. Seasonal dynamics of bacterial meningitis: a time-series analysis

    PubMed Central

    Paireau, Juliette; Chen, Angelica; Broutin, Helene; Grenfell, Bryan; Basta, Nicole E

    2017-01-01

    Summary Background Bacterial meningitis, which is caused mainly by Neisseria meningitidis, Haemophilus influenzae, and Streptococcus pneumoniae, inflicts a substantial burden of disease worldwide. Yet, the temporal dynamics of this disease are poorly characterised and many questions remain about the ecology of the disease. We aimed to comprehensively assess seasonal trends in bacterial meningitis on a global scale. Methods We developed the first bacterial meningitis global database by compiling monthly incidence data as reported by country-level surveillance systems. Using country-level wavelet analysis, we identified whether a 12 month periodic component (annual seasonality) was detected in time-series that had at least 5 years of data with at least 40 cases reported per year. We estimated the mean timing of disease activity by computing the centre of gravity of the distribution of cases and investigated whether synchrony exists between the three pathogens responsible for most cases of bacterial meningitis. Findings We used country-level data from 66 countries, including from 47 countries outside the meningitis belt in sub-Saharan Africa. A persistent seasonality was detected in 49 (96%) of the 51 time-series from 38 countries eligible for inclusion in the wavelet analyses. The mean timing of disease activity had a latitudinal trend, with bacterial meningitis seasons peaking during the winter months in countries in both the northern and southern hemispheres. The three pathogens shared similar seasonality, but time-shifts differed slightly by country. Interpretation Our findings provide key insight into the seasonal dynamics of bacterial meningitis and add to knowledge about the global epidemiology of meningitis and the host, environment, and pathogen characteristics driving these patterns. Comprehensive understanding of global seasonal trends in meningitis could be used to design more effective prevention and control strategies. Funding Princeton University Health

  4. Tree species, spatial heterogeneity, and seasonality drive soil fungal abundance, richness, and composition in Neotropical rainforests.

    PubMed

    Kivlin, Stephanie N; Hawkes, Christine V

    2016-12-01

    Tropical ecosystems remain poorly understood and this is particularly true for belowground soil fungi. Soil fungi may respond to plant identity when, for example, plants differentially allocate resources belowground. However, spatial and temporal heterogeneity in factors such as plant inputs, moisture, or nutrients can also affect fungal communities and obscure our ability to detect plant effects in single time point studies or within diverse forests. To address this, we sampled replicated monocultures of four tree species and secondary forest controls sampled in the drier and wetter seasons over 2 years. Fungal community composition was primarily related to vegetation type and spatial heterogeneity in the effects of vegetation type, with increasing divergence partly reflecting greater differences in soil pH and soil moisture. Across wetter versus drier dates, fungi were 7% less diverse, but up to four-fold more abundant. The combined effects of tree species and seasonality suggest that predicted losses of tropical tree diversity and intensification of drought have the potential to cascade belowground to affect both diversity and abundance of tropical soil fungi. © 2016 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  5. Early warning of West Nile virus mosquito vector: climate and land use models successfully explain phenology and abundance of Culex pipiens mosquitoes in north-western Italy.

    PubMed

    Rosà, Roberto; Marini, Giovanni; Bolzoni, Luca; Neteler, Markus; Metz, Markus; Delucchi, Luca; Chadwick, Elizabeth A; Balbo, Luca; Mosca, Andrea; Giacobini, Mario; Bertolotti, Luigi; Rizzoli, Annapaola

    2014-06-12

    West Nile Virus (WNV) is an emerging global health threat. Transmission risk is strongly related to the abundance of mosquito vectors, typically Culex pipiens in Europe. Early-warning predictors of mosquito population dynamics would therefore help guide entomological surveillance and thereby facilitate early warnings of transmission risk. We analysed an 11-year time series (2001 to 2011) of Cx. pipiens mosquito captures from the Piedmont region of north-western Italy to determine the principal drivers of mosquito population dynamics. Linear mixed models were implemented to examine the relationship between Cx. pipiens population dynamics and environmental predictors including temperature, precipitation, Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) and the proximity of mosquito traps to urban areas and rice fields. Warm temperatures early in the year were associated with an earlier start to the mosquito season and increased season length, and later in the year, with decreased abundance. Early precipitation delayed the start and shortened the length of the mosquito season, but increased total abundance. Conversely, precipitation later in the year was associated with a longer season. Finally, higher NDWI early in the year was associated with an earlier start to the season and increased season length, but was not associated with abundance. Proximity to rice fields predicted higher total abundance when included in some models, but was not a significant predictor of phenology. Proximity to urban areas was not a significant predictor in any of our models. Predicted variations in start of the season and season length ranged from one to three weeks, across the measured range of variables. Predicted mosquito abundance was highly variable, with numbers in excess of 1000 per trap per year when late season temperatures were low (average 21°C) to only 150 when late season temperatures were high (average 30°C). Climate data collected early in the year, in conjunction with local land

  6. Constraining Water Vapor Abundance on Mars using a Coupled Heat-Water Transport Model and Seasonal Frost Observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bapst, J.; Byrne, S.

    2016-12-01

    The stability of water ice on Mars' surface is determined by its temperature and the density of water vapor at the bottom of the atmosphere. Multiple orbiting instruments have been used to study column-integrated water abundance in the martian atmosphere, resolving the global annual water cycle. However, poor knowledge of the vertical distribution of water makes constraining its abundance near the surface difficult. One must assume a mixing regime to produce surface vapor density estimates. More indirectly, one can use the appearance and disappearance of seasonal water frost, along with ice stability models, to estimate this value. Here, we use derived temperature and surface reflectance data from MGS TES to constrain a 1-D thermal diffusion model, which is coupled to an atmospheric water transport model. TES temperatures are used to constrain thermal properties of our modeled subsurface, while changes in TES albedo can be used to determine the timing of water frost. We tune the density of water vapor in the atmospheric model to match the observed seasonal water frost timing in the northern hemisphere, poleward of 45°N. Thus, we produce a new estimate for the water abundance in the lower atmosphere of Mars and how it varies seasonally and geographically. The timing of water frost can be ambiguous in TES data, especially at lower latitudes where the albedo contrast between frosted and unfrosted surfaces is lower (presumably due to lesser areal coverage of water frost). The uncertainty in frost timing with our approach is <20° LS ( 40 sols), and will be used to define upper and lower bounds in our estimate of vapor density. The implications of our derived vapor densities on the stability of surface and subsurface water ice will be discussed.

  7. An integrated data model to estimate spatiotemporal occupancy, abundance, and colonization dynamics.

    PubMed

    Williams, Perry J; Hooten, Mevin B; Womble, Jamie N; Esslinger, George G; Bower, Michael R; Hefley, Trevor J

    2017-02-01

    Ecological invasions and colonizations occur dynamically through space and time. Estimating the distribution and abundance of colonizing species is critical for efficient management or conservation. We describe a statistical framework for simultaneously estimating spatiotemporal occupancy and abundance dynamics of a colonizing species. Our method accounts for several issues that are common when modeling spatiotemporal ecological data including multiple levels of detection probability, multiple data sources, and computational limitations that occur when making fine-scale inference over a large spatiotemporal domain. We apply the model to estimate the colonization dynamics of sea otters (Enhydra lutris) in Glacier Bay, in southeastern Alaska. © 2016 by the Ecological Society of America.

  8. New insights into ocean sunfish (Mola mola) abundance and seasonal distribution in the northeast Atlantic.

    PubMed

    Breen, Patricia; Cañadas, Ana; Cadhla, Oliver Ó; Mackey, Mick; Scheidat, Meike; Geelhoed, Steve C V; Rogan, Emer; Jessopp, Mark

    2017-05-17

    The ocean sunfish, Mola mola, is the largest teleost fish in the world. Despite being found in all oceans of the world, little is known about its abundance and factors driving its distribution. In this study we provide the first abundance estimates for sunfish in offshore waters in the northeast Atlantic and the first record of extensive sunfish presence in these waters year-round. Abundance estimates and predictive distributions for sunfish in approximately 300,000 km² of the northeast Atlantic were derived from large scale offshore aerial surveys in 2015-2016 using distance sampling techniques. Generalized additive models of sunfish density were fitted to survey data from 17,360 km of line transect effort resulting in minimum abundance estimates of 12,702 (CI: 9,864-16,357) in the summer (Density = 0.043 ind/km²) and 8,223 individuals (CI: 6,178-10,946) (Density = 0.028 ind/km²) in the winter. Density surface models predicted seasonal shifts in distribution and highlighted the importance of the mixed layer depth, possibly related to thermoregulation following deep foraging dives. The abundance estimate and estimated daily consumption of 2,600 tonnes of jellyfish in the northeast Atlantic highlights the need to re-assess the importance of this species in the pelagic ecosystem, and its role in top-down control of jellyfish blooms.

  9. Small mammal use of native warm-season and non-native cool-season grass forage fields

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ryan L Klimstra,; Christopher E Moorman,; Converse, Sarah J.; Royle, J. Andrew; Craig A Harper,

    2015-01-01

    Recent emphasis has been put on establishing native warm-season grasses for forage production because it is thought native warm-season grasses provide higher quality wildlife habitat than do non-native cool-season grasses. However, it is not clear whether native warm-season grass fields provide better resources for small mammals than currently are available in non-native cool-season grass forage production fields. We developed a hierarchical spatially explicit capture-recapture model to compare abundance of hispid cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus), white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus), and house mice (Mus musculus) among 4 hayed non-native cool-season grass fields, 4 hayed native warm-season grass fields, and 4 native warm-season grass-forb ("wildlife") fields managed for wildlife during 2 summer trapping periods in 2009 and 2010 of the western piedmont of North Carolina, USA. Cotton rat abundance estimates were greater in wildlife fields than in native warm-season grass and non-native cool-season grass fields and greater in native warm-season grass fields than in non-native cool-season grass fields. Abundances of white-footed mouse and house mouse populations were lower in wildlife fields than in native warm-season grass and non-native cool-season grass fields, but the abundances were not different between the native warm-season grass and non-native cool-season grass fields. Lack of cover following haying in non-native cool-season grass and native warm-season grass fields likely was the key factor limiting small mammal abundance, especially cotton rats, in forage fields. Retention of vegetation structure in managed forage production systems, either by alternately resting cool-season and warm-season grass forage fields or by leaving unharvested field borders, should provide refugia for small mammals during haying events.

  10. Seasonal Diversity Patterns of a Coastal Synechococcus Population

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hunter-Cevera, K. R.; Sosik, H. M.; Neubert, M.; Hammar, K.; Post, A.

    2016-02-01

    Understanding how environmental and ecological factors determine phytoplankton species abundances requires knowledge of the diversity present within a population. For the important primary producer Synechococcus, clades demonstrate differences in temperature tolerance, light acclimation, grazer palatability, and more. Marine Synechococcus populations are often composed of more than one clade, and overall population dynamics will be governed by the types of cells present and by their individual physiological capabilities. We investigate the diversity of the Synechococcus assemblage at the Martha's Vineyard Coastal Observatory with high-throughput sequencing of the V6 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene. Small nucleotide differences within this region allow for resolution of distinct phylotypes that can have a direct correspondence to the well-defined Synechococcus clades. From a three-year time series, we find that the Synechococcus population is dominated by 5 distinct phylotypes, and that each type exhibits a repeatable, seasonal pattern in relative abundance. We use compositional data analysis techniques to investigate the relationships between these patterns and environmental factors. We further interpret these patterns in the context of Synechococcus population dynamics assessed by automated, submersible flow cytometry (FlowCytobot). Observed diel changes in cell size distributions, coupled with a validated matrix population model, provide estimates of in situ population division rates. We find strong evidence that the main seasonal diversity patterns are governed by temperature, but that biological loss agents likely shape the diversity structure for certain times of year. For some phylotypes, relative abundance patterns are also related to light and nutrients. The composition of Synechococcus over the annual cycle appears to directly affect seasonal features of cell abundance patterns, such as the spring bloom.

  11. Seasonal abundance and vertical distribution of capelin (Mallotus villosus) in relation to water temperature at a coastal site off eastern Newfoundland

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Methven, David A.; Piatt, John F.

    1991-01-01

    The seasonal abundance and vertical distribution of capelin in relation to water temperature have been investigated by conducting repeated hydroacoustic surveys at a coastal site off eastern Newfoundland. Water temperatures were warmer in 1983 than in 1984 as indicated by the earlier appearance and greater depth of the seasonal thermocline. Correspondingly, schools of capelin appeared earlier, were more abundant, and extended deeper in the water column in 1983 than in 1984. Most capelin were found between the surface and the 5°C isotherm. In both years, initial peaks of capelin abundance occurred when nearshore water temperatures increased from about 0-1°C to above 6°C and, at or near, periods of maximum tidal oscillation. Short-term variations in the depth of the 5°C isotherm were related to nearshore wind-induced upwelling events. Annual variations corresponded to the volume of cold (>0°C) water and sea-ice transported south by the Labrador Current.

  12. Dynamic N -occupancy models: estimating demographic rates and local abundance from detection-nondetection data

    Treesearch

    Sam Rossman; Charles B. Yackulic; Sarah P. Saunders; Janice Reid; Ray Davis; Elise F. Zipkin

    2016-01-01

    Occupancy modeling is a widely used analytical technique for assessing species distributions and range dynamics. However, occupancy analyses frequently ignore variation in abundance of occupied sites, even though site abundances affect many of the parameters being estimated (e.g., extinction, colonization, detection probability). We introduce a new model (“dynamic

  13. Seasonal abundance and activity of pill millipedes ( Arthrosphaera magna) in mixed plantation and semi-evergreen forest of southern India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ashwini, Krishna M.; Sridhar, Kandikere R.

    2006-01-01

    Seasonal occurrence and activity of endemic pill millipedes ( Arthrosphaera magna) were examined in organically managed mixed plantation and semi-evergreen forest reserve in southwest India between November 1996 and September 1998. Abundance and biomass of millipedes were highest in both habitats during monsoon season. Soil moisture, conductivity, organic carbon, phosphate, potassium, calcium and magnesium were higher in plantation than in forest. Millipede abundance and biomass were about 12 and 7 times higher in plantation than in forest, respectively ( P < 0.001). Their biomass increased during post-monsoon, summer and monsoon in the plantation ( P < 0.001), but not in forest ( P > 0.05). Millipede abundance and biomass were positively correlated with rainfall ( P = 0.01). Besides rainfall, millipedes in plantation were positively correlated with soil moisture as well as temperature ( P = 0.001). Among the associated fauna with pill millipedes, earthworms rank first followed by soil bugs in both habitats. Since pill millipedes are sensitive to narrow ecological changes, the organic farming strategies followed in mixed plantation and commonly practiced in South India seem not deleterious for the endangered pill millipedes Arthrosphaera and reduce the risk of local extinctions.

  14. Seasonal and interannual variations in coccolithophore abundance off Terceira Island, Azores (Central North Atlantic)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Narciso, Áurea; Gallo, Francesca; Valente, André; Cachão, Mário; Cros, Lluïsa; Azevedo, Eduardo B.; e Ramos, Joana Barcelos

    2016-04-01

    In order to characterize the natural coccolithophore community occurring offshore Azores and to determine their annual and interannual patterns, monthly samples were collected, from September 2010 to December 2014, in the photic zone off Terceira Island. The present study revealed a clear seasonal distribution and a considerable interannual variability of the living coccolithophore community. The highest coccolithophore abundances were observed during spring and winter months, especially due to the smaller species Emiliania huxleyi and Gephyrocapsa ericsonii. In fact, the highest biomass period was registered during April 2011, associated with enhanced abundance of the overcalcified morphotype of E. huxleyi, which was possibly influenced by subpolar waters and subsequent upwelling conditions. The highest abundances of Gephyrocapsa muellerae were recorded during June 2011 and 2014, indicating that this species characterizes the transition between the period of maximum productivity and the subsequent smoother environmental conditions, the first and the later stages of the phytoplankton succession described by Margalef, respectively. During summer to early fall, a gradual decrease of the overall coccolithophore abundance was observed, while the species richness (Margalef diversity index) increased. A subtropical coccolithophore assemblage mainly composed by Umbellosphaera tenuis, Syracosphaera spp., Discosphaera tubifera, Rhabdosphaera clavigera and Coronosphaera mediterranea indicated the presence of surface warmer waters accompanied by reduced mixing and low nutrients concentration. During late fall to winter, the coccolithophore abundance increased again with a concomitant reduction in species diversity. This is potentially linked to low sea surface temperatures, moderate nutrients concentration and surface mixed layer deepening. During 2011, colder and productive waters led to an increase in the total coccolithophore abundances. On contrary, during 2012

  15. Seasonal and annual variation in the diet of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) in relation to the abundance of capelin (Mallotus villosus) off eastern Newfoundland, Canada

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Methven, David A.; Piatt, John F.

    1989-01-01

    The importance of capelin as prey for cod has long been known (Thompson, 1943; and see Lilly (1987) for a review); however, no studies have been conducted on how the highly dynamic seasonal and yearly variations in capelin abundance affect cod diet. We studied the occurrence of capelin in cod stomachs in relation to the relative abundance of capelin at Witless Bay, Newfoundland (47°15’N 52°46’W), during June, July and August, 1982-1984. The mean number of capelin per stomach and the per cent occurrence of stomachs containing capelin were determined for each collection of stomachs. A total of 680 stomachs were examined. Cod were sampled from those caught in gillnets by fishermen and averaged 66 cm ± 8 (s.d.) in 1983 and 62 cm ± 8 (s.d.) in 1984. Relative abundance of capelin in the local habitat was determined by conducting hydroacoustic surveys around Gull Island in Witless Bay, the same area where cod were collected for stomach content analysis. Only hydroacoustic surveys conducted within three days of cod stomach collections were analyzed. Further details of hydroacoustic surveys including quantifications of acoustic echograms are described in Piatt (1989).

  16. Seasonal abundance and diversity of culturable heterotrophic bacteria in relation to environmental factors in the Gulf of Antalya, Eastern Mediterranean, Turkey.

    PubMed

    Çardak, Mine; Özgür Özbek, Elif; Kebapçioğlu, Turhan

    2015-04-01

    The abundance of culturable heterotropic bacteria studied on and according to depth levels and seasons in the Gulf of Antalya. Environmental factors were compared regarding culturable heterotrophic bacteria abundance and diversities of bacteria. During the study period (between August 2009 and April 2010, seasonally in the Gulf of Antalya, at six stations and six depth levels (0-20 cm, 10, 25, 50, 100, 200 m). The bacterial isolates were identified in the automated micro identification system VITEK 2 Compact 30 (Biomereux, France). The mean abundance was higher in Sts. D, E and F than Sts. A, B and C, located in the eastern part of the gulf. The mean abundance decreased as the depth level increased. The mean abundance of CHB ranged between 8.15 × 10(6) and 2.54 × 10(8) CFU ml(-1) throughout the year. Abundance of CHB differed according to the variations of biotic and abiotic factors. A total of 27 taxa of bacteria including six bacterial classes were reported in this study as the first records for the Gulf of Antalya. Six bacterial classes: Gamma Proteobacteria (46.81 %), Bacilli (27.66 %), Beta Proteobacteria (12.77 %), Alfa Proteobacteria (6.38 %), Actinobacteria (4.26 %) and Flavobacteria (2.13 %) were determined. The study resulted in increased knowledge on the composition and biochemical response of bacteria isolated from eutrophic and oligotrophic areas. 23 bacteria species belonging to 16 families were reported.

  17. Coral reef fish assemblages along a disturbance gradient in the northern Persian Gulf: A seasonal perspective.

    PubMed

    Ghazilou, Amir; Shokri, Mohammad Reza; Gladstone, William

    2016-04-30

    Seasonal dynamics of coral reef fish assemblages were assessed along a gradient of potential anthropogenic disturbance in the Northern Persian Gulf. Overall, the attributes of coral reef fish assemblages showed seasonality at two different levels: seasonal changes irrespective of the magnitude of disturbance level (e.g. species richness), and seasonal changes in response to disturbance level (e.g. total abundance and assemblage composition). The examined parameters mostly belonged to the second group, but the interpretation of the relationship between patterns of seasonal changes and the disturbance level was not straightforward. The abundance of carnivorous fishes did not vary among seasons. SIMPER identified the family Nemipteridae as the major contributor to the observed spatiotemporal variations in the composition of coral reef fish assemblages in the study area. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Primer selection impacts specific population abundances but not community dynamics in a monthly time-series 16S rRNA gene amplicon analysis of coastal marine bacterioplankton.

    PubMed

    Wear, Emma K; Wilbanks, Elizabeth G; Nelson, Craig E; Carlson, Craig A

    2018-03-09

    Primers targeting the 16S small subunit ribosomal RNA marker gene, used to characterize bacterial and archaeal communities, have recently been re-evaluated for marine planktonic habitats. To investigate whether primer selection affects the ecological interpretation of bacterioplankton populations and community dynamics, amplicon sequencing with four primer sets targeting several hypervariable regions of the 16S rRNA gene was conducted on both mock communities constructed from cloned 16S rRNA genes and a time-series of DNA samples from the temperate coastal Santa Barbara Channel. Ecological interpretations of community structure (delineation of depth and seasonality, correlations with environmental factors) were similar across primer sets, while population dynamics varied. We observed substantial differences in relative abundances of taxa known to be poorly resolved by some primer sets, such as Thaumarchaeota and SAR11, and unexpected taxa including Roseobacter clades. Though the magnitude of relative abundances of common OTUs differed between primer sets, the relative abundances of the OTUs were nonetheless strongly correlated. We do not endorse one primer set but rather enumerate strengths and weaknesses to facilitate selection appropriate to a system or experimental goal. While 16S rRNA gene primer bias suggests caution in assessing quantitative population dynamics, community dynamics appear robust across studies using different primers. © 2018 The Authors. Environmental Microbiology published by Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  19. Seasonal abundance and development of the Asian longhorned beetle and natural enemy prevalence in different forest types in China

    Treesearch

    Houping Liu; Leah S. Bauer; Tonghai Zhao; Ruitong Gao; Therese M. Poland

    2016-01-01

    Seasonal abundance and population development of the Asian longhorned beetle (ALB), Anoplophora glabripennis (Motschulsky) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), and prevalence of its natural enemies were studied on Hankow willow (Salix matsudana Koidz.) at an urban forest site (Anci) and a rural forest site (Tangerli) in Hebei province...

  20. Abundance and stratification of soil macroarthropods in a Caatinga Forest in Northeast Brazil.

    PubMed

    Araújo, V F P; Bandeira, A G; Vasconcellos, A

    2010-10-01

    In arid and semiarid environments, seasonality usually exerts a strong influence on the composition and dynamics of the soil community. The soil macroarthropods were studied in a Caatinga forest located in the Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural (RPPN) Fazenda Almas, São José dos Cordeiros, Paraíba, Brazil. Samples were collected during the dry and rainy seasons following the method proposed by the Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility Program (TSBF), with minor modifications. At each station, 15 soil blocks (20 × 20 × 30 cm: 12 L) were extracted and divided into three layers: A (0-10 cm), B (10-20 cm), and C (20-30 cm). In the rainy and dry seasons 1,306 ± 543(se) and 458 ± 212 ind.m-2 macroarthropods were found, respectively, with 35 and 18 respective taxa recorded. The abundance of individuals and taxa were significantly higher in the rainy season. Isoptera (57.8%) was the most abundant taxon, followed by Hymenoptera: Formicidae (17.2%), Coleoptera larvae (7.3%), and Araneae (3.5%). In the rainy season, abundance in layer A (576 ± 138 ind.m-2) was significantly higher than that of layer C (117 ± 64 ind.m-2), but was not different from layer B (613 ± 480 ind.m-2). There was also no difference between the layer B and C abundances. In the dry season, abundance in layer B (232 ± 120 ind.m-2) was not significantly different compared to layer A (182 ± 129 ind.m-2), but was significantly higher than abundance in layer C (44 ± 35 ind.m-2). During the rainy season, layer A (34 taxa) was significantly richer in taxa than layers B (19 taxa) and C (11 taxa). On the other hand, during the dry season the richness of layers A (12 taxa) and B (12 taxa) was equal, but significantly higher than that of layer C (6 taxa). Richness of taxa and abundance were positively correlated with soil organic matter and negatively correlated with soil temperature. The community of soil macroarthropods in the area of Caatinga studied has taxonomic and functional structures that

  1. Seasonality Impact on the Transmission Dynamics of Tuberculosis

    PubMed Central

    2016-01-01

    The statistical data of monthly pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) incidence cases from January 2004 to December 2012 show the seasonality fluctuations in Shaanxi of China. A seasonality TB epidemic model with periodic varying contact rate, reactivation rate, and disease-induced death rate is proposed to explore the impact of seasonality on the transmission dynamics of TB. Simulations show that the basic reproduction number of time-averaged autonomous systems may underestimate or overestimate infection risks in some cases, which may be up to the value of period. The basic reproduction number of the seasonality model is appropriately given, which determines the extinction and uniform persistence of TB disease. If it is less than one, then the disease-free equilibrium is globally asymptotically stable; if it is greater than one, the system at least has a positive periodic solution and the disease will persist. Moreover, numerical simulations demonstrate these theorem results. PMID:27042199

  2. Seeding method influences warm-season grass abundance and distribution but not local diversity in grassland restoration

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Yurkonis, Kathryn A.; Wilsey, Brian J.; Moloney, Kirk A.; Drobney, Pauline; Larson, Diane L.

    2010-01-01

    Ecological theory predicts that the arrangement of seedlings in newly restored communities may influence future species diversity and composition. We test the prediction that smaller distances between neighboring seeds in drill seeded grassland plantings would result in lower species diversity, greater weed abundance, and larger conspecific patch sizes than otherwise similar broadcast seeded plantings. A diverse grassland seed mix was either drill seeded, which places seeds in equally spaced rows, or broadcast seeded, which spreads seeds across the ground surface, into 24 plots in each of three sites in 2005. In summer 2007, we measured species abundance in a 1 m2 quadrat in each plot and mapped common species within the quadrat by recording the most abundant species in each of 64 cells. Quadrat-scale diversity and weed abundance were similar between drilled and broadcast plots, suggesting that processes that limited establishment and controlled invasion were not affected by such fine-scale seed distribution. However, native warm-season (C4) grasses were more abundant and occurred in less compact patches in drilled plots. This difference in C4 grass abundance and distribution may result from increased germination or vegetative propagation of C4 grasses in drilled plots. Our findings suggest that local plant density may control fine-scale heterogeneity and species composition in restored grasslands, processes that need to be further investigated to determine whether seed distributions can be manipulated to increase diversity in restored grasslands.

  3. Seeding Method Influences Warm-Season Grass Abundance and Distribution but not Local Diversity in Grassland Restoration

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Yurkonis, K.A.; Wilsey, B.J.; Moloney, K.A.; Drobney, P.; Larson, D.L.

    2010-01-01

    Ecological theory predicts that the arrangement of seedlings in newly restored communities may influence future species diversity and composition. We test the prediction that smaller distances between neighboring seeds in drill seeded grassland plantings would result in lower species diversity, greater weed abundance, and larger conspecific patch sizes than otherwise similar broadcast seeded plantings. A diverse grassland seed mix was either drill seeded, which places seeds in equally spaced rows, or broadcast seeded, which spreads seeds across the ground surface, into 24 plots in each of three sites in 2005. In summer 2007, we measured species abundance in a 1 m2 quadrat in each plot and mapped common species within the quadrat by recording the most abundant species in each of 64 cells. Quadrat-scale diversity and weed abundance were similar between drilled and broadcast plots, suggesting that processes that limited establishment and controlled invasion were not affected by such fine-scale seed distribution. However, native warm-season (C4) grasses were more abundant and occurred in less compact patches in drilled plots. This difference in C4 grass abundance and distribution may result from increased germination or vegetative propagation of C4 grasses in drilled plots. Our findings suggest that local plant density may control fine-scale heterogeneity and species composition in restored grasslands, processes that need to be further investigated to determine whether seed distributions can be manipulated to increase diversity in restored grasslands. ?? 2010 Society for Ecological Restoration International.

  4. Interannual and seasonal variability of winter-spring cohort of neon flying squid abundance in the Northwest Pacific Ocean during 1995-2011

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yu, Wei; Chen, Xinjun; Yi, Qian

    2016-06-01

    The neon flying squid, Ommastrephes bartramii, is a species of economically important cephalopod in the Northwest Pacific Ocean. Its short lifespan increases the susceptibility of the distribution and abundance to the direct impact of the environmental conditions. Based on the generalized linear model (GLM) and generalized additive model (GAM), the commercial fishery data from the Chinese squid-jigging fleets during 1995 to 2011 were used to examine the interannual and seasonal variability in the abundance of O. bartramii, and to evaluate the influences of variables on the abundance (catch per unit effort, CPUE). The results from GLM suggested that year, month, latitude, sea surface temperature (SST), mixed layer depth (MLD), and the interaction term ( SST×MLD) were significant factors. The optimal model based on GAM included all the six significant variables and could explain 42.43% of the variance in nominal CPUE. The importance of the six variables was ranked by decreasing magnitude: year, month, latitude, SST, MLD and SST×MLD. The squid was mainly distributed in the waters between 40°N and 44°N in the Northwest Pacific Ocean. The optimal ranges of SST and MLD were from 14 to 20°C and from 10 to 30 m, respectively. The squid abundance greatly fluctuated from 1995 to 2011. The CPUE was low during 1995-2002 and high during 2003-2008. Furthermore, the squid abundance was typically high in August. The interannual and seasonal variabilities in the squid abundance were associated with the variations of marine environmental conditions and the life history characteristics of squid.

  5. Persistence, Seasonal Dynamics and Pathogenic Potential of Vibrio Communities from Pacific Oyster Hemolymph

    PubMed Central

    Wendling, Carolin C.; Batista, Frederico M.; Wegner, K. Mathias

    2014-01-01

    Bacteria of the genus Vibrio occur at a continuum from free-living to symbiotic life forms, including opportunists and pathogens, that can contribute to severe diseases, for instance summer mortality events of Pacific oysters Crassostrea gigas. While most studies focused on Vibrio isolated from moribund oysters during mortality outbreaks, investigations of the Vibrio community in healthy oysters are rare. Therefore, we characterized the persistence, diversity, seasonal dynamics, and pathogenicity of the Vibrio community isolated from healthy Pacific oysters. In a reciprocal transplant experiment we repeatedly sampled hemolymph from adult Pacific oysters to differentiate population from site-specific effects during six months of in situ incubation in the field. We characterized virulence phenotypes and genomic diversity based on multilocus sequence typing in a total of 70 Vibrio strains. Based on controlled infection experiments we could show that strains with the ability to colonize healthy adult oysters can also have the potential to induce high mortality rates on larvae. Diversity and abundance of Vibrio varied significantly over time with highest values during and after spawning season. Vibrio communities from transplanted and stationary oysters converged over time, indicating that communities were not population specific, but rather assemble from the surrounding environment forming communities, some of which can persist over longer periods. PMID:24728233

  6. Seasonal hyporheic dynamics control coupled microbiology and geochemistry in Colorado River sediments

    DOE PAGES

    Danczak, Robert E.; Sawyer, Audrey H.; Williams, Kenneth H.; ...

    2016-12-03

    Riverbed microbial communities play an oversized role in many watershed ecosystem functions, including the processing of organic carbon, cycling of nitrogen, and alterations to metal mobility. The structure and activity of microbial assemblages depend in part on geochemical conditions set by river-groundwater exchange or hyporheic exchange. In order to assess how seasonal changes in river-groundwater mixing affect these populations in a snowmelt-dominated fluvial system, vertical sediment and pore water profiles were sampled at three time points at one location in the hyporheic zone of the Colorado River and analyzed by using geochemical measurements, 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and ecological modeling.more » Oxic river water penetrated deepest into the subsurface during peak river discharge, while under base flow conditions, anoxic groundwater dominated shallower depths. Over a 70 cm thick interval, riverbed sediments were therefore exposed to seasonally fluctuating redox conditions and hosted microbial populations statistically different from those at both shallower and deeper locations. Additionally, microbial populations within this zone were shown to be the most dynamic across sampling time points, underlining the critical role that hyporheic mixing plays in constraining microbial abundances. Given such mixing effects, we anticipate that future changes in river discharge in mountainous, semiarid western U.S. watersheds may affect microbial community structure and function in riverbed environments, with potential implications for biogeochemical processes in riparian regions.« less

  7. Seasonal hyporheic dynamics control coupled microbiology and geochemistry in Colorado River sediments

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Danczak, Robert E.; Sawyer, Audrey H.; Williams, Kenneth H.

    Riverbed microbial communities play an oversized role in many watershed ecosystem functions, including the processing of organic carbon, cycling of nitrogen, and alterations to metal mobility. The structure and activity of microbial assemblages depend in part on geochemical conditions set by river-groundwater exchange or hyporheic exchange. In order to assess how seasonal changes in river-groundwater mixing affect these populations in a snowmelt-dominated fluvial system, vertical sediment and pore water profiles were sampled at three time points at one location in the hyporheic zone of the Colorado River and analyzed by using geochemical measurements, 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and ecological modeling.more » Oxic river water penetrated deepest into the subsurface during peak river discharge, while under base flow conditions, anoxic groundwater dominated shallower depths. Over a 70 cm thick interval, riverbed sediments were therefore exposed to seasonally fluctuating redox conditions and hosted microbial populations statistically different from those at both shallower and deeper locations. Additionally, microbial populations within this zone were shown to be the most dynamic across sampling time points, underlining the critical role that hyporheic mixing plays in constraining microbial abundances. Given such mixing effects, we anticipate that future changes in river discharge in mountainous, semiarid western U.S. watersheds may affect microbial community structure and function in riverbed environments, with potential implications for biogeochemical processes in riparian regions.« less

  8. Seasonal hyporheic dynamics control coupled microbiology and geochemistry in Colorado River sediments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Danczak, Robert E.; Sawyer, Audrey H.; Williams, Kenneth H.; Stegen, James C.; Hobson, Chad; Wilkins, Michael J.

    2016-12-01

    Riverbed microbial communities play an oversized role in many watershed ecosystem functions, including the processing of organic carbon, cycling of nitrogen, and alterations to metal mobility. The structure and activity of microbial assemblages depend in part on geochemical conditions set by river-groundwater exchange or hyporheic exchange. To assess how seasonal changes in river-groundwater mixing affect these populations in a snowmelt-dominated fluvial system, vertical sediment and pore water profiles were sampled at three time points at one location in the hyporheic zone of the Colorado River and analyzed by using geochemical measurements, 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and ecological modeling. Oxic river water penetrated deepest into the subsurface during peak river discharge, while under base flow conditions, anoxic groundwater dominated shallower depths. Over a 70 cm thick interval, riverbed sediments were therefore exposed to seasonally fluctuating redox conditions and hosted microbial populations statistically different from those at both shallower and deeper locations. Additionally, microbial populations within this zone were shown to be the most dynamic across sampling time points, underlining the critical role that hyporheic mixing plays in constraining microbial abundances. Given such mixing effects, we anticipate that future changes in river discharge in mountainous, semiarid western U.S. watersheds may affect microbial community structure and function in riverbed environments, with potential implications for biogeochemical processes in riparian regions.

  9. Seasonal Variation in Abundance and Diversity of Bacterial Methanotrophs in Five Temperate Lakes

    PubMed Central

    Samad, Md Sainur; Bertilsson, Stefan

    2017-01-01

    Lakes are significant sources of methane (CH4) to the atmosphere. Within these systems, methanotrophs consume CH4 and act as a potential biofilter mitigating the emission of this potent greenhouse gas. However, it is still not well understood how spatial and temporal variation in environmental parameters influence the abundance, diversity, and community structure of methanotrophs in lakes. To address this gap in knowledge, we collected water samples from three depths (surface, middle, and bottom) representing oxic to suboxic or anoxic zones of five different Swedish lakes in winter (ice-covered) and summer. Methanotroph abundance was determined by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction and a comparison to environmental variables showed that temperature, season as well as depth, phosphate concentration, dissolved oxygen, and CH4 explained the observed variation in methanotroph abundance. Due to minimal differences in methane concentrations (0.19 and 0.29 μM for summer and winter, respectively), only a weak and even negative correlation was observed between CH4 and methanotrophs, which was possibly due to usage of CH4. Methanotrophs were present at concentrations ranging from 105 to 106 copies/l throughout the oxic (surface) and suboxic/anoxic (bottom) water mass of the lakes, but always contributed less than 1.3% to the total microbial community. Relative methanotroph abundance was significantly higher in winter than in summer and consistently increased with depth in the lakes. Phylogenetic analysis of pmoA genes in two clone libraries from two of the ice-covered lakes (Ekoln and Ramsen) separated the methanotrophs into five distinct clusters of Methylobacter sp. (Type I). Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of the pmoA gene further revealed significant differences in methanotrophic communities between lakes as well as between winter and summer while there were no significant differences between water layers. The study provides new

  10. Spatiotemporal heterogeneity in prey abundance and vulnerability shapes the foraging tactics of an omnivore

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Rayl, Nathaniel; Bastille-Rousseau, Guillaume; Organ, John F.; Mumma, Matthew; Mahoney, Shane P.; Soulliere, Colleen; Lewis, Keith; Otto, Robert; Murray, Dennis; Waits, Lisette; Fuller, Todd

    2018-01-01

    Prey abundance and prey vulnerability vary across space and time, but we know little about how they mediate predator–prey interactions and predator foraging tactics. To evaluate the interplay between prey abundance, prey vulnerability and predator space use, we examined patterns of black bear (Ursus americanus) predation of caribou (Rangifer tarandus) neonates in Newfoundland, Canada using data from 317 collared individuals (9 bears, 34 adult female caribou, 274 caribou calves).During the caribou calving season, we predicted that landscape features would influence calf vulnerability to bear predation, and that bears would actively hunt calves by selecting areas associated with increased calf vulnerability. Further, we hypothesized that bears would dynamically adjust their foraging tactics in response to spatiotemporal changes in calf abundance and vulnerability (collectively, calf availability). Accordingly, we expected bears to actively hunt calves when they were most abundant and vulnerable, but switch to foraging on other resources as calf availability declined.As predicted, landscape heterogeneity influenced risk of mortality, and bears displayed the strongest selection for areas where they were most likely to kill calves, which suggested they were actively hunting caribou. Initially, the per‐capita rate at which bears killed calves followed a type‐I functional response, but as the calving season progressed and calf vulnerability declined, kill rates dissociated from calf abundance. In support of our hypothesis, bears adjusted their foraging tactics when they were less efficient at catching calves, highlighting the influence that predation phenology may have on predator space use. Contrary to our expectations, however, bears appeared to continue to hunt caribou as calf availability declined, but switched from a tactic of selecting areas of increased calf vulnerability to a tactic that maximized encounter rates with calves.Our results reveal that

  11. Seasonality and Dynamic Spatial Contagion of Air Pollution in 42 Chinese Cities

    PubMed Central

    He, Zhanqiong; Sriboonchita, Songsak; He, Min

    2013-01-01

    To monitor and improve the urban air quality, the Chinese government has begun to make many efforts, and the interregional cooperation to cut and improve air quality has been required. In this paper, we focus on the seasonality of the first and second moments of the daily air pollution indexes (APIs) of 42 Chinese sample cities over 10 years, from June 5, 2000 to March 4, 2010, and investigate the dynamic correlation of air pollution indexes (APIs) between 42 Chinese cities and their corresponding regional and national levels; comparison with the model without seasonal consideration is made. By adopting a DCC-GARCH model that accounts for the seasonality, we found that (i) the transformed DCC-GARCH model including seasonality dummies improves the estimation result in this study; (ii) the seasonality feature of the second moment follows that of the first moment, with the condition mean and variance of the second and autumn significantly lower than spring, whereas that of winter is higher than spring; (iii) the correlation between local APIs and their corresponding regional and national levels is dynamic; (iv) comparing with the DCC-GARCH model estimation, the transformed model does not change the feature of the dynamic correlations very much. PMID:23533348

  12. How Does Dung Beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) Diversity Vary Along a Rainy Season in a Tropical Dry Forest?

    PubMed

    Novais, Samuel M A; Evangelista, Lucas A; Reis-Júnior, Ronaldo; Neves, Frederico S

    2016-01-01

    Dung beetle community dynamics are determined by regional rainfall patterns. However, little is known about the temporal dynamics of these communities in tropical dry forests (TDFs). This study was designed to test the following predictions: 1) Peak diversity of dung beetle species occurs early in the wet season, with a decrease in diversity (α and β) and abundance throughout the season; 2) Nestedness is the primary process determining β-diversity, with species sampled in the middle and the end of the wet season representing subsets of the early wet season community. Dung beetles were collected in a TDF in the northern Minas Gerais state, Brazil over three sampling events (December 2009, February and April 2010). We sampled 2,018 dung beetles belonging to 39 species and distributed among 15 genera. Scarabaeinae α-diversity and abundance were highest in December and equivalent between February and April, while β-diversity among plots increased along the wet season. The importance of nestedness and species turnover varies between pairs of sample periods as the main process of temporal β-diversity. Most species collected in the middle and end of the wet season were found in greater abundance in early wet season. Thus, the dung beetle community becomes more homogeneous at the beginning of the wet season, and as the season advances, higher resource scarcity limits population size, which likely results in a smaller foraging range, increasing β-diversity. Our results demonstrate high synchronism between the dung beetle life cycle and seasonality of environmental conditions throughout the wet season in a TDF, where the onset of rains determines adult emergence for most species. © The Authors 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America.

  13. Abundance models improve spatial and temporal prioritization of conservation resources.

    PubMed

    Johnston, Alison; Fink, Daniel; Reynolds, Mark D; Hochachka, Wesley M; Sullivan, Brian L; Bruns, Nicholas E; Hallstein, Eric; Merrifield, Matt S; Matsumoto, Sandi; Kelling, Steve

    2015-10-01

    Conservation prioritization requires knowledge about organism distribution and density. This information is often inferred from models that estimate the probability of species occurrence rather than from models that estimate species abundance, because abundance data are harder to obtain and model. However, occurrence and abundance may not display similar patterns and therefore development of robust, scalable, abundance models is critical to ensuring that scarce conservation resources are applied where they can have the greatest benefits. Motivated by a dynamic land conservation program, we develop and assess a general method for modeling relative abundance using citizen science monitoring data. Weekly estimates of relative abundance and occurrence were compared for prioritizing times and locations of conservation actions for migratory waterbird species in California, USA. We found that abundance estimates consistently provided better rankings of observed counts than occurrence estimates. Additionally, the relationship between abundance and occurrence was nonlinear and varied by species and season. Across species, locations prioritized by occurrence models had only 10-58% overlap with locations prioritized by abundance models, highlighting that occurrence models will not typically identify the locations of highest abundance that are vital for conservation of populations.

  14. Seasonal distribution and abundance of fishes and decapod crustaceans in a Cape Cod estuary

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Able, K.W.; Fahay, M.P.; Heck, K.L.; Roman, C.T.; Lazzari, M.A.; Kaiser, S.C.

    2002-01-01

    Sampling in several habitat types (sand/mud, eelgrass, sand, gravel, macroalgae/mud) during all seasons with a variety of gears in Nauset Marsh, Massachusetts during 1985-1987 found a fauna consisting of 35 fish and 10 decapod crustacean species. Although most of the abundant species were found in several habitat types, species richness and habitat use appeared to be highest for vegetated habitats (eelgrass, macroalgae). The fishes and decapods were numerically dominated by cold-water taxa; however, numerous fish species, represented by rare individuals of predominantly southern forms, enriched the fauna. Species composition of Nauset Marsh could be distinguished from estuaries south of Cape Cod and even from the south shore of the cape. Both fishes and decapods were most abundant during the summer, apparently due to the contributions from spring and summer spawning in the estuary and the adjacent Atlantic Ocean. The location of Nauset Marsh and other estuaries on Cape Cod provide a unique opportunity to evaluate the importance of this region as a faunal boundary to estuarine species.

  15. Abundance and size distribution dynamics of abyssal epibenthic megafauna in the northeast Pacific.

    PubMed

    Ruhl, Henry A

    2007-05-01

    The importance of interannual variation in deep-sea abundances is now becoming recognized. There is, however, relatively little known about what processes dominate the observed fluctuations. The abundance and size distribution of the megabenthos have been examined here using a towed camera system at a deep-sea station in the northeast Pacific (Station M) from 1989 to 2004. This 16-year study included 52 roughly seasonal transects averaging 1.2 km in length with over 35600 photographic frames analyzed. Mobile epibenthic megafauna at 4100 m depth have exhibited interannual scale changes in abundance from one to three orders of magnitude. Increases in abundance have now been significantly linked to decreases in mean body size, suggesting that accruals in abundance probably result from the recruitment of young individuals. Examinations of size-frequency histograms indicate several possible recruitment events. Shifts in size-frequency distributions were also used to make basic estimations of individual growth rates from 1 to 6 mm/month, depending on the taxon. Regional intensification in reproduction followed by recruitment within the study area could explain the majority of observed accruals in abundance. Although some adult migration is certainly probable in accounting for local variation in abundances, the slow movements of benthic life stages restrict regional migrations for most taxa. Negative competitive interactions and survivorship may explain the precipitous declines of some taxa. This and other studies have shown that abundances from protozoans to large benthic invertebrates and fishes all have undergone significant fluctuations in abundance at Station M over periods of weeks to years.

  16. Seasonality distribution of the abundance and activity of nitrification and denitrification microorganisms in sediments of surface flow constructed wetlands planted with Myriophyllum elatinoides during swine wastewater treatment.

    PubMed

    Li, Xi; Zhang, Miaomiao; Liu, Feng; Chen, Liang; Li, Yuyuan; Li, Yong; Xiao, Rulin; Wu, Jinshui

    2018-01-01

    Surface flow constructed wetlands (SFCWs) planted with Myriophyllum elatinoides for treatment of swine wastewater were examined to evaluate the effect of season, segment (site S1, S2, and S3), and treatment (100mgL -1 TN, T1; 300mgL -1 TN, T2; 500mgL -1 TN, T3) on the activity, and abundances of nitrifying and, denitrifying microorganisms, and on the abundance of sediment bacteria. The activity and abundances of nitrifiers, denitrifiers, and the abundance of bacteria were the highest in T3 samples, especially in S1 (P<0.05). The potential nitrification rate (PNR) was highest in the summer and potential denitrification rate (PDR) showed an increasing trend over seasons. The abundance of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) was strongly correlated with PNR, while abundance of denitrifying gene (nirK) was strongly correlated with PDR. These results indicate that M. elatinoides SFCWs for swine wastewater treatment stimulate the growth of nitrifiers, denitrifiers and bacteria in sediments. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Seasonal abundance, arrival and emergence patterns of predaceous hister beetles (Coleoptera: Histeridae) associated with Ips engraver beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) in Louisiana

    Treesearch

    William P. Shepherd; Richard A. Goyer

    2003-01-01

    The most common predaceious hister beetles (Coleoptera: Histeridae) found associated with Ips engraver beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) in southern Louisiana were Platysoma attenuata LeConte, P. cylindrica (Paykull), P. parallelum (Say), and Plegaderus transversus (Say). The seasonal abundance of...

  18. Poster 12: Nitrile and Hydrocarbon Spatial Abundance Variations in Titan's Atmosphere

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thelen, Alexander E.; Nixon, Conor A.; Molter, Edward; Serigano, Joseph; Cordiner, Martin A.; Charnley, Steven B.; Teanby, Nick; Chanover, Nancy

    2016-06-01

    Many minor constituents of Titan's atmosphere exhibit latitudinal variations in abundance as a result of atmospheric circulation, photochemical production and subsequent destruction throughout Titan's seasonal cycle [1,2]. Species with observed spatial abundance variations include hydrocarbons - such as CH3CCH - and nitriles - HCN, HC3N, CH3CN, and C2H5CN - as found by Cassini [3,4]. Recent calibration images of Titan taken by the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) allow for measurements of rotational transition lines of these species in spatially resolved regions of Titan's disk [5]. Abundance profiles in Titan's lower/middle atmosphere are retrieved by modeling high resolution ALMA spectra using the Non-linear Optimal Estimator for MultivariatE Spectral analySIS (NEMESIS) radiative transfer code [6]. We present continuous abundance profiles for various species in Titan's atmosphere obtained from ALMA data in 2014. These species show polar abundance enhancements which can be compared to studies using Cassini data [7]. Measurements in the mesosphere will constrain molecular photochemical and dynamical models, while temporal variations inform our knowledge of chemical lifetimes for the large inventory of organic species produced in Titan's atmosphere. The synthesis of the ALMA and Cassini datasets thus allow us to observe the important changes in production and circulation of numerous trace components of Titan's atmosphere, which are attributed to Titan's seasons.

  19. Examination of the Seasonal Dynamics of the Toxic Dinoflagellate Alexandrium catenella at Redondo Beach, California, by Quantitative PCR▿

    PubMed Central

    Garneau, Marie-Ève; Schnetzer, Astrid; Countway, Peter D.; Jones, Adriane C.; Seubert, Erica L.; Caron, David A.

    2011-01-01

    The presence of neurotoxic species within the genus Alexandrium along the U.S. coastline has raised concern of potential poisoning through the consumption of contaminated seafood. Paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs) detected in shellfish provide evidence that these harmful events have increased in frequency and severity along the California coast during the past 25 years, but the timing and location of these occurrences have been highly variable. We conducted a 4-year survey in King Harbor, CA, to investigate the seasonal dynamics of Alexandrium catenella and the presence of a particulate saxitoxin (STX), the parent compound of the PSTs. A quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay was developed for quantifying A. catenella in environmental microbial assemblages. This approach allowed for the detection of abundances as low as 12 cells liter−1, 2 orders of magnitude below threshold abundances that can impact food webs. A. catenella was found repeatedly during the study, particularly in spring, when cells were detected in 38% of the samples (27 to 5,680 cells liter−1). This peak in cell abundances was observed in 2006 and corresponded to a particulate STX concentration of 12 ng liter−1, whereas the maximum STX concentration of 26 ng liter−1 occurred in April 2008. Total cell abundances and toxin levels varied strongly throughout each year, but A. catenella was less abundant during summer, fall, and winter, when only 2 to 11% of the samples yielded positive qPCR results. The qPCR method developed here provides a useful tool for investigating the ecology of A. catenella at subbloom and bloom abundances. PMID:21926210

  20. Seasonal and habitat abundance and distribution of some forensically important blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) in Central California.

    PubMed

    Brundage, Adrienne; Bros, Shannon; Honda, Jeffrey Y

    2011-10-10

    Seasonal and habitat calliphorid abundance and distribution were examined weekly for two years (2001-2003) in Santa Clara County, California, using sentinel traps baited with bovine liver. Of the 34,389 flies examined in three defined habitats (rural, urban, and riparian), 38% of the total catch represented Compsomyiops callipes (Bigot) and 23% represented Phormia regina (Meigen). Other flies collected in this survey included Calliphora vomitoria (Linnaeus), Calliphora latifrons (Hough), Lucilia sericata (Meigen), Lucilia cuprina (Wiedemann), and Lucilia mexicana (Macquart), which is a new record for the area. Multivariate MANOVA and ANOVA (P ≤ 0.05) analysis indicate significant seasonal habitat preference for all fly species examined. This information may be used to identify potentially forensically impo rtant fly species within Santa Clara County, California. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

  1. Increased Waterborne blaNDM-1 Resistance Gene Abundances Associated with Seasonal Human Pilgrimages to the Upper Ganges River

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Antibiotic resistance (AR) is often rooted in inappropriate antibiotic use, but poor water quality and inadequate sanitation exacerbate the problem, especially in emerging countries. An example is increasing multi-AR due to mobile carbapenemases, such as NDM-1 protein (coded by blaNDM-1 genes), which can produce extreme drug-resistant phenotypes. In 2010, NDM-1 positive isolates and blaNDM-1 genes were detected in surface waters across Delhi and have since been detected across the urban world. However, little is known about blaNDM-1 levels in more pristine locations, such as the headwaters of the Upper Ganges River. This area is of particular interest because it receives massive numbers of visitors during seasonal pilgrimages in May/June, including visitors from urban India. Here we quantified blaNDM-1 abundances, other AR genes (ARG), and coliform bacteria in sediments and water column samples from seven sites in the Rishikesh-Haridwar region of the Upper Ganges and five sites on the Yamuna River in Delhi to contrast blaNDM-1 levels and water quality conditions between season and region. Water quality in the Yamuna was very poor (e.g., anoxia at all sites), and blaNDM-1 abundances were high across sites in water (5.4 ± 0.4 log(blaNDM-1·mL–1); 95% confidence interval) and sediment (6.3 ± 0.7 log(blaNDM-1·mg–1)) samples from both seasons. In contrast, water column blaNDM-1 abundances were very low across all sites in the Upper Ganges in February (2.1 ± 0.6 log(blaNDM-1·mL–1)), and water quality was good (e.g., near saturation oxygen). However, per capita blaNDM-1 levels were 20 times greater in June in the Ganges water column relative to February, and blaNDM-1 levels significantly correlated with fecal coliform levels (r = 0.61; p = 0.007). Given that waste management infrastructure is limited in Rishikesh-Haridwar, data imply blaNDM-1 levels are higher in visitor’s wastes than local residents, which results in seasonally higher blaNDM-1 levels in the

  2. PHYTOPLANKTON AND ZOOPLANKTON SEASONAL DYNAMICS IN A SUBTROPICAL ESTUARY: IMPORTANCE OF CYANOBACTERIA

    EPA Science Inventory

    Murrell, Michael C. and Emile M. Lores. 2004. Phytoplankton and Zooplankton Seasonal Dynamics in a Subtropical Estuary: Importance of Cyanobacteria. J. Plankton Res. 26(3):371-382. (ERL,GB 1190).

    A seasonal study of phytoplankton and zooplankton was conducted from 1999-20...

  3. Seasonal dynamics and diversity of bacteria in retail oyster tissues.

    PubMed

    Wang, Dapeng; Zhang, Qian; Cui, Yan; Shi, Xianming

    2014-03-03

    Oysters are one of the important vehicles for the transfer of foodborne pathogens. It was reported that bacteria could be bio-accumulated mainly in the gills and digestive glands. In artificially treated oysters, bacterial communities have been investigated by culture-independent methods after harvest. However, little information is available on the seasonal dynamics of bacterial accumulation in retail oyster tissues. In this study, retail oysters were collected from local market in different seasons. The seasonal dynamics and diversity of bacteria in oyster tissues, including the gills, digestive glands and residual tissues, were analyzed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). It was interesting that the highest bacterial diversity appeared in the Fall season, not in summer. Our results indicated that Proteobacteria was the predominant member (23/46) in oyster tissues. Our results also suggested that bacterial diversity in gills was higher than that in digestive glands and other tissues. In addition, not all the bacteria collected from surrounding water by gills were transferred to digestive glands. On the other hand, few bacteria were found in oyster tissues except in the gills. Therefore, the gills could be the best candidate target tissue for monitoring of pathogenic bacteria either to human or to oyster. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Seasonal abundance of eggplant leafminer Liriomyza sativae (Blanchard, 1938) (Diptera, Agromyzidae) in plastic-house

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kathiar, S. A.; Flaih, S. K.; Al-Khazraji, H. I.; Ismael, S. K.

    2018-05-01

    The eggplant Solanum melongena L. crop is attacked by one of the most common pests which is the leafminer Liriomyza sativae (Blanchard, 1938); therefore, this investigation was conducted to study the seasonal abundance of the eggplant leafminer in eggplant Plastic-house. The results showed that the highest average of infested leaves was 6.67 leaf, the highest average of tunnels by leaf miner was 9.87 tunnels and the highest percent of infestation was recorded 30.5% in 23. April. 2017. This study showed the parasitoid Diglyphus isaea (Walker, 1838) (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae) was recorded as a natural enemy to control the pest and the highest incidence of parasitism was 32.2 parasites on average in 16. April. 2017.

  5. Characterization of free amino acids, bacteria and fungi in size-segregated atmospheric aerosols in boreal forest: seasonal patterns, abundances and size distributions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Helin, Aku; Sietiö, Outi-Maaria; Heinonsalo, Jussi; Bäck, Jaana; Riekkola, Marja-Liisa; Parshintsev, Jevgeni

    2017-11-01

    Primary biological aerosol particles (PBAPs) are ubiquitous in the atmosphere and constitute ˜ 30 % of atmospheric aerosol particle mass in sizes > 1 µm. PBAP components, such as bacteria, fungi and pollen, may affect the climate by acting as cloud-active particles, thus having an effect on cloud and precipitation formation processes. In this study, size-segregated aerosol samples (< 1.0, 1-2.5, 2.5-10 and > 10 µm) were collected in boreal forest (Hyytiälä, Finland) during a 9-month period covering all seasons and analysed for free amino acids (FAAs), DNA concentration and microorganism (bacteria, Pseudomonas and fungi). Measurements were performed using tandem mass spectrometry, spectrophotometry and qPCR, respectively. Meteorological parameters and statistical analysis were used to study their atmospheric implication for results. Distinct annual patterns of PBAP components were observed, late spring and autumn being seasons of dominant occurrence. Elevated abundances of FAAs and bacteria were observed during the local pollen season, whereas fungi were observed at the highest level during autumn. Meteorological parameters such as air and soil temperature, radiation and rainfall were observed to possess a close relationship with PBAP abundances on an annual scale.

  6. Profiling Hyporheic Microbial Community Nitrogen Cycle and Carbohydrate Active Enzyme Gene Abundances across Seasons

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nelson, W. C.; Graham, E.; Stegen, J.

    2016-12-01

    The hyporheic zone (HZ) is the permanently inundated sediment layer between a surface channel and adjacent groundwater-saturated sediments. It has been hypothesized to play a major role in macronutrient (C, N, P) cycling in rivers. The correlation between community taxonomic composition dynamics and functional gene representation is poorly understood for hyporheic communities. To explore how microbial communities respond to temporal changes in environmental conditions, metagenomes were derived from communities captured in sterile sandpacks deployed within the HZ of the Columbia River. HMM databases were used to enumerate protein families present. Functional classification of reads allowed a general assessment of community function over time, while targeted assembly of specific genes enabled investigation of the diversity of organisms encoding these functions. Preliminary analysis of nitrogen cycle pathways shows most gene families examined to have quite steady representation across seasons, with most observed changes being less than an order of magnitude. Analysis of ammonia oxidation genes showed bacterial ammonia oxidizers (AOB) to be stably present across the year, while the archaeal amoA gene increased in late summer, peaking sharply in November, mirroring results from 16S rRNA amplicon analysis which showed an increase in Thaumarcheal OTUs during that same period. Most glycosyl hydrolase GH families had low representation. Highly abundant classes of GH included the GH94 (beta-glucosidase), GH95 (1-2-alpha-L-fucosidase) and GH103 (lytic transglycosylase) families, suggesting activity on plant, fungus and insect polysaccharides and peptidoglycans. Further work is investigating the taxonomy of the sequences identified, to determine how changes in the community composition contribute to the stable gene family profiles observed. These results are intended to work towards a greater understanding of the role of species diversity and functional redundancy in the

  7. Seasonal composition, abundance and biomass of the subestuarine fish assemblage in Solís Chico (Río de la Plata estuary, Uruguay).

    PubMed

    Plavan, A Acuña; Gurdek, R; Muñoz, N; Gutierrez, J M; Spósito, M; Correa, P; Caride, A

    2017-01-01

    The large estuaries can present long narrow branches called subestuaries or tidal creeks. These types of subsystems are distributed along the Uruguayan coast of the Río de la Plata estuary and are very important as nursery and refuge areas for fish. For the first time, the seasonal composition and abundance of the fish community of the Solís Chico subestuary was studied by using beach and gill nets. Fourteen species, mainly euryhaline (86%) presented a significant representation of juvenile stages. The fish community was dominated by Odontesthes argentinensis, Platanichthys platana, Mugil liza, Brevoortia aurea, Micropogonias furnieri and Paralichthys orbignyanus, similar to adjacent subestuaries. While Micropogonias furnieri and B. aurea were the most abundant species, some other species were rarely caught. A seasonal variation of the fish assemblage abundance was detected, with higher values in autumn showing a positive correlation with temperature. Species that complete their life cycle in the Río de la Plata estuary, some of which are relevant to fisheries (64% of the analyzed species) were captured in the Solís Chico subestuary. The importance of this environment as a transitional system for some estuarine fish species is advised.

  8. Seasonal abundance of the navel orangeworm, Amyelois transitella, in figs and the effect of peripheral aerosol dispensers on sexual communication.

    PubMed

    Burks, Charles S; Brandl, David G

    2004-01-01

    We used flight traps baited with unmated female navel orangeworm Amyelois transitella (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) to examine, over two growing seasons, seasonal changes in the abundance of males in fig orchards and the impact of release of 48 mg per ha per day of the pheromone component (Z,Z)-11,13-hexadecadienal from peripherally-located timed-release dispensers on the ability of males to find unmated females within 16-ha treatment plots. Material was placed out and mating disruption was commenced at the beginning of April in the first year, and at the beginning of July the second year. This technique effectively prevented males from finding females in female-baited traps placed throughout the plot. Navel orangeworm abundance was high in figs during the first and third flight, but lower in June and July during the second flight. Since Calimyrna figs are not susceptible to attack by navel orangeworm until mid-to-late July, these findings suggest that materials cost can be reduced by beginning treatment later. Implications for insect pest management in figs and other California crops are discussed.

  9. Seasonal abundance of the navel orangeworm, Amyelois transitella, in figs and the effect of peripheral aerosol dispensers on sexual communication

    PubMed Central

    Burks, Charles S.; Brandl, David G.

    2004-01-01

    We used flight traps baited with unmated female navel orangeworm Amyelois transitella (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) to examine, over two growing seasons, seasonal changes in the abundance of males in fig orchards and the impact of release of 48 mg per ha per day of the pheromone component (Z,Z)-11,13-hexadecadienal from peripherally-located timed-release dispensers on the ability of males to find unmated females within 16-ha treatment plots. Material was placed out and mating disruption was commenced at the beginning of April in the first year, and at the beginning of July the second year. This technique effectively prevented males from finding females in female-baited traps placed throughout the plot. Navel orangeworm abundance was high in figs during the first and third flight, but lower in June and July during the second flight. Since Calimyrna figs are not susceptible to attack by navel orangeworm until mid-to-late July, these findings suggest that materials cost can be reduced by beginning treatment later. Implications for insect pest management in figs and other California crops are discussed. PMID:15861255

  10. Spatiotemporal heterogeneity in prey abundance and vulnerability shapes the foraging tactics of an omnivore.

    PubMed

    Rayl, Nathaniel D; Bastille-Rousseau, Guillaume; Organ, John F; Mumma, Matthew A; Mahoney, Shane P; Soulliere, Colleen E; Lewis, Keith P; Otto, Robert D; Murray, Dennis L; Waits, Lisette P; Fuller, Todd K

    2018-05-01

    Prey abundance and prey vulnerability vary across space and time, but we know little about how they mediate predator-prey interactions and predator foraging tactics. To evaluate the interplay between prey abundance, prey vulnerability and predator space use, we examined patterns of black bear (Ursus americanus) predation of caribou (Rangifer tarandus) neonates in Newfoundland, Canada using data from 317 collared individuals (9 bears, 34 adult female caribou, 274 caribou calves). During the caribou calving season, we predicted that landscape features would influence calf vulnerability to bear predation, and that bears would actively hunt calves by selecting areas associated with increased calf vulnerability. Further, we hypothesized that bears would dynamically adjust their foraging tactics in response to spatiotemporal changes in calf abundance and vulnerability (collectively, calf availability). Accordingly, we expected bears to actively hunt calves when they were most abundant and vulnerable, but switch to foraging on other resources as calf availability declined. As predicted, landscape heterogeneity influenced risk of mortality, and bears displayed the strongest selection for areas where they were most likely to kill calves, which suggested they were actively hunting caribou. Initially, the per-capita rate at which bears killed calves followed a type-I functional response, but as the calving season progressed and calf vulnerability declined, kill rates dissociated from calf abundance. In support of our hypothesis, bears adjusted their foraging tactics when they were less efficient at catching calves, highlighting the influence that predation phenology may have on predator space use. Contrary to our expectations, however, bears appeared to continue to hunt caribou as calf availability declined, but switched from a tactic of selecting areas of increased calf vulnerability to a tactic that maximized encounter rates with calves. Our results reveal that generalist

  11. Seasonal dynamics of total flavonoid contents and antioxidant activity of Dryopteris erythrosora.

    PubMed

    Xie, Yinghua; Zheng, Yunxia; Dai, Xiling; Wang, Quanxi; Cao, Jianguo; Xiao, Jianbo

    2015-11-01

    The seasonal dynamics of the total flavonoid contents in various parts of Dryopteris erythrosora, a traditional Chinese medicinal fern, and their antioxidant activity were investigated. The total flavonoids content in various parts of D. erythrosora showed an obvious seasonal dynamic change. The total flavonoid contents in stems (from 4.3% to 12.5%) were much higher than that in leaves with an average content of 2.01%. In spring, the total flavonoid contents in stems were relatively low, but increased rapidly from summer to winter. However, the seasonal dynamics of total flavonoid contents in leaves showed different model. The total flavonoid contents in the stems showed a negative correlation with that in the leaves from January to July. The correlation coefficient of about -0.7 was obtained. The antioxidant activity of the extracts also altered in proportion to the change of total flavonoid contents. In general, the extracts from stems always showed highest antioxidant potentials and it was suggested that the stems can be used as crude medicine. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Season-modulated responses of Neotropical bats to forest fragmentation.

    PubMed

    Ferreira, Diogo F; Rocha, Ricardo; López-Baucells, Adrià; Farneda, Fábio Z; Carreiras, João M B; Palmeirim, Jorge M; Meyer, Christoph F J

    2017-06-01

    Seasonality causes fluctuations in resource availability, affecting the presence and abundance of animal species. The impacts of these oscillations on wildlife populations can be exacerbated by habitat fragmentation. We assessed differences in bat species abundance between the wet and dry season in a fragmented landscape in the Central Amazon characterized by primary forest fragments embedded in a secondary forest matrix. We also evaluated whether the relative importance of local vegetation structure versus landscape characteristics (composition and configuration) in shaping bat abundance patterns varied between seasons. Our working hypotheses were that abundance responses are species as well as season specific, and that in the wet season, local vegetation structure is a stronger determinant of bat abundance than landscape-scale attributes. Generalized linear mixed-effects models in combination with hierarchical partitioning revealed that relationships between species abundances and local vegetation structure and landscape characteristics were both season specific and scale dependent. Overall, landscape characteristics were more important than local vegetation characteristics, suggesting that landscape structure is likely to play an even more important role in landscapes with higher fragment-matrix contrast. Responses varied between frugivores and animalivores. In the dry season, frugivores responded more to compositional metrics, whereas during the wet season, local and configurational metrics were more important. Animalivores showed similar patterns in both seasons, responding to the same group of metrics in both seasons. Differences in responses likely reflect seasonal differences in the phenology of flowering and fruiting between primary and secondary forests, which affected the foraging behavior and habitat use of bats. Management actions should encompass multiscale approaches to account for the idiosyncratic responses of species to seasonal variation in

  13. Seasonal Variation and Impact of Waste-Water Lagoons as Larval Habitat on the Population Dynamics of Culicoides sonorensis (Diptera:Ceratpogonidae) at Two Dairy Farms in Northern California

    PubMed Central

    Mayo, Christie E.; Osborne, Cameron J.; Mullens, Bradley A.; Gerry, Alec C.; Gardner, Ian A.; Reisen, William K.; Barker, Christopher M.; MacLachlan, N. James

    2014-01-01

    The Sacramento (northern Central) Valley of California (CA) has a hot Mediterranean climate and a diverse ecological landscape that is impacted extensively by human activities, which include the intensive farming of crops and livestock. Waste-water ponds, marshes, and irrigated fields associated with these agricultural activities provide abundant larval habitats for C. sonorensis midges, in addition to those sites that exist in the natural environment. Within this region, C. sonorensis is an important vector of bluetongue (BTV) and related viruses that adversely affect the international trade and movement of livestock, the economics of livestock production, and animal welfare. To characterize the seasonal dynamics of immature and adult C. sonorensis populations, abundance was monitored intensively on two dairy farms in the Sacramento Valley from August 2012– to July 2013. Adults were sampled every two weeks for 52 weeks by trapping (CDC style traps without light and baited with dry-ice) along N-S and E-W transects on each farm. One farm had large operational waste-water lagoons, whereas the lagoon on the other farm was drained and remained dry during the study. Spring emergence and seasonal abundance of adult C. sonorensis on both farms coincided with rising vernal temperature. Paradoxically, the abundance of midges on the farm without a functioning waste-water lagoon was increased as compared to abundance on the farm with a waste-water lagoon system, indicating that this infrastructure may not serve as the sole, or even the primary larval habitat. Adult midges disappeared from both farms from late November until May; however, low numbers of parous female midges were detected in traps set during daylight in the inter-seasonal winter period. This latter finding is especially critical as it provides a potential mechanism for the “overwintering” of BTV in temperate regions such as northern CA. Precise documentation of temporal changes in the annual abundance and

  14. Seasonal variation and impact of waste-water lagoons as larval habitat on the population dynamics of Culicoides sonorensis (Diptera:Ceratpogonidae) at two dairy farms in northern California.

    PubMed

    Mayo, Christie E; Osborne, Cameron J; Mullens, Bradley A; Gerry, Alec C; Gardner, Ian A; Reisen, William K; Barker, Christopher M; Maclachlan, N James

    2014-01-01

    The Sacramento (northern Central) Valley of California (CA) has a hot Mediterranean climate and a diverse ecological landscape that is impacted extensively by human activities, which include the intensive farming of crops and livestock. Waste-water ponds, marshes, and irrigated fields associated with these agricultural activities provide abundant larval habitats for C. sonorensis midges, in addition to those sites that exist in the natural environment. Within this region, C. sonorensis is an important vector of bluetongue (BTV) and related viruses that adversely affect the international trade and movement of livestock, the economics of livestock production, and animal welfare. To characterize the seasonal dynamics of immature and adult C. sonorensis populations, abundance was monitored intensively on two dairy farms in the Sacramento Valley from August 2012- to July 2013. Adults were sampled every two weeks for 52 weeks by trapping (CDC style traps without light and baited with dry-ice) along N-S and E-W transects on each farm. One farm had large operational waste-water lagoons, whereas the lagoon on the other farm was drained and remained dry during the study. Spring emergence and seasonal abundance of adult C. sonorensis on both farms coincided with rising vernal temperature. Paradoxically, the abundance of midges on the farm without a functioning waste-water lagoon was increased as compared to abundance on the farm with a waste-water lagoon system, indicating that this infrastructure may not serve as the sole, or even the primary larval habitat. Adult midges disappeared from both farms from late November until May; however, low numbers of parous female midges were detected in traps set during daylight in the inter-seasonal winter period. This latter finding is especially critical as it provides a potential mechanism for the "overwintering" of BTV in temperate regions such as northern CA. Precise documentation of temporal changes in the annual abundance and

  15. Japanese Interest in “Hotaru” (Fireflies) and “Kabuto-Mushi” (Japanese Rhinoceros Beetles) Corresponds with Seasonality in Visible Abundance

    PubMed Central

    Takada, Kenta

    2012-01-01

    Seasonal changes in the popularity of fireflies [usually Genji-fireflies (Luciola cruciata Motschulsky) in Japan] and Japanese rhinoceros beetles [Allomyrina dichotoma (Linne)] were investigated to examine whether contemporary Japanese are interested in visible emergence of these insects as seasonal events. The popularity of fireflies and Japanese rhinoceros beetles was assessed by the Google search volume of their Japanese names, “Hotaru” and “Kabuto-mushi” in Japanese Katakana script using Google Trends. The search volume index for fireflies and Japanese rhinoceros beetles was distributed across seasons with a clear peak in only particular times of each year from 2004 to 2011. In addition, the seasonal peak of popularity for fireflies occurred at the beginning of June, whereas that for Japanese rhinoceros beetles occurred from the middle of July to the beginning of August. Thus seasonal peak of each species coincided with the peak period of the emergence of each adult stage. These findings indicated that the Japanese are interested in these insects primarily during the time when the two species are most visibly abundant. Although untested, this could suggest that fireflies and Japanese rhinoceros beetles are perceived by the general public as indicators or symbols of summer in Japan. PMID:26466535

  16. A mechanistic explanation for global patterns of liana abundance and distribution.

    PubMed

    Schnitzer, Stefan A

    2005-08-01

    One of the main goals in ecology is determining the mechanisms that control the abundance and distribution of organisms. Using data from 69 tropical forests worldwide, I demonstrate that liana (woody vine) abundance is correlated negatively with mean annual precipitation and positively with seasonality, a pattern precisely the opposite of most other plant types. I propose a general mechanistic hypothesis integrating both ecological and ecophysiological approaches to explain this pattern. Specifically, the deep root and efficient vascular systems of lianas enable them to suffer less water stress during seasonal droughts while many competitors are dormant, giving lianas a competitive advantage during the dry season. Testing this hypothesis in central Panama, I found that lianas grew approximately seven times more in height than did trees during the dry season but only twice as much during the wet season. Over time, this dry season advantage may allow lianas to increase in abundance in seasonal forests. In aseasonal wet forests, however, lianas gain no such advantage because competing plants are rarely limited by water. I extend this theory to account for the local, within-forest increase in liana abundance in response to disturbance as well as the conspicuous decrease in liana abundance at high latitudes.

  17. Vertical and seasonal dynamics of fungal communities in boreal Scots pine forest soil.

    PubMed

    Santalahti, Minna; Sun, Hui; Jumpponen, Ari; Pennanen, Taina; Heinonsalo, Jussi

    2016-11-01

    Fungal communities are important for carbon (C) transformations in boreal forests that are one of the largest C pools in terrestrial ecosystems, warranting thus further investigation of fungal community dynamics in time and space. We investigated fungal diversity and community composition seasonally and across defined soil horizons in boreal Scots pine forest in Finland using 454 pyrosequencing. We collected a total of 120 samples from five vertical soil horizons monthly from March to October; in March, under snow. Boreal forest soil generally harbored diverse fungal communities across soil horizons. The communities shifted drastically and rapidly over time. In late winter, saprotrophs dominated the community and were replaced by ectomycorrhizal fungi during the growing season. Our studies are among the first to dissect the spatial and temporal dynamics in boreal forest ecosystems and highlights the ecological importance of vertically distinct communities and their rapid seasonal dynamics. As climate change is predicted to result in warmer and longer snow-free winter seasons, as well as increase the rooting depth of trees in boreal forest, the seasonal and vertical distribution of fungal communities may change. These changes are likely to affect the organic matter decomposition by the soil-inhabiting fungi and thus alter organic C pools. © FEMS 2016. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  18. Seasonal trends in abundance and composition of marine debris in selected public beaches in Peninsular Malaysia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mobilik, Julyus-Melvin; Ling, Teck-Yee; Husain, Mohd-Lokman Bin; Hassan, Ruhana

    2015-09-01

    The abundance and composition of marine debris were investigated at Saujana (in the state of Negeri Sembilan) and Batu Rakit (in the state of Terengganu) beaches during surveys conducted in December 2012 (northeast monsoon), May 2013 (intermediate monsoon) and July 2013 (southwest monsoon). A total of 4,682 items of debris weighing 231.4 kg were collected and sorted. Batu Rakit received substantially greater quantities of debris (815±717 items/km or 40.4±13.0 kg/km) compared to Saujana (745±444 items/km or 36.7±18.0 kg/km). Total debris item was more abundant during the southwest monsoon (SWM) (1,122±737 items/km) compared to the northeast monsoon (NEM) (825±593 items/ km) and the intermediate monsoon (IM) (394±4 items/km) seasons. Plastic category (88%) was the most numerous items collected and object items contributed 44.18% includes packaging, plastic fragments, cups, plastic shopping bags, plastic food wrapper, clear plastic bottles from the total debris items collected. Object items associated with common source (47%) were the highest debris accumulated, followed by terrestrial (30%) and marine (23%) sources. The high percentage of common and terrestrial sources during SWM season requires immediate action by marine environment stakeholders to develop and introduce strategies to reduce if not totally eliminates the marine debris in the marine environment. Awareness should be continued and focused on beach users and vessels' crew to alert them on the alarming accumulation rate of marine debris and its pathways into the marine environment.

  19. Long-Term and Seasonal Dynamics of Dengue in Iquitos, Peru

    PubMed Central

    Stoddard, Steven T.; Wearing, Helen J.; Reiner, Robert C.; Morrison, Amy C.; Astete, Helvio; Vilcarromero, Stalin; Alvarez, Carlos; Ramal-Asayag, Cesar; Sihuincha, Moises; Rocha, Claudio; Halsey, Eric S.; Scott, Thomas W.; Kochel, Tadeusz J.; Forshey, Brett M.

    2014-01-01

    Introduction Long-term disease surveillance data provide a basis for studying drivers of pathogen transmission dynamics. Dengue is a mosquito-borne disease caused by four distinct, but related, viruses (DENV-1-4) that potentially affect over half the world's population. Dengue incidence varies seasonally and on longer time scales, presumably driven by the interaction of climate and host susceptibility. Precise understanding of dengue dynamics is constrained, however, by the relative paucity of laboratory-confirmed longitudinal data. Methods We studied 10 years (2000–2010) of laboratory-confirmed, clinic-based surveillance data collected in Iquitos, Peru. We characterized inter and intra-annual patterns of dengue dynamics on a weekly time scale using wavelet analysis. We explored the relationships of case counts to climatic variables with cross-correlation maps on annual and trimester bases. Findings Transmission was dominated by single serotypes, first DENV-3 (2001–2007) then DENV-4 (2008–2010). After 2003, incidence fluctuated inter-annually with outbreaks usually occurring between October and April. We detected a strong positive autocorrelation in case counts at a lag of ∼70 weeks, indicating a shift in the timing of peak incidence year-to-year. All climatic variables showed modest seasonality and correlated weakly with the number of reported dengue cases across a range of time lags. Cases were reduced after citywide insecticide fumigation if conducted early in the transmission season. Conclusions Dengue case counts peaked seasonally despite limited intra-annual variation in climate conditions. Contrary to expectations for this mosquito-borne disease, no climatic variable considered exhibited a strong relationship with transmission. Vector control operations did, however, appear to have a significant impact on transmission some years. Our results indicate that a complicated interplay of factors underlie DENV transmission in contexts such as Iquitos. PMID

  20. Impact of Seasonal Variability in Water, Plant and Soil Nutrient Dynamics in Agroecosystems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pelak, N. F., III; Revelli, R.; Porporato, A. M.

    2017-12-01

    Agroecosystems cover a significant fraction of the Earth's surface, making their water and nutrient cycles a major component of global cycles across spatial and temporal scales. Most agroecosystems experience seasonality via variations in precipitation, temperature, and radiation, in addition to human activities which also occur seasonally, such as fertilization, irrigation, and harvesting. These seasonal drivers interact with the system in complex ways which are often poorly characterized. Crop models, which are widely used for research, decision support, and prediction of crop yields, are among the best tools available to analyze these systems. Though normally constructed as a set of dynamical equations forced by hydroclimatic variability, they are not often analyzed using dynamical systems theory and methods from stochastic ecohydrology. With the goal of developing this viewpoint and thus elucidating the roles of key feedbacks and forcings on system stability and on optimal fertilization and irrigation strategies, we develop a minimal dynamical system which contains the key components of a crop model, coupled to a carbon and nitrogen cycling model, driven by seasonal fluctuations in water and nutrient availability, temperature, and radiation. External drivers include seasonally varying climatic conditions and random rainfall forcing, irrigation and fertilization as well as harvesting. The model is used to analyze the magnitudes and interactions of the effects of seasonality on carbon and nutrient cycles, crop productivity, nutrient export of agroecosystems, and optimal management strategies with reference to productivity, sustainability and profitability. The impact of likely future climate scenarios on these systems is also discussed.

  1. Abundances of Jupiter's trace hydrocarbons from Voyager and Cassini

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nixon, C. A.; Achterberg, R. K.; Romani, P. N.; Allen, M.; Zhang, X.; Teanby, N. A.; Irwin, P. G. J.; Flasar, F. M.

    2010-11-01

    The flybys of Jupiter by the Voyager spacecraft in 1979, and over two decades later by Cassini in 2000, have provided us with unique datasets from two different epochs, allowing the investigation of seasonal change in the atmosphere. In this paper we model zonal averages of thermal infrared spectra from the two instruments, Voyager 1 IRIS and Cassini CIRS, to retrieve the vertical and meridional profiles of temperature, and the abundances of the two minor hydrocarbons, acetylene (C 2H 2) and ethane (C 2H 6). The spatial variation of these gases is controlled by both chemistry and dynamics, and therefore their observed distribution gives us an insight into both processes. We find that the two gases paint quite different pictures of seasonal change. Whilst the 2-D cross-section of C 2H 6 abundance is slightly increased and more symmetric in 2000 (northern summer solstice) compared to 1979 (northern fall equinox), the major trend of equator to pole increase remains. For C 2H 2 on the other hand, the Voyager epoch exhibits almost no latitudinal variation, whilst the Cassini era shows a marked decrease polewards in both hemispheres. At the present time, these experimental findings are in advance of interpretation, as there are no published models of 2-D Jovian seasonal chemical variation available for comparison.

  2. Abundances of Jupiter's Trace Hydrocarbons from Voyager and Cassini

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Nixon, C. A.; Achterberg, R. K.; Romani, P. N.; Allen, M.; Zhang, X.; Teanby, N. A.; Irwin, P. G. J.; Flasar, F. M.

    2010-01-01

    The flybys of Jupiter by the Voyager spacecraft in 1979, and over two decades later by Cassini in 2000, have provided us with unique datasets from two different epochs, allowing the investigation of seasonal change in the atmosphere. In this paper we model zonal averages of thermal infrared spectra from the two instruments, Voyager 1 IRIS and Cassini CIRS, to retrieve the vertical and meridional profiles of temperature, and the abundances of the two minor hydrocarbons, acetylene (C2H2) and ethane (C2H6). The spatial variation of these gases is controlled by both chemistry and dynamics, and therefore their observed distribution gives us an insight into both processes, We find that the two gases paint quite different pictures of seasonal change. Whilst the 2-D cross-section of C2H6 abundance is slightly increased and more symmetric in 2000 (northern summer solstice) compared to 1979 (northern fall equinox), the major trend of equator to pole increase remains. For C2H2 on tile other hand, the Voyager epoch exhibits almost no latitudinal variation, whilst the Cassini era shows a marked decrease polewards in both hemispheres. At the present time, these experimental findings are in advance of interpretation, as there are no published models of 2-D Jovian seasonal chemical variation available for comparison.

  3. as response to seasonal variability

    PubMed

    Badano, Ernesto I; Labra, Fabio A; Martínez-Pérez, Cecilia G; Vergara, Carlos H

    2016-03-01

    Ecologists have been largely interested in the description and understanding of the power scaling relationships between body size and abundance of organisms. Many studies have focused on estimating the exponents of these functions across taxonomic groups and spatial scales, to draw inferences about the processes underlying this pattern. The exponents of these functions usually approximate -3/4 at geographical scales, but they deviate from this value when smaller spatial extensions are considered. This has led to propose that body size-abundance relationships at small spatial scales may reflect the impact of environmental changes. This study tests this hypothesis by examining body size spectra of benthic shrimps (Decapoda: Caridea) and snails (Gastropoda) in the Tamiahua lagoon, a brackish body water located in the Eastern coast of Mexico. We mea- sured water quality parameters (dissolved oxygen, salinity, pH, water temperature, sediment organic matter and chemical oxygen demand) and sampled benthic macrofauna during three different climatic conditions of the year (cold, dry and rainy season). Given the small size of most individuals in the benthic macrofaunal samples, we used body volume, instead of weight, to estimate their body size. Body size-abundance relationships of both taxonomic groups were described by tabulating data from each season into base-2 logarithmic body size bins. In both taxonomic groups, observed frequencies per body size class in each season were standardized to yield densities (i.e., individuals/m(3)). Nonlinear regression analyses were separately performed for each taxonomic group at each season to assess whether body size spectra followed power scaling functions. Additionally, for each taxonomic group, multiple regression analyses were used to determine whether these relationships varied among seasons. Our results indicated that, while body size-abundance relationships in both taxonomic groups followed power functions, the parameters

  4. [Abundance and species diversity of tabanids (Diptera) in the biosphere reserve Ipassa-Makokou (Gabon) during the rainy season].

    PubMed

    Mavoungou, J F; Makanga, B K; Acapovi-Yao, G; Desquesnes, M; M'Batchi, B

    2012-05-01

    The abundance and species diversity of tabanids were evaluated by trapping of insects using Vavoua traps, during the rainy season, from October 4 to November 30, 2009, in three different habitats: primary forest, secondary forest and village, in the biosphere reserve Ipassa-IRET Makokou in Gabon. Eight species belonging to three genera of tabanids have been identified for a total of 402 specimens caught. The tabanid species numerically the most abundant were: Tabanus secedens Walker, 1854 (55.2%), Tabanus obscurehirtus Ricardo, 1908 (13.9%), Chrysops dimidiatus Wulp, 1885 (11.2%) and Chrysops silaceus Austen, 1907 (10.7%). The less abundant species were Tabanus par Walker, 1854 (3.2%), Tabanus besti arbucklei Austen, 1912 (3%), Tabanus marmorosus congoicola Bequaert, 1930 (1%) and Ancala fasciata fasciata (Fabricius, 1775) (0.5%). Specimens of the genera Tabanus and Chrysops could not be identified, these insects represented respectively 0.7% and 0.5% of the insects trapped. The highest proportion of tabanids was trapped in secondary forest (75.1%) and the lower in primary forest (4.5%).

  5. Seasonal dynamics of zooplankton in Columbia–Snake River reservoirs,with special emphasis on the invasive copepod Pseudodiaptomus forbesi

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Emerson, Joshua E.; Bollens, Stephen M.; Counihan, Timothy D.

    2015-01-01

    The Asian copepod Pseudodiaptomus forbesi has recently become established in the Columbia River. However, little is known about its ecology and effects on invaded ecosystems. We undertook a 2-year (July 2009 to June 2011) field study of the mesozooplankton in four reservoirs in the Columbia and Snake Rivers, with emphasis on the relation of the seasonal variation in distribution and abundance of P. forbesi to environmental variables. Pseudodiaptomus forbesi was abundant in three reservoirs; the zooplankton community of the fourth reservoir contained no known non-indigenous taxa. The composition and seasonal succession of zooplankton were similar in the three invaded reservoirs: a bloom of rotifers occurred in spring, native cyclopoid and cladoceran species peaked in abundance in summer, and P. forbesi was most abundant in late summer and autumn. In the uninvaded reservoir, total zooplankton abundance was very low year-round. Multivariate ordination indicated that temperature and dissolved oxygen were strongly associated with zooplankton community structure, with P. forbesi appearing to exhibit a single generation per year . The broad distribution and high abundance of P. forbesi in the Columbia–Snake River System could result in ecosystem level effects in areas intensively managed to improve conditions for salmon and other commercially and culturally important fish species. 

  6. Seasonal dynamics alter taxonomical and functional microbial profiles in Pampa biome soils under natural grasslands

    PubMed Central

    Barboza, Anthony Diego Muller; Pylro, Victor Satler; Jacques, Rodrigo Josemar Seminot; Gubiani, Paulo Ivonir; de Quadros, Fernando Luiz Ferreira; da Trindade, Júlio Kuhn; Triplett, Eric W.

    2018-01-01

    Soil microbial communities’ assembly is strongly tied to changes in temperature and moisture. Although microbial functional redundancy seems to overcome taxonomical composition changes, the sensitivity and resilience of soil microbial communities from subtropical regions in response to seasonal variations are still poorly understood. Thus, the development of new strategies for biodiversity conservation and sustainable management require a complete understanding of the soil abiotic process involved in the selection of microbial taxa and functions. In this work, we used state of the art molecular methodologies (Next Generation Sequencing) to compare the taxonomic (metataxonomics) and functional (metatranscriptomics) profiles among soil samples from two subtropical natural grasslands located in the Pampa biome, Brazil, in response to short-term seasonal variations. Our data suggest that grasslands maintained a stable microbial community membership along the year with oscillation in abundance. Apparently soil microbial taxa are more susceptible to natural climatic disturbances while functions are more stable and change with less intensity along the year. Finally, our data allow us to conclude that the most abundant microbial groups and functions were shared between seasons and locations reflecting the existence of a stable taxonomical and functional core microbiota.

  7. Using spatiotemporal statistical models to estimate animal abundance and infer ecological dynamics from survey counts

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Conn, Paul B.; Johnson, Devin S.; Ver Hoef, Jay M.; Hooten, Mevin B.; London, Joshua M.; Boveng, Peter L.

    2015-01-01

    Ecologists often fit models to survey data to estimate and explain variation in animal abundance. Such models typically require that animal density remains constant across the landscape where sampling is being conducted, a potentially problematic assumption for animals inhabiting dynamic landscapes or otherwise exhibiting considerable spatiotemporal variation in density. We review several concepts from the burgeoning literature on spatiotemporal statistical models, including the nature of the temporal structure (i.e., descriptive or dynamical) and strategies for dimension reduction to promote computational tractability. We also review several features as they specifically relate to abundance estimation, including boundary conditions, population closure, choice of link function, and extrapolation of predicted relationships to unsampled areas. We then compare a suite of novel and existing spatiotemporal hierarchical models for animal count data that permit animal density to vary over space and time, including formulations motivated by resource selection and allowing for closed populations. We gauge the relative performance (bias, precision, computational demands) of alternative spatiotemporal models when confronted with simulated and real data sets from dynamic animal populations. For the latter, we analyze spotted seal (Phoca largha) counts from an aerial survey of the Bering Sea where the quantity and quality of suitable habitat (sea ice) changed dramatically while surveys were being conducted. Simulation analyses suggested that multiple types of spatiotemporal models provide reasonable inference (low positive bias, high precision) about animal abundance, but have potential for overestimating precision. Analysis of spotted seal data indicated that several model formulations, including those based on a log-Gaussian Cox process, had a tendency to overestimate abundance. By contrast, a model that included a population closure assumption and a scale prior on total

  8. Cross-correlation map analyses show weather variation influences on mosquito abundance patterns in Saginaw County, Michigan, 1989-2005.

    PubMed

    Chuang, Ting-Wu; Ionides, Edward L; Knepper, Randall G; Stanuszek, William W; Walker, Edward D; Wilson, Mark L

    2012-07-01

    Weather is important determinant of mosquito abundance that, in turn, influences vectorborne disease dynamics. In temperate regions, transmission generally is seasonal as mosquito abundance and behavior varies with temperature, precipitation, and other meteorological factors. We investigated how such factors affected species-specific mosquito abundance patterns in Saginaw County, MI, during a 17-yr period. Systematic sampling was undertaken at 22 trapping sites from May to September, during 1989-2005, for 19,228 trap-nights and 300,770 mosquitoes in total. Aedes vexans (Meigen), Culex pipiens L. and Culex restuans Theobald, the most abundant species, were analyzed. Weather data included local daily maximum temperature, minimum temperature, total precipitation, and average relative humidity. In addition to standard statistical methods, cross-correlation mapping was used to evaluate temporal associations with various lag periods between weather variables and species-specific mosquito abundances. Overall, the average number of mosquitoes was 4.90 per trap-night for Ae. vexans, 2.12 for Cx. pipiens, and 1.23 for Cx. restuans. Statistical analysis of the considerable temporal variability in species-specific abundances indicated that precipitation and relative humidity 1 wk prior were significantly positively associated with Ae. vexans, whereas elevated maximum temperature had a negative effect during summer. Cx. pipiens abundance was positively influenced by the preceding minimum temperature in the early season but negatively associated with precipitation during summer and with maximum temperature in July and August. Cx. restuans showed the least weather association, with only relative humidity 2-24 d prior being linked positively during late spring-early summer. The recently developed analytical method applied in this study could enhance our understanding of the influences of weather variability on mosquito population dynamics.

  9. Abundance, seasonal patterns and diet of the non-native jellyfish Blackfordia virginica in a Portuguese estuary

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marques, F.; Chainho, P.; Costa, J. L.; Domingos, I.; Angélico, M. M.

    2015-12-01

    Blackfordia virginica, a non-indigenous hydrozoan introduced in many systems around the world, has been observed in the Mira estuary, southwest of Portugal, since 1984. Monthly sampling (January 2013-January 2014) at a fixed location with high abundance of the medusae confirmed the occurrence of a seasonal cycle associated with temperature and photoperiod. The beginning of the medusa cycle occurred in May immediately after the spring zooplankton bloom during April. Examination of the gut contents of B. virginica medusae revealed that copepods, the most abundant group in the zooplankton community, were highly predated. Barnacle nauplii, decapod crustacean larvae and anchovy eggs were also identified in the guts. The medusae showed positive selection for copepods, and negative selection for barnacle nauplii, decapod crustacean larvae and anchovy eggs. The mortality rate of copepods (used as a model prey group) induced by medusae predation was estimated and showed the potential impact of this species in the ecosystem, ranging between 2.34 d-1 and 0.02 d-1, with a minimum copepod half-life of 0.30 days.

  10. Fish population dynamics in a seasonally varying wetland

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    DeAngelis, Donald L.; Trexler, Joel C.; Cosner, Chris; Obaza, Adam; Jopp, Fred

    2010-01-01

    Small fishes in seasonally flooded environments such as the Everglades are capable of spreading into newly flooded areas and building up substantial biomass. Passive drift cannot account for the rapidity of observed population expansions. To test the reaction-diffusion mechanism for spread of the fish, we estimated their diffusion coefficient and applied a reaction-diffusion model. This mechanism was also too weak to account for the spatial dynamics. Two other hypotheses were tested through modeling. The first--the 'refuge mechanism--hypothesizes that small remnant populations of small fishes survive the dry season in small permanent bodies of water (refugia), sites where the water level is otherwise below the surface. The second mechanism, which we call the 'dynamic ideal free distribution mechanism' is that consumption by the fish creates a prey density gradient and that fish taxis along this gradient can lead to rapid population expansion in space. We examined the two alternatives and concluded that although refugia may play an important role in recolonization by the fish population during reflooding, only the second, taxis in the direction of the flooding front, seems capable of matching empirical observations. This study has important implications for management of wetlands, as fish biomass is an essential support of higher trophic levels.

  11. Seasonal variations of zooplankton biomass and size-fractionated abundance in relation to environmental changes in a tropical mangrove estuary in the Straits of Malacca.

    PubMed

    Balqis, A R S; Yusoff, F M; Arshad, A; Nishikawa, J

    2016-07-01

    Seasonal variations of zooplankton community in terms of biomass and size-fractionated densities were studied in a tropical Sangga Kechil river, Matang, Perak from June 2010 to April 2011. Zooplankton and jellyfish (hydromedusae, siphonophores and ctenophores) samples were collected bimonthly from four sampling stations by horizontal towing of a 140-?m plankton net and 500 ?m bongo net, respectively. A total of 12 zooplankton groups consisting of six groups each of mesozooplankon (0.2 mm-2.0 mm) and macrozooplankton (2.0 mm-20.0 cm) were recorded. The total zooplankton density (12375?3339 ind m(-3)) and biomass (35.32?14.56 mg m(-3)) were highest during the northeast (NE) monsoon and southwest (SW) monsoon, respectively, indicating the presence of bigger individuals in the latter season. Mesozooplankton predominated (94%) over the macrozooplankton (6%) during all the seasons, and copepods contributed 84% of the total mesozooplankton abundance. Macrozooplankton was dominated by appendicularians during most of the seasons (43%-97%), except during the NE monsoon (December) when chaetognaths became the most abundant (89% of the total macrozooplankton). BIO-ENV analysis showed that total zooplankton density was correlated with turbidity, total nitrogen and total phosphorus, which in turn was positively correlated to chlorophyll a. Cluster analysis of the zooplankton community showed no significant temporal difference between the SW and NE monsoon season during the study period (> 90% similarity). The present study revealed that the zooplankton community in the tropical mangrove estuary in the Straits of Malacca was dominated by mesoplankton, especially copepods.

  12. Seasonal Variation of Carbon Metabolism in the Cambial Zone of Eucalyptus grandis

    PubMed Central

    Budzinski, Ilara G. F.; Moon, David H.; Lindén, Pernilla; Moritz, Thomas; Labate, Carlos A.

    2016-01-01

    Eucalyptus species are the most widely hardwood planted in the world. It is one of the successful examples of commercial forestry plantation in Brazil and other tropical and subtropical countries. The tree is valued for its rapid growth, adaptability and wood quality. Wood formation is the result of cumulative annual activity of the vascular cambium. This cambial activity is generally related to the alternation of cold and warm, and/or dry and rainy seasons. Efforts have focused on analysis of cambial zone in response to seasonal variations in trees from temperate zones. However, little is known about the molecular changes triggered by seasonal variations in trees from tropical countries. In this work we attempted to establish a global view of seasonal alterations in the cambial zone of Eucalyptus grandis Hill ex Maiden, emphasizing changes occurring in the carbon metabolism. Using transcripts, proteomics and metabolomics we analyzed the tissues harvested in summer-wet and winter-dry seasons. Based on proteomics analysis, 70 proteins that changed in abundance were successfully identified. Transcripts for some of these proteins were analyzed and similar expression patterns were observed. We identified 19 metabolites differentially abundant. Our results suggest a differential reconfiguration of carbon partioning in E. grandis cambial zone. During summer, pyruvate is primarily metabolized via ethanolic fermentation, possibly to regenerate NAD+ for glycolytic ATP production and cellular maintenance. However, in winter there seems to be a metabolic change and we found that some sugars were highly abundant. Our results revealed a dynamic change in E. grandis cambial zone due to seasonality and highlight the importance of glycolysis and ethanolic fermentation for energy generation and maintenance in Eucalyptus, a fast growing tree. PMID:27446160

  13. Seasonal Synechococcus and Thaumarchaeal population dynamics examined with high resolution with remote in situ instrumentation

    PubMed Central

    Robidart, Julie C; Preston, Christina M; Paerl, Ryan W; Turk, Kendra A; Mosier, Annika C; Francis, Christopher A; Scholin, Christopher A; Zehr, Jonathan P

    2012-01-01

    Monterey Bay, CA is an Eastern boundary upwelling system that is nitrogen limited much of the year. In order to resolve population dynamics of microorganisms important for nutrient cycling in this region, we deployed the Environmental Sample Processor with quantitative PCR assays targeting both ribosomal RNA genes and functional genes for subclades of cyanobacteria (Synechococcus) and ammonia-oxidizing Archaea (Thaumarchaeota) populations. Results showed a strong correlation between Thaumarchaea abundances and nitrate during the spring upwelling but not the fall sampling period. In relatively stratified fall waters, the Thaumarchaeota community reached higher numbers than in the spring, and an unexpected positive correlation with chlorophyll concentration was observed. Further, we detected drops in Synechococcus abundance that occurred on short (that is, daily) time scales. Upwelling intensity and blooms of eukaryotic phytoplankton strongly influenced Synechococcus distributions in the spring and fall, revealing what appear to be the environmental limitations of Synechococcus populations in this region. Each of these findings has implications for Monterey Bay biogeochemistry. High-resolution sampling provides a better-resolved framework within which to observe changes in the plankton community. We conclude that controls on these ecosystems change on smaller scales than are routinely assessed, and that more predictable trends will be uncovered if they are evaluated within seasonal (monthly), rather than on annual or interannual scales. PMID:21975596

  14. Gear and seasonal bias associated with abundance and size structure estimates for lentic freshwater fishes

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Fischer, Jesse R.; Quist, Michael C.

    2014-01-01

    All freshwater fish sampling methods are biased toward particular species, sizes, and sexes and are further influenced by season, habitat, and fish behavior changes over time. However, little is known about gear-specific biases for many common fish species because few multiple-gear comparison studies exist that have incorporated seasonal dynamics. We sampled six lakes and impoundments representing a diversity of trophic and physical conditions in Iowa, USA, using multiple gear types (i.e., standard modified fyke net, mini-modified fyke net, sinking experimental gill net, bag seine, benthic trawl, boat-mounted electrofisher used diurnally and nocturnally) to determine the influence of sampling methodology and season on fisheries assessments. Specifically, we describe the influence of season on catch per unit effort, proportional size distribution, and the number of samples required to obtain 125 stock-length individuals for 12 species of recreational and ecological importance. Mean catch per unit effort generally peaked in the spring and fall as a result of increased sampling effectiveness in shallow areas and seasonal changes in habitat use (e.g., movement offshore during summer). Mean proportional size distribution decreased from spring to fall for white bass Morone chrysops, largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides, bluegill Lepomis macrochirus, and black crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus, suggesting selectivity for large and presumably sexually mature individuals in the spring and summer. Overall, the mean number of samples required to sample 125 stock-length individuals was minimized in the fall with sinking experimental gill nets, a boat-mounted electrofisher used at night, and standard modified nets for 11 of the 12 species evaluated. Our results provide fisheries scientists with relative comparisons between several recommended standard sampling methods and illustrate the effects of seasonal variation on estimates of population indices that will be critical to

  15. Dynamical component of seasonal and year-to-year changes in Antarctic and global ozone

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Tung, Ka Kit; Yang, HU

    1988-01-01

    The dynamics of the ozone concetration components of the Antarctic ozone hole as related to seasonal and year-to-year temperature changes in August, September, October, and November during the 1979-1985 period is studied using a zonally averaged model in which all transport fields are fixed by input temperature data. The results suggest that, prior to 1984, both the seasonal and year-to year variability of the zonal-mean Antarctic ozone minimum and the surrounding maximum can be accounted for by temperature dynamics without invoking changes in chemical composition (e.g., chlorine content) or special chemistry. The same dynamical mechanism also accounts for the good simulation of the observed seasonal and latitudinal structure of column ozone in other parts of the world. However, chemical depletion of ozone may have become more important after 1984. The model also appears to underpredict the September ozone decline in years, leading to an underprediction of the recent minimum values in the Antarctic ozone hole.

  16. Temporal Dynamics of Arthropods on Six Tree Species in Dry Woodlands on the Caribbean Island of Puerto Rico

    PubMed Central

    Beltrán, William; Wunderle, Joseph M.

    2014-01-01

    Abstract The seasonal dynamics of foliage arthropod populations are poorly studied in tropical dry forests despite the importance of these studies for understanding arthropod population responses to environmental change. We monitored the abundance, temporal distributions, and body size of arthropods in five naturalized alien and one native tree species to characterize arthropod seasonality in dry novel Prosopis–Leucaena woodlands in Puerto Rico. A branch clipping method was used monthly to sample foliage arthropod abundance over 39 mo. Seasonal patterns of rainfall and abundance within various arthropod taxa were highly variable from year to year. Abundance for most taxa did not show significant seasonality over the 3 yr, although most taxa had abundance peaks each year. However, Homoptera displayed high seasonality with significant temporal aggregations in each year. Formicidae, Orthoptera, and Coleoptera showed high variation in abundance between wet and dry periods, whereas Hemiptera were consistently more abundant in the wet period. Seasonal differences in mean abundance were found only in a few taxa on Tamarindus indica L. , Bucida buceras L. , Pithecellobium dulce , and (Roxburgh) Benth. Mean arthropod abundance varied among tree species, with highest numbers on Prosopis juliflora , (Swartz) De Candolle, Pi. dulce , Leucaena leucocephala , and (Lamarck) de Wit. Abundance of Araneae, Orthoptera, Coleoptera, Lepidoptera larvae, and all arthropods showed weak relationships with one or more climatic variables (rainfall, maximum temperature, or relative humidity). Body size of arthropods was usually largest during the dry periods. Overall, total foliage arthropod abundance showed no consistent seasonality among years, which may become a more common trend in dry forests and woodlands in the Caribbean if seasonality of rainfall becomes less predictable. PMID:25502036

  17. Predictors of leafhopper abundance and richness in a coffee agroecosystem in Chiapas, Mexico.

    PubMed

    Burdine, Justin D; Domínguez Martínez, Gabriel H; Philpott, Stacy M

    2014-04-01

    Coffee agroecosystems with a vegetatively complex shade canopy contain high levels of biodiversity. However, as coffee management is intensified, diversity may be lost. Most biodiversity studies in coffee agroecosystems have examined predators and not herbivores, despite their importance as potential coffee pests and coffee disease vectors. We sampled one abundant herbivore group of leafhoppers on an organic coffee farm in Chiapas, Mexico. We sampled leafhoppers with elevated pan traps in high- and moderate-shade coffee during the dry and wet seasons of 2011. The two major objectives were to 1) compare leafhopper abundance and richness during the wet and dry seasons and 2) examine the correlations between habitat characteristics (e.g., vegetation, elevation, and presence of aggressive ants) and leafhopper richness and abundance. We collected 2,351 leafhoppers, representing eight tribes and 64 morphospecies. Leafhopper abundance was higher in the dry season than in the wet season. Likewise, leafhopper richness was higher in the dry season. Several vegetation and other habitat characteristics correlated with abundance and richness of leafhoppers. The number of Inga trees positively correlated with leafhopper abundance, and other significant correlates of abundance included vegetation complexity. Leafhopper richness was correlated with the number of Inga trees. As leafhoppers transmit important coffee diseases, understanding the specific habitat factors correlating with changes in abundance and richness may help predict future disease outbreaks.

  18. Dynamic denominators: the impact of seasonally varying population numbers on disease incidence estimates.

    PubMed

    Zu Erbach-Schoenberg, Elisabeth; Alegana, Victor A; Sorichetta, Alessandro; Linard, Catherine; Lourenço, Christoper; Ruktanonchai, Nick W; Graupe, Bonita; Bird, Tomas J; Pezzulo, Carla; Wesolowski, Amy; Tatem, Andrew J

    2016-01-01

    Reliable health metrics are crucial for accurately assessing disease burden and planning interventions. Many health indicators are measured through passive surveillance systems and are reliant on accurate estimates of denominators to transform case counts into incidence measures. These denominator estimates generally come from national censuses and use large area growth rates to estimate annual changes. Typically, they do not account for any seasonal fluctuations and thus assume a static denominator population. Many recent studies have highlighted the dynamic nature of human populations through quantitative analyses of mobile phone call data records and a range of other sources, emphasizing seasonal changes. In this study, we use mobile phone data to capture patterns of short-term human population movement and to map dynamism in population densities. We show how mobile phone data can be used to measure seasonal changes in health district population numbers, which are used as denominators for calculating district-level disease incidence. Using the example of malaria case reporting in Namibia we use 3.5 years of phone data to investigate the spatial and temporal effects of fluctuations in denominators caused by seasonal mobility on malaria incidence estimates. We show that even in a sparsely populated country with large distances between population centers, such as Namibia, populations are highly dynamic throughout the year. We highlight how seasonal mobility affects malaria incidence estimates, leading to differences of up to 30 % compared to estimates created using static population maps. These differences exhibit clear spatial patterns, with likely overestimation of incidence in the high-prevalence zones in the north of Namibia and underestimation in lower-risk areas when compared to using static populations. The results here highlight how health metrics that rely on static estimates of denominators from censuses may differ substantially once mobility and

  19. Predicting the evolutionary dynamics of seasonal adaptation to novel climates in Arabidopsis thaliana

    PubMed Central

    Fournier-Level, Alexandre; Perry, Emily O.; Wang, Jonathan A.; Braun, Peter T.; Migneault, Andrew; Cooper, Martha D.; Metcalf, C. Jessica E.; Schmitt, Johanna

    2016-01-01

    Predicting whether and how populations will adapt to rapid climate change is a critical goal for evolutionary biology. To examine the genetic basis of fitness and predict adaptive evolution in novel climates with seasonal variation, we grew a diverse panel of the annual plant Arabidopsis thaliana (multiparent advanced generation intercross lines) in controlled conditions simulating four climates: a present-day reference climate, an increased-temperature climate, a winter-warming only climate, and a poleward-migration climate with increased photoperiod amplitude. In each climate, four successive seasonal cohorts experienced dynamic daily temperature and photoperiod variation over a year. We measured 12 traits and developed a genomic prediction model for fitness evolution in each seasonal environment. This model was used to simulate evolutionary trajectories of the base population over 50 y in each climate, as well as 100-y scenarios of gradual climate change following adaptation to a reference climate. Patterns of plastic and evolutionary fitness response varied across seasons and climates. The increased-temperature climate promoted genetic divergence of subpopulations across seasons, whereas in the winter-warming and poleward-migration climates, seasonal genetic differentiation was reduced. In silico “resurrection experiments” showed limited evolutionary rescue compared with the plastic response of fitness to seasonal climate change. The genetic basis of adaptation and, consequently, the dynamics of evolutionary change differed qualitatively among scenarios. Populations with fewer founding genotypes and populations with genetic diversity reduced by prior selection adapted less well to novel conditions, demonstrating that adaptation to rapid climate change requires the maintenance of sufficient standing variation. PMID:27140640

  20. Predicting the evolutionary dynamics of seasonal adaptation to novel climates in Arabidopsis thaliana.

    PubMed

    Fournier-Level, Alexandre; Perry, Emily O; Wang, Jonathan A; Braun, Peter T; Migneault, Andrew; Cooper, Martha D; Metcalf, C Jessica E; Schmitt, Johanna

    2016-05-17

    Predicting whether and how populations will adapt to rapid climate change is a critical goal for evolutionary biology. To examine the genetic basis of fitness and predict adaptive evolution in novel climates with seasonal variation, we grew a diverse panel of the annual plant Arabidopsis thaliana (multiparent advanced generation intercross lines) in controlled conditions simulating four climates: a present-day reference climate, an increased-temperature climate, a winter-warming only climate, and a poleward-migration climate with increased photoperiod amplitude. In each climate, four successive seasonal cohorts experienced dynamic daily temperature and photoperiod variation over a year. We measured 12 traits and developed a genomic prediction model for fitness evolution in each seasonal environment. This model was used to simulate evolutionary trajectories of the base population over 50 y in each climate, as well as 100-y scenarios of gradual climate change following adaptation to a reference climate. Patterns of plastic and evolutionary fitness response varied across seasons and climates. The increased-temperature climate promoted genetic divergence of subpopulations across seasons, whereas in the winter-warming and poleward-migration climates, seasonal genetic differentiation was reduced. In silico "resurrection experiments" showed limited evolutionary rescue compared with the plastic response of fitness to seasonal climate change. The genetic basis of adaptation and, consequently, the dynamics of evolutionary change differed qualitatively among scenarios. Populations with fewer founding genotypes and populations with genetic diversity reduced by prior selection adapted less well to novel conditions, demonstrating that adaptation to rapid climate change requires the maintenance of sufficient standing variation.

  1. Seasonal dynamics of marine litter along the Bulgarian Black Sea coast.

    PubMed

    Simeonova, Anna; Chuturkova, Rozalina; Yaneva, Velika

    2017-06-15

    In this study marine litter (ML) surveys were conducted in 8 beaches along the Bulgarian Black Sea coastline within 4 seasons for 2015-2016. The monitoring applied OSPAR guideline, classifying ML in eight categories and 167 types. The results exhibited predominance of artificial polymer materials - 84.3%. ML densities ranged from 0.0587±0.005 to 0.1343±0.008 n/m 2 , highest on the urban beaches. The seasonal dynamics of most top 10 ML showed highest quantities in summer than the other seasons, as the differences are of high statistical significance (0.001≤P≤0.05). Top 1 ML item for most of the beaches was cigarette butts and filters reaching 1008±10.58 nos. in summer and from 19±3.41 to 89±7.81 nos. during the rest of the seasons (P<0.001). For the pronounced seasonality contributed the recreational activities, increased tourist flow and the wild camping. The investigation will enrich data scarcity for Descriptor 10 "Marine litter". Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Seasonal stratospheric photochemistry on Uranus and Neptune

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moses, Julianne I.; Fletcher, Leigh N.; Greathouse, Thomas K.; Orton, Glenn S.; Hue, Vincent

    2018-06-01

    A time-variable 1D photochemical model is used to study the distribution of stratospheric hydrocarbons as a function of altitude, latitude, and season on Uranus and Neptune. The results for Neptune indicate that in the absence of stratospheric circulation or other meridional transport processes, the hydrocarbon abundances exhibit strong seasonal and meridional variations in the upper stratosphere, but that these variations become increasingly damped with depth due to increasing dynamical and chemical time scales. At high altitudes, hydrocarbon mixing ratios are typically largest where the solar insolation is the greatest, leading to strong hemispheric dichotomies between the summer-to-fall hemisphere and winter-to-spring hemisphere. At mbar pressures and deeper, slower chemistry and diffusion lead to latitude variations that become more symmetric about the equator. On Uranus, the stagnant, poorly mixed stratosphere confines methane and its photochemical products to higher pressures, where chemistry and diffusion time scales remain large. Seasonal variations in hydrocarbons are therefore predicted to be more muted on Uranus, despite the planet's very large obliquity. Radiative-transfer simulations demonstrate that latitude variations in hydrocarbons on both planets are potentially observable with future JWST mid-infrared spectral imaging. Our seasonal model predictions for Neptune compare well with retrieved C2H2 and C2H6 abundances from spatially resolved ground-based observations (no such observations currently exist for Uranus), suggesting that stratospheric circulation - which was not included in these models - may have little influence on the large-scale meridional hydrocarbon distributions on Neptune, unlike the situation on Jupiter and Saturn.

  3. Role of seasonality on predator-prey-subsidy population dynamics.

    PubMed

    Levy, Dorian; Harrington, Heather A; Van Gorder, Robert A

    2016-05-07

    The role of seasonality on predator-prey interactions in the presence of a resource subsidy is examined using a system of non-autonomous ordinary differential equations (ODEs). The problem is motivated by the Arctic, inhabited by the ecological system of arctic foxes (predator), lemmings (prey), and seal carrion (subsidy). We construct two nonlinear, nonautonomous systems of ODEs named the Primary Model, and the n-Patch Model. The Primary Model considers spatial factors implicitly, and the n-Patch Model considers space explicitly as a "Stepping Stone" system. We establish the boundedness of the dynamics, as well as the necessity of sufficiently nutritional food for the survival of the predator. We investigate the importance of including the resource subsidy explicitly in the model, and the importance of accounting for predator mortality during migration. We find a variety of non-equilibrium dynamics for both systems, obtaining both limit cycles and chaotic oscillations. We were then able to discuss relevant implications for biologically interesting predator-prey systems including subsidy under seasonal effects. Notably, we can observe the extinction or persistence of a species when the corresponding autonomous system might predict the opposite. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Effects of paddy rice agriculture on the seasonal dynamics of atmospheric methane concentration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, G.; Xiao, X.; Dong, J.; Zhang, Y.; Xin, F.; Zhou, Y.; Wang, J.; Wu, X.; Moore, B., III

    2017-12-01

    Methane (CH4) is an important greenhouse gas (GHG) and may account for 20 % of anticipated global warming. The atmospheric CH4 concentration was nearly constant from 1999 to 2006, following with a strong growth resumed since 2007. Previous study attributed the increase in CH4 to agriculture. Specifically, paddy rice agriculture is a significant source of CH4, but large uncertainty still exists on methane emission estimates from rice paddies, largely due to lack of detailed geospatial datasets of rice paddies. In this study, based on a pixel- and phenology-based image analysis system with multi-temporal MODIS imagery (MODIS-RICE), we generated the paddy rice map in 2005 to document the spatiotemporal pattern of paddy rice dynamics in Monsoon Asia, which accounts for more than 90% of the global rice production. Furthermore, we examined the effects of paddy rice agriculture on atmospheric CH4 concentration over Monsoon Asia, by comparing atmospheric CH4 concentration data from SCIAMACHY sensor and the paddy rice maps in 2005. We found a significant spatial consistency between spatial patterns of paddy rice and atmospheric CH4 concentration. Based on the high resolution paddy rice map, different seasonal dynamics of CH4 concentration, including single, double to triple peaks, were found based on the rice paddy distribution information. That suggests paddy rice agriculture contributes substantially to the spatial and seasonal pattern of atmospheric CH4 concentration in Monsoon Asia. This study provides satellite evidence for seasonal cycle of CH4 dynamics at regional scale, and suggests that shifting regime of paddy rice agriculture and cropping intensity could affect the seasonal dynamics and spatial pattern of atmospheric methane concentration.

  5. Vibrio diversity and dynamics in the Monterey Bay upwelling region

    PubMed Central

    Mansergh, Sarah; Zehr, Jonathan P.

    2013-01-01

    The Vibrionaceae (Vibrio) are a ubiquitous group of metabolically flexible marine bacteria that play important roles in biogeochemical cycling in the ocean. Despite this versatility, little is known about Vibrio diversity and abundances in upwelling regions. The seasonal dynamics of Vibrio populations was examined by analysis of 16S rRNA genes in Monterey Bay (MB), California from April 2006–April 2008 at two long term monitoring stations, C1 and M2. Vibrio phylotypes within MB were diverse, with subpopulations clustering with several different cultured representatives including Allivibrio spp., Vibrio penaecida, and Vibrio splendidus as well as with many unidentified marine environmental bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences. Total Vibrio population abundances, as well as abundances of a Vibrio sp. subpopulation (MBAY Vib7) and an Allivibrio sp. subpopulation (MBAY Vib4) were examined in the context of environmental parameters from mooring station and CTD cast data. Total Vibrio populations showed some seasonal variability but greater variability was observed within the two subpopulations. MBAY Vib4 was negatively associated with MB upwelling indices and positively correlated with oceanic season conditions, when upwelling winds relax and warmer surface waters are present in MB. MBAY Vib7 was also negatively associated with upwelling indices and represented a deeper Vibrio sp. population. Correlation patterns suggest that larger oceanographic conditions affect the dynamics of the populations in MB, rather than specific environmental factors. This study is the first to target and describe the diversity and dynamics of these natural populations in MB and demonstrates that these populations shift seasonally within the region. PMID:24575086

  6. Seasonal Biophysical Dynamics of the Amazon from Space Using MODIS Vegetation Indices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huete, A. R.; Didan, K.; Ratana, P.; Ferreira, L.

    2002-12-01

    We utilized the Terra- Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Vegetation Index (VI) products to analyze the seasonal and spatial patterns of photosynthetic vegetation activity over the Amazon Basin and surrounding regions of Brazil. The seasonal patterns of vegetation activity were studied along two, eco-climatic transects extending from (1) the cerrado region (Brasilia National Park) to the seasonal tropical forest (Tapajos National Forest) and (2) the caatinga biome to the seasonal and per-humid tropical forests. In addition to the climatic transects, we also investigated the seasonal dynamics of altered, land conversion areas associated with pastures and clearcutting land use activities. Both the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and the enhanced vegetation index (EVI) at 250-m, 500-m, and 1-km were used to extract seasonal profile curves. The quality assurance (QA) information of the output products was used in noise removal and data filtering prior to the generation of the seasonal profiles. Histogram analyses were also performed at coarse (biome) scale and fine, site intensive (flux towers) scale. The seasonal patterns of the cerrado and caatinga were very pronounced with distinct dry and wet seasonal trends. We observed decreasing dry-wet seasonal patterns in the transitional areas near Araguaia National Park. In contrast, the seasonal behavior of the tropical forests were much harder to assess, but indicated slight seasonal trends that ran counter to rainfall activity. This may be attributed to new leaf growth in the dry season. We further found MODIS VI seasonal patterns to vary significantly in land converted and land degraded areas.

  7. Seasonal effects on the population structure of Prochlorococcus in the North Pacific Ocean

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Calfee, B. C.; Johnson, Z. I.; Wilhelm, S.; Zinser, E. R.

    2016-02-01

    Prochlorococcus is one of the most abundant marine phytoplankton and is responsible for a large portion of oceanic primary production. Basin-scale meridional transects and time series studies at fixed stations have established that the Prochlorococcus population in the surface mixed layer is partitioned with respect to temperature, with the eMIT9312 ecotype dominating the warmer, lower latitudes, and eMED4 dominating the colder, higher latitudes. Spatial and temporal resolution of this relationship is however not well characterized particularly in the higher latitudes where the transitions of ecotypic dominance occur. To improve our understanding of Prochlorococcus dynamics in these high latitudes, we performed a pair of research expeditions spanning the Prochlorococcus habitat range north of Hawaii. Winter and summer cruises along a similar transect allowed for assessment of seasonal succession in this region. For the winter transect, trends in ecotype abundances as a function of latitude were consistent with those found in prior studies. Surprisingly, ecotype abundances of the summer transect deviated from these trends, and indicate that seasonal progression in these high latitude waters is not simply a function of temperature dictating relative ecotype abundances. Potential reasons for this observation will be discussed.

  8. Phytoplankton dynamics in relation to seasonal variability and upwelling and relaxation patterns at the mouth of Ria de Aveiro (West Iberian Margin) over a four-year period

    PubMed Central

    Calado, António José; Moita, Maria Teresa; Cunha, Marina R.

    2017-01-01

    From June 2004 to December 2007, samples were weekly collected at a fixed station located at the mouth of Ria de Aveiro (West Iberian Margin). We examined the seasonal and inter-annual fluctuations in composition and community structure of the phytoplankton in relation to the main environmental drivers and assessed the influence of the oceanographic regime, namely changes in frequency and intensity of upwelling events, over the dynamics of the phytoplankton assemblage. The samples were consistently handled and a final subset of 136 OTUs (taxa with relative abundance > 0.01%) was subsequently submitted to various multivariate analyses. The phytoplankton assemblage showed significant changes at all temporal scales but with an overriding importance of seasonality over longer- (inter-annual) or shorter-term fluctuations (upwelling-related). Sea-surface temperature, salinity and maximum upwelling index were retrieved as the main driver of seasonal change. Seasonal signal was most evident in the fluctuations of chlorophyll a concentration and in the high turnover from the winter to spring phytoplankton assemblage. The seasonal cycle of production and succession was disturbed by upwelling events known to disrupt thermal stratification and induce changes in the phytoplankton assemblage. Our results indicate that both the frequency and intensity of physical forcing were important drivers of such variability, but the outcome in terms of species composition was highly dependent on the available local pool of species and the timing of those events in relation to the seasonal cycle. We conclude that duration, frequency and intensity of upwelling events, which vary seasonally and inter-annually, are paramount for maintaining long-term phytoplankton diversity likely by allowing unstable coexistence and incorporating species turnover at different scales. Our results contribute to the understanding of the complex mechanisms of coastal phytoplankton dynamics in relation to changing

  9. Phytoplankton dynamics in relation to seasonal variability and upwelling and relaxation patterns at the mouth of Ria de Aveiro (West Iberian Margin) over a four-year period.

    PubMed

    Vidal, Tânia; Calado, António José; Moita, Maria Teresa; Cunha, Marina R

    2017-01-01

    From June 2004 to December 2007, samples were weekly collected at a fixed station located at the mouth of Ria de Aveiro (West Iberian Margin). We examined the seasonal and inter-annual fluctuations in composition and community structure of the phytoplankton in relation to the main environmental drivers and assessed the influence of the oceanographic regime, namely changes in frequency and intensity of upwelling events, over the dynamics of the phytoplankton assemblage. The samples were consistently handled and a final subset of 136 OTUs (taxa with relative abundance > 0.01%) was subsequently submitted to various multivariate analyses. The phytoplankton assemblage showed significant changes at all temporal scales but with an overriding importance of seasonality over longer- (inter-annual) or shorter-term fluctuations (upwelling-related). Sea-surface temperature, salinity and maximum upwelling index were retrieved as the main driver of seasonal change. Seasonal signal was most evident in the fluctuations of chlorophyll a concentration and in the high turnover from the winter to spring phytoplankton assemblage. The seasonal cycle of production and succession was disturbed by upwelling events known to disrupt thermal stratification and induce changes in the phytoplankton assemblage. Our results indicate that both the frequency and intensity of physical forcing were important drivers of such variability, but the outcome in terms of species composition was highly dependent on the available local pool of species and the timing of those events in relation to the seasonal cycle. We conclude that duration, frequency and intensity of upwelling events, which vary seasonally and inter-annually, are paramount for maintaining long-term phytoplankton diversity likely by allowing unstable coexistence and incorporating species turnover at different scales. Our results contribute to the understanding of the complex mechanisms of coastal phytoplankton dynamics in relation to changing

  10. Seasonal Oxygen Dynamics in a Thermokarst Bog in Interior Alaska: Implications for Rates of Methane Oxidation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Neumann, R. B.; Moorberg, C.; Wong, A.; Waldrop, M. P.; Turetsky, M. R.

    2015-12-01

    Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, and wetlands represent the largest natural source of methane to the atmosphere. However, much of the methane generated in anoxic wetlands never gets emitted to the atmosphere; up to >90% of generated methane can get oxidized to carbon dioxide. Thus, oxidation is an important methane sink and changes in the rate of methane oxidation can affect wetland methane emissions. Most methane is aerobically oxidized at oxic-anoxic interfaces where rates of oxidation strongly depend on methane and oxygen concentrations. In wetlands, oxygen is often the limiting substrate. To improve understanding of belowground oxygen dynamics and its impact on methane oxidation, we deployed two planar optical oxygen sensors in a thermokarst bog in interior Alaska. Previous work at this site indicated that, similar to other sites, rates of methane oxidation decrease over the growing season. We used the sensors to track spatial and temporal patterns of oxygen concentrations over the growing season. We coupled these in-situ oxygen measurements with periodic oxygen injection experiments performed against the sensor to quantify belowground rates of oxygen consumption. We found that over the season, the thickness of the oxygenated water layer at the peatland surface decreased. Previous research has indicated that in sphagnum-dominated peatlands, like the one studied here, rates of methane oxidation are highest at or slightly below the water table. It is in these saturated but oxygenated locations that both methane and oxygen are available. Thus, a seasonal reduction in the thickness of the oxygenated water layer could restrict methane oxidation. The decrease in thickness of the oxygenated layer coincided with an increase in the rate of oxygen consumption during our oxygen injection experiments. The increase in oxygen consumption was not explained by temperature; we infer it was due to an increase in substrate availability for oxygen consuming reactions and

  11. Seasonally-Dynamic SPARROW Modeling of Nitrogen Flux Using Earth Observation Data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Smith, R. A.; Schwarz, G. E.; Brakebill, J. W.; Hoos, A. B.; Moore, R. B.; Shih, J.; Nolin, A. W.; Macauley, M.; Alexander, R. B.

    2013-12-01

    SPARROW models are widely used to identify and quantify the sources of contaminants in watersheds and to predict their flux and concentration at specified locations downstream. Conventional SPARROW models describe the average relationship between sources and stream conditions based on long-term water quality monitoring data and spatially-referenced explanatory information. But many watershed management issues stem from intra- and inter-annual changes in contaminant sources, hydrologic forcing, or other environmental conditions which cause a temporary imbalance between inputs and stream water quality. Dynamic behavior of the system relating to changes in watershed storage and processing then becomes important. In this study, we describe dynamically calibrated SPARROW models of total nitrogen flux in three sub-regional watersheds: the Potomac River Basin, Long Island Sound drainage, and coastal South Carolina drainage. The models are based on seasonal water quality and watershed input data for a total 170 monitoring stations for the period 2001 to 2008. Frequently-reported, spatially-detailed input data on the phenology of agricultural production, terrestrial vegetation growth, and snow melt are often challenging requirements of seasonal modeling of reactive nitrogen. In this NASA-funded research, we use Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), gross primary production and snow/ice cover data from MODIS to parameterize seasonal uptake and release of nitrogen from vegetation and snowpack. The spatial reference frames of the models are 1:100,000-scale stream networks, and the computational time steps are 0.25-year seasons. Precipitation and temperature data are from PRISM. The model formulation accounts for storage of nitrogen from nonpoint sources including fertilized cropland, pasture, urban land, and atmospheric deposition. Model calibration is by non-linear regression. Once calibrated, model source terms based on previous season export allow for recursive dynamic

  12. Seasonal patterns of winter flounder Pseudopleuronectes americanus abundance and reproductive condition on the New York Bight continental shelf.

    PubMed

    Wuenschel, M J; Able, K W; Byrne, D

    2009-05-01

    To resolve varied and sometimes conflicting accounts of spawning and habitat characteristics for winter flounder Pseudopleuronectes americanus, seasonal patterns in abundance and reproductive condition were investigated in the New York Bight, near the southern edge of their current reproductive range. Fish were collected from trawl surveys on the inner continental shelf from October 2006 to October 2007. Pseudopleuronectes americanus were most abundant during January and April surveys, were rarely collected in August, with intermediate abundances in June and October. Measurements of fish condition [hepato-somatic index (I(H)), condition factor (K) and the per cent dry mass of muscle tissue (%M(D))] and reproductive condition [gonado-somatic index (I(G))] were determined to evaluate seasonal changes in energy accumulation and depletion and reproduction. Males and females had similar patterns in body and reproductive condition, although the magnitude of change was greater for females. I(H) values were highest during spring and early summer, suggesting increased feeding following spawning. K and %M(D) increased through spring and summer then declined in the autumn and winter concurrent with gonadal development. Gonads began developing in the autumn, and in January, I(G) values approached spawning levels, with many spent individuals collected in spring. Within these general patterns, however, there was a large degree of variability among individuals, and a few mature non-reproductive ('skipped spawning') females were observed. In the period after spawning, increased energy intake, indicated by increased I(H), may influence reproductive output since this energy is gradually transferred to the muscle and used for gonadal development in the forthcoming year. The occurrence of ripening individuals on the inner continental shelf in January suggests that these fish either rapidly move into estuaries to spawn by February-March or they remain on the inner shelf to spawn, or

  13. Temporal dynamics of arthropods on six tree species in dry woodlands on the Caribbean Island of Puerto Rico.

    PubMed

    Beltrán, William; Wunderle, Joseph M

    2014-01-01

    The seasonal dynamics of foliage arthropod populations are poorly studied in tropical dry forests despite the importance of these studies for understanding arthropod population responses to environmental change. We monitored the abundance, temporal distributions, and body size of arthropods in five naturalized alien and one native tree species to characterize arthropod seasonality in dry novel Prosopis-Leucaena woodlands in Puerto Rico. A branch clipping method was used monthly to sample foliage arthropod abundance over 39 mo. Seasonal patterns of rainfall and abundance within various arthropod taxa were highly variable from year to year. Abundance for most taxa did not show significant seasonality over the 3 yr, although most taxa had abundance peaks each year. However, Homoptera displayed high seasonality with significant temporal aggregations in each year. Formicidae, Orthoptera, and Coleoptera showed high variation in abundance between wet and dry periods, whereas Hemiptera were consistently more abundant in the wet period. Seasonal differences in mean abundance were found only in a few taxa on Tamarindus indica L., Bucida buceras L., Pithecellobium dulce, and (Roxburgh) Benth. Mean arthropod abundance varied among tree species, with highest numbers on Prosopis juliflora, (Swartz) De Candolle, Pi. dulce, Leucaena leucocephala, and (Lamarck) de Wit. Abundance of Araneae, Orthoptera, Coleoptera, Lepidoptera larvae, and all arthropods showed weak relationships with one or more climatic variables (rainfall, maximum temperature, or relative humidity). Body size of arthropods was usually largest during the dry periods. Overall, total foliage arthropod abundance showed no consistent seasonality among years, which may become a more common trend in dry forests and woodlands in the Caribbean if seasonality of rainfall becomes less predictable. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Entomological Society of America.

  14. Comparative dynamics, seasonality in transmission, and predictability of childhood infections in Mexico

    PubMed Central

    Mahmud, A. S.; Metcalf, C. J. E.; Grenfell, B. T.

    2018-01-01

    The seasonality and periodicity of infections, and the mechanisms underlying observed dynamics, can have implications for control efforts. This is particularly true for acute childhood infections. Among these, the dynamics of measles is the best understood and has been extensively studied, most notably in the UK prior to the start of vaccination. Less is known about the dynamics of other childhood diseases, particularly outside Europe and the US. In this paper, we leverage a unique dataset to examine the epidemiology of six childhood infections - measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, scarlet fever and pertussis - across 32 states in Mexico from 1985 to 2007. This dataset provides us with a spatiotemporal probe into the dynamics of six common childhood infections, and allows us to compare them in the same setting over the same time period. We examine three key epidemiological characteristics of these infections – the age profile of infections, spatiotemporal dynamics, and seasonality in transmission - and compare with predictions from existing theory and past findings. Our analysis reveals interesting epidemiological differences between the six pathogens, and variations across space. We find signatures of term time forcing (reduced transmission during the summer) for measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, and scarlet fever; for pertussis, a lack of term time forcing could not be rejected. PMID:27873563

  15. Pan-Antarctic analysis aggregating spatial estimates of Adélie penguin abundance reveals robust dynamics despite stochastic noise.

    PubMed

    Che-Castaldo, Christian; Jenouvrier, Stephanie; Youngflesh, Casey; Shoemaker, Kevin T; Humphries, Grant; McDowall, Philip; Landrum, Laura; Holland, Marika M; Li, Yun; Ji, Rubao; Lynch, Heather J

    2017-10-10

    Colonially-breeding seabirds have long served as indicator species for the health of the oceans on which they depend. Abundance and breeding data are repeatedly collected at fixed study sites in the hopes that changes in abundance and productivity may be useful for adaptive management of marine resources, but their suitability for this purpose is often unknown. To address this, we fit a Bayesian population dynamics model that includes process and observation error to all known Adélie penguin abundance data (1982-2015) in the Antarctic, covering >95% of their population globally. We find that process error exceeds observation error in this system, and that continent-wide "year effects" strongly influence population growth rates. Our findings have important implications for the use of Adélie penguins in Southern Ocean feedback management, and suggest that aggregating abundance across space provides the fastest reliable signal of true population change for species whose dynamics are driven by stochastic processes.Adélie penguins are a key Antarctic indicator species, but data patchiness has challenged efforts to link population dynamics to key drivers. Che-Castaldo et al. resolve this issue using a pan-Antarctic Bayesian model to infer missing data, and show that spatial aggregation leads to more robust inference regarding dynamics.

  16. Changes in seasonal nearshore zooplankton abundance patterns in Lake Ontario following establishment of the exotic predator Cercopagis pengoi

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Warner, David M.; Rudstam, Lars G.; Benoit, Hugues; Mills, Edward L.; Johannsson, Ora E.

    2006-01-01

    Cercopagis pengoi, a zooplanktivore first discovered in Lake Ontario in 1998, may reduce availability of prey for planktivorous fish. Cercoapgis pengoi is most abundant in late summer and fall. Therefore, we hypothesized that abundance of small zooplankton (bosminids and cyclopoids) species would decrease at that time. To determine if the establishment of C. pengoi was followed by changes in the zooplankton community, seasonal patterns in nearshore zooplankton collected from May to October 1995–2000 were examined. Early summer density of small zooplankton was similar in all years while late summer and fall densities were significantly lower in 1998–2000 than in 1995–1997. The declines of small zooplankton coincided seasonally with the peak in C. pengoidensity. Other possible causes for the observed changes in small zooplankton are less likely. High levels of fish predation should have resulted in smaller zooplankton in 1998–2000 than in 1995–1997 and larger declines in Daphnia than other groups. This was not observed. There was no significant decline in chlorophyll-a concentrations or changes in temperature between 1995–1997 and 1998–2000. Therefore, the declines in density of small zooplankton were most likely the result of C. pengoi predation. The effect of C. pengoi establishment on alewives is increased competition for zooplankton prey but C. pengoi has replaced a portion of the zooplankton biomass and adult alewife diet formerly dominated by Diacyclops thomasi and Bosmina longirostris.

  17. Spatiotemporal variations in the abundance and composition of bulk and chromophoric dissolved organic matter in seasonally hypoxia-influenced Green Bay, Lake Michigan, USA.

    PubMed

    DeVilbiss, Stephen E; Zhou, Zhengzhen; Klump, J Val; Guo, Laodong

    2016-09-15

    Green Bay, Lake Michigan, USA, is the largest freshwater estuary in the Laurentian Great Lakes and receives disproportional terrestrial inputs as a result of a high watershed to bay surface area ratio. While seasonal hypoxia and the formation of "dead zones" in Green Bay have received increasing attention, there are no systematic studies on the dynamics of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and its linkage to the development of hypoxia. During summer 2014, bulk dissolved organic carbon (DOC) analysis, UV-vis spectroscopy, and fluorescence excitation-emission matrices (EEMs) coupled with PARAFAC analysis were used to quantify the abundance, composition and source of DOM and their spatiotemporal variations in Green Bay, Lake Michigan. Concentrations of DOC ranged from 202 to 571μM-C (average=361±73μM-C) in June and from 279 to 610μM-C (average=349±64μM-C) in August. In both months, absorption coefficient at 254nm (a254) was strongly correlated to bulk DOC and was most abundant in the Fox River, attesting a dominant terrestrial input. Non-chromophoric DOC comprised, on average, ~32% of bulk DOC in June with higher terrestrial DOM and ~47% in August with higher aquagenic DOM, indicating that autochthonous and more degraded DOM is of lower optical activity. PARAFAC modeling on EEM data resulted in four major fluorescent DOM components, including two terrestrial humic-like, one aquagenic humic-like, and one protein-like component. Variations in the abundance of DOM components further supported changes in DOM sources. Mixing behavior of DOM components also indicated that while bulk DOM behaved quasi-conservatively, significant compositional changes occurred during transport from the Fox River to the open bay. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Aquatic environmental DNA detects seasonal fish abundance and habitat preference in an urban estuary

    PubMed Central

    Soboleva, Lyubov; Charlop-Powers, Zachary

    2017-01-01

    The difficulty of censusing marine animal populations hampers effective ocean management. Analyzing water for DNA traces shed by organisms may aid assessment. Here we tested aquatic environmental DNA (eDNA) as an indicator of fish presence in the lower Hudson River estuary. A checklist of local marine fish and their relative abundance was prepared by compiling 12 traditional surveys conducted between 1988–2015. To improve eDNA identification success, 31 specimens representing 18 marine fish species were sequenced for two mitochondrial gene regions, boosting coverage of the 12S eDNA target sequence to 80% of local taxa. We collected 76 one-liter shoreline surface water samples at two contrasting estuary locations over six months beginning in January 2016. eDNA was amplified with vertebrate-specific 12S primers. Bioinformatic analysis of amplified DNA, using a reference library of GenBank and our newly generated 12S sequences, detected most (81%) locally abundant or common species and relatively few (23%) uncommon taxa, and corresponded to seasonal presence and habitat preference as determined by traditional surveys. Approximately 2% of fish reads were commonly consumed species that are rare or absent in local waters, consistent with wastewater input. Freshwater species were rarely detected despite Hudson River inflow. These results support further exploration and suggest eDNA will facilitate fine-scale geographic and temporal mapping of marine fish populations at relatively low cost. PMID:28403183

  19. Seasonal variation of tsetse fly species abundance and prevalence of trypanosomes in the Maasai Steppe, Tanzania.

    PubMed

    Nnko, Happiness J; Ngonyoka, Anibariki; Salekwa, Linda; Estes, Anna B; Hudson, Peter J; Gwakisa, Paul S; Cattadori, Isabella M

    2017-06-01

    Tsetse flies, the vectors of trypanosomiasis, represent a threat to public health and economy in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite these concerns, information on temporal and spatial dynamics of tsetse and trypanosomes remain limited and may be a reason that control strategies are less effective. The current study assessed the temporal variation of the relative abundance of tsetse fly species and trypanosome prevalence in relation to climate in the Maasai Steppe of Tanzania in 2014-2015. Tsetse flies were captured using odor-baited Epsilon traps deployed in ten sites selected through random subsampling of the major vegetation types in the area. Fly species were identified morphologically and trypanosome species classified using PCR. The climate dataset was acquired from the African Flood and Drought Monitor repository. Three species of tsetse flies were identified: G. swynnertoni (70.8%), G. m. morsitans (23.4%), and G.pallidipes (5.8%). All species showed monthly changes in abundance with most of the flies collected in July. The relative abundance of G. m. morsitans and G. swynnertoni was negatively correlated with maximum and minimum temperature, respectively. Three trypanosome species were recorded: T. vivax (82.1%), T. brucei (8.93%), and T. congolense (3.57%). The peak of trypanosome infections in the flies was found in October and was three months after the tsetse abundance peak; prevalence was negatively correlated with tsetse abundance. A strong positive relationship was found between trypanosome prevalence and temperature. In conclusion, we find that trypanosome prevalence is dependent on fly availability, and temperature drives both tsetse fly relative abundance and trypanosome prevalence. © 2017 The Society for Vector Ecology.

  20. The Role of Rainfall Patterns in Seasonal Malaria Transmission

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bomblies, A.

    2010-12-01

    Seasonal total precipitation is well known to affect malaria transmission because Anopheles mosquitoes depend on standing water for breeding habitat. However, the within-season temporal pattern of the rainfall influences persistence of standing water and thus rainfall patterns also affect mosquito population dynamics. In this talk, I show that intraseasonal rainfall pattern describes 40% of the variance in simulated mosquito abundance in a Niger Sahel village where malaria is endemic but highly seasonal, demonstrating the necessity for detailed distributed hydrology modeling to explain the variance from this important effect. I apply a field validated, high spatial- and temporal-resolution hydrology model coupled with an entomology model. Using synthetic rainfall time series generated using a stationary first-order Markov Chain model, I hold all variables except hourly rainfall constant, thus isolating the contribution of rainfall pattern to variance in mosquito abundance. I further show the utility of hydrology modeling to assess precipitation effects by analyzing collected water. Time-integrated surface area of pools explains 70% of the variance in mosquito abundance, and time-integrated surface area of pools persisting longer than seven days explains 82% of the variance, showing an improved predictive ability when pool persistence is explicitly modeled at high spatio-temporal resolution. I extend this analysis to investigate the impacts of this effect on malaria vector mosquito populations under climate shift scenarios, holding all climate variables except precipitation constant. In these scenarios, rainfall mean and variance change with climatic change, and the modeling approach evaluates the impact of non-stationarity in rainfall and the associated rainfall patterns on expected mosquito activity.

  1. The distribution, relative abundance, and seasonal phenology of Ceratitis capitata, Ceratitis rosa, and Ceratitis cosyra (Diptera: Tephritidae) in South Africa.

    PubMed

    De Villiers, Marelize; Manrakhan, Aruna; Addison, Pia; Hattingh, Vaughan

    2013-10-01

    Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), Ceratitis rosa Karsch, and Ceratitis cosyra (Walker) are fruit fly species (Diptera: Tephritidae) of economic importance in South Africa. These pests cause direct damage to a number of commercially produced fruit and are of phytosanitary concern. A study was conducted to determine the distribution, relative abundance, and seasonal occurrence of the three species in different climatic regions of South Africa. The relative abundance and seasonal phenology of C. capitata and C. rosa were also compared between production areas and home gardens in Stellenbosch, Western Cape. Yellow bucket traps baited with Biolure were used to trap the flies over a 2-yr period in the different sampling areas. Different fruit types were sampled in Stellenbosch to determine fruit fly infestation. C. capitata was found to have a widespread distribution in South Africa, whereas C. rosa were absent from or only present in low numbers in the drier regions. C. cosyra was restricted to the North East and East coast, following a similar pattern to the distribution of marula, Sclerocarrya birrea, an important wild host. Fruit in home gardens provided a breeding ground for C. capitata and C. rosa and a source for infestation of orchards when fruit started to mature, highlighting the need for an area-wide strategy for the control of fruit flies.

  2. Spatial and seasonal dynamics of brook trout populations inhabiting a central Appalachian watershed

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Petty, J.T.; Lamothe, P.J.; Mazik, P.M.

    2005-01-01

    We quantified the watershed-scale spatial population dynamics of brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis in the Second Fork, a third-order tributary of Shavers Fork in eastern West Virginia. We used visual surveys, electrofishing, and mark-recapture techniques to quantify brook trout spawning intensity, population density, size structure, and demographic rates (apparent survival and immigration) throughout the watershed. Our analyses produced the following results. Spawning by brook trout was concentrated in streams with small basin areas (i.e., segments draining less than 3 km2), relatively high alkalinity (>10 mg CaCO3/L), and high amounts of instream cover. The spatial distribution of juvenile and small-adult brook trout within the watershed was relatively stable and was significantly correlated with spawning intensity. However, no such relationship was observed for large adults, which exhibited highly variable distribution patterns related to seasonally important habitat features, including instream cover, stream depth and width, and riparian canopy cover. Brook trout survival and immigration rates varied seasonally, spatially, and among size-classes. Differential survival and immigration tended to concentrate juveniles and small adults in small, alkaline streams, whereas dispersal tended to redistribute large adults at the watershed scale. Our results suggest that spatial and temporal variations in spawning, survival, and movement interact to determine the distribution, abundance, and size structure of brook trout populations at a watershed scale. These results underscore the importance of small tributaries for the persistence of brook trout in this watershed and the need to consider watershed-scale processes when designing management plans for Appalachian brook trout populations. ?? Copyright by the American Fisheries Society 2005.

  3. Seasonal variability in airborne bacterial communities at a high elevation site and their relationship to other air studies and to potential sources

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bowers, R. M.; Mccubbin, I. B.; Hallar, A. G.; Fierer, N.

    2012-12-01

    Airborne bacteria are a large component of the near-surface atmospheric aerosol; however we know surprisingly little about their spatiotemporal dynamics and even less about their distributions at high-elevation. With this work, we describe seasonal shifts in bacterial abundances, total particle abundances, and bacterial community structure at a high-elevation research station located in Colorado, USA. In addition, we describe the unique composition of these high-elevation airborne bacterial communities as compared to the bacteria commonly observed throughout the lower elevation atmosphere as well as bacteria common to major sources such as leaf surfaces, soils, water bodies and various other surfaces. To address these knowledge gaps, we collected aerosol samples on the rooftop of Storm Peak Laboratory (3200 m ASL) over the course of 2-3 week periods during each of the four calendar seasons. Total bacterial abundances were assessed via flow cytometry, total particle abundances were calculated with an aerodynamic particle sizer, and bacterial communities were characterized using a high-throughput barcoded DNA sequencing approach. The airborne bacterial communities at Storm Peak Lab were then used in a meta-analysis comparing Storm Peak bacteria to other near-surface (lower elevation) bacterial communities and to the communities of likely source environments. Bacterial abundances varied by season, which was similar but not identical to the changes in total particle abundances across the same sampling period. Airborne bacterial community structure varied significantly by season, with the summer communities being the most distinct. Season specific bacterial groups were identified, suggesting that a large proportion of the airborne community may be derived from nearby sources. However following a multi-environment meta-analysis using several air and source derived bacterial community datasets, the high-elevation air communities were the most distinct as compared to the

  4. Seasonal dynamics and functioning of the Sylt-Rømø Bight, northern Wadden Sea

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    de la Vega, Camille; Horn, Sabine; Baird, Dan; Hines, David; Borrett, Stuart; Jensen, Lasse Fast; Schwemmer, Philipp; Asmus, Ragnhild; Siebert, Ursula; Asmus, Harald

    2018-04-01

    The Wadden Sea undergoes large seasonal changes in species abundance and biomass comprising its complex food web. This study examined four carbon food web models of the Sylt-Rømø Bight, one for each season. Each flow model consisted of 66 compartments depicting the respective biomass and energy budget of each ecosystem component and the flows between them. Ecological network analysis (ENA), a set of algorithms to evaluate the functioning of ecological networks, was used to assess the seasonal variability in the system properties of the Sylt-Rømø Bight food webs. We used an uncertainty analysis to quantitatively evaluate the significance of inter-seasonal differences. Clear seasonal variation was observed in most of the whole system indicators such as the flow diversity, the effective link density and the relative redundancy which varied by 12.8%, 17.3% and 10.3% respectively between the highest in summer and the lowest during fall and winter, whereas the relevant ascendency ratio was the highest in winter during the least active months. Other indices such as the average mutual information index, which fluctuated between 1.73 in fall and 1.79 in spring, showed no significant variation between seasons. Results from ENA have great potential for ecosystem management, as it provides a holistic assessment of the functioning of ecosystems.

  5. Effects of irrigation on the seasonal abundance of Empoasca vitis in north-Italian vineyards.

    PubMed

    Fornasiero, D; Duso, C; Pozzebon, A; Tomasi, D; Gaiotti, F; Pavan, F

    2012-02-01

    The effect of irrigation on the abundance of Empoasca vitis (Göthe) populations was investigated in four vineyards located in northeastern Italy. In two experiments, we compared leafhopper population densities in plots irrigated (micro-spray irrigation system) or nonirrigated. In another experiment, we studied the effect of various irrigation systems on E. vitis populations over two successive seasons. In particular, five treatments were compared: control (not irrigated), traditional drip system, three types of subirrigation varying in distance from the row (40, 135, and 95 cm). In this vineyard, stem water potential was monitored with a pressure chamber. E. vitis population densities were affected by irrigation, with higher densities of this pest recorded on irrigated vines. Highest E. vitis densities were detected in drip irrigation plots compared with nonirrigated plots where water stress was highest. Moderate water stress (subirrigation plots) was associated with intermediate leafhopper densities. Implications for integrated pest management are discussed.

  6. Modelling community dynamics based on species-level abundance models from detection/nondetection data

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Yamaura, Yuichi; Royle, J. Andrew; Kuboi, Kouji; Tada, Tsuneo; Ikeno, Susumu; Makino, Shun'ichi

    2011-01-01

    1. In large-scale field surveys, a binary recording of each species' detection or nondetection has been increasingly adopted for its simplicity and low cost. Because of the importance of abundance in many studies, it is desirable to obtain inferences about abundance at species-, functional group-, and community-levels from such binary data. 2. We developed a novel hierarchical multi-species abundance model based on species-level detection/nondetection data. The model accounts for the existence of undetected species, and variability in abundance and detectability among species. Species-level detection/nondetection is linked to species- level abundance via a detection model that accommodates the expectation that probability of detection (at least one individuals is detected) increases with local abundance of the species. We applied this model to a 9-year dataset composed of the detection/nondetection of forest birds, at a single post-fire site (from 7 to 15 years after fire) in a montane area of central Japan. The model allocated undetected species into one of the predefined functional groups by assuming a prior distribution on individual group membership. 3. The results suggest that 15–20 species were missed in each year, and that species richness of communities and functional groups did not change with post-fire forest succession. Overall abundance of birds and abundance of functional groups tended to increase over time, although only in the winter, while decreases in detectabilities were observed in several species. 4. Synthesis and applications. Understanding and prediction of large-scale biodiversity dynamics partly hinge on how we can use data effectively. Our hierarchical model for detection/nondetection data estimates abundance in space/time at species-, functional group-, and community-levels while accounting for undetected individuals and species. It also permits comparison of multiple communities by many types of abundance-based diversity and similarity

  7. Linking phytoplankton community composition to seasonal changes in f-ratio

    PubMed Central

    Ward, Bess B; Rees, Andrew P; Somerfield, Paul J; Joint, Ian

    2011-01-01

    Seasonal changes in nitrogen assimilation have been studied in the western English Channel by sampling at approximately weekly intervals for 12 months. Nitrate concentrations showed strong seasonal variations. Available nitrogen in the winter was dominated by nitrate but this was close to limit of detection from May to September, after the spring phytoplankton bloom. The 15N uptake experiments showed that nitrate was the nitrogen source for the spring phytoplankton bloom but regenerated nitrogen supported phytoplankton productivity throughout the summer. The average annual f-ratio was 0.35, which demonstrated the importance of ammonia regeneration in this dynamic temperate region. Nitrogen uptake rate measurements were related to the phytoplankton responsible by assessing the relative abundance of nitrate reductase (NR) genes and the expression of NR among eukaryotic phytoplankton. Strong signals were detected from NR sequences that are not associated with known phylotypes or cultures. NR sequences from the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum were highly represented in gene abundance and expression, and were significantly correlated with f-ratio. The results demonstrate that analysis of functional genes provides additional information, and may be able to give better indications of which phytoplankton species are responsible for the observed seasonal changes in f-ratio than microscopic phytoplankton identification. PMID:21544101

  8. Seasonal migrations, body temperature fluctuations, and infection dynamics in adult amphibians.

    PubMed

    Daversa, David R; Monsalve-Carcaño, Camino; Carrascal, Luis M; Bosch, Jaime

    2018-01-01

    Risks of parasitism vary over time, with infection prevalence often fluctuating with seasonal changes in the annual cycle. Identifying the biological mechanisms underlying seasonality in infection can enable better prediction and prevention of future infection peaks. Obtaining longitudinal data on individual infections and traits across seasons throughout the annual cycle is perhaps the most effective means of achieving this aim, yet few studies have obtained such information for wildlife. Here, we tracked spiny common toads ( Bufo spinosus ) within and across annual cycles to assess seasonal variation in movement, body temperatures and infection from the fungal parasite, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) . Across annual cycles, toads did not consistently sustain infections but instead gained and lost infections from year to year. Radio-tracking showed that infected toads lose infections during post-breeding migrations, and no toads contracted infection following migration, which may be one explanation for the inter-annual variability in Bd infections. We also found pronounced seasonal variation in toad body temperatures. Body temperatures approached 0 °C during winter hibernation but remained largely within the thermal tolerance range of Bd . These findings provide direct documentation of migratory recovery (i.e., loss of infection during migration) and escape in a wild population. The body temperature reductions that we observed during hibernation warrant further consideration into the role that this period plays in seasonal Bd dynamics.

  9. Seasonal migrations, body temperature fluctuations, and infection dynamics in adult amphibians

    PubMed Central

    Daversa, David R.; Monsalve-Carcaño, Camino; Carrascal, Luis M.

    2018-01-01

    Risks of parasitism vary over time, with infection prevalence often fluctuating with seasonal changes in the annual cycle. Identifying the biological mechanisms underlying seasonality in infection can enable better prediction and prevention of future infection peaks. Obtaining longitudinal data on individual infections and traits across seasons throughout the annual cycle is perhaps the most effective means of achieving this aim, yet few studies have obtained such information for wildlife. Here, we tracked spiny common toads (Bufo spinosus) within and across annual cycles to assess seasonal variation in movement, body temperatures and infection from the fungal parasite, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). Across annual cycles, toads did not consistently sustain infections but instead gained and lost infections from year to year. Radio-tracking showed that infected toads lose infections during post-breeding migrations, and no toads contracted infection following migration, which may be one explanation for the inter-annual variability in Bd infections. We also found pronounced seasonal variation in toad body temperatures. Body temperatures approached 0 °C during winter hibernation but remained largely within the thermal tolerance range of Bd. These findings provide direct documentation of migratory recovery (i.e., loss of infection during migration) and escape in a wild population. The body temperature reductions that we observed during hibernation warrant further consideration into the role that this period plays in seasonal Bd dynamics. PMID:29761041

  10. Seasonal Phytoplankton Dynamics in the Eastern Tropical Atlantic

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Monger, Bruce; McClain, Charles; Murtugudde, Ragu

    1997-01-01

    The coastal zone color scanner (CZCS) that operated aboard the Nimbus 7 satellite provided extensive coverage of phytoplankton pigment concentrations in the surface waters of the eastern tropical Atlantic (ETA) from March 1979 to February 1980 and coincided with four major research cruises to this region. Total primary production within the ETA (5 deg N-10 deg S, 25 deg W-10 deg E) was determined from CZCS pigment estimates and an empirical algorithm derived from concurrent in situ data taken along 4 deg W that relates near-surface chlorophyll concentration and integrated primary production. We estimated an average annual production for the ETA of 2.3 Gt C/yr with an associated 3.5-fold seasonal variation in the magnitude of this production. We describe the principal physical mechanisms controlling seasonal phytoplankton dynamics within the ETA and propose that in addition to seasonal change in the thermocline depth, one must also consider changes in the depth of the equatorial under current. An extensive validation effort indicates that the standard CZCS global products are a conservative estimate of pigment concentrations in ETA surface waters. Significant underestimates by the CZCS global products were observed in June and July which we attributed, in part, to aerosol correction errors and, more importantly, to errors caused by a significant reduction in the concentration of near-surface dissolved organic matter that resulted from strong equatorial upwelling.

  11. Effects of seasonality and resource limitation on organic matter turnover by Chironomidae (Diptera) in southern Appalachian headwater streams

    Treesearch

    Angela Romito; Susan Eggert; Jeffrey Diez; J. Wallace

    2010-01-01

    Despite their high abundance, secondary production, and known reliance on detrital material, the role of chironomids (Diptera) in fine particulate organic matter (FPOM) dynamics has not been well quantified. We conducted field trials using fluorescent pigment markers to estimate seasonal rates of consumption, annual secondary production, assimilation efficiency (AE),...

  12. Seasonal dynamics of dissolved, particulate and microbial components of a tidal saltmarsh-dominated estuary under contrasting levels of freshwater discharge

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bittar, Thais B.; Berger, Stella A.; Birsa, Laura M.; Walters, Tina L.; Thompson, Megan E.; Spencer, Robert G. M.; Mann, Elizabeth L.; Stubbins, Aron; Frischer, Marc E.; Brandes, Jay A.

    2016-12-01

    affect total abundance of phytoplankton (<52 μm) or chlorophyll-a concentrations, a proxy for phytoplankton biomass. Phytoplankton community dynamics were primarily seasonally-driven. Bacterioplankton abundance and community composition, based upon flow cytometry, were affected by discharge, possibly due to decreased salinity and/or increased inputs of terrigenous DOM. Seasonal patterns in inorganic nutrient, POC, PON and chlorophyll-a concentrations, and Secchi depth were not significantly influenced by the 2013 increase in discharge. For other components, most notably δ13C-DIC values, DOM and bacterioplankton, the influence of increased discharge in 2013 was superimposed upon their seasonal patterns. This study showed that in addition to tidal mixing and in situ saltmarsh and estuarine production and removal processes, the level of riverine freshwater discharge impacted the quantity and character of many water column components in this tidal saltmarsh ecosystem.

  13. Seasonal Abundance of Deer and Horse Flies (Diptera: Tabanidae) in the Northern Part of Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea.

    PubMed

    Suh, Sang Jae; Kim, Heung Chul; Chong, Sung Tae; Kim, Myung Soon; Klein, Terry A

    2015-06-01

    The seasonal abundance of horse and deer flies (family Tabanidae) was analyzed using Mosquito Magnet(®) traps at 5 sites located near/in the demilitarized zone, northern Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea from late April to early October for 4 consecutive years (2010-2013). A total of 2,999 horse and deer flies (tabanids) belonging to 5 genera and 20 species were collected. Chrysops mlokosiewiczi (90.9%) was the most frequently collected, followed by Haematopota koryoensis (4.8%) and C. suavis (1.0%). The remaining 17 species comprised only of 3.3% of all species collected. C. mlokosiewiczi demonstrated bimodal peak populations during mid-June and early August, while H. koryoensis demonstrated a unimodal peak during mid-July. Overall numbers of tabanids collected were influenced by the previous year's winter temperatures and precipitation. Population abundance was influenced by habitat with most of tabanids collected from habitats near forested areas, followed by rice paddies, and a beef farm.

  14. Seasonal Abundance of Deer and Horse Flies (Diptera: Tabanidae) in the Northern Part of Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea

    PubMed Central

    Suh, Sang Jae; Kim, Heung Chul; Chong, Sung Tae; Kim, Myung Soon; Klein, Terry A,

    2015-01-01

    The seasonal abundance of horse and deer flies (family Tabanidae) was analyzed using Mosquito Magnet® traps at 5 sites located near/in the demilitarized zone, northern Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea from late April to early October for 4 consecutive years (2010-2013). A total of 2,999 horse and deer flies (tabanids) belonging to 5 genera and 20 species were collected. Chrysops mlokosiewiczi (90.9%) was the most frequently collected, followed by Haematopota koryoensis (4.8%) and C. suavis (1.0%). The remaining 17 species comprised only of 3.3% of all species collected. C. mlokosiewiczi demonstrated bimodal peak populations during mid-June and early August, while H. koryoensis demonstrated a unimodal peak during mid-July. Overall numbers of tabanids collected were influenced by the previous year’s winter temperatures and precipitation. Population abundance was influenced by habitat with most of tabanids collected from habitats near forested areas, followed by rice paddies, and a beef farm. PMID:26174824

  15. Plant nitrogen dynamics and nitrogen-use strategies under altered nitrogen seasonality and competition.

    PubMed

    Yuan, Zhiyou; Liu, Weixing; Niu, Shuli; Wan, Shiqiang

    2007-10-01

    Numerous studies have examined the effects of climatic factors on the distribution of C(3) and C(4) grasses in various regions throughout the world, but the role of seasonal fluctuations in temperature, precipitation and soil N availability in regulating growth and competition of these two functional types is still not well understood. This report is about the effects of seasonality of soil N availability and competition on plant N dynamics and N-use strategies of one C(3) (Leymus chinensis) and one C(4) (Chloris virgata) grass species. Leymus chinensis and C. virgata, two grass species native to the temperate steppe in northern China, were planted in a monoculture and a mixture under three different N seasonal availabilities: an average model (AM) with N evenly distributed over the growing season; a one-peak model (OM) with more N in summer than in spring and autumn; and a two-peak model (TM) with more N in spring and autumn than in summer. The results showed that the altered N seasonality changed plant N concentration, with the highest value of L. chinensis under the OM treatment and C. virgata under the TM treatment, respectively. N seasonality also affected plant N content, N productivity and N-resorption efficiency and proficiency in both the C(3) and C(4) species. Interspecific competition influenced N-use and resorption efficiency in both the C(3) and C(4) species, with higher N-use and resorption efficiency in the mixture than in monoculture. The C(4) grass had higher N-use efficiency than the C(3) grass due to its higher N productivity, irrespective of the N treatment or competition. The observations suggest that N-use strategies in the C(3) and C(4) species used in the study were closely related to seasonal dynamics of N supply and competition. N seasonality might be involved in the growth and temporal niche separation between C(3) and C(4) species observed in the natural ecosystems.

  16. Plant Nitrogen Dynamics and Nitrogen-use Strategies under Altered Nitrogen Seasonality and Competition

    PubMed Central

    Yuan, Zhiyou; Liu, Weixing; Niu, Shuli; Wan, Shiqiang

    2007-01-01

    Background and Aims Numerous studies have examined the effects of climatic factors on the distribution of C3 and C4 grasses in various regions throughout the world, but the role of seasonal fluctuations in temperature, precipitation and soil N availability in regulating growth and competition of these two functional types is still not well understood. This report is about the effects of seasonality of soil N availability and competition on plant N dynamics and N-use strategies of one C3 (Leymus chinensis) and one C4 (Chloris virgata) grass species. Methods Leymus chinensis and C. virgata, two grass species native to the temperate steppe in northern China, were planted in a monoculture and a mixture under three different N seasonal availabilities: an average model (AM) with N evenly distributed over the growing season; a one-peak model (OM) with more N in summer than in spring and autumn; and a two-peak model (TM) with more N in spring and autumn than in summer. Key Results The results showed that the altered N seasonality changed plant N concentration, with the highest value of L. chinensis under the OM treatment and C. virgata under the TM treatment, respectively. N seasonality also affected plant N content, N productivity and N-resorption efficiency and proficiency in both the C3 and C4 species. Interspecific competition influenced N-use and resorption efficiency in both the C3 and C4 species, with higher N-use and resorption efficiency in the mixture than in monoculture. The C4 grass had higher N-use efficiency than the C3 grass due to its higher N productivity, irrespective of the N treatment or competition. Conclusions The observations suggest that N-use strategies in the C3 and C4 species used in the study were closely related to seasonal dynamics of N supply and competition. N seasonality might be involved in the growth and temporal niche separation between C3 and C4 species observed in the natural ecosystems. PMID:17704500

  17. Fuel reduction and coarse woody debris dynamics with early season and late season prescribed fire in a Sierra Nevada mixed conifer forest

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Knapp, E.E.; Keeley, J.E.; Ballenger, E.A.; Brennan, T.J.

    2005-01-01

    Fire exclusion has led to an unnatural accumulation and greater spatial continuity of organic material on the ground in many forests. This material serves both as potential fuel for forest fires and habitat for a large array of forest species. Managers must balance fuel reduction to reduce wildfire hazard with fuel retention targets to maintain other forest functions. This study reports fuel consumption and changes to coarse woody debris attributes with prescribed burns ignited under different fuel moisture conditions. Replicated early season burn, late season burn, and unburned control plots were established in old-growth mixed conifer forest in Sequoia National Park that had not experienced fire for more than 120 years. Early season burns were ignited during June 2002 when fuels were relatively moist, and late season burns were ignited during September/October 2001 when fuels were dry. Fuel loading and coarse woody debris abundance, cover, volume, and mass were evaluated prior to and after the burns. While both types of burns reduced fuel loading, early season burns consumed significantly less of the total dead and down organic matter than late season burns (67% versus 88%). This difference in fuel consumption between burning treatments was significant for most all woody fuel components evaluated, plus the litter and duff layers. Many logs were not entirely consumed - therefore the number of logs was not significantly changed by fire - but burning did reduce log length, cover, volume, and mass. Log cover, volume, and mass were reduced to a lesser extent by early season burns than late season burns, as a result of higher wood moisture levels. Early season burns also spread over less of the ground surface within the burn perimeter (73%) than late season burns (88%), and were significantly patchier. Organic material remaining after a fire can dam sediments and reduce erosion, while unburned patches may help mitigate the impact of fire on fire-sensitive species by

  18. Successional trajectories of rhizosphere bacterial communities over consecutive seasons

    DOE PAGES

    Shi, Shengjing; Nuccio, Erin; Herman, Donald J.; ...

    2015-08-04

    It is well known that rhizosphere microbiomes differ from those of surrounding soil, and yet we know little about how these root-associated microbial communities change through the growing season and between seasons. We analyzed the response of soil bacteria to roots of the common annual grass Avena fatua over two growing seasons using high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA genes. Over the two periods of growth, the rhizosphere bacterial communities followed consistent successional patterns as plants grew, although the starting communities were distinct. Succession in the rhizosphere was characterized by a significant decrease in both taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity relative tomore » background soil communities, driven by reductions in both richness and evenness of the bacterial communities. Plant roots selectively stimulated the relative abundance of Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes but reduced the abundance of Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Firmicutes. Taxa that increased in relative abundance in the rhizosphere soil displayed phylogenetic clustering, suggesting some conservation and an evolutionary basis for the response of complex soil bacterial communities to the presence of plant roots. The reproducibility of rhizosphere succession and the apparent phylogenetic conservation of rhizosphere competence traits suggest adaptation of the indigenous bacterial community to this common grass over the many decades of its presence. We document the successional patterns of rhizosphere bacterial communities associated with a “wild” annual grass, Avena fatua, which is commonly a dominant plant in Mediterranean-type annual grasslands around the world; the plant was grown in its grassland soil. Most studies documenting rhizosphere microbiomes address “domesticated” plants growing in soils to which they are introduced. Rhizosphere bacterial communities exhibited a pattern of temporal succession that was consistent and repeatable

  19. Successional trajectories of rhizosphere bacterial communities over consecutive seasons

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Shi, Shengjing; Nuccio, Erin; Herman, Donald J.

    It is well known that rhizosphere microbiomes differ from those of surrounding soil, and yet we know little about how these root-associated microbial communities change through the growing season and between seasons. We analyzed the response of soil bacteria to roots of the common annual grass Avena fatua over two growing seasons using high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA genes. Over the two periods of growth, the rhizosphere bacterial communities followed consistent successional patterns as plants grew, although the starting communities were distinct. Succession in the rhizosphere was characterized by a significant decrease in both taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity relative tomore » background soil communities, driven by reductions in both richness and evenness of the bacterial communities. Plant roots selectively stimulated the relative abundance of Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes but reduced the abundance of Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Firmicutes. Taxa that increased in relative abundance in the rhizosphere soil displayed phylogenetic clustering, suggesting some conservation and an evolutionary basis for the response of complex soil bacterial communities to the presence of plant roots. The reproducibility of rhizosphere succession and the apparent phylogenetic conservation of rhizosphere competence traits suggest adaptation of the indigenous bacterial community to this common grass over the many decades of its presence. We document the successional patterns of rhizosphere bacterial communities associated with a “wild” annual grass, Avena fatua, which is commonly a dominant plant in Mediterranean-type annual grasslands around the world; the plant was grown in its grassland soil. Most studies documenting rhizosphere microbiomes address “domesticated” plants growing in soils to which they are introduced. Rhizosphere bacterial communities exhibited a pattern of temporal succession that was consistent and repeatable

  20. Long-term dynamics of winter and summer annual communities in the Chihuahuan Desert

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Guo, Q.; Brown, J.H.; Valone, T.J.

    2002-01-01

    Winter and summer annuals in the Chihuahuan Desert have been intensively studied in recent years but little is known about the similarities and differences in the dynamics between these two communities. Using 15 yr of census data from permanent quadrats, this paper compared the characteristics and temporal dynamics of these two distinct, spatially co-existent but temporally segregated communities. Although the total number of summer annual species recorded during our 15 yr of observation was higher than winter annuals, the mean number of species observed each year was higher in the winter community. The winter community exhibited lower temporal variation in total plant abundance and populations of individual species, lower species turnover rate and higher evenness than the summer community. The rank abundances of species in winter were significantly positively correlated for a period of up to 7 yr while in summer significant positive correlations in rank abundance disappeared after 2 to 3 yr. The higher seasonal species diversity (i.e. number of species observed in each season) in winter rather than the overall special pool (over 15 yr) may be responsible for the greater community stability of winter annuals. The difference in long-term community dynamics between the two communities of annual plants are likely due to the differences in total species pool, life history traits (e.g. seed size), and seasonal climatic regimes.

  1. Spatial and seasonal variation in the ecological significance of nutrient recycling by larval salamanders in Appalachian headwater streams

    Treesearch

    S. Conor Keitzer; Reuben R. Goforth

    2013-01-01

    Salamanders are abundant consumers in many temperate streams and may be important recyclers of biologically essential nutrients, but their ecological role is poorly understood. The ecological significance of nutrient recycling by salamanders may vary spatially and seasonally because of their potentially patchy distribution in streams and the dynamic nature of stream...

  2. The specificity of host-bat fly interaction networks across vegetation and seasonal variation.

    PubMed

    Zarazúa-Carbajal, Mariana; Saldaña-Vázquez, Romeo A; Sandoval-Ruiz, César A; Stoner, Kathryn E; Benitez-Malvido, Julieta

    2016-10-01

    Vegetation type and seasonality promote changes in the species composition and abundance of parasite hosts. However, it is poorly known how these variables affect host-parasite interaction networks. This information is important to understand the dynamics of parasite-host relationships according to biotic and abiotic changes. We compared the specialization of host-bat fly interaction networks, as well as bat fly and host species composition between upland dry forest and riparian forest and between dry and rainy seasons in a tropical dry forest in Jalisco, Mexico. Bat flies were surveyed by direct collection from bats. Our results showed that host-bat fly interaction networks were more specialized in upland dry forest compared to riparian forest. Bat fly species composition was different between the dry and rainy seasons, while host species composition was different between upland dry forest and riparian forest. The higher specialization in upland dry forest could be related to the differences in bat host species composition and their respective roosting habits. Variation in the composition of bat fly species between dry and rainy seasons coincides with the seasonal shifts in their species richness. Our study confirms the high specialization of host-bat fly interactions and shows the importance of biotic and abiotic factors to understand the dynamics of parasite-host interactions.

  3. Characterisation of larval habitats, species composition and factors associated with the seasonal abundance of mosquito fauna in Gezira, Sudan.

    PubMed

    Mahgoub, Mostafa M; Kweka, Eliningaya J; Himeidan, Yousif E

    2017-02-08

    Larval source management (LSM), which requires an understanding of the ecology and composition of the local mosquito fauna, is an important parameter in successful vector control programmes. The present study was conducted to understand the distribution of larval habitats, species composition and factors associated with the seasonal abundance of mosquito larvae in Gezira irrigation Scheme in Gezira state, central Sudan. Cross-sectional larval surveys were carried out in the communities of Barakat (urban) and El-Kareiba (semi-urban), in Wad Madani, Gezira. A standard dipper was used for sampling larvae in all possible breeding sites and enamel bowls were employed for larvae sorting. Habitats were characterised using physical features and all larvae specimens were identified morphologically. A total of 331 larval habitats were surveyed, out of which 166 were found to be positive breeding sites for Anopheles (56.78%), Culicinae (29.67%) and Aedes (13.55%) species. A total of 5 525 larvae collected were categorised as Culex (2 617, 47.37%), Anopheles (2 600, 47.06%) and Aedes (308, 5.57%). There was a high number of positive habitats during the rainy season, while the lowest proportion was reported during the hot dry season, in both study sites (Barakat [χ 2  = 10.641, P = 0.0090], El-Kareiba [χ 2  = 23.765, P = 0.0001]). The main breeding site for Anopheles larvae was leaking water pipes (51.5%), followed by irrigation channels (34.2%), hoof prints (6.4%), tyre tracks (5.5%) and water tanks (2.4%). A logistic regression analysis showed that the abundance of Anopheles larvae was reduced by the presence of predators (backswimmers, tadpoles) and grass cover. Adult productivity (number of adult females emerged/m 2 ) was not homogeneousfor all habitats; the highest productivity was found in irrigation channels (0.78 females/m 2 ) for Anopheles, and in septic tanks (2.86 females/m 2 ) for Culicinae and (0.86 females/m 2 ) for Aedes. Anopheles arabiensis

  4. Fungi diversity in PM2. 5 and PM1 at the summit of Mt. Tai: abundance, size distribution, and seasonal variation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Caihong; Wei, Min; Chen, Jianmin; Zhu, Chao; Li, Jiarong; Lv, Ganglin; Xu, Xianmang; Zheng, Lulu; Sui, Guodong; Li, Weijun; Chen, Bing; Wang, Wenxing; Zhang, Qingzhu; Ding, Aijun; Mellouki, Abdelwahid

    2017-09-01

    Fungi are ubiquitous throughout the near-surface atmosphere, where they represent an important component of primary biological aerosol particles. This study combined internal transcribed spacer region sequencing and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to investigate the ambient fungi in fine (PM2. 5, 50 % cutoff aerodynamic diameter Da50 = 2.5 µm, geometric standard deviation of collection efficiency σg = 1.2) and submicron (PM1, Da50 = 1 µm, σg = 1.2) particles at the summit of Mt. Tai located in the North China Plain, China. Fungal abundance values were 9.4 × 104 and 1.3 × 105 copies m-3 in PM2. 5 and PM1, respectively. Most of the fungal sequences were from Ascomycota and Basidiomycota, which are known to actively discharge spores into the atmosphere. The fungal community showed a significant seasonal shift across different size fractions according to Metastats analysis and the Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test. The abundance of Glomerella and Zasmidium increased in larger particles in autumn, whereas Penicillium, Bullera, and Phaeosphaeria increased in smaller particles in winter. Environmental factors, namely Ca2+, humidity, and temperature, were found to be crucial for the seasonal variation in the fungal community. This study might serve as an important reference for fungal contribution to primary biological aerosol particles.

  5. Seasonality in cholera dynamics: A rainfall-driven model explains the wide range of patterns in endemic areas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Baracchini, Theo; King, Aaron A.; Bouma, Menno J.; Rodó, Xavier; Bertuzzo, Enrico; Pascual, Mercedes

    2017-10-01

    Seasonal patterns in cholera dynamics exhibit pronounced variability across geographical regions, showing single or multiple peaks at different times of the year. Although multiple hypotheses related to local climate variables have been proposed, an understanding of this seasonal variation remains incomplete. The historical Bengal region, which encompasses the full range of cholera's seasonality observed worldwide, provides a unique opportunity to gain insights on underlying environmental drivers. Here, we propose a mechanistic, rainfall-temperature driven, stochastic epidemiological model which explicitly accounts for the fluctuations of the aquatic reservoir, and analyze with this model the historical dataset of cholera mortality in the Bengal region. Parameters are inferred with a recently developed sequential Monte Carlo method for likelihood maximization in partially observed Markov processes. Results indicate that the hydrological regime is a major driver of the seasonal dynamics of cholera. Rainfall tends to buffer the propagation of the disease in wet regions due to the longer residence times of water in the environment and an associated dilution effect, whereas it enhances cholera resurgence in dry regions. Moreover, the dynamics of the environmental water reservoir determine whether the seasonality is unimodal or bimodal, as well as its phase relative to the monsoon. Thus, the full range of seasonal patterns can be explained based solely on the local variation of rainfall and temperature. Given the close connection between cholera seasonality and environmental conditions, a deeper understanding of the underlying mechanisms would allow the better management and planning of public health policies with respect to climate variability and climate change.

  6. Disease dynamics of Montipora white syndrome within Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, Hawaii: distribution, seasonality, virulence, and transmissibility.

    PubMed

    Aeby, G S; Ross, M; Williams, G J; Lewis, T D; Works, T M

    2010-07-26

    We report on an investigation of Montipora white syndrome (MWS), which is a coral disease reported from Hawaii, U.S.A., that results in tissue loss. Disease surveys of Montipora capitata within Kaneohe Bay (Oahu) found colonies that were affected by MWS on 9 reefs within 3 regions of Kaneohe Bay (south, central, north). Mean MWS prevalence ranged from 0.02 to 0.87% and average number of MWS cases per survey site ranged from 1 to 28 colonies. MWS prevalence and number of cases were significantly lower in the central region as compared to those in the north and south regions of Kaneohe Bay. There was a positive relationship between host abundance and MWS prevalence, and differences in host abundance between sites explained approximately 27% of the variation in MWS prevalence. Reefs in central Kaneohe Bay had lower M. capitata cover and lower MWS levels. MWS prevalence on reefs was neither significantly different between seasons (spring versus fall) nor among 57 tagged colonies that were monitored through time. MWS is a chronic and progressive disease causing M. capitata colonies to lose an average of 3.1% of live tissue mo(-1). Case fatality rate was 28% after 2 yr but recovery occurred in some colonies (32%). Manipulative experiments showed that the disease is acquired through direct contact. This is the first study to examine the dynamics of MWS within Hawaii, and our findings suggest that MWS has the potential to degrade Hawaii's reefs through time.

  7. Fish and Phytoplankton Exhibit Contrasting Temporal Species Abundance Patterns in a Dynamic North Temperate Lake

    PubMed Central

    Hansen, Gretchen J. A.; Carey, Cayelan C.

    2015-01-01

    Temporal patterns of species abundance, although less well-studied than spatial patterns, provide valuable insight to the processes governing community assembly. We compared temporal abundance distributions of two communities, phytoplankton and fish, in a north temperate lake. We used both 17 years of observed relative abundance data as well as resampled data from Monte Carlo simulations to account for the possible effects of non-detection of rare species. Similar to what has been found in other communities, phytoplankton and fish species that appeared more frequently were generally more abundant than rare species. However, neither community exhibited two distinct groups of “core” (common occurrence and high abundance) and “occasional” (rare occurrence and low abundance) species. Both observed and resampled data show that the phytoplankton community was dominated by occasional species appearing in only one year that exhibited large variation in their abundances, while the fish community was dominated by core species occurring in all 17 years at high abundances. We hypothesize that the life-history traits that enable phytoplankton to persist in highly dynamic environments may result in communities dominated by occasional species capable of reaching high abundances when conditions allow. Conversely, longer turnover times and broad environmental tolerances of fish may result in communities dominated by core species structured primarily by competitive interactions. PMID:25651399

  8. Seasonality in planktic foraminifera of the central California coastal upwelling region

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Davis, Catherine V.; Hill, Tessa M.; Russell, Ann D.; Gaylord, Brian; Jahncke, Jaime

    2016-09-01

    The close association between planktic foraminiferal assemblages and local hydrography make foraminifera invaluable proxies for environmental conditions. Modern foraminiferal seasonality is important for interpreting fossil distributions and shell geochemistry as paleoclimate proxies. Understanding this seasonality in an active upwelling area is also critical for anticipating which species may be vulnerable to future changes in upwelling intensity and ocean acidification. Two years (2012-2014) of plankton tows, along with conductivity-temperature-depth profiles and carbonate chemistry measurements taken along the north-central California shelf, offer new insights into the seasonal dynamics of planktic foraminifera in a seasonal coastal upwelling regime. This study finds an upwelling affinity for Neogloboquadrina pachyderma as well as a seasonal and upwelling associated alternation between dominance of N. pachyderma and Neogloboquadrina incompta, consistent with previous observations. Globigerina bulloides, however, shows a strong affinity for non-upwelled waters, in contrast to findings in Southern California where the species is often associated with upwelling. We also find an apparent lunar periodicity in the abundances of all species and document the presence of foraminifera even at very low saturation states of calcite.

  9. Seasonal Changes in Titan's Southern Stratosphere

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Nixon, C. A.; Bjoraker, G. L.; Achterberg, R. K.; Teanby, N. A.; Coustenis, A.; Jennings, D. E.; Cottini, V.; Irwin, P. G.; Flasar, F. M.

    2012-01-01

    In August 2009 Titan passed through northern spring equinox, and the southern hemisphere passed into fall. Since then, the moon's atmosphere has been closely watched for evidence of the expected seasonal reversal of stratospheric circulation, with increased northern insolation leading to upwelling, and consequent downwelling at southern high latitudes. If the southern winter mirrors the northern winter, this circulation will be traced by increases in short-lived gas species advected downwards from the upper atmosphere to the stratosphere. The Cassini spacecraft in orbit around Saturn carries on board the Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS), which has been actively monitoring the trace gas populations through measurement of the intensity of their infrared emission bands (7-1000 micron). In this presentation we will show fresh evidence from recent CIRS measurements in June 2012, that the shortest-lived and least abundant minor species (C3H4, C4H2, C6H6, HC3N) are indeed increasing dramatically southwards of 50S in the lower stratosphere. Intriguingly, the more stable gases (C2H2, HCN, CO2) have yet to show this trend, and continue to exhibit their 'summer' abundances, decreasing towards the south pole. Possible chemical and dynamical explanations of these results will be discussed , along with the potential of future CIRS measurements to monitor and elucidate these seasonal changes.

  10. Estimating dengue vector abundance in the wet and dry season: implications for targeted vector control in urban and peri-urban Asia

    PubMed Central

    Wai, Khin Thet; Arunachalam, Natarajan; Tana, Susilowati; Espino, Fe; Kittayapong, Pattamaporn; Abeyewickreme, W; Hapangama, Dilini; Tyagi, Brij Kishore; Htun, Pe Than; Koyadun, Surachart; Kroeger, Axel; Sommerfeld, Johannes; Petzold, Max

    2012-01-01

    Background Research has shown that the classical Stegomyia indices (or “larval indices”) of the dengue vector Aedes aegypti reflect the absence or presence of the vector but do not provide accurate measures of adult mosquito density. In contrast, pupal indices as collected in pupal productivity surveys are a much better proxy indicator for adult vector abundance. However, it is unknown when it is most optimal to conduct pupal productivity surveys, in the wet or in the dry season or in both, to inform control services about the most productive water container types and if this pattern varies among different ecological settings. Methods A multi-country study in randomly selected twelve to twenty urban and peri-urban neighborhoods (“clusters”) of six Asian countries, in which all water holding containers were examined for larvae and pupae of Aedes aegypti during the dry season and the wet season and their productivity was characterized by water container types. In addition, meteorological data and information on reported dengue cases were collected. Findings The study reconfirmed the association between rainfall and dengue cases (“dengue season”) and underlined the importance of determining through pupal productivity surveys the “most productive containers types”, responsible for the majority (>70%) of adult dengue vectors. The variety of productive container types was greater during the wet than during the dry season, but included practically all container types productive in the dry season. Container types producing pupae were usually different from those infested by larvae indicating that containers with larval infestations do not necessarily foster pupal development and thus the production of adult Aedes mosquitoes. Conclusion Pupal productivity surveys conducted during the wet season will identify almost all of the most productive container types for both the dry and wet seasons and will therefore facilitate cost-effective targeted interventions

  11. Seasonal changes in mollusc abundance in a tropical intertidal ecosystem, Banc d'Arguin (Mauritania): Testing the ‘depletion by shorebirds' hypothesis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ahmedou Salem, Mohamed Vall; van der Geest, Matthijs; Piersma, Theunis; Saoud, Younès; van Gils, Jan A.

    2014-01-01

    At temperate latitudes densities and biomass of intertidal molluscs tend to be strongly seasonal. Here we provide a comparative study on seasonality of bivalves and gastropods in the tropical intertidal seagrass-covered soft sediment environment of Banc d'Arguin, Mauritania (20°N, 16°W). In this system, benthivorous shorebirds exert considerable predation pressure with strong seasonal variations. It has been proposed that during the period when (adult) shorebirds are absent (May-August) benthic biomass would be able to recover, but a first test was inconclusive. Over a full year (March 2011-February 2012), each month we sampled benthic invertebrates at sixteen permanent sites. The total of 3763 specimens comprised 20 species, representing eight orders and 19 families. Bivalves were much more common than gastropods. The bivalve Loripes lucinalis dominated the assemblage throughout the year (58% of total number), followed by Dosinia isocardia (10%), Senilia senilis (8%) and the gastropod Gibbula umbilicalis (6%). Average biomass amounted to 32 g AFDM/m2, of which the large West-African bloody cockle Senilia made up three-quarter, Loripes 16%, Gibbula 2% and Dosinia 1%. Across the 20 species, lowest densities were reached in late spring (May) and summer (Aug.), whereas highest densities occurred in autumn (Oct.). The lowest overall density of 676 specimens/m² in August more than doubled to a peak density of 1538 specimens/m² in October, most of the increase being due to strong recruitment in both Loripes (densities increasing from 322 specimens/m² in Sept. to 785 specimens/m² in Oct.) and Dosinia (densities increasing from 18 specimens/m² in Aug. to 265 specimens/m² in Sept.). Our results suggest that by the time the feathered molluscivore predators returned in high numbers to Banc d'Arguin (after their summer breeding season in the Arctic), benthic animals were at a peak. In order to quantitatively understand the seasonal changes in mollusc abundance, we

  12. Influence of different salt marsh plants on hydrocarbon degrading microorganisms abundance throughout a phenological cycle.

    PubMed

    Ribeiro, Hugo; Almeida, C Marisa R; Mucha, Ana Paula; Bordalo, Adriano A

    2013-01-01

    The influence of Juncus maritimus, Phragmites australis, and Triglochin striata on hydrocarbon degrading microorganisms (HD) in Lima River estuary (NW Portugal) was investigated through a year-long plant life cycle. Sediments un-colonized and colonized (rhizosediments) by those salt marsh plants were sampled for HD, total cell counts (TCC), and total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) assessment. Generally, TCC seemed to be markedly thriving by the presence of roots, but without significant (p > 0.05) differences among rhizosediments. Nevertheless, plants seemed to have a distinct influence on HD abundance, particularly during the flowering season, with higher HD abundance in the rhizosediments of the fibrous roots plants (J. maritimus < P. australis < T. striata). Our data suggest that different plants have distinct influence on the dynamics of HD populations within its own rhizosphere, particularly during the flowering season, suggesting a period of higher rhizoremediation activity. Additionally, during the vegetative period, plants with fibrous and dense root system tend to retain hydrocarbons around their belowground tissues more efficiently than plants with adventitious root system. Overall results indicate that fibrous root plants have a higher potential to promote hydrocarbons degradation, and that seasonality should be taken into account when designing long-term rhizoremediation strategies in estuarine areas.

  13. Seasonal variability in the South Asian monsoon dynamics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bordoni, S.; Walker, J. M.

    2017-12-01

    Here, we analyze seasonal changes in the dynamics and thermodynamics of the South Asian summer monsoon (SASM) in atmospheric reanalysis data using a threshold-independent index of monsoon onset we have recently introduced (Walker and Bordoni 2016). We seek to evaluate the extent to which emerging theoretical frameworks are consistent with the observed monsoon. Climatological composites reveal that at monsoon onset, an abrupt strengthening and northward migration of the maximum in sub-cloud equivalent potential temperature accompany the rapid northward movement of the monsoon rainbelt. These changes are driven by changes in near-surface specific humidity, rather than changes in near-surface temperature, whose gradient actually decreases at monsoon onset. These findings are inconsistent with the traditional paradigm of the monsoon as a sea breeze circulation and confirm the convectively coupled view of the SASM circulation as an energetically-direct overturning circulation as more fundamental for the understanding of monsoon dynamics. Providing further support to this emerging view, we show that the SASM sector mean circulation at monsoon onset undergoes a rapid transition from an equinox circulation with a pair of tropical overturning cells, to a solstice circulation dominated by a strong cross-equatorial monsoonal cell and negligible overturning cell in the northern hemisphere.This transition corresponds to a transition in the leading order momentum budget, from an eddy-dominated equinox regime to a highly nonlinear monsoon regime which approaches conservation of angular momentum. These transitions are similar to those seen in idealized zonally symmetric studies of aquaplanet monsoons, suggesting that eddy-mean flow feedbacks identified in those studies may be acting in the SASM sector, and may contribute to the abruptness of the SASM onset. Our findings highlight the importance of nonlinear dynamics in the seasonal evolution of the SASM circulation and suggest

  14. Dynamics of the seasonal variation of the North Equatorial Current bifurcation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Zhaohui; Wu, Lixin

    2011-02-01

    The dynamics of the seasonal variation of the North Equatorial Current (NEC) bifurcation is studied using a 1.5-layer nonlinear reduced-gravity Pacific basin model and a linear, first-mode baroclinic Rossby wave model. The model-simulated bifurcation latitude exhibits a distinct seasonal cycle with the southernmost latitude in June and the northernmost latitude in November, consistent with observational analysis. It is found that the seasonal migration of the NEC bifurcation latitude (NBL) not only is determined by wind locally in the tropics, as suggested in previous studies, but is also significantly intensified by the extratropical wind through coastal Kelvin waves. The model further demonstrates that the amplitude of the NEC bifurcation is also associated with stratification. A strong (weak) stratification leads to a fast (slow) phase speed of first-mode baroclinic Rossby waves, and thus large (small) annual range of the bifurcation latitude. Therefore, it is expected that in a warm climate the NBL should have a large range of annual migration.

  15. Refuge habitats for fishes during seasonal drying in an intermittent stream: movement, survival and abundance of three minnow species

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hodges, S.W.; Magoulick, Daniel D.

    2011-01-01

    Drought and summer drying can be important disturbance events in many small streams leading to intermittent or isolated habitats. We examined what habitats act as refuges for fishes during summer drying, hypothesizing that pools would act as refuge habitats. We predicted that during drying fish would show directional movement into pools from riffle habitats, survival rates would be greater in pools than in riffles, and fish abundance would increase in pool habitats. We examined movement, survival and abundance of three minnow species, bigeye shiner (Notropis boops), highland stoneroller (Campostoma spadiceum) and creek chub (Semotilus atromaculatus), during seasonal stream drying in an Ozark stream using a closed robust multi-strata mark-recapture sampling. Population parameters were estimated using plausible models within program MARK, where a priori models are ranked using Akaike's Information Criterion. Creek chub showed directional movement into pools and increased survival and abundance in pools during drying. Highland stonerollers showed strong directional movement into pools and abundance increased in pools during drying, but survival rates were not significantly greater in pools than riffles. Bigeye shiners showed high movement rates during drying, but the movement was non-directional, and survival rates were greater in riffles than pools. Therefore, creek chub supported our hypothesis and pools appear to act as refuge habitats for this species, whereas highland stonerollers partly supported the hypothesis and bigeye shiners did not support the pool refuge hypothesis. Refuge habitats during drying are species dependent. An urgent need exists to further understand refuge habitats in streams given projected changes in climate and continued alteration of hydrological regimes.

  16. Seasonal Variations in Titan's Stratosphere Observed with Cassini/CIRS: Temperature, Trace Molecular Gas and Aerosol Mixing Ratio Profiles

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Vinatier, S.; Bezard, B.; Anderson, C. M.; Coustenis, A.; Teanby, N.

    2012-01-01

    Titan's northern spring equinox occurred in August 2009. General Circulation Models (e.g. Lebonnois et al., 2012) predict strong modifications of the global circulation in this period, with formation of two circulation cells instead of the pole-to-pole cell that occurred during northern winter. This winter single cell, which had its descending branch at the north pole, was at the origin of the enrichment of molecular abundances and high stratopause temperatures observed by Cassini/CIRS at high northern latitudes (e.g. Achterberg et al., 2011, Coustenis et al., 2010, Teanby et al., 2008, Vinatier et al., 2010). The predicted dynamical seasonal variations after the equinox have strong impact on the spatial distributions of trace gas, temperature and aerosol abundances. We will present here an analysis of CIRS limb-geometry datasets acquired in 2010 and 2011 that we used to monitor the seasonal evolution of the vertical profiles of temperature, molecular (C2H2, C2H6, HCN, ..) and aerosol abundances.

  17. The community structure and seasonal dynamics of plankton in Bange Lake, northern Tibet, China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, Wen; Zhao, Yuanyi; Wang, Qiaohan; Zheng, Mianping; Wei, Jie; Wang, Shan

    2016-11-01

    The seasonal variations in biomass, abundance, and species composition of plankton in relation to hydrography were studied in the saline Bange Lake, northern Tibet, China. Sampling was carried out between one to three times per month from May 2001 to July 2002. Salinity ranged from 14 to 146. The air and water temperature exhibited a clear seasonal pattern, and mean annual temperatures were approximately 4.8°C and 7.3°C, respectively. The lowest water temperature occurred in winter from December to March at -2°C and the highest in June and July at 17.7°C. Forty-one phytoplankton taxa, 21 zooplankton, and 5 benthic or facultative zooplankton were identified. The predominant phytoplankton species were Gloeothece linearis, Oscillatoria tenuis, Gloeocapsa punctata, Ctenocladus circinnatus, Dunaliella salina, and Spirulina major. The predominant zooplankton species included Holophrya actra, Brachionus plicatilis, Daphniopsis tibetana, Cletocamptus dertersi, and Arctodiaptomus salinus. The mean annual total phytoplankton density and biomass for the entire lake were 4.52×107 cells/L and 1.60 mg/L, respectively. The annual mean zooplankton abundance was 52, 162, 322, and 57, 144 ind./L, in the three sublakes. The annual mean total zooplankton biomass in Lakes 1-3 was 1.23, 9.98, and 2.13 mg/L, respectively. The annual mean tychoplankton abundances in Bg1, 2, and 3 were 47, 67, and 654 ind./L. The annual mean tychoplankton biomass was 2.36, 0.16, and 2.03 mg/L, respectively. The zooplankton biomass (including tychoplankton) in the lake was 9.11 mg/L. The total number of plankton species in the salt lake was significantly negatively correlated with salinity.

  18. Seasonal changes in northeastern pastures

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Understanding how pasture plant species abundance changes with seasons and sites can provide the background information needed to manage pasture composition to best match the site type and to extend the grazing season. We sampled pastures on five grazing farms (four dairy, one beef): two in New York...

  19. High prevalence of cestodes in Artemia spp. throughout the annual cycle: relationship with abundance of avian final hosts

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sánchez, Marta I.; Nikolov, Pavel N.; GEorgieva, Darina D.; Georgiev, Boyko B.; Vasileva, Gergana P.; Pankov, Plamen; Paracuellos, Mariano; Lafferty, Kevin D.; Green, Andy J.

    2013-01-01

    Brine shrimp, Artemia spp., act as intermediate hosts for a range of cestode species that use waterbirds as their final hosts. These parasites can have marked influences on shrimp behavior and fecundity, generating the potential for cascading effects in hypersaline food webs. We present the first comprehensive study of the temporal dynamics of cestode parasites in natural populations of brine shrimp throughout the annual cycle. Over a 12-month period, clonal Artemia parthenogenetica were sampled in the Odiel marshes in Huelva, and the sexual Artemia salina was sampled in the Salinas de Cerrillos in Almería. Throughout the year, 4–45 % of A. parthenogenetica were infected with cestodes (mean species richness = 0.26), compared to 27–72 % of A. salina (mean species richness = 0.64). Ten cestode species were recorded. Male and female A. salina showed similar levels of parasitism. The most prevalent and abundant cestodes were those infecting the most abundant final hosts, especially the Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber. In particular, the flamingo parasite Flamingolepis liguloides had a prevalence of up to 43 % in A. parthenogenetica and 63.5 % in A. salina in a given month. Although there was strong seasonal variation in prevalence, abundance, and intensity of cestode infections, seasonal changes in bird counts were weak predictors of the dynamics of cestode infections. However, infection levels of Confluaria podicipina in A. parthenogenetica were positively correlated with the number of their black-necked grebe Podiceps nigricollis hosts. Similarly, infection levels of Anomotaenia tringae and Anomotaenia microphallos in A. salina were correlated with the number of shorebird hosts present the month before. Correlated seasonal transmission structured the cestode community, leading to more multiple infections than expected by chance.

  20. Seasonal Blowfly Distribution and Abundance in Fragmented Landscapes. Is It Useful in Forensic Inference about Where a Corpse Has Been Decaying?

    PubMed Central

    Zabala, Jabi; Díaz, Beatriz; Saloña-Bordas, Marta I.

    2014-01-01

    Blowflies are insects of forensic interest as they may indicate characteristics of the environment where a body has been laying prior to the discovery. In order to estimate changes in community related to landscape and to assess if blowfly species can be used as indicators of the landscape where a corpse has been decaying, we studied the blowfly community and how it is affected by landscape in a 7,000 km2 region during a whole year. Using baited traps deployed monthly we collected 28,507 individuals of 10 calliphorid species, 7 of them well represented and distributed in the study area. Multiple Analysis of Variance found changes in abundance between seasons in the 7 analyzed species, and changes related to land use in 4 of them (Calliphora vomitoria, Lucilia ampullacea, L. caesar and L. illustris). Generalised Linear Model analyses of abundance of these species compared with landscape descriptors at different scales found only a clear significant relationship between summer abundance of C. vomitoria and distance to urban areas and degree of urbanisation. This relationship explained more deviance when considering the landscape composition at larger geographical scales (up to 2,500 m around sampling site). For the other species, no clear relationship between land uses and abundance was found, and therefore observed changes in their abundance patterns could be the result of other variables, probably small changes in temperature. Our results suggest that blowfly community composition cannot be used to infer in what kind of landscape a corpse has decayed, at least in highly fragmented habitats, the only exception being the summer abundance of C. vomitoria. PMID:24918607

  1. Seasonal dynamics of megafauna on the deep West Antarctic Peninsula shelf in response to variable phytodetrital influx.

    PubMed

    Sumida, P Y G; Smith, C R; Bernardino, A F; Polito, P S; Vieira, D R

    2014-11-01

    The deep West Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) shelf is characterized by intense deposition of phytodetritus during spring/summer months, while very little food material reaches the seafloor during winter. The response of the shelf benthic megafauna to this highly variable food supply is still poorly understood. In order to characterize the deposition of phytodetritus and the megabenthic community response, we deployed a seafloor time-lapse camera at approximately 590 m depth on the mid WAP shelf west of Anvers Island for 15 months. Seafloor photographs were taken at intervals of 12 or 24 h nearly continuously from 9 December 1999 (austral winter) to 20 March 2001 (summer) and analysed for phytodetritus deposition and megafaunal dynamics. Seafloor images indicated a marked seasonal arrival of greenish phytodetritus, with large interannual and seasonal variability in the coverage of depositing phytodetrital particles. The surface-deposit-feeding elasipod holothurians Protelpidia murrayi and Peniagone vignoni dominated the epibenthic megafauna throughout the year, frequently constituting more than 80% of the megafaunal abundance, attaining total densities of up to 2.4 individuals m(-2). Elasipod abundances were significantly higher in summer than winter. During summer periods of high phytodetrital flux, Pr. murrayi produced faecal casts at higher rates, indicating intensified population-level feeding activity. In March-June 2000, faecal casts lasted longest, suggesting lower horizontal bioturbation activity during autumn-winter. Our data indicate that the Pr. murrayi population increases its feeding rates in response to increasing amounts and/or lability of organic matter on the sediment surface. Assuming that this species feeds on the top millimetre of the sediment, we estimate that, during periods of high phytodetrital flux, the Pr. murrayi population reworks one square metre of sediment surface in approximately 287 days. We suggest that Pr. murrayi is an

  2. Seasonal dynamics of megafauna on the deep West Antarctic Peninsula shelf in response to variable phytodetrital influx

    PubMed Central

    Sumida, P. Y. G.; Smith, C. R.; Bernardino, A. F.; Polito, P. S.; Vieira, D. R.

    2014-01-01

    The deep West Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) shelf is characterized by intense deposition of phytodetritus during spring/summer months, while very little food material reaches the seafloor during winter. The response of the shelf benthic megafauna to this highly variable food supply is still poorly understood. In order to characterize the deposition of phytodetritus and the megabenthic community response, we deployed a seafloor time-lapse camera at approximately 590 m depth on the mid WAP shelf west of Anvers Island for 15 months. Seafloor photographs were taken at intervals of 12 or 24 h nearly continuously from 9 December 1999 (austral winter) to 20 March 2001 (summer) and analysed for phytodetritus deposition and megafaunal dynamics. Seafloor images indicated a marked seasonal arrival of greenish phytodetritus, with large interannual and seasonal variability in the coverage of depositing phytodetrital particles. The surface-deposit-feeding elasipod holothurians Protelpidia murrayi and Peniagone vignoni dominated the epibenthic megafauna throughout the year, frequently constituting more than 80% of the megafaunal abundance, attaining total densities of up to 2.4 individuals m−2. Elasipod abundances were significantly higher in summer than winter. During summer periods of high phytodetrital flux, Pr. murrayi produced faecal casts at higher rates, indicating intensified population-level feeding activity. In March–June 2000, faecal casts lasted longest, suggesting lower horizontal bioturbation activity during autumn–winter. Our data indicate that the Pr. murrayi population increases its feeding rates in response to increasing amounts and/or lability of organic matter on the sediment surface. Assuming that this species feeds on the top millimetre of the sediment, we estimate that, during periods of high phytodetrital flux, the Pr. murrayi population reworks one square metre of sediment surface in approximately 287 days. We suggest that Pr. murrayi is an

  3. Seasonal drought predictability in Portugal using statistical-dynamical techniques

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ribeiro, A. F. S.; Pires, C. A. L.

    2016-08-01

    Atmospheric forecasting and predictability are important to promote adaption and mitigation measures in order to minimize drought impacts. This study estimates hybrid (statistical-dynamical) long-range forecasts of the regional drought index SPI (3-months) over homogeneous regions from mainland Portugal, based on forecasts from the UKMO operational forecasting system, with lead-times up to 6 months. ERA-Interim reanalysis data is used for the purpose of building a set of SPI predictors integrating recent past information prior to the forecast launching. Then, the advantage of combining predictors with both dynamical and statistical background in the prediction of drought conditions at different lags is evaluated. A two-step hybridization procedure is performed, in which both forecasted and observed 500 hPa geopotential height fields are subjected to a PCA in order to use forecasted PCs and persistent PCs as predictors. A second hybridization step consists on a statistical/hybrid downscaling to the regional SPI, based on regression techniques, after the pre-selection of the statistically significant predictors. The SPI forecasts and the added value of combining dynamical and statistical methods are evaluated in cross-validation mode, using the R2 and binary event scores. Results are obtained for the four seasons and it was found that winter is the most predictable season, and that most of the predictive power is on the large-scale fields from past observations. The hybridization improves the downscaling based on the forecasted PCs, since they provide complementary information (though modest) beyond that of persistent PCs. These findings provide clues about the predictability of the SPI, particularly in Portugal, and may contribute to the predictability of crops yields and to some guidance on users (such as farmers) decision making process.

  4. Seasonal succession of estuarine fish, shrimps, macrozoobenthos and plankton: Physico-chemical and trophic influence. The Gironde estuary as a case study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Selleslagh, Jonathan; Lobry, Jérémy; N'Zigou, Aimé Roger; Bachelet, Guy; Blanchet, Hugues; Chaalali, Aurélie; Sautour, Benoît; Boët, Philippe

    2012-10-01

    Characterization of the structure and seasonal variability of biotic communities is essential for a better understanding of estuarine ecosystem functioning and in order to manage these highly fluctuating and naturally stressed systems. Numerous studies have investigated the role of environmental factors in controlling temporal variations in biotic communities. However, most have concluded that the explanatory power of physico-chemical variables was significant but not sufficient to explain ecological dynamics. The present study aimed to propose the importance of trophic interactions as an additional structuring factor of species seasonal variability by examining simultaneous dynamics of all estuarine biotic communities, using the oligo-mesohaline area of the Gironde estuary (SW France) as a case study. Data on the main biological groups (fish, shrimps, macrozoobenthos and plankton) sampled during a five-year period (2004-2008) at monthly intervals using a well standardized protocol, as well as data on environmental variables, were compiled here for the first time. According to species composition, the Gironde estuary is used as a nursery, feeding, resident and migratory habitat. For almost all species, strong seasonal fluctuations occurred with a succession of species, indicating an optimization of the use of the available resources over a typical year by estuarine biological communities. Multivariate analyses discriminated four seasonal groups of species with two distinctive ecological seasons. A clear shift in July indicated a biomass transfer from a "planktonic phase" to a "bentho-demersal phase", corresponding to spring and summer-autumn periods, respectively. With regard to the temporal fluctuations of dominant species of all biological groups, this study highlighted the possible influence of trophic relationships, predation in particular, on seasonal variations in species abundance, in addition to the physico-chemical influence. This study enabled us to

  5. The relative abundance and seasonal distribution correspond with the sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the surface sediments of Chenab River, Pakistan.

    PubMed

    Hussain, Imran; Syed, Jabir Hussain; Kamal, Atif; Iqbal, Mehreen; Eqani, Syed-Ali-Mustjab-Akbar-Shah; Bong, Chui Wei; Taqi, Malik Mumtaz; Reichenauer, Thomas G; Zhang, Gan; Malik, Riffat Naseem

    2016-06-01

    Chenab River is one of the most important rivers of Punjab Province (Pakistan) that receives huge input of industrial effluents and municipal sewage from major cities in the Central Punjab, Pakistan. The current study was designed to evaluate the concentration levels and associated ecological risks of USEPA priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the surface sediments of Chenab River. Sampling was performed from eight (n = 24) sampling stations of Chenab River and its tributaries. We observed a relatively high abundance of ∑16PAHs during the summer season (i.e. 554 ng g(-1)) versus that in the winter season (i.e. 361 ng g(-1)), with an overall abundance of two-, five- and six-ring PAH congeners. Results also revealed that the nitrate and phosphate contents in the sediments were closely associated with low molecular weight (LMW) and high molecular weight (HMW) PAHs, respectively. Source apportionment results showed that the combustion of fossil fuels appears to be the key source of PAHs in the study area. The risk quotient (RQ) values indicated that seven PAH congeners (i.e. phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene, pyrene, benzo(a)pyrene, chrysene and benzo(a)anthracene) could pose serious threats to the aquatic life of the riverine ecosystem in Pakistan.

  6. Seasonal dynamics of the juvenile fish community structure in the Maowei Sea mangroves

    PubMed Central

    Zou, Qi; Chang, Tao; Zhang, Dong; Huang, Liang-Liang

    2018-01-01

    More than 50% of Chinese mangroves were lost between 1950 and 2000 to habitat destruction, prompting an urge for conservation. To assess the importance of the protected Maowei Gulf mangrove estuary for fish population assemblage in the Beibu Gulf (China), we studied species composition and abundance of juvenile fish (including larvae) from July 2012 to June 2013. A total of 11 691 specimens were collected, which belonged to 24 species and 15 families. Six perciform species constituted 93% of the total sample. Pseudogobius javanicus (53.29%) was the dominant species from August to November, Omobranchus elegans (28.49%) from April to July, non-identified species in December and January, and Liza carinata in February and March. A number of commercially important fish species were also identified. Abundance was the highest in summer/early autumn (max 162.4 in Sep), and lowest in winter/early spring (Mar = 4.5). Diversity (H’) and richness (Dma) indices (both max. in May: 1.67 and 1.95 respectively) were generally positively correlated with tide and temperature, and negatively with salinity. Seasonal variations play a more important role in the fish assemblage structure than tidal rhythm, with differences particularly pronounced between colder and warmer months. Despite the prominent seasonal differences in abiotic factors, this study indicates that Maowei mangroves provide habitat and food for juvenile fish throughout the year and thus are indispensable for the fish diversity in the Beibu Gulf. PMID:29438434

  7. The Seasonal Dynamics of Artificial Nest Predation Rates along Edges in a Mosaic Managed Reedbed.

    PubMed

    Malzer, Iain; Helm, Barbara

    2015-01-01

    Boundaries between different habitats can be responsible for changes in species interactions, including modified rates of encounter between predators and prey. Such 'edge effects' have been reported in nesting birds, where nest predation rates can be increased at habitat edges. The literature concerning edge effects on nest predation rates reveals a wide variation in results, even within single habitats, suggesting edge effects are not fixed, but dynamic throughout space and time. This study demonstrates the importance of considering dynamic mechanisms underlying edge effects and their relevance when undertaking habitat management. In reedbed habitats, management in the form of mosaic winter reed cutting can create extensive edges which change rapidly with reed regrowth during spring. We investigate the seasonal dynamics of reedbed edges using an artificial nest experiment based on the breeding biology of a reedbed specialist. We first demonstrate that nest predation decreases with increasing distance from the edge of cut reed blocks, suggesting edge effects have a pivotal role in this system. Using repeats throughout the breeding season we then confirm that nest predation rates are temporally dynamic and decline with the regrowth of reed. However, effects of edges on nest predation were consistent throughout the season. These results are of practical importance when considering appropriate habitat management, suggesting that reed cutting may heighten nest predation, especially before new growth matures. They also contribute directly to an overall understanding of the dynamic processes underlying edge effects and their potential role as drivers of time-dependent habitat use.

  8. The Seasonal Dynamics of Artificial Nest Predation Rates along Edges in a Mosaic Managed Reedbed

    PubMed Central

    Malzer, Iain; Helm, Barbara

    2015-01-01

    Boundaries between different habitats can be responsible for changes in species interactions, including modified rates of encounter between predators and prey. Such ‘edge effects’ have been reported in nesting birds, where nest predation rates can be increased at habitat edges. The literature concerning edge effects on nest predation rates reveals a wide variation in results, even within single habitats, suggesting edge effects are not fixed, but dynamic throughout space and time. This study demonstrates the importance of considering dynamic mechanisms underlying edge effects and their relevance when undertaking habitat management. In reedbed habitats, management in the form of mosaic winter reed cutting can create extensive edges which change rapidly with reed regrowth during spring. We investigate the seasonal dynamics of reedbed edges using an artificial nest experiment based on the breeding biology of a reedbed specialist. We first demonstrate that nest predation decreases with increasing distance from the edge of cut reed blocks, suggesting edge effects have a pivotal role in this system. Using repeats throughout the breeding season we then confirm that nest predation rates are temporally dynamic and decline with the regrowth of reed. However, effects of edges on nest predation were consistent throughout the season. These results are of practical importance when considering appropriate habitat management, suggesting that reed cutting may heighten nest predation, especially before new growth matures. They also contribute directly to an overall understanding of the dynamic processes underlying edge effects and their potential role as drivers of time-dependent habitat use. PMID:26448338

  9. Periodic matrix models for seasonal dynamics of structured populations with application to a seabird population.

    PubMed

    Cushing, J M; Henson, Shandelle M

    2018-02-03

    For structured populations with an annual breeding season, life-stage interactions and behavioral tactics may occur on a faster time scale than that of population dynamics. Motivated by recent field studies of the effect of rising sea surface temperature (SST) on within-breeding-season behaviors in colonial seabirds, we formulate and analyze a general class of discrete-time matrix models designed to account for changes in behavioral tactics within the breeding season and their dynamic consequences at the population level across breeding seasons. As a specific example, we focus on egg cannibalism and the daily reproductive synchrony observed in seabirds. Using the model, we investigate circumstances under which these life history tactics can be beneficial or non-beneficial at the population level in light of the expected continued rise in SST. Using bifurcation theoretic techniques, we study the nature of non-extinction, seasonal cycles as a function of environmental resource availability as they are created upon destabilization of the extinction state. Of particular interest are backward bifurcations in that they typically create strong Allee effects in population models which, in turn, lead to the benefit of possible (initial condition dependent) survival in adverse environments. We find that positive density effects (component Allee effects) due to increased adult survival from cannibalism and the propensity of females to synchronize daily egg laying can produce a strong Allee effect due to a backward bifurcation.

  10. Seasonal dynamics of bacterial biomass and production in a coastal arctic ecosystem: Franklin Bay, western Canadian Arctic

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Garneau, Marie-Ã. Ve; Roy, SéBastien; Lovejoy, Connie; Gratton, Yves; Vincent, Warwick F.

    2008-07-01

    The Canadian Arctic Shelf Exchange Study (CASES) included the overwintering deployment of a research platform in Franklin Bay (70°N, 126°W) and provided a unique seasonal record of bacterial dynamics in a coastal region of the Arctic Ocean. Our objectives were (1) to relate seasonal bacterial abundance (BA) and production (BP) to physico-chemical characteristics and (2) to quantify the annual bacterial carbon flux. BA was estimated by epifluorescence microscopy and BP was estimated from 3H-leucine and 3H-thymidine assays. Mean BA values for the water column ranged from 1.0 (December) to 6.8 × 105 cells mL-1 (July). Integral BP varied from 1 (February) to 80 mg C m-2 d-1 (July). During winter-spring, BP was uncorrelated with chlorophyll a (Chl a), but these variables were significantly correlated during summer-autumn (rs = 0.68, p < 0.001, N = 38), suggesting that BP was subject to bottom-up control by carbon supply. Integrated BP data showed three distinct periods: fall-winter, late winter-late spring, and summer. A baseline level of BB and BP was maintained throughout late winter-late spring despite the persistent cold and darkness, with irregular fluctuations that may be related to hydrodynamic events. During this period, BP rates were correlated with colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) but not Chl a (rs BP.CDOM∣Chl a = 0.20, p < 0.05, N = 176). Annual BP was estimated as 6 g C m-2 a-1, implying a total BP of 4.8 × 1010 g C a-1 for the Franklin Bay region. These results show that bacterial processes continue throughout all seasons and make a large contribution to the total biological carbon flux in this coastal arctic ecosystem.

  11. Long-term seasonal dominance of the wasp Trihapsis polita Townes (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

    PubMed Central

    Aguiar, Alexandre P; Tedesco, Anazélia M; Fontenelle, Julio C R

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Background The temporal dynamics of insect populations in tropical environments is highly complex and poorly known. Long-term seasonality studies are scarce, and particularly so for ichneumonid wasps (Hymenoptera Ichneumonidae). This study represents an effort to elucidate aspects of seasonality and forest succession in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. New information We report on the seasonal and successional dominance of the ichneumonid wasp Trihapsis polita (Cryptinae). A long-term survey of Cryptinae was carried out in a protected area of Brazilian Atlantic Forest, in primary, tall secondary and low secondary forest areas. Specimens were collected during rainy season (RS) and dry season (DS) between 2000 and 2008, with total sampling effort of 4,095 trap-days. A total of 8,385 specimens of Cryptinae were collected, of which 6,655 (79.4%) belonged to T. polita. The occurrence of T. polita species was heavily concentrated in the RS, with abundance 148× higher than during the DS. Seasonal fluctuation was also detected for Cryptinae as a whole, but was two orders of magnitude lower. Sampling efficiency also varied widely among areas, with the peak of abundance at the tall secondary forest. The dominance of T. polita in secondary vegetation might be of general interest, as this type of forest is currently on the rise, due to unprecedented levels of human pressure. PMID:28325982

  12. Long-term seasonal dominance of the wasp Trihapsis polita Townes (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.

    PubMed

    Santos, Bernardo F; Aguiar, Alexandre P; Tedesco, Anazélia M; Fontenelle, Julio C R

    2017-01-01

    The temporal dynamics of insect populations in tropical environments is highly complex and poorly known. Long-term seasonality studies are scarce, and particularly so for ichneumonid wasps (Hymenoptera Ichneumonidae). This study represents an effort to elucidate aspects of seasonality and forest succession in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. We report on the seasonal and successional dominance of the ichneumonid wasp Trihapsis polita (Cryptinae). A long-term survey of Cryptinae was carried out in a protected area of Brazilian Atlantic Forest, in primary, tall secondary and low secondary forest areas. Specimens were collected during rainy season (RS) and dry season (DS) between 2000 and 2008, with total sampling effort of 4,095 trap-days. A total of 8,385 specimens of Cryptinae were collected, of which 6,655 (79.4%) belonged to T. polita . The occurrence of T. polita species was heavily concentrated in the RS, with abundance 148× higher than during the DS. Seasonal fluctuation was also detected for Cryptinae as a whole, but was two orders of magnitude lower. Sampling efficiency also varied widely among areas, with the peak of abundance at the tall secondary forest. The dominance of T. polita in secondary vegetation might be of general interest, as this type of forest is currently on the rise, due to unprecedented levels of human pressure.

  13. Seasonality and comparative dynamics of six childhood infections in pre-vaccination Copenhagen.

    PubMed

    Metcalf, C Jessica E; Bjørnstad, Ottar N; Grenfell, Bryan T; Andreasen, Viggo

    2009-12-07

    Seasonal variation in infection transmission is a key determinant of epidemic dynamics of acute infections. For measles, the best-understood strongly immunizing directly transmitted childhood infection, the perception is that term-time forcing is the main driver of seasonality in developed countries. The degree to which this holds true across other acute immunizing childhood infections is not clear. Here, we identify seasonal transmission patterns using a unique long-term dataset with weekly incidence of six infections including measles. Data on age-incidence allow us to quantify the mean age of infection. Results indicate correspondence between dips in transmission and school holidays for some infections, but there are puzzling discrepancies, despite close correspondence between average age of infection and age of schooling. Theoretical predictions of the relationship between amplitude of seasonality and basic reproductive rate of infections that should result from term-time forcing are also not upheld. We conclude that where yearly trajectories of susceptible numbers are perturbed, e.g. via waning of immunity, seasonality is unlikely to be entirely driven by term-time forcing. For the three bacterial infections, pertussis, scarlet fever and diphtheria, there is additionally a strong increase in transmission during the late summer before the end of school vacations.

  14. Seasonality and comparative dynamics of six childhood infections in pre-vaccination Copenhagen

    PubMed Central

    Metcalf, C. Jessica E.; Bjørnstad, Ottar N.; Grenfell, Bryan T.; Andreasen, Viggo

    2009-01-01

    Seasonal variation in infection transmission is a key determinant of epidemic dynamics of acute infections. For measles, the best-understood strongly immunizing directly transmitted childhood infection, the perception is that term-time forcing is the main driver of seasonality in developed countries. The degree to which this holds true across other acute immunizing childhood infections is not clear. Here, we identify seasonal transmission patterns using a unique long-term dataset with weekly incidence of six infections including measles. Data on age–incidence allow us to quantify the mean age of infection. Results indicate correspondence between dips in transmission and school holidays for some infections, but there are puzzling discrepancies, despite close correspondence between average age of infection and age of schooling. Theoretical predictions of the relationship between amplitude of seasonality and basic reproductive rate of infections that should result from term-time forcing are also not upheld. We conclude that where yearly trajectories of susceptible numbers are perturbed, e.g. via waning of immunity, seasonality is unlikely to be entirely driven by term-time forcing. For the three bacterial infections, pertussis, scarlet fever and diphtheria, there is additionally a strong increase in transmission during the late summer before the end of school vacations. PMID:19740885

  15. Sinks and sources: Assessing microplastic abundance in river sediment and deposit feeders in an Austral temperate urban river system.

    PubMed

    Nel, Holly A; Dalu, Tatenda; Wasserman, Ryan J

    2018-01-15

    Microplastics are important novel pollutants in freshwaters but their behaviour in river sediments is poorly understood due to the large amounts of coloured dissolved organic matter that impede sample processing. The present study aimed to 1.) estimate the microplastic pollution dynamics in an urban river system experiencing temporal differences in river flow, and 2.) investigate the potential use of chironomids as indicators of microplastic pollution levels in degraded freshwater environments. Microplastic levels were estimated from sediment and Chironomus spp. larvae collected from various sites along the Bloukrans River system, in the Eastern Cape South Africa during the summer and winter season. River flow, water depth, channel width, substrate embeddedness and sediment organic matter were simultaneously collected from each site. The winter season was characterised by elevated microplastic abundances, likely as a result of lower energy and increased sediment deposition associated with reduced river flow. In addition, results showed that particle distribution may be governed by various other external factors, such as substrate type and sediment organic matter. The study further highlighted that deposit feeders associated with the benthic river habitats, namely Chironomus spp. ingest microplastics and that the seasonal differences in sediment microplastic dynamics were reflected in chironomid microplastic abundance. There was a positive, though weakly significant relationship between deposit feeders and sediment suggesting that deposit feeders such as Chironomus spp. larvae could serve as an important indicator of microplastic loads within freshwater ecosystems. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Seasonal and interannual changes in zooplankton community in the coastal zone of the North-Eastern Black Sea.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nikishina, A. B.; Arashkevich, E. G.; Louppova, N. E.; Soloviev, K. A.

    2009-04-01

    The phenological response of zooplankton community is a result of simultaneous effect of several factors: feeding conditions, predation abundance, periods of reproduction of common species and hydrodynamic regime. The Black sea ecosystem is one of the best studied in the world, otherwise there is still some illegibility about ecosystem functioning and especially about environmental factors influence on zooplankton dynamics. For the last twenty years pelagic system of the Black Sea has changed dramatically. The invasion of ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi in the middle of eighties caused significant decrease in zooplankton biomass. It also altered plankton structure and shifted periods of mass reproduction of the abundant species and biomass maximums. For instance, before the invasion of Mnemiopsis the maximum of zooplankton biomass was observed in autumn (data by A. Pasternak, 1983), and after that the maximum moved to the spring (data by V.S. Khoroshilov, 1999). The incursion of ctenophore Beroe ovata feeding on Mnemiopsis in the nineties has led to the enhancement of zooplankton community. Although the detailed analysis of seasonal zooplankton dynamics wasn't performed in the recent years. The object of our research was to study seasonal and interannual changes in zooplankton community in the coastal area of the North-Eastern Black Sea. Analysis of interannual, seasonal and spatial changes in zooplankton distribution, abundance and species composition along with age structure of dominant populations were performed based on investigations during 2005-2008 years in the North-Eastern Black Sea. Plankton samples were obtained monthly since June 2005 till December 2008. Plankton was collected at three stations at depths 25m, 50m and 500-1000m along the transect from the Blue Bay to the open sea. Sampling of gelatinous animals was conducted in parallel to the zooplankton sampling. Simultaneously with plankton sampling CTD data were obtained. The feeding conditions were

  17. Refuge habitats for fishes during seasonal drying in an intermittent stream: Movement, survival and abundance of three minnow species

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hodges, S.W.; Magoulick, D.D.

    2011-01-01

    Drought and summer drying can be important disturbance events in many small streams leading to intermittent or isolated habitats. We examined what habitats act as refuges for fishes during summer drying, hypothesizing that pools would act as refuge habitats. We predicted that during drying fish would show directional movement into pools from riffle habitats, survival rates would be greater in pools than in riffles, and fish abundance would increase in pool habitats. We examined movement, survival and abundance of three minnow species, bigeye shiner (Notropis boops), highland stoneroller (Campostoma spadiceum) and creek chub (Semotilus atromaculatus), during seasonal stream drying in an Ozark stream using a closed robust multi-strata mark-recapture sampling. Population parameters were estimated using plausible models within program MARK, where a priori models are ranked using Akaike's Information Criterion. Creek chub showed directional movement into pools and increased survival and abundance in pools during drying. Highland stonerollers showed strong directional movement into pools and abundance increased in pools during drying, but survival rates were not significantly greater in pools than riffles. Bigeye shiners showed high movement rates during drying, but the movement was non-directional, and survival rates were greater in riffles than pools. Therefore, creek chub supported our hypothesis and pools appear to act as refuge habitats for this species, whereas highland stonerollers partly supported the hypothesis and bigeye shiners did not support the pool refuge hypothesis. Refuge habitats during drying are species dependent. An urgent need exists to further understand refuge habitats in streams given projected changes in climate and continued alteration of hydrological regimes. ?? 2011 Springer Basel AG (outside the USA).

  18. Diel, Seasonal, and Interannual Variability in Abundance of Major Mesozooplankton Taxa in the Sargasso Sea as Related to Changing Environmental Parameters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ivory, J.; Steinberg, D. K.; Latour, R. J.

    2016-02-01

    Temporal changes in mesozooplankton community structure affect planktonic food web interactions and biogeochemical cycling. Epipelagic mesozooplankton biomass in the Sargasso Sea has increased over the last two decades, with a related increase in zooplankton-mediated carbon export. Unknown, however, is what are the patterns and variability at different temporal scales (diel, seasonal, and interannual) in abundance of each major zooplankton taxon, and how do these patterns relate to physical and other environmental changes? We enumerated major taxa of mesozooplankton collected from monthly day and night net tows in the epipelagic zone at the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study (BATS) site in the Sargasso Sea from 1999 to 2010. Abundances of each taxon were determined using a ZooScan optical imaging system and microscopy. Generalized Linear Models (GLMs) were used to determine what environmental parameters best explain abundance of major taxa. We used annual averages to consider broader patterns. Zooplankton taxa with the most pronounced diel vertical migration (i.e., night:day ratio, N:D, >>1) included Limacina spp. pteropods (N:D=2.02), euphausiids (1.93), calanoid copepods (1.34), and heteropods (1.34). Taxa with a pronounced spring abundance peak included chaetognaths, larvaceans, and Limacina spp. pteropods, while harpacticoid copepods peaked in late summer, and calanoid copepods in both spring and summer. Environmental variables affecting abundance differed amongst taxa. For example, calanoid copepod density was highly influenced by the abundance of a major predator- chaetognaths. Multi-year densities of calanoid copepods and ostracods both increased with increasing Water Column Stratification Index and the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) index, indicating warmer sea surface temperatures are favorable for these taxa. We discuss how these temporal patterns at different scales help predict effects of global climate change on the zooplankton community.

  19. Timing of breeding and reproductive performance in murres and kittiwakes reflect mismatched seasonal prey dynamics

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Shultz, M.T.; Piatt, John F.; Harding, A.M.A.; Kettle, Arthur B.; van Pelt, Thomas I.

    2009-01-01

    Seabirds are thought to time breeding to match the seasonal peak of food availability with peak chick energetic demands, but warming ocean temperatures have altered the timing of spring events, creating the potential for mismatches. The resilience of seabird populations to climate change depends on their ability to anticipate changes in the timing and magnitude of peak food availability and 'fine-tune' efforts to match ('Anticipation Hypothesis'). The degree that inter-annual variation in seabird timing of breeding and reproductive performance represents anticipated food availability versus energetic constraints ('Constraint Hypothesis') is poorly understood. We examined the relative merits of the Constraint and Anticipation Hypotheses by testing 2 predictions of the Constraint Hypothesis: (1) seabird timing of breeding is related to food availability prior to egg laying rather than the date of peak food availability, (2) initial reproductive output (e.g. laying success, clutch size) is related to pre-lay food availability rather than anticipated chick-rearing food availability. We analyzed breeding biology data of common murres Uria aalge and black-legged kittiwakes Rissa tridactyla and 2 proxies of the seasonal dynamics of their food availability (near-shore forage fish abundance and sea-surface temperature) at 2 colonies in Lower Cook Inlet, Alaska, USA, from 1996 to 1999. Our results support the Constraint Hypothesis: (1) for both species, egg laying was later in years with warmer sea-surface temperature and lower food availability prior to egg laying, but was not related to the date of peak food availability, (2) pre-egg laying food availability explained variation in kittiwake laying success and clutch size. Murre reproductive success was best explained by food availability during chick rearing. ?? 2009 Inter-Research.

  20. Seasonal dynamics of threshold friction velocity and dust emission in Central Asia.

    PubMed

    Xi, Xin; Sokolik, Irina N

    2015-02-27

    An improved model representation of mineral dust cycle is critical to reducing the uncertainty of dust-induced environmental and climatic impact. Here we present a mesoscale model study of the seasonal dust activity in the semiarid drylands of Central Asia, focusing on the effects of wind speed, soil moisture, surface roughness heterogeneity, and vegetation phenology on the threshold friction velocity ( u *t ) and dust emission during the dust season of 1 March to 31 October 2001. The dust model WRF-Chem-DuMo allows us to examine the uncertainties in seasonal dust emissions due to the selection of dust emission scheme and soil grain size distribution data. To account for the vegetation effects on the u *t , we use the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer monthly normalized difference vegetation index to derive the dynamic surface roughness parameters required by the physically based dust schemes of Marticorena and Bergametti (1995, hereinafter MB) and Shao et al. (1996, hereinafter Shao). We find the springtime u *t is strongly enhanced by the roughness effects of temperate steppe and desert ephemeral plants and, to less extent, the binding effects of increased soil moisture. The u *t decreases as the aboveground biomass dies back and soil moisture depletes during summer. The u *t dynamics determines the dust seasonality by causing more summer dust emission, despite a higher frequency of strong winds during spring. Due to the presence of more erodible materials in the saltation diameter range of 60-200 µm, the dry-sieved soil size distribution data lead to eight times more season-total dust emission than the soil texture data, but with minor differences in the temporal distribution. On the other hand, the Shao scheme produces almost the same amount of season-total dust emission as the MB scheme, but with a strong shift toward summer due to the strong sensitivity of the u *t to vegetation. By simply averaging the MB and Shao model experiments, we obtain

  1. Seasonal dynamics of threshold friction velocity and dust emission in Central Asia

    PubMed Central

    Xi, Xin; Sokolik, Irina N

    2015-01-01

    An improved model representation of mineral dust cycle is critical to reducing the uncertainty of dust-induced environmental and climatic impact. Here we present a mesoscale model study of the seasonal dust activity in the semiarid drylands of Central Asia, focusing on the effects of wind speed, soil moisture, surface roughness heterogeneity, and vegetation phenology on the threshold friction velocity (u*t) and dust emission during the dust season of 1 March to 31 October 2001. The dust model WRF-Chem-DuMo allows us to examine the uncertainties in seasonal dust emissions due to the selection of dust emission scheme and soil grain size distribution data. To account for the vegetation effects on the u*t, we use the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer monthly normalized difference vegetation index to derive the dynamic surface roughness parameters required by the physically based dust schemes of Marticorena and Bergametti (1995, hereinafter MB) and Shao et al. (1996, hereinafter Shao). We find the springtime u*t is strongly enhanced by the roughness effects of temperate steppe and desert ephemeral plants and, to less extent, the binding effects of increased soil moisture. The u*t decreases as the aboveground biomass dies back and soil moisture depletes during summer. The u*t dynamics determines the dust seasonality by causing more summer dust emission, despite a higher frequency of strong winds during spring. Due to the presence of more erodible materials in the saltation diameter range of 60–200 µm, the dry-sieved soil size distribution data lead to eight times more season-total dust emission than the soil texture data, but with minor differences in the temporal distribution. On the other hand, the Shao scheme produces almost the same amount of season-total dust emission as the MB scheme, but with a strong shift toward summer due to the strong sensitivity of the u*t to vegetation. By simply averaging the MB and Shao model experiments, we obtain a mean

  2. Environmental and habitat drivers of relative abundance for a suite of azteca-attacking Pseudacteon phorid flies.

    PubMed

    Reese, Katlynd M; Philpott, Stacy M

    2012-10-01

    Phoridae (Diptera) have widespread impacts on insect communities by limiting host ant behavior. However, phorid-ant interactions may vary with habitat or environmental conditions. Three Pseudacteon species parasitize Azteca instabilis Fr. Smith, a common ant in coffee agroecosystems, and limit A. instabilis foraging, indirectly benefiting other insects. However, little is known about how phorid abundance, behavior, and effects change with environmental conditions. In shaded coffee systems, coffee (Coffea arabica L.) grows under a range of shade conditions and management changes affect species interactions. For example, Pseudacteon spp. more strongly limit A. instabilis foraging in low-shade coffee habitats. We sampled relative abundance of three phorid species around A. instabilis nests in three coffee habitats varying in shade management during dry and wet seasons. We measured canopy cover, tree richness, tree density, leaf litter depth, and number of nearby trees with A. instabilis to determine whether these habitat factors correlate with phorid abundance. P. laciniosus Brown was the most abundant phorid in both seasons. Phorid relative abundance did not differ by habitat, but did differ by season. P. laciniosus accounted for a higher proportion of phorids in the wet season (91.4%) than in the dry season (78.9%), and P. planidorsalis Brown accounted for a larger percent in the dry season (21.1%) than in the wet season (7.3%). Phorid composition did not differ with habitat type, and none of the measured environmental variables correlated with changes in phorid composition. Thus, phorids in coffee agroecosystems respond to large seasonal differences, but not differences between coffee habitats.

  3. Effects of reforestation on ammonia-oxidizing microbial community composition and abundance in subtropical acidic forest soils.

    PubMed

    Wu, Ruo-Nan; Meng, Han; Wang, Yong-Feng; Gu, Ji-Dong

    2018-06-01

    Forest ecosystems have great ecological values in mitigation of climate change and protection of biodiversity of flora and fauna; re-forestry is commonly used to enhance the sequestration of atmospheric CO 2 into forest storage biomass. Therefore, seasonal and spatial dynamics of the major microbial players in nitrification, ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and bacteria (AOB), in acidic soils of young and matured revegetated forests were investigated to elucidate the changes of microbial communities during forest restoration, and compared to delineate the patterns of community shifts under the influences of environmental factors. AOA were more abundant than AOB in both young and matured revegetated forest soils in both summer and winter seasons. In summer, however, the abundance of amoA-AOA decreased remarkably (p < 0.01), ranging from 1.90 (± 0.07) × 10 8 copies per gram dry soil in matured forest to 5.04 (± 0.43) × 10 8 copies per gram dry soil in young forest, and amoA-AOB was below detection limits to obtain any meaningful values. Moreover, exchangeable Al 3+ and organic matter were found to regulate the physiologically functional nitrifiers, especially AOA abundance in acidic forest soils. AOB community in winter showed stronger correlation with the restoration status of revegetated forests and AOA community dominated by Nitrosotalea devanaterra, in contrast, was more sensitive to the seasonal and spatial variations of environmental factors. These results enrich the current knowledge of nitrification during re-forestry and provide valuable information to developmental status of revegetated forests for management through microbial analysis.

  4. Nitrification and ammonium dynamics in Taihu Lake, China: seasonal competition for ammonium between nitrifiers and cyanobacteria

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hampel, Justyna J.; McCarthy, Mark J.; Gardner, Wayne S.; Zhang, Lu; Xu, Hai; Zhu, Guangwei; Newell, Silvia E.

    2018-02-01

    Taihu Lake is hypereutrophic and experiences seasonal, cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms. These Microcystis blooms produce microcystin, a potent liver toxin, and are linked to anthropogenic nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) loads to lakes. Microcystis spp. cannot fix atmospheric N and must compete with ammonia-oxidizing and other organisms for ammonium (NH4+). We measured NH4+ regeneration and potential uptake rates and total nitrification using stable-isotope techniques. Nitrification studies included abundance of the functional gene for NH4+ oxidation, amoA, for ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and bacteria (AOB). Potential NH4+ uptake rates ranged from 0.02 to 6.80 µmol L-1 h-1 in the light and from 0.05 to 3.33 µmol L-1 h-1 in the dark, and NH4+ regeneration rates ranged from 0.03 to 2.37 µmol L-1 h-1. Nitrification rates exceeded previously reported rates in most freshwater systems. Total nitrification often exceeded 200 nmol L-1 d-1 and was > 1000 nmol L-1 d-1 at one station near a river discharge. AOA amoA gene copies were more abundant than AOB gene copies (p < 0.005) at all times; however, only abundance of AOB amoA (not AOA) was correlated with nitrification rates for all stations and all seasons (p < 0.005). Nitrification rates in Taihu Lake varied seasonally; at most stations, rates were highest in March, lower in June, and lowest in July, corresponding with cyanobacterial bloom progression, suggesting that nitrifiers were poor competitors for NH4+ during the bloom. Regeneration results suggested that cyanobacteria relied extensively on regenerated NH4+ to sustain the bloom. Internal NH4+ regeneration exceeded external N loading to the lake by a factor of 2 but was ultimately fueled by external N loads. Our results thus support the growing literature calling for watershed N loading reductions in concert with existing management of P loads.

  5. Ocean Processes Revealing by Seasonal Dynamics of Surface Chlorophyll Concentration (by Satellite Data)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shevyrnogov, Anatoly; Vysotskaya, Galina

    Continuous monitoring of phytopigment concentrations in the ocean by space-borne methods makes possible to estimate ecological condition of biocenoses in critical areas. Unlike land vege-tation, hydrological processes largely determine phytoplankton dynamics, which may be either recurrent or random. The types of chlorophyll concentration dynamics can manifest as zones quasistationary by seasonal chlorophyll dynamics, perennial variations of phytopigment con-centrations, anomalous variations, etc., that makes possible revealing of hydrological structure of the ocean. While large-scale and frequently occurring phenomena have been much studied, the seldom-occurring changes of small size may be of interest for analysis of long-term processes and rare natural variations. Along with this, the ability to reflect consequences of anthropoge-nous impact or natural ecological disasters on the ocean biota makes the anomalous variations ecologically essential. Civilization aspiring for steady development and preservation of the bio-sphere, must have the knowledge of spatial distribution, seasonal dynamics and anomalies of the primary production process on the planet. In the papers of the authors (Shevyrnogov A.P., Vysotskaya G.S., Gitelzon J.I. Quasistationary areas of chlorophyll concentration in the world ocean as observed satellite data. Adv. Space Res. Vol. 18, No. 7, pp. 129-132, 1996) existence of zones, which are quasi-stationary with similar seasonal dynamics of chlorophyll concentration at surface layer of ocean, was shown. Results were obtained on the base of pro-cessing of time series of satellite images SeaWiFS. It was shown that fronts and frontal zones coincide with dividing lines between quasi-stationary areas, especially in areas of large oceanic streams. Biota of surface oceanic layer is more stable in comparison with quickly changing sur-face temperature. It gives a possibility to circumvent influence of high-frequency component (for example, a diurnal cycle

  6. Simultaneous modeling of habitat suitability, occupancy, and relative abundance: African elephants in Zimbabwe

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Martin, Julien; Chamaille-Jammes, Simon; Nichols, James D.; Fritz, Herve; Hines, James E.; Fonnesbeck, Christopher J.; MacKenzie, Darryl I.; Bailey, Larissa L.

    2010-01-01

    The recent development of statistical models such as dynamic site occupancy models provides the opportunity to address fairly complex management and conservation problems with relatively simple models. However, surprisingly few empirical studies have simultaneously modeled habitat suitability and occupancy status of organisms over large landscapes for management purposes. Joint modeling of these components is particularly important in the context of management of wild populations, as it provides a more coherent framework to investigate the population dynamics of organisms in space and time for the application of management decision tools. We applied such an approach to the study of water hole use by African elephants in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe. Here we show how such methodology may be implemented and derive estimates of annual transition probabilities among three dry-season states for water holes: (1) unsuitable state (dry water holes with no elephants); (2) suitable state (water hole with water) with low abundance of elephants; and (3) suitable state with high abundance of elephants. We found that annual rainfall and the number of neighboring water holes influenced the transition probabilities among these three states. Because of an increase in elephant densities in the park during the study period, we also found that transition probabilities from low abundance to high abundance states increased over time. The application of the joint habitat–occupancy models provides a coherent framework to examine how habitat suitability and factors that affect habitat suitability influence the distribution and abundance of organisms. We discuss how these simple models can further be used to apply structured decision-making tools in order to derive decisions that are optimal relative to specified management objectives. The modeling framework presented in this paper should be applicable to a wide range of existing data sets and should help to address important ecological

  7. Floral resource availability from groundcover promotes bee abundance in coffee agroecosystems.

    PubMed

    Fisher, Kaleigh; Gonthier, David J; Ennis, Katherine K; Perfecto, Ivette

    2017-09-01

    Patterns of bee abundance and diversity across different spatial scales have received thorough research consideration. However, the impact of short- and long-term temporal resource availability on biodiversity has been less explored. This is highly relevant in tropical agricultural systems for pollinators, as many foraging periods of pollinators extend beyond flowering of any single crop species. In this study, we sought to understand how bee communities in tropical agroecosystems changed between seasons, and if short- and long-term floral resource availability influenced their diversity and abundance. We used a threshold analysis approach in order to explore this relationship at two time scales. This study took place in a region dominated by coffee agroecosystems in Southern Mexico. This was an ideal system because the landscape offers a range of coffee management regimes that maintain heterogeneity in floral resource availability spatially and temporally. We found that the bee community varies significantly between seasons. There were higher abundances of native social, solitary and managed honey bees during the dry season when coffee flowers. Additionally, we found that floral resources from groundcover, but not trees, were associated with bee abundance. Further, the temporal scale of the availability of these resources is important, whereby short-term floral resource availability appears particularly important in maintaining high bee abundance at sites with lower seasonal complementarity. We argue that in addition to spatial resource heterogeneity, temporal resource heterogeneity is critical in explaining bee community patterns, and should thus be considered to promote pollinator conservation. © 2017 by the Ecological Society of America.

  8. The Impact of High-Turbidity Water's Seasonal and Decadal Variations on Offshore Phytoplankton and Nutrients Dynamics around The Changjiang Estuary

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ge, J.; Torres, R.; Chen, C.; Bellerby, R. G. J.

    2017-12-01

    The Changjiang Estuary is characterized as strong river discharge into the inner shelf of the East China Sea with abundant sediment load, producing significant high-turbidity water coverage from river mouth to deep region. The growth of offshore phytoplankton is dynamically controlled by river flushed low-salinity and high-turbidity water, and salter water from inner shelf of East China Sea. During last decade, the sediment and nutrients from the Changjiang River has significantly changed, which lead to the variation of offshore phytoplankton dynamics. The variations of sediment, nutrients, and their influenced phytoplankton has been simulated through a comprehensive modeling system, which integrated a multi-scale current-wave-sediment FVCOM model and generic marine biogeochemistry and ecosystem ERSEM model through The Framework for Aquatic Biogeochemical Models (FABM). This model system has successfully revealed the seasonal and decadal variations of sediment, nutrients transport around the inner shelf of the East China Sea. The spring and autumn peaks of phytoplankton growth were correctly captured by simulation. The modeling results, as well as MODIS and GOCI remote sensing, shows a strong sediment decreasing from northern to southern region, which creates different patterns of Chlorophyll-a distribution and seasonal variations. These results indicate the high-turbidity water in northern region strongly influenced the light attenuation in the water column and limits the phytoplankton growth in this relatively higher-nutrient area, especially in the wintertime. The relatively low-turbidity southern region has significant productivity of phytoplankton, even during low-temperature winter. The phytoplankton growth increased in the northern region from 2005 to 2010, with the increase of the nutrient load during this period. Then it became a decreasing trend after 2010.

  9. [Dynamic model of seasonal breeding rodent pest population controlled with short-acting sterilant].

    PubMed

    Liu, Han-wu; Jin, Zhen; Zhang, Feng-qin; Li, Qiu-ying

    2013-04-01

    Rodent pests bring great damage to human beings, while rodenticide and sterilant can be used to control the pests. After ingesting sterilant, rodent pests lose their fertility, but in some cases, the sterile individuals may gain their fertility again, produce offspring, and enlarge population size. In this paper, the dynamic models of rodent pest population under lethal control and shortacting contraception control were formulated, and, with the prerequisite of the seasonal breeding of rodent pest population, the models were used to regularly analyze their behaviors and the effects of the contraception rate, lethal rate, control interval, and sterilant valid period on the dynamics of the pest population. The results showed that larger contraception rate and lethal rate and shorter control interval could have better control effect, making the controlled population become smaller and even died out. Short-acting sterilant limited the control effect. At the later period of breeding season, the rodent pest population controlled with short-acting sterilant would have a weak recovery.

  10. High abundance androgen receptor in goldfish brain: characteristics and seasonal changes

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Pasmanik, M.; Callard, G.V.

    1988-08-01

    Testosterone (T) exerts its actions in brain directly via androgen receptors or, after aromatization to estradiol, via estrogen receptors. Brain aromatase activity in teleost fish is 100-1000 times greater than in mammals and would be expected to significantly reduce the quantity of androgen available for receptor binding. Experiments were carried out on the goldfish Carassius auratus to determine if androgen receptors are present in teleost brain and whether their physicochemical properties reflect elevated aromatase. Cytosolic and nuclear extracts were assayed with the use of (/sup 3/H)T and charcoal, Sephadex LH-20, or DNA-cellulose chromatography to separate bound and free steroids. Bindingmore » activity was saturable and had an equally high affinity for T and 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone. Although mibolerone was a relatively weak competitor, the putative teleost androgen 11-ketotestosterone, methyltrienolone (R1881), estradiol, progesterone, and cortisol were poor ligands. Characteristics that distinguish this receptor from a steroid-binding protein in goldfish serum are the presence of binding activity in both nuclear and cytosolic extracts, a low rate of ligand-receptor dissociation, electrophoretic mobility, sedimentation properties in low vs. high salt, and tissue distribution. DNA cellulose-adhering and nonadhering forms were detected, but these did not differ in other variables measured. Although goldfish androgen receptors resembled those of mammals in all important physicochemical characteristics, they were unusually abundant compared to levels in rat brain, but comparable to levels in prostate and other male sex hormone target organs. Moreover, there were seasonal variations in total receptors, with a peak at spawning (April) 4- to 5-fold higher than values in reproductively inactive fish.« less

  11. Seasonal timing of first rain storms affects rare plant population dynamics

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Levine, J.M.; McEachern, A.K.; Cowan, C.

    2011-01-01

    A major challenge in forecasting the ecological consequences of climate change is understanding the relative importance of changes to mean conditions vs. changes to discrete climatic events, such as storms, frosts, or droughts. Here we show that the first major storm of the growing season strongly influences the population dynamics of three rare and endangered annual plant species in a coastal California (USA) ecosystem. In a field experiment we used moisture barriers and water addition to manipulate the timing and temperature associated with first major rains of the season. The three focal species showed two- to fivefold variation in per capita population growth rates between the different storm treatments, comparable to variation found in a prior experiment imposing eightfold differences in season-long precipitation. Variation in germination was a major demographic driver of how two of three species responded to the first rains. For one of these species, the timing of the storm was the most critical determinant of its germination, while the other showed enhanced germination with colder storm temperatures. The role of temperature was further supported by laboratory trials showing enhanced germination in cooler treatments. Our work suggests that, because of species-specific cues for demographic transitions such as germination, changes to discrete climate events may be as, if not more, important than changes to season-long variables.

  12. Seasonal timing of first rain storms affects rare plant population dynamics.

    PubMed

    Levine, Jonathan M; McEachern, A Kathryn; Cowan, Clark

    2011-12-01

    A major challenge in forecasting the ecological consequences of climate change is understanding the relative importance of changes to mean conditions vs. changes to discrete climatic events, such as storms, frosts, or droughts. Here we show that the first major storm of the growing season strongly influences the population dynamics of three rare and endangered annual plant species in a coastal California (USA) ecosystem. In a field experiment we used moisture barriers and water addition to manipulate the timing and temperature associated with first major rains of the season. The three focal species showed two- to fivefold variation in per capita population growth rates between the different storm treatments, comparable to variation found in a prior experiment imposing eightfold differences in season-long precipitation. Variation in germination was a major demographic driver of how two of three species responded to the first rains. For one of these species, the timing of the storm was the most critical determinant of its germination, while the other showed enhanced germination with colder storm temperatures. The role of temperature was further supported by laboratory trials showing enhanced germination in cooler treatments. Our work suggests that, because of species-specific cues for demographic transitions such as germination, changes to discrete climate events may be as, if not more, important than changes to season-long variables.

  13. Short and Long-Term Soil Moisture Effects of Liana Removal in a Seasonally Moist Tropical Forest

    PubMed Central

    Reid, Joseph Pignatello; Schnitzer, Stefan A.; Powers, Jennifer S.

    2015-01-01

    Lianas (woody vines) are particularly abundant in tropical forests, and their abundance is increasing in the neotropics. Lianas can compete intensely with trees for above- and belowground resources, including water. As tropical forests experience longer and more intense dry seasons, competition for water is likely to intensify. However, we lack an understanding of how liana abundance affects soil moisture and hence competition with trees for water in tropical forests. To address this critical knowledge gap, we conducted a large-scale liana removal experiment in a seasonal tropical moist forest in central Panama. We monitored shallow and deep soil moisture over the course of three years to assess the effects of lianas in eight 0.64 ha removal plots and eight control plots. Liana removal caused short-term effects in surface soils. Surface soils (10 cm depth) in removal plots dried more slowly during dry periods and accumulated water more slowly after rainfall events. These effects disappeared within four months of the removal treatment. In deeper soils (40 cm depth), liana removal resulted in a multi-year trend towards 5–25% higher soil moisture during the dry seasons with the largest significant effects occurring in the dry season of the third year following treatment. Liana removal did not affect surface soil temperature. Multiple and mutually occurring mechanisms may be responsible for the effects of liana removal on soil moisture, including competition with trees, and altered microclimate, and soil structure. These results indicate that lianas influence hydrologic processes, which may affect tree community dynamics and forest carbon cycling. PMID:26545205

  14. The seasonality and geographic dependence of ENSO impacts on U.S. surface ozone variability

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Li; Yu, Jin-Yi; Schnell, Jordan L.; Prather, Michael J.

    2017-04-01

    We examine the impact of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on surface ozone abundance observed over the continental United States (U.S.) during 1993-2013. The monthly ozone decreases (increases) during El Niño (La Niña) years with amplitude up to 1.8 ppb per standard deviation of Niño 3.4 index. The largest ENSO influences occur over two southern U.S. regions during fall when the ENSO develops and over two western U.S. regions during the winter to spring after the ENSO decays. ENSO affects surface ozone via chemical processes during warm seasons in southern regions, where favorable meteorological conditions occur, but via dynamic transport during cold seasons in western regions, where the ENSO-induced circulation variations are large. The geographic dependence and seasonality of the ENSO impacts imply that regulations regarding air quality and its exceedance need to be adjusted for different seasons and U.S. regions to account for the ENSO-driven patterns in surface ozone.

  15. Seasonal population dynamics of the invasive polychaete genus Marenzelleria spp. in contrasting soft-sediment habitats

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kauppi, L.; Norkko, A.; Norkko, J.

    2018-01-01

    Three species of the invasive polychaete genus Marenzelleria are among the dominant benthic taxa in many, especially deeper, areas in the Baltic Sea. The population dynamics of the polychaetes in the Baltic are, however, still largely unknown. We conducted monthly samplings of the benthic communities and environmental parameters at five sites with differing depths and sediment characteristics in the northern Baltic Sea (59°50.896‧, 23°15.092‧) to study the population dynamics, productivity and growth of Marenzelleria spp. from April 2013 to June 2014. The species of Marenzelleria occurring at the study sites were identified by genetic analyses. At the deepest site (33 m) only M. arctia was present, while all three species were found at the shallower, muddy sites (up to 20 m depth). At the shallow (6 m) sandy site only M. viridis and M. neglecta occurred. The sites differed in the seasonal dynamics of the Marenzelleria spp. population, reflecting the different species identities. The muddy sites up to 20 m depth showed clear seasonal dynamics, with the population practically disappearing by winter, whereas more stable populations occurred at the deepest site and at the sandy site. The highest density, biomass and production were observed at the 20 m deep, organic-rich muddy site where all three species recruited. The seasonally very high densities are likely to have important consequences for organic matter processing, and species interactions at these sites. The observed high productivity of the populations has possibly facilitated their establishment, and considerably increased secondary production in especially the deeper areas.

  16. Prickly business: abundance of sea urchins on breakwaters and coral reefs in Dubai.

    PubMed

    Bauman, Andrew G; Dunshea, Glenn; Feary, David A; Hoey, Andrew S

    2016-04-30

    Echinometra mathaei is a common echinoid on tropical reefs and where abundant plays an important role in the control of algal communities. Despite high prevalence of E. mathaei on southern Persian/Arabian Gulf reefs, their abundance and distribution is poorly known. Spatial and temporal patterns in population abundance were examined at 12 sites between breakwater and natural reef habitats in Dubai (UAE) every 3 months from 2008 to 2010. Within the breakwater habitat, densities were greatest at shallow wave-exposed sites, and reduced with both decreasing wave-exposure and increasing depth. Interestingly, E. mathaei were significantly more abundant on exposed breakwaters than natural reef sites, presumably due to differences in habitat structure and benthic cover. Population abundances differed seasonally, with peak abundances during summer (July-September) and lower abundances in winter (December-February). Seasonal fluctuations are likely the result of peak annual recruitment pulses coupled with increased fish predation from summer to winter. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Characterizing soil moisture and snow cover effects on boreal-arctic soil freeze/thaw dynamics and cold-season carbon emissions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yi, Y.; Kimball, J. S.; Moghaddam, M.; Chen, R. H.; Reichle, R. H.; Oechel, W. C.; Zona, D.

    2017-12-01

    The contribution of cold season respiration to boreal-arctic carbon cycle and its potential feedbacks to climate change remain poorly quantified. Here, we developed an integrated modeling framework combining airborne low frequency (L+P-band) airborne radar retrievals and landscape level (≥1km) environmental observations from satellite optical and microwave sensors with a detailed permafrost carbon model to investigate underlying processes controlling soil freeze/thaw (FT) dynamics and cold season carbon emissions. The permafrost carbon model simulates the snow and soil thermal dynamics with soil water phase change included and accounts for soil carbon decomposition up to 3m below surface. Local-scale ( 50m) radar retrievals of active layer thickness (ALT), soil moisture and freeze/thaw (FT) status from NASA airborne UAVSAR and AirMOSS sensors are used to inform the model parameterizations of soil moisture effects on soil FT dynamics, and scaling properties of active layer processes. Both tower observed land-atmosphere fluxes and atmospheric CO2 measurements are used to evaluate the model processes controlling cold season carbon respiration, particularly the effects of snow cover and soil moisture on deep soil carbon emissions during the early cold season. Initial comparisons showed that the model can well capture the seasonality of cold season respiration in both tundra and boreal forest areas, with large emissions in late fall and early winter and gradually diminishing throughout the winter. Model sensitivity analyses are used to clarify how changes in soil thermodynamics at depth control the magnitude and seasonality of cold season respiration, and how a deeper unfrozen active layer with warming may contribute to changes in cold season respiration. Model outputs include ALT and regional carbon fluxes at 1-km resolution spanning recent satellite era (2001-present) across Alaska. These results will be used to quantify cold season respiration contributions to the

  18. Seasonal Dynamics of Fish Assemblages on Breakwaters and Natural Rocky Reefs in a Temperate Estuary: Consistent Assemblage Differences Driven by Sub-Adults

    PubMed Central

    Fowler, Ashley M.; Booth, David J.

    2013-01-01

    Development of infrastructure around cities is rapidly increasing the amount of artificial substrate (termed artificial reef, ‘AR’) in coastal marine habitats. However, effects of ARs on marine communities remain unknown, because it is unclear whether ARs can maintain similar communities to natural reefs. We investigated whether well-established (> 30 years old) breakwaters could consistently approximate fish assemblages on interspersed rocky reefs in a temperate estuary over 6 consecutive seasons using regular visual surveys between June 2009 (winter) and November 2010 (spring). We examined whether assemblage differences between reef types were driven by differences in juvenile recruitment, or were related to differences in older life-stages. Assemblages on both reef types were dominated by juveniles (61% of individuals) and sub-adults (34% of individuals). Seasonal fluctuations in assemblage parameters (species richness, diversity, sub-adult abundance) were similar between reef types, and levels of species diversity and assemblage composition were generally comparable. However, abundance and species richness were consistently higher (1.9-7.6 and 1.3-2.6 times, respectively) on breakwaters. These assemblage differences could not be explained by differences in juvenile recruitment, with seasonal patterns of recruitment and juvenile species found to be similar between reef types. In contrast, abundances of sub-adults were consistently higher (1.1-12 times) at breakwaters, and assemblage differences appeared to be driven by this life-stage. Our results indicate that breakwaters in temperate estuaries are capable of supporting abundant and diverse fish assemblages with similar recruitment process to natural reefs. However, breakwaters may not approximate all aspects of natural assemblage structure, with differences maintained by a single-life stage in some cases. PMID:24086634

  19. Timing and severity of immunizing diseases in rabbits is controlled by seasonal matching of host and pathogen dynamics

    PubMed Central

    Wells, Konstans; Brook, Barry W.; Lacy, Robert C.; Mutze, Greg J.; Peacock, David E.; Sinclair, Ron G.; Schwensow, Nina; Cassey, Phillip; O'Hara, Robert B.; Fordham, Damien A.

    2015-01-01

    Infectious diseases can exert a strong influence on the dynamics of host populations, but it remains unclear why such disease-mediated control only occurs under particular environmental conditions. We used 16 years of detailed field data on invasive European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in Australia, linked to individual-based stochastic models and Bayesian approximations, to test whether (i) mortality associated with rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) is driven primarily by seasonal matches/mismatches between demographic rates and epidemiological dynamics and (ii) delayed infection (arising from insusceptibility and maternal antibodies in juveniles) are important factors in determining disease severity and local population persistence of rabbits. We found that both the timing of reproduction and exposure to viruses drove recurrent seasonal epidemics of RHD. Protection conferred by insusceptibility and maternal antibodies controlled seasonal disease outbreaks by delaying infection; this could have also allowed escape from disease. The persistence of local populations was a stochastic outcome of recovery rates from both RHD and myxomatosis. If susceptibility to RHD is delayed, myxomatosis will have a pronounced effect on population extirpation when the two viruses coexist. This has important implications for wildlife management, because it is likely that such seasonal interplay and disease dynamics has a strong effect on long-term population viability for many species. PMID:25566883

  20. Effect of Tillage and Planting Date on Seasonal Abundance and Diversity of Predacious Ground Beetles in Cotton

    PubMed Central

    Shrestha, R. B.; Parajulee, M. N.

    2010-01-01

    A 2-year field study was conducted in the southern High Plains region of Texas to evaluate the effect of tillage system and cotton planting date window on seasonal abundance and activity patterns of predacious ground beetles. The experiment was deployed in a split-plot randomized block design with tillage as the main-plot factor and planting date as the subplot factor. There were two levels for each factor. The two tillage systems were conservation tillage (30% or more of the soil surface is covered with crop residue) and conventional tillage. The two cotton planting date window treatments were early May (normal planting) and early June (late planting). Five prevailing predacious ground beetles, Cicindela sexguttata F., Calosoma scrutator Drees, Pasimachus spp., Pterostichus spp., and Megacephala Carolina L. (Coleoptera: Carabidae), were monitored using pitfall traps at 2-week intervals from June 2002 to October 2003. The highest total number of ground beetles (6/trap) was observed on 9 July 2003. Cicindela sexguttata was the dominant ground dwelling predacious beetle among the five species. A significant difference between the two tillage systems was observed in the abundances of Pterostichus spp. and C. sexguttata. In 2002. significantly more Pterostichus spp. were recorded from conventional plots (0.27/trap) than were recorded from conservation tillage plots (0.05/trap). Significantly more C. sexguttata were recorded in 2003 from conservation plots (3.77/trap) than were recorded from conventional tillage plots (1.04/trap). There was a significant interaction between year and tillage treatments. However, there was no significant difference in the abundances of M. Carolina and Pasimachus spp. between the two tillage practices in either of the two years. M. Carolina numbers were significantly higher in late-planted cotton compared with those observed in normal-planted cotton. However, planting date window had no significant influence on the activity patterns of the

  1. Infection Paradox: High Abundance but Low Impact of Freshwater Benthic Viruses

    PubMed Central

    Filippini, Manuela; Buesing, Nanna; Bettarel, Yvan; Sime-Ngando, Télesphore; Gessner, Mark O.

    2006-01-01

    The discovery of an abundant and diverse virus community in oceans and lakes has profoundly reshaped ideas about global carbon and nutrient fluxes, food web dynamics, and maintenance of microbial biodiversity. These roles are exerted through massive viral impact on the population dynamics of heterotrophic bacterioplankton and primary producers. We took advantage of a shallow wetland system with contrasting microhabitats in close proximity to demonstrate that in marked contrast to pelagic systems, viral infection, determined directly by transmission electron microscopy, and consequently mortality of prokaryotes were surprisingly low in benthic habitats in all seasons. This was true even though free viruses were abundant throughout the year and bacterial infection and mortality rates were high in surrounding water. The habitats in which we found this pattern include sediment, decomposing plant litter, and biofilms on aquatic vegetation. Overall, we detected viruses in only 4 of a total of ∼15,000 bacterial cells inspected in these three habitats; for comparison, nearly 300 of ∼5,000 cells suspended in the water column were infected. The strikingly low incidence of impact of phages in the benthos may have important implications, since a major portion of microbial biodiversity and global carbon and nutrient turnover are associated with surfaces. Therefore, if failure to infect benthic bacteria is a widespread phenomenon, then the global role of viruses in controlling microbial diversity, food web dynamics, and biogeochemical cycles would be greatly diminished compared to predictions based on data from planktonic environments. PMID:16820485

  2. Seasonal differences in leaf-level physiology give lianas a competitive advantage over trees in a tropical seasonal forest.

    PubMed

    Cai, Zhi-Quan; Schnitzer, Stefan A; Bongers, Frans

    2009-08-01

    Lianas are an important component of most tropical forests, where they vary in abundance from high in seasonal forests to low in seasonal forests. We tested the hypothesis that the physiological ability of lianas to fix carbon (and thus grow) during seasonal drought may confer a distinct advantage in seasonal tropical forests, which may explain pan-tropical liana distributions. We compared a range of leaf-level physiological attributes of 18 co-occurring liana and 16 tree species during the wet and dry seasons in a tropical seasonal forest in Xishuangbanna, China. We found that, during the wet season, lianas had significantly higher CO(2) assimilation per unit mass (A(mass)), nitrogen concentration (N(mass)), and delta(13)C values, and lower leaf mass per unit area (LMA) than trees, indicating that lianas have higher assimilation rates per unit leaf mass and higher integrated water-use efficiency (WUE), but lower leaf structural investments. Seasonal variation in CO(2) assimilation per unit area (A(area)), phosphorus concentration per unit mass (P(mass)), and photosynthetic N-use efficiency (PNUE), however, was significantly lower in lianas than in trees. For instance, mean tree A(area) decreased by 30.1% from wet to dry season, compared with only 12.8% for lianas. In contrast, from the wet to dry season mean liana delta(13)C increased four times more than tree delta(13)C, with no reduction in PNUE, whereas trees had a significant reduction in PNUE. Lianas had higher A(mass) than trees throughout the year, regardless of season. Collectively, our findings indicate that lianas fix more carbon and use water and nitrogen more efficiently than trees, particularly during seasonal drought, which may confer a competitive advantage to lianas during the dry season, and thus may explain their high relative abundance in seasonal tropical forests.

  3. Contrasting precipitation seasonality influences evapotranspiration dynamics in water-limited shrublands

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Villarreal, Samuel; Vargas, Rodrigo; Yepez, Enrico A.; Acosta, Jose S.; Castro, Angel; Escoto-Rodriguez, Martin; Lopez, Eulogio; Martínez-Osuna, Juan; Rodriguez, Julio C.; Smith, Stephen V.; Vivoni, Enrique R.; Watts, Christopher J.

    2016-02-01

    Water-limited ecosystems occupy nearly 30% of the Earth, but arguably, the controls on their ecosystem processes remain largely uncertain. We analyzed six site years of eddy covariance measurements of evapotranspiration (ET) from 2008 to 2010 at two water-limited shrublands: one dominated by winter precipitation (WP site) and another dominated by summer precipitation (SP site), but with similar solar radiation patterns in the Northern Hemisphere. We determined how physical forcing factors (i.e., net radiation (Rn), soil water content (SWC), air temperature (Ta), and vapor pressure deficit (VPD)) influence annual and seasonal variability of ET. Mean annual ET at SP site was 455 ± 91 mm yr-1, was mainly influenced by SWC during the dry season, by Rn during the wet season, and was highly sensitive to changes in annual precipitation (P). Mean annual ET at WP site was 363 ± 52 mm yr-1, had less interannual variability, but multiple variables (i.e., SWC, Ta, VPD, and Rn) were needed to explain ET among years and seasons. Wavelet coherence analysis showed that ET at SP site has a consistent temporal coherency with Ta and P, but this was not the case for ET at WP site. Our results support the paradigm that SWC is the main control of ET in water-limited ecosystems when radiation and temperature are not the limiting factors. In contrast, when P and SWC are decoupled from available energy (i.e., radiation and temperature), then ET is controlled by an interaction of multiple variables. Our results bring attention to the need for better understanding how climate and soil dynamics influence ET across these globally distributed ecosystems.

  4. Comparing seasonal dynamics of the Lake Huron zooplankton community between 1983-1984 and 2007 and revisiting the impact of Bythotrephes planktivory

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bunnell, David B.; Keeler, Kevin M.; Puchala, Elizabeth A.; Davis, Bruce M.; Pothoven, Steven A.

    2012-01-01

    Zooplankton community composition can be influenced by lake productivity as well as planktivory by fish or invertebrates. Previous analyses based on long-term Lake Huron zooplankton data from August reported a shift in community composition between the 1980s and 2000s: proportional biomass of calanoid copepods increased while that of cyclopoid copepods and herbivorous cladocerans decreased. Herein, we used seasonally collected data from Lake Huron in 1983–1984 and 2007 and reported similar shifts in proportional biomass. We also used a series of generalized additive models to explore differences in seasonal abundance by species and found that all three cyclopoid copepod species (Diacyclops thomasi, Mesocylops edax, Tropocyclops prasinus mexicanus) exhibited higher abundance in 1983–1984 than in 2007. Surprisingly, only one (Epischura lacustris) of seven calanoid species exhibited higher abundance in 2007. The results for cladocerans were also mixed with Bosmina spp. exhibiting higher abundance in 1983–1984, while Daphnia galeata mendotae reached a higher level of abundance in 2007. We used a subset of the 2007 data to estimate not only the vertical distribution of Bythotrephes longimanus and their prey, but also the consumption by Bythotrephes in the top 20 m of water. This epilimnetic layer was dominated by copepod copepodites and nauplii, and consumption either exceeded (Hammond Bay site) or equaled 65% (Detour site) of epilimnetic zooplankton production. The lack of spatial overlap between Bythotrephes and herbivorous cladocerans and cyclopoid copepod prey casts doubt on the hypothesis that Bythotrephes planktivory was the primary driver underlying the community composition changes in the 2000s.

  5. Seasonal variations in zooplankton abundances in the Iturbide reservoir (Isidro Fabela, State of Mexico, Mexico).

    PubMed

    Sarma, S S S; Osnaya-Espinosa, Lidia Rosario; Aguilar-Acosta, Claudia Romina; Nandini, S

    2011-07-01

    This studywas undertaken to quantify the seasonal variations of zooplankton (rotifers, cladocerans and copepods) and selected physico-chemical variables (temperature, pH, conductivity, Secchi disc transparency, dissolved oxygen, ammonia, nitrate and phosphate concentrations) in the Iturbide dam. Monthly zooplankton samples (50 l filtered through 50 microm mesh, in duplicates from each of the 4 stations) were collected from February 2008 to January 2009. Simultaneously physico-chemical variables were measured. The zooplankton samples were fixed in 4% formalin in the field. In general, the temperature ranged from 9 to 16 degrees C, rarely exceeding 20 degrees C. Secchi transparency was nearly 100% since the reservoir was shallow (< 2 m) even during the rainy seasons. Dissolved oxygen was generally high, 13-18 mg l(-1). Nitrate levels (10 to 170 microg l(-1)) were low while phosphates were relatively high (9 to 35 microg l(-1)). The Iturbide reservoir was dominated by rotifer species. We encountered in all, 55 taxa of rotifers, 9 cladocerans and 2 copepods. The rotifer families Trichocercidae and Notommatidae had the highest number of species (7 each) followed by Colurellidae and Lecanidae (6 and 5 species, respectively). Trichocerca elongata, Ascomorpha ovalis, K. americana, K. cochlearis, Lepadella patella and Pompholyx sulcata were the dominant rotifers during the study period. On an annual average, rotifer density ranged between 50-200 ind.(-1). Among crustaceans Chydorus brevilabris and Macrothrix triserialis were most abundant. The maximal density of these cladocerans was about 50 ind. l(-1). Copepods were much lower in numbers (< 20 ind. l(-1)). In general the density of zooplankton was higher during summer months (April to July) than during winter. Shannon-Wiener diversity index varied from 1.0 to 4.3 depending on the site and the sampling period. Based on the data of Secchi transparency and nutrient concentrations, the Iturbide reservoir appeared to be

  6. Climatic effects on mosquito abundance in Mediterranean wetlands

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background The impact of climate change on vector-borne diseases is highly controversial. One of the principal points of debate is whether or not climate influences mosquito abundance, a key factor in disease transmission. Methods To test this hypothesis, we analysed ten years of data (2003–2012) from biweekly surveys to assess inter-annual and seasonal relationships between the abundance of seven mosquito species known to be pathogen vectors (West Nile virus, Usutu virus, dirofilariasis and Plasmodium sp.) and several climatic variables in two wetlands in SW Spain. Results Within-season abundance patterns were related to climatic variables (i.e. temperature, rainfall, tide heights, relative humidity and photoperiod) that varied according to the mosquito species in question. Rainfall during winter months was positively related to Culex pipiens and Ochlerotatus detritus annual abundances. Annual maximum temperatures were non-linearly related to annual Cx. pipiens abundance, while annual mean temperatures were positively related to annual Ochlerotatus caspius abundance. Finally, we modelled shifts in mosquito abundances using the A2 and B2 temperature and rainfall climate change scenarios for the period 2011–2100. While Oc. caspius, an important anthropophilic species, may increase in abundance, no changes are expected for Cx. pipiens or the salt-marsh mosquito Oc. detritus. Conclusions Our results highlight that the effects of climate are species-specific, place-specific and non-linear and that linear approaches will therefore overestimate the effect of climate change on mosquito abundances at high temperatures. Climate warming does not necessarily lead to an increase in mosquito abundance in natural Mediterranean wetlands and will affect, above all, species such as Oc. caspius whose numbers are not closely linked to rainfall and are influenced, rather, by local tidal patterns and temperatures. The final impact of changes in vector abundance on disease frequency

  7. Variant responses of tree seedling to seasonal drought stress along an elevational transect in tropical montane forests

    PubMed Central

    Song, Xiaoyang; Li, Jieqiong; Zhang, Wenfu; Tang, Yong; Sun, Zhenhua; Cao, Min

    2016-01-01

    Seasonal drought is a common phenomenon in many forests predominated by monsoon climate. The impact of seasonal drought, however, may vary with elevations, and tree species of forests hence may differ in their response to elevations. In this study, we monitored the seasonal variation of seedling species composition, and their relative growth rate (RGR) along an elevational transect in tropical forests of southwest China for two years. We found tree seedling species richness declined with rising elevation. Seedling abundance and species richness increased significantly from dry season to rainy season. In dry season, RGR declined progressively from low to high elevational bands, while positive RGR occurred in each elevation in rainy season. We grouped seedling species into low and high elevation specialists based on their elevational distributions. Seasonal variance in soil moisture may lead to seasonal dynamics of seedling community in this area. Our results suggest that the observed change in local climate over the last 40 years tends to allow the tree species from high elevation to expand their distribution to the lower elevation, while the ranges of those at low elevations could be compressed or at the risk of extinction. PMID:27819274

  8. Dynamical Constraints on the Seasonal Migration of the ITCZ Using a Moist GCM

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Faulk, S.; Mitchell, J.; Bordoni, S.

    2015-12-01

    One of the most prominent features of the Earth's large-scale circulation in low latitudes is the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ), where tropical precipitation is concentrated in a relatively narrow latitudinal band that moves seasonally. On Earth, the ITCZ is limited to low latitudes; however on Mars and Titan, it has been argued that analagous convergence zones can migrate significantly off the equator into the summer hemisphere, perhaps even reaching the summer pole in the case of Titan. Previous studies of the ITCZ's extent have focused primarily on thermodynamics, particularly emphasizing its collocation with maximum moist static energy (MSE) and its response to local surface heat capacity. Here, we focus on the dynamical mechanisms controlling ITCZ migrations, examining the ITCZ's extent through the perspective of the momentum budget rather than through thermal forces or land-sea changes. We study a wide range of atmospheric circulations with an idealized General Circulation Model (GCM), in which an atmospheric model with idealized physics is coupled to an aquaplanet slab ocean of fixed depth and top-of-atmosphere insolation is varied seasonally as well as held fixed at the pole in "eternal solstice" runs. We explore a range of surface heat capacities and rotation rates, keeping all other parameters Earth-like. We find that for rotation rates ΩE/8 and slower, the seasonal ITCZ reaches the summer pole. Additionally, in contrast to previous thermodynamic arguments, we find that the ITCZ does not follow the maximum MSE, remaining at low latitudes in the eternal solstice case for Earth's rotation rate. Furthermore, we find that significantly decreasing the surface heat capacity does little to extend the ITCZ's summer migration off the equator. These results suggest that the ITCZ may be more controlled by dynamical mechanisms than previously thought; however, we also find that baroclinic instability, often invoked as a limiter on the extent of the summer

  9. EFFECT OF RICE CULTIVATION PATTERNS ON MALARIA VECTOR ABUNDANCE IN RICE-GROWING VILLAGES IN MALI

    PubMed Central

    DIUK-WASSER, MARIA A.; TOURÉ, MAHAMOUDOU B.; DOLO, GUIMOGO; BAGAYOKO, MAGARAN; SOGOBA, NAFOMAN; SISSOKO, IBRAHIM; TRAORÉ, SÉKOU F.; TAYLOR, CHARLES E.

    2007-01-01

    Irrigation for rice cultivation increases the production of Anopheles gambiae, the main vector of malaria in Mali. Mosquito abundance is highly variable across villages and seasons. We examined whether rice cultivation patterns mapped using remotely sensed imagery can account for some of this variance. We collected entomologic data and mapped land use around 18 villages in the two cropping seasons during two years. Land use classification accuracy ranged between 70% and 86%. The area of young rice explained 86% of the inter-village variability in An. gambiae abundance in August before the peak in malaria transmission. Estimating rice in a 900-meter buffer area around the villages resulted in the best correlation with mosquito abundance, larger buffer areas were optimum in the October and dry season models. The quantification of the relationship between An. gambiae abundance and rice cultivation could have management applications that merit further study. PMID:17488907

  10. Seasonal sediment dynamics shape temperate bedrock reef communities

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Figurski, Jared D.; Freiwald, Jan; Lonhart, Steve I.; Storlazzi, Curt

    2016-01-01

    Mobilized seafloor sediment can impact benthic reef communities through burial, scour, and turbidity. These processes are ubiquitous in coastal oceans and, through their influence on the survival, fitness, and interactions of species, can alter the structure and function of benthic communities. In northern Monterey Bay, California, USA, as much as 30% of the seafloor is buried or exposed seasonally, making this an ideal location to test how subtidal temperate rocky reef communities vary in the presence and absence of chronic sediment-based disturbances. Designated dynamic plots were naturally inundated by sediment in summer (50 to 100% cover) and swept clean in winter, whereas designated stable plots remained free of sediment during our study. Multivariate analyses indicated significant differences in the structure of sessile and mobile communities between dynamic and stable reef habitats. For sessile species, community structure in disturbed plots was less variable in space and time than in stable plots due to the maintenance of an early successional state. In contrast, community structure of mobile species varied more in disturbed plots than in stable plots, reflecting how mobile species distribute in response to sediment dynamics. Some species were found only in these disturbed areas, suggesting that the spatial mosaic of disturbance could increase regional diversity. We discuss how the relative ability of species to tolerate disturbance at different life history stages and their ability to colonize habitat translate into community-level differences among habitats, and how this response varies between mobile and sessile communities.

  11. Mars atmospheric water vapor abundance: 1996-1997

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sprague, A. L.; Hunten, D. M.; Doose, L. R.; Hill, R. E.

    2003-05-01

    Measurements of martian atmospheric water vapor made throughout Ls = 18.0°-146.4° (October 3, 1996-July 12, 1997) show changes in Mars humidity on hourly, daily, and seasonal time scales. Because our observing program during the 1996-1997 Mars apparition did not include concomitant measurement of nearby CO 2 bands, high northern latitude data were corrected for dust and aerosol extinction assuming an optical depth of 0.8, consistent with ground-based and HST imaging of northern dust storms. All other measurements with airmass greater than 3.5 were corrected using a total optical depth of 0.5. Three dominant results from this data set are as follows: (1) pre- and post-opposition measurements made with the slit crossing many hours of local time on Mars' Earth-facing disk show a distinct diurnal pattern with highest abundances around and slightly after noon with low abundances in the late afternoon, (2) measurements of water vapor over the Mars Pathfinder landing site (Carl Sagan Memorial Station) on July 12, 1997, found 21 ppt μm in the spatial sector centered near 19° latitude, 36° longitude while abundances around the site varied from as low as 6 to as high as 28 ppt μm, and (3) water vapor abundance is patchy on hourly and daily time scales but follows the usual seasonal trends.

  12. Timing and severity of immunizing diseases in rabbits is controlled by seasonal matching of host and pathogen dynamics.

    PubMed

    Wells, Konstans; Brook, Barry W; Lacy, Robert C; Mutze, Greg J; Peacock, David E; Sinclair, Ron G; Schwensow, Nina; Cassey, Phillip; O'Hara, Robert B; Fordham, Damien A

    2015-02-06

    Infectious diseases can exert a strong influence on the dynamics of host populations, but it remains unclear why such disease-mediated control only occurs under particular environmental conditions. We used 16 years of detailed field data on invasive European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in Australia, linked to individual-based stochastic models and Bayesian approximations, to test whether (i) mortality associated with rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) is driven primarily by seasonal matches/mismatches between demographic rates and epidemiological dynamics and (ii) delayed infection (arising from insusceptibility and maternal antibodies in juveniles) are important factors in determining disease severity and local population persistence of rabbits. We found that both the timing of reproduction and exposure to viruses drove recurrent seasonal epidemics of RHD. Protection conferred by insusceptibility and maternal antibodies controlled seasonal disease outbreaks by delaying infection; this could have also allowed escape from disease. The persistence of local populations was a stochastic outcome of recovery rates from both RHD and myxomatosis. If susceptibility to RHD is delayed, myxomatosis will have a pronounced effect on population extirpation when the two viruses coexist. This has important implications for wildlife management, because it is likely that such seasonal interplay and disease dynamics has a strong effect on long-term population viability for many species. © 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

  13. Ammonia-oxidizing archaea are more resistant than denitrifiers to seasonal precipitation changes in an acidic subtropical forest soil

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Jie

    2017-04-01

    More frequent droughts and storms will occur globally in the prediction of global climate change model, which will influence soil microorganisms and nutrient cycles. Understanding the resistance of soil functional microorganisms and the associated biogeochemical cycles to such climate changes is important in evaluating responses of ecosystem functioning. In order to clarify the responses of soil functional microorganisms involved in nitrogen (N) cycle to the predicted precipitation scenarios, two contrasting precipitation manipulation experiments were conducted in an acidic subtropical forest soil. One experiment manipulated drier dry-season and wetter wet-season (DD) by reducing dry-season rainfall and adding the equivalently reduced rainfall to wet-season. Another experiment manipulated extending dry-season and wetter wet-season (ED) by reducing spring-season rainfall and adding the equivalent rainfall in the late wet-season. The resistance index of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) amoA and denitrifying (nirK, nirS and nosZ) genes abundance, soil net N mineralization and nitrification rates were calculated during experiments to examine their responses to precipitation changes. As the results, the resistance index of functional microbial abundance (-0.03 ± 0.08) was much lower than that of net N transformation rates (0.55 ± 0.02), indicating more sensitive of functional microorganisms in response to precipitation changes than the related N processes. Extending dry-season showed greater effects on both AOA amoA and denitrifying genes abundance than drier dry-season, with significant increases of these microbial abundance after extending dry-season. This was mainly due to the interaction effects of soil water content (SWC), dissolve organic carbon (DOC) and NH4+ concentration during rainfall reduction in spring-season. Interestingly, the resistance index of AOA amoA abundance was significantly higher than that of denitrifying gene abundance, indicating more

  14. Seasonal Dynamics of River Corridor Exchange Across the Continental United States

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gomez-Velez, J. D.; Harvey, J. W.; Scott, D.; Boyer, E. W.; Schmadel, N. M.

    2017-12-01

    River corridors store and convey mass and energy from landscapes to the ocean, altering water quality and ecosystem functioning at the local, reach, and watershed scales. As water moves through river corridors from headwaters streams to coastal estuaries, dynamic exchange between the river channel and its adjacent riparian, floodplain, and hyporheic zones, combined with ponded waters such as lakes and reservoirs, results in the emergence of hot spots and moments for biogeochemical transformations. In this work, we used the model Networks with EXchange and Subsurface Storage (NEXSS) to estimate seasonal variations in river corridor exchange fluxes and residence times along the continental United States. Using a simple routing scheme, we translate these estimates into a cumulative measure of river corridor connectivity at the watershed scale, differentiating the contributions of hyporheic zones, floodplains, and ponded waters. We find that the relative role of these exchange subsystems changes seasonally, driven by the intra-seasonal variability of discharge. In addition, we find that seasonal variations in discharge and the biogeochemical potential of hyporheic zones are out of phase. This behavior results in a significant reduction in hyporheic water quality functions during high flows and emphasizes the potential importance of reconnecting floodplains for managing water quality during seasonal high flows. Physical parameterizations of river corridor processes are critical to model and predict water quality and to sustainably manage water resources under present and future socio-economic and climatic conditions. Parsimonious models like NEXSS can play a key role in the design, implementation, and evaluation of sustainable management practices that target both water quantity and quality at the scale of the nation. This research is a product of the John Wesley Powell Center River Corridor Working Group.

  15. The role of fire-return interval and season of burn in snag dynamics in a south Florida slash pine forest

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lloyd, John D.; Slater, Gary L.; Snyder, James R.

    2012-01-01

    Standing dead trees, or snags, are an important habitat element for many animal species. In many ecosystems, fire is a primary driver of snag population dynamics because it can both create and consume snags. The objective of this study was to examine how variation in two key components of the fire regime—fire-return interval and season of burn—affected population dynamics of snags. Using a factorial design, we exposed 1 ha plots, located within larger burn units in a south Florida slash pine (Pinus elliottii var. densa Little and Dorman) forest, to prescribed fire applied at two intervals (approximately 3-year intervals vs. approximately 6-year intervals) and during two seasons (wet season vs. dry season) over a 12- to 13-year period. We found no consistent effect of fire season or frequency on the density of lightly to moderately decayed or heavily decayed snags, suggesting that variation in these elements of the fire regime at the scale we considered is relatively unimportant in the dynamics of snag populations. However, our confidence in these findings is limited by small sample sizes, potentially confounding effects of unmeasured variation in fire behavior and effects (e.g., intensity, severity, synergy with drought cycles) and wide variation in responses within a treatment level. The generalizing of our findings is also limited by the narrow range of treatment levels considered. Future experiments incorporating a wider range of fire regimes and directly quantifying fire intensity would prove useful in identifying more clearly the role of fire in shaping the dynamics of snag populations.

  16. Flow regulation manipulates contemporary seasonal sedimentary dynamics in the reservoir fluctuation zone of the Three Gorges Reservoir, China.

    PubMed

    Tang, Qiang; Bao, Yuhai; He, Xiubin; Fu, Bojie; Collins, Adrian L; Zhang, Xinbao

    2016-04-01

    Since the launch of the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River, a distinctive reservoir fluctuation zone has been created and significantly modified by regular dam operations. Sediment redistribution within this artificial landscape differs substantially from that in natural fluvial riparian zones, due to a specific hydrological regime comprising steps of water impoundment with increasing magnitudes and seasonal water level fluctuation holding a range of sediment fluxes. This study reinterpreted post-dam sedimentary dynamics in the reservoir fluctuation zone by stratigraphy determination of a 345-cm long sediment core, and related it to impact of the hydrological regime. Seasonality in absolute grain-size composition of suspended sediment was applied as a methodological basis for stratigraphic differentiation. Sedimentary laminations with relatively higher proportions of sandy fractions were ascribed to sedimentation during the dry season when proximal subsurface bank erosion dominates source contributions, while stratigraphy with a lower proportion of sandy fractions is possibly contributed by sedimentation during the wet season when distal upstream surface erosion prevails. Chronology determination revealed non-linear and high annual sedimentation rates ranging from 21.7 to 152.1cm/yr. Although channel geomorphology may primarily determine the spatial extent of sedimentation, seasonal sedimentary dynamics was predominantly governed by the frequency, magnitude, and duration of flooding. Summer inundation by natural floods with enhanced sediment loads produced from upstream basins induced higher sedimentation rates than water impoundment during the dry season when distal sediment supply was limited. We thus conclude that flow regulation manipulates contemporary seasonal sedimentary dynamics in the reservoir fluctuation zone, though little impact on total sediment retention rate was detected. Ongoing reductions in flow and sediment supply under human disturbance may

  17. Impact of pre-application treatment on municipal sludge composition, soil dynamics of antibiotic resistance genes, and abundance of antibiotic-resistance genes on vegetables at harvest.

    PubMed

    Lau, Calvin Ho-Fung; Li, Bing; Zhang, Tong; Tien, Yuan-Ching; Scott, Andrew; Murray, Roger; Sabourin, Lyne; Lapen, David R; Duenk, Peter; Topp, Edward

    2017-06-01

    In many jurisdictions sludge recovered from the sewage treatment process is a valued fertilizer for crop production. Pre-treatment of sewage sludge prior to land application offers the potential to abate enteric microorganisms that carry genes conferring resistance to antibiotics. Pre-treatment practices that accomplish this should have the desirable effect of reducing the risk of contamination of crops or adjacent water with antibiotic resistance genes carried in these materials. In the present study, we obtained municipal sludge that had been subjected to one of five treatments. There were, anaerobic-digestion or aerobic-digestion, in both instances with and without dewatering; and heat-treatment and pelletization. Each of the five types of biosolids was applied to an agricultural field at commercial rates, following which lettuce, carrots and radishes were planted. Based on qPCR, the estimated antibiotic gene loading rates were comparable with each of the five biosolids. However, the gene abundance in soil following application of the pelletized biosolids was anomalously lower than expected. Following application, the abundance of antibiotic resistance genes decreased in a generally coherent fashion, except sul1 which increased in abundance during the growing season in the soil fertilized with pelletized biosolids. Based on qPCR and high throughput sequencing evidence for transfer of antibiotic resistance genes from the biosolids to the vegetables at harvest was weak. Clostridia were more abundant in soils receiving any of the biosolids except the pelletized. Overall, the behavior of antibiotic resistance genes in soils receiving aerobically or anaerobically-digested biosolids was consistent and coherent with previous studies. However, dynamics of antibiotic resistance genes in soils receiving the heat treated pelletized biosolids were very different, and the underlying mechanisms merit investigation. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V. All

  18. Seasonal Prediction of Regional Surface Air Temperature and First-flowering Date in South Korea using Dynamical Downscaling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ahn, J. B.; Hur, J.

    2015-12-01

    The seasonal prediction of both the surface air temperature and the first-flowering date (FFD) over South Korea are produced using dynamical downscaling (Hur and Ahn, 2015). Dynamical downscaling is performed using Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) v3.0 with the lateral forcing from hourly outputs of Pusan National University (PNU) coupled general circulation model (CGCM) v1.1. Gridded surface air temperature data with high spatial (3km) and temporal (daily) resolution are obtained using the physically-based dynamical models. To reduce systematic bias, simple statistical correction method is then applied to the model output. The FFDs of cherry, peach and pear in South Korea are predicted for the decade of 1999-2008 by applying the corrected daily temperature predictions to the phenological thermal-time model. The WRF v3.0 results reflect the detailed topographical effect, despite having cold and warm biases for warm and cold seasons, respectively. After applying the correction, the mean temperature for early spring (February to April) well represents the general pattern of observation, while preserving the advantages of dynamical downscaling. The FFD predictabilities for the three species of trees are evaluated in terms of qualitative, quantitative and categorical estimations. Although FFDs derived from the corrected WRF results well predict the spatial distribution and the variation of observation, the prediction performance has no statistical significance or appropriate predictability. The approach used in the study may be helpful in obtaining detailed and useful information about FFD and regional temperature by accounting for physically-based atmospheric dynamics, although the seasonal predictability of flowering phenology is not high enough. Acknowledgements This work was carried out with the support of the Rural Development Administration Cooperative Research Program for Agriculture Science and Technology Development under Grant Project No. PJ009953 and

  19. Added value of dynamical downscaling of winter seasonal forecasts over North America

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tefera Diro, Gulilat; Sushama, Laxmi

    2017-04-01

    Skillful seasonal forecasts have enormous potential benefits for socio-economic sectors that are sensitive to weather and climate conditions, as the early warning routines could reduce the vulnerability of such sectors. In this study, individual ensemble members of the ECMWF global ensemble seasonal forecasts are dynamically downscaled to produce ensemble of regional seasonal forecasts over North America using the fifth generation Canadian Regional Climate Model (CRCM5). CRCM5 forecasts are initialized on November 1st of each year and are integrated for four months for the 1991-2001 period at 0.22 degree resolution to produce a one-month lead-time forecast. The initial conditions for atmospheric variables are obtained from ERA-Interim reanalysis, whereas the initial conditions for land surface are obtained from a separate ERA-interim driven CRCM5 simulation with spectral nudging applied to the interior domain. The global and regional ensemble forecasts were then verified to investigate the skill and economic benefits of dynamical downscaling. Results indicate that both the global and regional climate models produce skillful precipitation forecast over the southern Great Plains and eastern coasts of the U.S and skillful temperature forecasts over the northern U.S. and most of Canada. In comparison to ECMWF forecasts, CRCM5 forecasts improved the temperature forecast skill over most part of the domain, but the improvements for precipitation is limited to regions with complex topography, where it improves the frequency of intense daily precipitation. CRCM5 forecast also yields a better economic value compared to ECMWF precipitation forecasts, for users whose cost to loss ratio is smaller than 0.5.

  20. Temporal Variation in the Abundance and Richness of Foliage-Dwelling Ants Mediated by Extrafloral Nectar.

    PubMed

    Belchior, Ceres; Sendoya, Sebastián F; Del-Claro, Kleber

    2016-01-01

    Plants bearing extrafloral nectaries (EFNs) are common in the Brazilian cerrado savanna, where climatic conditions having marked seasonality influence arboreal ant fauna organization. These ant-plant interactions have rarely been studied at community level. Here, we tested whether: 1) EFN-bearing plants are more visited by ants than EFN-lacking plants; 2) ant visitation is higher in the rainy season than in dry season; 3) plants producing young leaves are more visited than those lacking young leaves in the rainy season; 4) during the dry season, plants with old leaves and flowers are more visited than plants with young leaves and bare of leaves or flowers; 5) the composition of visiting ant fauna differs between plants with and without EFNs. Field work was done in a cerrado reserve near Uberlândia, MG State, Brazil, along ten transects (total area 3,000 m2), in the rainy (October-January) and dry seasons (April-July) of 2010-2011. Plants (72 species; 762 individuals) were checked three times per season for ant presence. Results showed that 21 species (29%) and 266 individuals (35%) possessed EFNs. These plants attracted 38 ant species (36 in rainy, 26 in dry season). In the rainy season, plants with EFNs had higher ant abundance/richness than plants without EFNs, but in the dry season, EFN presence did not influence ant visitation. Plant phenology affected ant richness and abundance in different ways: plants with young leaves possessed higher ant richness in the rainy season, but in the dry season ant abundance was higher on plants possessing old leaves or flowers. The species composition of plant-associated ant communities, however, did not differ between plants with and without EFNs in either season. These findings suggest that the effect of EFN presence on a community of plant-visiting ants is context dependent, being conditioned to seasonal variation.

  1. Temporal Variation in the Abundance and Richness of Foliage-Dwelling Ants Mediated by Extrafloral Nectar

    PubMed Central

    Belchior, Ceres; Sendoya, Sebastián F.

    2016-01-01

    Plants bearing extrafloral nectaries (EFNs) are common in the Brazilian cerrado savanna, where climatic conditions having marked seasonality influence arboreal ant fauna organization. These ant-plant interactions have rarely been studied at community level. Here, we tested whether: 1) EFN-bearing plants are more visited by ants than EFN-lacking plants; 2) ant visitation is higher in the rainy season than in dry season; 3) plants producing young leaves are more visited than those lacking young leaves in the rainy season; 4) during the dry season, plants with old leaves and flowers are more visited than plants with young leaves and bare of leaves or flowers; 5) the composition of visiting ant fauna differs between plants with and without EFNs. Field work was done in a cerrado reserve near Uberlândia, MG State, Brazil, along ten transects (total area 3,000 m2), in the rainy (October-January) and dry seasons (April-July) of 2010–2011. Plants (72 species; 762 individuals) were checked three times per season for ant presence. Results showed that 21 species (29%) and 266 individuals (35%) possessed EFNs. These plants attracted 38 ant species (36 in rainy, 26 in dry season). In the rainy season, plants with EFNs had higher ant abundance/richness than plants without EFNs, but in the dry season, EFN presence did not influence ant visitation. Plant phenology affected ant richness and abundance in different ways: plants with young leaves possessed higher ant richness in the rainy season, but in the dry season ant abundance was higher on plants possessing old leaves or flowers. The species composition of plant-associated ant communities, however, did not differ between plants with and without EFNs in either season. These findings suggest that the effect of EFN presence on a community of plant-visiting ants is context dependent, being conditioned to seasonal variation. PMID:27438722

  2. Species composition and seasonal abundance of sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) in coffee agroecosystems

    PubMed Central

    Pérez, Jeanneth; Virgen, Armando; Rojas, Julio Cesar; Rebollar-Téllez, Eduardo Alfonso; Alfredo, Castillo; Infante, Francisco; Mikery, Oscar; Marina, Carlos Felix; Ibáñez-Bernal, Sergio

    2013-01-01

    The composition and seasonal occurrence of sandflies were investigated in coffee agroecosystems in the Soconusco region of Chiapas, Mexico. Insect sampling was performed on three plantations located at different altitudes: Finca Guadalupe Zajú [1,000 m above sea level (a.s.l.)], Finca Argovia (613 m a.s.l.) and Teotihuacán del Valle (429 m a.s.l.). Sandflies were sampled monthly from August 2007-July 2008 using three sampling methods: Shannon traps, CDC miniature light traps and Disney traps. Sampling was conducted for 3 h during three consecutive nights, beginning at sunset. A total of 4,387 sandflies were collected during the course of the study: 2,718 individuals in Finca Guadalupe Zajú, 605 in Finca Argovia and 1,064 in Teotihuacán del Valle. The Shannon traps captured 94.3% of the total sandflies, while the CDC light traps and Disney traps captured 4.9% and 0.8%, respectively. More females than males were collected at all sites. While the number of sandflies captured was positively correlated with temperature and relative humidity, a negative correlation was observed between sandfly numbers and rainfall. Five species of sandflies were captured: Lutzomyia cruciata , Lutzomyia texana , Lutzomyia ovallesi , Lutzomyia cratifer / undulata and Brumptomyia sp. Lu. cruciata , constituting 98.8% of the total, was the most abundant species. None of the captured sandflies was infected with Leishmania spp. PMID:24271002

  3. Seasonal dynamics in colored dissolved organic matter in the Mediterranean Sea: Patterns and drivers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xing, Xiaogang; Claustre, Hervé; Wang, Haili; Poteau, Antoine; D`Ortenzio, Fabrizio

    2014-01-01

    Two autonomous profiling “Bio-Argo” floats were deployed in the northwestern and eastern sub-basins of the Mediterranean Sea in 2008. They recorded at high vertical (1 m) and temporal (5 day) resolution, the vertical distribution and seasonal variation of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM), as well as of chlorophyll-a concentration and hydrological variables. The CDOM standing stock presented a clear seasonal dynamics with the progressive summer formation and winter destruction of subsurface CDOM maxima (YSM, for Yellow Substance Maximum). It was argued that subsurface CDOM is a by-product of phytoplankton, based on two main characteristics, (1) the YSM was located at the same depth than the deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM) and (2) the CDOM increased in summer parallels the decline in chlorophyll-a. These observations suggested an indirect but tight coupling between subsurface CDOM and phytoplankton via microbial activity or planktonic foodweb interactions. Moreover, the surface CDOM variations observed both by floats and MODIS displayed different seasonal dynamics from what recorded at subsurface one. This implies that CDOM standing stock can be hardly detected by satellite. It is worthnoting that surface CDOM was found to be more related to the sea surface temperature (SST) than chlorophyll-a concentration, suggesting its physical origin, in contrast to the biological origin of YSM and subsurface standing stocks.

  4. nirS-Encoding denitrifier community composition, distribution, and abundance along the coastal wetlands of China.

    PubMed

    Gao, Juan; Hou, Lijun; Zheng, Yanling; Liu, Min; Yin, Guoyu; Li, Xiaofei; Lin, Xianbiao; Yu, Chendi; Wang, Rong; Jiang, Xiaofen; Sun, Xiuru

    2016-10-01

    For the past few decades, human activities have intensively increased the reactive nitrogen enrichment in China's coastal wetlands. Although denitrification is a critical pathway of nitrogen removal, the understanding of denitrifier community dynamics driving denitrification remains limited in the coastal wetlands. In this study, the diversity, abundance, and community composition of nirS-encoding denitrifiers were analyzed to reveal their variations in China's coastal wetlands. Diverse nirS sequences were obtained and more than 98 % of them shared considerable phylogenetic similarity with sequences obtained from aquatic systems (marine/estuarine/coastal sediments and hypoxia sea water). Clone library analysis revealed that the distribution and composition of nirS-harboring denitrifiers had a significant latitudinal differentiation, but without a seasonal shift. Canonical correspondence analysis showed that the community structure of nirS-encoding denitrifiers was significantly related to temperature and ammonium concentration. The nirS gene abundance ranged from 4.3 × 10(5) to 3.7 × 10(7) copies g(-1) dry sediment, with a significant spatial heterogeneity. Among all detected environmental factors, temperature was a key factor affecting not only the nirS gene abundance but also the community structure of nirS-type denitrifiers. Overall, this study significantly enhances our understanding of the structure and dynamics of denitrifying communities in the coastal wetlands of China.

  5. Quantifying temporal trends in fisheries abundance using Bayesian dynamic linear models: A case study of riverine Smallmouth Bass populations

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Schall, Megan K.; Blazer, Vicki S.; Lorantas, Robert M.; Smith, Geoffrey; Mullican, John E.; Keplinger, Brandon J.; Wagner, Tyler

    2018-01-01

    Detecting temporal changes in fish abundance is an essential component of fisheries management. Because of the need to understand short‐term and nonlinear changes in fish abundance, traditional linear models may not provide adequate information for management decisions. This study highlights the utility of Bayesian dynamic linear models (DLMs) as a tool for quantifying temporal dynamics in fish abundance. To achieve this goal, we quantified temporal trends of Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu catch per effort (CPE) from rivers in the mid‐Atlantic states, and we calculated annual probabilities of decline from the posterior distributions of annual rates of change in CPE. We were interested in annual declines because of recent concerns about fish health in portions of the study area. In general, periods of decline were greatest within the Susquehanna River basin, Pennsylvania. The declines in CPE began in the late 1990s—prior to observations of fish health problems—and began to stabilize toward the end of the time series (2011). In contrast, many of the other rivers investigated did not have the same magnitude or duration of decline in CPE. Bayesian DLMs provide information about annual changes in abundance that can inform management and are easily communicated with managers and stakeholders.

  6. Seasonal dynamics of VLF signals amplitude Novosibirsk radio station and mesopause region temperature in 2009-2015

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kozlov, V. I.; Korsakov, A. A.; Ammosov, P. P.; Ammosova, A. M.; Gavrilyeva, G. A.; Koltovskoi, I. I.

    2017-11-01

    Dynamics of seasonal variations in the amplitude of the VLF radio signal received in Yakutsk from the navigation station near Novosibirsk and the radiation intensity in the wavelength range from 835 to 853 nm, where the P-branches of the OH band (6-2) are located, is present. The radiation variations give information about mesopause region measured at the Maimaga station (130 km from Yakutsk). Observation period from 2009 to 2015 covers period with minimum and maximum solar activity (solar flux F10.7). In the seasonal dynamics of the VLF amplitude signals and the mesopause temperature are observed annual, semiannual and third-annual variations, increasing during nighttime for VLF signals. The mesopause temperature and the VLF signal increase with increasing solar flux F10.7 in winter.

  7. Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Surface Water Extent from Three Decades of Seasonally Continuous Landsat Time Series at Subcontinental Scale

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tulbure, M. G.; Broich, M.

    2015-12-01

    Surface water is a critical resource in semi-arid areas. The Murray-Darling Basin (MDB) of Australia, one of the largest semi-arid basins in the world is aiming to set a worldwide example of how to balance multiple interests (i.e. environment, agriculture and urban use), but has suffered significant water shrinkages during the Millennium Drought (1999-2009), followed by extensive flooding. Baseline information and systematic quantification of surface water (SW) extent and flooding dynamics in space and time are needed for managing SW resources across the basin but are currently lacking. To synoptically quantify changes in SW extent and flooding dynamics over MDB, we used seasonally continuous Landsat TM and ETM+ data (1986 - 2011) and generic machine learning algorithms. We further mapped flooded forest at a riparian forest site that experienced severe tree dieback due to changes in flooding regime. We used a stratified sampling design to assess the accuracy of the SW product across time. Accuracy assessment yielded an overall classification accuracy of 99.94%, with producer's and user's accuracy of SW of 85.4% and 97.3%, respectively. Overall accuracy was the same for Landsat 5 and 7 data but user's and producer's accuracy of water were higher for Landsat 7 than 5 data and stable over time. Our validated results document a rapid loss in SW bodies. The number, size, and total area of SW showed high seasonal variability with highest numbers in winter and lowest numbers in summer. SW extent per season per year showed high interannual and seasonal variability, with low seasonal variability during the Millennium Drought. Examples of current uses of the new dataset will be presented and include (1) assessing ecosystem response to flooding with implications for environmental water releases, one of the largest investment in environment in Australia; (2) quantifying drivers of SW dynamics (e.g. climate, human activity); (3) quantifying changes in SW dynamics and

  8. Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Surface Water Extent from Three Decades of Seasonally Continuous Landsat Time Series at Subcontinental Scale

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tulbure, M. G.; Broich, M.; Stehman, Stephen V.

    2016-06-01

    Surface water is a critical resource in semi-arid areas. The Murray-Darling Basin (MDB) of Australia, one of the largest semi-arid basins in the world is aiming to set a worldwide example of how to balance multiple interests (i.e. environment, agriculture and urban use), but has suffered significant water shrinkages during the Millennium Drought (1999-2009), followed by extensive flooding. Baseline information and systematic quantification of surface water (SW) extent and flooding dynamics in space and time are needed for managing SW resources across the basin but are currently lacking. To synoptically quantify changes in SW extent and flooding dynamics over MDB, we used seasonally continuous Landsat TM and ETM+ data (1986 - 2011) and generic machine learning algorithms. We further mapped flooded forest at a riparian forest site that experienced severe tree dieback due to changes in flooding regime. We used a stratified sampling design to assess the accuracy of the SW product across time. Accuracy assessment yielded an overall classification accuracy of 99.94%, with producer's and user's accuracy of SW of 85.4% and 97.3%, respectively. Overall accuracy was the same for Landsat 5 and 7 data but user's and producer's accuracy of water were higher for Landsat 7 than 5 data and stable over time. Our validated results document a rapid loss in SW bodies. The number, size, and total area of SW showed high seasonal variability with highest numbers in winter and lowest numbers in summer. SW extent per season per year showed high interannual and seasonal variability, with low seasonal variability during the Millennium Drought. Examples of current uses of the new dataset will be presented and include (1) assessing ecosystem response to flooding with implications for environmental water releases, one of the largest investment in environment in Australia; (2) quantifying drivers of SW dynamics (e.g. climate, human activity); (3) quantifying changes in SW dynamics and

  9. The importance of temperature fluctuations in understanding mosquito population dynamics and malaria risk.

    PubMed

    Beck-Johnson, Lindsay M; Nelson, William A; Paaijmans, Krijn P; Read, Andrew F; Thomas, Matthew B; Bjørnstad, Ottar N

    2017-03-01

    Temperature is a key environmental driver of Anopheles mosquito population dynamics; understanding its central role is important for these malaria vectors. Mosquito population responses to temperature fluctuations, though important across the life history, are poorly understood at a population level. We used stage-structured, temperature-dependent delay-differential equations to conduct a detailed exploration of the impacts of diurnal and annual temperature fluctuations on mosquito population dynamics. The model allows exploration of temperature-driven temporal changes in adult age structure, giving insights into the population's capacity to vector malaria parasites. Because of temperature-dependent shifts in age structure, the abundance of potentially infectious mosquitoes varies temporally, and does not necessarily mirror the dynamics of the total adult population. In addition to conducting the first comprehensive theoretical exploration of fluctuating temperatures on mosquito population dynamics, we analysed observed temperatures at four locations in Africa covering a range of environmental conditions. We found both temperature and precipitation are needed to explain the observed malaria season in these locations, enhancing our understanding of the drivers of malaria seasonality and how temporal disease risk may shift in response to temperature changes. This approach, tracking both mosquito abundance and age structure, may be a powerful tool for understanding current and future malaria risk.

  10. Phytoplankton abundance, dominance and coexistence in an eutrophic reservoir in the state of Pernambuco, Northeast Brazil.

    PubMed

    Lira, Giulliari A S T; Araújo, Elcida L; Bittencourt-Oliveira, Maria Do Carmo; Moura, Ariadne N

    2011-12-01

    The present study reports the phytoplankton abundance, dominance and co-existence relationships in the eutrophic Carpina reservoir, Pernambuco, Brazil. Sampling was carried out at six different depths bimonthly at a single reservoir spanning two climatic periods: dry season (January, September, and November 2006) and rainy season (March, May, and July 2006). Density, abundance, dominance, specific diversity and equitability of the community were determined, along with chlorophyll a, and physical and chemical variables of the environment. Eight species were considered abundant, and their densities corresponded to more than 90% of the total phytoplankton community quantified. Cyanobacteria represented more than 80% of this density. Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii was the only dominant taxon in the dry season, and was co-dominant in the rainy season. C. raciborskii, Planktothrix agardhii and Geitlerinema amphibium had the greatest densities and lowest vertical variation coefficients. The statistical analysis indicated relationships with vertical and seasonal variations in the phytoplankton community and the following variables: total dissolved solids, water temperature, electrical conductivity and pH. The changes in the environmental variables were discrete and regulated by the establishment of precipitation however, they were able to promote vertical and seasonal instability in the structure of the phytoplankton community.

  11. Composition and abundance of zooplankton groups from a coral reef lagoon in Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Mexico, during an annual cycle.

    PubMed

    Alvarez-Cadena, José N; Ordóñez-López, Uriel; Almaral-Mendivil, Alma Rosa; Uicab-Sabido, Amira

    2009-09-01

    Zooplankton sampling was carried out monthly from January to December 1990 at station A near the coastline, and station B near the reef barrier, in a tropical coral reef lagoon in the Mexican Caribbean Sea. Samplings were made at midnight, near surface, with a conical net (mouth 0.40 m, mesh 330 microm) for 10 min. Salinity varied from 35.1 to 36.3 psu and temperature from 26.3 to 30.2 degrees C. The Bray-Curtis test applied to these results has defined two seasons: the dry season from November to May, and the wet season from June to October. A total of 37 zooplankton groups were found. Copepods were the most abundant contributing 49.0% of the total capture with Acartia espinata, Calanopia americana and Farranula gracilis as the most numerous. In the total zooplankton, however, cirripeds captured in only 15 samples of 24 were second in abundance (20.9%). Decapods, present all year-round and more abundant during the wet season, were third and contributed 19.2%. The rest of the groups were scarce and only amphipods (2.4%) and larvaceans (2.0%) were relatively abundant. The abundance of captured organisms correlated with the abiotic factors measured, thus, in the dry season, abundance was lower (mean 7.3 orgs/m3), while in the wet season the mean catch was 36.8 orgs/m3.

  12. Seasonal variability in the abundance and stable carbon-isotopic composition of lipid biomarkers in suspended particulate matter from a stratified equatorial lake (Lake Chala, Kenya/Tanzania): Implications for the sedimentary record

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    van Bree, L. G. J.; Peterse, F.; van der Meer, M. T. J.; Middelburg, J. J.; Negash, A. M. D.; De Crop, W.; Cocquyt, C.; Wieringa, J. J.; Verschuren, D.; Sinninghe Damsté, J. S.

    2018-07-01

    We studied the distribution and stable carbon-isotopic (δ13C) composition of various lipid biomarkers in suspended particulate matter (SPM) from the water column of Lake Chala, a permanently stratified crater lake in equatorial East Africa, to evaluate their capacity to reflect seasonality in water-column processes and associated changes in the lake's phytoplankton community. This lake has large seasonal variation in water-column dynamics (stratified during wet seasons and mixing during dry seasons) with associated phytoplankton succession. We analyzed lipid biomarkers in SPM collected monthly at 5 depths (0-80 m) from September 2013 to January 2015. Seasonal variation in total phytoplankton biovolume is strongly reflected in the concentration of phytadienes, a derivative of the general photosynthetic pigment chlorophyll. The wax and wane of several specific biomarker lipids between June and December 2014 reflect pronounced phytoplankton succession after deep mixing, starting with a long and sustained chlorophyte bloom (reflected by C23:1, C25:1 and C27:1n-alkenes, and C21 and C23n-alkanes), followed by a peak in diatoms between July and October (loliolide and isololiolide), and then eustigmatophytes (C30 and C32 1,15 diols) once stratification resumes in October. Peak abundance of the C19:1n-alkene during shallow mixing of the water column in January-February 2014 can be tentatively linked to the seasonal distribution of cyanobacteria. The concentration, seasonal variability, and low δ13C values of the C28 fatty acid in the SPM suggest that this biomarker is produced in the water column of Lake Chala instead of having the typically assumed vascular plant origin. The δ13C signature of particulate carbon and all aquatic biomarkers become increasingly more negative (by up to 16‰) during mixing-induced episodes of high productivity, whereas enrichment would be expected during such blooms. This reversed fractionation may be attributed to chemically enhanced

  13. Seasonal changes of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in response to hydrology and anthropogenic activities in the Pearl River estuary, China.

    PubMed

    Liu, Feng; Niu, Lixia; Chen, Hui; Li, Ping; Tian, Feng; Yang, Qingshu

    2017-04-15

    The behaviours of PAHs (containing 2-6 aromatic rings) in the Pearl River estuary were examined each month in 2011. This study was designed to investigate the abundance of 16 priority PAHs and their response to the seasonal dynamics of anthropogenic activities and hydrological cycles. Monthly mean concentrations of ∑ 16 PAHs in water and suspended particulate matter (SPM) were 88.31ng/L and 252.31ng/L respectively, with higher concentrations in the wet season (April to September). Heavy precipitation in the wet season resulted in relatively increased PAH input via riverine discharges and atmospheric deposition. Seasonal variations in suspended sediment concentration (SSC), temperature and salinity have considerably affected the PAH phase association. Higher SSC in the wet season contributed to higher concentration of the PAHs in SPM, and higher temperature and lower salinity facilitated desorption from SPM. The PAH sources were largely attributed to vehicular emissions, coal combustion and coke ovens. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Determining habitat quality for species that demonstrate dynamic habitat selection

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Beerens, James M.; Frederick, Peter C; Noonburg, Erik G; Gawlik, Dale E.

    2015-01-01

    Determining habitat quality for wildlife populations requires relating a species' habitat to its survival and reproduction. Within a season, species occurrence and density can be disconnected from measures of habitat quality when resources are highly seasonal, unpredictable over time, and patchy. Here we establish an explicit link among dynamic selection of changing resources, spatio-temporal species distributions, and fitness for predictive abundance and occurrence models that are used for short-term water management and long-term restoration planning. We used the wading bird distribution and evaluation models (WADEM) that estimate (1) daily changes in selection across resource gradients, (2) landscape abundance of flocks and individuals, (3) conspecific foraging aggregation, and (4) resource unit occurrence (at fixed 400 m cells) to quantify habitat quality and its consequences on reproduction for wetland indicator species. We linked maximum annual numbers of nests detected across the study area and nesting success of Great Egrets (Ardea alba), White Ibises (Eudocimus albus), and Wood Storks (Mycteria americana) over a 20-year period to estimated daily dynamics of food resources produced by WADEM over a 7490 km2 area. For all species, increases in predicted species abundance in March and high abundance in April were strongly linked to breeding responses. Great Egret nesting effort and success were higher when birds also showed greater conspecific foraging aggregation. Synthesis and applications: This study provides the first empirical evidence that dynamic habitat selection processes and distributions of wading birds over environmental gradients are linked with reproductive measures over periods of decades. Further, predictor variables at a variety of temporal (daily-multiannual) resolutions and spatial (400 m to regional) scales effectively explained variation in ecological processes that change habitat quality. The process used here allows managers to develop

  15. Characterization of Mars' seasonal caps using neutron spectroscopy

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Prettyman, T.H.; Feldman, W.C.; Titus, T.N.

    2009-01-01

    Mars' seasonal caps are characterized during Mars years 26 and 27 (April 2002 to January 2006) using data acquired by the 2001 Mars Odyssey Neutron Spectrometer. Time-dependent maps of the column abundance of seasonal CO 2 surface ice poleward of 60?? latitude in both hemispheres are determined from spatially deconvolved, epithermal neutron counting data. Sources of systematic error are analyzed, including spatial blurring by the spectrometer's broad footprint and the seasonal variations in the abundance of noncondensable gas at high southern latitudes, which are found to be consistent with results reported by Sprague et al. (2004, 2007). Corrections for spatial blurring are found to be important during the recession, when the column abundance of seasonal CO2 ice has the largest latitude gradient. The measured distribution and inventory of seasonal CO2 ice is compared to simulations by a general circulation model (GCM) calibrated using Viking lander pressure data, cap edge functions determined by thermal emission spectroscopy, and other nuclear spectroscopy data sets. On the basis of the amount of CO2 cycled through the caps during years 26 and 27, the gross polar energy balance has not changed significantly since Viking. The distribution of seasonal CO2 ice is longitudinally asymmetric: in the north, deposition rates of CO2 ice are elevated in Acidalia, which is exposed to katabatic winds from Chasma Borealis; in the south, CO2 deposition is highest near the residual cap. During southern recession, CO 2 ice is present longer than calculated by the GCM, which has implications for the local polar energy balance. Copyright 2009 by the American Geophysical Union.

  16. Seasonal dynamics of ectomycorrhizal fungus assemblages on oak seedlings in the southeastern Appalachian Mountains

    Treesearch

    John F. Walker; Orson K. Jr. Miller; Jonathan L. Horton

    2008-01-01

    The potential for seasonal dynamics in ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungal assemblages has important implications for the ecology of both the host trees and the fungal associates. We compared EM fungus distributions on root systems of out-planted oak seedlings at two sites in mixed southeastern Appalachian Mountain forests at the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory in North Carolina...

  17. The Role of Stream Water Carbon Dynamics and Export in the Carbon Balance of a Tropical Seasonal Rainforest, Southwest China

    PubMed Central

    Zhou, Wen-Jun; Zhang, Yi-Ping; Schaefer, Douglas A.; Sha, Li-Qing; Deng, Yun; Deng, Xiao-Bao; Dai, Kai-Jie

    2013-01-01

    A two-year study (2009 ∼ 2010) was carried out to investigate the dynamics of different carbon (C) forms, and the role of stream export in the C balance of a 23.4-ha headwater catchment in a tropical seasonal rainforest at Xishuangbanna (XSBN), southwest China. The seasonal volumetric weighted mean (VWM) concentrations of total inorganic C (TIC) and dissolved inorganic C (DIC) were higher, and particulate inorganic C (PIC) and organic C (POC) were lower, in the dry season than the rainy season, while the VWM concentrations of total organic C (TOC) and dissolved organic C (DOC) were similar between seasons. With increased monthly stream discharge and stream water temperature (SWT), only TIC and DIC concentrations decreased significantly. The most important C form in stream export was DIC, accounting for 51.8% of the total C (TC) export; DOC, POC, and PIC accounted for 21.8%, 14.9%, and 11.5% of the TC export, respectively. Dynamics of C flux were closely related to stream discharge, with the greatest export during the rainy season. C export in the headwater stream was 47.1 kg C ha−1 yr−1, about 2.85% of the annual net ecosystem exchange. This finding indicates that stream export represented a minor contribution to the C balance in this tropical seasonal rainforest. PMID:23437195

  18. The role of stream water carbon dynamics and export in the carbon balance of a tropical seasonal rainforest, southwest China.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Wen-Jun; Zhang, Yi-Ping; Schaefer, Douglas A; Sha, Li-Qing; Deng, Yun; Deng, Xiao-Bao; Dai, Kai-Jie

    2013-01-01

    A two-year study (2009 ~ 2010) was carried out to investigate the dynamics of different carbon (C) forms, and the role of stream export in the C balance of a 23.4-ha headwater catchment in a tropical seasonal rainforest at Xishuangbanna (XSBN), southwest China. The seasonal volumetric weighted mean (VWM) concentrations of total inorganic C (TIC) and dissolved inorganic C (DIC) were higher, and particulate inorganic C (PIC) and organic C (POC) were lower, in the dry season than the rainy season, while the VWM concentrations of total organic C (TOC) and dissolved organic C (DOC) were similar between seasons. With increased monthly stream discharge and stream water temperature (SWT), only TIC and DIC concentrations decreased significantly. The most important C form in stream export was DIC, accounting for 51.8% of the total C (TC) export; DOC, POC, and PIC accounted for 21.8%, 14.9%, and 11.5% of the TC export, respectively. Dynamics of C flux were closely related to stream discharge, with the greatest export during the rainy season. C export in the headwater stream was 47.1 kg C ha(-1) yr(-1), about 2.85% of the annual net ecosystem exchange. This finding indicates that stream export represented a minor contribution to the C balance in this tropical seasonal rainforest.

  19. Seasonal and interannual dynamics of soil microbial biomass and available nitrogen in an alpine meadow in the eastern part of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Bo; Wang, Jinniu; Wu, Ning; Wu, Yan; Shi, Fusun

    2018-01-01

    Soil microbial activity varies seasonally in frozen alpine soils during cold seasons and plays a crucial role in available N pool accumulation in soil. The intra- and interannual patterns of microbial and nutrient dynamics reflect the influences of changing weather factors, and thus provide important insights into the biogeochemical cycles and ecological functions of ecosystems. We documented the seasonal and interannual dynamics of soil microbial and available N in an alpine meadow in the eastern part of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China, between April 2011 and October 2013. Soil was collected in the middle of each month and analyzed for water content, microbial biomass C (MBC) and N (MBN), dissolved organic C and N, and inorganic N. Soil microbial community composition was measured by the dilution-plate method. Fungi and actinomycetes dominated the microbial community during the nongrowing seasons, and the proportion of bacteria increased considerably during the early growing seasons. Trends of consistently increasing MBC and available N pools were observed during the nongrowing seasons. MBC sharply declined during soil thaw and was accompanied by a peak in available N pool. Induced by changes in soil temperatures, significant shifts in the structures and functions of microbial communities were observed during the winter-spring transition and largely contributed to microbial reduction. The divergent seasonal dynamics of different N forms showed a complementary nutrient supply pattern during the growing season. Similarities between the interannual dynamics of microbial biomass and available N pools were observed, and soil temperature and water conditions were the primary environmental factors driving interannual fluctuations. Owing to the changes in climate, seasonal soil microbial activities and nutrient supply patterns are expected to change further, and these changes may have crucial implications for the productivity and biodiversity of alpine ecosystems.

  20. Avian malaria, ecological host traits and mosquito abundance in southeastern Amazonia.

    PubMed

    Fecchio, Alan; Ellis, Vincenzo A; Bell, Jeffrey A; Andretti, Christian B; D'Horta, Fernando M; Silva, Allan M; Tkach, Vasyl V; Weckstein, Jason D

    2017-07-01

    Avian malaria is a vector transmitted disease caused by Plasmodium and recent studies suggest that variation in its prevalence across avian hosts is correlated with a variety of ecological traits. Here we examine the relationship between prevalence and diversity of Plasmodium lineages in southeastern Amazonia and: (1) host ecological traits (nest location, nest type, flocking behaviour and diet); (2) density and diversity of avian hosts; (3) abundance and diversity of mosquitoes; and (4) season. We used molecular methods to detect Plasmodium in blood samples from 675 individual birds of 120 species. Based on cytochrome b sequences, we recovered 89 lineages of Plasmodium from 136 infected individuals sampled across seven localities. Plasmodium prevalence was homogeneous over time (dry season and flooding season) and space, but heterogeneous among 51 avian host species. Variation in prevalence among bird species was not explained by avian ecological traits, density of avian hosts, or mosquito abundance. However, Plasmodium lineage diversity was positively correlated with mosquito abundance. Interestingly, our results suggest that avian host traits are less important determinants of Plasmodium prevalence and diversity in southeastern Amazonia than in other regions in which they have been investigated.

  1. Effects of various fertilization regimes on abundance and activity of anaerobic ammonium oxidation bacteria in rice-wheat cropping systems in China.

    PubMed

    Gu, Chao; Zhou, Huifang; Zhang, Qichun; Zhao, Yuhua; Di, Hongjie; Liang, Yongchao

    2017-12-01

    Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) is an important process in many marine and paddy ecosystems. However, few studies have reported on the contribution to the nitrogen cycle of anammox and its dynamics in rice-wheat cropping systems with different fertilization regimes. Here, isotope tracing and molecular techniques were used to determine the potential rates of anammox and their association with bacterial abundance, diversity, and activity. Rice-wheat cropping systems at two sites in Jiangsu Province, China were selected and the treatments at each site were: 1) no fertilization (CK), 2) 100% chemical fertilization (CF), 3) pig manure compost plus 50% chemical fertilization (PMCF), and 4) straw plus 100% chemical fertilization (SRCF). The results revealed that anammox bacteria with high abundance were detected in both the wheat and rice seasons. The abundance of anammox in PMCF treatment was higher than that in SRCF treatment in both Changshu and Jintan. Moreover, the abundance of anammox bacteria in CF treatment was significantly higher than that in CK in Changshu. Analysis of anammox hydrazine synthase β subunit (hzs-β) gene sequences showed that in the rice season, the anammox bacteria Ca. Brocadia, Ca. Scalindua, and Ca. Jettenia were present. In contrast, all of the anammox hydrazine oxidase (hzo) genes were affiliated with Ca. Brocadia, suggesting that hzs genes are more representative of anammox biological diversity compared to hzo. Sequences from the PMCF treatment where affiliated with both Ca. Jettenia and Ca. Brocadia, and showed the highest diversity. Anammox activity was detected in both the wheat and rice seasons, but there were significant differences between seasons. The anammox rates were in the range 0.34 to 1.04nmol dinitrogen gas∙g -1 dry soil∙h -1 , and 3.15 to 9.62% of dinitrogen gas emissions were attributed to anammox. However, no significant difference among the fertilizer treatments for anammox activity was found in the study

  2. Seasonal and geographical patterns of fin whale song in the western North Atlantic Ocean.

    PubMed

    Morano, Janelle L; Salisbury, Daniel P; Rice, Aaron N; Conklin, Karah L; Falk, Keri L; Clark, Christopher W

    2012-08-01

    Male fin whales, Balaenoptera physalus, produce a song consisting of 20 Hz notes at regularly spaced time intervals. Previous studies identified regional differences in fin whale internote intervals (INI), but seasonal changes within populations have not been closely examined. To understand the patterns of fin whale song in the western North Atlantic, the seasonal abundance and acoustic features of fin whale song are measured from two years of archival passive acoustic recordings at two representative locations: Massachusetts Bay and New York Bight. Fin whale 20 Hz notes are detected on 99% of recorded days. In both regions, INI varies significantly throughout the year as two distinct periods: a "short-INI" season in September-January (9.6 s) and a "long-INI" season in March-May (15.1 s). February and June-August are transitional-INI months, with higher variability. Note abundance decreases with increasing INI, where note abundance is significantly lower in April-August than in September-January. Short-INI and high note abundance correspond to the fin whale reproductive season. The temporal variability of INI may be a mechanism by which fin whale individuals encode and communicate a variety of behaviorally relevant information.

  3. Seasonal dynamics in the community structure and trophic structure of testate amoebae inhabiting the Sanjiang peatlands, Northeast China.

    PubMed

    Song, Lihong; Li, Hongkai; Wang, Kehong; Yan, Xiumin; Wu, Donghui

    2018-04-01

    Peatlands cover 3% of the earth's land surface but contain 30% of the world's soil carbon pool. Microbial communities constitute a crucial detrital food web for nutrient and carbon cycling in peatlands. Heterotrophic protozoans are considered top predators in the microbial food web; however, they are not yet well understood. In this study, we investigated seasonal dynamics in the community and the trophic structure of testate amoebae in four peatlands. Testate amoebae density and biomass in August were significantly higher than those in May and October. The highest density, 6.7 × 10 4 individual g -1 dry moss, was recorded in August 2014. The highest biomass, 7.7 × 10 2  μg C g -1 dry moss, was recorded in August 2013. Redundancy analyses showed that water-table depth was the most important factor, explaining over one third of the variance in fauna communities in all sampled seasons. High trophic position taxa dominated testate amoebae communities. The Shannon diversity index and community size structure index declined from August to October in 2013 and from May to October in 2014. These seasonal patterns of testate amoebae indicated the seasonal variations of the peatlands' microbial food web and are possibly related to the seasonal carbon dynamics in Northeast Chinese peatlands. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  4. Seasonal and Long-Term Changes in Relative Abundance of Bull Sharks from a Tourist Shark Feeding Site in Fiji

    PubMed Central

    Brunnschweiler, Juerg M.; Baensch, Harald

    2011-01-01

    Shark tourism has become increasingly popular, but remains controversial because of major concerns originating from the need of tour operators to use bait or chum to reliably attract sharks. We used direct underwater sampling to document changes in bull shark Carcharhinus leucas relative abundance at the Shark Reef Marine Reserve, a shark feeding site in Fiji, and the reproductive cycle of the species in Fijian waters. Between 2003 and 2009, the total number of C. leucas counted on each day ranged from 0 to 40. Whereas the number of C. leucas counted at the feeding site increased over the years, shark numbers decreased over the course of a calendar year with fewest animals counted in November. Externally visible reproductive status information indicates that the species' seasonal departure from the feeding site may be related to reproductive activity. PMID:21346792

  5. Seasonal and long-term changes in relative abundance of bull sharks from a tourist shark feeding site in Fiji.

    PubMed

    Brunnschweiler, Juerg M; Baensch, Harald

    2011-01-27

    Shark tourism has become increasingly popular, but remains controversial because of major concerns originating from the need of tour operators to use bait or chum to reliably attract sharks. We used direct underwater sampling to document changes in bull shark Carcharhinus leucas relative abundance at the Shark Reef Marine Reserve, a shark feeding site in Fiji, and the reproductive cycle of the species in Fijian waters. Between 2003 and 2009, the total number of C. leucas counted on each day ranged from 0 to 40. Whereas the number of C. leucas counted at the feeding site increased over the years, shark numbers decreased over the course of a calendar year with fewest animals counted in November. Externally visible reproductive status information indicates that the species' seasonal departure from the feeding site may be related to reproductive activity.

  6. Migration phenology and seasonal fidelity of an Arctic marine predator in relation to sea ice dynamics.

    PubMed

    Cherry, Seth G; Derocher, Andrew E; Thiemann, Gregory W; Lunn, Nicholas J

    2013-07-01

    Understanding how seasonal environmental conditions affect the timing and distribution of synchronized animal movement patterns is a central issue in animal ecology. Migration, a behavioural adaptation to seasonal environmental fluctuations, is a fundamental part of the life history of numerous species. However, global climate change can alter the spatiotemporal distribution of resources and thus affect the seasonal movement patterns of migratory animals. We examined sea ice dynamics relative to migration patterns and seasonal geographical fidelity of an Arctic marine predator, the polar bear (Ursus maritimus). Polar bear movement patterns were quantified using satellite-linked telemetry data collected from collars deployed between 1991-1997 and 2004-2009. We showed that specific sea ice characteristics can predict the timing of seasonal polar bear migration on and off terrestrial refugia. In addition, fidelity to specific onshore regions during the ice-free period was predicted by the spatial pattern of sea ice break-up but not by the timing of break-up. The timing of migration showed a trend towards earlier arrival of polar bears on shore and later departure from land, which has been driven by climate-induced declines in the availability of sea ice. Changes to the timing of migration have resulted in polar bears spending progressively longer periods of time on land without access to sea ice and their marine mammal prey. The links between increased atmospheric temperatures, sea ice dynamics, and the migratory behaviour of an ice-dependent species emphasizes the importance of quantifying and monitoring relationships between migratory wildlife and environmental cues that may be altered by climate change. © 2013 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2013 British Ecological Society.

  7. Diversity and aboveground biomass of lianas in the tropical seasonal rain forests of Xishuangbanna, SW China.

    PubMed

    Lü, Xiao-Tao; Tang, Jian-Wei; Feng, Zhi-Li; Li, Mai-He

    2009-01-01

    Lianas are important components of tropical forests and have significant impacts on the diversity, structure and dynamics of tropical forests. The present study documented the liana flora in a Chinese tropical region. Species richness, abundance, size-class distribution and spatial patterns of lianas were investigated in three 1-ha plots in tropical seasonal rain forests in Xishuangbanna, SW China. All lianas with > or = 2 cm diameter at breast height (dbh) were measured, tagged and identified. A total of 458 liana stems belonging to 95 species (ranging from 38 to 50 species/ha), 59 genera and 32 families were recorded in the three plots. The most well-represented families were Loganiaceae, Annonceae, Papilionaceae, Apocynaceae and Rhamnaceae. Papilionaceae (14 species recorded) was the most important family in the study forests. The population density, basal area and importance value index (IVI) varied greatly across the three plots. Strychnos cathayensis, Byttneria grandifolia and Bousigonia mekongensis were the dominant species in terms of IVI across the three plots. The mean aboveground biomass of lianas (3 396 kg/ha) accounted for 1.4% of the total community above-ground biomass. The abundance, diversity and biomass of lianas in Xishuangbanna tropical seasonal rain forests are lower than those in tropical moist and wet forests, but higher than those in tropical dry forests. This study provides new data on lianas from a geographical region that has been little-studied. Our findings emphasize that other factors beyond the amount and seasonality of precipitation should be included when considering the liana abundance patterns across scales.

  8. Species abundance distribution and population dynamics in a two-community model of neutral ecology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vallade, M.; Houchmandzadeh, B.

    2006-11-01

    Explicit formulas for the steady-state distribution of species in two interconnected communities of arbitrary sizes are derived in the framework of Hubbell’s neutral model of biodiversity. Migrations of seeds from both communities as well as mutations in both of them are taken into account. These results generalize those previously obtained for the “island-continent” model and they allow an analysis of the influence of the ratio of the sizes of the two communities on the dominance/diversity equilibrium. Exact expressions for species abundance distributions are deduced from a master equation for the joint probability distribution of species in the two communities. Moreover, an approximate self-consistent solution is derived. It corresponds to a generalization of previous results and it proves to be accurate over a broad range of parameters. The dynamical correlations between the abundances of a species in both communities are also discussed.

  9. Dynamic changes in left ventricular mass and in fat-free mass in top-level athletes during the competitive season.

    PubMed

    D'Ascenzi, Flavio; Pelliccia, Antonio; Cameli, Matteo; Lisi, Matteo; Natali, Benedetta Maria; Focardi, Marta; Giorgi, Andrea; D'Urbano, Giorgio; Causarano, Andrea; Bonifazi, Marco; Mondillo, Sergio

    2015-01-01

    Previous cross-sectional studies have demonstrated that fat-free mass (FFM) is an important determinant of left ventricular mass (LVM) in athletes. However, cross-sectional investigations have not the ability to detect the dynamic adaptation occurring with training. We hypothesized that LVM adapts concurrently with the increase of FFM induced by exercise conditioning. We sought to study the relationship between the variations of LVM and of FFM occurring in top-level soccer players during the season. Twenty-three male top-level athletes were recruited. LVM was assessed by echocardiography and FFM by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Serial measurements were performed pre-season, after 1 month, at mid- and end-season, and after 2 months of detraining. LVM significantly increased at mid-season versus pre-season values, reaching the highest value at the end of the season (p < 0.05). While body weight did not vary during the study period, FFM significantly increased (p < 0.05 for mid-/end-season vs. pre-season data). After the detraining, no significant differences were observed between pre-season and detraining echocardiographic data. The only independent predictors of LVM were left ventricular stroke volume and FFM (R = 0.36, p = 0.005; R = 0.35, p = 0.005, respectively). When ΔLVM index was set as dependent variable, the only independent predictor was ΔFFM (R = 0.87, p = 0.002). Changes in LVM occur in close association with changes in FFM, suggesting that the left ventricle adapts concurrently with the increase of the metabolically active tissue induced by training, i.e. the FFM. Therefore, the dynamic changes in FFM and LVM may reflect a physiological adaptation induced by intensive training. © The European Society of Cardiology 2013 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

  10. Seasonality and intermittency of the ocean dynamics at scales smaller than 100 km in the world ocean: A scientific challenge for SWOT

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, J.; Su, Z.; Klein, P.; Thompson, A. F.; Menemenlis, D.; Fu, L. L.

    2016-12-01

    The major observational advance expected from the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) altimeter, compared with existing altimeters, is that it will provide wide-swath (120 km) along-track data that permit the sampling of oceanic scales between 15 and 150km. The potential of this satellite mission is to understand the dynamical impact of these small scales on ocean dynamics. Such impact is known to affect the vertical velocity field (and therefore the vertical fluxes of ocean properties) and significantly affect both the inverse and direct kinetic energy cascades. The need to monitor these scales on a global scale is illustrated by the results of a realistic global ocean simulation. This model has 1/48-degree horizontal grid spacing, 90 vertical levels, and the inclusion of tidal forcing. This simulation reveals a strong seasonality of ocean dynamics at scales less than 100 km, not only in the previously documented regions, such as the Kuroshio extension, Gulf Stream, and subtropical gyres; but also in most other regions, such as most of the Southern Hemisphere and the North-East Atlantic. This strong seasonality, with a maximum amplitude consistently in winter, is associated with deep winter mixed-layer and energetic mesoscale eddies, pointing to mixed-layer instability as a major driver of the seasonality of dynamics at small scales. In addition to seasonal variations, strong intermittencies of ocean dynamics with a period of one to two weeks are also observed occasionally with the same amplitude as the seasonal variability. In this presentation, we discuss the consequences and the challenges posed by the strong spatial and temporal variability to SWOT data analysis.

  11. The Role of Phytoplankton Dynamics in the Seasonal and Interannual Variability of Carbon in the Subpolar North Atlantic - a Modeling Study

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Signorini, Sergio; Hakkinen, Sirpa; Gudmundsson, K.; Olsen, A.; Omar, A. M.; Olafsson, J.; Reverdin, G.; Henson, S. A.; McClain, C. R.; Worthen, D. L.

    2014-01-01

    We developed an ecosystem/biogeochemical model system, which includes multiple phytoplankton functional groups and carbon cycle dynamics, and applied it to investigate physical-biological interactions in Icelandic waters. Satellite and in situ data were used to evaluate the model. Surface seasonal cycle amplitudes and biases of key parameters (DIC, TA, pCO2, air-sea CO2 flux, and nutrients) are significantly improved when compared to surface observations by prescribing deep water values and trends, based on available data. The seasonality of the coccolithophore and "other phytoplankton" (diatoms and dinoflagellates) blooms is in general agreement with satellite ocean color products. Nutrient supply, biomass and calcite concentrations are modulated by light and mixed layer depth seasonal cycles. Diatoms are the most abundant phytoplankton, with a large bloom in early spring and a secondary bloom in fall. The diatom bloom is followed by blooms of dinoflagellates and coccolithophores. The effect of biological changes on the seasonal variability of the surface ocean pCO2 is nearly twice the temperature effect, in agreement with previous studies. The inclusion of multiple phytoplankton functional groups in the model played a major role in the accurate representation of CO2 uptake by biology. For instance, at the peak of the bloom, the exclusion of coccolithophores causes an increase in alkalinity of up to 4 µmol kg(sup -1) with a corresponding increase in DIC of up to 16 µmol kg(sup -1). During the peak of the bloom in summer, the net effect of the absence of the coccolithophores bloom is an increase in pCO2 of more than 20 µatm and a reduction of atmospheric CO2 uptake of more than 6 mmolm(sup -2) d(sup -1). On average, the impact of coccolithophores is an increase of air-sea CO2 flux of about 27 %. Considering the areal extent of the bloom from satellite images within the Irminger and Icelandic Basins, this reduction translates into an annual mean of nearly 1500

  12. Dynamic foraging of a top predator in a seasonal polar marine environment.

    PubMed

    Weinstein, Ben G; Friedlaender, Ari S

    2017-11-01

    The seasonal movement of animals at broad spatial scales provides insight into life-history, ecology and conservation. By combining high-resolution satellite-tagged data with hierarchical Bayesian movement models, we can associate spatial patterns of movement with marine animal behavior. We used a multi-state mixture model to describe humpback whale traveling and area-restricted search states as they forage along the West Antarctic Peninsula. We estimated the change in the geography, composition and characteristics of these behavioral states through time. We show that whales later in the austral fall spent more time in movements associated with foraging, traveled at lower speeds between foraging areas, and shifted their distribution northward and inshore. Seasonal changes in movement are likely due to a combination of sea ice advance and regional shifts in the primary prey source. Our study is a step towards dynamic movement models in the marine environment at broad scales.

  13. Seasonal patterns of mixed species groups in large East African mammals.

    PubMed

    Kiffner, Christian; Kioko, John; Leweri, Cecilia; Krause, Stefan

    2014-01-01

    Mixed mammal species groups are common in East African savannah ecosystems. Yet, it is largely unknown if co-occurrences of large mammals result from random processes or social preferences and if interspecific associations are consistent across ecosystems and seasons. Because species may exchange important information and services, understanding patterns and drivers of heterospecific interactions is crucial for advancing animal and community ecology. We recorded 5403 single and multi-species clusters in the Serengeti-Ngorongoro and Tarangire-Manyara ecosystems during dry and wet seasons and used social network analyses to detect patterns of species associations. We found statistically significant associations between multiple species and association patterns differed spatially and seasonally. Consistently, wildebeest and zebras preferred being associated with other species, whereas carnivores, African elephants, Maasai giraffes and Kirk's dik-diks avoided being in mixed groups. During the dry season, we found that the betweenness (a measure of importance in the flow of information or disease) of species did not differ from a random expectation based on species abundance. In contrast, in the wet season, we found that these patterns were not simply explained by variations in abundances, suggesting that heterospecific associations were actively formed. These seasonal differences in observed patterns suggest that interspecific associations may be driven by resource overlap when resources are limited and by resource partitioning or anti-predator advantages when resources are abundant. We discuss potential mechanisms that could drive seasonal variation in the cost-benefit tradeoffs that underpin the formation of mixed-species groups.

  14. Temporal abundance of Aedes aegypti in Manaus, Brazil, measured by two trap types for adult mosquitoes

    PubMed Central

    Degener, Carolin Marlen; de Ázara, Tatiana Mingote Ferreira; Roque, Rosemary Aparecida; Codeço, Cláudia Torres; Nobre, Aline Araújo; Ohly, Jörg Johannes; Geier, Martin; Eiras, Álvaro Eduardo

    2014-01-01

    A longitudinal study was conducted in Manaus, Brazil, to monitor changes of adult Aedes aegypti (L.) abundance. The objectives were to compare mosquito collections of two trap types, to characterise temporal changes of the mosquito population, to investigate the influence of meteorological variables on mosquito collections and to analyse the association between mosquito collections and dengue incidence. Mosquito monitoring was performed fortnightly using MosquiTRAPs (MQT) and BG-Sentinel (BGS) traps between December 2008-June 2010. The two traps revealed opposing temporal infestation patterns, with highest mosquito collections of MQTs during the dry season and highest collections of BGS during the rainy seasons. Several meteorological variables were significant predictors of mosquito collections in the BGS. The best predictor was the relative humidity, lagged two weeks (in a positive relationship). For MQT, only the number of rainy days in the previous week was significant (in a negative relationship). The correlation between monthly dengue incidence and mosquito abundance in BGS and MQT was moderately positive and negative, respectively. Catches of BGS traps reflected better the dynamic of dengue incidence. The findings help to understand the effects of meteorological variables on mosquito infestation indices of two different traps for adult dengue vectors in Manaus. PMID:25494470

  15. New aerial survey and hierarchical model to estimate manatee abundance

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Langimm, Cahterine A.; Dorazio, Robert M.; Stith, Bradley M.; Doyle, Terry J.

    2011-01-01

    Monitoring the response of endangered and protected species to hydrological restoration is a major component of the adaptive management framework of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan. The endangered Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) lives at the marine-freshwater interface in southwest Florida and is likely to be affected by hydrologic restoration. To provide managers with prerestoration information on distribution and abundance for postrestoration comparison, we developed and implemented a new aerial survey design and hierarchical statistical model to estimate and map abundance of manatees as a function of patch-specific habitat characteristics, indicative of manatee requirements for offshore forage (seagrass), inland fresh drinking water, and warm-water winter refuge. We estimated the number of groups of manatees from dual-observer counts and estimated the number of individuals within groups by removal sampling. Our model is unique in that we jointly analyzed group and individual counts using assumptions that allow probabilities of group detection to depend on group size. Ours is the first analysis of manatee aerial surveys to model spatial and temporal abundance of manatees in association with habitat type while accounting for imperfect detection. We conducted the study in the Ten Thousand Islands area of southwestern Florida, USA, which was expected to be affected by the Picayune Strand Restoration Project to restore hydrology altered for a failed real-estate development. We conducted 11 surveys in 2006, spanning the cold, dry season and warm, wet season. To examine short-term and seasonal changes in distribution we flew paired surveys 1–2 days apart within a given month during the year. Manatees were sparsely distributed across the landscape in small groups. Probability of detection of a group increased with group size; the magnitude of the relationship between group size and detection probability varied among surveys. Probability

  16. Seasonal Snowpack Dynamics and Runoff in a Maritime Forested Basin, Niigata, Japan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Whitaker, A. C.; Sugiyama, H.

    2005-12-01

    Seasonal snowpack dynamics are described through field measurements under contrasting canopy conditions for a mountainous catchment in the Japan Sea region. Microclimatic data, snow accumulation, albedo and lysimeter runoff is given through three complete winter seasons 2002-05 in: (1) mature cedar stand, (2) larch stand, and (3) regenerating cedar stand or opening. The accumulation and melt of seasonal snowpack strongly influences streamflow runoff during December to May, including winter base-flow, mid-winter melt, rain-on-snow, and diurnal peaks driven by radiation melt in spring. Lysimeter runoff at all sites is characterised by constant ground melt of 0.8-1.0 mm/day. Rapid response to mid-winter melt or rainfall shows that the snowpack remains in a ripe or near-ripe condition throughout the snowcover season. Hourly and daily lysimeter discharge was greatest during rain-on-snow with the majority of runoff due to rainfall passing through the snowpack as opposed to snowmelt. For both rain-on-snow and radiation melt events lysimeter discharge was generally greatest at the open site, although there were exceptions such as during interception melt events. During radiation melt instantaneous discharge was up to 4.0 times greater in the opening compared to the mature cedar, and 48-hour discharge was up to 2.5 times greater. Perhaps characteristic of maritime climates, forest interception melt is shown to be important in addition to sublimation in reducing snow accumulation beneath dense canopies. While sublimation represents a loss from the catchment water balance, interception melt percolates through the snowpack and contributes to soil moisture during the winter season. Strong differences in microclimate and snowpack albedo persisted between cedar, larch and open sites, and it is suggested further work is needed to account for this in hydrological simulation models.

  17. Impact of greenspaces in city on avian species richness and abundance in Northern Africa.

    PubMed

    Aouissi, Hani Amir; Gasparini, Julien; Belabed, Adnène Ibrahim; Bouslama, Zihad

    2017-08-01

    Increasing urbanization is a major challenge in the context of global changes, because this environment is known to negatively impact biodiversity. It is therefore important to identify factors maintaining biodiversity in such areas. Here, we tested in 650 sites whether the greenspaces in urbanized area of Annaba (Algeria) has positive effects on avian species richness and abundances. Our results show that species detection (n=26) is more important during the breeding season as compared to the winter season, and that avian species richness is positively affected by the greenspaces. For most species, greenspaces impact positively their presence and abundances. Only the feral pigeon was less detected in greenspaces as compared to built-up areas. Our study therefore confirmed, for the first time in a Northern African city, that greenspaces significantly increase the species richness and abundances of birds, and shows that the season can profoundly affect such indicators. Copyright © 2017 Académie des sciences. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  18. Season mediates herbivore effects on litter and soil microbial abundance and activity in a semi-arid woodland

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Classen, Aimee T; Overby, Stephen; Hart, Stephen C

    2007-01-01

    Herbivores can directly impact ecosystem function by altering litter quality entering an ecosystem or indirectly by affecting a shift in the microbial community that mediate nutrient processes. We examine herbivore susceptibility and resistance effects on litter microarthropod and soil microbial communities to test the general hypothesis that herbivore driven changes in litter inputs will feedback to the microbial community. Our study population consisted of individual trees that are susceptible or resistant to the stem-boring moth (Dioryctria albovittella) and trees that herbivores have been manually removed since 1982. Moth herbivory increased pi on litter nitrogen concentrations (16%) and canopy precipitation infiltrationmore » (28%), both significant factors influencing litter and soil microbial populations. Our research resulted in three major conclusions: 1) In spite of an increase in litter quality, herbivory does not change litter microarthropod abundance or species richness. 2) Herbivore susceptibility alters bulk soil microbial communities, but not soil properties. 3) Season has a strong influence on microbial communities, and their response to herbivore inputs, in this semi-arid ecosystem.« less

  19. Flea abundance on black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) increases during plague epizootics.

    PubMed

    Tripp, Daniel W; Gage, Kenneth L; Montenieri, John A; Antolin, Michael F

    2009-06-01

    Black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) on the Great Plains of the United States are highly susceptible to plague, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, with mortality on towns during plague epizootics often approaching 100%. The ability of flea-borne transmission to sustain disease spread has been questioned because of inefficiency of flea vectors. However, even with low individual efficiency, overall transmission can be increased if flea abundance (the number of fleas on hosts) increases. Changes in flea abundance on hosts during plague outbreaks were recorded during a large-scale study of plague outbreaks in prairie dogs in north central Colorado during 3 years (2004-2007). Fleas were collected from live-trapped black-tailed prairie dogs before and during plague epizootics and tested by PCR for the presence of Y. pestis. The predominant fleas were two prairie dog specialists (Oropsylla hirsuta and Oropsylla tuberculata cynomuris), and a generalist flea species (Pulex simulans) was also recorded from numerous mammals in the area. The three species differ in seasonal abundance, with greatest abundance in spring (February and March) and fall (September and October). Flea abundance and infestation intensity increased during epizootics and were highest on prairie dogs with Y. pestis-infected fleas. Seasonal occurrence of epizootics among black-tailed prairie dogs was found to coincide with seasonal peaks in flea abundance. Concentration of infected fleas on surviving animals may account for rapid spread of plague during epizootics. In particular, the role of the generalist flea P. simulans was previously underappreciated.

  20. Empirical phylogenies and species abundance distributions are consistent with preequilibrium dynamics of neutral community models with gene flow.

    PubMed

    Bonnet-Lebrun, Anne-Sophie; Manica, Andrea; Eriksson, Anders; Rodrigues, Ana S L

    2017-05-01

    Community characteristics reflect past ecological and evolutionary dynamics. Here, we investigate whether it is possible to obtain realistically shaped modeled communities-that is with phylogenetic trees and species abundance distributions shaped similarly to typical empirical bird and mammal communities-from neutral community models. To test the effect of gene flow, we contrasted two spatially explicit individual-based neutral models: one with protracted speciation, delayed by gene flow, and one with point mutation speciation, unaffected by gene flow. The former produced more realistic communities (shape of phylogenetic tree and species-abundance distribution), consistent with gene flow being a key process in macro-evolutionary dynamics. Earlier models struggled to capture the empirically observed branching tempo in phylogenetic trees, as measured by the gamma statistic. We show that the low gamma values typical of empirical trees can be obtained in models with protracted speciation, in preequilibrium communities developing from an initially abundant and widespread species. This was even more so in communities sampled incompletely, particularly if the unknown species are the youngest. Overall, our results demonstrate that the characteristics of empirical communities that we have studied can, to a large extent, be explained through a purely neutral model under preequilibrium conditions. © 2017 The Author(s). Evolution © 2017 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

  1. Seasonality and pathogen transmission in pastoral cattle contact networks.

    PubMed

    VanderWaal, Kimberly; Gilbertson, Marie; Okanga, Sharon; Allan, Brian F; Craft, Meggan E

    2017-12-01

    Capturing heterogeneity in contact patterns in animal populations is essential for understanding the spread of infectious diseases. In contrast to other regions of the world in which livestock movement networks are integral to pathogen prevention and control policies, contact networks are understudied in pastoral regions of Africa due to the challenge of measuring contact among mobile herds of cattle whose movements are driven by access to resources. Furthermore, the extent to which seasonal changes in the distribution of water and resources impacts the structure of contact networks in cattle is uncertain. Contact networks may be more conducive to pathogen spread in the dry season due to congregation at limited water sources. Alternatively, less abundant forage may result in decreased pathogen transmission due to competitive avoidance among herds, as measured by reduced contact rates. Here, we use GPS technology to concurrently track 49 free-roaming cattle herds within a semi-arid region of Kenya, and use these data to characterize seasonal contact networks and model the spread of a highly infectious pathogen. This work provides the first empirical data on the local contact network structure of mobile herds based on quantifiable contact events. The contact network demonstrated high levels of interconnectivity. An increase in contacts near to water resources in the dry season resulted in networks with both higher contact rates and higher potential for pathogen spread than in the wet season. Simulated disease outbreaks were also larger in the dry season. Results support the hypothesis that limited water resources enhance connectivity and transmission within contact networks, as opposed to reducing connectivity as a result of competitive avoidance. These results cast light on the impact of seasonal heterogeneity in resource availability on predicting pathogen transmission dynamics, which has implications for other free-ranging wild and domestic populations.

  2. Seasonality of submesoscale dynamics in the Kuroshio Extension

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rocha, Cesar B.; Gille, Sarah T.; Chereskin, Teresa K.; Menemenlis, Dimitris

    2016-11-01

    Recent studies show that the vigorous seasonal cycle of the mixed layer modulates upper ocean submesoscale turbulence. Here we provide model-based evidence that the seasonally changing upper ocean stratification in the Kuroshio Extension also modulates submesoscale (here 10-100 km) inertia-gravity waves. Summertime restratification weakens submesoscale turbulence but enhances inertia-gravity waves near the surface. Thus, submesoscale turbulence and inertia-gravity waves undergo vigorous out-of-phase seasonal cycles. These results imply a strong seasonal modulation of the accuracy of geostrophic velocity diagnosed from submesoscale sea surface height delivered by the Surface Water and Ocean Topography satellite mission.

  3. Host and pathogen ecology drive the seasonal dynamics of a fungal disease, white-nose syndrome.

    PubMed

    Langwig, Kate E; Frick, Winifred F; Reynolds, Rick; Parise, Katy L; Drees, Kevin P; Hoyt, Joseph R; Cheng, Tina L; Kunz, Thomas H; Foster, Jeffrey T; Kilpatrick, A Marm

    2015-01-22

    Seasonal patterns in pathogen transmission can influence the impact of disease on populations and the speed of spatial spread. Increases in host contact rates or births drive seasonal epidemics in some systems, but other factors may occasionally override these influences. White-nose syndrome, caused by the emerging fungal pathogen Pseudogymnoascus destructans, is spreading across North America and threatens several bat species with extinction. We examined patterns and drivers of seasonal transmission of P. destructans by measuring infection prevalence and pathogen loads in six bat species at 30 sites across the eastern United States. Bats became transiently infected in autumn, and transmission spiked in early winter when bats began hibernating. Nearly all bats in six species became infected by late winter when infection intensity peaked. In summer, despite high contact rates and a birth pulse, most bats cleared infections and prevalence dropped to zero. These data suggest the dominant driver of seasonal transmission dynamics was a change in host physiology, specifically hibernation. Our study is the first, to the best of our knowledge, to describe the seasonality of transmission in this emerging wildlife disease. The timing of infection and fungal growth resulted in maximal population impacts, but only moderate rates of spatial spread. © 2014 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

  4. Host and pathogen ecology drive the seasonal dynamics of a fungal disease, white-nose syndrome

    PubMed Central

    Langwig, Kate E.; Frick, Winifred F.; Reynolds, Rick; Parise, Katy L.; Drees, Kevin P.; Hoyt, Joseph R.; Cheng, Tina L.; Kunz, Thomas H.; Foster, Jeffrey T.; Kilpatrick, A. Marm

    2015-01-01

    Seasonal patterns in pathogen transmission can influence the impact of disease on populations and the speed of spatial spread. Increases in host contact rates or births drive seasonal epidemics in some systems, but other factors may occasionally override these influences. White-nose syndrome, caused by the emerging fungal pathogen Pseudogymnoascus destructans, is spreading across North America and threatens several bat species with extinction. We examined patterns and drivers of seasonal transmission of P. destructans by measuring infection prevalence and pathogen loads in six bat species at 30 sites across the eastern United States. Bats became transiently infected in autumn, and transmission spiked in early winter when bats began hibernating. Nearly all bats in six species became infected by late winter when infection intensity peaked. In summer, despite high contact rates and a birth pulse, most bats cleared infections and prevalence dropped to zero. These data suggest the dominant driver of seasonal transmission dynamics was a change in host physiology, specifically hibernation. Our study is the first, to the best of our knowledge, to describe the seasonality of transmission in this emerging wildlife disease. The timing of infection and fungal growth resulted in maximal population impacts, but only moderate rates of spatial spread. PMID:25473016

  5. Nutrient Dynamics of Estuarine Invertebrates Are Shaped by Feeding Guild Rather than Seasonal River Flow

    PubMed Central

    Ortega-Cisneros, Kelly; Scharler, Ursula M.

    2015-01-01

    This study aimed to determine the variability of carbon and nitrogen elemental content, stoichiometry and diet proportions of invertebrates in two sub-tropical estuaries in South Africa experiencing seasonal changes in rainfall and river inflow. The elemental ratios and stable isotopes of abiotic sources, zooplankton and macrozoobenthos taxa were analyzed over a dry/wet seasonal cycle. Nutrient content (C, N) and stoichiometry of suspended particulate matter exhibited significant spatio-temporal variations in both estuaries, which were explained by the variability in river inflow. Sediment particulate matter (%C, %N and C:N) was also influenced by the variability in river flow but to a lesser extent. The nutrient content and ratios of the analyzed invertebrates did not significantly vary among seasons with the exception of the copepod Pseudodiaptomus spp. (C:N) and the tanaid Apseudes digitalis (%N, C:N). These changes did not track the seasonal variations of the suspended or sediment particulate matter. Our results suggest that invertebrates managed to maintain their stoichiometry independent of the seasonality in river flow. A significant variability in nitrogen content among estuarine invertebrates was recorded, with highest % N recorded from predators and lowest %N from detritivores. Due to the otherwise general lack of seasonal differences in elemental content and stoichiometry, feeding guild was a major factor shaping the nutrient dynamics of the estuarine invertebrates. The nutrient richer suspended particulate matter was the preferred food source over sediment particulate matter for most invertebrate consumers in many, but not all seasons. The most distinct preference for suspended POM as a food source was apparent from the temporarily open/closed system after the estuary had breached, highlighting the importance of river flow as a driver of invertebrate nutrient dynamics under extreme events conditions. Moreover, our data showed that estuarine

  6. Nutrient Dynamics of Estuarine Invertebrates Are Shaped by Feeding Guild Rather than Seasonal River Flow.

    PubMed

    Ortega-Cisneros, Kelly; Scharler, Ursula M

    2015-01-01

    This study aimed to determine the variability of carbon and nitrogen elemental content, stoichiometry and diet proportions of invertebrates in two sub-tropical estuaries in South Africa experiencing seasonal changes in rainfall and river inflow. The elemental ratios and stable isotopes of abiotic sources, zooplankton and macrozoobenthos taxa were analyzed over a dry/wet seasonal cycle. Nutrient content (C, N) and stoichiometry of suspended particulate matter exhibited significant spatio-temporal variations in both estuaries, which were explained by the variability in river inflow. Sediment particulate matter (%C, %N and C:N) was also influenced by the variability in river flow but to a lesser extent. The nutrient content and ratios of the analyzed invertebrates did not significantly vary among seasons with the exception of the copepod Pseudodiaptomus spp. (C:N) and the tanaid Apseudes digitalis (%N, C:N). These changes did not track the seasonal variations of the suspended or sediment particulate matter. Our results suggest that invertebrates managed to maintain their stoichiometry independent of the seasonality in river flow. A significant variability in nitrogen content among estuarine invertebrates was recorded, with highest % N recorded from predators and lowest %N from detritivores. Due to the otherwise general lack of seasonal differences in elemental content and stoichiometry, feeding guild was a major factor shaping the nutrient dynamics of the estuarine invertebrates. The nutrient richer suspended particulate matter was the preferred food source over sediment particulate matter for most invertebrate consumers in many, but not all seasons. The most distinct preference for suspended POM as a food source was apparent from the temporarily open/closed system after the estuary had breached, highlighting the importance of river flow as a driver of invertebrate nutrient dynamics under extreme events conditions. Moreover, our data showed that estuarine

  7. Comparison of meiofaunal abundance in two mangrove wetlands in Tong'an Bay, Xiamen, China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhou, Xiping; Cai, Lizhe; Fu, Sujing

    2015-10-01

    To compare meiofaunal community in the two mangrove wetlands in Tong'an Bay, Xiamen, China, and probe the response of meiofauna to high organic matter, sampling was carried out in Fenglin and Xiang'an mangrove wetlands in the bay. The results showed that the Ne/Co ratio (nematode to benthic copepod) and organic matter in Fenglin mangrove wetland were higher than those in Xiang'an mangrove wetland. The meiofaunal abundance in Fenglin mangrove was all lower than that in Xiang'an mangrove wetland in summer, autumn and spring, while the meiofaunal abundance in Fenglin mangrove was higher than that in Xiang'an mangrove wetland in winter. Two-way ANOVA results showed that the meiofaunal abundance and nematode abundance were significantly different between regions, seasons and region×season. With all the results in the present study, we confirmed that the positive response of meiofaunal and nematode abundance were only detected for medium organic matter contents according to the Xiang'an wetland's level, and that the distribution of meiofaunal abundance would be influenced by sand content. Higher copepod abundance and lower N/C value usually suggest better environmental quality.

  8. Do dynamic global vegetation models capture the seasonality of carbon fluxes in the Amazon basin? A data-model intercomparison

    DOE PAGES

    Restrepo-Coupe, Natalia; Levine, Naomi M.; Christoffersen, Bradley O.; ...

    2016-08-29

    To predict forest response to long-term climate change with high confidence requires that dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs) be successfully tested against ecosystem response to short-term variations in environmental drivers, including regular seasonal patterns. Here, we used an integrated dataset from four forests in the Brasil flux network, spanning a range of dry-season intensities and lengths, to determine how well four state-of-the-art models (IBIS, ED2, JULES, and CLM3.5) simulated the seasonality of carbon exchanges in Amazonian tropical forests. We found that most DGVMs poorly represented the annual cycle of gross primary productivity (GPP), of photosynthetic capacity (Pc), and of othermore » fluxes and pools. Models simulated consistent dry-season declines in GPP in the equatorial Amazon (Manaus K34, Santarem K67, and Caxiuanã CAX); a contrast to observed GPP increases. Model simulated dry-season GPP reductions were driven by an external environmental factor, ‘soil water stress’ and consequently by a constant or decreasing photosynthetic infrastructure (Pc), while observed dry-season GPP resulted from a combination of internal biological (leaf-flush and abscission and increased Pc) and environmental (incoming radiation) causes. Moreover, we found models generally overestimated observed seasonal net ecosystem exchange (NEE) and respiration (Re) at equatorial locations. In contrast, a southern Amazon forest (Jarú RJA) exhibited dry-season declines in GPP and Re consistent with most DGVMs simulations. While water limitation was represented in models and the primary driver of seasonal photosynthesis in southern Amazonia, changes in internal biophysical processes, light-harvesting adaptations (e.g., variations in leaf area index (LAI) and increasing leaf-level assimilation rate related to leaf demography), and allocation lags between leaf and wood, dominated equatorial Amazon carbon flux dynamics and were deficient or absent from current model

  9. Do dynamic global vegetation models capture the seasonality of carbon fluxes in the Amazon basin? A data-model intercomparison

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Restrepo-Coupe, Natalia; Levine, Naomi M.; Christoffersen, Bradley O.

    To predict forest response to long-term climate change with high confidence requires that dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs) be successfully tested against ecosystem response to short-term variations in environmental drivers, including regular seasonal patterns. Here, we used an integrated dataset from four forests in the Brasil flux network, spanning a range of dry-season intensities and lengths, to determine how well four state-of-the-art models (IBIS, ED2, JULES, and CLM3.5) simulated the seasonality of carbon exchanges in Amazonian tropical forests. We found that most DGVMs poorly represented the annual cycle of gross primary productivity (GPP), of photosynthetic capacity (Pc), and of othermore » fluxes and pools. Models simulated consistent dry-season declines in GPP in the equatorial Amazon (Manaus K34, Santarem K67, and Caxiuanã CAX); a contrast to observed GPP increases. Model simulated dry-season GPP reductions were driven by an external environmental factor, ‘soil water stress’ and consequently by a constant or decreasing photosynthetic infrastructure (Pc), while observed dry-season GPP resulted from a combination of internal biological (leaf-flush and abscission and increased Pc) and environmental (incoming radiation) causes. Moreover, we found models generally overestimated observed seasonal net ecosystem exchange (NEE) and respiration (Re) at equatorial locations. In contrast, a southern Amazon forest (Jarú RJA) exhibited dry-season declines in GPP and Re consistent with most DGVMs simulations. While water limitation was represented in models and the primary driver of seasonal photosynthesis in southern Amazonia, changes in internal biophysical processes, light-harvesting adaptations (e.g., variations in leaf area index (LAI) and increasing leaf-level assimilation rate related to leaf demography), and allocation lags between leaf and wood, dominated equatorial Amazon carbon flux dynamics and were deficient or absent from current model

  10. Regulation and seasonal dynamics of extracellular enzyme activities in the sediments of a large lowland river.

    PubMed

    Wilczek, Sabine; Fischer, Helmut; Pusch, Martin T

    2005-08-01

    We tested whether seasonal changes in the sources of organic substances for microbial metabolism were reflected changes in the activities of five extracellular enzymes in the eighth order lowland River Elbe, Germany. Leucine aminopeptidase showed the highest activities in the water column and the sediments, followed by phosphatase > beta-glucosidase > alpha-glucosidase > exo-1,4-beta-glucanase. Individual enzymes exhibited characteristic seasonal dynamics, as indicated by their relative contribution to cumulative enzyme activity. Leucine aminopeptidase was significantly more active in spring and summer. In contrast, the carbohydrate-degrading enzymes peaked in autumn, and beta-glucosidase activity peaked once again in winter. Thus, in sediments, the ratio of leucine aminopeptidase/beta-glucosidase reached significant higher medians in spring and summer (5-cm depth: ratio 7.7; 20-cm depth: ratio 10.1) than in autumn and winter (5-cm depth: ratio 3.7, 20-cm depth: ratio 6.3). The relative activity of phosphatase in the sediments was seasonally related to both the biomass of planktonic algae as well as to the high content of total particulate phosphorus in autumn and winter. Due to temporal shifts in organic matter supply and changes in the storage capacity of sediments, the seasonal peaks of enzyme activities in sediments exhibited a time lag of 2-3 months compared to that in the water column, along with a significant extension of peak width. Hence, our data show that the seasonal pattern of extracellular enzyme activities provides a sensitive approach to infer seasonal or temporary availability of organic matter in rivers from autochthonous and allochthonous sources. From the dynamics of individual enzyme activities, a consistent synoptic pattern of heterotrophic functioning in the studied river ecosystem could be derived. Our data support the revised riverine productivity model predicting that the metabolism of organic matter in high-order rivers is mainly fuelled

  11. Recruitment Variability in North Atlantic Cod and Match-Mismatch Dynamics

    PubMed Central

    Kristiansen, Trond; Drinkwater, Kenneth F.; Lough, R. Gregory; Sundby, Svein

    2011-01-01

    Background Fisheries exploitation, habitat destruction, and climate are important drivers of variability in recruitment success. Understanding variability in recruitment can reveal mechanisms behind widespread decline in the abundance of key species in marine and terrestrial ecosystems. For fish populations, the match-mismatch theory hypothesizes that successful recruitment is a function of the timing and duration of larval fish abundance and prey availability. However, the underlying mechanisms of match-mismatch dynamics and the factors driving spatial differences between high and low recruitment remain poorly understood. Methodology/Principal Findings We used empirical observations of larval fish abundance, a mechanistic individual-based model, and a reanalysis of ocean temperature data from 1960 to 2002 to estimate the survival of larval cod (Gadus morhua). From the model, we quantified how survival rates changed during the warmest and coldest years at four important cod spawning sites in the North Atlantic. The modeled difference in survival probability was not large for any given month between cold or warm years. However, the cumulative effect of higher growth rates and survival through the entire spawning season in warm years was substantial with 308%, 385%, 154%, and 175% increases in survival for Georges Bank, Iceland, North Sea, and Lofoten cod stocks, respectively. We also found that the importance of match-mismatch dynamics generally increased with latitude. Conclusions/Significance Our analyses indicate that a key factor for enhancing survival is the duration of the overlap between larval and prey abundance and not the actual timing of the peak abundance. During warm years, the duration of the overlap between larval fish and their prey is prolonged due to an early onset of the spring bloom. This prolonged season enhances cumulative growth and survival, leading to a greater number of large individuals with enhanced potential for survival to recruitment

  12. Mnemiopsis leidyi Gut Harbors Seasonally Variant and Commensal Microbial Assemblages

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mariita, R. M.; Hossain, M. J.; Liles, M. R.; Moss, A.

    2016-02-01

    Studies have shown that with widespread use of antibiotics in human and domestic animal populations, antibiotic resistance becomes increasingly common in the environment. Estuaries provide ideal conditions for acquisition and dissemination of drug resistance genes because they serve as sinks for pollution. This study aimed to identify M. leidyi microbial diversity and richness and their potential to act as vectors for antibiotic resistance determinants (ARDs). M. leidyi, although native to study area are highly invasive. Metagenomic analyses indicate that there are temporal variations of bacterioplankton assemblages in M. leidyi gut. Overall, Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria are the most abundant phyla. Despite the temporal dynamics in the microbial assemblages in M. leidyi gut, they seem to retain Propionibacterium acnes (gut microbiota in some insects) and select proteobacteria across all seasons. The results contradict previous studies that suggest that M. leidyi does not have constant a microbiota, but only seasonally variant microbial assemblages. Here we reveal the presence of M. leidyi gut ARDs in winter and summer, probably because of the ctenophores' positive geotaxis during rough surface conditions. Genes responsible for resistance to fluoroquinolones, multidrug resistance efflux pumps, mercuric reductase, copper homeostasis and blaR1 genes were observed. This is the first study to demonstrate that M. leidyi harbors constant microbiota and provides a baseline for understanding M. leidyi gut microbial and ARDs ecology. It also suggests that M. leidyi bacterial taxonomic and functional dynamics is influenced by season. Funding: Alabama EPSCoR GRSP fellowship, AU-CMB fellowship, NSF EPS-1158862, USDA-Hatch 370225-310100 (AGM, ML).

  13. Chlorophyll Fluorescence Better Captures Seasonal and Interannual Gross Primary Productivity Dynamics Across Dryland Ecosystems of Southwestern North America

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Smith, W. K.; Biederman, J. A.; Scott, R. L.; Moore, D. J. P.; He, M.; Kimball, J. S.; Yan, D.; Hudson, A.; Barnes, M. L.; MacBean, N.; Fox, A. M.; Litvak, M. E.

    2018-01-01

    Satellite remote sensing provides unmatched spatiotemporal information on vegetation gross primary productivity (GPP). Yet understanding of the relationship between GPP and remote sensing observations and how it changes with factors such as scale, biophysical constraint, and vegetation type remains limited. This knowledge gap is especially apparent for dryland ecosystems, which have characteristic high spatiotemporal variability and are under-represented by long-term field measurements. Here we utilize an eddy covariance (EC) data synthesis for southwestern North America in an assessment of how accurately satellite-derived vegetation proxies capture seasonal to interannual GPP dynamics across dryland gradients. We evaluate the enhanced vegetation index, solar-induced fluorescence (SIF), and the photochemical reflectivity index. We find evidence that SIF is more accurately capturing seasonal GPP dynamics particularly for evergreen-dominated EC sites and more accurately estimating the full magnitude of interannual GPP dynamics for all dryland EC sites. These results suggest that incorporation of SIF could significantly improve satellite-based GPP estimates.

  14. Seasonal Patterns of Mixed Species Groups in Large East African Mammals

    PubMed Central

    Kiffner, Christian; Kioko, John; Leweri, Cecilia; Krause, Stefan

    2014-01-01

    Mixed mammal species groups are common in East African savannah ecosystems. Yet, it is largely unknown if co-occurrences of large mammals result from random processes or social preferences and if interspecific associations are consistent across ecosystems and seasons. Because species may exchange important information and services, understanding patterns and drivers of heterospecific interactions is crucial for advancing animal and community ecology. We recorded 5403 single and multi-species clusters in the Serengeti-Ngorongoro and Tarangire-Manyara ecosystems during dry and wet seasons and used social network analyses to detect patterns of species associations. We found statistically significant associations between multiple species and association patterns differed spatially and seasonally. Consistently, wildebeest and zebras preferred being associated with other species, whereas carnivores, African elephants, Maasai giraffes and Kirk's dik-diks avoided being in mixed groups. During the dry season, we found that the betweenness (a measure of importance in the flow of information or disease) of species did not differ from a random expectation based on species abundance. In contrast, in the wet season, we found that these patterns were not simply explained by variations in abundances, suggesting that heterospecific associations were actively formed. These seasonal differences in observed patterns suggest that interspecific associations may be driven by resource overlap when resources are limited and by resource partitioning or anti-predator advantages when resources are abundant. We discuss potential mechanisms that could drive seasonal variation in the cost-benefit tradeoffs that underpin the formation of mixed-species groups. PMID:25470495

  15. Thermophilic microbial mats in a tropical geothermal location display pronounced seasonal changes but appear resilient to stochastic disturbance.

    PubMed

    Lacap, Donnabella C; Barraquio, Wilfredo; Pointing, Stephen B

    2007-12-01

    We demonstrate for the first time a dynamic seasonality within thermophilic mat communities in a tropical geothermal spring. Biomass fluctuated such that it is greatest in the dry season, before falling drastically as the summer rains arrive, and then re-colonization culminates in a new climax in the following dry season. Species richness estimates based upon 16S rRNA gene environmental phylotypes mirrored this pattern, where those unique to the dry season disappear during the wet season only to reappear the following year, and vice versa. Relative abundance of some phototrophic phylotypes was also shown to vary seasonally. Environmental variables within the thermal environment that were most closely correlated to these variations were temperature and phosphate, with the latter a covariable to heavy seasonal tropical monsoon rainfall. Stochastic disturbance caused by a strong typhoon caused significant although temporary effects and both diversity and standing biomass recovered within a few months. Tropical hot spring communities clearly function under a fundamentally different set of abiotic variables from those in temperate locations which do not display seasonality. This is of particular relevance to bioprospecting efforts where targeting the most biodiverse niche is desired, because future sampling strategies for tropical thermal environments should consider diversity on temporal as well as spatial scales.

  16. African vultures don't follow migratory herds: scavenger habitat use is not mediated by prey abundance.

    PubMed

    Kendall, Corinne J; Virani, Munir Z; Hopcraft, J Grant C; Bildstein, Keith L; Rubenstein, Daniel I

    2014-01-01

    The ongoing global decline in vulture populations raises major conservation concerns, but little is known about the factors that mediate scavenger habitat use, in particular the importance of abundance of live prey versus prey mortality. We test this using data from the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem in East Africa. The two hypotheses that prey abundance or prey mortality are the main drivers of vulture habitat use provide alternative predictions. If vultures select areas based only on prey abundance, we expect tracked vultures to remain close to herds of migratory wildebeest regardless of season. However, if vultures select areas where mortality rates are greatest then we expect vultures to select the driest regions, where animals are more likely to die of starvation, and to be attracted to migratory wildebeest only during the dry season when wildebeest mortality is greatest. We used data from GSM-GPS transmitters to assess the relationship between three vulture species and migratory wildebeest in the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem. Results indicate that vultures preferentially cluster around migratory herds only during the dry season, when herds experience their highest mortality. Additionally during the wet season, Ruppell's and Lappet-faced vultures select relatively dry areas, based on Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, whereas White-backed vultures preferred wetter areas during the wet season. Differences in habitat use among species may mediate coexistence in this scavenger guild. In general, our results suggest that prey abundance is not the primary driver of avian scavenger habitat use. The apparent reliance of vultures on non-migratory ungulates during the wet season has important conservation implications for vultures in light of on-going declines in non-migratory ungulate species and use of poisons in unprotected areas.

  17. Dynamic relationships between body size, species richness, abundance, and energy use in a shallow marine epibenthic faunal community

    PubMed Central

    Labra, Fabio A; Hernández-Miranda, Eduardo; Quiñones, Renato A

    2015-01-01

    We study the temporal variation in the empirical relationships among body size (S), species richness (R), and abundance (A) in a shallow marine epibenthic faunal community in Coliumo Bay, Chile. We also extend previous analyses by calculating individual energy use (E) and test whether its bivariate and trivariate relationships with S and R are in agreement with expectations derived from the energetic equivalence rule. Carnivorous and scavenger species representing over 95% of sample abundance and biomass were studied. For each individual, body size (g) was measured and E was estimated following published allometric relationships. Data for each sample were tabulated into exponential body size bins, comparing species-averaged values with individual-based estimates which allow species to potentially occupy multiple size classes. For individual-based data, both the number of individuals and species across body size classes are fit by a Weibull function rather than by a power law scaling. Species richness is also a power law of the number of individuals. Energy use shows a piecewise scaling relationship with body size, with energetic equivalence holding true only for size classes above the modal abundance class. Species-based data showed either weak linear or no significant patterns, likely due to the decrease in the number of data points across body size classes. Hence, for individual-based size spectra, the SRA relationship seems to be general despite seasonal forcing and strong disturbances in Coliumo Bay. The unimodal abundance distribution results in a piecewise energy scaling relationship, with small individuals showing a positive scaling and large individuals showing energetic equivalence. Hence, strict energetic equivalence should not be expected for unimodal abundance distributions. On the other hand, while species-based data do not show unimodal SRA relationships, energy use across body size classes did not show significant trends, supporting energetic

  18. Seasonal dynamics of ixodid ticks on wild rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus (Leporidae) from Central Spain.

    PubMed

    González, J; Valcárcel, F; Pérez-Sánchez, J L; Tercero-Jaime, J M; Olmeda, A S

    2016-11-01

    Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease and Myxomatosis caused a decline in the rabbit population in the second half of the last century. Despite some recovery, the risk of vector-borne disease is present and thus the importance of controlling vector populations. In the current study, we describe the ixodid tick fauna in wild rabbit in a natural reserve in Ciudad Real (Central Spain) during the course of two 3-year periods (2007-2009 and 2012-2014). Of all the ticks collected on average 72.5 % were larvae, 24.4 % nymphs and 3.1 % adults, although the percentage varied monthly. Seven tick species were identified: Hyalomma lusitanicum Koch (Parasitic indicator [PI] = number of ticks per examined rabbit = 96.47), Rhipicephalus pusillus Gil Collado (PI = 47.37), Haemaphysalis hispanica Gil Collado (PI = 12.15), Ixodes ventalloi Gil Collado (PI = 0.65), R. bursa Canestrini and Fanzago (PI = 0.18), R. sanguineus Latreille (PI = 0.11), Dermacentor marginatus Sulzer (PI = 0.01). In spring and summer, most abundant were larvae of H. lusitanicum, followed by immature stages of R. pusillus and Ha. hispanica. In autumn, the main tick species were nymphs of I. ventalloi whereas in winter adults of Ha. hispanica were more numerous. Rhipicephalus pusillus was present all year long, although not always in high percentage. PI of other species (R. bursa, R. sanguineus and D. marginatus) were too low to be representative. The seasonal dynamics of ticks on wild rabbit defined in this study could be useful to design species-specific control strategies.

  19. Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of Vegetation and Their Relationships with Climate in Southeast Asia Based on Three Satellite NDVI Products

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Y.; Zeng, Z.; Piao, S.

    2014-12-01

    Tropical vegetation plays an essential role for global biogeochemical cycles. An abundant literature focused on the vegetation dynamics in Amazon. It is shown that the Amazonian rainforest is strongly controlled by radiation, even during dry season. However, only few researches deal with tropical rainforest in Southeast Asia; the vegetation dynamics in Southeast Asia remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the spatio-temporal dynamics of vegetation in Southeast Asia with three independent satellite derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) products (GIMMS AVHRR NDVI3g, SPOT, and MODIS) as well as the recently developed Sun Induced chlorophyll Fluorescence (SIF). We furthermore examined how climate drivers (precipitation, temperature and radiation) exert influences on the vegetation dynamics. We find that the three NDVI datasets are generally consistent with each other. At seasonal scale, NDVI decreases from the beginning to the end of the dry season; at interannual scale, dry season NDVI is positively correlated to precipitation but negatively correlated to radiation, while wet season NDVI is positively correlated to radiation. Compared to evergreen forests, deciduous forests have a larger NDVI decrease rate and more extended area with positive relationships between NDVI and precipitation during the dry season. SIF is lower during dry season than during wet season. Our results indicate that most forests in Southeast Asia, unlike in the Amazonian basin, are water-limited in the dry season but radiation-limited in the wet season. These results imply that droughts may have a stronger impact on forests in Southeast Asia than in Amazon.

  20. Seasonal Snow Cold Content Dynamics in the Alpine and Sub-Alpine, Niwot Ridge, Colorado, USA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jennings, K. S.; Molotch, N. P.

    2015-12-01

    Cold content represents the energy required to warm a sub-freezing snowpack to an isothermal 0°C. Across daily and seasonal time scales it is a dynamic interplay between the forces of snowpack accumulation/cooling and warming. Cold content determines snowmelt timing and is an important component of the annual energy budget of mountain sites with seasonal snowpacks. However, little is understood about seasonal snowpack cold content dynamics as calculating cold content requires depth-weighted snowpack temperature and snow water equivalent (SWE) measurements, which are scarce. A spatially distributed network of snow pits has been sampled since 1993 at the Niwot Ridge Long Term Ecological Research site on the eastern slope of the Continental Divide in Colorado's Front Range mountains. This study uses data from 3 pit sites that have at least 8 years of observations and represent alpine and sub-alpine environments. For these pits, cold content is strongly related to SWE during the cold content accumulation phase, here defined as December, January, and February. Average peak cold content ranges between -2.5 MJ m-2 and -9.2 MJ m-2 for the three sites and is strongly related to peak SWE. On average, cold content reaches its maximum on February 26, which is 61 days before the average date of peak SWE (i.e., the snowpack's cold content is satisfied over an average of 61 days). At the alpine site, later peak cold content and SWE was observed relative to the lower elevation sub-alpine sites. Interestingly, the alpine site had a smaller gap between peak cold content and SWE (55 days versus 67 days for the alpine and sub-alpine sites, respectively). The gap between peak cold content and peak SWE is primarily a function of the increase in SWE between the two dates. Hence, persistent snowfall after the date of peak cold content can delay the onset of snowmelt even if peak cold content was relatively low. Improving our understanding of seasonal cold content dynamics in mountain

  1. Seasonal and inter-annual dynamics of growth, non-structural carbohydrates and C stable isotopes in a Mediterranean beech forest.

    PubMed

    Scartazza, Andrea; Moscatello, Stefano; Matteucci, Giorgio; Battistelli, Alberto; Brugnoli, Enrico

    2013-07-01

    Seasonal and inter-annual dynamics of growth, non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) and carbon isotope composition (δ(13)C) of NSC were studied in a beech forest of Central Italy over a 2-year period characterized by different environmental conditions. The net C assimilated by forest trees was mainly used to sustain growth early in the season and to accumulate storage carbohydrates in trunk and root wood in the later part of the season, before leaf shedding. Growth and NSC concentration dynamics were only slightly affected by the reduced soil water content (SWC) during the drier year. Conversely, the carbon isotope analysis on NSC revealed seasonal and inter-annual variations of photosynthetic and post-carboxylation fractionation processes, with a significant increase in δ(13)C of wood and leaf soluble sugars in the drier summer year than in the wetter one. The highly significant correlation between δ(13)C of leaf soluble sugars and SWC suggests a decrease of the canopy C isotope discrimination and, hence, an increased water-use efficiency with decreasing soil water availability. This may be a relevant trait for maintaining an acceptable plant water status and a relatively high C sink capacity during dry seasonal periods. Our results suggest a short- to medium-term homeostatic response of the Collelongo beech stand to variations in water availability and solar radiation, indicating that this Mediterranean forest was able to adjust carbon-water balance in order to prevent C depletion and to sustain plant growth and reserve accumulation during relatively dry seasons.

  2. Modeling seasonal dynamics of the small fish cohorts in fluctuating freshwater marsh landscapes

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Jopp, Fred; DeAngelis, Donald L.; Trexler, Joel C.

    2010-01-01

    Small-bodied fishes constitute an important assemblage in many wetlands. In wetlands that dry periodically except for small permanent waterbodies, these fishes are quick to respond to change and can undergo large fluctuations in numbers and biomasses. An important aspect of landscapes that are mixtures of marsh and permanent waterbodies is that high rates of biomass production occur in the marshes during flooding phases, while the permanent waterbodies serve as refuges for many biotic components during the dry phases. The temporal and spatial dynamics of the small fishes are ecologically important, as these fishes provide a crucial food base for higher trophic levels, such as wading birds. We develop a simple model that is analytically tractable, describing the main processes of the spatio-temporal dynamics of a population of small-bodied fish in a seasonal wetland environment, consisting of marsh and permanent waterbodies. The population expands into newly flooded areas during the wet season and contracts during declining water levels in the dry season. If the marsh dries completely during these times (a drydown), the fish need refuge in permanent waterbodies. At least three new and general conclusions arise from the model: (1) there is an optimal rate at which fish should expand into a newly flooding area to maximize population production; (2) there is also a fluctuation amplitude of water level that maximizes fish production, and (3) there is an upper limit on the number of fish that can reach a permanent waterbody during a drydown, no matter how large the marsh surface area is that drains into the waterbody. Because water levels can be manipulated in many wetlands, it is useful to have an understanding of the role of these fluctuations.

  3. Modeling avian abundance from replicated counts using binomial mixture models

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kery, Marc; Royle, J. Andrew; Schmid, Hans

    2005-01-01

    Abundance estimation in ecology is usually accomplished by capture–recapture, removal, or distance sampling methods. These may be hard to implement at large spatial scales. In contrast, binomial mixture models enable abundance estimation without individual identification, based simply on temporally and spatially replicated counts. Here, we evaluate mixture models using data from the national breeding bird monitoring program in Switzerland, where some 250 1-km2 quadrats are surveyed using the territory mapping method three times during each breeding season. We chose eight species with contrasting distribution (wide–narrow), abundance (high–low), and detectability (easy–difficult). Abundance was modeled as a random effect with a Poisson or negative binomial distribution, with mean affected by forest cover, elevation, and route length. Detectability was a logit-linear function of survey date, survey date-by-elevation, and sampling effort (time per transect unit). Resulting covariate effects and parameter estimates were consistent with expectations. Detectability per territory (for three surveys) ranged from 0.66 to 0.94 (mean 0.84) for easy species, and from 0.16 to 0.83 (mean 0.53) for difficult species, depended on survey effort for two easy and all four difficult species, and changed seasonally for three easy and three difficult species. Abundance was positively related to route length in three high-abundance and one low-abundance (one easy and three difficult) species, and increased with forest cover in five forest species, decreased for two nonforest species, and was unaffected for a generalist species. Abundance estimates under the most parsimonious mixture models were between 1.1 and 8.9 (median 1.8) times greater than estimates based on territory mapping; hence, three surveys were insufficient to detect all territories for each species. We conclude that binomial mixture models are an important new approach for estimating abundance corrected for

  4. Water-use advantage for lianas over trees in tropical seasonal forests.

    PubMed

    Chen, Ya-Jun; Cao, Kun-Fang; Schnitzer, Stefan A; Fan, Ze-Xin; Zhang, Jiao-Lin; Bongers, Frans

    2015-01-01

    Lianas exhibit peak abundance in tropical forests with strong seasonal droughts, the eco-physiological mechanisms associated with lianas coping with water deficits are poorly understood. We examined soil water partitioning, sap flow, and canopy eco-physiological properties for 99 individuals of 15 liana and 34 co-occurring tree species in three tropical forests that differed in soil water availability. In the dry season, lianas used a higher proportion of deep soil water in the karst forest (KF; an area with severe seasonal soil water deficit (SSWD)) and in the tropical seasonal forest (TSF, moderate SSWD), permitting them to maintain a comparable leaf water status than trees in the TSF or a better status than trees in the KF. Lianas exhibited strong stomatal control to maximize carbon fixation while minimizing dry season water loss. During the dry period, lianas significantly decreased water consumption in the TSF and the KF. Additionally, lianas had a much higher maximum photosynthetic rates and sap flux density in the wet season and a lower proportional decline in photosynthesis in the dry season compared with those of trees. Our results indicated that access to deep soil water and strong physiological adjustments in the dry season together with active wet-season photosynthesis may explain the high abundance of lianas in seasonally dry forests. © 2014 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2014 New Phytologist Trust.

  5. [Seasonal dynamics and vertical distribution pattern of bud bank in different erosion environments on hilly-gully Loess Plateau of Northwest China].

    PubMed

    Du, Hua-Dong; Jiao, Ju-Ying; Kou, Meng; Wang, Ning

    2013-05-01

    This paper studied the vegetation composition, bud composition, and the seasonal dynamics and vertical distribution pattern of bud bank in five erosion environments (sunny gully slope, sunny hilly slope, hilltop, shady hilly slope, and shady gully slope) on the hilly-gully Loess Plateau of North Shaanxi. In the study area, the perennial species with perennial bud bank accounted for 80.3% of the total species, while the annual species with seasonal bud bank took up 19.7% of the total. In vegetation turning-green season, there was a relatively large perennial bud bank stock on the sunny hilly-gully slope where serious erosion occurred, while seasonal bud bank showed a higher bud bank density in blossom and fruit-setting season on the hilltop and two shady slopes where soil erosion intensity was relatively gentle. The proportion of underground bud bank to total perennial bud bank in different erosion environments was relatively stable. On the land surface, the perennial bud bank stock was larger on the sunny slope where the soil disturbance often occurred, whereas the seasonal bud bank stock was larger on the shady slope and hilltop. Due to the different species composition of plant communities in different erosion environments, in addition to the disturbance of soil erosion and the seasonal plant regeneration, the seasonal dynamics and vertical distribution pattern of bud bank changed. It was suggested that bud bank played an important role in the vegetation regeneration after the disturbance of soil erosion on the hilly-gully Loess Plateau of North Shaanxi.

  6. A Stochastic Model to Study Rift Valley Fever Persistence with Different Seasonal Patterns of Vector Abundance: New Insights on the Endemicity in the Tropical Island of Mayotte

    PubMed Central

    Dommergues, Laure; Zumbo, Betty; Cardinale, Eric

    2015-01-01

    Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a zoonotic vector-borne disease causing abortion storms in cattle and human epidemics in Africa. Our aim was to evaluate RVF persistence in a seasonal and isolated population and to apply it to Mayotte Island (Indian Ocean), where the virus was still silently circulating four years after its last known introduction in 2007. We proposed a stochastic model to estimate RVF persistence over several years and under four seasonal patterns of vector abundance. Firstly, the model predicted a wide range of virus spread patterns, from obligate persistence in a constant or tropical environment (without needing vertical transmission or reintroduction) to frequent extinctions in a drier climate. We then identified for each scenario of seasonality the parameters that most influenced prediction variations. Persistence was sensitive to vector lifespan and biting rate in a tropical climate, and to host viraemia duration and vector lifespan in a drier climate. The first epizootic peak was primarily sensitive to viraemia duration and thus likely to be controlled by vaccination, whereas subsequent peaks were sensitive to vector lifespan and biting rate in a tropical climate, and to host birth rate and viraemia duration in arid climates. Finally, we parameterized the model according to Mayotte known environment. Mosquito captures estimated the abundance of eight potential RVF vectors. Review of RVF competence studies on these species allowed adjusting transmission probabilities per bite. Ruminant serological data since 2004 and three new cross-sectional seroprevalence studies are presented. Transmission rates had to be divided by more than five to best fit observed data. Five years after introduction, RVF persisted in more than 10% of the simulations, even under this scenario of low transmission. Hence, active surveillance must be maintained to better understand the risk related to RVF persistence and to prevent new introductions. PMID:26147799

  7. Absolute quantification of microbial taxon abundances.

    PubMed

    Props, Ruben; Kerckhof, Frederiek-Maarten; Rubbens, Peter; De Vrieze, Jo; Hernandez Sanabria, Emma; Waegeman, Willem; Monsieurs, Pieter; Hammes, Frederik; Boon, Nico

    2017-02-01

    High-throughput amplicon sequencing has become a well-established approach for microbial community profiling. Correlating shifts in the relative abundances of bacterial taxa with environmental gradients is the goal of many microbiome surveys. As the abundances generated by this technology are semi-quantitative by definition, the observed dynamics may not accurately reflect those of the actual taxon densities. We combined the sequencing approach (16S rRNA gene) with robust single-cell enumeration technologies (flow cytometry) to quantify the absolute taxon abundances. A detailed longitudinal analysis of the absolute abundances resulted in distinct abundance profiles that were less ambiguous and expressed in units that can be directly compared across studies. We further provide evidence that the enrichment of taxa (increase in relative abundance) does not necessarily relate to the outgrowth of taxa (increase in absolute abundance). Our results highlight that both relative and absolute abundances should be considered for a comprehensive biological interpretation of microbiome surveys.

  8. The value of model averaging and dynamical climate model predictions for improving statistical seasonal streamflow forecasts over Australia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pokhrel, Prafulla; Wang, Q. J.; Robertson, David E.

    2013-10-01

    Seasonal streamflow forecasts are valuable for planning and allocation of water resources. In Australia, the Bureau of Meteorology employs a statistical method to forecast seasonal streamflows. The method uses predictors that are related to catchment wetness at the start of a forecast period and to climate during the forecast period. For the latter, a predictor is selected among a number of lagged climate indices as candidates to give the "best" model in terms of model performance in cross validation. This study investigates two strategies for further improvement in seasonal streamflow forecasts. The first is to combine, through Bayesian model averaging, multiple candidate models with different lagged climate indices as predictors, to take advantage of different predictive strengths of the multiple models. The second strategy is to introduce additional candidate models, using rainfall and sea surface temperature predictions from a global climate model as predictors. This is to take advantage of the direct simulations of various dynamic processes. The results show that combining forecasts from multiple statistical models generally yields more skillful forecasts than using only the best model and appears to moderate the worst forecast errors. The use of rainfall predictions from the dynamical climate model marginally improves the streamflow forecasts when viewed over all the study catchments and seasons, but the use of sea surface temperature predictions provide little additional benefit.

  9. Frequency and abundance of selected early season insect pests of cotton

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The use of insecticides at planting has been a common crop management practice in cotton for several decades. Historically, U.S. cotton growers relied on in-furrow applications of insecticides, such as aldicarb, to control early season insect pests. In-furrow applications have largely been replaced ...

  10. Seasonal controls of aragonite saturation states in the Gulf of Maine

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Zhaohui Aleck; Lawson, Gareth L.; Pilskaln, Cynthia H.; Maas, Amy E.

    2017-01-01

    The Gulf of Maine (GoME) is a shelf region especially vulnerable to ocean acidification (OA) due to natural conditions of low pH and aragonite saturation states (Ω-Ar). This study is the first to assess the major oceanic processes controlling seasonal variability of the carbonate system and its linkages with pteropod abundance in Wilkinson Basin in the GoME. Two years of seasonal sampling cruises suggest that water-column carbonate chemistry in the region undergoes a seasonal cycle, wherein the annual cycle of stratification-overturn, primary production, respiration-remineralization and mixing all play important roles, at distinct spatiotemporal scales. Surface production was tightly coupled with remineralization in the benthic nepheloid layer during high production seasons, which results in occasional aragonite undersaturation. From spring to summer, carbonate chemistry in the surface across Wilkinson Basin reflects a transition from a production-respiration balanced system to a net autotropic system. Mean water-column Ω-Ar and abundance of large thecosomatous pteropods show some correlation, although patchiness and discrete cohort reproductive success likely also influence their abundance. Overall, photosynthesis-respiration is the primary driving force controlling Ω-Ar variability during the spring-to-summer transition as well as over the seasonal cycle. However, calcium carbonate (CaCO3) dissolution appears to occur near bottom in fall and winter when bottom water Ω-Ar is generally low but slightly above 1. This is accompanied by a decrease in pteropod abundance that is consistent with previous CaCO3 flux trap measurements. The region might experience persistent subsurface aragonite undersaturation in 30-40 years under continued ocean acidification.

  11. Sediment dynamics in a large shallow lake characterized by seasonal flood pulse in Southeast Asia.

    PubMed

    Siev, Sokly; Yang, Heejun; Sok, Ty; Uk, Sovannara; Song, Layheang; Kodikara, Dilini; Oeurng, Chantha; Hul, Seingheng; Yoshimura, Chihiro

    2018-08-01

    Most of studies on sediment dynamics in stable shallow lakes focused on the resuspension process as it is the dominant process. However, understanding of sediment dynamics in a shallow lake influenced by flood pulse is unclear. We tested a hypothesis that floodplain vegetation plays as a significant role in lessening the intensity of resuspension process in a shallow lake characterized by the flood pulse system. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate sediment dynamics in this type of shallow lake. The target was Tonle Sap Lake (TSL), which is a large shallow lake influenced by a flood pulse system of Mekong River located in Southeast Asia. An extensive and seasonal sampling survey was conducted to measure total suspended solid (TSS) concentrations, sedimentation and resuspension rates in TSL and its 4 floodplain areas. The study revealed that sedimentation process was dominant (TSS ranged: 3-126mgL -1 ) in the high water period (September-December) while resuspension process was dominant (TSS ranged: 4-652mgL -1 ) only in the low water period (March-June). In addition, floodplain vegetation reduced the resuspension of sediment (up to 26.3%) in water. The implication of the study showed that resuspension is a seasonally dominant process in shallow lake influenced by the flood pulse system at least for the case of TSL. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Decreased seasonality and high variability of coastal plankton dynamics in an urban location of the NW Mediterranean

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Romero, Estela; Peters, Francesc; Arin, Laura; Guillén, Jorge

    2014-04-01

    Contrary to what happens in open waters, where chlorophyll values and plankton dynamics can be predicted with a reasonable accuracy on an annual basis, biological parameters analyzed for coastal waters often show slight seasonality, and are exposed to numerous and convergent forcing factors that make it difficult to draw clear patterns. On top of this large natural variability, coastal locations subjected to urban sprawl suffer further human impact that may increase the unpredictability of plankton dynamics. Here we present the results of a multi-year time series of monthly samplings carried out in a coastal location by the city of Barcelona (NW Mediterranean) that is highly exposed to anthropogenic disturbances. Our data confirm the existence of complex patterns throughout the year. Freshwater inputs proved to be an important source of nutrients, yet the response of the planktonic organisms was vague and not systematic, contrary to the results of a previous study at a nearby coastal site less affected by human activities. The severity of anthropogenic disruptions was partially masked by the co-occurrence of natural physical phenomena, e.g., waste spills often come with downpours and large river discharge. In the NW Mediterranean, there seems to be a gradient of decreasing predictability on plankton dynamics from offshore to coastal waters with little human influence, where seasonality can be largely modified by local processes but the biological response is systematic and fairly predictable, and finally to urban coastal locations, where the seasonal background is diluted by numerous perturbations and there exists a variable pattern of biological responses. Our study underlines the importance of specific coastal processes in determining the structure and dynamics of the planktonic community, and the need to characterize coastal areas setting aside some of the assumptions valid for open ocean regions (e.g., (1) in the open ocean seasonality dominates annual nutrient

  13. Synchronous centennial-scale variability in abundance of remote sardine populations in the Pacific

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kuwae, M.; Takashige, S.; Yamamoto, M.; Sagawa, T.; Takeoka, H.

    2012-12-01

    A number of studies have identified evidence for connections between Pacific climate decadal variability and variations in Pacific marine ecosystems which are typically shown in abundance of remote sardine and anchovy species off Japan, California, Peru, and Chile as well as Alaska salmon species. The variations in climate indices and abundance of sardine and anchovy species most likely have 50-70 year cycles and therefore these natural perturbations in climates and Pacific ecosystems should be considered for developing predictive models of fisheries productions and the managements. Despite the importance of natural perturbations for long-term predictions, one issue, whether synchronous centennial-variations in remote Pacific fisheries productions in response to climate variability exists in the past, has not been questioned, because there has never been long-term reconstructed time series in the western North Pacific. Here we present well preserved, fossil fish scale-based abundance record of Japanese sardine over the last 1100 years reconstructed from a seasonal anoxic basin in the western Seto Inland Sea near their spawning areas in the western North Pacific. A comparison of our record with other previous records clearly showed centennial-scale variations in abundance of sardine species off Japan, California, and Chile, characterized by centennial-scale alternations between low abundance regimes and high abundance regimes in which multidecadal fluctuations with large amplitudes occurred once or several times. High abundance regimes from 1450 to 1650 AD and after 1800 AD and a low abundance regime from 1650 to 1800 AD corresponded to low frequency patterns of PDO index reconstructed from tree-ring records in North America. This indicates that connections between Pacific climate variability and variations in Pacific marine ecosystems exist not only on multidecadal timescales but on centennial timescales. Three to four hundred-yr periodicity of the Pacific climate

  14. Population dynamics of two species of dragon lizards in arid Australia: the effects of rainfall.

    PubMed

    Dickman, Christopher R; Letnic, Mike; Mahon, Paul S

    1999-05-01

    The population dynamics of two species of agamid (dragon) lizards were studied in the Simpson Desert, central Australia, over a period of 7 years, and modelled in relation to rainfall. Both species have annual life cycles, with adults predominating during the breeding season in spring and summer and juveniles predominating in other seasons. Within years, juvenile abundance in both species in autumn and winter was related most strongly to rainfall in the preceding summer and autumn. This pattern suggests that rainfall enhances survival, growth and possibly clutch size and hatching success. Between years, however, rainfall drove successional change in the dominant plant species in the study area, spinifex Triodia basedowii, causing in turn a shift in the relative abundance of the two species. Thus, the central netted dragon Ctenophorus nuchalis was most numerous in 1990 when vegetation cover was <10%, but declined dramatically in abundance after heavy rainfall at the end of that year. In contrast, the military dragon C. isolepis achieved greatest abundance following heavy rains in the summers of 1990 and 1994, when spinifex cover increased to >20%, and remained numerically dominant for much of the study. We suggest that drought-wet cycles periodically reverse the dominance of the two species of Ctenophorus, and perhaps of other lizard species also, thus enhancing local species diversity over time. Further long-term studies are needed to document the population dynamics of other species, and to identify the factors that influence them.

  15. Seasonal seafloor oxygen dynamics on the Romanian Black Sea Shelf

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Friedrich, Jana; Balan, Sorin; van Beusekom, Justus E.; Naderipour, Celine; Secrieru, Dan

    2017-04-01

    The Black Sea suffers from the combined effects of anthropogenic eutrophication, overfishing and climate forcing. As a result, its broad and shallow western shelf in particular has a history of ecosystem collapse during the 1970s to the mid-1990s, which followed a slow recovery since the late 1990s due to reduction in anthropogenic pressures. Because of eutrophication, increased oxygen consumption caused recurrent widespread seasonal seafloor hypoxia in a system that is already naturally prone to decrease in bottom water oxygen during summer. On the shelf, reduced bottom water ventilation is a strong natural driver for seafloor hypoxia, due to strong seasonal thermohaline stratification as a result of freshwater inflow from the large rivers Danube, Dniester and Dniepro. To understand the present seasonal dynamics of seafloor oxygen on the Romanian shelf, a seafloor mooring was deployed in 2010 and 2016 during summer and autumn, for three and six months, respectively. The mooring, consisting of an Aanderaa SEAGUARD sensor package attached to an acoustic release, was deployed in 30 m water depth in the Portita region - north of Constanta and south of the Danube River Mouths. The in-situ time series of seafloor oxygen, temperature, turbidity, salinity, and current velocities and directions, combined with CTD profiles, benthic oxygen consumption rates based on ex-situ incubations of sediment cores, and pelagic oxygen respiration rates provide a set of information that allows biological and hydrophysical controls on seafloor oxygen to be identified. We observed the built-up of the thermohaline stratification during late spring and early summer, accompanied by steady decrease in bottom water oxygen. Superimposed settling of particles to the seafloor eventually led to the formation of seafloor hypoxia in late summer. Anticyclonic currents resemble diurnal tidal cycles, albeit low in magnitude. The effects of a strong rainstorm and a Danube flood event in late September

  16. Long-term dynamics of winter and summer annual communities in the Chihuahuan Desert

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Guo, Q.; Brown, J.H.; Valone, T.J.

    2002-01-01

    Using 15 years of census data from permanent quadrats, this paper compared the characteristics and temporal dynamics of these two distinct, spatially coexistent but temporally segregated communities. Although the total number of summer annual species recorded during our 15 years observation was higher than winter annuals, the average number of species observed each year was higher in the winter community. The winter community exhibited lower temporal variation in total plant abundance and populations of individual species, lower species turnover rate and higher evenness than the summer community. The higher seasonal species diversity (i.e., number of species observed in each season) in winters rather than the overall special pool (over 15 yrs) may be responsible for the greater community stability of winter annuals. The difference in long-term community dynamics between the two communities of annuals plants are likely due to the differences in total species pool, life history traits (e.g., seed size), and seasonal climatic regimes.

  17. Composition, abundance and distribution of macrozooplankton in Culebra Bay, Gulf of Papagayo, Pacific coast of Costa Rica and its value as bioindicator of pollution.

    PubMed

    Bednarski, Melinda; Morales-Ramírez, Alvaro

    2004-12-01

    The abundance, distribution and composition of the macrozooplankton of Culebra Bay, Costa Rica (10 degrees 38' N - 85 degrees 40' W) were studied at four stations throughout the dry (February-May) and rainy (September-November) seasons of 2000. The samples were collected at two-week intervals using a 500 microm mesh net with a 0.5 m diameter opening. Copepods (23-31%) and ostracods (20-34%) were predominant throughout the year, followed by cladocerans (2.5-14%), zoea (6.6-9.5%), and siphonophores (2.5-7.2%). High densities of zooplankton were obtained in February and March with peak abundance on March 18. The lowest densities were observed on September 3 and November 5. Significant differences in abundances at each station were observed for the groups Acartia tonsa (Copepoda), Ctenophora, Medusae, Ostracoda, Zoea, and Amphipoda. Comparison of the dry and rainy seasons revealed significantly higher zooplankton abundance in the dry season and copepod domination of all stations; during the rainy season ostracods dominated the off-shore areas. Zooplankton abundance and distribution are influenced by upwelling, which occurs during the dry season in Culebra Bay.

  18. Dynamic habitat selection by two wading bird species with divergent foraging strategies in a seasonally fluctuating wetland

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Beerens, James M.; Gawlik, Dale E.; Herring, Garth; Cook, Mark I.

    2011-01-01

    Seasonal and annual variation in food availability during the breeding season plays an influential role in the population dynamics of many avian species. In highly dynamic ecosystems like wetlands, finding and exploiting food resources requires a flexible behavioral response that may produce different population trends that vary with a species' foraging strategy. We quantified dynamic foraging-habitat selection by breeding and radiotagged White Ibises (Eudocimus albus) and Great Egrets (Ardea alba) in the Florida Everglades, where fluctuation in food resources is pronounced because of seasonal drying and flooding. The White Ibis is a tactile “searcher” species in population decline that specializes on highly concentrated prey, whereas the Great Egret, in a growing population, is a visual “exploiter” species that requires lower prey concentrations. In a year with high food availability, resource-selection functions for both species included variables that changed over multiannual time scales and were associated with increased prey production. In a year with low food availability, resource-selection functions included short-term variables that concentrated prey (e.g., water recession rates and reversals in drying pattern), which suggests an adaptive response to poor foraging conditions. In both years, the White Ibis was more restricted in its use of habitats than the Great Egret. Real-time species—habitat suitability models were developed to monitor and assess the daily availability and quality of spatially explicit habitat resources for both species. The models, evaluated through hindcasting using independent observations, demonstrated that habitat use of the more specialized White Ibis was more accurately predicted than that of the more generalist Great Egret.

  19. Temporal dynamics of arthropods on six tree species in dry woodlands on the Caribbean Island of Puerto Rico

    Treesearch

    W. Beltran; Joseph Wunderle Jr.

    2014-01-01

    The seasonal dynamics of foliage arthropod populations are poorly studied in tropical dry forests despite the importance of these studies for understanding arthropod population responses to environmental change.We monitored the abundance, temporal distributions, and body size of arthropods in five naturalized alien and one native tree species to characterize arthropod...

  20. African Vultures Don’t Follow Migratory Herds: Scavenger Habitat Use Is Not Mediated by Prey Abundance

    PubMed Central

    Kendall, Corinne J.; Virani, Munir Z.; Hopcraft, J. Grant C.; Bildstein, Keith L.; Rubenstein, Daniel I.

    2014-01-01

    The ongoing global decline in vulture populations raises major conservation concerns, but little is known about the factors that mediate scavenger habitat use, in particular the importance of abundance of live prey versus prey mortality. We test this using data from the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem in East Africa. The two hypotheses that prey abundance or prey mortality are the main drivers of vulture habitat use provide alternative predictions. If vultures select areas based only on prey abundance, we expect tracked vultures to remain close to herds of migratory wildebeest regardless of season. However, if vultures select areas where mortality rates are greatest then we expect vultures to select the driest regions, where animals are more likely to die of starvation, and to be attracted to migratory wildebeest only during the dry season when wildebeest mortality is greatest. We used data from GSM-GPS transmitters to assess the relationship between three vulture species and migratory wildebeest in the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem. Results indicate that vultures preferentially cluster around migratory herds only during the dry season, when herds experience their highest mortality. Additionally during the wet season, Ruppell’s and Lappet-faced vultures select relatively dry areas, based on Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, whereas White-backed vultures preferred wetter areas during the wet season. Differences in habitat use among species may mediate coexistence in this scavenger guild. In general, our results suggest that prey abundance is not the primary driver of avian scavenger habitat use. The apparent reliance of vultures on non-migratory ungulates during the wet season has important conservation implications for vultures in light of on-going declines in non-migratory ungulate species and use of poisons in unprotected areas. PMID:24421887

  1. Land use determinants of small mammal abundance and distribution in a plague endemic area of Lushoto District, Tanzania.

    PubMed

    Hieronimo, Proches; Kimaro, Didas N; Kihupi, Nganga I; Gulinck, Hubert; Mulungu, Loth S; Msanya, Balthazar M; Leirs, Herwig; Deckers, Jozef A

    2014-07-01

    Small mammals are considered to be involved in the transmission cycle of bubonic plague, still occurring in different parts of the world, including the Lushoto District in Tanzania. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between land use types and practices and small mammal abundance and distribution. A field survey was used to collect data in three landscapes differing in plague incidences. Data collection was done both in the wet season (April-June 2012) and dry season (August-October 2012). Analysis of variance and Boosted Regression Trees (BRT) modelling technique were used to establish the relationship between land use and small mammal abundance and distribution. Significant variations (p ≤ 0.05) of small mammal abundance among land use types were identified. Plantation forest with farming, natural forest and fallow had higher populations of small mammals than the other aggregated land use types. The influence of individual land use types on small mammal abundance level showed that, in both dry and wet seasons, miraba and fallow tended to favour small mammals' habitation whereas land tillage practices had the opposite effect. In addition, during the wet season crop types such as potato and maize appeared to positively influence the distribution and abundance of small mammals which was attributed to both shelter and food availability. Based on the findings from this study it is recommended that future efforts to predict and map spatial and temporal human plague infection risk at fine scale should consider the role played by land use and associated human activities on small mammal abundance and distribution.

  2. Fine-root growth in a forested bog is seasonally dynamic, but shallowly distributed in nutrient-poor peat

    DOE PAGES

    Iversen, Colleen M.; Childs, Joanne; Norby, Richard J.; ...

    2017-03-30

    Fine roots contribute to ecosystem carbon, water, and nutrient fluxes through resource acquisition, respiration, exudation, and turnover, but are understudied in peatlands. Here, we aimed to determine how the amount and timing of fine-root growth in a forested, ombrotrophic bog varied across gradients of vegetation density, peat microtopography, and changes in environmental conditions across the growing season and throughout the peat profile. We quantified fine-root peak standing crop and growth using non-destructive minirhizotron technology over a two-year period, focusing on the dominant woody species in the bog: Picea mariana, Larix laricina, Rhododendron groenlandicum, and Chamaedaphne calyculata. The fine roots ofmore » trees and shrubs were concentrated in raised hummock microtopography, with more tree roots associated with greater tree densities and a unimodal peak in shrub roots at intermediate tree densities. Fine-root growth tended to be seasonally dynamic, but shallowly distributed, in a thin layer of nutrient-poor, aerobic peat above the growing season water table level. Finally, the dynamics and distribution of fine roots in this forested ombrotrophic bog varied across space and time in response to biological, edaphic, and climatic conditions, and we expect these relationships to be sensitive to projected environmental changes in northern peatlands.« less

  3. Fine-root growth in a forested bog is seasonally dynamic, but shallowly distributed in nutrient-poor peat

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Iversen, Colleen M.; Childs, Joanne; Norby, Richard J.

    Fine roots contribute to ecosystem carbon, water, and nutrient fluxes through resource acquisition, respiration, exudation, and turnover, but are understudied in peatlands. Here, we aimed to determine how the amount and timing of fine-root growth in a forested, ombrotrophic bog varied across gradients of vegetation density, peat microtopography, and changes in environmental conditions across the growing season and throughout the peat profile. We quantified fine-root peak standing crop and growth using non-destructive minirhizotron technology over a two-year period, focusing on the dominant woody species in the bog: Picea mariana, Larix laricina, Rhododendron groenlandicum, and Chamaedaphne calyculata. The fine roots ofmore » trees and shrubs were concentrated in raised hummock microtopography, with more tree roots associated with greater tree densities and a unimodal peak in shrub roots at intermediate tree densities. Fine-root growth tended to be seasonally dynamic, but shallowly distributed, in a thin layer of nutrient-poor, aerobic peat above the growing season water table level. Finally, the dynamics and distribution of fine roots in this forested ombrotrophic bog varied across space and time in response to biological, edaphic, and climatic conditions, and we expect these relationships to be sensitive to projected environmental changes in northern peatlands.« less

  4. Abundance estimation and conservation biology

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Nichols, J.D.; MacKenzie, D.I.

    2004-01-01

    birds occur at low densities, the number of occupied patches may provide a reasonable estimate of abundance. In other cases, occupancy can be viewed as providing information about one tail of the abundance distribution, P (N = 0). The motivation for considering occupancy as a surrogate for abundance is that occupancy is based on so–called presence–absence surveys that are frequently less expensive of time and effort than methods that estimate abundance directly. We describe one set of models that can be used to estimate occupancy for a single season and another that can be used to estimate parameters such as local probabilities of extinction and colonization that are associated with occupancy dynamics. We outline a possible hybrid approach that combines occupancy data with data on marked individuals in order to betterexplore the mechanisms underlying occupancy dynamics. These five presentations made for an interesting session containing useful information and recommendations for future work. A number of themes connecting these presentations could be emphasized. For example, two of the presentations considered alternatives to standard capture–recapture sampling that can be used to draw inferences about abundance, or a portion of the abundance distribution, with field methods that should be less expensive than usual capture–recapture approaches of handling animals. We believe that the most important theme of the session was the emphasis on the processes responsible for changes in abundance. In particular, we are excited by the potential for using hierarchical models as a means of investigating relationships among vital rates and as a means of combining multiple sources of data relevant to system dynamics. Indeed, we expect the importance of this session theme to be reflected in the content and presentations of the next EURING meeting.

  5. Seasonality in cholera dynamics : a rainfall-driven model explains the wide range of patterns of an infectious disease in endemic areas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Baracchini, Theo; Pascual, Mercedes; King, Aaron A.; Bouma, Menno J.; Bertuzzo, Enrico; Rinaldo, Andrea

    2015-04-01

    An explanation for the spatial variability of seasonal cholera patterns has remained an unresolved problem in tropical medicine te{pascual_2002}. Previous studies addressing the role of climate drivers in disease dynamics have focused on interannual variability and modelled seasonality as given te{king_nature}. Explanations for seasonality have relied on complex environmental interactions that vary with spatial location (involving regional hydrological models te{bertuzzo_2012}, river discharge, sea surface temperature, and plankton blooms). Thus, no simple and unified theory based on local climate variables has been formulated te{emch_2008}, leaving our understanding of seasonal variations of cholera outbreaks in different regions of the world incomplete. Through the analysis of a unique historical dataset containing 50 years of monthly meteorological, demographic and epidemiological records, we propose a mechanistic, SIR-based stochastic model for the population dynamics of cholera driven by local rainfall and temperature that is able to capture the full range of seasonal patterns in this large estuarine region, which encompasses the variety of patterns worldwide. Parameter inference was implemented via new statistical methods that allow the computation of maximum-likelihood estimates for partially observed Markov processes through sequential Monte-Carlo te{ionides_2011}. Such a model may provide a unprecedented opportunity to gain insights on the conditions and factors responsible for endemicity around the globe, and therefore, to also revise our understanding of the ecology of Vibrio cholerae. Results indicate that the hydrological regime is a decisive driver determining the seasonal dynamics of cholera. It was found that rainfall and longer water residence times tend to buffer the propagation of the disease in wet regions due to a dilution effect, while also enhancing cholera incidence in dry regions. This indicates that overall water levels matter and appear

  6. Comparison of Freshwater Mollusc Assemblages between Dry and Rainy Season in Situ Gede System, Bogor, Indonesia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Priawandiputra, W.; Nasution, D. J.; Prawasti, T. S.

    2017-03-01

    Anthropogenic activities, which reduced and damaged natural situ (freshwater ponds), also reduced fauna diversity in its aquatic ecosystem. Freshwater molluscs in the situ, one of the largest numbers of animals group with documented extinction, may also be impacted. The aims of this study were to record and to compare the abundance and species composition of freshwater molluscs between dry and rainy season in three situ. The freshwater molluscs were determined by twelve sampling points in Situ Gede (SG), Situ Panjang (SP) and Situ Burung (SB). Samplings were conducted once during dry season (August 2015) and rainy season (February 2016). Total abundance of molluscs encountered was 4321 individuals, which was comprised of 76 bivalve individuals (1.75 %) and 4245 gastropods individuals (98.44%). The abundance of molluscs were generally higher in rainy season than in dry season in all situ, while species richness showed the contrary. The species composition was significantly different between dry and rainy season in SP and SB but no significant differences was found in SG. From eight dominant species, there were six dominant species such as Filopaludina javanica, Melanoides tuberculata, Thiara scabra, Sermyla requeti, Pila scutata (gastropods) and Pilsbryoconcha exilis (bivalve) which were found in high numbers during dry season while two gastropod species (Pomacea canaliculata and Wattebledia crosseana) was numbered higher in rainy season than dry season.

  7. Spatiotemporal model of barley and cereal yellow dwarf virus transmission dynamics with seasonality and plant competition

    Treesearch

    S.M. Moore; C.A. Manore; V.A. Bokil; E.T. Borer; P.R. Hosseini

    2011-01-01

    Many generalist pathogens are influenced by the spatial distributions and relative abundances of susceptible host species. The spatial structure of host populations can influence patterns of infection incidence (or disease outbreaks), and the effects of a generalist pathogen on host community dynamics in a spatially heterogeneous community may differ from predictions...

  8. Seasonal gravity change at Yellowstone caldera

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Poland, M. P.; de Zeeuw-van Dalfsen, E.

    2017-12-01

    The driving forces behind Yellowstone's dynamic deformation, vigorous hydrothermal system, and abundant seismicity are usually ascribed to "magmatic fluids," which could refer to magma, water, volatiles, or some combination. Deformation data alone cannot distinguish the relative importance of these fluids. Gravity measurements, however, provide an indication of mass change over time and, when combined with surface displacements, can constrain the density of subsurface fluids. Unfortunately, several decades of gravity surveys at Yellowstone have yielded ambiguous results. We suspect that the difficulty in interpreting Yellowstone gravity data is due to seasonal variations in environmental conditions—especially surface and ground water. Yellowstone gravity surveys are usually carried out at the same time of year (generally late summer) to minimize the impact of seasonality. Nevertheless, surface and subsurface water levels are not likely to be constant from year to year, given annual differences in precipitation. To assess the overall magnitude of seasonal gravity changes, we conducted gravity surveys of benchmarks in and around Yellowstone caldera in May, July, August, and October 2017. Our goal was to characterize seasonal variations due to snow melt/accumulation, changes in river and lake levels, changes in groundwater levels, and changes in hydrothermal activity. We also hope to identify sites that show little variation in gravity over the course of the 2017 surveys, as these locations may be less prone to seasonal changes and more likely to detect small variations due to magmatic processes. Preliminary examination of data collected in May and July 2017 emphasizes the importance of site location relative to sources of water. For example, a site on the banks of the Yellowstone River showed a gravity increase of several hundred microgals associated with a 50 cm increase in the river level. A high-altitude site far from rivers and lakes, in contrast, showed a

  9. Seasonal monitoring of deep-sea megabenthos in Barkley Canyon cold seep by internet operated vehicle (IOV).

    PubMed

    Doya, Carolina; Chatzievangelou, Damianos; Bahamon, Nixon; Purser, Autun; De Leo, Fabio C; Juniper, S Kim; Thomsen, Laurenz; Aguzzi, Jacopo

    2017-01-01

    Knowledge of the processes shaping deep-sea benthic communities at seasonal scales in cold-seep environments is incomplete. Cold seeps within highly dynamic regions, such as submarine canyons, where variable current regimes may occur, are particularly understudied. Novel Internet Operated Vehicles (IOVs), such as tracked crawlers, provide new techniques for investigating these ecosystems over prolonged periods. In this study a benthic crawler connected to the NEPTUNE cabled infrastructure operated by Ocean Networks Canada was used to monitor community changes across 60 m2 of a cold-seep area of the Barkley Canyon, North East Pacific, at ~890 m depth within an Oxygen Minimum Zone (OMZ). Short video-transects were run at 4-h intervals during the first week of successive calendar months, over a 14 month period (February 14th 2013 to April 14th 2014). Within each recorded transect video megafauna abundances were computed and changes in environmental conditions concurrently measured. The responses of fauna to environmental conditions as a proxy of seasonality were assessed through analysis of abundances in a total of 438 video-transects (over 92 h of total footage). 7698 fauna individuals from 6 phyla (Cnidaria, Ctenophora, Arthropoda, Echinodermata, Mollusca, and Chordata) were logged and patterns in abundances of the 7 most abundant taxa (i.e. rockfish Sebastidae, sablefish Anoplopoma fimbria, hagfish Eptatretus stoutii, buccinids (Buccinoidea), undefined small crabs, ctenophores Bolinopsis infundibulum, and Scyphomedusa Poralia rufescens) were identified. Patterns in the reproductive behaviour of the grooved tanner crab (Chionnecetes tanneri) were also indicated. Temporal variations in biodiversity and abundance in megabenthic fauna was significantly influenced by variabilities in flow velocity flow direction (up or down canyon), dissolved oxygen concentration and month of study. Also reported here for the first time are transient mass aggregations of grooved tanner

  10. The Effect of Local and Landscape-Level Characteristics on the Abundance of Forest Birds in Early-Successional Habitats during the Post-Fledging Season in Western Massachusetts

    PubMed Central

    Labbe, Michelle A.; King, David I.

    2014-01-01

    Many species of mature forest-nesting birds (“forest birds”) undergo a pronounced shift in habitat use during the post-fledging period and move from their forest nesting sites into areas of early-successional vegetation. Mortality is high during this period, thus understanding the resource requirements of post-fledging birds has implications for conservation. Efforts to identify predictors of abundance of forest birds in patches of early-successional habitats have so far been equivocal, yet these previous studies have primarily focused on contiguously forested landscapes and the potential for landscape-scale influences in more fragmented and modified landscapes is largely unknown. Landscape composition can have a strong influence on the abundance and productivity of forest birds during the nesting period, and could therefore affect the number of forest birds in the landscape available to colonize early-successional habitats during the post-fledging period. Therefore, the inclusion of landscape characteristics should increase the explanatory power of models of forest bird abundance in early-successional habitat patches during the post-fledging period. We examined forest bird abundance and body condition in relation to landscape and habitat characteristics of 15 early-successional sites during the post-fledging season in Massachusetts. The abundance of forest birds was influenced by within-patch habitat characteristics, however the explanatory power of these models was significantly increased by the inclusion of landscape fragmentation and the abundance of forest birds in adjacent forest during the nesting period for some species and age groups. Our findings show that including factors beyond the patch scale can explain additional variation in the abundance of forest birds in early-successional habitats during the post-fledging period. We conclude that landscape composition should be considered when siting early-successional habitat to maximize its benefit to

  11. The effect of local and landscape-level characteristics on the abundance of forest birds in early-successional habitats during the post-fledging season in western Massachusetts.

    PubMed

    Labbe, Michelle A; King, David I

    2014-01-01

    Many species of mature forest-nesting birds ("forest birds") undergo a pronounced shift in habitat use during the post-fledging period and move from their forest nesting sites into areas of early-successional vegetation. Mortality is high during this period, thus understanding the resource requirements of post-fledging birds has implications for conservation. Efforts to identify predictors of abundance of forest birds in patches of early-successional habitats have so far been equivocal, yet these previous studies have primarily focused on contiguously forested landscapes and the potential for landscape-scale influences in more fragmented and modified landscapes is largely unknown. Landscape composition can have a strong influence on the abundance and productivity of forest birds during the nesting period, and could therefore affect the number of forest birds in the landscape available to colonize early-successional habitats during the post-fledging period. Therefore, the inclusion of landscape characteristics should increase the explanatory power of models of forest bird abundance in early-successional habitat patches during the post-fledging period. We examined forest bird abundance and body condition in relation to landscape and habitat characteristics of 15 early-successional sites during the post-fledging season in Massachusetts. The abundance of forest birds was influenced by within-patch habitat characteristics, however the explanatory power of these models was significantly increased by the inclusion of landscape fragmentation and the abundance of forest birds in adjacent forest during the nesting period for some species and age groups. Our findings show that including factors beyond the patch scale can explain additional variation in the abundance of forest birds in early-successional habitats during the post-fledging period. We conclude that landscape composition should be considered when siting early-successional habitat to maximize its benefit to forest

  12. Seasonally dynamic fungal communities in the Quercus macrocarpa phyllosphere differ between urban and nonurban environments.

    PubMed

    Jumpponen, A; Jones, K L

    2010-04-01

    *The fungal richness, diversity and community composition in the Quercus macrocarpa phyllosphere were compared across a growing season in trees located in six stands within and outside a small urban center using 454-sequencing and DNA tagging. The approaches did not differentiate between endophytic and epiphytic fungal communities. *Fungi accumulated in the phyllosphere rapidly and communities were temporally dynamic, with more than a third of the analyzed operational taxonomic units (OTUs) and half of the BLAST-inferred genera showing distinct seasonal patterns. The seasonal patterns could be explained by fungal life cycles or environmental tolerances. *The communities were hyperdiverse and differed between the urban and nonurban stands, albeit not consistently across the growing season. Foliar macronutrients (nitrogen (N), potassium (K) and sulfur (S)), micronutrients (boron (B), manganese (Mn) and selenium (Se)) and trace elements (cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn)) were enriched in the urban trees, probably as a result of anthropogenic activities. Because of correlations with the experimental layout, these chemical elements should not be considered as community drivers without further empirical studies. *We suggest that a combination of mechanisms leads to differences between urban and nonurban communities. Among those are stand isolation and size, nutrient and pollutant accumulation plus stand management, including fertilization and litter removal.

  13. Distribution and abundance of cetaceans in the north-central and western Gulf of Mexico. Final report. Volume 1. Executive summary

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Davis, R.W.; Fargion, G.S.

    1996-05-24

    The purpose of the study was to determine the distribution and abundance of cetaceans in areas potentially affected by future oil and gas activities along the continental slope of the north-central and western Gulf of Mexico. This 3.75 year project commenced 1 October 1991 and finished 15 July 1995. The study area was bounded by the Florida-Alabama border, the Texas-Mexico border, and the 100 m and 2,000 m isobaths. Cetacean distribution and abundance were determined from seasonal aerial and shipboard visual surveys and shipboard acoustic surveys. In addition, hydrographic data were collected in situ and by satellite remote sensing tomore » characterize cetacean habitat. Finally, tagging and tracking of sperm whales using satellite telemetry was attempted. This volume summarizes the results of the study. Cetaceans were observed throughout the study area during all four seasons. Nineteen species were identified, including two species (melon-headed whales and Fraser`s dolphins) previously thought to be rare in the Gulf. Pantropical spotted dolphins, bottlenose dolphins, clymene dolphins, striped dolphins, Atlantic spotted dolphins, and melon-headed whales were the most common small cetaceans and the sperm whale was the most common large cetacean. The mean annual abundance for all cetaceans was estimated to be 19,198. Although the study area had complex and dynamic oceanography, bottom depth was the only environmental variable which correlated to cetacean distribution.« less

  14. Distribution and abundance of cetaceans in the north-central and western Gulf of Mexico. Final report. Volume 3. Appendix B

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    NONE

    1996-05-24

    The purpose of the study was to determine the distribution and abundance of cetaceans in areas potentially affected by future oil and gas activities along the continental slope of the north-central and western Gulf of Mexico. This 3.75 year project commenced 1 October 1991 and finished 15 July 1995. The study area was bounded by the Florida-Alabama border, the Texas-Mexico border, and the 100 m and 2,000 m isobaths. Cetacean distribution and abundance were determined from seasonal aerial and shipboard visual surveys and shipboard acoustic surveys. In addition, hydrographic data were collected in situ and by satellite remote sensing tomore » characterize cetacean habitat. Finally, tagging and tracking of sperm whales using satellite telemetry was attempted. Appendix B contains the hydrographic data collected during all four NMFS-SEFSC cruises. Cetaceans were observed throughout the study area during all four seasons. Nineteen species were identified, including two species (melon-headed whales and Fraser`s dolphins) previously thought to be rare in the Gulf. Pantropical spotted dolphins, bottlenose dolphins, clymene dolphins, striped dolphins, Atlantic spotted dolphins, and melon-headed whales were the most common small cetaceans and the sperm whale was the most common large cetacean. The mean annual abundance for all cetaceans was estimated to be 19,198. Although the study area had complex and dynamic oceanography, bottom depth was the only environmental variable which correlated to cetacean distribution.« less

  15. Distribution and abundance of cetaceans in the north-central and western Gulf of Mexico. Final report. Volume 2. Technical report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Davis, R.W.; Fargion, G.S.

    1996-05-24

    The purpose of the study was to determine the distribution and abundance of cetaceans in areas potentially affected by future oil and gas activities along the continental slope of the north-central and western Gulf of Mexico. This 3.75 year project commenced 1 October 1991 and finished 15 July 1995. The study area was bounded by the Florida-Alabama border, the Texas-Mexico border, and the 100 m and 2,000 m isobaths. Cetacean distribution and abundance were determined from seasonal aerial and shipboard visual surveys and shipboard acoustic surveys. In addition, hydrographic data were collected in situ and by satellite remote sensing tomore » characterize cetacean habitat. Finally, tagging and tracking of sperm whales using satellite telemetry was attempted. This volume summarizes the results of the study. Cetaceans were observed throughout the study area during all four seasons. Nineteen species were identified, including two species (melon-headed whales and Fraser`s dolphins) previously thought to be rare in the Gulf. Pantropical spotted dolphins, bottlenose dolphins, clymene dolphins, striped dolphins, Atlantic spotted dolphins, and melon-headed whales were the most common small cetaceans and the sperm whale was the most common large cetacean. The mean annual abundance for all cetaceans was estimated to be 19,198. Although the study area had complex and dynamic oceanography, bottom depth was the only environmental variable which correlated to cetacean distribution.« less

  16. Diversity and abundance of mosquitoes (Diptera:Culicidae) in an urban park: larval habitats and temporal variation.

    PubMed

    Medeiros-Sousa, Antônio R; Ceretti-Júnior, Walter; de Carvalho, Gabriela C; Nardi, Marcello S; Araujo, Alessandra B; Vendrami, Daniel P; Marrelli, Mauro T

    2015-10-01

    Urban parks are areas designated for human recreation but also serve as shelter and refuge for populations of several species of native fauna, both migratory and introduced. In Brazil, the effect of annual climate variations on Aedes aegypti and dengue epidemics in large cities like São Paulo is well known, but little is known about how such variations can affect the diversity of mosquito vectors in urban parks and the risk of disease transmission by these vectors. This study investigates the influence of larval habitats and seasonal factors on the diversity and abundance of Culicidae fauna in Anhanguera Park, one of the largest remaining green areas in the city of São Paulo. Species composition and richness and larval habitats were identified. Seasonality (cold-dry and hot-rainy periods) and year were considered as explanatory variables and the models selection approach was developed to investigate the relationship of these variables with mosquito diversity and abundance. A total of 11,036 specimens from 57 taxa distributed in 13 genera were collected. Culex nigripalpus, Cx. quinquefasciatus and Aedes albopictus were the most abundant species. Bamboo internodes and artificial breeding sites showed higher abundance, while ponds and puddles showed greater richness. Significant relationships were observed between abundance and seasonality, with a notable increase in the mosquitos abundance in the warm-rainy periods. The Shannon and Berger-Parker indices were related with interaction between seasonality and year, however separately these predictors showed no relationship with ones. The increased abundance of mosquitoes in warm-rainy months and the fact that some of the species are epidemiologically important increase not only the risk of pathogen transmission to people who frequent urban parks but also the nuisance represented by insect bites. The findings of this study highlight the importance of knowledge of culicid ecology in green areas in urban environments

  17. Assessing the abundance, seasonal questing activity, and Borrelia and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) prevalence of Ixodes ricinus ticks in a Lyme borreliosis endemic area in Southwest Finland.

    PubMed

    Sormunen, Jani J; Klemola, Tero; Vesterinen, Eero J; Vuorinen, Ilppo; Hytönen, Jukka; Hänninen, Jari; Ruohomäki, Kai; Sääksjärvi, Ilari E; Tonteri, Elina; Penttinen, Ritva

    2016-02-01

    Studies have revealed that Ixodes ricinus (Acari: Ixodidae) have become more abundant and their geographical distribution extended northwards in some Nordic countries during the past few decades. However, ecological data of tick populations in Finland are sparse. In the current study, I. ricinus abundance, seasonal questing activity, and their Borrelia spp. and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) prevalence were evaluated in a Lyme borreliosis endemic area in Southwest Finland, Seili Island, where a previous study mapping tick densities was conducted 12 years earlier. A total of 1940 ticks were collected from five different biotopes by cloth dragging during May-September 2012. The overall tick density observed was 5.2 ticks/100m(2) for nymphs and adults. Seasonal questing activity of ticks differed between biotopes and life stages: bimodal occurrences were observed especially for nymphal and adult ticks in forested biotopes, while larvae in pastures exhibited mostly unimodal occurrence. Prevalence of Borrelia and TBEV in ticks was evaluated using conventional and real-time PCR. All samples were negative for TBEV. Borrelia prevalence was 25.0% for adults (n=44) and the minimum infection rate (MIR) 5.6% for pooled nymph samples (191 samples, 1-14 individuals per sample; 30/191 positive). No Borrelia were detected in pooled larval samples (63 samples, 1-139 individuals per sample). Five species of Borrelia were identified from the samples: B. afzelii, B. burgdorferi s.s., B. garinii, B. valaisiana and B. miyamotoi. In Finland, B. valaisiana and B. miyamotoi have previously been reported from the Åland Islands but not from the mainland or inner archipelago. The results of the present study suggest an increase in I. ricinus abundance on the island. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  18. Seasonal Redistribution of Water in the Surficial Martian Regolith: Results of the HEND Data Analysis

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kuzmin, R. O.; Zabalueva, E. V.; Mitrofanov, I. G.; Litvak, M. I.; Parshukov, A. V.; Grinkov, V. Yu.; Saunders, R. S.; Boynton, W.

    2005-01-01

    The global mapping of the neutrons emission from the Mars, conducted recently by HEND instrument (Mars Odyssey), has shown that the surface layer (1-2 m) on the high latitudes of the planet (up to 50 ) is very reached by water ice with abundance more 50% by mass [1,2,3 ]. It was also shown that water ice distribution in surficial layer of the northern and the southern sub-polar regions is notably different [4]. Until today the existing HEND data already covers the period more then one the Martian year. This let to study the seasonal effects of volatiles redistribution associated with processes of sublimation and condensation of the seasonal polar caps and water exchange between the surface regolith and atmosphere. The goal of our work was to analyze the dynamic of the globally mapped neutrons flux as key to understanding of the seasonal redistribution of the water ice in the surface layer. For this we analyzed the globally mapped flux of the neutrons with different energy and corresponding effective layer of their emission.

  19. Spatial Variations of Chemical Abundances in Titan's Atmosphere as Revealed by ALMA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thelen, Alexander E.; Nixon, Conor; Chanover, Nancy J.; Molter, Edward; Serigano, Joseph; Cordiner, Martin; Charnley, Steven B.; Teanby, Nicholas A.; Irwin, Patrick

    2016-10-01

    Complex organic molecules in Titan's atmosphere - formed through the dissociation of N2 and CH4 - exhibit latitudinal variations in abundance as observed by Cassini. Chemical species including hydrocarbons - such as CH3CCH - and nitriles - HCN, HC3N, CH3CN, and C2H5CN - may show spatial abundance variations as a result of atmospheric circulation, photochemical production and subsequent destruction throughout Titan's seasonal cycle. Recent calibration images of Titan taken by the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) with beam sizes of ~0.3'' allow for measurements of rotational transition lines of these species in spatially resolved regions of Titan's disk. We present abundance profiles obtained from public ALMA data taken in 2014, as Titan transitioned into northern summer. Abundance profiles in Titan's lower/middle atmosphere were retrieved by modeling high resolution ALMA spectra using the Non-linear Optimal Estimator for MultivariatE Spectral analySIS (NEMESIS) radiative transfer code. These retrievals were performed using spatial temperature profiles obtained by modeling strong CO lines from datasets taken in similar times with comparable resolution. We compare the abundance variations of chemical species to measurements made using Cassini data. Comparisons of chemical species with strong abundance enhancements over the poles will inform our knowledge of chemical lifetimes in Titan's atmosphere, and allow us to observe the important changes in production and circulation of numerous organic molecules which are attributed to Titan's seasons.

  20. [Seasonal dynamics of soil organic carbon mineralization for two forest types in Xiaoxing'an Mountains, China].

    PubMed

    Gao, Fei; Lin, Wei; Cui, Xiao-yang

    2016-01-01

    To investigate the seasonal dynamics of soil organic carbon (SOC) mineralization in Xiaoxing'an Mountain, we incubated soil samples collected from virgin Korean pine forest and broad-leaved secondary forest in different seasons in the laboratory and measured the SOC mineralization rate and cumulative SOC mineralization (Cm). We employed simultaneous reaction model to describe C mineralization kinetics and estimated SOC mineralization parameters including soil easily mineralizable C (C1), potentially mineralizable C (C₀). We also analyzed the relations between Cm, C₁and their influencing factors. Results showed that the incubated SOC mineralization rate and Cm for 0-5 cm soil layer decreased from early spring to late autumn, while for 5-10 cm soil layer the seasonal variation was not statistically significant for both forest types. The C₁ in 0-5 and 5-10 cm soil layers varied from 42.92-92.18 and 19.23-32.95 mg kg⁻¹, respectively, while the C₀ in 0-5 and 5-10 cm soil layers varied from 863.92-3957.15 and 434.15-865.79 mg · kg⁻¹, respec- tively. Both C₁ and C₀ decreased from early spring to late autumn. The proportions of C₀ in SOC for two forest types were 0.74%-2.78% and 1.11%-1.84% in 0-5 and 5-10 cm soil layers, respectively, and decreased from early spring to late autumn, indicating that SOC tended to become more stable as a whole from spring to autumn. The Cm and C₀ were significantly positively correlated to in situ soil water content and hot water-extractable carbohydrate content, but were not correlated to in situ soil temperature and cool water-extractable carbohydrate content. We concluded that soil labile organic carbon, soil physical and chemical properties contributed to the seasonal dynamics of SOC mineralization in the forests.

  1. The Role of Climatic and Density Dependent Factors in Shaping Mosquito Population Dynamics: The Case of Culex pipiens in Northwestern Italy

    PubMed Central

    Giacobini, Mario; Pugliese, Andrea; Merler, Stefano; Rosà, Roberto

    2016-01-01

    Culex pipiens mosquito is a species widely spread across Europe and represents a competent vector for many arboviruses such as West Nile virus (WNV), which has been recently circulating in many European countries, causing hundreds of human cases. In order to identify the main determinants of the high heterogeneity in Cx. pipiens abundance observed in Piedmont region (Northwestern Italy) among different seasons, we developed a density-dependent stochastic model that takes explicitly into account the role played by temperature, which affects both developmental and mortality rates of different life stages. The model was calibrated with a Markov chain Monte Carlo approach exploring the likelihood of recorded capture data gathered in the study area from 2000 to 2011; in this way, we disentangled the role played by different seasonal eco-climatic factors in shaping the vector abundance. Illustrative simulations have been performed to forecast likely changes if temperature or density–dependent inputs would change. Our analysis suggests that inter-seasonal differences in the mosquito dynamics are largely driven by different temporal patterns of temperature and seasonal-specific larval carrying capacities. Specifically, high temperatures during early spring hasten the onset of the breeding season and increase population abundance in that period, while, high temperatures during the summer can decrease population size by increasing adult mortality. Higher densities of adult mosquitoes are associated with higher larval carrying capacities, which are positively correlated with spring precipitations. Finally, an increase in larval carrying capacity is expected to proportionally increase adult mosquito abundance. PMID:27105065

  2. Patterns of rare and abundant marine microbial eukaryotes.

    PubMed

    Logares, Ramiro; Audic, Stéphane; Bass, David; Bittner, Lucie; Boutte, Christophe; Christen, Richard; Claverie, Jean-Michel; Decelle, Johan; Dolan, John R; Dunthorn, Micah; Edvardsen, Bente; Gobet, Angélique; Kooistra, Wiebe H C F; Mahé, Frédéric; Not, Fabrice; Ogata, Hiroyuki; Pawlowski, Jan; Pernice, Massimo C; Romac, Sarah; Shalchian-Tabrizi, Kamran; Simon, Nathalie; Stoeck, Thorsten; Santini, Sébastien; Siano, Raffaele; Wincker, Patrick; Zingone, Adriana; Richards, Thomas A; de Vargas, Colomban; Massana, Ramon

    2014-04-14

    Biological communities are normally composed of a few abundant and many rare species. This pattern is particularly prominent in microbial communities, in which most constituent taxa are usually extremely rare. Although abundant and rare subcommunities may present intrinsic characteristics that could be crucial for understanding community dynamics and ecosystem functioning, microbiologists normally do not differentiate between them. Here, we investigate abundant and rare subcommunities of marine microbial eukaryotes, a crucial group of organisms that remains among the least-explored biodiversity components of the biosphere. We surveyed surface waters of six separate coastal locations in Europe, independently considering the picoplankton, nanoplankton, and microplankton/mesoplankton organismal size fractions. Deep Illumina sequencing of the 18S rRNA indicated that the abundant regional community was mostly structured by organismal size fraction, whereas the rare regional community was mainly structured by geographic origin. However, some abundant and rare taxa presented similar biogeography, pointing to spatiotemporal structure in the rare microeukaryote biosphere. Abundant and rare subcommunities presented regular proportions across samples, indicating similar species-abundance distributions despite taxonomic compositional variation. Several taxa were abundant in one location and rare in other locations, suggesting large oscillations in abundance. The substantial amount of metabolically active lineages found in the rare biosphere suggests that this subcommunity constitutes a diversity reservoir that can respond rapidly to environmental change. We propose that marine planktonic microeukaryote assemblages incorporate dynamic and metabolically active abundant and rare subcommunities, with contrasting structuring patterns but fairly regular proportions, across space and time. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Arthropod abundance and seasonal bird use of bottomland forest harvest gaps

    Treesearch

    Christopher E. Moorman; Liessa T. Woen; John C. Kilgo; James L. Hanula; Scott Horn; Michael D. Ulyshen

    2012-01-01

    We investigated the influence of arthropod abundance and vegetation structure on shifts in avian use of canopy gap, gap edge, and surrounding forest understory in a bottomland hardwood forest in the Upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina. We compared captures of foliage-gleaning birds among locations during four periods (spring migration, breeding, post-breeding, and...

  4. Abundance and frugivory of the Toco toucan (Ramphastos toco) in a gallery forest in Brazil's southern Pantanal.

    PubMed

    Ragusa-Netto, J

    2006-02-01

    Unlike other toucan species, the Toco toucan (Ramphastos toco)--the largest Ramphastidae--usually inhabits dry semi-open areas. This conspicuous canopy frugivore uses a large home range that includes a variety of vegetation types, among which gallery forests are widely cited as important to this species. However, the factors relating to the occurrence of Toco toucans in such habitats are unclear. I studied the abundance of Toco toucans as well as the availability of fleshy fruit in a gallery forest in the southern Pantanal (sub-region of Miranda, Brazil), in order to assess the relationship between these parameters. Also, I examined toucan foraging activity to analyze its relationship with both toucan abundance and fruit availability. The presence of the Toco toucan was more common in the gallery forest from the middle to the end of the dry season and during the middle of the wet season. Toucans foraged for fleshy fruits, mainly Genipa americana, Ficus luschnatiana, and Cecropia pachystachya fruits, feeding mostly on G. americana (by far the favorite food resource) and F. luschnatiana fruits during the dry season, while C. pachystachya fruits were important in the wet season. Toco toucans foraged particularly heavily (> 80% of foraging activity) on G. americana fruits during the latter part of the dry season, when fleshy fruit availability declined sharply. Toco toucan abundance in the gallery forest was associated with the availability of the most commonly consumed fleshy fruits, and also with its foraging activity. This finding suggests that the Toco toucan moved to the gallery forest periodically in response to the availability of abundant food resources, especially the G. americana fruits widely available and exploited during the severely dry season. Therefore, these fruits potentially contribute to Toco toucan persistence in the South Pantanal during the harshest period of the year.

  5. [Age dynamics and seasonal variations of parameters of cerebral circulation in children and adolescents from European north].

    PubMed

    Soroko, S I; Rozhkov, V P

    2014-10-01

    Age dynamics and seasonal variations in cerebral blood flow was studied by means of transcranial Doppler in 95 the natives of the Arkhangelsk region school students aged 7 to 18 years. The results of longitudinal (from 2005 to 2014) study of students are presented. The linear blood flow velocity (BFV) showed gradual declining from junior to senior school age, and BFV were in the middle cerebral artery below average, and in the basilar artery--above mid latitude standards. The influence of the seasonal factor is more pronounced in the younger (for boys) and intermediate (for girls) age group and leveled in the older group. The largest seasonal changes were obtained in BFV in carotid arteries, the relative constancy--in BFV in the basilar artery. Estimated by the resistivity index RI circulatory resistance in the younger and intermediate school students groups decreased in the carotid arteries in the spring and summer, and in the posterior cerebral artery territory--in the winter. BFV rate variability identifies groups of children with varying degrees of "sensitivity" to the influence of seasonal factors.

  6. Finding a fox: an evaluation of survey methods to estimate abundance of a small desert carnivore.

    PubMed

    Dempsey, Steven J; Gese, Eric M; Kluever, Bryan M

    2014-01-01

    The status of many carnivore species is a growing concern for wildlife agencies, conservation organizations, and the general public. Historically, kit foxes (Vulpes macrotis) were classified as abundant and distributed in the desert and semi-arid regions of southwestern North America, but is now considered rare throughout its range. Survey methods have been evaluated for kit foxes, but often in populations where abundance is high and there is little consensus on which technique is best to monitor abundance. We conducted a 2-year study to evaluate four survey methods (scat deposition surveys, scent station surveys, spotlight survey, and trapping) for detecting kit foxes and measuring fox abundance. We determined the probability of detection for each method, and examined the correlation between the relative abundance as estimated by each survey method and the known minimum kit fox abundance as determined by radio-collared animals. All surveys were conducted on 15 5-km transects during the 3 biological seasons of the kit fox. Scat deposition surveys had both the highest detection probabilities (p = 0.88) and were most closely related to minimum known fox abundance (r2 = 0.50, P = 0.001). The next best method for kit fox detection was the scent station survey (p = 0.73), which had the second highest correlation to fox abundance (r2 = 0.46, P<0.001). For detecting kit foxes in a low density population we suggest using scat deposition transects during the breeding season. Scat deposition surveys have low costs, resilience to weather, low labor requirements, and pose no risk to the study animals. The breeding season was ideal for monitoring kit fox population size, as detections consisted of the resident population and had the highest detection probabilities. Using appropriate monitoring techniques will be critical for future conservation actions for this rare desert carnivore.

  7. Finding a Fox: An Evaluation of Survey Methods to Estimate Abundance of a Small Desert Carnivore

    PubMed Central

    Dempsey, Steven J.; Gese, Eric M.; Kluever, Bryan M.

    2014-01-01

    The status of many carnivore species is a growing concern for wildlife agencies, conservation organizations, and the general public. Historically, kit foxes (Vulpes macrotis) were classified as abundant and distributed in the desert and semi-arid regions of southwestern North America, but is now considered rare throughout its range. Survey methods have been evaluated for kit foxes, but often in populations where abundance is high and there is little consensus on which technique is best to monitor abundance. We conducted a 2-year study to evaluate four survey methods (scat deposition surveys, scent station surveys, spotlight survey, and trapping) for detecting kit foxes and measuring fox abundance. We determined the probability of detection for each method, and examined the correlation between the relative abundance as estimated by each survey method and the known minimum kit fox abundance as determined by radio-collared animals. All surveys were conducted on 15 5-km transects during the 3 biological seasons of the kit fox. Scat deposition surveys had both the highest detection probabilities (p = 0.88) and were most closely related to minimum known fox abundance (r2 = 0.50, P = 0.001). The next best method for kit fox detection was the scent station survey (p = 0.73), which had the second highest correlation to fox abundance (r2 = 0.46, P<0.001). For detecting kit foxes in a low density population we suggest using scat deposition transects during the breeding season. Scat deposition surveys have low costs, resilience to weather, low labor requirements, and pose no risk to the study animals. The breeding season was ideal for monitoring kit fox population size, as detections consisted of the resident population and had the highest detection probabilities. Using appropriate monitoring techniques will be critical for future conservation actions for this rare desert carnivore. PMID:25148102

  8. Dynamic models for problems of species occurrence with multiple states

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    MacKenzie, D.I.; Nichols, J.D.; Seamans, M.E.; Gutierrez, R.J.

    2009-01-01

    Recent extensions of occupancy modeling have focused not only on the distribution of species over space, but also on additional state variables (e.g., reproducing or not, with or without disease organisms, relative abundance categories) that provide extra information about occupied sites. These biologist-driven extensions are characterized by ambiguity in both species presence and correct state classification, caused by imperfect detection. We first show the relationships between independently published approaches to the modeling of multistate occupancy. We then extend the pattern-based modeling to the case of sampling over multiple seasons or years in order to estimate state transition probabilities associated with system dynamics. The methodology and its potential for addressing relevant ecological questions are demonstrated using both maximum likelihood (occupancy and successful reproduction dynamics of California Spotted Owl) and Markov chain Monte Carlo estimation approaches (changes in relative abundance of green frogs in Maryland). Just as multistate capture?recapture modeling has revolutionized the study of individual marked animals, we believe that multistate occupancy modeling will dramatically increase our ability to address interesting questions about ecological processes underlying population-level dynamics.

  9. Muscle remodeling in relation to blood supply: implications for seasonal changes in mitochondrial enzymes.

    PubMed

    McClelland, G B; Dalziel, A C; Fragoso, N M; Moyes, C D

    2005-02-01

    We investigated if seasonal changes in rainbow trout muscle energetics arise in response to seasonal changes in erythrocyte properties. We assessed if skeletal muscle mitochondrial enzymes changed (1) acutely in response to changes in erythrocyte abundance, or (2) seasonally when we altered the age profile of erythrocytes. Rainbow trout were treated with pheynylhydrazine, causing a 75% reduction in hematocrit within 4 days. After erythropoiesis had returned hematocrit to normal, treated and control fish were subjected to a seasonal cold acclimation regime to assess the impact of erythrocyte age on skeletal muscle remodeling. Anemia (i.e. phenylhydrazine treatment) did not alter the specific activities (U g(-1) tissue) of mitochondrial enzymes in white or red muscle. Anemic pretreatment did not alter the normal pattern of cold-induced mitochondrial proliferation in skeletal muscle, suggesting erythrocyte age was not an important influence on seasonal remodeling of muscle. Anemia and cold acclimation both induced a 25-30% increase in relative ventricular mass. The increase in relative ventricular mass with phenylhydrazine treatment was accompanied by a 35% increase in DNA content (mg DNA per ventricle), suggesting an increase in number of cells. In contrast, the increase in ventricular mass with cold temperature acclimation occurred without a change in DNA content (mg DNA per ventricle), suggesting an increase in cell size. Despite the major increases in relative ventricular mass, neither anemia nor seasonal acclimation had a major influence on the specific activities of a suite of mitochondrial enzymes in heart. Collectively, these studies argue against a role for erythrocyte dynamics in seasonal adaptive remodeling of skeletal muscle energetics.

  10. Long-Term Effects of Season of Prescribed Burn on the Fine-Root Growth, Root Carbohydrates, and Foliar Dynamics of Mature Longleaf Pine

    Treesearch

    Eric A. Kuehler; Mary Anne Sword Sayer; James D. Haywood; C. Dan Andries

    2004-01-01

    Depending on the season and intensity of fire, as well as the phenology of foliage and new root growth, fire may damage foliage, and subsequently decrease whole-crown carbon fixation and allocation to the root system. In central Louisiana the authors investigated how season of prescribed burning affects fine-root dynamics, root carbohydrate relations, and leaf area...

  11. Coccolithophore diversity and dynamics at a coastal site in the Gulf of Trieste (northern Adriatic Sea)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cerino, Federica; Malinverno, Elisa; Fornasaro, Daniela; Kralj, Martina; Cabrini, Marina

    2017-09-01

    Two years-data (May 2011-February 2013) obtained from a monthly sampling carried out at the coastal long term Ecological Research station C1-LTER in the Gulf of Trieste (northern Adriatic Sea) were analysed to describe the seasonal dynamics and diversity of coccolithophore assemblages and to assess their relationship with environmental forcing. Coccolithophores represented 10.7% of the total Utermöhl phytoplankton that were mainly dominated by small (<10 μm) flagellates and diatoms (62.2% and 24.8% of total abundances, respectively). Coccolithophore abundances obtained by polarized light microscopy analysis ranged from 0.2 to 35.3 · 104 coccospheres L-1 with a mean value of 5.2 · 104 coccospheres L-1. A marked seasonal pattern was observed with a main peak in December-February (2.5-31.5 · 104 coccospheres L-1), in correspondence of the winter mixing, mainly due to Emiliania huxleyi, and a secondary peak in May-June (0.7-15.0 · 104 coccospheres L-1), coinciding with the increase of the light intensity and the beginning of the seasonal stratification, dominated by holococcolithophores and small Syracosphaera species. The most abundant taxa were E. huxleyi and holococcolithophores, followed by Acanthoica quattrospina, Syracosphaera species and other minor species. Statistical analyses recognized four distinct groups, corresponding to seasonal variations of environmental conditions. Considering the two years, some species displayed a recurrent seasonal pattern highlighting possible species-specific ecological requirements, while others showed an interannual variability probably due to local factors.

  12. Litter decomposition, N2-fixer abundance, and microbial dynamics govern tropical dry forest recovery to land use change

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Trierweiler, A.; Powers, J. S.; Xu, X.; Gei, M. G.; Medvigy, D.

    2017-12-01

    As one of the most threatened tropical biomes, Seasonal Dry Tropical Forests (TDF) have undergone extensive land-use change. However, some areas are undergoing recovery into secondary forests. Despite their broad distribution (42% of tropical forests), they are under-studied compared to wet tropical forests and our understanding of their biogeochemical cycling and belowground processes are limited. Here, we use models along with field measurements to improve our understanding of nutrient cycling and limitation in secondary TDFs. We ask (1) Is there modeling evidence that tropical dry forests can become nutrient limited? (2) What are the most important mechanisms employed to avoid nutrient limitation? (3) How might climate change alter biogeochemical cycling and nutrient limitation in recovering TDF? We use a new version of the Ecosystem Demography (ED2) model that has been recently parameterized for TDFs and incorporates a range of plant functional groups (including deciduousness and N2-fixation) and multiple resource constraints (carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and water). In the model, plants then can dynamically adjust their carbon allocation and nutrient acquisition strategies using N2-fixing bacteria and mycorrhizal fungi according to the nutrient limitation status. We ran the model for a nutrient gradient of field sites in Costa Rica and explored the sensitivity of nutrient limitation to key mechanisms including litter respiration, N resorption, N2-fixation, and overflow respiration. Future runs will evaluate how CO2 and climate change affect recovering TDFs. We found increasing nutrient limitation across the nutrient gradient of sites. Nitrogen limitation dominated the nutrient limitation signal. In the model, forest litter accumulation was negatively correlated with site fertility in Costa Rican forests. Our sensitivity analyses indicate that N2-fixer abundance, decomposition rates, and adding more explicit microbial dynamics are key factors in overcoming

  13. Spatiotemporal dynamics of the bacterial microbiota on lacustrine Cladophora glomerata (Chlorophyta).

    PubMed

    Braus, Michael J; Graham, Linda E; Whitman, Thea L

    2017-12-01

    The branched periphytic green alga Cladophora glomerata, often abundant in nearshore waters of lakes and rivers worldwide, plays important ecosystem roles, some mediated by epibiotic microbiota that benefit from host-provided surface, organic C, and O 2 . Previous microscopy and high-throughput sequencing studies have indicated surprising epibiont taxonomic and functional diversity, but have not included adequate consideration of sample replication or the potential for spatial and temporal variation. Here, we report the results of 16S rRNA amplicon-based phylum-to-genus taxonomic analysis of Cladophora-associated bacterial epibiota sampled in replicate from three microsites and at six times during the open-water season of 2014, from the same lake locale (Picnic Point, Lake Mendota, Dane Co., WI, USA) explored by high-throughput sequencing studies in two previous years. Statistical methods were used to test null hypotheses that the bacterial community: (i) is homogeneous across microsites tested, and (ii) does not change over the course of a growth season or among successive years. Results indicated a dynamic microbial community that is more strongly influenced by sampling day during the growth season than by microsite variation. A surprising diversity of bacterial genera known to be associated with the key function of methane-oxidation (methanotrophy), including relatively high-abundance of Crenothrix, Methylomonas, Methylovulum, and Methylocaldum-showed intraseasonal and interannual variability possibly related to temperature differences, and microsite preferences possibly related to variation in methane abundance. By contrast, a core assemblage of bacterial genera seems to persist over a growth season and from year to year, possibly transmitted by a persistent attached host resting stage. © 2017 Phycological Society of America.

  14. Seasonally-Dynamic Presence-Only Species Distribution Models for a Cryptic Migratory Bat Impacted by Wind Energy Development

    PubMed Central

    Hayes, Mark A.; Cryan, Paul M.; Wunder, Michael B.

    2015-01-01

    Understanding seasonal distribution and movement patterns of animals that migrate long distances is an essential part of monitoring and conserving their populations. Compared to migratory birds and other more conspicuous migrants, we know very little about the movement patterns of many migratory bats. Hoary bats (Lasiurus cinereus), a cryptic, wide-ranging, long-distance migrant, comprise a substantial proportion of the tens to hundreds of thousands of bat fatalities estimated to occur each year at wind turbines in North America. We created seasonally-dynamic species distribution models (SDMs) from 2,753 museum occurrence records collected over five decades in North America to better understand the seasonal geographic distributions of hoary bats. We used 5 SDM approaches: logistic regression, multivariate adaptive regression splines, boosted regression trees, random forest, and maximum entropy and consolidated outputs to generate ensemble maps. These maps represent the first formal hypotheses for sex- and season-specific hoary bat distributions. Our results suggest that North American hoary bats winter in regions with relatively long growing seasons where temperatures are moderated by proximity to oceans, and then move to the continental interior for the summer. SDMs suggested that hoary bats are most broadly distributed in autumn—the season when they are most susceptible to mortality from wind turbines; this season contains the greatest overlap between potentially suitable habitat and wind energy facilities. Comparing wind-turbine fatality data to model outputs could test many predictions, such as ‘risk from turbines is highest in habitats between hoary bat summering and wintering grounds’. Although future field studies are needed to validate the SDMs, this study generated well-justified and testable hypotheses of hoary bat migration patterns and seasonal distribution. PMID:26208098

  15. Seasonally-dynamic presence-only species distribution models for a cryptic migratory bat impacted by wind energy development

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hayes, Mark A.; Cryan, Paul M.; Wunder, Michael B.

    2015-01-01

    Understanding seasonal distribution and movement patterns of animals that migrate long distances is an essential part of monitoring and conserving their populations. Compared to migratory birds and other more conspicuous migrants, we know very little about the movement patterns of many migratory bats. Hoary bats (Lasiurus cinereus), a cryptic, wide-ranging, long-distance migrant, comprise a substantial proportion of the tens to hundreds of thousands of bat fatalities estimated to occur each year at wind turbines in North America. We created seasonally-dynamic species distribution models (SDMs) from 2,753 museum occurrence records collected over five decades in North America to better understand the seasonal geographic distributions of hoary bats. We used 5 SDM approaches: logistic regression, multivariate adaptive regression splines, boosted regression trees, random forest, and maximum entropy and consolidated outputs to generate ensemble maps. These maps represent the first formal hypotheses for sex- and season-specific hoary bat distributions. Our results suggest that North American hoary bats winter in regions with relatively long growing seasons where temperatures are moderated by proximity to oceans, and then move to the continental interior for the summer. SDMs suggested that hoary bats are most broadly distributed in autumn—the season when they are most susceptible to mortality from wind turbines; this season contains the greatest overlap between potentially suitable habitat and wind energy facilities. Comparing wind-turbine fatality data to model outputs could test many predictions, such as ‘risk from turbines is highest in habitats between hoary bat summering and wintering grounds’. Although future field studies are needed to validate the SDMs, this study generated well-justified and testable hypotheses of hoary bat migration patterns and seasonal distribution.

  16. Seasonally-Dynamic Presence-Only Species Distribution Models for a Cryptic Migratory Bat Impacted by Wind Energy Development.

    PubMed

    Hayes, Mark A; Cryan, Paul M; Wunder, Michael B

    2015-01-01

    Understanding seasonal distribution and movement patterns of animals that migrate long distances is an essential part of monitoring and conserving their populations. Compared to migratory birds and other more conspicuous migrants, we know very little about the movement patterns of many migratory bats. Hoary bats (Lasiurus cinereus), a cryptic, wide-ranging, long-distance migrant, comprise a substantial proportion of the tens to hundreds of thousands of bat fatalities estimated to occur each year at wind turbines in North America. We created seasonally-dynamic species distribution models (SDMs) from 2,753 museum occurrence records collected over five decades in North America to better understand the seasonal geographic distributions of hoary bats. We used 5 SDM approaches: logistic regression, multivariate adaptive regression splines, boosted regression trees, random forest, and maximum entropy and consolidated outputs to generate ensemble maps. These maps represent the first formal hypotheses for sex- and season-specific hoary bat distributions. Our results suggest that North American hoary bats winter in regions with relatively long growing seasons where temperatures are moderated by proximity to oceans, and then move to the continental interior for the summer. SDMs suggested that hoary bats are most broadly distributed in autumn-the season when they are most susceptible to mortality from wind turbines; this season contains the greatest overlap between potentially suitable habitat and wind energy facilities. Comparing wind-turbine fatality data to model outputs could test many predictions, such as 'risk from turbines is highest in habitats between hoary bat summering and wintering grounds'. Although future field studies are needed to validate the SDMs, this study generated well-justified and testable hypotheses of hoary bat migration patterns and seasonal distribution.

  17. A modeling approach for reposition dynamics of litter composition in coastal areas of the city of Santos, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

    PubMed

    Cordeiro, Taynara Cristina; Barrella, Walter; Butturi-Gomes, Davi; Petrere Júnior, Miguel

    2018-03-01

    Given the complexity of the dynamics in litter reposition, our objective was modeling the possible main and interaction effects of tidal oscillations, seasons of the year and the moon phases over the solid waste in Santos beaches. A total of 80 collections were carried out using quadrat sampling, from which we classified, counted and weighed all residue items. We fitted mixed Hurdle models to the output datasets and performed hypotheses tests based on this framework. We found plastic to be the most abundant residue in all seasons, moon phases and tides, followed by Styrofoam and wood. Our models suggest the strongest effect was due to seasonal variations, which, in turn, may be related to different human activities. Although the dynamics of different components showed independency of all interaction structures, plastics depended on the interaction of tide and season, whose impact over estuarine life and ecosystem services shall be further investigated. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Seasonal changes of the pelagic fish assemblage in a temperate estuary

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hagan, S. M.; Able, K. W.

    2003-01-01

    The pelagic (i.e. fishes that spend most of their time swimming and feeding in the water column) fish assemblage was examined within a temperate estuary to determine the seasonal patterns of abundance, biomass, richness, and species composition. These measures were related to abiotic measures including temperature, salinity, water transparency, and depth. Pelagic fish (n<350 000) were sampled weekly from August 1995 through December 1996 in Great Bay in New Jersey, USA, with a pop net (5 m diameter, 5 m length, 3 mm cod end). The most frequently occurring and abundant species included Clupea harengus (frequency of occurrence, 27.4%; abundance, 80.5% of total catch), Menidia menidia (frequency of occurrence, 83.5%; abundance, 10.6% of total catch), Anchoa mitchilli (frequency of occurrence, 66.5%; abundance, 6.0% of total catch), and Anchoa hepsetus (frequency of occurrence, 23.1%; abundance, 1.9% of total catch). There were strong seasonal trends in species richness, total abundance, and total biomass with peaks in spring, summer, and autumn, and very low values for these parameters in winter. In addition, there were five seasonal groupings within this pelagic fish assemblage that were primarily, but not exclusively, represented by young-of-the-year (age 0+). Winter (December-March) was represented by adult Gasterosteus aculeatus and age 1+ by M. menidia. Spring (April-early June) was overwhelmingly dominated by age 0+ C. harengus. Early summer (late June-early July) was relatively species rich and characterized by age 0+ of Brevoortia tyrannus, Pomatomus saltatrix, Alosa pseudoharengus, and age 1+ of A. mitchilli. Late summer (late July-August) remained relatively species rich and included mostly age 0+ of A. mitchilli, A. hepsetus, and M. menidia. Autumn (September-November) continued to have high catches of age 0+ of M. menidia and A. mitchilli. As expected for temperate estuaries, the best of the measured abiotic predictors of these groupings included

  19. Coupling suitable prey field to in situ fish larval condition and abundance in a subtropical estuary

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Machado, Irene; Calliari, Danilo; Denicola, Ana; Rodríguez-Graña, Laura

    2017-03-01

    Survival of fish larvae is influenced by the suitability of the prey field and its variability in time and space. Relationships among food quality, quantity and recruitment have been explored in temperate ecosystems where spawning and secondary production are strongly seasonal, but for subtropical estuaries the mechanisms responsible for larval survival remain poorly identified. This study evaluated the nutritional condition (feeding incidence and AARS activity) and abundance of a multi-specific assemblage of fish larvae from a subtropical estuary in South America (Solís Grande, Uruguay) during the fish reproductive season; and related both variables to prey abundance, composition, size and fatty acids content. The larval assemblage was composed of 13 species belonging to different functional groups and composition varied seasonally. Contrary to expectations larval condition did not match an increase in prey quality. Food availability was high throughout the study period, although significant changes existed in the size and taxonomic structure of the prey assemblage. The temporal succession of complementary factors - temperature, prey composition, abundance and quality - promoted a wide window of opportunity for larvae, where quality seemed to have compensated quantity. Such combination of factors could allow an extended larval survival along the spawning season. These findings underline the importance of a better understanding of subtropical estuaries as nursery areas.

  20. Seasonal meridional energy balance and thermal structure of the atmosphere of Uranus - A radiative-convective-dynamical model

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Friedson, James; Ingersoll, Andrew P.

    1987-01-01

    A model is presented for the thermodynamics of the seasonal meridional energy balance and thermal structure of the Uranian atmosphere. The model considers radiation and small-scale convection, and dynamical heat fluxes due to large-scale baroclinic eddies. Phase oscillations with a period of 0.5 Uranian year are discerned in the total internal power and global enthalpy storage. The variations in the identity of the main transport agent with the magnitude of the internal heat source are discussed. It is shown that meridional heat transport in the atmosphere is sufficient to lower seasonal horizontal temperature contrasts below those predicted with radiative-convection models.

  1. Temporal dynamics of Puumala hantavirus infection in cyclic populations of bank voles.

    PubMed

    Voutilainen, Liina; Kallio, Eva R; Niemimaa, Jukka; Vapalahti, Olli; Henttonen, Heikki

    2016-02-18

    Understanding the dynamics of zoonotic pathogens in their reservoir host populations is a prerequisite for predicting and preventing human disease epidemics. The human infection risk of Puumala hantavirus (PUUV) is highest in northern Europe, where populations of the rodent host (bank vole, Myodes glareolus) undergo cyclic fluctuations. We conducted a 7-year capture-mark-recapture study to monitor seasonal and multiannual patterns of the PUUV infection rate in bank vole populations exhibiting a 3-year density cycle. Infected bank voles were most abundant in mid-winter months during years of increasing or peak host density. Prevalence of PUUV infection in bank voles exhibited a regular, seasonal pattern reflecting the annual population turnover and accumulation of infections within each year cohort. In autumn, the PUUV transmission rate tracked increasing host abundance, suggesting a density-dependent transmission. However, prevalence of PUUV infection was similar during the increase and peak years of the density cycle despite a twofold difference in host density. This may result from the high proportion of individuals carrying maternal antibodies constraining transmission during the cycle peak years. Our exceptionally intensive and long-term dataset provides a solid basis on which to develop models to predict the dynamic public health threat posed by PUUV in northern Europe.

  2. Diversity in plant hydraulic traits explains seasonal and inter-annual variations of vegetation dynamics in seasonally dry tropical forests.

    PubMed

    Xu, Xiangtao; Medvigy, David; Powers, Jennifer S; Becknell, Justin M; Guan, Kaiyu

    2016-10-01

    We assessed whether diversity in plant hydraulic traits can explain the observed diversity in plant responses to water stress in seasonally dry tropical forests (SDTFs). The Ecosystem Demography model 2 (ED2) was updated with a trait-driven mechanistic plant hydraulic module, as well as novel drought-phenology and plant water stress schemes. Four plant functional types were parameterized on the basis of meta-analysis of plant hydraulic traits. Simulations from both the original and the updated ED2 were evaluated against 5 yr of field data from a Costa Rican SDTF site and remote-sensing data over Central America. The updated model generated realistic plant hydraulic dynamics, such as leaf water potential and stem sap flow. Compared with the original ED2, predictions from our novel trait-driven model matched better with observed growth, phenology and their variations among functional groups. Most notably, the original ED2 produced unrealistically small leaf area index (LAI) and underestimated cumulative leaf litter. Both of these biases were corrected by the updated model. The updated model was also better able to simulate spatial patterns of LAI dynamics in Central America. Plant hydraulic traits are intercorrelated in SDTFs. Mechanistic incorporation of plant hydraulic traits is necessary for the simulation of spatiotemporal patterns of vegetation dynamics in SDTFs in vegetation models. © 2016 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2016 New Phytologist Trust.

  3. Seasonal variation of assemblage and feeding guild structure of fish species in a boreal tidal basin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kellnreitner, Florian; Pockberger, Moritz; Asmus, Harald

    2012-08-01

    Species composition, abundance, feeding relationships and guild structure of the fish assemblage in the Sylt-Rømø bight, a tidal basin in the northern Wadden Sea, were investigated to show seasonal differences and the importance of functional groups in this area. The tidal flats and in shallow subtidal areas were sampled using a beach seine and a bottom trawl net was used for deeper subtidal areas and tidal gullies. Species richness of fish was highest in summer where 26 species were caught, while the lowest richness was recorded in winter (17 species). Clear differences in species richness and abundance were found between shallow areas and deeper parts of the bight. Clupea harengus and Ammodytes tobianus were the most abundant species in deeper areas, while Pomatoschistus microps and Pomatoschistus minutus dominated shallower waters. Gut contents of 27 fish species were identified and the guild structure analyzed by UPGMA clustering of niche overlaps. Calanoid copepods (19.9%), Crangon crangon (18.2%) and mysid shrimps (8.4%) were the most abundant prey items of all fish species combined. Seven feeding guilds were present in the fall and winter, and eight and six in spring and summer, respectively. Fish feeding on calanoid copepods and C. crangon were present year round, whereas the occurrence of other guilds varied between seasons. Species composition of prey changed through seasons and, for some fish species, even the feeding mode itself varied with season. Most noticeable, 11 fish species changed guilds between seasons. We found a convergence in summer towards abundant prey items, whereas in winter diet overlap was lower. This is the first investigation of guild structure of almost all fish species present in a Wadden Sea area, and shows that consideration of seasonal differences is essential when determining feeding relationships of fish in temperate areas.

  4. Seasonal variations drive short-term dynamics and partitioning of recently assimilated carbon in the foliage of adult beech and pine.

    PubMed

    Desalme, Dorine; Priault, Pierrick; Gérant, Dominique; Dannoura, Masako; Maillard, Pascale; Plain, Caroline; Epron, Daniel

    2017-01-01

    13 CO 2 pulse-labelling experiments were performed in situ on adult beeches (Fagus sylvatica) and pines (Pinus pinaster) at different phenological stages to study seasonal and interspecific short-term dynamics and partitioning of recently assimilated carbon (C) in leaves. Polar fraction (PF, including soluble sugars, amino acids and organic acids) and starch were purified from foliage sampled during a 10-d chase period. C contents, isotopic compositions and 13 C dynamics parameters were determined in bulk foliage, PF and starch. Decrease in 13 C amount in bulk foliage followed a two-pool exponential model highlighting 13 C partitioning between 'mobile' and 'stable' pools, the relative proportion of the latter being maximal in beech leaves in May. Early in the growing season, new foliage acted as a strong C sink in both species, but although young leaves and needles were already photosynthesizing, the latter were still supplied with previous-year needle photosynthates 2 months after budburst. Mean 13 C residence times (MRT) were minimal in summer, indicating fast photosynthate export to supply perennial organ growth in both species. In late summer, MRT differed between senescing beech leaves and overwintering pine needles. Seasonal variations of 13 C partitioning and dynamics in field-grown tree foliage are closely linked to phenological differences between deciduous and evergreen trees. © 2016 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2016 New Phytologist Trust.

  5. Mechanisms driving postfire abundance of a generalist mammal

    Treesearch

    R. Zwolak; D. E. Pearson; Y. K. Ortega; E. E. Crone

    2012-01-01

    Changes in vertebrate abundance following disturbance are commonly attributed to shifts in food resources or predation pressure, but underlying mechanisms have rarely been tested. We examined four hypotheses for the commonly reported increase in abundance of deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus (Wagner, 1845)) following forest fires: source-sink dynamics, decreased...

  6. Anopheles larval abundance and diversity in three rice agro-village complexes Mwea irrigation scheme, central Kenya.

    PubMed

    Mwangangi, Joseph M; Shililu, Josephat; Muturi, Ephantus J; Muriu, Simon; Jacob, Benjamin; Kabiru, Ephantus W; Mbogo, Charles M; Githure, John; Novak, Robert J

    2010-08-09

    The diversity and abundance of Anopheles larvae has significant influence on the resulting adult mosquito population and hence the dynamics of malaria transmission. Studies were conducted to examine larval habitat dynamics and ecological factors affecting survivorship of aquatic stages of malaria vectors in three agro-ecological settings in Mwea, Kenya. Three villages were selected based on rice husbandry and water management practices. Aquatic habitats in the 3 villages representing planned rice cultivation (Mbui Njeru), unplanned rice cultivation (Kiamachiri) and non-irrigated (Murinduko) agro-ecosystems were sampled every 2 weeks to generate stage-specific estimates of mosquito larval densities, relative abundance and diversity. Records of distance to the nearest homestead, vegetation coverage, surface debris, turbidity, habitat stability, habitat type, rice growth stage, number of rice tillers and percent Azolla cover were taken for each habitat. Captures of early, late instars and pupae accounted for 78.2%, 10.9% and 10.8% of the total Anopheles immatures sampled (n = 29,252), respectively. There were significant differences in larval abundance between 3 agro-ecosystems. The village with 'planned' rice cultivation had relatively lower Anopheles larval densities compared to the villages where 'unplanned' or non-irrigated. Similarly, species composition and richness was higher in the two villages with either 'unplanned' or limited rice cultivation, an indication of the importance of land use patterns on diversity of larval habitat types. Rice fields and associated canals were the most productive habitat types while water pools and puddles were important for short periods during the rainy season. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that presence of other invertebrates, percentage Azolla cover, distance to nearest homestead, depth and water turbidity were the best predictors for Anopheles mosquito larval abundance. These results suggest that agricultural

  7. Seasonality of a boreal forest: a remote sensing perspective

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rautiainen, Miina; Heiskanen, Janne; Lukes, Petr; Majasalmi, Titta; Mottus, Matti; Pisek, Jan

    2016-04-01

    Understanding the seasonal dynamics of boreal ecosystems through interpretation of satellite reflectance data is needed for efficient large-scale monitoring of northern vegetation dynamics and productivity trends. Satellite remote sensing enables continuous global monitoring of vegetation status and is not limited to single-date phenological metrics. Using remote sensing also enables gaining a wider perspective to the seasonality of vegetation dynamics. The seasonal reflectance cycles of boreal forests observed in optical satellite images are explained by changes in biochemical properties and geometrical structure of vegetation as well as seasonal variation in solar illumination. This poster provides a synthesis of a research project (2010-2015) dedicated to monitoring the seasonal cycle of boreal forests. It is based on satellite and field data collected from the Hyytiälä Forestry Field Station in Finland. The results highlight the role understory vegetation has in forming the forest reflectance measured by satellite instruments.

  8. Seasonal and spatial community dynamics in the meromictic Lake Cadagno.

    PubMed

    Bosshard, P P; Stettler, R; Bachofen, R

    2000-09-01

    The seasonal and spatial variations in the community structure of bacterioplankton in the meromictic alpine Lake Cadagno were examined by temporal temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (TTGE) of PCR-amplified 16S rDNA fragments. Two different amplifications were performed, one specific for the domain Bacteria (Escherichia coli positions 8-536) and another specific for the family Chromatiaceae (E. coli positions 8-1005). The latter was followed by semi-nested reamplification with the bacterial primer set, allowing comparison of the two PCR approaches by TTGE. The TTGE patterns of samples from the chemocline and the anoxic monimolimnion were essentially identical, whereas the oxic mixolimnion displayed distinctively different banding patterns. For samples from the chemocline and the monimolimnion, dominant bands in the Bacteria-specific TTGE profiles comigrated with bands obtained by the semi-nested PCR approach specific for Chromatiaceae. This observation suggested that Chromatiaceae are in high abundance in the anoxic water layer. All dominant bands were excised and sequenced. Changes in the community structure, as indicated by changes in the TTGE profiles, were observed in samples taken at different times of the year. In the chemocline, Chomatium okenii was dominant in the summer months, whereas Amoebobacter purpureus populations dominated in autumn and winter. This change was confirmed by fluorescent in situ hybridization.

  9. Global Assessment of Seasonal Potential Distribution of Mediterranean Fruit Fly, Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae)

    PubMed Central

    Szyniszewska, Anna M.; Tatem, Andrew J.

    2014-01-01

    The Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly) is one of the world's most economically damaging pests. It displays highly seasonal population dynamics, and the environmental conditions suitable for its abundance are not constant throughout the year in most places. An extensive literature search was performed to obtain the most comprehensive data on the historical and contemporary spatio-temporal occurrence of the pest globally. The database constructed contained 2328 unique geo-located entries on Medfly detection sites from 43 countries and nearly 500 unique localities, as well as information on hosts, life stages and capture method. Of these, 125 localities had information on the month when Medfly was recorded and these data were complemented by additional material found in comprehensive databases available online. Records from 1980 until present were used for medfly environmental niche modeling. Maximum Entropy Algorithm (MaxEnt) and a set of seasonally varying environmental covariates were used to predict the fundamental niche of the Medfly on a global scale. Three seasonal maps were also produced: January-April, May-August and September-December. Models performed significantly better than random achieving high accuracy scores, indicating a good discrimination of suitable versus unsuitable areas for the presence of the species. PMID:25375649

  10. Landscape surrounding human settlements and Anopheles albimanus (Diptera: Culicidae) abundance in Southern Chiapas, Mexico.

    PubMed

    Rodriguez, A D; Rodriguez, M H; Hernandez, J E; Dister, S W; Beck, L R; Rejmankova, E; Roberts, D R

    1996-01-01

    Landscape characteristics that may influence important components of the Anopheles albimanus Wiedemann life cycle, including potential breeding sites, suitable diurnal resting sites, and possible sources of blood meals, were analyzed at 14 villages in a malarious area of southern Mexico. An. albimanus adults were collected weekly in each village using UV-light traps between July 1991 and August 1992. Based on rainfall, the study was divided into 6 seasonal periods. Villages were considered to have high mosquito abundance when >5 mosquitoes per trap per night were collected during any 1 of the 6 seasonal periods. The extension and frequency of 11 land cover types surrounding villages were determined using aerial photographs and subsequently verified through field surveys. Elevation was the main landscape feature that separated villages with low and high mosquito abundance. All villages with high mosquito abundance were below 25 m. Transitional and mangrove land cover types were found only in the high mosquito abundance group. Flooded areas as potential breeding sites and potential adult resting sites in unmanaged pastures were significantly more frequent in areas surrounding villages with high mosquito abundance. No significant differences in density of cattle and horses were found among village groups. Overall, surrounding breeding sites located at low elevations in flooded unmanaged pastures seemed to be the most important determinants of An. albimanus adult abundance in the villages.

  11. Virioplankton dynamics are related to eutrophication levels in a tropical urbanized bay

    PubMed Central

    Cabral, Anderson S.; Lessa, Mariana M.; Junger, Pedro C.; Thompson, Fabiano L.; Paranhos, Rodolfo

    2017-01-01

    Virioplankton are an important and abundant biological component of marine and freshwater ecosystems. Often overlooked, aquatic viruses play an important role in biogeochemical cycles on a global scale, infecting both autotrophic and heterotrophic microbes. Viral diversity, abundance, and viral interactions at different trophic levels in aqueous environments are not well understood. Tropical ecosystems are less frequently studied than temperate ecosystems, but could provide new insights into how physical and chemical variability can shape or force microbial community changes. In this study, we found high viral abundance values in Guanabara Bay relative to other estuaries around the world. Viral abundance was positively correlated with bacterioplankton abundance and chlorophyll a concentrations. Moreover, prokaryotic and viral abundance were positively correlated with eutrophication, especially in surface waters. These results provide novel baseline data on the quantitative distribution of aquatic viruses in tropical estuaries. They also provide new information on a complex and dynamic relationship in which environmental factors influence the abundance of bacterial hosts and consequently their viruses. Guanabara Bay is characterized by spatial and seasonal variations, and the eutrophication process is the most important factor explaining the structuring of virioplankton abundance and distribution in this tropical urbanized bay. PMID:28362842

  12. Distribution and abundance of cetaceans in the north-central and western Gulf of Mexico. Final report. Volume 3. Appendix C. Part 2

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Davis, R.W.; Fargion, G.S.

    1996-05-24

    The purpose of the study was to determine the distribution and abundance of cetaceans in areas potentially affected by future oil and gas activities along the continental slope of the north-central and western Gulf of Mexico. This 3.75 year project commenced 1 October 1991 and finished 15 July 1995. The study area was bounded by the Florida-Alabama border, the Texas-Mexico border, and the 100 m and 2,000 m isobaths. Cetacean distribution and abundance were determined from seasonal aerial and shipboard visual surveys and shipboard acoustic surveys. In addition, hydrographic data were collected in situ and by satellite remote sensing tomore » characterize cetacean habitat. Finally, tagging and tracking of sperm whales using satellite telemetry was attempted. Appendix C Part 2 contains the hydrogrpahic data collected during TIO Cruises 5-7. Cetaceans were observed throughout the study area during all four seasons. Nineteen species were identified, including two species (melon-headed whales and Fraser`s dolphins) previously thought to be rare in the Gulf. Pantropical spotted dolphins, bottlenose dolphins, clymene dolphins, striped dolphins, Atlantic spotted dolphins, and melon-headed whales were the most common small cetaceans and the sperm whale was the most common large cetacean. The mean annual abundance for all cetaceans was estimated to be 19,198. Although the study area had complex and dynamic oceanography, bottom depth was the only environmental variable which correlated to cetacean distribution.« less

  13. Distribution and abundance of cetaceans in the north-central and western Gulf of Mexico. Final report. Volume 3. Appendix C. Part 1

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Davis, R.W.; Fargion, G.S.

    1996-05-24

    The purpose of the study was to determine the distribution and abundance of cetaceans in areas potentially affected by future oil and gas activities along the continental slope of the north-central and western Gulf of Mexico. This 3.75 year project commenced 1 October 1991 and finished 15 July 1995. The study area was bounded by the Florida-Alabama border, the Texas-Mexico border, and the 100 m and 2,000 m isobaths. Cetacean distribution and abundance were determined from seasonal aerial and shipboard visual surveys and shipboard acoustic surveys. In addition, hydrographic data were collected in situ and by satellite remote sensing tomore » characterize cetacean habitat. Finally, tagging and tracking of sperm whales using satellite telemetry was attempted. Appendix C Part 1 contains the hydrographic data collected during TIO Cruises 1-4. Cetaceans were observed throughout the study area during all four seasons. Nineteen species were identified, including two species (melon-headed whales and Fraser`s dolphins) previously thought to be rare in the Gulf. Pantropical spotted dolphins, bottlenose dolphins, clymene dolphins, striped dolphins, Atlantic spotted dolphins, and melon-headed whales were the most common small cetaceans and the sperm whale was the most common large cetacean. The mean annual abundance for all cetaceans was estimated to be 19,198. Although the study area had complex and dynamic oceanography, bottom depth was the only environmental variable which correlated to cetacean distribution.« less

  14. Atmospheric Expression of Seasonality on the Early Earth and Earth-like Exoplanets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Olson, S. L.; Schwieterman, E. W.; Reinhard, C. T.; Ridgwell, A.; Lyons, T. W.

    2017-12-01

    Biologically modulated seasonality impacts nearly every chemical constituent of Earth's atmosphere. For example, seasonal shifts in the balance of photosynthesis and respiration manifest as striking oscillation in the atmospheric abundance of CO2 and O2. Similar temporal variability is likely on other inhabited worlds, and seasonality is often regarded as a potential exoplanetary biosignature. Seasonality is a particularly intriguing biosignature because it may allow us to identify life through the abundance of spectrally active gases that are not uniquely biological in origin (e.g., CO2 or CH4). To date, however, the discussion of seasonality as a biosignature has been exclusively qualitative. We lack both quantitative constraints on the likelihood of spectrally detectable seasonality elsewhere and a framework for evaluating potential false positive scenarios (e.g., seasonal CO2 ice sublimation). That is, we do not yet know for which gases, and under which conditions, we could expect to detect seasonality and reliably infer the presence of an active biosphere. The composition of Earth's atmosphere has changed dramatically through time, and consequently, the atmospheric expression of seasonality has necessarily changed throughout Earth history as well. Thus, Earth offers several case studies for examining the potential for observable seasonality on chemically and tectonically diverse exoplanets. We outline an approach for exploring the history of seasonality on Earth via coupled biogeochemical and photochemical models, with particular emphasis on the seasonal cycles of CO2, CH4, and O2/O3. We also discuss the remote detectability of these seasonal signals on directly imaged exoplanets via reflectance and emission spectra. We suggest that seasonality in O2 on the early Earth was biogeochemically significant—and that seasonal cycles in O3, an indirect biological product coupled to biogenic O2, may be a readily detectable fingerprint of life in the absence of

  15. Critical role of seasonal tributaries for native fish and aquatic biota in the Sacramento River

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marchetti, M.

    2016-12-01

    We examined the ecology of seasonal tributaries in California in terms of native fishes and aquatic macroinvertebrates. This talk summarizes data from five individual studies. Studying juvenile Chinook growth using otolith microstructure we find that fish grow faster and larger in seasonal tributaries. In a four-year study on the abundance of native fish larvae in tributaries of the Sacramento River we find certain tributaries produce an order of magnitude more native fish larvae than nearby permanent streams. In a study comparing the distribution and abundance of aquatic macroinvertebrates in a seasonal tributary with a permanent stream we find the seasonal tributary contains unique taxa, higher drift densities and ecologically distinct communities. In a cross-watershed comparison of larval fish drift we find that a seasonal tributary produces more larvae than all other streams/rivers we examined. In a comparison of juvenile Chinook growth morphology between seasonal and permanent streams using geometric morphometrics we find that salmon show phenotypic plasticity and their growth is characteristically different in seasonal tributaries. Taken together, this body of work highlights the critical ecological importance of this habitat.

  16. Distribution and abundance of cetaceans in the north-central and western Gulf of Mexico. Final report. Volume 3. Appendix A

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Davis, R.W.; Fargion, G.S.

    1996-05-24

    The purpose of the study was to determine the distribution and abundance of cetaceans in areas potentially affected by future oil and gas activities along the continental slope of the north-central and western Gulf of Mexico. This 3.75 year project commenced 1 October 1991 and finished 15 July 1995. The study area was bounded by the Florida-Alabama border, the Texas-Mexico border, and the 100 m and 2,000 m isobaths. Cetacean distribution and abundance were determined from seasonal aerial and shipboard visual surveys and shipboard acoustic surveys. In addition, hydrographic data were collected in situ and by satellite remote sensing tomore » characterize cetacean habitat. Finally, tagging and tracking of sperm whales using satellite telemetry was attempted. Appendix A contains: the cetacean, trutle, and bird sighting data from all shipboard and aerial visual surveys; contact data from the shipboard acoustic survey; and the cetacean environmental profiles. Cetaceans were observed throughout the study area during all four seasons. Nineteen species were identified, including two species (melon-headed whales and Fraser`s dolphins) previously thought to be rare in the Gulf. Pantropical spotted dolphins, bottlenose dolphins, clymene dolphins, striped dolphins, Atlantic spotted dolphins, and melon-headed whales were the most common small cetaceans and the sperm whale was the most common large cetacean. The mean annual abundance for all cetaceans was estimated to be 19,198. Although the study area had complex and dynamic oceanography, bottom depth was the only environmental variable which correlated to cetacean distribution.« less

  17. Post-1980 shifts in the sensitivity of boreal tree growth to North Atlantic Ocean dynamics and seasonal climate. Tree growth responses to North Atlantic Ocean dynamics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ols, Clémentine; Trouet, Valerie; Girardin, Martin P.; Hofgaard, Annika; Bergeron, Yves; Drobyshev, Igor

    2018-06-01

    The mid-20th century changes in North Atlantic Ocean dynamics, e.g. slow-down of the Atlantic meridional overturning thermohaline circulation (AMOC), have been considered as early signs of tipping points in the Earth climate system. We hypothesized that these changes have significantly altered boreal forest growth dynamics in northeastern North America (NA) and northern Europe (NE), two areas geographically adjacent to the North Atlantic Ocean. To test our hypothesis, we investigated tree growth responses to seasonal large-scale oceanic and atmospheric indices (the AMOC, North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), and Arctic Oscillation (AO)) and climate (temperature and precipitation) from 1950 onwards, both at the regional and local levels. We developed a network of 6876 black spruce (NA) and 14437 Norway spruce (NE) tree-ring width series, extracted from forest inventory databases. Analyses revealed post-1980 shifts from insignificant to significant tree growth responses to summer oceanic and atmospheric dynamics both in NA (negative responses to NAO and AO indices) and NE (positive response to NAO and AMOC indices). The strength and sign of these responses varied, however, through space with stronger responses in western and central boreal Quebec and in central and northern boreal Sweden, and across scales with stronger responses at the regional level than at the local level. Emerging post-1980 associations with North Atlantic Ocean dynamics synchronized with stronger tree growth responses to local seasonal climate, particularly to winter temperatures. Our results suggest that ongoing and future anomalies in oceanic and atmospheric dynamics may impact forest growth and carbon sequestration to a greater extent than previously thought. Cross-scale differences in responses to North Atlantic Ocean dynamics highlight complex interplays in the effects of local climate and ocean-atmosphere dynamics on tree growth processes and advocate for the use of different spatial scales in

  18. [Seasonal and semi-lunar changes in fish community structure in low salinity intertidal area of Yangtze estuary].

    PubMed

    Zhang, Heng; He, Wen-Shan; Tong, Chun-Fu; Lu, Jian-Jian

    2008-05-01

    Based on the survey of the fishes in low salinity intertidal area of the Yangtze estuary from spring (May) 2006 to winter (February) 2007, the seasonal and semi-lunar changes of fish species and abundances were analyzed. A total of 53 fish species were collected, most of which belonged to Cyprinidae, followed by Gobiidae, and few of other families. The fish species and average abundance were higher in spring, summer, and autumn than in winter and lower in low tides than in high tides in four seasons. Shannon-Weaver (H') value had a greater fluctuation in a tidal cycle, and was appreciably lower in low tides than in high tides. The fish species and abundance were clustered into two groups, i. e., that of winter, and of the other seasons. As for the whole year, the abundance had the highest positive correlation with water temperature, then with tide height, and lowest with water salinity.

  19. Truffle abundance in riparian and upland mixed-conifer forest of California's southern Sierra Nevada

    Treesearch

    Marc D. Meyer; Malcolm P. North

    2005-01-01

    We compared the abundance, diversity, and composition of truffles in riparian and upland areas within a mixed-conifer forest of the Sierra Nevada of California. We sampled for truffles in a single watershed over two seasons (spring and summer) and 4 years to determine whether truffles were more abundant and diverse in riparian than upland sites in old-growth, mixed-...

  20. Hydrology and density feedbacks control the ecology of intermediate hosts of schistosomiasis across habitats in seasonal climates.

    PubMed

    Perez-Saez, Javier; Mande, Theophile; Ceperley, Natalie; Bertuzzo, Enrico; Mari, Lorenzo; Gatto, Marino; Rinaldo, Andrea

    2016-06-07

    We report about field and theoretical studies on the ecology of the aquatic snails (Bulinus spp. and Biomphalaria pfeifferi) that serve as obligate intermediate hosts in the complex life cycle of the parasites causing human schistosomiasis. Snail abundance fosters disease transmission, and thus the dynamics of snail populations are critically important for schistosomiasis modeling and control. Here, we single out hydrological drivers and density dependence (or lack of it) of ecological growth rates of local snail populations by contrasting novel ecological and environmental data with various models of host demography. Specifically, we study various natural and man-made habitats across Burkina Faso's highly seasonal climatic zones. Demographic models are ranked through formal model comparison and structural risk minimization. The latter allows us to evaluate the suitability of population models while clarifying the relevant covariates that explain empirical observations of snail abundance under the actual climatic forcings experienced by the various field sites. Our results link quantitatively hydrological drivers to distinct population dynamics through specific density feedbacks, and show that statistical methods based on model averaging provide reliable snail abundance projections. The consistency of our ranking results suggests the use of ad hoc models of snail demography depending on habitat type (e.g., natural vs. man-made) and hydrological characteristics (e.g., ephemeral vs. permanent). Implications for risk mapping and space-time allocation of control measures in schistosomiasis-endemic contexts are discussed.

  1. Population dynamics and within-plant distribution of the mite Calacarus flagelliseta (Acari: Eriophyidae) on papaya in Hawaii.

    PubMed

    Fournier, Valerie; Rosenheim, Jay A; Brodeur, Jacques; Johnson, Marshall W

    2004-10-01

    An important element in developing a management strategy for a new pest is the study of its seasonal dynamics and within-plant distribution. Here, we studied the mite Calacarus flagelliseta Fletchmann, De Moraes & Barbosa on papaya, Papaya carica L. (Caricaceae), in Hawaii to quantify 1) patterns of seasonal abundance, 2) its distribution across different vertical strata of the papaya canopy, and 3) shifts in its use of the upper versus the lower surfaces of papaya leaves. Nondestructive sampling conducted in two papaya plantings revealed that 1) populations of C. flagelliseta peak during the summer; 2) mites are most abundant in the middle and lower strata of the plant canopy, and least abundant on the youngest leaves found in the upper canopy; and 3) mites are found more predominantly on the upper leaf surfaces when overall population density peaks, suggesting that individuals move from the lower to the upper leaf surfaces when food resources on the lower leaf surface have been exploited by conspecifics. These results have significant implications for the development of sampling plans for C. flagelliseta in papaya.

  2. Phytoplankton dynamics in three Rocky Mountain lakes, Colorado, USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    McKnight, Diane M.; Smith, R.L.; Bradbury, J.P.; Baron, Jill S.; Spaulding, S.

    1990-01-01

    In 1984 and 1985 seasonal changes in phytoplankton were studied in a system of three lakes in Loch Vale, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. Three periods were evident: (1) A spring bloom, during snowmelt, of the planktonic diatom Asterionella formosa, (2) a mid-summer period of minimal algal abundance, and (3) a fall bloom of the blue-green alga Oscillatoria limnetica. Seasonal phytoplankton dynamics in these lakes are controlled partially by the rapid flushing rate during snowmelt and the transport of phytoplankton from the highest lake to the lower lakes by the stream, Icy Brook. During snowmelt, the A. formosa population in the most downstream lake has a net rate of increase of 0.34 d-1, which is calculated from the flushing rate and from the A. formosa abundance in the inflow from the upstream lake and in the downstream lake. Measurement of photosynthetic rates at different depths during the three periods confirmed the rapid growth of A. formosa during the spring. The decline in A. formosa after snowmelt may be related to grazing by developing zooplankton populations. The possible importance of the seasonal variations in nitrate concentrations were evaluated in situ enrichment experiments. For A. formosa and O. limnetica populations, growth stimulation resulted from 8- or 16-micromolar amendments of calcium nitrate and sulfuric acid, but the reason for this stimulation could not be determined from these experiments.

  3. Synchrony, compensatory dynamics, and the functional trait basis of phenological diversity in a tropical dry forest tree community: effects of rainfall seasonality

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lasky, Jesse R.; Uriarte, María; Muscarella, Robert

    2016-11-01

    Interspecific variation in phenology is a key axis of functional diversity, potentially mediating how communities respond to climate change. The diverse drivers of phenology act across multiple temporal scales. For example, abiotic constraints favor synchronous reproduction (positive covariance among species), while biotic interactions can favor synchrony or compensatory dynamics (negative covariance). We used wavelet analyses to examine phenology of community flower and seed production for 45 tree species across multiple temporal scales in a tropical dry forest in Puerto Rico with marked rainfall seasonality. We asked three questions: (1) do species exhibit synchronous or compensatory temporal dynamics in reproduction, (2) do interspecific differences in phenology reflect variable responses to rainfall, and (3) is interspecific variation in phenology and response to a major drought associated with functional traits that mediate responses to moisture? Community-level flowering was synchronized at seasonal scales (˜5-6 mo) and at short scales (˜1 mo, following rainfall). However, seed rain exhibited significant compensatory dynamics at intraseasonal scales (˜3 mo), suggesting interspecific variation in temporal niches. Species with large leaves (associated with sensitivity to water deficit) peaked in reproduction synchronously with the peak of seasonal rainfall (˜5 mo scale). By contrast, species with high wood specific gravity (associated with drought resistance) tended to flower in drier periods. Flowering of tall species and those with large leaves was most tightly linked to intraseasonal (˜2 mo scale) rainfall fluctuations. Although the 2015 drought dramatically reduced community-wide reproduction, functional traits were not associated with the magnitude of species-specific declines. Our results suggest opposing drivers of synchronous versus compensatory dynamics at different temporal scales. Phenology associations with functional traits indicated that

  4. Planktonic food web structure at a coastal time-series site: I. Partitioning of microbial abundances and carbon biomass

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Caron, David A.; Connell, Paige E.; Schaffner, Rebecca A.; Schnetzer, Astrid; Fuhrman, Jed A.; Countway, Peter D.; Kim, Diane Y.

    2017-03-01

    Biogeochemistry in marine plankton communities is strongly influenced by the activities of microbial species. Understanding the composition and dynamics of these assemblages is essential for modeling emergent community-level processes, yet few studies have examined all of the biological assemblages present in the plankton, and benchmark data of this sort from time-series studies are rare. Abundance and biomass of the entire microbial assemblage and mesozooplankton (>200 μm) were determined vertically, monthly and seasonally over a 3-year period at a coastal time-series station in the San Pedro Basin off the southwestern coast of the USA. All compartments of the planktonic community were enumerated (viruses in the femtoplankton size range [0.02-0.2 μm], bacteria + archaea and cyanobacteria in the picoplankton size range [0.2-2.0 μm], phototrophic and heterotrophic protists in the nanoplanktonic [2-20 μm] and microplanktonic [20-200 μm] size ranges, and mesozooplankton [>200 μm]. Carbon biomass of each category was estimated using standard conversion factors. Plankton abundances varied over seven orders of magnitude across all categories, and total carbon biomass averaged approximately 60 μg C l-1 in surface waters of the 890 m water column over the study period. Bacteria + archaea comprised the single largest component of biomass (>1/3 of the total), with the sum of phototrophic protistan biomass making up a similar proportion. Temporal variability at this subtropical station was not dramatic. Monthly depth-specific and depth-integrated biomass varied 2-fold at the station, while seasonal variances were generally <50%. This study provides benchmark information for investigating long-term environmental forcing on the composition and dynamics of the microbes that dominate food web structure and function at this coastal observatory.

  5. Seasonal variation in environmental DNA in relation to population size and environmental factors

    PubMed Central

    Buxton, Andrew S.; Groombridge, Jim J.; Zakaria, Nurulhuda B.; Griffiths, Richard A.

    2017-01-01

    Analysing DNA that organisms release into the environment (environmental DNA, or eDNA) has enormous potential for assessing rare and cryptic species. At present the method is only reliably used to assess the presence-absence of species in natural environments, as seasonal influences on eDNA in relation to presence, abundance, life stages and seasonal behaviours are poorly understood. A naturally colonised, replicated pond system was used to show how seasonal changes in eDNA were influenced by abundance of adults and larvae of great crested newts (Triturus cristatus). Peaks in eDNA were observed in early June when adult breeding was coming to an end, and between mid-July and mid-August corresponding to a peak in newt larval abundance. Changes in adult body condition associated with reproduction also influenced eDNA concentrations, as did temperature (but not rainfall or UV). eDNA concentration fell rapidly as larvae metamorphosed and left the ponds. eDNA concentration may therefore reflect relative abundance in different ponds, although environmental factors can affect the concentrations observed. Nevertheless, eDNA surveys may still represent an improvement over unadjusted counts which are widely used in population assessments but have unreliable relationships with population size. PMID:28393885

  6. Spatial distribution and seasonality of Biomphalaria spp. in São Luís (Maranhão, Brazil).

    PubMed

    David, Nathalia Ferreira; Cantanhede, Selma Patrícia Diniz; Monroe, Natanael Bezerra; Pereira, Luciana Patrícia Lima Alves; Silva-Souza, Nêuton; Abreu-Silva, Ana Lúcia; de Oliveira, Verônica Maria; Tchaicka, Ligia

    2018-05-01

    Two of the three vector species of Schistosoma mansoni Sambon, 1907 in Brazil occur in the state of Maranhão: Biomphalaria glabrata (Say, 1818) and Biomphalaria straminea (Dunker, 1848). For the implementation of effective measures to combat schistosomiasis, it is necessary to identify the spatial and seasonal dynamics of these snails. Therefore, this work brought together information from malacological survey carried out in São Luís (Maranhão, Brazil) to identify the spatial and seasonal distribution patterns of Biomphalaria spp. snails. We used data from malacological surveys of the Municipal Health Secretary of São Luís, conducted between 2006 and 2013 in 23 neighborhoods. We also used data from the mollusk surveys that we conducted for 2 years (2012-2014) in four of these neighborhoods. During the 8-year period (2006-2013), 15,990 specimens of Biomphalaria spp. were collected. There was a positive association between precipitation and the abundance of mollusks of the genus Biomphalaria. During 2012-2014, a total of 2487 snail specimens were obtained (B. glabrata: 1046 specimens; B. straminea: 1426 specimens). There was a positive correlation between precipitation and B. straminea abundance. High density of human occupation and high precipitation are two factors that affect the distribution and density of Biomphalaria spp.

  7. Spatial and temporal patterns of abundance of Aedes aegypti L. (Stegomyia aegypti) and Aedes albopictus (Skuse) [Stegomyia albopictus (Skuse)] in southern Florida.

    PubMed

    Reiskind, M H; Lounibos, L P

    2013-12-01

    Invasion by mosquito vectors of disease may impact the distribution of resident mosquitoes, resulting in novel patterns of vectors and concomitant risk for disease. One example of such an impact is the invasion by Aedes albopictus (Skuse) [Stegomyia albopictus (Skuse)] (Diptera: Culicidae) of North America and this species' interaction with Aedes aegypti L. (Stegomyia aegypti L). We hypothesized that Ae. aegypti would be found in urban, coastal areas that experience hotter and drier conditions, whereas Ae. albopictus would be more commonly found in suburban and rural areas that are cooler and wetter. In addition, we hypothesized that Ae. aegypti would be more abundant early in the wet season, whereas Ae. albopictus would be more abundant later in the wet season. Urban areas were drier, hotter and contained more Ae. aegypti than suburban or rural areas. Aedes aegypti was relatively more abundant early in the wet season, whereas Ae. albopictus was more abundant in both the late wet season and the dry season. The spatial patterns of inter- and intraspecific encounters between these species were also described. The distribution of these mosquitoes is correlated with abiotic conditions, and with temperature, humidity and the relative availability of rain-filled containers. Understanding the ecological determinants of species distribution can provide insight into the biology of these vectors and important information for their appropriate control. © 2012 The Royal Entomological Society.

  8. [Plankton dynamics in the South of California Current].

    PubMed

    Hernández Trujillo, S; Gómez Ochoa, F; Verdugo Díaz, G

    2001-03-01

    We analyzed zooplankton biomass, micro- and nannophytoplankton abundance, Calanus pacificus Brodsky 1948 abundance, and sea surface temperature along the west coast of Baja California between February 1983 and September 1991. The zooplankton biovolume abundance decreased from spring to autumn. The average abundance of nannophytoplankton (< 20 microns) was generally higher than microphytoplankton (> 20 microns). Both increased 3.5 times in abundance after 1986. Seasonally, both fractions (NP and MP) were least abundant in winter and most abundant in summer and autumn. Calanus pacificus abundance was variable, but especially high in May of some years. Abundance was lowest in winter and highest in spring, dropping in summer and autumn. Sea surface temperatures averaged 21.5 degrees C, with highest in autumn (24.2 degrees C) and the lowest in spring (17.9 degrees C). C. pacificus abundance and sea surface temperature were inversely related by cruise, season, and latitude. The phytoplankton abundance and zooplankton biomass and C. pacificus abundance showed low and high abundance patterns coincident with warming and cooling events (El Niño-La Niña).

  9. Decreasing stochasticity through enhanced seasonality in measles epidemics.

    PubMed

    Mantilla-Beniers, N B; Bjørnstad, O N; Grenfell, B T; Rohani, P

    2010-05-06

    Seasonal changes in the environment are known to be important drivers of population dynamics, giving rise to sustained population cycles. However, it is often difficult to measure the strength and shape of seasonal forces affecting populations. In recent years, statistical time-series methods have been applied to the incidence records of childhood infectious diseases in an attempt to estimate seasonal variation in transmission rates, as driven by the pattern of school terms. In turn, school-term forcing was used to show how susceptible influx rates affect the interepidemic period. In this paper, we document the response of measles dynamics to distinct shifts in the parameter regime using previously unexplored records of measles mortality from the early decades of the twentieth century. We describe temporal patterns of measles epidemics using spectral analysis techniques, and point out a marked decrease in birth rates over time. Changes in host demography alone do not, however, suffice to explain epidemiological transitions. By fitting the time-series susceptible-infected-recovered model to measles mortality data, we obtain estimates of seasonal transmission in different eras, and find that seasonality increased over time. This analysis supports theoretical work linking complex population dynamics and the balance between stochastic and deterministic forces as determined by the strength of seasonality.

  10. Mesozooplankton community structure and variability in the Scotia Sea: A seasonal comparison

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ward, Peter; Atkinson, Angus; Tarling, Geraint

    2012-01-01

    Mesozooplankton distribution and community structure was investigated during 3 cruises to the Scotia Sea in austral spring, summer and autumn. Three mesh sizes of Bongo nets were used during each cruise with a 53 μm mesh net yielding on average 1.76 times higher densities (median 923,000 ind. m -2, 0-400 m) than a 100 μm net and 7.42 times more than a 200 μm net across all cruises. Small copepods dominated numerically across all nets with Oithona spp., Oncaea spp., Ctenocalanus citer and Microcalanus pygmaeus being particularly abundant, with sample densities of up to 3.5×10 6 ind. m -2 recorded within the top 400 m. A more even distribution of biomass among net sizes was apparent, with median net ratios (1.15-1.25) smaller and more even than for abundance. To the south of the Scotia Sea plankton maxima occurred in autumn, consistent with a later spawning in many species, whereas further north, abundance in 53 and 100 μm nets varied little across seasons, although in the 200 μm net there was a clear summer maximum. Median biomass increased through summer and by autumn was twice than found during spring in all parts of the Scotia Sea. Cluster analysis indicated two main station groups in all 3 seasons. To the south of the Southern boundary of the ACC (SB-ACC), Group 1 contained stations, that lay within the seasonal sea-ice zone and where zooplankton abundance and biomass was persistently low. In contrast at Group 2 stations, north of the Southern Antarctic Circumpolar Current Front (SACCF) abundance and biomass was consistently higher. Differences between the two groups were largely apparent at the population rather than at the taxonomic level. LHPR hauls to 1000 m indicated that the large seasonal migrant copepods Calanoides acutus and Rhincalanus gigas were at a more advanced stage of development in the north in spring and summer where they were generally present in the upper water column. In autumn, at all stations, C. acutus was dominated by later stages

  11. Sympatric occurrence and population dynamics of Scylla spp. in equatorial climate: Effects of rainfall, temperature and lunar phase

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fazhan, Hanafiah; Waiho, Khor; Darin Azri, Mohammad Farhan; Al-Hafiz, Ismail; Norfaizza, Wan Ibrahim Wan; Megat, Fadhlul Hazmi; Jasmani, Safiah; Ma, Hongyu; Ikhwanuddin, Mhd

    2017-11-01

    Mud crabs (Scylla spp.) are known to exist sympatrically in the wild. However, information on their population dynamics and the influence of climate parameters and lunar phase, especially along the equatorial region, are limited. Four sampling stations representing three seas (the Strait of Malacca, South China Sea and Sulu Sea) along the equator were selected. Mud crabs were collected using baited traps during spring tides from April 2012 to July 2013. All three Scylla species, S. olivacea, S. tranquebarica and S. paramamosain live in sympatry in the three seas. Scylla olivacea is the most prevalent species in the Strait of Malacca and South China Sea, whereas S. paramamosain dominates the Sulu Sea. The total crab abundance was not affected by rainfall or temperature. The abundance of S. tranquebarica in Strait of Malacca was negatively correlated with temperature and positively correlated with rainfall whereas the abundance of S. paramamosain positively correlated with temperature only at South China Sea. Scylla tranquebarica was the largest in terms of body size and it showed interchanging abundance trends with S. paramamosain. The average body size of S. paramamosain did not differ significantly with that of S. tranquebarica and S. olivacea. This decrease is most likely attributed to overfishing. Significant seasonal fluctuations in mean carapace width were detected in S. tranquebarica and S. paramamosain, but not in S. olivacea. The monthly sex ratio of all three species occasionally fluctuates above the equal sex ratio value. Lunar phase did not affect species abundance, but males and females were significantly heavier during full moon. These findings serve as a baseline of seasonal variation in crab population dynamics that are useful in mud crab fisheries and resource management.

  12. Seasonal Variation on Microbial Community and Methane Production during Anaerobic Digestion of Cattle Manure in Brazil.

    PubMed

    Resende, Juliana Alves; Godon, Jean-Jacques; Bonnafous, Anaïs; Arcuri, Pedro Braga; Silva, Vânia Lúcia; Otenio, Marcelo Henrique; Diniz, Cláudio Galuppo

    2016-04-01

    Anaerobic digestion is an alternative method for the treatment of animal manure and wastewater. The anaerobic bioconversion of biomass requires a multi-step biological process, including microorganisms with distinct roles. The diversity and composition of microbial structure in pilot-scale anaerobic digestion operating at ambient temperature in Brazil were studied. Influence of the seasonal and temporal patterns on bacterial and archaeal communities were assessed by studying the variations in density, dynamic and diversity and structure. The average daily biogas produced in the summer and winter months was 18.7 and 16 L day(-1), respectively, and there was no difference in the average methane yield. Quantitative PCR analysis revealed that no differences in abundances and dynamics were found for bacterial communities and the total number of Archaea in different seasons. Analysis of bacterial clone libraries revealed a predominance of Firmicutes (54.5 %/summer and 46.7 %/winter) and Bacteroidetes (31.4 %/summer and 44.4 %/winter). Within the Archaea, the phylum Euryarchaeota was predominant in both digesters. Phylogenetic distribution showed changes in percentage between the phyla identified, but no alterations were recorded in the quality and amount of produced methane or community dynamics. The results may suggest that redundancy of microbial groups may have occurred, pointing to a more complex microbial community in the ecosystem related to this ambient temperature system.

  13. Biological soil crusts exhibit a dynamic response to seasonal rain and release from grazing with implications for soil stability

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Jimenez, Aguilar A.; Huber-Sannwald, E.; Belnap, J.; Smart, D.R.; Arredondo, Moreno J.T.

    2009-01-01

    In Northern Mexico, long-term grazing has substantially degraded semiarid landscapes. In semiarid systems, ecological and hydrological processes are strongly coupled by patchy plant distribution and biological soil crust (BSC) cover in plant-free interspaces. In this study, we asked: 1) how responsive are BSC cover/composition to a drying/wetting cycle and two-year grazing removal, and 2) what are the implications for soil erosion? We characterized BSC morphotypes and their influence on soil stability under grazed/non-grazed conditions during a dry and wet season. Light- and dark-colored cyanobacteria were dominant at the plant tussock and community level. Cover changes in these two groups differed after a rainy season and in response to grazing removal. Lichens with continuous thalli were more vulnerable to grazing than those with semi-continuous/discontinuous thalli after the dry season. Microsites around tussocks facilitated BSC colonization compared to interspaces. Lichen and cyanobacteria morphotypes differentially enhanced resistance to soil erosion; consequently, surface soil stability depends on the spatial distribution of BSC morphotypes, suggesting soil stability may be as dynamic as changes in the type of BSC cover. Longer-term spatially detailed studies are necessary to elicit spatiotemporal dynamics of BSC communities and their functional role in biotically and abiotically variable environments. ?? 2009 Elsevier Ltd.

  14. Seasonal phenology of the cerambycid beetles of east-central Illinois

    PubMed Central

    Hanks, Lawrence M.; Reagel, Peter F.; Mitchell, Robert F.; Wong, Joseph C. H.; Meier, Linnea R.; Silliman, Christina A.; Graham, Elizabeth E.; Striman, Becca L.; Robinson, Kenneth P.; Mongold-Diers, Judith A.; Millar, Jocelyn G.

    2014-01-01

    We summarize field data on the species composition and seasonal phenology of the community of cerambycid beetles of east-central Illinois. Data were drawn from field bioassays conducted during 2009 – 2012 that tested attraction of adult beetles of diverse species to a variety of synthetic pheromones and host plant volatiles. A total of 34,086 beetles of 114 species were captured, including 48 species in the subfamily Cerambycinae, 41 species in the Lamiinae, 19 species in the Lepturinae, two species in the Spondylidinae, and one species each in the Necydalinae, Parandrinae, Prioninae, and the Disteniidae. Most of the best-represented species were attracted to pheromones that were included in field experiments, particularly species that use (R)-3-hydroxyhexan-2-one as a pheromone component. The species captured, and their patterns of abundance and seasonal phenology were similar to those in an earlier study conducted in Pennsylvania. The most abundant species identified in both studies included the cerambycines Elaphidion mucronatum (Say), Neoclytus a. acuminatus (F.), Neoclytus m. mucronatus (F.), and Xylotrechus colonus (F.). Cerambycine species became active in an orderly progression from early spring through late fall, whereas most lamiine species were active in summer and fall, and lepturine species were limited to summer. Potential cross attraction between some cerambycine species that shared pheromone components may have been averted by differences in seasonal activity period, and by minor pheromone components that acted as synergists for conspecifics and/or antagonists for heterospecifics. These results provide quantitative data on the abundance and seasonal phenology of a large number of species. PMID:24683267

  15. Relative abundance of the southern pine beetle associates in East Texas

    Treesearch

    John C. Moser; R. C. Thatcher; L. S. Pickard

    1971-01-01

    More than 90 species of insects were identified in bolts taken from east Texas loblolly pines infested by the southern pine beetle, Dendroctonus frontalis Zimmermann and by Ips engraver beetles (Coleoptera: scolytidae). Seasonal abundance of the associates generally paralleled that of the southern pine beetle.

  16. The transmission dynamics of groups A and B human respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV) in England & Wales and Finland: seasonality and cross-protection.

    PubMed

    White, L J; Waris, M; Cane, P A; Nokes, D J; Medley, G F

    2005-04-01

    Human respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV) transmission dynamics are inherently cyclical, and the observed genetic diversity (between groups A and B) also appears to have a repeating pattern. A key unknown is the extent to which genetic variants interact immunologically, and thus impact on epidemiology. We developed a novel mathematical model for hRSV transmission including seasonal forcing of incidence and temporary intra- and inter-group partial immunity. Simultaneous model fits to data from two locations (England & Wales, UK, and Turku, Finland) successfully reproduced the contrasting infection dynamics and group A/B dominance patterns. Parameter estimates are consistent with direct estimates. Differences in the magnitude and seasonal variation in contact rate between the two populations alone could account for the variation in dynamics between these populations. The A/B group dominance patterns are explained by reductions in susceptibility to and infectiousness of secondary homologous and heterologous infections. The consequences of the observed dynamic complexity are discussed.

  17. Seasonal Water Balance Forecasts for Drought Early Warning in Ethiopia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Spirig, Christoph; Bhend, Jonas; Liniger, Mark

    2016-04-01

    Droughts severely impact Ethiopian agricultural production. Successful early warning for drought conditions in the upcoming harvest season therefore contributes to better managing food shortages arising from adverse climatic conditions. So far, however, meteorological seasonal forecasts have not been used in Ethiopia's national food security early warning system (i.e. the LEAP platform). Here we analyse the forecast quality of seasonal forecasts of total rainfall and of the meteorological water balance as a proxy for plant available water. We analyse forecast skill of June to September rainfall and water balance from dynamical seasonal forecast systems, the ECMWF System4 and EC-EARTH global forecasting systems. Rainfall forecasts outperform forecasts assuming a stationary climate mainly in north-eastern Ethiopia - an area that is particularly vulnerable to droughts. Forecasts of the water balance index seem to be even more skilful and thus more useful than pure rainfall forecasts. The results vary though for different lead times and skill measures employed. We further explore the potential added value of dynamically downscaling the forecasts through several dynamical regional climate models made available through the EU FP7 project EUPORIAS. Preliminary results suggest that dynamically downscaled seasonal forecasts are not significantly better compared with seasonal forecasts from the global models. We conclude that seasonal forecasts of a simple climate index such as the water balance have the potential to benefit drought early warning in Ethiopia, both due to its positive predictive skill and higher usefulness than seasonal mean quantities.

  18. Seasonal infectious disease epidemiology

    PubMed Central

    Grassly, Nicholas C; Fraser, Christophe

    2006-01-01

    Seasonal change in the incidence of infectious diseases is a common phenomenon in both temperate and tropical climates. However, the mechanisms responsible for seasonal disease incidence, and the epidemiological consequences of seasonality, are poorly understood with rare exception. Standard epidemiological theory and concepts such as the basic reproductive number R0 no longer apply, and the implications for interventions that themselves may be periodic, such as pulse vaccination, have not been formally examined. This paper examines the causes and consequences of seasonality, and in so doing derives several new results concerning vaccination strategy and the interpretation of disease outbreak data. It begins with a brief review of published scientific studies in support of different causes of seasonality in infectious diseases of humans, identifying four principal mechanisms and their association with different routes of transmission. It then describes the consequences of seasonality for R0, disease outbreaks, endemic dynamics and persistence. Finally, a mathematical analysis of routine and pulse vaccination programmes for seasonal infections is presented. The synthesis of seasonal infectious disease epidemiology attempted by this paper highlights the need for further empirical and theoretical work. PMID:16959647

  19. Spatial and temporal variation in the abundance of Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in nine European countries.

    PubMed

    Cuéllar, Ana Carolina; Kjær, Lene Jung; Kirkeby, Carsten; Skovgard, Henrik; Nielsen, Søren Achim; Stockmarr, Anders; Andersson, Gunnar; Lindstrom, Anders; Chirico, Jan; Lühken, Renke; Steinke, Sonja; Kiel, Ellen; Gethmann, Jörn; Conraths, Franz J; Larska, Magdalena; Hamnes, Inger; Sviland, Ståle; Hopp, Petter; Brugger, Katharina; Rubel, Franz; Balenghien, Thomas; Garros, Claire; Rakotoarivony, Ignace; Allène, Xavier; Lhoir, Jonathan; Chavernac, David; Delécolle, Jean-Claude; Mathieu, Bruno; Delécolle, Delphine; Setier-Rio, Marie-Laure; Venail, Roger; Scheid, Bethsabée; Chueca, Miguel Ángel Miranda; Barceló, Carlos; Lucientes, Javier; Estrada, Rosa; Mathis, Alexander; Tack, Wesley; Bødker, Rene

    2018-02-27

    Biting midges of the genus Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are vectors of bluetongue virus (BTV), African horse sickness virus and Schmallenberg virus (SBV). Outbreaks of both BTV and SBV have affected large parts of Europe. The spread of these diseases depends largely on vector distribution and abundance. The aim of this analysis was to identify and quantify major spatial patterns and temporal trends in the distribution and seasonal variation of observed Culicoides abundance in nine countries in Europe. We gathered existing Culicoides data from Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Poland. In total, 31,429 Culicoides trap collections were available from 904 ruminant farms across these countries between 2007 and 2013. The Obsoletus ensemble was distributed widely in Europe and accounted for 83% of all 8,842,998 Culicoides specimens in the dataset, with the highest mean monthly abundance recorded in France, Germany and southern Norway. The Pulicaris ensemble accounted for only 12% of the specimens and had a relatively southerly and easterly spatial distribution compared to the Obsoletus ensemble. Culicoides imicola Kieffer was only found in Spain and the southernmost part of France. There was a clear spatial trend in the accumulated annual abundance from southern to northern Europe, with the Obsoletus ensemble steadily increasing from 4000 per year in southern Europe to 500,000 in Scandinavia. The Pulicaris ensemble showed a very different pattern, with an increase in the accumulated annual abundance from 1600 in Spain, peaking at 41,000 in northern Germany and then decreasing again toward northern latitudes. For the two species ensembles and C. imicola, the season began between January and April, with later start dates and increasingly shorter vector seasons at more northerly latitudes. We present the first maps of seasonal Culicoides abundance in large parts of Europe covering a gradient from southern Spain to northern

  20. Seasonality of the Mediterranean Fruit Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) on Terceira and Sao Jorge Islands, Azores, Portugal.

    PubMed

    Pimentel, R; Lopes, D J H; Mexia, A M M; Mumford, J D

    2017-01-01

    Population dynamics studies are very important for any area-wide control program as they provide detailed knowledge about the relationship of Medfly [Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann)] life cycle with host availability and abundance. The main goal of this study is to analyse seasonality of C. capitata in Terceira and Sao Jorge Islands (Azores archipelago) using field and laboratory data collected during (2010-2014) CABMEDMAC (MAC/3/A163) project. The results from Sao Jorge Island indicate significantly lower male/female ratio than on Terceira Island. This is an important finding specially regarding when stablishing the scenario parameters for a sterile insect technique application in each island. The population dynamics of C. capitata are generally linked with host fruit availability and abundance. However, on Terceira Island fruit infestation levels are not synchronized with the trap counts. For example, there was Medfly infestations in some fruits [e.g., Solanum mauritianum (Scop.)] while in the nearby traps there were no captures at the same time. From this perspective, it is important to denote the importance of wild invasive plants, on the population dynamics of C. capitata, as well important to consider the possibility of having different densities of traps according to the characteristics of each area in order to improve the network of traps surveillance's sensitivity on Terceira Island. © The Authors 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America.

  1. [Abundance and body size of Menippe mercenaria (Crustacea: Brachyura), in artificial refuges in Quintana Roo, Mexico].

    PubMed

    Cervantes-Martínez, A; Ramírez-González, A

    2001-01-01

    In Florida and Cuba the stone crab Menippe mercenaria (Say, 1818) is under strong fishing-pressure; nevertheless in the Mexican Caribbean it is considered as sub-utilized and poorly known resource. Artificial shelters ("condominios cubanos") were used to study relative abundance, age structure, claw length-carapace amplitude relation, and population in three seasons and four sectors at Bahía Ascension, Quintana Roo, Mexico. The abundance varied according to the sector and sampling season: population was higher in the south and during the north wind ("Nortes") season (January to March). The carapace amplitude was directly proportional to claw length (r2 = 0.83, 0.97 and 0.89; p < 0.05 in females, males and total, respectively). The results suggest that specimens with 37.5 and 67.5 mm of carapace amplitude are the most limited regarding refuge availability in the Bay.

  2. Influence of temporal variation and host condition on helminth abundance in the lizard Tropidurus hispidus from north-eastern Brazil.

    PubMed

    Filho, J A Araujo; Brito, S V; Lima, V F; Pereira, A M A; Mesquita, D O; Albuquerque, R L; Almeida, W O

    2017-05-01

    Ecological characteristics and environmental variation influence both host species composition and parasite abundance. Abiotic factors such as rainfall and temperature can improve parasite development and increase its reproduction rate. The comparison of these assemblages between different environments may give us a more refined analysis of how environment affects the variation of helminth parasite abundance. The aim of the present study was to evaluate how temporal variation, host size, sex and reproduction affect helminth abundance in the Tropidurus hispidus lizard in Caatinga, Restinga and Atlantic Forest environments. Overall, larger-sized lizards showed higher helminth abundance. We found a monthly variation in the helminth species abundance in all studied areas. In the Caatinga area, monoxenic and heteroxenic parasites were related to the rainy season and to the reproductive period of lizards. In Restinga, monoxenic and heteroxenic helminth species were more abundant during the driest months. In the Atlantic Forest, the rainy and host reproductive season occurred continuously throughout the year, so parasite abundance was relatively constant. Nevertheless, heteroxenic species were more abundant in this area. The present results showed that the temporal variation, body size, sex, reproductive period and habitat type influence the abundance and composition of helminth species in T. hispidus.

  3. Seasonal variations in suspended-sediment dynamics in the tidal reach of an estuarine tributary

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Downing-Kunz, Maureen A.; Schoellhamer, David H.

    2013-01-01

    Quantifying sediment supply from estuarine tributaries is an important component of developing a sediment budget, and common techniques for estimating supply are based on gages located above tidal influence. However, tidal interactions near tributary mouths can affect the magnitude and direction of sediment supply to the open waters of the estuary. We investigated suspended-sediment dynamics in the tidal reach of Corte Madera Creek, an estuarine tributary of San Francisco Bay, using moored acoustic and optical instruments. Flux of both water and suspended-sediment were calculated from observed water velocity and turbidity for two periods in each of wet and dry seasons during 2010. During wet periods, net suspended-sediment flux was seaward; tidally filtered flux was dominated by the advective component. In contrast, during dry periods, net flux was landward; tidally filtered flux was dominated by the dispersive component. The mechanisms generating this landward flux varied; during summer we attributed wind–wave resuspension in the estuary and subsequent transport on flood tides, whereas during autumn we attributed increased spring tide flood velocity magnitude leading to local resuspension. A quadrant analysis similar to that employed in turbulence studies was developed to summarize flux time series by quantifying the relative importance of sediment transport events. These events are categorized by the direction of velocity (flood vs. ebb) and the magnitude of concentration relative to tidally averaged conditions (relatively turbid vs. relatively clear). During wet periods, suspended-sediment flux was greatest in magnitude during relatively turbid ebbs, whereas during dry periods it was greatest in magnitude during relatively turbid floods. A conceptual model was developed to generalize seasonal differences in suspended-sediment dynamics; model application to this study demonstrated the importance of few, relatively large events on net suspended-sediment flux

  4. Global sampling of the seasonal changes in vegetation biophysical properties and associated carbon flux dynamics: using the synergy of information captured by spectral time series

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Campbell, P. K. E.; Huemmrich, K. F.; Middleton, E.; Voorhis, S.; Landis, D.

    2016-12-01

    Spatial heterogeneity and seasonal dynamics in vegetation function contribute significantly to the uncertainties in regional and global CO2 budgets. High spectral resolution imaging spectroscopy ( 10 nm, 400-2500 nm) provides an efficient tool for synoptic evaluation of the factors significantly affecting the ability of the vegetation to sequester carbon and to reflect radiation, due to changes in vegetation chemical and structural composition. EO-1 Hyperion has collected more than 15 years of repeated observations for vegetation studies, and currently Hyperion time series are available for study of vegetation carbon dynamics at a number of FLUX sites. This study presents results from the analysis of EO-1 Hyperion and FLUX seasonal composites for a range of ecosystems across the globe. Spectral differences and seasonal trends were evaluated for each vegetation type and specific phenology. Evaluating the relationships between CO2 flux parameters (e.g., Net ecosystem production - NEP; Gross Ecosystem Exchange - GEE, CO2 flux, μmol m-2 s-1) and spectral parameters for these very different ecosystems, high correlations were established to parameters associated with canopy water and chlorophyll content for deciduous, and photosynthetic function for conifers. Imaging spectrometry provided high spatial resolution maps of CO2 fluxes absorbed by vegetation, and was efficient in tracing seasonal flux dynamics. This study will present examples for key ecosystem tipes to demonstrate the ability of imaging spectrometry and EO-1 Hyperion to map and compare CO2 flux dynamics across the globe.

  5. Modelling the effects of seasonality and socioeconomic impact on the transmission of Rift Valley fever virus

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Xiao, Yanyu; Beier, John C.; Cantrell, Robert Stephen; Cosner, Chris; DeAngelis, Donald L.; Ruan, Shigui

    2015-01-01

    Rift Valley fever (RVF) is an important mosquito-borne viral zoonosis in Africa and the Middle East that causes human deaths and significant economic losses due to huge incidences of death and abortion among infected livestock. Outbreaks of RVF are sporadic and associated with both seasonal and socioeconomic effects. Here we propose an almost periodic three-patch model to investigate the transmission dynamics of RVF virus (RVFV) among ruminants with spatial movements. Our findings indicate that, in Northeastern Africa, human activities, including those associated with the Eid al Adha feast, along with a combination of climatic factors such as rainfall level and hydrological variations, contribute to the transmission and dispersal of the disease pathogen. Moreover, sporadic outbreaks may occur when the two events occur together: 1) abundant livestock are recruited into areas at risk from RVF due to the demand for the religious festival and 2) abundant numbers of mosquitoes emerge. These two factors have been shown to have impacts on the severity of RVF outbreaks. Our numerical results present the transmission dynamics of the disease pathogen over both short and long periods of time, particularly during the festival time. Further, we investigate the impact on patterns of disease outbreaks in each patch brought by festival- and seasonal-driven factors, such as the number of livestock imported daily, the animal transportation speed from patch to patch, and the death rate induced by ceremonial sacrifices. In addition, our simulations show that when the time for festival preparation starts earlier than usual, the risk of massive disease outbreaks rises, particularly in patch 3 (the place where the religious ceremony will be held).

  6. Seasonal Changes in Socio-Spatial Structure in a Group of Free-Living Spider Monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi)

    PubMed Central

    Ramos-Fernández, Gabriel; Getz, Wayne M.

    2016-01-01

    Ecological and social factors influence individual movement and group membership decisions, which ultimately determine how animal groups adjust their behavior in spatially and temporally heterogeneous environments. The mechanisms behind these behavioral adjustments can be better understood by studying the relationship between association and space use patterns of groups and how these change over time. We examined the socio-spatial patterns of adult individuals in a free-ranging group of spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi), a species with high fission-fusion dynamics. Data comprised 4916 subgroup scans collected during 325 days throughout a 20-month period and was used to evaluate changes from fruit-scarce to fruit-abundant periods in individual core-area size, subgroup size and two types of association measures: spatial (core-area overlap) and spatio-temporal (occurrence in the same subgroup) associations. We developed a 3-level analysis framework to distinguish passive associations, where individuals are mostly brought together by resources of common interest, from active association, where individuals actively seek or avoid certain others. Results indicated a more concentrated use of space, increased individual gregariousness and higher spatio-temporal association rates in the fruit-abundant seasons, as is compatible with an increase in passive associations. Nevertheless, results also suggested active associations in all the periods analyzed, although associations differed across seasons. In particular, females seem to actively avoid males, perhaps prompted by an increased probability of random encounters among individuals, resulting from the contraction of individual core areas. Our framework proved useful in investigating the interplay between ecological and social constraints and how these constraints can influence individual ranging and grouping decisions in spider monkeys, and possibly other species with high fission-fusion dynamics. PMID:27280800

  7. Breeding phenology of birds: mechanisms underlying seasonal declines in the risk of nest predation.

    PubMed

    Borgmann, Kathi L; Conway, Courtney J; Morrison, Michael L

    2013-01-01

    Seasonal declines in avian clutch size are well documented, but seasonal variation in other reproductive parameters has received less attention. For example, the probability of complete brood mortality typically explains much of the variation in reproductive success and often varies seasonally, but we know little about the underlying cause of that variation. This oversight is surprising given that nest predation influences many other life-history traits and varies throughout the breeding season in many songbirds. To determine the underlying causes of observed seasonal decreases in risk of nest predation, we modeled nest predation of Dusky Flycatchers (Empidonax oberholseri) in northern California as a function of foliage phenology, energetic demand, developmental stage, conspecific nest density, food availability for nest predators, and nest predator abundance. Seasonal variation in the risk of nest predation was not associated with seasonal changes in energetic demand, conspecific nest density, or predator abundance. Instead, seasonal variation in the risk of nest predation was associated with foliage density (early, but not late, in the breeding season) and seasonal changes in food available to nest predators. Supplemental food provided to nest predators resulted in a numerical response by nest predators, increasing the risk of nest predation at nests that were near supplemental feeders. Our results suggest that seasonal changes in foliage density and factors associated with changes in food availability for nest predators are important drivers of temporal patterns in risk of avian nest predation.

  8. Breeding Phenology of Birds: Mechanisms Underlying Seasonal Declines in the Risk of Nest Predation

    PubMed Central

    Borgmann, Kathi L.; Conway, Courtney J.; Morrison, Michael L.

    2013-01-01

    Seasonal declines in avian clutch size are well documented, but seasonal variation in other reproductive parameters has received less attention. For example, the probability of complete brood mortality typically explains much of the variation in reproductive success and often varies seasonally, but we know little about the underlying cause of that variation. This oversight is surprising given that nest predation influences many other life-history traits and varies throughout the breeding season in many songbirds. To determine the underlying causes of observed seasonal decreases in risk of nest predation, we modeled nest predation of Dusky Flycatchers (Empidonax oberholseri) in northern California as a function of foliage phenology, energetic demand, developmental stage, conspecific nest density, food availability for nest predators, and nest predator abundance. Seasonal variation in the risk of nest predation was not associated with seasonal changes in energetic demand, conspecific nest density, or predator abundance. Instead, seasonal variation in the risk of nest predation was associated with foliage density (early, but not late, in the breeding season) and seasonal changes in food available to nest predators. Supplemental food provided to nest predators resulted in a numerical response by nest predators, increasing the risk of nest predation at nests that were near supplemental feeders. Our results suggest that seasonal changes in foliage density and factors associated with changes in food availability for nest predators are important drivers of temporal patterns in risk of avian nest predation. PMID:23776566

  9. Seasonal Synchronization of a Simple Stochastic Dynamical Model Capturing El Niño Diversity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thual, S.; Majda, A.; Chen, N.

    2017-12-01

    The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) has significant impact on global climate and seasonal prediction. Recently, a simple ENSO model was developed that automatically captures the ENSO diversity and intermittency in nature, where state-dependent stochastic wind bursts and nonlinear advection of sea surface temperature (SST) are coupled to simple ocean-atmosphere processes that are otherwise deterministic, linear and stable. In the present article, it is further shown that the model can reproduce qualitatively the ENSO synchronization (or phase-locking) to the seasonal cycle in nature. This goal is achieved by incorporating a cloud radiative feedback that is derived naturally from the model's atmosphere dynamics with no ad-hoc assumptions and accounts in simple fashion for the marked seasonal variations of convective activity and cloud cover in the eastern Pacific. In particular, the weak convective response to SSTs in boreal fall favors the eastern Pacific warming that triggers El Niño events while the increased convective activity and cloud cover during the following spring contributes to the shutdown of those events by blocking incoming shortwave solar radiations. In addition to simulating the ENSO diversity with realistic non-Gaussian statistics in different Niño regions, both the eastern Pacific moderate and super El Niño, the central Pacific El Niño as well as La Niña show a realistic chronology with a tendency to peak in boreal winter as well as decreased predictability in spring consistent with the persistence barrier in nature. The incorporation of other possible seasonal feedbacks in the model is also documented for completeness.

  10. Dynamical-statistical seasonal prediction for western North Pacific typhoons based on APCC multi-models

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Ok-Yeon; Kim, Hye-Mi; Lee, Myong-In; Min, Young-Mi

    2017-01-01

    This study aims at predicting the seasonal number of typhoons (TY) over the western North Pacific with an Asia-Pacific Climate Center (APCC) multi-model ensemble (MME)-based dynamical-statistical hybrid model. The hybrid model uses the statistical relationship between the number of TY during the typhoon season (July-October) and the large-scale key predictors forecasted by APCC MME for the same season. The cross validation result from the MME hybrid model demonstrates high prediction skill, with a correlation of 0.67 between the hindcasts and observation for 1982-2008. The cross validation from the hybrid model with individual models participating in MME indicates that there is no single model which consistently outperforms the other models in predicting typhoon number. Although the forecast skill of MME is not always the highest compared to that of each individual model, the skill of MME presents rather higher averaged correlations and small variance of correlations. Given large set of ensemble members from multi-models, a relative operating characteristic score reveals an 82 % (above-) and 78 % (below-normal) improvement for the probabilistic prediction of the number of TY. It implies that there is 82 % (78 %) probability that the forecasts can successfully discriminate between above normal (below-normal) from other years. The forecast skill of the hybrid model for the past 7 years (2002-2008) is more skillful than the forecast from the Tropical Storm Risk consortium. Using large set of ensemble members from multi-models, the APCC MME could provide useful deterministic and probabilistic seasonal typhoon forecasts to the end-users in particular, the residents of tropical cyclone-prone areas in the Asia-Pacific region.

  11. Dissolved nitrogen seasonal dynamics in Alaskan Arctic streams & rivers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khosh, M. S.; McClelland, J. W.; Douglas, T. A.; Jacobson, A. D.; Barker, A. J.; Lehn, G. O.

    2011-12-01

    Over the coming century, continued warming in the Arctic is expected to bring about many changes to the region including altered precipitation regimes, earlier snowmelt, and degradation of permafrost. These alterations are likely to modify the hydrology within the region, including changes in the quantity, seasonality, and flow paths of water; all of which may impact biogeochemical processes within Arctic catchments. The anticipated responses to warming in the Arctic are likely to become most apparent during the spring snowmelt period, and in the late summer to early fall when the seasonally-thawed active layer reaches its maximum depth. While our knowledge of the seasonal dynamics of water-borne constituents in Arctic rivers is improving, the spring snowmelt and the late summer/early fall are times of the year that Arctic rivers have historically been under sampled. An improved understanding of the mechanisms that control the seasonal variability of water chemistry may help us to better understand how these systems will respond to further warming. Between May and October of 2009 and 2010 we collected surface water samples from six different rivers/streams in the Alaskan Arctic, with particular emphasis placed on sampling during the spring snowmelt and during the late summer until fall freeze-up. These rivers were selected because they represent end-member physical characteristics ranging from high gradient rivers draining predominantly bedrock to low gradient rivers draining predominantly tundra. The catchments of all six rivers are underlain by continuous permafrost and range in size from 1.6 km2 to 610 km2. Samples were analyzed for total dissolved nitrogen (TDN), nitrate (NO3-), and ammonium (NH4+). Dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) was calculated as [TDN] - [NO3-] - [NH4+]. TDN concentrations exhibited maxima in the spring and fall, but the prevailing forms of nitrogen differed markedly between the early and late periods. There were also marked differences

  12. Seasonal changes of fructans in dimorphic roots of Ichthyothere terminalis (Spreng.) Blake (Asteraceae) growing in Cerrado.

    PubMed

    de Almeida, Lorrayne Veloso; Ferri, Pedro Henrique; Seraphin, José Carlos; de Moraes, Moemy Gomes

    2017-11-15

    Cerrado is a floristically rich savanna in Brazil, whose vegetation consists of a physiognomic mosaic, influenced by rainfall seasonality. In the dry season rainfall is substantially lower and reduces soil water supply, mainly for herbs and subshrubs. Climatic seasonal variations may well define phenological shifts and induce fluctuations of plant reserve pools. Some Cerrado native species have thickened underground organs that bear buds and store reserves, as adaptive features to enable plant survival following environmental stresses. Asteraceae species accumulate fructans in storage organs, which are not only reserve, but also protecting compounds against the effects of cold and drought. Ichthyothere terminalis is one Asteraceae species abundant in cerrado rupestre, with underground organs consisting of thickened orthogravitropic and diagravitropic roots. The objectives of this study were to analyze how abiotic environmental factors and plant phenology influence fructan dynamics in field grown plants, and verify if fructan metabolism differs in both root types for one year. I. terminalis accumulates inulin-type fructans in 10-40% of the dry mass in both root types. Fructan dynamics have similar patterns described for other Asteraceae species, exhibiting a proportional increase of polysaccharides with the senescence of the aerial organs. Multivariate analyzes showed that, as rainfall decreased, environmental factors had a stronger influence on metabolite levels than phenological shifts in both root types. Only slight differences were found in fructan dynamics between orthogravitropic and diagravitropic roots, suggesting they may have similar fructan metabolism regulation. However, these small differences may reflect distinct microclimatic conditions in both root types and also represent the influence of sink strength. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. The RAVE-on Catalog of Stellar Atmospheric Parameters and Chemical Abundances for Chemo-dynamic Studies in the Gaia Era

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Casey, Andrew R.; Hawkins, Keith; Hogg, David W.; Ness, Melissa; Rix, Hans-Walter; Kordopatis, Georges; Kunder, Andrea; Steinmetz, Matthias; Koposov, Sergey; Enke, Harry; Sanders, Jason; Gilmore, Gerry; Zwitter, Tomaž; Freeman, Kenneth C.; Casagrande, Luca; Matijevič, Gal; Seabroke, George; Bienaymé, Olivier; Bland-Hawthorn, Joss; Gibson, Brad K.; Grebel, Eva K.; Helmi, Amina; Munari, Ulisse; Navarro, Julio F.; Reid, Warren; Siebert, Arnaud; Wyse, Rosemary

    2017-05-01

    The orbits, atmospheric parameters, chemical abundances, and ages of individual stars in the Milky Way provide the most comprehensive illustration of galaxy formation available. The Tycho-Gaia Astrometric Solution (TGAS) will deliver astrometric parameters for the largest ever sample of Milky Way stars, though its full potential cannot be realized without the addition of complementary spectroscopy. Among existing spectroscopic surveys, the RAdial Velocity Experiment (RAVE) has the largest overlap with TGAS (≳200,000 stars). We present a data-driven re-analysis of 520,781 RAVE spectra using The Cannon. For red giants, we build our model using high-fidelity APOGEE stellar parameters and abundances for stars that overlap with RAVE. For main sequence and sub-giant stars, our model uses stellar parameters from the K2/EPIC. We derive and validate effective temperature T eff, surface gravity log g, and chemical abundances of up to seven elements (O, Mg, Al, Si, Ca, Fe, and Ni). We report a total of 1,685,851 elemental abundances with a typical precision of 0.07 dex, a substantial improvement over previous RAVE data releases. The synthesis of RAVE-on and TGAS is the most powerful data set for chemo-dynamic analyses of the Milky Way ever produced.

  14. Temporal variation in bird and resource abundance across an elevational gradient in Hawaii

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hart, Patrick J.; Woodworth, Bethany L.; Camp, Richard J.; Turner, Kathryn; McClure, Katherine; Goodall, Katherine; Henneman, Carlene; Spiegel, Caleb; Lebrun, Jaymi; Tweed, Erik; Samuel, Michael

    2011-01-01

    We documented patterns of nectar availability and nectarivorous bird abundance over ~3 years at nine study sites across an 1,800-m elevational gradient on Hawaii Island to investigate the relationship between resource variation and bird abundance. Flower density (flowers ha-1) and nectar energy content were measured across the gradient for the monodominant 'Ōhi'a (Metrosideros polymorpha). Four nectarivorous bird species were captured monthly in mist nets and surveyed quarterly with point-transect distance sampling at each site to examine patterns of density and relative abundance. Flowering peaks were associated with season but not rainfall or elevation. Bird densities peaked in the winter and spring of each year at high elevations, but patterns were less clear at middle and low elevations. Variability in bird abundance was generally best modeled as a function of elevation, season, and flower density, but the strength of the latter effect varied with species. The low elevations had the greatest density of flowers but contained far fewer individuals of the two most strongly nectarivorous species. There is little evidence of large-scale altitudinal movement of birds in response to 'Ōhi'a flowering peaks. The loose relationship between nectar and bird abundance may be explained by a number of potential mechanisms, including (1) demographic constraints to movement; (2) nonlimiting nectar resources; and (3) the presence of an "ecological trap," whereby birds are attracted by the high resource abundance of, but suffer increased mortality at, middle and low elevations as a result of disease.

  15. Effects of biotic and abiotic factors on the temporal dynamic of bat-fruit interactions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Laurindo, Rafael de Souza; Gregorin, Renato; Tavares, Davi Castro

    2017-08-01

    Mutualistic interactions between animals and plants vary over time and space based on the abundance of fruits or animals and seasonality. Little is known about this temporal dynamic and the influence of biotic and abiotic factors on the structure of interaction networks. We evaluated changes in the structure of network interactions between bats and fruits in relation to variations in rainfall. Our results suggest that fruit abundance is the main variable responsible for temporal changes in network attributes, such as network size, connectance, and number of interactions. In the same way, temperature positively affected the abundance of fruits and bats. An increase in temperature and alterations in rainfall patterns, due to human induced climate change, can cause changes in phenological patterns and fruit production, with negative consequences to biodiversity maintenance, ecological interactions, and ecosystem functioning.

  16. Abundance and Temperature Variations in Titan's Atmosphere as Revealed by ALMA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thelen, A. E.; Nixon, C. A.; Chanover, N.; Molter, E.; Cordiner, M. A.; Serigano, J., IV; Irwin, P. G.; Charnley, S. B.; Teanby, N. A.

    2016-12-01

    Photochemistry in Titan's atmosphere produces a wealth of organic molecular species through the dissociation of it's main constituents: N2 and CH4. Chemical species including hydrocarbons (CXHY) and nitriles (CXHY[CN]Z) exhibit latitudinal variations in abundance as observed by Cassini, attributed to atmospheric circulation and Titan's seasonal cycle. Flux calibration images of Titan taken by the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) with beam sizes smaller than Titan's angular diameter ( 0.7'') allow for measurements of rotational transition lines in spatially resolved regions of Titan's disk. We present nitrile abundance profiles and temperature measurements derived from CO lines obtained by ALMA in 2014, as Titan transitioned into northern summer. Vertical profiles in Titan's lower/middle atmosphere were retrieved by modeling high resolution ALMA spectra using the Non-linear Optimal Estimator for MultivariatE Spectral analySIS (NEMESIS) radiative transfer code. We present a comparison of the abundance variations of chemical species to measurements made using Cassini data. Temperature profiles derived from CO lines are compared to Cassini Composite Infrared Spectrometer temperature fields. The techniques presented here will allow us to determine temporal changes in Titan's atmospheric chemical composition after the end of the Cassini mission by utilizing high resolution ALMA data. Comparisons of chemical species with strong abundance enhancements over the poles will inform our knowledge of chemical lifetimes in Titan's atmosphere, and allow us to observe the important changes in production and circulation of numerous organic molecules which are attributed to Titan's seasons.

  17. Seasonal monitoring of deep-sea megabenthos in Barkley Canyon cold seep by internet operated vehicle (IOV)

    PubMed Central

    Doya, Carolina; Chatzievangelou, Damianos; Bahamon, Nixon; Purser, Autun; De Leo, Fabio C.; Juniper, S. Kim; Thomsen, Laurenz; Aguzzi, Jacopo

    2017-01-01

    Knowledge of the processes shaping deep-sea benthic communities at seasonal scales in cold-seep environments is incomplete. Cold seeps within highly dynamic regions, such as submarine canyons, where variable current regimes may occur, are particularly understudied. Novel Internet Operated Vehicles (IOVs), such as tracked crawlers, provide new techniques for investigating these ecosystems over prolonged periods. In this study a benthic crawler connected to the NEPTUNE cabled infrastructure operated by Ocean Networks Canada was used to monitor community changes across 60 m2 of a cold-seep area of the Barkley Canyon, North East Pacific, at ~890 m depth within an Oxygen Minimum Zone (OMZ). Short video-transects were run at 4-h intervals during the first week of successive calendar months, over a 14 month period (February 14th 2013 to April 14th 2014). Within each recorded transect video megafauna abundances were computed and changes in environmental conditions concurrently measured. The responses of fauna to environmental conditions as a proxy of seasonality were assessed through analysis of abundances in a total of 438 video-transects (over 92 h of total footage). 7698 fauna individuals from 6 phyla (Cnidaria, Ctenophora, Arthropoda, Echinodermata, Mollusca, and Chordata) were logged and patterns in abundances of the 7 most abundant taxa (i.e. rockfish Sebastidae, sablefish Anoplopoma fimbria, hagfish Eptatretus stoutii, buccinids (Buccinoidea), undefined small crabs, ctenophores Bolinopsis infundibulum, and Scyphomedusa Poralia rufescens) were identified. Patterns in the reproductive behaviour of the grooved tanner crab (Chionnecetes tanneri) were also indicated. Temporal variations in biodiversity and abundance in megabenthic fauna was significantly influenced by variabilities in flow velocity flow direction (up or down canyon), dissolved oxygen concentration and month of study. Also reported here for the first time are transient mass aggregations of grooved tanner

  18. Early-stage changes in natural (13)C and (15)N abundance and nutrient dynamics during different litter decomposition.

    PubMed

    Gautam, Mukesh Kumar; Lee, Kwang-Sik; Song, Byeong-Yeol; Lee, Dongho; Bong, Yeon-Sik

    2016-05-01

    Decomposition, nutrient, and isotopic (δ(13)C and δ(15)N) dynamics during 1 year were studied for leaf and twig litters of Pinus densiflora, Castanea crenata, Erigeron annuus, and Miscanthus sinensis growing on a highly weathered soil with constrained nutrient supply using litterbags in a cool temperate region of South Korea. Decay constant (k/year) ranged from 0.58 to 1.29/year, and mass loss ranged from 22.36 to 58.43 % among litter types. The results demonstrate that mass loss and nutrient dynamics of decomposing litter were influenced by the seasonality of mineralization and immobilization processes. In general, most nutrients exhibited alternate phases of rapid mineralization followed by gradual immobilization, except K, which was released throughout the field incubation. At the end of study, among all the nutrients only N and P showed net immobilization. Mobility of different nutrients from decomposing litter as the percentage of initial litter nutrient concentration was in the order of K > Mg > Ca > N ≈ P. The δ(13)C (0.32-6.70 ‰) and δ(15)N (0.74-3.90 ‰) values of residual litters showed nonlinear increase and decrease, respectively compared to initial isotopic values during decomposition. Litter of different functional types and chemical quality converged toward a conservative nutrient use strategy through mechanisms of slow decomposition and slow nutrient mobilization. Our results indicate that litter quality and season, are the most important regulators of litter decomposition in these forests. The results revealed significant relationships between litter decomposition rates and N, C:N ratio and P, and seasonality (temperature). These results and the convergence of different litters towards conservative nutrient use in these nutrient constrained ecosystems imply optimization of litter management because litter removal can have cascading effects on litter decomposition and nutrient availability in these systems.

  19. Modeling species occurrence dynamics with multiple states and imperfect detection

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    MacKenzie, D.I.; Nichols, J.D.; Seamans, M.E.; Gutierrez, R.J.

    2009-01-01

    Recent extensions of occupancy modeling have focused not only on the distribution of species over space, but also on additional state variables (e.g., reproducing or not, with or without disease organisms, relative abundance categories) that provide extra information about occupied sites. These biologist-driven extensions are characterized by ambiguity in both species presence and correct state classification, caused by imperfect detection. We first show the relationships between independently published approaches to the modeling of multistate occupancy. We then extend the pattern-based modeling to the case of sampling over multiple seasons or years in order to estimate state transition probabilities associated with system dynamics. The methodology and its potential for addressing relevant ecological questions are demonstrated using both maximum likelihood (occupancy and successful reproduction dynamics of California Spotted Owl) and Markov chain Monte Carlo estimation approaches (changes in relative abundance of green frogs in Maryland). Just as multistate capture-recapture modeling has revolutionized the study of individual marked animals, we believe that multistate occupancy modeling will dramatically increase our ability to address interesting questions about ecological processes underlying population-level dynamics. ?? 2009 by the Ecological Society of America.

  20. Temporal dynamics influenced by global change: bee community phenology in urban, agricultural, and natural landscapes.

    PubMed

    Leong, Misha; Ponisio, Lauren C; Kremen, Claire; Thorp, Robbin W; Roderick, George K

    2016-03-01

    Urbanization and agricultural intensification of landscapes are important drivers of global change, which in turn have direct impacts on local ecological communities leading to shifts in species distributions and interactions. Here, we illustrate how human-altered landscapes, with novel ornamental and crop plant communities, result not only in changes to local community diversity of floral-dependent species, but also in shifts in seasonal abundance of bee pollinators. Three years of data on the spatio-temporal distributions of 91 bee species show that seasonal patterns of abundance and species richness in human-altered landscapes varied significantly less compared to natural habitats in which floral resources are relatively scarce in the dry summer months. These findings demonstrate that anthropogenic environmental changes in urban and agricultural systems, here mediated through changes in plant resources and water inputs, can alter the temporal dynamics of pollinators that depend on them. Changes in phenology of interactions can be an important, though frequently overlooked, mechanism of global change. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.